When I reached downstairs, I looked around and did not know where to go. I did not know how long Kang Zixian's grandmother would be staying.
What was her purpose for coming? Looking at Kang Zixian's expression, he also did not know in advance that they were coming and like me, he was stunned for a few seconds.
They could have planned a surprise visit on her grandson and maybe to check whether he was keeping a woman in his house.
In my mind, I kept seeing his grandmother's sharp old eyes and my heart was slightly unsettled with some apprehension.
I was also not certain whether she was suspicious of me. For this old lady, girls who offered themselves up to a man's doorstep were certainly girls who try to fly onto branches and turn into a Pheonix*. (A girl trying to marry into a wealthy family). In reality, I was not interested in stepping into a wealthy family's muddy water. Not to mention my feet would be dirty, I would not be treated as a human.
What "Shattered Dreams of Marrying into Wealthy Families"..... "Huang Liang's dream" .......they were all dreams of losers and were subjected to harsh, sharp words of bystanders who would not go easy on their words.
My aunt was more talented in this aspect.
With nothing to do, I kicked the pebbles on the sidewalk. Carrying a small pink bag in this high-end district, wandering around, like a stray dog that had accidentally stepped into paradise and running after bones, I felt at a loss.
This time I thought of a saying: One's dog kennel was better than a gold nest.
I missed my own kennel. Even if it was not good, it was still my own.
Finally, I was attracted to the children's play area by children's laughter, followed by another bout of cheerful laughter. I stopped not far from the swing. Sitting on the swing was a little girl about five or six-years-old wearing a pair of smart strap-pants. She was swinging up and down like a flying bird and the young father was smiling as he pushed her from behind. The mother was standing next to her, guarding her like an eagle. A family of three with their bright smiles was the most beautiful scene under the blue sky and white clouds.
I rode on the wooden horse, swaying and shaking, propped up my chin with my hands and looked at the happy little family. Obviously, I was already 24 years-old but I felt a little envious of the little five-year-old girl.
This time there was no one around me, I felt a little sad and sentimental.
When I was a child, I had also ridden on a wooden horse and a swing before. I had also foolishly giggled but always the powerful arms needed to push me into the sky was never there.
From young to an adult, I had only called my father in front of his picture and never knew what my father really meant to me. My understanding of fatherly love was practically nil.
I had asked Fei Ge and after thinking for a while she said. "My old man? Ah....he is my guardian angel. When my old lady wanted to spank my ass, he would be the first one to block it. When I made a mistake, he would only criticize me and let me off. Anyway, I am his own child. If he does not protect me then who will he protect? Being a father is like that."
At that time, when Fei Ge said this, her face unknowingly showed happiness. I think children with a father's love and a mother's love would show such an expression.
That time I still had Fu Chen as my love. There were warmth and kind smiles and the power to shine on people.
The first time I saw him, I was stunned silly because a few steps away from me, a young doctor's smile was just like my father's. I had been seeing that smile in the picture for the last twenty years and now I had found one that was similar and that moment of shock was undoubtedly strong.
I fell in love with this man which initially started with a polite smile.
Because I fell in love with that smile, so I fell in love with Fu Chen and also attracted him. The first time we held hands, I even thought that my father had guided him to me. It had to be him.
I was wrong.
After we broke up, I could not sleep for a few nights and even cried when I listened to songs. Fei Ge kept me company when I could not sleep and kept me company through my sadness during that difficult period.
During that period of time, I grew up. Fei Ge was right. Subconsciously I was yearning for fatherly love, a little daughter who was arrogant and wayward. I thought Fu Chen could also be like my father and spoil me. But I was outrageously wrong, for Fu Chen was not my father and would not spoil me unconditionally.
Because he could not do it, so he walked away.
My thoughts had drifted some distance away and when I gathered my thoughts, the family of three had walked away hand in hand, a little distance off. The little girl holding the hands of her parents was bouncing and jumping. Such a scene made people feel happy.
