Chapter 6
During the seven-day National Day holiday,
Dad clung to Mom, terrified she’d spare Uncle Lu so much as a glance.
When I occasionally ran into Lu Liubai in the elevator, we exchanged only a brief hello.
Like perfectly friendly neighbors across the hall, with absolutely no romantic feelings involved.
Until a pipe burst in our apartment.
Dad happened to have gone back to the office and wasn’t home.
I had to rush out to find the building management.
While waiting for the elevator, I ran into Lu Liubai, who’d just got back.
He took in my wet hair and the sorry state of my loungewear.
“What happened to you?”
I was frazzled, desperate to hit the elevator button and get downstairs to building management.
“A pipe burst at home. The bathroom’s practically flooded,” I said distractedly.
At that, he caught my wrist.
“It’s okay. I can fix it.”
“You can?”
I was a little surprised.
“Yeah,” he said. “When my parents were out on business, I fixed anything that broke around the house myself.”
I paused. “Were you home alone a lot?”
“Yeah.”
“Didn’t you have other kids to play with?”
“I couldn’t understand Cantonese back then.”
He stopped, and I walked right into him.
He sounded a little sorry for himself.
“Maybe kids my age just didn’t like me. My childhood playmate abandoned me and ran away.”
I gave a little cough.
He couldn’t be talking about me, could he?
I didn’t actually remember much about Lu Liubai.
After all, his family had moved south when I was three and a half.
I only remembered that he’d been pretty, and I’d been unable to stop clinging to him. He was a few months older and a little taller.
I’d step on him with my chubby little feet and bite him with the few teeth I had.
Dad would laugh himself silly beside us.
Until I started crying and insisting on crawling next door to find Lu Liubai.
Only then had Dad realized the gravity of the situation.
And given me his profound introduction to the scumbag theory.
Later,
when his family moved away,
I thought Lu Liubai had called out to me.
But all I could think was that he was a bad guy, so I ignored him.
Apparently, he’d cried terribly when they left.
“Give me a second.”
Lu Liubai was already asking, “Do I need to change shoes?”
Only then did I get a proper look at him.
He was wearing a full white tracksuit from a pretty expensive brand. What a shame if it got dirty.
“Maybe change first? Otherwise you’ll ruin your clothes.”
He looked down at himself and raised an eyebrow. “True. Not really the right outfit.”
“Wait for me.”
I followed him into his apartment.
Uncle Lu was reading an English-language newspaper.
When he saw me, he greeted me warmly.
“Cheng, come and sit down.”
I obediently sat on the couch.
Uncle Lu smiled kindly, his eyes seeming to glisten with tears.
“Here to play with Liubai? That’s exactly what you should do. He hasn’t been back in so long, and he has no friends here yet. Whenever I see you together, my little, pitiful, lonely, withdrawn Liubai, so cut off from everyone else, is gone.”
Lu Liubai emerged from his bedroom, his hair a little mussed.
“Dad, what’s wrong with you?”
Uncle Lu ignored him and asked instead,
“You’re wearing that on a date?”
I frantically waved my hands, trying to explain.
Lu Liubai spoke first. “It’s not a date. A pipe burst at He Cheng’s place. I’m going to fix it.”
He’d changed into gray sweatpants and a very ordinary white tank top.
On him, though, it looked effortlessly casual.
Uncle Lu narrowed his eyes and teased, “You’re wearing that… to fix a pipe?”
Lu Liubai wet his lips. His tone was cool, with a hint of guilt.
“Is that a problem?”
“Of course not,” Uncle Lu said meaningfully. “Why would it be?”
Lu Liubai pulled me toward the door.
I hurriedly turned back. “Goodbye, Uncle.”
Uncle Lu stood.
“No goodbyes, no goodbyes. I’ll just get his mother, and we’ll come watch Liubai fix your pipe.”