Chapter Eleven: A Childish Night

Chapter Eleven: A Childish Night

Yichun was bitterly cold in November. Everyone walking the streets had wrapped themselves in thick cotton-padded clothes and trousers, with all kinds of heavy hats pulled over their heads. During this month, girls who cared about their appearance would usually wear a pretty scarf when they went out, while handsome men who valued their hairstyles would forgo hats in favor of lightweight earmuffs. Some even abandoned those, walking along while covering their ears with their hands...

“Boss Yang, where are you taking me at this hour?” Yang Xiaoyu walked beside me along the road, illuminated only by the faint glow of streetlights. She asked casually, “Don’t try anything funny. I’m still a child.”

“You little brat, stop talking nonsense...” I raised my hand as if to hit her. Laughing, Yang Xiaoyu skipped ahead, turned around, made a face at me, and stuck out her tongue.

The broad street held only the two of us. Breathing in the air that cut straight to the heart with its cold, I tugged up the collar of my down jacket, shoved both hands into my pockets, and hurried toward our destination.

I had promised long ago to treat the girl to a proper meal, but one thing after another had happened, and the matter had been delayed for far too long. Business at the shop had been rather slow lately. As the weather grew colder, fewer and fewer people came for cold drinks. Since today was the weekend, I closed up as soon as the afternoon passed and dragged along Yang Xiaoyu, who seemed less than willing, to find a decent restaurant and get something to eat.

Counting today, it had been exactly two weeks since Luo Qing and I had broken up. I had done everything I could to numb my nerves, trying not to think of her or recall those memories that had been either painful or unforgettable.

“Did you call Tongtong? I haven’t seen her in ages. I’ve been missing her.” Yang Xiaoyu imitated me by keeping both hands in her pockets. Walking beside me, she exhaled a breath of warmth and spoke slowly.

“Yeah. She’s probably on her way too. I didn’t realize you two sisters got along so well.”

I wondered whether they sometimes went out together when I wasn’t around. Otherwise, the bond they had formed merely by working together at my shop for a while couldn’t possibly run that deep.

“Of course we do. Men have no business asking about women’s affairs.” Yang Xiaoyu lightly brushed the snow from her clothes and smiled.

“A moment ago you said you were a child, and now it’s suddenly women’s affairs...” I shot back, then quickened my pace.

Despite the freezing weather, Yang Xiaoyu’s outfit combined warmth with sensuality. She wore a fitted blue down jacket, beneath it a pair of black padded leggings that looked far too thin, and a pair of knee-high heeled boots. In my words, she was exchanging injuries for youth.

“What about the mature beauty? Did you invite her?” Yang Xiaoyu seemed to have thought of something. She gave me a malicious little smile and asked.

The “mature beauty” she referred to was Shi Yu. At first, I found it strange whenever she called Sister Shi that, especially because every time she said the words “mature beauty,” she deliberately made her voice sound adorably childish, as though Sister Shi were many years older than she actually was. Shi Yu had initially resisted the nickname, but she could fairly be called our shop’s most loyal customer, coming in at least once or twice a week. After hearing it over and over, and under Yang Xiaoyu’s relentless brainwashing, Shi Yu gradually accepted the name—though only in the sense that she no longer objected to it.

I shook my head. It wasn’t that I had forgotten to invite Sister Shi or didn’t want to. She had already told me that she wouldn’t be attending this meal; I ought to be the one hosting it myself.

I was filled with gratitude toward Shi Yu. The shop, “Seeking,” had only been able to open so smoothly because of the considerable financial help she had given me. Now that the business was earning an income, I transferred anywhere from one or two thousand to three or four thousand yuan each month into the bank account I owed her, slowly repaying my debt.

“That’s a shame. I was planning to see whether I could get the mature beauty a little drunk later, then help Boss Yang take her down in one stroke.” Yang Xiaoyu pouted in disappointment, kicking at the scattered chunks of snow as she walked.

“Watch your mouth about my sister.” I rolled my eyes at her and reached out to pinch her cheek.

Yang Xiaoyu reacted quickly. The instant I pulled my hand from my pocket, she skipped several steps ahead, then turned around and shouted at me indignantly, “So what? We aren’t real siblings. There are plenty of sibling romances these days!”

“If I catch you, I’ll give you a thorough beating.” I pretended to sound fierce, though I couldn’t be bothered to chase her.

“So Uncle likes that sort of thing...” Yang Xiaoyu laughed delightedly, clearly enjoying teasing me. “I never noticed before. But I’m so sexy—would you really be able to hit me?”

“Come over here if you’ve got the nerve, and see whether I can.” I waved my palm at her and continued to frighten her. “Now that you’ve discovered I’m a pervert, I can’t give you any chance to go around telling people. Heh.”