I stood up, went to the swing, looked at it for a while then sat on it.
I made a phone call to Fei Ge.
Two days had passed. Her uncle had woke up, escaping from death. On the phone, Fei Ge's voice sounded hoarse and tired but could not conceal her happiness.
"Liang Liang, I tell you......this time my uncle is considered to have had a narrow escape from the Gates of Hell. The last time, didn't this old man clamored to go to Yanmen Guan* (Great Wall Pass in Shanxi, China) to learn the art of poetry and music from Li Bai Yin*? (A famous poet in the Tang Dynasty) My aunt said, this time it was the old man's fault for saying he wanted to go to Yanmen Guan but instead ended up in Gates of Hell, so unlucky. I just asked him whether he had fun in Gates of Hell. Ha.....this old man feeling so sick but he still can joke with me and said......'Feifei, on the pillar of the Gates of Hell, uncle had engraved the words: Li Xinghai had made a trip here.' The King of Hell said that I had tainted the environment and chased me out, isn't that funny? Ha, ha, ha....."
I laughed and wondered. "Fe Ge, why is it that your family can produce such extraordinary people? Your uncle is such an intrepid man, even the King of Hell refused to accept him."
On the other end, Fei Ge laughed out loud. "That could be because our genes are good. My maternal great-grandfather was then a well-known hoodlum within the old Shanghai foreign settlements, Xu Wenjiang, and everyone called him 'Big Brother'."
".......Fei Ge, is there really a person called Xu Wenjiang?"
"Yes, there is. Didn't you watch the recent drama serial shown on TV? Shanghai Beach? Xu Wenjiang and Feng Cheng Cheng were together and then she ran off with someone else. Just to let you know, when I watched this show, I felt proud that Xu Wenjiang was my great grandfather's little brother....."
"Right, but it's just that.....Fei Ge, I think Shanghai Beach was there, your maternal great-grandfather was also there.....but Xu Wenjiang might not have really existed."
"Ah?"
"Fei Ge, the Shanghai Beach was just a novel adaptation."
"So.....ah, my grandfather told me this. Looks like people with Alzheimer's could not be believed."
"Yes. Just be careful, it could be infectious."
Hanging up the phone after chattering with Fei Ge for a while, I felt a lot better.
Holding onto the ropes of the swing, gently swaying, I lifted my face with my eyes squinted, like a lazy cat, smiling and enjoying the lovely sunshine.
"You're an adult. Won't the rope break if you sit on the swing?"
Behind me, the familiar teasing voice sounded but it did not spoil my lazy mood. I still sat swaying on the swing, forward and backward.
I lowered my head, looked down at my shoes and asked. "Your grandmother has left?"
"Mm."
"Sure?"
"....."
"You do not understand old people completely. What if she comes back, what will you do?"
He chuckled behind me. ".......you're also difficult to understand."
I understood what he was referring to. Faced with a newfound feeling of love, I wanted to try but dared not. Turning the thought over and over in my mind again and again, timid and undecided, making me even more confused.
I looked at my shoes and said. "You are the one who is difficult to understand."
The atmosphere had turned quiet. Suddenly behind me, he grasped the swing's rope and lightly asked. "Want me to swing you up?"
I was slightly shocked, turned my head and blinked at him. His whole body was wrapped in light golden sunshine, his face with a light and gentle smile, the kind of smile I could not resist.
That smile seemed to be full of endless love and tolerance, making people unable to tell whether it was a trap or otherwise.
I turned my head, looked back, blinked my eyes and suppressed my agitation, muttered. "Forget it, the rope may break and the children will cry."
"If it breaks, let it be. Buying a tougher rope will be better." His voice sounded happy.
"You said it so lightly. What if I fall?"
He gently pushed me from behind and I flew into the sky. He said. "Before you fall, I'll catch you."
"Ha.....you think you are superman?"
".......I hope in front of you.....I am."
His words floated in the air, quietly touching some place in my heart and my heart felt like leaves in the wind, flying lightly.
