Chapter: 8 Boyfriend

The fifteen-year-old Lu Xi was arrogant and capricious, stubborn and surly.

According to rumors, he fought frequently.

When Zhou Sisi heard the word “beat”, she was frightened and subconsciously wanted to stop him.

“Lu Xi–“

Lu Xi glanced over and saw it was her again. “What?”

Zhou Sisi: “What are you going to do?”

“Why does it matter to you?” Lu Xi replied indifferently.

Huang Zhou next to him looked at Zhou Sisi, then stared at Lu Xi.

 How could Lu Xi know senior sister? He didn’t even tell him! Shit!

“Now,” Zhou Sisi stared into his eyes as she continued, “go home and stay there.”

Lu Xi raised an eyebrow, with a hint of mockery. “My mother is not here, you want to come to my house?” 

“Yes.” Zhou Sisi said.

Lu Xi grunted. It was not Sunday, and there was no way he was going to open the door for make-up lessons out of nowhere.

He kicked Huang Zhou, who had his mouth left wide open “move” and walked away.

Walking out a hundred meters or so.

“Axi…” Huang Zhou approached Lu Xi.

“Go away, what are you doing so close to me?”

Huang Zhou whispered: “I think senior sister seems to be following us.”

What? He turned around and found her about five meters behind him.

 It may not necessarily be called following him. After all, the road lead straight outside of the school gate.

After leaving the school, he went in the opposite direction of his home. Upon walking several meters, when he looked back–

Damn it. She was still about five meters behind him.

“Don’t follow me.” He impatiently said to her.

She didn’t speak. But when he stopped on his track she too stopped.

“Why are you following me?”

 “…”

 Lu Xi grabbed his hair. “If I go to an Internet cafe to play games, will you still follow me?”

Could it be, was she going to stand behind him and watch him play? I’ve had enough! He couldn’t imagine a good student like her entering an Internet cafe.

Playing games? Her eyes moved slightly. It turned out that the “beating” he was talking about  was related to playing games, not fighting.

“Go home early.” She turned around and walked away.

Under the orange glow, the slightly slender back gradually became softer as it dwindled out of his eyes.

Huang Zhou’s gaze followed her away. “…Senior sister just left?”

 “Are you still going to play games?”He couldn’t stand his foolishness.

“Hey… wait for me! Axi!”

After paying the money, he was assigned a number for the machine.

Lu Xi took off the headset hanging on the monitor and waited for the game to load.

“What is your relationship with Sister SiSi?” Huang Zhou, who held back his curiosity all the way, asked, “Axi?”

Lu Xi pursed his lips, “It doesn’t matter.”

 “Who are you kidding!” Huang Zhou pulled off his headphones, “she’s going to your house.”

Lu Xi: “You haven’t gone to my house yet?”

Huang Zhou: “No, how can we be the same? Shit, she’s a girl!”

“Oh.” Lu Xi stretched out his hand. “Give me the headset back.”

Huang Zhou hid on the far side as he proceeded to ask, “Be frank, who is Sister Sisi to you? When did you meet?” Their conversation did not sound like an ordinary relationship.

Is there anything to say? Lu Xi leaned forward quickly and accurately grabbed the headset as he warned, pointing a finger at Huang Zhou, “Dare to try again?”

“Hey…brother, tell me.” Huang Zhou’s heart and liver simply ached in frustration.

“It’s not mine.”  Lu Xi’s long fingers snapped at the account password “Knowing for a long time- don’t make a noise, speed into the game.”

***

Chen Cui was not there when Zhou Sisi returned home.

After hesitating for two seconds, she walked into the kitchen.

Rice was boiling on the rice cooker, the tabletop had several bowls, the big bowl contained chicken with pickled ingredients, and there were unprocessed vegetables in the sink.

Zhou Sisi rolled up her sleeves, washed the vegetables, took a handful of the soaked mushrooms from the basin, and cut them in half.

Di!. As the rice cooks, it jumps into the insulation.

Having heated the frying pan and added enough oil, she methodically put ginger and minced garlic in it. After the flavor spread around she poured in the marinated chicken and continued to stir fry.

None of this was difficult for  Zhou Sisi, who had been cooking her meals since middle school.