I suddenly ran after Yang Xiaoyu, who had been strolling along at an unhurried pace while maintaining a safe distance from me. My actions startled her, and she immediately turned and fled. Facing the icy wind and snow, the two of us continued our childish chase with great enthusiasm, laughing and running along the broad, deserted road like a pair of children who had never grown up.

“All right, enough fooling around.” Panting heavily, I stopped and leaned against a utility pole, waving at Yang Xiaoyu, who was still enjoying herself.

“What’s wrong, Uncle? Is that all you’ve got? Your stamina is terrible.” Yang Xiaoyu edged closer to me, deliberately provocative, and gave me a wicked grin. “Could your ex-girlfriend have dumped you because of that?”

“You really don’t know when to stop.” I glared at her helplessly. She was so young—how could she be so infuriating?

“Come on, catch me. If you do, you can beat me as much as you like.” After saying that, Yang Xiaoyu deliberately turned her back to me and swayed her body lightly.

“These old arms and legs of mine aren’t playing along with you anymore.” I shook my head helplessly. Then something occurred to me, and I asked, “Has that fellow Bai Sheng contacted you recently?”

“Bai Sheng?” At the mention of his name, Yang Xiaoyu looked thoughtful. After a moment, she replied irritably, “Don’t bring him up. He’s so annoying. He’s so shallow he practically floats.”

Hearing the impatience in her voice, I smiled. “What did he do that was so shallow?”

“Speaking of that, I just remembered...” Yang Xiaoyu walked in front of me and looked at me suspiciously. “Did you give him my phone number? Otherwise, how could he have gotten my contact information?”

At her question, I scratched my head awkwardly. Her contact information had indeed been given to Bai Sheng by me.

After I turned down his request that day, the fellow contacted me several more times. He pestered me relentlessly, determined to find out how he could win Yang Xiaoyu over. After being approached again and again, I spent some time investigating Bai Sheng’s background. I confirmed that he was a respectable citizen who ran a modest-sized sales company. He wasn’t exactly wealthy, but he was a business owner nonetheless—and he was young and handsome. I had no reason not to give him a chance to pursue Xiaoyu. If my hesitation ended up ruining the beginning of a beautiful romance, wouldn’t I become a sinner for all eternity?

“Hmph, I knew it had to be you.” Though I hadn’t admitted anything, my awkward movements had already betrayed me. Yang Xiaoyu angrily placed her hands on her slender waist. “You have no idea how annoying he is. He sends me ten or twenty messages every day. If I don’t reply, he keeps pestering me; if I do reply, he never knows when to stop.”

“If you don’t like him, just block him. Why agonize over it?”

“The problem is that he’s one of our shop’s loyal customers. I can’t let a customer who’s willing to spend so much money leave just because of a little personal matter.” Yang Xiaoyu sighed and rolled her eyes at me, clearly dissatisfied with the situation.

“He only became a regular because of you...” I stared at her speechlessly. Apparently, she still hadn’t understood the situation. Bai Sheng kept coming to spend money because he had taken a fancy to her. He was probably the sort of person who would consider it happiness enough to look at the woman he loved twice more each day, even if he could never win her over.

“You can’t force matters of the heart. If you don’t want him, find an opportunity to tell him directly. It’ll save both of you from wasting your time.” I spread my hands.

“I suppose that’s all I can do.” Yang Xiaoyu waved dismissively, signaling that I should change the subject.

I walked over beside her and pretended to ponder. “Then what should we talk about?”

“You decide.” Yang Xiaoyu seemed not to notice anything unusual. By then, I had successfully drawn close to her, and I laughed inwardly.

Little brat. Today, I’m going to teach you that revenge is a dish best served after ten years.

“Well, if you ask me, we should talk about...” I paused deliberately. “The matter of spanking you.”

The moment she heard me, Yang Xiaoyu’s expression changed. She turned and tried to run, but I reached out and caught her by the arm. With a tug, I pulled her into my embrace, raised my hand, and waved it in the air as I laughed.

“You little rascal, let’s see where you can run now. Hurry up and admit your mistake.”

“Brother Yang, I was wrong.”

I brought my palm down on her backside and laughed. “Say it. Who has no stamina?”

I waited confidently for Yang Xiaoyu’s answer, but even after a long while, she didn’t say a word.

After I struck her, Yang Xiaoyu lowered her head and fell silent. I couldn’t see her expression, but regret began to creep into my heart. What was a grown man like me doing fooling around with a young girl? Now I had gone and made her angry...

“I’m sorry... Did I hurt you? It was my fault. I didn’t control my strength. Why don’t you hit me once to vent your anger?”

I quickly released her arm, walked around to face her, and crouched down before her. She kept her head lowered and said nothing.

“Yang Chen...” After a moment of silence, Yang Xiaoyu finally raised her head. Her face was flushed an astonishing red. Looking into my eyes, she whispered shyly, “You... you really hit me?”