abcnovels
Chapter Eight (Part 1)
Chapter Eight (Part 1)
Chapter Eight (Part 1)
Translated by trungtnguyen123
‘The number you have dialled is currently busy…’ the operator said.
An Xiao Li anxiously waited for another twenty minutes, and pressed the call button again for the thirteenth time but she still couldn’t get through.
When Chen Yu Bai entered the bedroom, he saw An Xiao Li sprawled on the bed. Her hair was messy like a crazy person and she continuously pressed the call button on her phone.
‘Is there something urgent? Why are you redialling? Chen Yu Bai asked.
Chen Yu Bai comfortably tidied the pillows, bedspread and bed sheet that An Xiao Li left cluttered on the bed.
‘I don’t know… in the morning Sang Sang asked me to call her every twenty minutes after nine tonight. She said even if she doesn’t pick up I need to keep calling her number every twenty minutes until she gets home,’ An Xiao Li explained.
An Xiao Li was someone who always kept her promises. She called Qin Sang’s number again but lost track of how many times she called Qin Sang.
Chen Yu Bai finished putting the pillows back to its original position, apart from An Xiao Li there wasn’t any clutter left on the bed. ‘Don’t call anymore.’ He didn’t want to explain why, but he saw her anxious look and didn’t feel comfortable. ‘Today is Wei Ran’s birthday, Qin Sang is with him.’
An Xiao Li wasn’t impressed with Li Wei Ran. She couldn’t believe he broke the brotherhood code and made his moves on Qin Sang whilst Mr Wild was overseas. How was she supposed to explain to the adorable Mr Wild that his fifth brother was a scumbag?
An Xiao Li rolled over to jump off the bed but Chen Yu Bai pulled her back on the bed. ‘Where are you going?’
‘To find Sang Sang. If she and Li Wei Ran are doing it, then what about Qin Song?’ An Xiao Li said.
‘Oh? It seems like you care a lot about Qin Song,’ Chen Yu Bai said coldly.
An Xiao Li felt a gale swept passed her and in her head she pictured she was going to be disciplined until she was unconscious. She faked a sweet smile. ‘No, no, no! Not true, not true!’
Chen Yu Bai’s smile was wicked – the bone crunching and meat gnashing kind of wicked. ‘Is that so?’
Chen Yu Bai’s voice was gentle but his grip on An Xiao Li’s wrist tightened.
‘Don’t come any closer…’ An Xiao Li pleaded.
The rest of An Xiao Li’s plea was swallowed by Chen Yu Bai’s mouth.
Chen Yu Bai was in the mood. He punished An Xiao Li with his whole body and interrogated her about Qin Song at the same time. He whispered eloquent words in her ear at leisure, but when she listened carefully she heard the repressed desire in his tone. His form of punishment fogged her head that she couldn’t even remember who Qin Song was.
The more An Xiao Li didn’t answer his questions the more intense he punished her. She trembled and begged him at the same time. She said the words that he liked to hear. Finally she couldn’t withstand his punishment anymore, she refused to talk and she cried.
Chen Yu Bai realised he was too impatient, he hastily bent his head and kissed An Xiao Li and slowed his body movements.
An Xiao Li vaguely realised something, once she started something she couldn’t stop. Her crying gradually became louder, her tears flowed nonstop and on the pillow there was a wet patch of her tears. Suddenly she felt the wicked ice glacier was different to how he was on their first night. The ice glacier tonight kissed her like gentle raindrops, he coaxed her gently nonstop and gradually each of his body movements became gentler.
‘Ok, don’t cry anymore. Xiao Li, Xiao Li… don’t cry,’ Chen Yu Bai whispered.
Chen Yu Bai always called An Xiao Li by her full name. Tonight was the first time she heard him called her by her first name lovingly.
‘Don’t cry…’ Chen Yu Bai whispered nonstop.
Chen Yu Bai stopped his movements and withdrew from An Xiao Li’s body. The two of them laid on the bed face to face and he gently coaxed her to stop crying.
‘In the future… you’re not allowed to call me a dummy anymore,’ An Xiao Li said.
‘Um,’ Chen Yu Bai promised.
Chen Yu Bai was shocked that for the first time in his life he made a promise to someone without thinking.
