Chapter 21

Lin Xigu and his dad went out to dinner before returning home for the night. His dad entered first and was just about to change out of his shoes when he heard Lin Xigu yelp from behind. “Ba! Oi, Baba! Don’t move. I need to find you some slippers first!”

Lin Qiurong was startled by his shouting. He looked back at his son. “Aren’t these slippers right here?”

Lin Xigu pointed to the pair on the left. “Those ones! Ba, you can wear those! Don’t touch the ones on the right!”

Confused, his dad complied and stepped into the pair on the left. “What’s wrong with the slippers on the right?”

“Nothing!” Lin Xigu took off his shoes and crouched down, barefooted, as he placed She Xiao’s slippers neatly on top of the shoe shelf. He then found a new pair for himself.

“What’s going on in that head of yours?” His dad looked at his son acting silly and flicked him on the forehead. “Getting all worked up over a pair of slippers like they’re valuable.”

Lin Xigu chortled and didn’t let on anything more.

---

“Hey, Pops, you look like you’ve lost weight. Have things been busy lately?” Lin Xigu had just stepped out of the shower. He ruffled his dad’s hair affectionately before plopping down next to him. 

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“Of course, why wouldn’t I be?” Lin Xigu dried his hair casually with the bath towel on his shoulders. “Ma’s already remarried, but you’ve been single for years. You’re still young so you might have a real shot at finding true love. By the time you turn fifty, I reckon the only takers will be young hotties who only want you for your money.”

His dad didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at his son’s statements as he shook his head. “What do you even think about in your spare time?”

”Wondering when my hunk of a dad will find a partner, obviously. You can’t be single forever.” This wasn’t Lin Xigu’s first time tackling the subject of dating, but his dad had no intention of relenting.

“We’ll talk about it later,” his dad said perfunctorily as an end to the discussion.

Lin Xigu made a face and threw the towel at him. “Then go shower. Hang up my towel while you’re at it.”

---

Lin Xigu and his dad were sharing a bed that night. He lay in bed, texting Li Balei who was checking in to see if he was coming the next day. She was threatening to end their friendship if he failed to attend.

Lin Xigu replied:

Don’t worry, I’ll be there.

“Who are you talking to?” His dad smiled.

“Classmate of mine. Her name’s Li Balei. Her birthday’s tomorrow and I’m invited.” Lin Xigu answered truthfully.

“Balei? Pretty awesome name. Her parents knew what they were doing.” His dad raised his brows as he teased him. “Anything going on there that your dad should know about? 

Lin Xigu could tell right away that he had the wrong idea and quickly shook his head. “No, we’re very normal — very platonic. Don’t you already know that about me? That I’m… you do, don’t you?”

His dad sighed and patted his head. “I do. It’s nothing.”

“Mn,” Lin Xigu blinked as he looked at his dad. “Sorry, Ba.”

“What do you have to be sorry for?” His dad laughed and pinched his cheek. “Such heavy thoughts for a little kid.”

Lin Xigu smiled lightly and continued texting Li Balei.

“Did you get her a present?” His dad asked.

“Yup,” Lin Xigu said. “Didn’t you see that bear? I bought that for her.”

He had prepared Li Balei’s birthday present a long time ago. He had zero experience buying gifts for girls so he didn’t know what they usually liked, but he did know that Li Balei loved chocolate with a passion. It could be said that their friendship had started with chocolate. 

To set her present apart from the chocolates he usually bought her, he paired the chocolates with a large stuffed bear that was 2 metres tall. Stuffed animals and chocolate — it was a safe bet as a birthday present.

---

The next day, his dad drove him to the restaurant, the bear completely overtaking the backseat. 

“People are going to think you’re sweet on her. Don’t let her parents see, otherwise they’ll be out for your head,” his dad laughed.

“Nah, I don’t think that will happen,” Lin Xigu grinned. “Her family knows who I am. Her mom always makes her bring me food. She even made me soup when I was sick.”

