Li Xin shifted her eyes towards Xiao Yun. After washing up, this guy actually looks a bit more human. Nodding her head, Li Xin walked over towards him and held out her hand. “$250.”
Xiao Yun startled. “What?”
“What else? The money for the car wash was not enough. Don’t say you’re going to make me pay from my own pocket.” Li Xin glared at Xiao Yun. This guy was surely obtuse. They left blood stains all over her car, so of course she has to go and give it a good wash. A car wash in San Francisco was truly too expensive. She thought a wash for the Ferrari would cost about $150 but it turns out, she had underestimated the cost. Luckily for her, she ran into them again.
Xiao Yun was completely speechless as he stared at Li Xin. So it turns out she wanted the money for a car wash. He took money out of his wallet and handed it to Li Xin.
“I heard that you’re a very good driver,” came a voice filled with interest.
Li Xin turned around and saw Jun Qi leaning into the sofa, swirling a wine of glass in his hand. He smiled wickedly. The girl with him earlier was nowhere to be seen. Li Xin glanced at Jun Qi before turning her attention back to Xiao Yun and Wu Sen.
Xiao Yun spoke up in support, “She’s a very good driver! I’m telling the truth.”
Meanwhile, Li Xin was looking at Wu Sen. She noticed behind him was a table filled with sweet and sour ribs as well as other delicious looking plates. The food attracted her attention immediately, making her even hungrier than before. Ignoring the men, Li Xin dismissed Xiao Yun’s comment with a wave then eagerly sprinted over towards the table filled with food, looking like a hungry wolf ready to rip apart its prey.
“Go wash your hands first.” Standing beside the table, Xiu Shui hurriedly stepped up and blocked Li Xin whose eyes were filled with the images of food. “We haven’t eaten yet because we were waiting for you. Go and wash your hands first. There’s also steamed shrimp in wine and stir-fried crabs that you like the most. . .” Xiu Shui hadn’t finished her sentence but Li Xin had already disappeared. “Oh and there’s also stewed pork meat. . .” And as soon as those words left Xiu Shui’s mouth, Li Xin had returned from washing her hands. She was already sitting down in front of the dining table, holding a crab in her hand and nibbling on it happily.
The three men standing by were taken aback, momentarily unsure of how to react. They thought she was elegant and sophisticated, but instead they were greeted with this profane, unladylike image.
Everyone settled at the dining table.
“Hey! Xiu Shui, what are you doing?” Xiao Yun angrily stared at Xiu Shui. His chopsticks were stopped in midair. The shrimp he was about to reach for was stolen before he could touch it.
Putting the shrimp into Li Xin’s bowl, Xiu Shui said, “Li Xin likes this dish the most. Don’t you want your saviour to eat a little more?”
Xiao Yun frowned. But this dish was also his favourite! It’s been a long time since Xiu Shui prepared this dish, but he’s not even given a chance to taste it. Isn’t a bit too evil? Sadly he couldn’t argue with Xiu Shui’s reason. Consequently he was forced to settle for the plate of vegetables.
“Li Xin, eat this one. It’s also your favourite.” Xiu Shui wrestled the crab out of Wu Sen’s chopsticks and placed it into Li Xin’s bowl instead. “Li Xin, this dish is also very good. I just made it today. Have a bite and tell me how’s the taste?” Xiu Shui seized the stewed pork meat out of Xiao Yun’s chopsticks and once again, placed it into Li Xin’s bowl. “This too. . . And this too . . .”
In no time, Li Xin’s bowl was a mountain of food. Li Xin didn’t have to look up to know there was someone staring at her intently as well as another person helplessly watching as Xiu Shui repeatedly placed food into Li Xin’s bowl. Li Xin stared at the gigantic pile of food in front of her. Even though they were all the dishes she loved, it didn’t mean she was such a glutton that she could finish everything by herself.
After a moment of thinking, Li Xin lifted her head and looked into Xiu Shui’s warm eyes. “I want to package them for take-out.”
Xiu Shui helplessly shook her head. Technically Li Xin was her neighbour but she was always at Xiu Shui’s house all day long. She ate three meals a day at Xiu Shui’s house. Take out? Yeah right, it’s more like she can’t finish it. She might as well just say it but only Li Xin would think up of such an excuse.
Xiao Yun laughed happily and raised his chopsticks, aiming for Li Xin’s bowl. “What’s the point of take-out? When the food turns cold it’s no longer good. Let me help you take care of the problem.”
Before Li Xin could reply, Xiu Shui had already snatched the food out of Xiao Yun’s chopsticks and bit into it. Then she said, “Oops, I already bit it.”
Xiao Yun seethed in anger.
“Let it go. Today you managed to anger Xiu Shui then you should also realize that there’s no way you will be able to peacefully eat her food,” Jun Qi said as he watched the humorous scene. He took sip of the wine then looked at Xiao Yun. Clearly Xiu Shui was doing it on purpose, not giving him a chance to eat her food but the foolish guy didn’t seem to realize it. He wondered how dense was Xiao Yun’s head? Jun Qi shook his head, wondering why he was friends with someone like Xiao Yun.
Xiao Yun leaned back into the chair, his eyes never straying from the food on the table. “They were the ones who made a move first. It wasn’t me who started it. It wasn’t my fault.”
Xiu Shui furrowed her eyebrows. “It’s not your fault? If it wasn’t initiated by you then why would they come looking for revenge? You said you have the ability to resolve it. And how did you resolve it? If it wasn’t for Wu Sen who accompanied you today and luckily ran into Li Xin, you would have already lost your life without anyone knowing. How many times do I have to tell you. . .”
Xiu Shui was starting to nag again. Li Xin had no interest in their conversation so she rose to her feet and left. Sometimes, knowing too much won’t result in anything good. Li Xin knew this more than anyone else.
At the dining table, Xiu Shui continued to lecture Xiao Yun and Wu Sen. Sitting beside them was Jun Qi, who was listening to the conversation with amusement. His gaze changed when he looked at Li Xin’s disappearing figure.
“Xiu Shui! You talk so much to the point Li Xin is going home!” Upon seeing Li Xin leave, Xiao Yun used her as an excuse to stop Xiu Shui.
Xiu Shui immediately closed her mouth as she stared in the direction where Li Xin had disappeared to. Slightly worried, she stood up.
“She simply doesn’t want to get too close to us.” Jun Qi swirled the wine glass in his hand. That woman surely knew how to keep a distance to the point it was infuriating.
At dusk, Li Xin returned.
Standing on the porch, Xiu Shui saw the Ferrari convertible speeding towards the house. Li Xin wore a beautiful sleeveless, light blue Qipao with a flying phoenix embroidered on the skirt. Her hair was tied up. She gave off the image of a traditional beauty from the late Qing dynasty.
Xiu Shui face-palmed herself. Only Li Xin would dare to wear a Qipao while driving a convertible.
“Li Xin, tomorrow you have class with Professor Hawke. Don’t be late. Professor Hawke is a strict man. Be careful he won’t let you pass.” Xiu Shui had waited for Li Xin to return so that she could remind her of this. Even though they haven’t known each other for a long time, without her reminders, Xiu Shui could picture Li Xin’s constant lateness and procrastination.
Li Xin shrugged her shoulders, indicating she knows but truthfully she didn’t have much of an impression of the professor. What professor? She was absentminded about it.
To compensate for her regrets about never going to school, Li Xin had forked out a large sum of money for education and became a second year student. Unfortunately after attending a medical class, which she had mindlessly signed up for, she felt dizzy and confused on the subject. It was so boring that Li Xin decided to drop out of school altogether, completely abandoning the idea of making up for her regrets.