Chapter Seventy-Six: A Homely Meal

Sweat began to bead on my forehead as the little witch Xu Xin interrogated me. I inwardly cursed my father for his thoughtless honesty, for blurting out things that should never have been said. Now, the little witch was suspicious—there was no hope of deceiving her anymore.

Then another thought occurred to me: her brother would soon arrive to take her home. Sooner or later, she would learn that he had already been here, that she was in my house. Since my father had already let slip, there was no point hiding it any longer; I might as well tell her everything. With so many of us here, we needn’t fear she’d try to run once she knew.

Feigning a cough, I tried to muster a gentle smile and began, “About this matter, it’s actually—” But before I could finish, the doorbell rang, interrupting me. My sister chuckled, stood up, and said, “He’s already here. There’s no point in explaining now—I’ll go open the door.” With that, she darted out to unlock it.

The little witch sensed trouble, her beautiful eyes wide with vigilance, fixed on the entrance. Sure enough, the door opened and in strode Xu Jian, tall and imposing in his military uniform.

Xu Xin’s anger was so intense her nose seemed to twist. From deep within her throat came a chilling, furious roar: “Tang Qian! You liar!” The murderous hate in her voice made every hair on my body stand on end. She turned her glare on me, her eyes cold and sharp as blades. I shivered involuntarily.

Her presence was truly terrifying!

Xu Jian immediately barked, “Xin, enough! Behave yourself!”

Xu Xin ignored her brother, her gaze locked on me. I watched her expression shift from rage and hatred to wounded disappointment, a glimmer of tears gathering in her eyes.

Xu Jian removed his cap, offered a smile to my family, and gently said to his sister, “Dad and Mom are worried about you. Finish your breakfast, thank Tang and his family for taking care of you, then come home with me.”

Xu Xin snorted, gritted her teeth, and said to me, “Thanks a lot! Well done—you’ll see what happens next!” I opened my mouth, wanting to explain that I hadn’t broken my vow, that her brother had found her himself, but Xu Xin flung down her chopsticks and rose to leave.

Xu Jian tried to stop her. “Xin, you’re being rude. How can you treat Tang, who sheltered you, like this?” Xu Xin’s witch-like temper flared; she shook off her brother’s hand and snapped, “My business is none of yours. Don’t lecture me—move aside!” She brushed past Xu Jian and strode out the door.

I quickly stood up and said to Xu Jian, “Brother Xu, hurry! Don’t let your sister escape!”

Hearing the door slam, Xu Jian remained unruffled. “It’s fine, there are soldiers downstairs. They all know her—she can’t get away.” Then, apologizing to my parents, he said, “Sorry, my sister’s been spoiled since childhood and really doesn’t know how to behave. Her attitude just now—well, I’m ashamed as her brother. Please, don’t take it to heart.”

My parents replied with polite reassurances—she’s just a child, a little mischievous, that’s all. My sister piped up, “Your sister has real personality! I admire her!”

Suddenly, Xu Jian and I heard a faint cry of pain from downstairs. Xu Jian’s face changed. “Oh no, I forgot the soldiers downstairs are about to get beaten by the little witch. They won’t dare fight back. I’d better go.” He hurried out.

I rushed after him. “Brother Xu, I’ll come with you.”

We dashed downstairs. There, two soldiers were crouched in pain—one clutching his stomach, another his shin. A few more were dodging the furious blows of the little witch. Xu Jian shouted, “That’s enough! Xin, have you lost your mind? Stop right now!”

Panting, the little witch finally stopped. Xu Jian strode to the jeep, opened the door, and said to Xu Xin, “All right, get in. Come home with me.” He helped the injured soldiers up. “You guys, squeeze in the back.”

Xu Xin knew she could no longer avoid going home. As she walked by, she glared at me with undisguised fury. Watching her take the front seat, I felt compelled to explain myself; after all, I had not broken my vow—her brother had found her on his own. I’d kept quiet for her sake, to help her return home.

I went to the jeep and had barely said her name when the little witch slammed the door shut with a loud bang. She hated me so much she wouldn’t even let me explain.

Xu Jian was the last to get in. Standing by the door, he said, “Tang, thank you for taking care of my sister. I’ll take her home now. Let’s meet up for a drink sometime. Goodbye!”

I could only reply, “Goodbye! Safe travels!”

Xu Jian started the engine and drove the little witch away. I watched them leave, my heart heavy with frustration.

Back upstairs, my parents asked, “She’s gone?”

I nodded, no longer interested in breakfast. I went straight to my room to catch up on sleep. Yet as I lay there, I couldn’t stop thinking of Xu Xin’s furious, resolute eyes as she left. I laughed at myself—when had I started caring so much about the little witch’s opinion of me? So what if she misunderstood? She’d been safely returned home, which was all I meant to do. She wasn’t my friend—why should I care what she thought? Brother Xu Jian understood everything; he was my true friend. Why was I so troubled?

I kept telling myself this, but my mind refused to settle, sleep eluded me. Resigned, I lit a cigarette. Just as I took the first drag, my sister Tang Ying poked her head in. “Bro, I’m off to school.”

