Chapter 24: Abstract Parents

Niu Fangfang lived in a very remote area.

Chi Ao’s first car, a graduation gift, had to be sent for repairs after driving only three meters, so he came by taxi. Having bid farewell to the "white moonlight" of his youth, it was Niu Fangfang who had turned him into a man.

For Chi Ao, today was a day of revolutionary significance. Was it exhilarating? He had tasted every flavor of life in a single day. It was undeniably exhilarating. The words Niu Fangfang said when she left had made him feel uneasy all afternoon, unable to let go. Perhaps it wasn't just women who had a "first time" complex; men had one too. Or perhaps Chi Ao was simply not the irresponsible sort. In any case, for several hours, the shadow of Le Ning had vanished from his mind, entirely occupied by Niu Fangfang.

Beyond the intimacy in the hotel, there was more… She didn’t seem ugly, really; she had a cute, pitiful side.

"I’ll pay for my own youth..."
"Don't be afraid, I'll handle it..."
"Chi Ao, I’ve liked you for many years too..."
"You were fierce to me, you didn't respect me..."

Chi Ao’s desire for repentance outweighed everything else. He realized he didn't actually dislike Niu Fangfang; in fact, he had inexplicably developed feelings for her. He called her, but she didn’t answer.

Niu Fangfang, who had cried all night at home, had taken off her wig. Without it, her face was plain and exceptionally pure. Yet, looking at her eyes, swollen like walnuts, Chi Ao felt a heart-wrenching ache.

"I was wrong, I’m sorry. I shouldn't have been fierce to you, and I shouldn't have failed to take you home. I’ve thought about it for a long time. I asked my parents, and they don't agree... But I am determined—I insist on being with you. You’re going to school in Ice City, right? I promise, I promise to come see you every two weeks. Niu Fangfang, I won't be a coward. Will you be my girlfriend?"

Niu Fangfang was barefoot in slippers that were far too big for her small feet. Her pajamas were loose, hanging past her calves; they had originally been a deep blue, but they had faded to a pale, washed-out hue. She sobbed, "This is my grandfather's house. My parents sell clothes in Guangdong. Since my grandfather passed away, no one has really looked after me."

Chi Ao didn't know why she was telling him this, but he didn't interrupt, listening quietly.

"Your parents looking down on me is right. I’m not well-bred, and my family isn't as wealthy as yours. But I’m not a bad girl, and you can’t look down on me. Chi Ao, if you can really do what you said, I agree."

"Really?" The progress was so smooth that Chi Ao, who had hit a wall with Le Ning for three years, found it hard to believe. He had overlooked Niu Fangfang’s bold and straightforward nature.

"Really."
"I can do it, I promise."

See, that’s how inexplicable, lightning-fast feelings ignite in youth. Once it was official, Niu Fangfang felt a bit hesitant. Chi Ao had never dated either. Neither of them knew what to do next. After half a minute of awkward silence, Niu Fangfang asked softly, "Do you want to come upstairs?"

Chi Ao said it was too late and wondered if it would be inappropriate.
"You dummy, I told you I’m all by myself at home."

"Then, I want to."
"Want what?"
Chi Ao scratched his head, his face burning, too shy to speak. Niu Fangfang giggled, shot him a look, and said, "Then go buy that first, otherwise it won’t work."

In the warm night, the shadows of the young couple were stretched long by the streetlights. Their whispers were carried far away by the breeze.
"Does it hurt? It hurts a lot for me."
"What do you mean?"
"Why are you so dense? I mean... oh, my, it’s not just my eyes that are swollen."
"Ah? Did you fall or bump into something? Where is it swollen?"
"Chi Ao!"

...

In the taxi, Xia An received a text message from Le Ning. It was just four words: "Xia An, good night."

What Xia An didn't know was that before sending this, Le Ning had edited over a dozen drafts. There had been "My parents like you," "Don't wash your face tonight," and "Will you dream of me?" and so on. But she felt none of them were right. Too aggressive, too delicate, too pretentious... She couldn't act like a little girl.

She had heard her parents' conversation while she was washing up. Zhou Ting had said, "Since when is being thick-skinned something to be proud of? I’m telling you, I plan to tell my sister to send her to Russia for further studies when Ningning is a sophomore. I don't care if she dates or not, but her future can't be delayed." Le Yuqun replied, "Russia? Ningning’s scores could get her into the Sichuan Conservatory of Music, but did she go? You're overthinking it."