His dad laughed harder at that. “Let’s hope she doesn’t think of you as her future son-in-law.”

Lin Xigu clutched the chocolates, exasperated. “That’s beside the point.”

His dad drove away after dropping him off. Dean Yi had made lunch plans with him as soon as he’d heard that he was coming to town. With some difficulty, Lin Xigu lugged the bear and chocolates up the stairs to the reserved room on the second floor. 

He had originally thought that it was going to be a small gathering since he had only known Li Balei to interact with a handful of people, but he was floored as soon as he stepped inside. The room was huge and there were at least twenty people in attendance.

“Ahhh! Is that for me?” Li Balei ran over and took the bear from him with one hand and the chocolates with her other. She turned to the crowd. “This is the Lin Xigu I told you about. He’s my bro for life. Partners in crime and all that.” 

Everyone agreed that “yes, they’ve all heard so much about him”, and gave him a warm welcome.

Lin Xigu was a bit of an introvert and he was starting to feel woozy from meeting so many friendly strangers at once.

A few of the girls seemed to have misunderstood who he was and kept trying to foist him on Li Balei. Li Balei didn’t notice their scheming at first, but she had always been a straight-shooter, and as soon as she realized what was going on, she quickly corrected them. “Stop messing with me. The two of us are bros, just bros! If you make things weird between us, he’s going to stop being my friend!”

”You’re really not together?” One of the girls regarded the two of them inquisitively. Hearing Li Balei confirm that they were just friends, she smiled at Lin Xigu. “What’s your type then, little cutie?”

My type is someone who is absurdly beautiful, has a terrible personality and is just a little bit violent. Lin Xigu thought. And, importantly, has eyes that are always lined in blush. 

“Get outta here,” Li Balei pushed her aside and pulled Lin Xigu further into the room. “Ignore them. They’re all crazy. Even crazier with people around, too. They’re my childhood friends. We all grew up in the same neighbourhood together.”

Lin Xigu looked around. “You must have a lot of people in your neighbourhood then.”

Li Balei laughed uproariously and asked, “Did they scare you?”

“I can keep up,” Lin Xigu thought for a moment. “They’re all as spunky as you are.”

Li Balei’s family had actually been quite well-to-do back in the day. Her grandfather used to be a local tycoon in earlier years but they experienced windfalls and ruination alike; most of the money was gone now. Li Balei had a blunt personality where she spoke her mind and called it like it was. Lin Xigu really liked her as a person.

There was no stopping this crowd once they got their crazy on. The sun was about to set by the time they had finished eating and the group started loudly insisting on going out for karaoke. Lin Xigu didn’t want to go but he couldn’t find the right opportunity to excuse himself. 

The KTV place wasn’t far so they all decided to walk. Lin Xigu looked down at his phone as he trailed behind the crowd, trying to call his dad to pick him up. The line was ringing when he overheard the conversation happening in front of him.

“Hey, isn’t he that person from your school?”

“Who?”

“Over there, walking. Something Xiao?”

“Where? Oh hey, yes it is. Isn’t that She Xiao? Our resident dreamboat.”

Lin Xigu froze. He looked up at the two chatting in front of him, then followed the direction of their gaze.

It was She Xiao. Lin Xigu was sure of it. He would know him anywhere, and he knew then, even with just a glimpse. 

“Hey, Balei, aren’t you in the same class as him?” One of them clapped Li Balei on the shoulder. Li Balei had been engrossed in conversation with another girl. Hearing the question, she looked to where he was pointing, then whipped around to stare at Lin Xigu, her eyes wide. 

Lin Xigu went wherever She Xiao went. The two of them were on good terms. Li Balei knew this.

She was just about to point him out to Lin Xigu when the girl next to her cut in with a dramatic expression of surprise. “Huh? Balei, you’re in his class? Aren’t you scared out of your mind every day?” 

Lin Xigu’s brow furrowed.

That girl clicked her tongue and continued. “I live in the same compound as him. All the kids in my neighbourhood cross the street when they see him coming.”

