Chapter Thirty-Three: Among the Crowd
“See you next summer, Little Tiger.” The bus pulled into the station, and the brightly dressed Chen Jianing reached the end of her journey. Lu Li had already seen Chu Jingyi, An Baili, Wen Hupo, and Zou Yameng home; now it was Chen Jianing’s turn. A plump, friendly-looking woman stood by the bus stop, presumably Little Tiger’s aunt.
“Who are you calling Little Tiger? Show some respect.” Chen Jianing snorted. Away from the other girls, she reverted to her usual prickly demeanor. Around them, she was always reserved and cautious, but alone with Lu Li, she could be herself. Perhaps she believed he would always accept her, no matter how she behaved.
Lu Li chuckled. “Didn’t you say you wanted to be reborn as a tiger?”
Chen Jianing’s face flushed, and she playfully punched his chest. “You’re still bringing that up—” She suddenly realized how intimate the gesture was and quickly withdrew her hand, lowering her head slightly, her watery eyes looking up at him. “Didn’t you say that what happened back then didn’t count?” Her voice held a hint of resentment.
“Anyway, see you next year. Maybe I’ll be your junior by then.” Lu Li smoothly changed the subject.
A smile touched Little Tiger’s lips, a genuine smile she didn’t even realize she was making. “Then you better study hard. Your senior will take care of you~” Lu Li looked at the petite Chen Jianing and wondered what she would be like next year. Small girls often evoked a protective instinct in men. Looking at her slender shoulders, he felt a sudden urge to hug her.
“Alright, I’m going. Stop being so sentimental.” Chen Jianing waved dismissively, interrupting his thoughts, and strode towards the back of the bus. Lu Li felt a pang of self-deprecation; he was so indecisive that even an immature girl was more decisive than him.
Chen Jianing’s retreating figure, with her backpack slung over her shoulder, looked surprisingly dashing, like a lone swordsman embarking on a journey. As he watched, she suddenly stopped, hesitating, then turned back, her bright eyes glistening with unshed tears. “Goodbye.”
“Yeah, goodbye.”
She took a few more steps, then turned again. “Bye-bye.”
“Bye-bye…”
She walked slowly, the bus driver calling out, “Are you getting off or not, miss?”
Little Tiger turned her back to Lu Li and quickly wiped her eyes. “I’m getting off! Don’t rush me…” She felt a pang of reluctance. Her time with Lu Li had been bittersweet, the pangs of unrequited love mixed with the joy of being near him.
“I’m really going now,” she said one last time.
Lu Li didn’t reply; he was looking at his phone.
Chen Jianing stepped off the bus, the doors closing behind her with a loud clang, the rumbling engine carrying the boy she liked further and further away. Next time, she thought, next time I’ll confess to him. No more sarcastic remarks… She’d made that promise countless times.
Her aunt greeted her with a smile. “Jianing, who was that young man? You two were so playful, and you kept looking back… Could you be the first one in your generation to get married?”
Chen Jianing blushed, both annoyed and pleased. “Aunt, don’t be ridiculous! That’s just my… my future junior.”
“Really?” Her aunt took her backpack. “I don’t believe you. Did you go to Maoming just for him? And I bet you came to Chuanhai not because you missed your lonely old aunt, but because you wanted to see your boyfriend. Sigh, I guess I can’t compete with a man.”
Chen Jianing’s face burned. “Stop it!”
Her aunt continued teasing, “Don’t be shy. When your uncle was alive, I also thought he was the most important person in the world… All women go through this phase. It’s a good thing. Many women never find someone worth remembering.”
Chen Jianing covered her ears and ran off, yelling, “I’m not listening! Blah, blah, blah!”
“You silly girl!”
—
The message on Lu Li’s phone was from Secretary Long. It was a long message, but the gist was that Long Jing would be transferring to Chuanhai in September to attend middle school. He asked Lu Li to keep an eye on her, as she only seemed to confide in him and listen to his advice. It was normal; girls her age were starting to develop their own sense of self, becoming more rebellious and less inclined to listen to their elders, preferring the company of older siblings or young adults.
Lu Li readily agreed. Long Jing wasn’t just his sister-in-law, she was also his cash cow. The theme songs for his future games depended on this little devil’s whims.
He had a few more unread messages. Silly Goose asked if he’d gotten home safely and said she’d enjoyed the trip to Maoming, hoping they could travel together again in the future. An Baili asked when he would be back, saying she missed him terribly, that she couldn’t bear to be apart from him for even a minute. Sister Yameng reminded him to buy toilet paper on his way home. Lu Li diligently replied to each message, then noticed the default profile picture at the bottom of his contact list.
On a whim, he typed, “Are you there?”
“Yes.” Wen Hupo’s reply was robotic, almost stiff, similar to Chu Jingyi’s formal tone. “Is something the matter?”
“Nothing’s wrong. I just wanted to message you. Is that okay?”
After a pause, Wen Hupo replied, “Okay.”
Lu Li was about to close his phone when he saw another message from her: “Are you there?”
“I’m here. Is something wrong at home?”
“Nothing’s wrong. I just wanted to message you. Is that okay?”
Lu Li chuckled; she had simply copied and pasted his earlier message. Wen Hupo had a strange competitive streak; beneath her calm exterior was a warrior who refused to back down.
“Anytime,” Lu Li replied.
It wasn’t until Lu Li got off the train that Wen Hupo finally sent a heart emoji.
He arrived at Chuanhai Central Mall, not to buy toilet paper, but to buy gifts for the girls. Relationships needed a little spice, and unexpected gifts were always effective.
The mall was crowded, and he felt like a drop of water merging into the vast ocean of the bustling city. He suddenly felt a faint twinge in his chest and frowned, a sense of foreboding washing over him. Perhaps the blissful days he’d been enjoying had dulled his senses, because he dismissed the vague premonition. The back of his head felt hot, as if someone was watching him.
He turned, but saw only the endless flow of people. The glass facade of a nearby store reflected his image. The boy in the mirror looked calm and composed, his slightly long hair giving him a poetic air.
Dismissing it as his imagination, he turned to continue walking, then noticed his shoelaces were untied. The Qingshan Hotel might be good at some things, but their shoes were clearly not one of them. The laces kept coming undone, even with normal walking. Shaking his head, he bent down to tie them when he suddenly heard a sharp, piercing sound whizzing past his ear.
Something grazed the back of his neck, followed by a burning sensation. He touched his neck, feeling a trace of blood. His pupils constricted, and he turned towards the glass wall beside him. A small, round hole had appeared in the tempered glass, less than ten centimeters above where his head had been.
What made that hole?
He didn’t dare to think about it. He looked towards the source of the sound and, as if by fate, saw a man wearing a dust mask staring at him impassively. The man calmly slipped a black object into his jacket pocket and, before Lu Li could get a clear look, disappeared into the crowd. The mall was bustling, everything normal, except for the bullet hole in the glass wall beside him.
Only then did Lu Li’s heart begin to race, a wave of fear and adrenaline washing over him.
He suddenly recalled the moment he’d smashed the crystal.
The harsh reality had shattered his naive illusions about the price.
It was time to pay his debts.
Perhaps this brush with death was just the beginning…
(End of Volume)
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