 Within half an hour or so, she made fried chicken with mushrooms, vegetable soup, and scrambled eggs with tomatoes. She also prepared the ingredients for tomorrow’s breakfast.

After eating alone, she washed the dishes and went back to her room to continue with the questions from her studies.

 When there was a noise in the living room, she glanced at the clock on the table. It was 8:17.

Not long after.

“Sisi, have you eaten?” Chen Cui opened the door.

She looked at the workbook and said, “I ate.”

“Lu Xi’s Mother said you were helping Lu Xi with his make-up lessons recently?”

“Yeah.”

Chen Cui: “I thought she was joking, but I never heard you mention it.”

Zhou Sisi: “…”

“Well, I’m going to eat. I have worked overtime temporarily until now, and I’m starving…”

“Can you knock on the door next time?”

 Chen Cui was stunned. “What?”

“Can you knock on the door before you enter my room next time?” Zhou Sisi said.

 “We are mother and daughter, do we have to do this?”

“Please remember to knock on the door.”

“Well, as you say,” Chen Cui waved her hand and mumbled as she walked, “when girls grow older, they don’t want to be with their mother…”

Zhou Sisi’s grip on the pen tightened.

***

 Ms. Xu Xuelin had been working hard recently and couldn’t get off before nine o’clock every night.

Relying on his mother’s absence, Lu Xi recklessly played outside until eight o’clock.

When the time was almost up, he simply set out to complete his homework by working on it casually.

Ms. Xu Xuelin, who came back, shouted from the living room, “Lu Xi!”

“Yes, what’s the matter?” he asked.

 “What are you doing?”

 “Studying.”

She glanced at the open door. “Study hard”

“I know,” he pretended.

Nice, I didn’t get scolded.

After confirming that his mother walked away, he closed the door and lay down on the bed.

A day of looking for happiness in the bland passed quietly.

Mr. Lao Zhuang had kept his cell phone with him until graduation and if he wanted to get it back in advance, he had to ask his parents to contact him. But Lu Xi didn’t want to bathe in Mrs. Xu’s love for an “education” for the time being.

I’ll have to report the loss of my old card and get a new one as soon as possible and then buy a spare phone.

Resting on his arm he looked at the ceiling bored.

With this pocket money, I can’t buy a good phone much less use it to play a few games.

Sleepiness overflowed a bit.

He yawned.

Just then, a vague shadow faintly emerged from the ceiling, white skin, thin eyebrows, apricot eyes and a delicate nose… Damn. Lu Xi closed his eyes fiercely and dozed off halfway.

He thought of being caught by her on the wall, and then to the Internet cafe.

Fuck. When she runs into his mother, she would definitely complain.

It was expected that he only had a few days left to live a good life.

….

It was a new day when he opened his eyes.

Lifting the quilt, he jumped out of bed.

The electronic wristwatch lying on the bedside table informed him that he was twenty-seven minutes late for 7:03.

As expected, he was the only one left in the family.

After brushing, washing his face, and changing clothes while wearing shoes, he thought about the possibility of visiting the breakfast shop in the west gate community to fill up his stomach and then proceed to go to school within 15 minutes.

I haven’t overslept today, and there is no need to go over the wall.

He decided to give up the delicious breakfast on the west gate and waited to go to school to buy junk food from the canteen during the break.

After all, it was not good to be late for two days in a row.

He had to keep a low profile these days.

The sensor controlled light in the corridor lit up as he opened the door.

As he walked out, he prepared to lock the door with his backhand, only to find a bag of…breakfast hanging on the doorknob.

What’s going on? Who hung it here by mistake?

Lu Xi lowered his eyes, the transparent plastic bag contained a sandwich, a few small taros, and a bag of fresh milk.

There was also a sticky note.

He first glanced at 303 next to him.

Taking a closer look at the post-it notes.

~Don’t be late.

The four words weren’t too big nor too small.

He was no stranger to this handwriting, and the English materials on the desk in the room were all on it.

Although he didn’t know why he had a vague premonition, it was really certainly her. Lu Xi … wasn’t able to tell how he felt.

In just two seconds, his brain turned more than fifteen thousand turns, and the option of “take” and “don’t take” alternately flashed. The pop-ups could even fill half a soccer field.

He picked up the plastic bag ears, walked to 303, and knocked on the door a few times.

