Volume 2 - CH 14

Everybody has their own tempers, and everybody has their own inhibitions.

Each person is different according to their own constitutions, as well as their reactions.

Just like how some people are allergic to apples and some to bananas.

Sometimes, allergy sources can be quite unusual.

Have you heard of allergy to electromagnetic fields?

Some people have to live far away from cities, or else their skin will swell up, and even cause fatality in severe cases.

I’m normal, healthy, and lived in both the city and countryside. I’ve lived through sixteen years eating whatever I want.

I’ve always been quite flexible to other people’s personalities. I don’t have a large temper, much less one of those hot-headed, hormone-crazed teenagers.

But….

I also have my own allergies!

Once someone mentions her, my breathing will become constricted, my body will shake, and my mind will go blank.

She’s Luo Xue.

My dear Luo Xue.

….

“I don’t want to!”

I couldn’t apologize at all; I didn’t do anything wrong.

After opening the door for Mom, I trudged heatedly back to my room, and locked the door.

Mom pounded on the door, trying to get me to apologize to Jiang Muqing. But I was at the top of my temper, and didn’t have the slightest drive to go.

My blankets acted as a barrier, a suit of armor against my mother’s demands and Jiang Muqing’s sobs.

At last, my mother became so angry that she fetched the spare key, and opened my door.

She also carried a broom from the closet.

Just a heads up: discipline in our family is very strict. Basically, when I mess up badly, my mother would hit me with a broom just like Grandpa did.

The difference between them was that Grandpa’s broom was homemade, with long strands of straw stitched on the handle. But Mom only had a plastic one.

From personal experience, plastic hits harder and hurts more.

“Idiot son, did you do something to upset Qing?”

She slapped the broom against my back.

The plastic handle cracked heavily, and I felt wave after wave of pain.

But I won’t get up.

“At least say something! Idiot son!”

Mom’s emotions seemed to be strangely intense from alcohol. She didn’t control her strength, and slammed down like no tomorrow.

But I won’t get up.

I was like a dead pig that didn’t fear scalding water, and Mom became angrier. She used a little more strength.

“Crack!”

The hollow plastic handle snapped apart, and my back was also numb from the pain.

Now you don’t have any more tricks, even the broom is broken now.

Go find a metal pipe to hit me if you dare, will you do that?

Hmph, are you my mother or not? Or are you Jiang Muqing’s? If you want to go mind that girl who doesn’t care for other people’s feelings, be my guest!

I laid on my bed, completely still.

Mom waved her hands in exhaustion, but it was no use.

Finally, she collapsed next to me.

“Didn’t you say that you would be responsible to the end?”

Mom’s breath was full of alcohol.

Responsible?

How could I be responsible for this? She’s not as easy as you think!

The more intelligent girls are, the more troublesome they become.

I hate Jiang Muqing, because she always can guess my innermost intentions. In front of her, I look like a magician whose tricks have all been seen through by the audience; I’m not even performing magic, I’m teasing a monkey!

Maybe I am that teased monkey.

“Do you want what happened to Xue also happen to Qing?”

After a pause, she too brought up Xue.

?!

“Xue….”

I muttered.

Why does everyone have to force me like this? What crime did I commit, can’t you all just forget Luo Xue?

I repeated that name, and a blazing pain scorched my chest. This pain was hundreds of times worse than the throbbing of my back.

I held back my tears, but I still remembered what she looked like back then.

No, I don’t want other people to become her!

Definitely!

Definitely not!

I reflected for a long time. Suddenly, like gaining a revelation, I yelled.

“No, I can’t let that happen!”

I couldn’t save Xue, but Jiang Muqing is still there and well!

At least she can still cry in front of me, but Xue….

I ripped off my blankets.

“Take this.”

Mom looked at me with bleary eyes, and pressed the spare key in my hands.

“Thanks, Mom. I’ll keep on taking care of this.”

“Now you know how strong your mom is? Little kiddo, if you keep on making trouble, I’ll hit you with the mop, and it’ll be all~ filled with dirty water!”

Mom drunkenly warned.

“Mom, is it alright if I sleep with Jiang Muqing tonight?”

It looks that tonight, I have to explain to Jiang Muqing everything about what happened to Luo Xue, and wipe away her worries.

“Sure, I don’t want to share beds anyways. I’ll sleep on yours, and remember….”

Mom’s eyelids wavered.

“Yes, don’t do anything strange, don’t worry, I got it.”

I replied knowingly.

Ha, even if we are going to do that, you won’t know. You’re too drunk already.

I chuckled bitterly.

I picked up my pillow, and opened the office door with the spare key.

The room was dark, and the girl was curled up in the corner of the walls.

She was still crying, but it wasn’t as loud as before. Her voice also became raspy.

When she noticed my presence, her body quivered.

“Get out, who let you into my room!”

She was clearly still angry.

“You’re crying too loudly; I can’t sleep at all!”

I shot back scornfully.

“Then I’m going back to my own house.”

As she spoke, Jiang Muqing sat up insolently, preparing to gather her stuff and leave.

“My house isn’t just some place you can leave and enter whenever you want.” I announced.

“Are you kidnapping me? I’m calling the police!”

The girl wiped off her tears in a frenzy, threatening fiercely.

“Then go call them, why don’t you call in front of me? Nobody’s here to stop you from doing that, you had all the time you needed!”

I’m right here to call your bluff.

“You’re bullying!”

The upset girl blubbered harder.

“Look at the time, aren’t you ashamed of yourself making a fuss? I’ll go to sleep with you, come, be a good girl.”

I threw my pillow to Jiang Muqing’s side.

Before the girl realized what was happening, I immediately laid down by her side.

“Pervert, bastard….”

She kicked me with her foot, trying to get me off the bed.

“If I fall asleep, I’ll say all kinds of sleep talk. It’ll be full of whatever I don’t talk about normally!”

I moved further in a bit, laying stubbornly on the bed.

“….”

The girl stopped fighting back with a curious wonder on her face.

“Alright, now sleep!”

I reached over and pressed the girl down from her sitting position.

“You rascal! Let me go!”

The girl resisted, trying to sit back up and escape.

“Did I allow you to leave? Sleep!”

I was already irritated, so my words were naturally hard like steel.

Seeing that she wasn’t about to obey, I could only hug her tightly, pressing her into my embrace.

“Waauuw…”

The mutinous girl twisted her body to fight back, but she was in no way strong enough to escape my clasp.

My collar also had a wet part that was growing rapidly.

“Don’t cry! I can’t sleep if you do!”

I kept scolding her.

“Bastard, bully, stinky bug….”

The girl kept calling me derogatory names.

“Once I fall asleep, maybe I’ll be brave enough to tell you about Xue….”

I sighed.

The girl’s sobs and curses stopped.

Seeing that she calmed down, I loosened my grip, and started talking.

“You may have heard this from Mom, Xue’s name is Luo Xue. A long time ago, she was my really, really good friend….”

“Only friends? Impossible.”

Sounds of grinding teeth rang from my chest.

“Yeah, it would have been wonderful if we weren’t friends.”

Peculiarly, a clear liquid filled the corner of my eyes. It grew more and more, finally spilling across my cheek, falling onto the pillowcase.

This wet feeling is so uncomfortable.