But after Chen Yu Bai promised An Xiao Li not to call her a dummy in the future, she really stopped crying. She hugged his arm and slept. The bedroom was quiet and he only heard her soft even breathing. Each sound of her breathing made his heart trembled uncontrollably.
That night Chen Yu Bai realised, everything was not within his expectations. He thought he was taking care of a loveable pet but unexpectedly An Xiao Li didn’t eat what he gave her. In reverse she took a bite of his heart… he was ensnared really badly.
***
On the hottest day of June.
An Xiao Li pulled up her graduation gown and used it to fan her face. The graduation gown was baggy but she still felt hot wearing it. She took some photos with Xuan Tu and Mac, but the hot weather was too unbearable that she hid under a large shady tree on a roadside.
Qin Sang sat under the same shady large tree. She leaned against the tree, closed her eyes and rested.
An Xiao Li poked Qin Sang’s cheek and laughed a shady laugh. ‘Last night did you go fruit stealing?’
Qin Sang kept her eyes closed, stretched out an arm and fumbled for An Xiao Li’s arm. Qin Sang found her target, pinched hard and An Xiao Li whimpered in pain.
An Xiao Li stopped whimpering and assessed Qin Sang’s expression. Qin Sang was grinning and it gave An Xiao Li goose bumps. ‘Qin Sang, if you don’t want to tell me, it’s ok. But there’s no need to grin in a scary way that gives me goose bumps. Fess up, you and Li Wei Ran what stage are the two of you at?’
‘At the moment not at the same stage as you and Chen Yu Bai,’ Qin Sang teased.
Qin Sang teased An Xiao Li’s weakness and An Xiao Li retreated, she didn’t dare continue poking the bear. An Xiao Li felt lucky that their classmates called them over to take more photos and used that opportunity to avoid being grilled by Qin Sang.
***
In the meeting room at Liang’s company, Mr Li junior was reporting a new work plan at an incredible speed.
During the meeting most of the employees were curious why Mr Li junior kept looking at his watch but didn’t dare to ask. The meeting finished half an hour early.
The moment the meeting ended, Li Wei Ran didn’t bother packing up his documents, took out his car keys and wanted to bolt. But his third brother swung a chair around and lifted a leg to prevent him from leaving. He dodged his third brother’s annoying leg easily. ‘What is it? I’m in a hurry!’
‘Why are you in a hurry? You didn’t take care of the main business!’ Rong Yan scolded. He leaned against the meeting table. ‘I won’t mention your sloppy work attitude but you whirled through the PowerPoint slides like you were battling. What got into you that got you all worked up?’
‘Today is my girlfriend’s graduation day. It’s about to start, of course I need to hurry. Brothers, go easy on me this time. Later I’ll come back and explain the new work plan properly with everyone,’ Li Wei Ran pleaded.
Rong Yan wasn’t satisfied, he pulled Li Wei Ran back and Li Wei Ran wrinkled his forehead.
Li Wei Ran punched Rong Yan’s chest and Rong Yan released him. Li Wei Ran wanted to deflect the attention off him and targeted Chen Yu Bai. ‘Third brother, Xiao Li is graduating today too. Aren’t you going to go to her graduation?’
‘What game are you two playing? Are you two holding a class of beautiful girls captive? Did you two at least save one girl for me?’ Rong Yan teased.
Usually between the Liang’s sworn brothers there was no need to hold back or hide anything. But Chen Yu Bai suddenly stood and whacked Rong Yan’s mouth with the documents in Chen Yu Bai’s hand. Rong Yan didn’t dare to tease an offended Chen Yu Bai and hurriedly packed up his own documents. Rong Yan laughed helplessly with Li Wei Ran. ‘I’m not free, if you want to go then hurry up and go.’
‘Huh?’ Li Wei Ran asked.
Li Wei Ran thought Rong Yan’s work schedule for the day was light after the meeting ended and didn’t know why Rong Yan wasn’t free.
Chen Yu Bai watched Li Wei Ran bolt in the direction of the carpark but Chen Yu Bai walked in the opposite direction.
Chen Yu Bai thought about the dummy’s graduation. It seemed like the past few days she mentioned about it and in the morning when she requested a day off she mentioned it again. Did she hope he would attend her graduation?