“Why?” Someone asked.

“He’s a total freak! Did you know he almost beat a guy to death? Seriously, he almost died. That guy was just minding his own business. He didn’t say a word before he started bashing his head in. The guy was spewing blood for days. My mom said his stomach was ruptured. His family had to pay a truckload in compensation.”

Lin Xigu put his phone away and stopped in his tracks, not moving another step.

“His dad’s unhinged too. The family living on the floor below moved away and that unit’s been empty ever since. He and his dad are both unhinged.” 

Li Balei frowned. “Did you see it with your own eyes? You shouldn’t be spreading stories without proof.”

“Who says I didn’t? Everyone in my compound knows he beat up that guy. No one talks to him where I live. It’s not like he can talk anyways. He’s basically a mute.”

“That’s enough!” Li Balei interrupted, not letting her continue.

It wasn’t that she didn’t like to gossip anymore — after all, she had relayed similar stories to Lin Xigu before. But she had copied She Xiao’s homework plenty of times ever since Lin Xigu became his tongzhuo. Although Lin Xigu was always the one who gave her She Xiao’s homework to copy, over time, she no longer found She Xiao all that scary anymore.

Lin Xigu glared at the girl coldly and watched as they gradually left him behind. In those few seconds, many thoughts raced through his mind.

Lin Xigu couldn’t do much to a girl; he couldn’t fight her. And it was Li Balei’s birthday, after all. These were her friends. He couldn’t embarrass her in front of everyone.

He had to stay calm. Although her words were piercing, although he was almost at his breaking point, he had to remain calm.

Lin Xigu took a deep breath and looked in She Xiao’s direction. She Xiao had his hands in his pockets, his head lowered, and had walked quite far already. Even the outline of his retreating back was beautiful.

Truly beautiful.

“Oi!” Lin Xigu yelled.

The group ahead had not noticed that he’d stopped and they all looked back at him. Li Balei could tell that he was probably upset, and her conscience twinged with guilt.

Lin Xigu glanced at Li Balei, then pointed to the girl next to her.

“You – what’s-her-face – yes, I’m talking to you.” Lin Xigu stared her down. “Quit blabbering like a little shit. If you weren’t a girl, I’d fight you. You’ll know what it really means to be unhinged once your head’s been smashed in by a brick. You should watch your back next time you run your mouth in public. You don’t know who you’ll piss off next.”

Lin Xigu took another deep breath, the frosty air a straight shock to his lungs, bitingly cold. He pointed at the girl again. “That person you’re talking about is my friend. Consider this my thanks for the word of mouth. Be careful you don’t chip a tooth next time you flap those lips.”

Having thrown out this last sentence, he turned and walked away. He didn’t even care if there were cars coming down the street; he ran across it, sprinting in the direction She Xiao had been walking in.

He dialled Li Balei’s number as he ran. “I’m sorry, Ballet Grrrl,” he panted into the phone when she answered. “I couldn’t save face for you in front of your friends. Go have a good time. You can ask for payback later, but she insulted She Xiao and I couldn’t just let that slide. Sorry.”

Lin Xigu hung up immediately.

He had poured so much mental energy into trying to remain calm back there.

But his efforts had been futile. He couldn’t stay calm. He couldn’t condone anybody insulting She Xiao, regardless of gender.

When he rounded the corner and saw She Xiao’s lone silhouette in the distance, he smiled in relief and braked to a stop, clutching his knee. “She Xiao!”

She Xiao turned at the sound of his name. He looked utterly shocked to see Lin Xigu. Lin Xigu was still grinning at him, still trying to catch his breath. He shouted again, “She Xiao!”

She Xiao wore no expression at first. After a few seconds, his lips suddenly pulled up at the corners. Looking at Lin Xigu, he smiled.

His eyes were always gentle when he smiled.

In that instant, Lin Xigu had only one thought. 

I will protect you. Even if the whole world gives up on you, I will be there to protect you.