In the convenience store, Lin ChuSui tore open a band-aid and stuck it on the cracked spot at the corner of Xiao Yan's mouth.
"Seeing him rushing over, why didn't you dodge?"
"Weren't you standing in front of me?" Xiao Yan said lightly, "With you here, what do I have to be afraid of."
Hearing these words, Lin ChuSui felt like her heart was being crushed. She gently put the band-aid on him and leaned in next to his ear and whispered, "Then from now on... I'll protect you well."
"Mm."
"Does it still hurt?"
"A little."
She reached out and rubbed the band-aid on the corner of Xiao Yan's mouth.
Across from them, several teenagers were drinking cola, eating street food, and frowning at them.
Zhang Cheng Yu whispered to Lu Chi, "Our brother ChuSui has gone down the deepest path, that's the God Xiao's playbook."
Lu Chi: "Why do you say that?"
Zhang Cheng Yu: "This kind of top-tier schemer among men, even a tough cookie like sister ChuSui will be easily manipulated by him."
Lu Chi: "That's... impossible, right?"
Before he could finish speaking, they heard Xiao Yan say, "This was my fault, I shouldn't have provoked him."
Lin ChuSui: "You didn't do anything wrong, he just has a bad temper."
Xiao Yan wiped the band-aid on the corner of his mouth and confessed, "Actually there was some unpleasantness in the bathroom earlier, I did throw his wallet."
"Did he hit you?"
"He seems to have a very violent temper."
"Did he scold you?"
"Forget it, it was my own problem."
Lin ChuSui immediately became agitated, "What exactly did he scold you with?!"
"It's nothing, don't worry about it anymore. I'm not good to begin with, he didn't say anything wrong."
"Damn it." Lin ChuSui clenched her fist, her eyes reddened from distress.
...
Watching Xiao Yan vividly portray himself as a victim like a textbook example, Lu Chi's worldview completely collapsed.
In Xiao Yan, he seemed to see the shadow of his ex-girlfriend.
His ex-girlfriend had also used similar rhetoric, and then somehow he became a backup boyfriend without knowing why.
It seems...he understands now.
Xu Jia Ning hugged his arms, sincerely convinced, "I'm not as good as him."
Lu Tian argued, "Even the God Xiao was beaten up, and you guys are still gossiping here."
Lu Chi patted her on the back of the head, "Sis, have your women's brains been plowed by pigs? Can't you see through this scheming man's act?"
"It was clearly Qin Nai who bullied people first!"
"With Xiao's level, he could have slapped Qin Nai all over the street if he wanted!"
That night, Xu Jia Ning drove Lin ChuSui home.
The night wind was cool. Lin ChuSui was in a good mood, humming songs all the way.
Since getting to know her, he rarely saw the little girl so relaxed and happy.
"Was that greasy muscle man really your ex-boyfriend?" he asked Lin ChuSui.
Lin ChuSui explained plainly, "Not quite an ex-boyfriend. We didn't get together before my dad broke up our budding relationship."
"I think your dad did the right thing." Xu Jia Ning recalled the scene at the time, "He slapped that girl so skillfully, clearly he's prone to violence."
Lin ChuSui fell silent.
This shameful past was a scar on her heart. If not for her rebelliousness against Old Lin on this matter, perhaps Old Lin would have been with her at Ocean Park that day instead of leaving for work.
Then he...would not have passed away.
Sensing the girl's silence, Xu Jia Ning's forehead leaned heavily on her back, breathing heavily, seemingly crying again.
"Even if your dad is gone, there are still others. They may not replace him, but won't leave you alone."
She asked nasally, "Are you talking about yourself?"
"Mm."
In the bright moonlight tonight, Xu Jia Ning uncharacteristically showed some gentleness, "I'm your brother."
Lin ChuSui nodded lightly and softly called out, "Brother."
Before she finished speaking, Xu Jia Ning suddenly slammed on the brakes, and her head banged heavily into his back, "What are you doing?"