Chen Yu Bai felt he needed to think it over carefully what direction he wanted to take things. He thought that everything was progressing outside his initial expectations.
***
An Xiao Li was jealous of the way Li Wei Ran and Qin Sang interacted with each other. Qin Sang was usually cold and liked to boss her around. But the moment Li Wei Ran showed up at their graduation, Qin Sang blushed red, grabbed Li Wei Ran’s arm and smiled happily. She could clearly see Li Wei Ran and Qin Sang’s close bond… unlike the distant bond she had with someone who was missing on her graduation day.
Xuan Tu and Mac sweetly greeted Li Wei Ran but on the inside they were vomiting blood. They both thought what was wrong with the world? Their dummy friend An Xiao Li caught a rare specimen and even the wicked Qin Sang was able to catch a handsome and mature man who was friendlier than An Xiao Li’s boyfriend. But what about themselves? They were both pure and gentle Cinderellas, yet they were both single.
Xuan Tu and Mac didn’t dare to threaten the wicked Qin Sang. They kept smiling sweetly at Li Wei Ran until he invited them for a meal. There was an unspoken tradition that if one of their classmates found a new love interest then that taken classmate needed to treat the single classmates to an expensive meal to formally announce the start of a new relationship.
Li Wei Ran was mesmerised by Qin Sang’s smiles and her leaning happily on his arm. ‘Of course, it’ll be my honour. After the graduation ceremony I’ll treat everyone to a feast.’
An Xiao Li stood quietly on the sidelines. Li Wei Ran tried to cheer her up with a smile, but she turned away and pretended she didn’t see anything.
The graduation ceremony at the IT college was running smoothly. All the graduates formally received their certificates. The Chancellor spoke eloquently on behalf of the IT college about how the future of their society rested on the shoulders of the new graduates and that they all needed to contribute to their society to the best of their abilities. The Chancellor didn’t forget to encourage the graduates to contribute a generous donation to the IT college if they were successful after graduation.
An Xiao Li wasn’t one of the new graduates that listened attentively to the Chancellor’s speech so she wasn’t brainwashed into making a generous donation to her former IT college if on the off chance she had a successful career. She was too deep in jealousy. She noticed how Li Wei Ran who sat next to Qin Sang was a dutifully attentive boyfriend. He used his handkerchief to wipe sweat off Qin Sang’s face. Qin Sang was embarrassed and tried to avoid his handkerchief but he pulled Qin Sang closer and Qin Sang was forced to oblige.
An Xiao Li who sat behind the lovebirds couldn’t stand the lovey dovey Li Wei Ran anymore. She gritted her teeth and hit hard on Li Wei Ran’s shoulder. ‘Stop mucking around. You moving about wildly is an eyesore.’
Li Wei Ran turned around and gave An Xiao Li another pity smile. Qin Sang wasn’t as sympathetic, she turned around and glared at An Xiao Li to warn An Xiao Li not to mess with Li Wei Ran.
Mac who sat next to An Xiao Li and was playing with her phone, coldly exposed An Xiao Li. ‘Is him moving about wildly making you jealous?’
An Xiao Li pinched Mac’s arm hard. An Xiao Li’s heart felt clogged. The past few days she gave subtle hints to Chen Yu Bai to come to her graduation but in the end he didn’t come. An Xiao Li seeing Li Wei Ran and Qin Sang acting lovey dovey to death made her angry on behalf of Mr Wild and also she was jealous.
An Xiao Li wondered if Chen Yu Bai just wanted to play around with her. But if that was the case why did he choose her? A man like him could have any type of girl, all he needed to do was wave a hand.
An Xiao Li wasn’t certain Chen Yu Bai was serious about their ambiguous relationship. If he was serious then why didn’t she feel happy being with him? Apart from the times they were in bed together, she’d never seen him treat her well.
An Xiao Li blushed, Chen Yu Bai didn’t treat her well in bed either. He’d always bullied her in bed too.
‘Hey, why are you blushing?’ Xuan Tu asked. She shook An Xiao Li’s shoulder. ‘Oh… look over there, isn’t that the Vice-Chancellor?’
The Vice-Chancellor stood in the middle of the isle searching for someone. Qin Sang knew the chancellor was looking for Li Wei Ran and waved to the Vice-Chancellor. She stood and pulled Li Wei Ran up. They both made their way through the end of their row to greet the Vice-Chancellor.
