Gu Fei finally lifted his gaze from the phone screen to scrutinize Jiang Cheng’s face. “Why mention it if you don’t plan to wash it?”
Jiang Cheng said nothing, so they stared at each other in silence.
At first he’d been grateful to Gu Fei for bringing him inside, but Gu Fei’s attitude made it hard for him to express that gratitude. The only reason he didn’t lash out was that he hadn’t entirely recovered from fainting.
After a few more minutes of the staring contest, Gu Fei directed his eyes and his attention back to his mobile game.
Jiang Cheng turned and walked out.
It was nice and sunny outside. The sun was the only source of warmth against the north wind, though it wasn’t much help—it was still freezing cold.
His head was killing him. Jiang Cheng pulled a ski cap out of his pocket and pulled it over his head, along with the hood of his jacket. He checked the time and was glad to see that he’d only been passed out for about half an hour. Not bad—he hadn’t wasted too much time in the end.
Not that he had a clue what else there was for him to do.
Standing at the edge of the road and looking out to either side of him, he finally decided to continue wandering forward and circle back once he found the connecting lane between the two streets. He didn’t much like the idea of going back to listen to Li Baoguo’s snores, but he had to change his clothes.
As he trudged through the muddy snow, he suddenly felt a little lonely.
There had been many days like this in the past, when he’d spent hours wandering around aimlessly outside, sometimes without going home for days at a time. But he’d never felt loneliness the way he did now.
He wondered why.
Perhaps it was the intense sense of loss from being abandoned and exiled. Perhaps it was this strange and decrepit environment. Perhaps it was the lack of friends around him, or perhaps…it was simply because he had a cold.
When his phone made a sound, Jiang Cheng pulled it out to see a message from Yu Xin.
- I changed my mind.
He sighed and texted back.
- A lady always keeps her word.
Yu Xin didn’t send another reply—perhaps she was mad that he wasn’t giving her any face, or maybe just preserving her anger for another more suitable moment to blow up on him again.
He returned the phone to his pocket and pinched the bridge of his nose. It hurt like hell, he realized—he hadn’t noticed before. It must’ve smashed into the ground earlier when he faceplanted.
Tsk.
He carefully pinched his nose from bridge to tip to make sure that nothing was broken before sticking his hand back in his pocket. After a few more steps, he saw a small side street up ahead, likely the connecting lane he was looking for.
Suddenly, a green-colored head emerged from the side street and rolled over like a gust of strong wind. By the time Jiang Cheng could make out that the green head was Gu Miao with her skateboard, she had already zoomed past him—so fast he could barely get a look at her.
Ah, skater girl.
He turned for another look. What a cool little girl. Too bad all her hair was gone.
He idly wondered if Gu Fei was really her brother. Even if she got a bad haircut, was it really that hard to find a salon and fix it with a shorter style? Did he really have to shave the whole thing off, especially on a chilly day like this…? Wait, was that a green hat?!
By the time Jiang Cheng had turned around again to confirm what he saw, all that was left of Gu Miao was a distant black dot.
Before he turned back to continue on his way, three bicycles came charging out of the side street. The rickety bikes rattled and clattered as they went, but they were nonetheless very quick.
“Shit, she’s fast!” shouted one of the riders on the rickety bikes.
Jiang Cheng was amazed. Does that mean…Gu Miao is being chased by bullies again?
He didn’t have it in him to even feel sympathy this time around, only an inexplicable annoyance.
What kind of fucked up place is this?!
Li Baoguo was still asleep when Jiang Cheng got back to his new “home.” Though he had let up somewhat on the snoring, he’d been coughing from the moment Jiang Cheng stepped through the door, hacking and rasping like he was about to cough his lungs out. Jiang Cheng couldn’t help but check on him a couple times, but both times, Li Baoguo’s eyes were closed and he appeared to be sound asleep.
Certainly, this was a skill Jiang Cheng did not possess; if he coughed while he was sleeping, it’d definitely wake him up. This had to be a Li Baoguo specialty.
After he changed, Jiang Cheng wet a towel he got out of his suitcase and wiped his jacket clean. Then, he sat on the bed and stared off into space. He didn’t know what else to do with himself.
Li Baoguo had stopped coughing next door, but his snoring started up again. Jiang Cheng found it hard to pin down his feelings right now. This man was his biological father, his flesh and blood. To think that he was actually born in a home like this was shocking enough. Although he hadn’t met the rest of the family yet, Li Baoguo alone was the perfect embodiment of “EXCITEMENT AHEAD” in all-caps bold font.
Recently he had been careful to avoid thinking about it, but sitting here now, looking at the decay within and without, it was no longer possible to avoid the subject.
A long time ago, he had even discussed the concept of adoption with his parents.
It’s a pointless exercise. Some things are simply carved into your bones; no amount of nurture can overcome it.
He didn’t remember what they had to say on the matter, only what he’d said. His own words were now sharp slaps stinging his own face.
He should’ve known… His younger brother’s personality was just like their parents’: He was sensible, a boy of few words, preferred the quiet, and was an avid reader. Jiang Cheng was the opposite—though it wasn’t like he was a chatterbox, either…
Even their neighbor had said so once, that he didn’t seem like part of the same family.
Right… Almost as if the incompatibility was built into him.
A torrent of coughs suddenly erupted from Li Baoguo’s room, like he had choked on something. It went on for a long time without pause. Jiang Cheng thought he must be awake this time, then immediately heard the sound of cursing.
Not long after that, the snores started up again.
Jiang Cheng suddenly felt a rush of fear, a horror that carried with it an intense feeling of suffocation. He stood up and grabbed the keys from the living room so he could make a copy for himself, and perhaps look for a hospital while he was out, so he could see a doctor. He really wasn’t feeling good; perhaps he had a fever.
✦ ✦ ✦
Gu Fei crouched by a flowerbed outside the store, watching Gu Miao zip proudly past him for the third time, as if showing off. The cold air had turned her face almost bright red.
When she passed him for the fourth time, Gu Fei waved at her. Gu Miao made a sharp U-turn and slowly rolled to a stop in front of him.
“It’s time to head home for lunch.” Gu Fei stood up. “Go get ready.”
Gu Miao walked into the store, skateboard in tow, as Gu Fei lit a cigarette and pondered what to eat for lunch. A minute later, he heard Gu Miao screaming from inside the store. Chucking the cigarette, he immediately shot up and raced inside.
The screaming was coming from the bathroom out back. He bolted out to the courtyard behind the store and pushed open the bathroom door. Gu Miao was standing there, screaming at the sink with her hands covering her eyes.
Gu Fei turned off the tap and carried her out of the bathroom, all the while gently patting her back. “Shh… Quiet now. There’s no more water, no water…”
Gu Miao stopped screaming. Leaning against his shoulder with her arms around his neck, she said quietly, “Hungry.”
“I’m hungry too.” Gu Fei held her in one arm and picked up the skateboard with his free hand. “Let’s go eat something good.”