Xu Jia Ning looked towards the garden and stared for a few seconds at Xiao Qian taking a stroll with a man.
He immediately got off the bike and handed it to Lin ChuSui, "Something suddenly came up, go home first yourself!"
After Lin ChuSui got off the bike, holding onto the handlebars, she watched Xu Jia Ning's hurriedly retreating figure: "What a fake brother, go die foreign devil!"
...
Xiao Qian was walking with a man on the green shaded path in the garden. They seemed to be arguing about something.
The man was obviously much older than her, about thirty years old. His outfit was also a bit mature, although in Xu Jia Ning's taste, the man's fashion sense was terrible. Tucking in his shirt into his pants to show off his branded belt was quite lame.
Seeing that she was with a friend, Xu Jia Ning didn't want to intrude. He was about to leave when he suddenly heard the man yell impatiently at her---
"What else can I do? My family is very traditional. My parents are too. If they knew about your current situation, no parents, and raising a high school brother, your education level is also...this way, they would never agree to us being together."
Xiao Qian's emotions were still relatively calm, "So just keep dragging it out, never introducing me to your parents?"
"It's not never meeting them, just wait a little longer. They definitely can't accept it now anyway. My dad has a heart condition."
"You've been saying wait since the beginning of last year until now. Tang JunChu, you pursued me originally. Now you look down on my family background?"
"I'm not looking down on you." Tang JunChu reached out to put his arm around Xiao Qian but she pushed his hand away, "But I have to consider my parents' feelings too. The girls they've introduced to me, their conditions are all..."
As if saying too much, he quickly stopped himself.
"You're going on blind dates?"
"No, none."
Xiao Qian grabbed his collar and pushed him, "You went on blind dates while dating me?"
"It was my parents who made me! I said I didn't want to go, but they..."
Xiao Qian turned and walked away. Tang JunChu quickly went up to stop her, "Xiao Qian, listen to my explanation. It was all my parents..."
"Give me your phone."
Tang JunChu obediently handed his phone over. She unlocked the screen and deleted her phone number and WeChat, "Let's break up."
"Xiao Qian."
"I said we're breaking up!"
Tang JunChu also knew her temperament - once she decides something, ten oxen can't drag her back.
His eyes slowly turned from panic to cold mockery as he laughed, "What's the pretense for? You know your own conditions. With your lack of education, no proper job, dragging along a freeloader, how many men would dare bring a woman like you home, let alone marry you? The girls my mom introduces are civil servants!"
Before he finished speaking, Xiao Qian picked up a rock and threw it at him. He quickly dodged to the side, cursing a couple times before leaving.
Xiao Qian took deep breaths to calm her angry emotions. The autumn wind blew by and fallen leaves drifted. After the anger came endless loss and sadness.
Reality...really wears down the heart.
She felt she was still quite young, twenty-five years old. How did she end up in such dire straits already?
After passing the threshold of twenty-five, it would only get harder from now on.
Walking in turmoil, she arrived at the bar street she frequented, entering a bar and sitting at the counter to order a drink.
If not for being slightly better looking, with her conditions, perhaps even scum like Tang JunChu wouldn't glance her way.
Was her request too high? She just wanted a stable relationship, a home, a reliable husband...was that wrong?
Life is so difficult.
Unknowingly, she had a few more drinks.
Xu Jia Ning followed her to the bar. The lighting inside was dim but the atmosphere was tranquil. A singer was performing quiet folk songs.
Xu Jia Ning sat alone in the corner for a while, then walked up to the stage and gave the resident singer a 100-yuan tip. "Can I borrow your guitar and sing a song?"
The resident singer gladly agreed and handed over her guitar.
He strummed the strings and lightly played the tune of "Casablanca".
As soon as the guitar sounded, patrons turned their eyes toward him. His guitar skills far exceeded those of the previous singer.
fellinlovewithyouwatchingcasablanca
backrowofthedriven-inshowintheflickeringlight
popcornandcokesbeneaththestars......