I nodded, barely responding. Instead of leaving, Tang Ying lingered in the doorway, smiling thoughtfully. “Bro, are you feeling down? You did a good deed and got hated for it. Must be tough, right?”

I glared. “What do you know? Get to school—you’ll be late!”

Tang Ying made a face, giggled, and closed the door. I finished my cigarette in a few quick puffs, took a deep breath, and told myself, “As long as my conscience is clear, it doesn’t matter if others appreciate it. Especially since she’s just a child—what does she know of right and wrong? Why brood over this? Enough. Sleep!”

I closed my eyes and forced myself not to think. Sleep had been scarce lately—soon exhaustion took over and I finally drifted off.

When I woke, it was lunchtime. I washed up and ate a little. At the table, my parents were still discussing the little witch’s departure. My mother sighed, “Such a lovely child—why does she have to be so unruly? It’s all the adults’ fault for spoiling her.”

I finished quickly and told my parents, “Dad, Mom, I’ll keep looking for work this afternoon. A friend’s invited me to dinner tonight, so I might be home late.”

After a short rest, I went out—not to the job market, but to buy a few local newspapers at a kiosk. Then I headed straight for the city library, hoping to read up on job hunting and entrepreneurship.

At the library, I selected several relevant books and buried myself in them. During this time, Qiu Jieqin called. Not wanting to disturb others, I stepped outside to answer. She asked about the little witch; I told her Xu Xin had been picked up by her brother. Qiu Jieqin said she wanted to see me that evening. I asked if she had something urgent; she said no, just wanted to be with me. I replied that I’d be busy tonight. She grumbled a bit but didn’t press, then hung up.

I had the impression Qiu Jieqin wanted to tell me something important, but every time she hesitated and wouldn’t say it. I wondered if I was mistaken. Whatever the case, I resolved to ask her directly tomorrow.

After finishing several books, I found one detailing the development of several famous international beverage companies. It was almost dark when I finally set out for Gu Ruoyan’s home.

Before I arrived, Gu Ruoyan called, “Tang Qian, I’ve been busy all afternoon—why aren’t you here yet?”

I laughed, “I’m almost there. Isn’t it just the two of us for dinner? Why all the fuss? Don’t you have work?”

“I took the day off just for this. I bought some great dishes. You already make me feel embarrassed for asking you over—I had to make a good meal to thank you!”

I shook my head, putting away my phone, thinking Manager Gu must have been lonely for too long. Just to have someone over for a home-cooked meal—she was so excited, making it such an occasion.

Soon I arrived and rang her doorbell. Gu Ruoyan opened the door, smiling as she welcomed me. I noticed she’d dressed up, wearing new clothes and her hair freshly styled—clean, neat, and silky. Her light makeup made her lively features even more charming.

Inside, Gu Ruoyan warmly took my coat and hung it up, saying, “Tang Qian, tonight treat this place as your own home. Sit down, I’ll get you some water.”

I smiled, “With you being so courteous, how could I possibly treat this as home? No one in my family entertains me like this.”

Gu Ruoyan laughed, “Fine! I won’t be so polite then. Whatever you do at home, do it here. By the way, dinner’s ready—are you hungry? Let’s eat!”

I agreed and went to the dining room. The glass table was laden with seven or eight brightly colored hot dishes. I couldn’t help exclaiming, “Wow! So much food! Can the two of us finish this?”

Gu Ruoyan replied proudly, “These are my specialties. I don’t care—you have to eat them all!”

Seeing Gu Ruoyan so happy, I didn’t have the heart to spoil her mood. I sat down, smiling, “Looks like tonight I’ll be stuffed to death. You’re really out to get me—if I can’t walk home because I’m too full, I’ll blame you.”

Gu Ruoyan said, “You still have to finish it. No wasting food. If you’re really too full to leave, you can stay here tonight.” As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized the implication and blushed, quickly adding, “Anyway, there are plenty of rooms here.”

I chuckled, sensing the awkwardness and not dwelling on it. Looking over the table, I saw the dishes were all exquisite delicacies. “Wow, so much good food! How much did it cost? Do you always eat this well?”

Gu Ruoyan said, “This is a special occasion. I haven’t cooked a proper meal here in ages—I had to make it nice. Are you worried it’s too expensive?”

I replied, “Not really. I just think it’s a bit much for just me.”

“How could it be? It’s not grand enough, if you ask me! You’re the only person in nearly a year who’s eaten here with me. And… you’re the only one who cares about me now. Without you, I’d have no courage to go on, let alone the mood to cook a feast like this.”

As Gu Ruoyan spoke, her expression grew bleak and I feared the mood would sour. I quickly said, “Right, right! Tonight is a happy occasion. Let’s not talk about sad things. Come on, let’s eat!”

As I reached for my chopsticks, Gu Ruoyan stopped me. “Wait, I haven’t poured the wine yet.” She picked up a bottle of red wine and began to fill my glass.

I said, “Do we really need to drink? You shouldn’t—you might lose control and get drunk again.”

Gu Ruoyan smiled, “No, tonight is different. I’ll drink less, but I must have some!”