That night, I reached an agreement with Kang Zixian. He was not to interfere with my work, could not ask any questions and I promised not to play the missing game with him. As to his grandmother, he was not to reveal even half a word, he seemed displeased but still nodded in agreement.
I was laughing, happily biting an apple, spraying apple juice on his face and talking nonsense.
"Don't you think this is interesting? Don't you feel like we are having an underground secret affair? ......feel unhappy? Please, even to Fei Ge, I did not reveal half a word. This is for your own good. If I want to break off with you or you want to break off with me, both of us would not lose face, right? It is better this way......Hey, why do you still have the expression as if I owe you money? Smile.....quick, give me a smile, say cheese.....quick, if you smile, I'll let you have a bite of the apple."
Kang Zixian grinned and took a sip of his coffee. Being barefooted, he lifted his foot and rubbed my feet that was swaying on the carpet. He said with lechery. "How can an apple be more delicious than you."
I felt angry and kicked at his lecherous foot. Jumping up to my feet, I shoved the apple that I had taken a few bites into his mouth and roared. "Eat, eat, eat.....be a vegetarian!"
He bit happily on the apple, forgetting himself and glanced at the apple in his hand. With a slightly provocative smile, he said. "The apple that you had bitten, I'll take it as meat."
I rolled my eyes and continued to watch TV.
On Monday morning, a school day, my newly appointed alarm clock.....Kang Zixian knocked on my door for a long time but I was reluctant to get up and muttered.
After breakfast, he wanted to send me to school but then I thought of the last time, Jiang Li had unluckily seen me. So, utmost care had to be taken and there could not be any slip-ups.
I refused his kind gesture and Kang Zixian frowned.
Fei Ge would be home tomorrow and my life would be back on normal track. I was reluctant to tell him.
Before I left, I showed him my sweet smile, waved and said. "Goodbye, Uncle."
He looked at me with a gloomy face as I walked out the door.
As I disappeared from the door, I shook my head and thought for a while. Suddenly I pushed open the door again, poked my head in, and said to him in an eccentric manner. "Quick, find me an aunt."
"Fang Liang Liang, you!....." Kang Zixian who was in the room gritted his teeth and taking two to three steps, he walked out. He gave me a fright. I turned around and fled.
The result of acting on an impulse was, I reaped what I sowed. He caught me then, forcefully pressed me against the elevator door and kissed me.
The intimate feeling was good and sweetness flowed into my heart. I think I had been sucked into the web of love.
Early in the morning when I reached the school, it was also the monotonous early self-study session. This morning, I deliberately ignored Jiang Li but my heart was actually in fear. Jiang Li still had that cold look and seemed to have warmed up to Dong Zi. I heard the two of them happily chatting about the Premier League.
The first lesson was a math class. Before the class started, Song Chang Ran today had surprisingly become talkative. Her pale little face finally had the youthful look of young people, her eyes full of expectation. She poked at me, feeling so excited that she stammered. "Today....today, teacher........Teacher Shi is back."
"Who?" I was not interested, lazily propped up my chin with my hand, asked. "Isn't our math teacher surnamed Wu?"
That teacher surnamed Wu was an old lady who was never pleased with me. Several times in the classroom she would make things difficult for me. She told me to stand up and answer questions which were terrible since I did not understand math. Standing up, I would act dumb and this angered the old lady more.
"No, no, no.....Teacher Wu is only a substitute teacher. Some time ago, Teacher Shi was injured during a basketball match but today he is coming back."
"Oh......." I answered and did not take any further interest. I lowered my head and was about to play with my cell phone when the class bell rang. A curly haired man slowly walked into the classroom and stood on the podium.
I slowly raised my head and suddenly froze for a moment. I blinked a few times and felt like a thunderbolt had struck me.
Standing on the podium, the young man, healthy and vigorous, with a smiling face swept a look around the classroom. He saw me in the back row, our eyes met and our mouths formed an O in surprise.