At ten o'clock in the evening, Xu Jia Ning returned home.
Lin Chu Sui was leaning over the window sill watching his car pull into the garage. She hurried downstairs in her slippers and intercepted him at the door, “Old Xu just got back and he’s fuming mad, you better hide out in my room for now until my mom gets back from her dinner party, otherwise...”
“It’s okay.”
There was no way to avoid it anyway, so he went straight upstairs to Xu Song Bai’s study, “Dad.”
Xu Song Bai was standing in front of the bookshelf wiping a vase. He asked coldly, “Where were you?”
“Got caught in the rain.”
“Don’t tell me you got stuck in traffic.”
“No, I went to a live music house. There was a folk music concert I wanted to check out.” Xu Jia Ning replied expressionlessly.
“Didn’t I tell you that these next two years are critical, to focus on test prep and stay away from the guitar?”
“I just finished my exams and did pretty well, so I wanted to relax a bit.”
“You call that doing pretty well? You can’t even get first place, what right do you have to say you’re doing great in your studies? If you had put even half the effort you put into music into what I told you to do, what couldn’t you accomplish?”
“Okay, it won’t happen again next time. I’ll work hard to get first place.”
Lin Chu Sui was leaning against the door watching her cheap older brother bow his head obediently.
He was always like this, apologizing after doing something wrong, never talking back to Old Xu, which made it difficult for Old Xu’s hardened fists to land solid blows on the soft cotton. Over the years, Xu Jia Ning had figured out through experience how to safely deal with his tiger dad’s punishments.
Sometimes, Lin Chu Sui felt she really needed to learn from him.
But she didn’t have Xu Jia Ning’s patience and resilience. After Madam Fang yelled at her a few times, she would want to defend herself.
She had never suffered grievances before, nor could she endure them now.
Xu Song Bai seemed to be aware of Xu Jia Ning’s “cleverness”, but tonight, he didn’t plan on letting it slide so easily.
This kid, he looked obedient and compliant on the surface, but as his father, Xu Song Bai knew him best – he had that same rebellious streak deep down in his bones as Lin Chu Sui did, it’s just that Lin Chu Sui expressed it more directly while he was...a bit more clever about it.
“Bring me your guitar.”
Upon hearing this, Xu Jia Ning looked up in shock, “Dad!”
“Bring it here. I’ll keep it for you for the time being.”
Hearing that Xu Song Bai only wanted to confiscate it temporarily, Xu Jia Ning breathed a sigh of relief. He went back to his room, got his guitar, and placed it on Old Xu’s heavy wooden desk, “I’ll do as you say and focus on my studies...”
Before he could finish speaking, Xu Song Bai grabbed the ashtray on the table and fiercely smashed the guitar.
With a loud “crash”, the wooden guitar caved in and the strings snapped.
Xu Jia Ning looked at the scene before him in disbelief.
Heartache, anger, and indescribable oppression gathered in his dark eyes. His hands clenched tightly into fists.
At the door, spectator Lin Chu Sui also couldn’t bear to watch any longer. She rushed in, “What’s wrong with you, a fully grown adult, still destroying other people’s belongings when Xu Jia Ning already promised to do better!”
“His belongings? What does he have that I didn’t give him?” Xu Song Bai said coldly. “He left me waiting with all the directors at the annual party tonight, wouldn’t answer his phone or turned it off, to go to some crappy concert. I was merciful for not beating him to death!”
After saying this, he picked up the guitar, about to toss it out the window.
Lin Chu Sui hurried forward and grabbed the tail end of the guitar, wrestling over it with him.
Xu Jia Ning went over to convince Lin Chu Sui, “Forget it.”
“No way! It can still be fixed.”
She knew how much the fake foreign devil treasured this old guitar. He would take it out regularly to wipe it down and maintain it, not letting her touch it carelessly, making her wash her hands before handling it.
Everyone had things they cherished.
Lin Chu Sui let go of the guitar, then picked up a potted orchid worth millions of yuan, Old Xu’s most prized bonsai, specially placed on his desk for viewing and attentive daily care.
“Let’s go down together!”
Seeing her grab the orchid, Xu Song Bai’s expression changed. He said sternly, “Put down the plant.”
“You put down the guitar.”
Xu Song Bai had never seen such an unruly child. He used to think he had effective ways to discipline Xu Jia Ning, but compared to Lin Chu Sui, Xu Jia Ning was a model child.
“Don’t act rashly.” He slowly lowered the guitar, afraid she would damage his orchid. “Put it down.”
Lin Chu Sui signaled to Xu Jia Ning with her eyes. Xu Jia Ning walked over and picked up the guitar, eyes full of distress.
Holding the orchid hostage, Lin Chu Sui slowly backed out of the study and finally smirked, “Here, have it back!”
After saying this, she smashed the potted plant forcefully onto the ground, then gave it a few hard kicks.
“Lin Chu Sui!”
Xu Song Bai charged out angrily. Xu Jia Ning had already grabbed Lin Chu Sui’s hand, fleeing together back to his room and locking the door.
The two leaned against the door, hearts thumping wildly, listening to the sounds outside.
Xu Song Bai was busy trying to rescue his plant, naturally had no time to deal with them.
Xu Jia Ning turned his head to look at Lin Chu Sui. The little girl's cheeks were rosy red, still looking shocked and terrified: “Damn, that was scary.”