An Xiao Li saw the Vice-Chancellor led Li Wei Ran and Qin Sang near the stage where the Chancellor sat. An Xiao Li could see the Chancellor’s wide grin when he greeted Li Wei Ran from where she was sitting. Li Wei Ran introduced Qin Sang to the Chancellor. Afterward Li Wei Ran… made an inspiring speech on behalf of Liang’s company and the female graduates in the audience applauded wildly. An Xiao Li was shocked, Liang’s company was the biggest benefactor of her former IT college. After Li Wei Ran and Qin Sang came back to their seats and sat down, An Xiao Li hit Li Wei Ran’s shoulder with less force than before. Li Wei Ran smiled at An Xiao Li and mouthed two words – ‘Gu Yan.’ An Xiao Li understood straight away that Gu Yan must have been a former student too and that was why Liang Fei Fang authorised a generous contribution to her former IT college.
***
Li Wei Ran kept his promise and treated Qin Sang, An Xiao Li, Xuan Tu and Mac to a dinner feast at a restaurant after their graduation ended.
At a bar table of the restaurant An Xiao Li drowned her sorrows and flooded her bladder. She staggered to the bathroom and relieved her bladder. On her way back to the bar table she took a wrong turn and exited the restaurant instead.
Outside the restaurant An Xiao Li realised the night sky darkened and the streets were bright and lively. There were many young couples on dates. The young men all held their girlfriends’ hands and smiled sweetly whilst walking along the streets. The lovey dovey sight made her heart bitter… she realised she was unhappy the whole day.
‘Are you waiting for your husband?’ Qin Sang teased.
An Xiao Li turned around and saw Qin Sang stood behind her. She must have been lost in her thoughts and didn’t know how long Qin Sang stood behind her. She pouted her lips. ‘Who says I have a husband? It’s obvious I’m still waiting for my prince charming to gallop over a high mountain to find me here.’
In the past An Xiao Li used to ask Qin Sang why she didn’t want to fall in love, Qin Sang always joked – ‘I’m waiting for my prince charming to ride on his horse to me. He has to gallop over a high mountain and swim through a deep river that’s why he’ll come a little late.’
Qin Sang reminisced and remembered she said the same thing to An Xiao Li in the past. They both quietly contemplated for a while. Then Qin Sang pinched An Xiao Li’s cheek. ‘Your prince charming needs to change his horse. His horse’s galloping speed is too slow.’
‘Um,’ An Xiao Li said. She pulled Qin Sang back to the restaurant. ‘These days there are too many men masquerading as a prince charming that’s why the roads are clogged.’
An Xiao Li and Qin Sang re-joined the boisterous crowd of drinkers. After a while An Xiao Li didn’t feel like drinking or eating anymore and took a taxi home.
Back at home, indeed An Xiao Li was still not the type that stayed angry at someone long. She took out her phone and called Mr Chen junior.
‘Little Bai! Little Bai? Little Bai…’ An Xiao Li said.
‘What is it?’ Chen Yu Bai asked coldly.
An Xiao Li wasn’t surprised that even from a distance Chen Yu Bai’s cold tone could turn her flushed tipsy face cold. ‘Hehe… where are you?’
‘In bed,’ Chen Yu Bai said.
An Xiao Li looked up at the moon through a window. The more she looked at the moon the more it became rounder. ‘Oh? What are you doing in bed?’
‘In bed,’ Chen Yu Bai said.
‘Oh,’ An Xiao Li said and hung up her phone to continue admiring the round moon.
Less than a minute later An Xiao Li’s phone rang. She answered the phone, it was Chen Yu Bai. ‘An Xiao Li, you dare hang up on me?’
‘Aren’t you busy in bed? I don’t want to intrude, it wouldn’t be polite,’ An Xiao Li said.
‘Dummy… where are you?’ Chen Yu Bai asked.
‘At home,’ An Xiao Li said.
‘Wait for me,’ Chen Yu Bai said,
‘Oh…’ An Xiao Li said. She smiled and hung up her phone.
Chen Yu Bai smiled and hung up his phone. He got off the bed and chose an outfit from his cupboard.
***
End of Chapter Eight (Part 1)