After waiting for a while, nothing happened.

She and Aunt Chen must have gone out.

His eyes went down. The bag of breakfast hung directly on her door handle could no longer be returned.

…Tsk, forget it.

There was no need to spend money if it was brought to the door.

He did morning exercises at school and went to class. The free breakfast was still warm.

“You brought breakfast?” Pan De was very silent as he said, “share me a little taro.”

“Take it.” Lu Xi took a bite of the sandwich.

The toast was soft and supple, the poached egg was slightly charred, and the asparagus was a crispy, very…cough, barely passing the level.

“It’s delicious!” Pan De was much more honest. “This taro is soft and fragrant.” In two or three mouthfuls, he managed to settle one and reached to get more.

Lu Xi patted his hand. “I haven’t eaten it yet.”

“One more, just one more bite.”

“No.”

Pan De smacked regretfully. “I want to buy it tomorrow, where did you buy it?”

Lu Xi replied calmly, “I don’t know.”

“Didn’t you buy it?”

“No.”

“Ask aunt where she bought it later.”

“Ah.” Lu Xi said, “my mother didn’t buy it.”

Pan De: “Then help me ask the person who bought it.”

“I picked it up on the road.” Lu Xi replied lazily.

Pan De: “?”

The corner of his eyes slanted. “Can you just stop looking at me?”

“This sandwich looks so delicious, break a small piece for me.” Pan De swallowed.

Lu Xi said without hesitation: “Put away your wishful thinking.”

***

 The English teacher followed up on the English speech contest and organized a simulation exercise for several students at the school.

On the fourth floor, a small conference room.

Zhou Sisi sat behind the window.

The speaker on the platform was Mo Yifan, with whom she briefly interacted.

At this moment, his voice was full of emotion, and his posture was generous. His upright posture  from head to toe was clad in dignity and confidence was written on his face. The impression he left on her during the first conversation was very different.

She was a little envious of him.

The previous speaker was her.

As soon as she walked up, it felt like her heart was lodged in her throat. She didn’t know where to place her hands and feet while her eyes were almost glued to the manuscripts throughout. She even stopped twice in the middle.

That was awful.

She even regretted signing up for this speech contest.

“…Thank you for your listening.” Mo Yifan finished speaking and returned to his original position.

“It wasn’t very good.” He turned his head and whispered to Zhou Sisi.

She was too sullen to listen to the words of the next person as she replied courteously, “…… hmm.”.

“What’s wrong?” Mo Yifan asked, “Can you give me some suggestions?”

She laughed. “Your speech was excellent.”

“No, no, average.” As he spoke his voice became anxious again.

The English teacher answered the phone and had to leave for something, thus she didn’t have time to finish the lectures of the students or give suggestions.

Zhou Sisi walked out the back door of the conference room.

Mo Yifan quickly followed her.

“Who do you think speaks the most ….What happened? Are you okay?” 

“Nothing.”

“You look, uh, your complexion is not very good.” Mo Yifan said tentatively, “I think you performed well. “

She shook her head. “Very bad.”

He quickly said, “No, it sounded good, and the pronunciation was very standard.”

“It’s no different from an endorsement. It’s far behind you.” Zhou Sisi whispered, “I… …Too nervous.”

“It’s normal to be a little nervous. I’m nervous too, how many times do you practice?”

“I memorized it well, but it got stuck on stage.”

Her long eyelashes sagged like delicate butterfly wings, and cherry pink lips pressed slightly.

“Don’t get depressed! Watch more videos.” Mo Yifan searched for ideas. “If you have time, try to recite manuscripts in a crowded place, I can accompany you.” He was secretly trying to get close to her.

She hesitated: “Crowded places ……”

“Yes, like squares, parks, or downtown streets.”

“……This way.”

About ten meters behind them.

“Isn’t that Sister Sisi?” Huang Zhou stretched out halfway lazily as he said, “look, Axi.”

Lu Xi, who also just came out of the classroom, raised his eyelids as he replied, “then?”

“Who is the man with her? Her boyfriend?”

 “…has something to do with you?”

“How can you say that sister Sisi is one of the few girls in No 3 middle school who asked about their name.” Huang Zhou sighed, “Besides, she’s very close to you.”

Lu Xi put his elbow on the railing. “Heh.”