Guitar in one hand, he rubbed her soft fluffy hair with the other, “Why stick your neck out if you’re so afraid?”
“Of course I have to stand up to violence, I absolutely will not submit!” Lin Chu Sui pushed his hand away. “You’re just like a slave, letting yourself get bullied without fighting back. If I don’t protect you, who will?”
Xu Jia Ning scoffed, “You’re the slave.”
“I’m Lincoln Chu, emancipator of slaves!”
“My dear sister emancipator, did you finish your homework?”
“What, are you going to do your sister emancipator’s homework for her?”
“In your dreams.” Xu Jia Ning rolled his eyes and brought his workbook over to her, “Look at mine first. Copy the answers onto scratch paper. After Aunt Fang gets back and you’re safe, go back to your room and transcribe it all into your workbook.”
Lin Chu Sui pursed her lips, sitting down at the desk, “Is supervising others to study diligently a common interest among you model students?”
“Less nonsense.”
Xu Jia Ning picked up his guitar to inspect the damaged parts.
Lin Chu Sui turned and asked, “Don’t you usually keep up a good boy image? How’d you manage to piss him off so badly today?”
When asked this, Xu Jia Ning suddenly laughed.
“What are you giggling about?”
“I have someone I like now, and there’s a good chance I can win her over.”
Lin Chu Sui asked doubtfully, “It wouldn’t be...who I’m thinking of, would it?”
“It’s exactly who you’re thinking of.”
She immediately climbed onto the chair and turned around excitedly, “You were with Sister Xiao Yan today?”
“Shhh!” Xu Jia Ning immediately got up and put his ear to the door to listen carefully, saying cautiously, “What if Old Xu hears you?”
“You’re just a high schooler, what makes you think you can win her over?” Lin Chu Sui felt it was unbelievable. With Xiao Yan’s looks and figure, she could easily find a boyfriend with excellent background. Why would she be interested in this little rascal Xu Jia Ning?
“Do you have doubts about your brother’s charm?” Xu Jia Ning was quite arrogant and confident. “Girls I like have a zero percent chance of getting away.”
“But she’s so much older than you.”
“I like older sisters, you got a problem with that?”
Lin Chu Sui was still frowning, not at all happy for Xu Jia Ning, “Then...do you know there's also a girl in our class who has always liked you too?”
Xu Jia Ning: “There are at least fifteen girls in our class who like me, and fourteen have confessed.”
Lin Chu Sui stared at Xu Jia Ning. After a long pause, she said slowly, “I’m talking about...the one who hasn't confessed.”
Xu Jia Ning lay in bed, arm cradling his head as he gazed at the ceiling, “Because she already knows the answer in her heart.”
Lin ChuSui didn't say anything more.
...
The next day after school, Xiao Yan sent Lin ChuSui home. He told her to wait downstairs while she went to get Xu JiaNing's guitar.
Brother Octopus had introduced her to a famous instrument repair shop. He said no matter how badly it was smashed, they could restore it to its original condition.
Lin ChuSui got the offline address and asked Xiao Yan to accompany her to the physical store to take a look.
Xiao Yan stood in front of the independent villa courtyard. The villa's garden was exquisitely maintained with wisteria vines draping over the enclosing walls. The villa was in a light European retro style, like a princess's castle.
If not for that accident, the little girl could have grown up like a princess, with loving dad and mom.
She would probably never have crossed paths with someone like him either.
That fire took away Lin ChuSui's father, and also changed Xiao Yan's fate.
He was the culprit.
From inside the house came the sound of the little girl arguing with a man―
"What are you doing with the guitar?"
"It's none of your business, you're not my dad!"
"Do you think a father who indulges and spoils you all the time is a good one? That will only ruin you for life!"
"My dad never wanted me to amount to much. He said as long as I could be happy every day, that's the greatest blessing. A person like you could never understand!"
"Stop right there! Lin ChuSui, come back here!"
...
Lin ChuSui ran out of the house hugging the guitar and grabbed Xiao Yan's hand, hurrying out of the residential area.
Xiao Yan let her lead him along. He looked back one last time at the villa, the direction of what was once Lin XiuZe's home.
Lin XiuZe must have seen it too, but he didn't say anything, just met Xiao Yan's gaze in silence.
"Is he... really mean to you?" Xiao Yan asked Lin ChuSui.
"You mean Xu JiaNing's dad?"
"Yeah."
"Super mean." Lin ChuSui slowed her steps. "I've never disliked someone this much before. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have known there were dads like him in the world."
She unwrapped the guitar case and showed Xiao Yan the smashed dents on the guitar. "See, this is his 'masterpiece'. Xu JiaNing treasured this guitar so much I wasn't even allowed to touch it normally, and now it's been ruined like this."
Xiao Yan looked at the indignant expression on the little girl's face. He opened his mouth but in the end said nothing, just silently looked away.
The silent snow of winter night drifted down onto his shoulders.
He took the little girl's fair wrist and led her down the quiet street.
Lin ChuSui looked up at him. His lips were tightly shut, his stoic expression seemed chilled by the desolate frost and snow of the winter night.
At a traffic light intersection, Xiao Yan stopped. Suddenly he said,
"What if you had two paths laid out before you, one leading to the future where you could grow up, the other going back to the past to resurrect your dad."
Lin ChuSui looked up again. His dark eyes gently gazed down at her. "Little one, which would you choose?"
Lin ChuSui gritted her teeth without hesitation. "I choose... to bring Dad back."