Le Ning in the mirror was secretly smiling: *I won't go!* Because in her envisioned future, there would be a boy riding a bicycle to pick her up from work. That would be more than enough.

Back in her room, she took the martial arts novel out of her drawer. A photo of Xia An was used as a bookmark, tucked into the last page. Li Wenxiu from *White Horse Neighs in the Western Wind* was her favorite female character written by Jin Yong. Like her, Le Ning believed her fate should be decided by herself.

*"Those are all very, very good, but I just don't like them."*

...

Xia An wandered downstairs for ten minutes before daring to go up. His parents had been abroad for sixteen days. The original Xia An hadn't seen them for sixteen years. Since his rebirth, this was the most nervous Xia An had ever been.

The trope of "the child wishes to provide for parents, but they are no longer there" was something he used to skim over in books or on TV, thinking it was forced sentimentality. But when it actually hit home, the sour ache was truly indescribable to outsiders.

July 17, 2006, 12:29 AM.
Afraid his parents were already asleep, Xia An turned his key silently. The house was pitch black. As expected, after such a long trip and their first time on such a long flight, they must have been exhausted. It was strange; the house felt different whether people were there or not. Even though he had been there recently and Tang Wan had stayed for a few days, the atmosphere was different now.

He turned around and gently closed the door. Tomorrow, he would definitely make a good impression. He would give them a surprise! He would give his parents a big, big, big hug...

*Thump!*
What was that sound?!
*Boom-chicka-boom-chicka!*
Whose phone was ringing?
*Everybody, shake it up!*
What the hell?!

Xia An snapped his head around. Green, red, pink, purple... A sparkling disco ball was being held by his father, who was wearing a straw hat, a loud Hawaiian shirt, and sunglasses. And in front of him was his mother, dressed in the same style, but with the addition of a hula skirt. The two of them were bobbing their heads and awkwardly swaying their hips as they slowly approached.

Xia An was severely traumatized. Clutching his chest, he slid down against the door. His parents were startled. Xia Kangning turned off the tinny-sounding phone and the disco ball, then flipped on the living room light. He muttered, "I told you not to do this. Look, you scared our son."

Wei Xiaofang took off her five-yuan sunglasses and glared at her husband. "Who told him to come back at this hour? If he had been home, I wouldn't have had time to prepare the surprise anyway." She then helped up her eldest son, who had been scared witless, and flashed a proud smile. "How about it, son? Do you think Mom’s outfit is fashionable?"

...

Abstract. It was just too abstract.
After a hot shower, Xia An finally calmed his panicked heart. Were his parents always like this? The memories were too distant; he had almost forgotten. But his mother had always been an incredibly cheerful person, and his father... judging by those stiff dance moves, he had clearly been forced by his mother. His inherent fatherly dignity was still there.

*Phew.*
He let out a sigh of relief and chatted briefly with his parents while drying his hair. Most of the time, Wei Xiaofang was doing the talking, while Xia Kangning was occasionally forced to chime in. Xia An just listened with a grin, and then he was shooed off to bed. It wasn't that he didn't want to talk, he just didn't dare—he was afraid of revealing the clues that he was different from before.

After returning to his room, for some reason, Xia An couldn't sleep. He started drawing in the middle of the night. What he didn't know was that parents can see right through their children.

On the pillow, Wei Xiaofang asked her husband, "Our son is different, didn't you notice?"
"Graduating from high school means becoming an adult. Once they grow up, they’re always a bit different."
"Hiss, talking to you is a waste of time. I’m going to see if he’s asleep."

She walked to the living room; light leaked from the crack in the door of the small room. Wei Xiaofang tiptoed over, pressed her ear to the door, and after hearing the rustling sound of drawing, she pushed the door open with a *swish*.

"Let me see, who are you drawing?" she laughed.

In the big room, Xia Kangning was startled by her shout and rolled his eyes resentfully. In the small room, Xia An dropped his pencil, grabbed his chest again, and fell off his stool, staring at his mom in terror and disbelief.

On the drawing board, next to the dried little pomelo, was a little yellow lemon. The two fruits were placed in a plain white porcelain bowl.