Accompanied by the mellow and beautiful melody of Casablanca, he seemed to be chanting a distant and romantic folk song.
The bar quieted down in an instant, and everyone's eyes were fixed on Xu Jia Ning.
His voice was slightly hoarse, deep and touching, especially suitable for the gentle and soothing tune of this song.
It really, really sounded nice.
Under the dim light, his handsome face and elegant temperament were so charming.
Many people took out their phones and started recording videos to post online.
This boy was truly amazing!
Xiao Qian lazily leaned on the bar, her drunken eyes gleaming with laughter as she watched him.
After Xu Jia Ning finished singing "Casablanca", he politely returned the guitar and came to Xiao Qian.
Xiao Qian clapped her hands lazily. "Beautiful."
"I'm glad you like it. I can sing it for you often." He wanted to sit next to her, but Xiao Qian immediately used her wallet to block the seat beside her.
"Kid, you've been following me persistently since the park. What do you want?"
"I want...to sing for you."
Xiao Qian's heart stirred slightly. She raised her eyes to look at him.
His profile was truly handsome, with a touch of masculine maturity, but his eyes were still clear, showing the innocence only found in youths who had not yet experienced life's trials and tribulations.
Compared to the men she'd met through matchmaking who only cared about appearances and status, Xu Jia Ning's wholesome innocence was undeniably attractive.
"Call me sister, and I'll allow you to sit with me for a while."
This time, Xu Jia Ning called out without hesitation, "Sister."
Xiao Qian moved the bag from the next seat, and Xu Jia Ning sat down beside her.
He ordered a drink for himself. When the bartender handed him the glass, Xiao Qian grabbed his wrist and asked, "Are you legal?"
"I really am nineteen, sister."
Only then did she let go.
Xu Jia Ning took a sip, and the alcohol made him frown slightly.
Xiao Qian's brows rose as she leaned against his arm. "Kid, what do you like about me?"
"You're beautiful," Xu Jia Ning said frankly. "I liked you at first sight."
"Just that?"
"Not only that. I've seen women more beautiful than you, but you're the one who stays in my heart when they don't."
"And why is that?"
"I don't know. Maybe Cupid's arrow just struck me."
Every one of his expressions was frank and open, every word was pure and clean.
If she were five years younger, no, maybe three, perhaps she really would have fallen for this boy.
But...not who she was now.
"What were you singing just now?"
"'Casablanca', by Bertie Higgins."
"I love that movie, I've seen it so many times."
Xu Jia Ning looked at her. "Can I watch it with you again?"
Xiao Qian smiled. "No."
Xu Jia Ning lowered his eyes, fiddling with the cocktail glass, then asked again, "Then how can I watch 'Casablanca' with you?"
"You really are..."
She didn't know what to do with this kid - reject him bluntly like she did those annoying pursuers?
She probably couldn't do that.
Perhaps it was because he reminded her of her brother, but Xu Jia Ning was different from the others in her heart.
Xu Jia Ning raised his eyes, looking at her sincerely and devoutly, with the unrelenting spirit of youth -
"Sister, what can I do to watch 'Casablanca' with you?"
"Let's do this," Xiao Qian took his glass. "Tell me one thing...that no matter how hard you try, you can't accomplish."
Xu Jia Ning thought for a moment, just about to speak, when Xiao Qian added, "Don't lie to me."
"I won't lie to you." Xu Jia Ning said without hesitation, "To surpass Xiao Yan and be the top student in our grade - no matter how hard I try, I can't do it."
Xiao Qian's lips curled into a smile. "That is true. Our brother is very capable."
"Why did you ask that, sister?"
"Aren't you curious how you can watch a movie with me?"
Xiao Qian stretched out her slender fingertips and tapped his broad forehead. "If you can accomplish this thing that you said you can't, no matter how hard you try...then we'll watch the movie together."
