Chapter 7
Lu Liubai really was quite skilled.
The rest of us stood in the doorway.
His ears were a little red, and water had soaked patches of his clothes.
Droplets traced his sharp jaw and disappeared beneath his neckline.
He really had changed into something cheap. The fabric was so flimsy that the outlines of his firm abs showed faintly through it.
As he strained his arms, we could even see the veins standing out beneath his pale, cool-toned skin.
When he bent over, there was a glimpse of the full contours of his chest.
I huddled off to one side, cheeks burning, not daring to make a sound.
All three parents wore kindly, proud smiles.
But the very next second,
Lu Liubai couldn’t get enough purchase with the wrench, and the pipe burst again.
Uncle Lu hurried forward to take over.
The water drenched father and son with perfect impartiality.
Uncle Lu wore a white linen outfit, radiating Zen-inflected old money, with a string of Buddhist prayer beads around his wrist.
Now the water plastered the fabric to his body.
His mature appeal was impossible to miss. His physique was considerably better than Lu Liubai’s.
Annoyed by his hair, he swept it back with one hand, though a few unruly strands still fell loose.
Mom and Lu Liubai’s mom squealed and clutched each other.
A heartfelt “Wow” escaped me.
“An old Ferrari is still a Ferrari.”
Then came an ear-splitting shriek.
It wasn’t me.
A human peacock shot into the bathroom.
Dad whipped off his khaki suit jacket and wrapped it tightly around Uncle Lu.
Every syllable rang out crisp and clear.
“Lu, why are you wearing so little? What if you catch a chill? What on earth would we do then?!”
As he spoke, he went to work demolishing Uncle Lu’s hairstyle.
“Dry yourself off! At your age, you could have a stroke!”
Uncle Lu yanked Dad’s hand away.
“He!”
Dad’s smile concealed a knife. “Hmm?”
“I’m only eight months older than you.”
Dad fluttered his big eyes.
“Really? But I was born in the eighties. Certain other people are prehistoric Yuanmou Man from the seventies.”
Uncle Lu gave a cold laugh.
And walked straight out.
As he passed me, I thought I heard him mutter through gritted teeth,
“Damn it. That brat’s got one over on me!”
Me: …
When Lu Liubai left, I made a point of fetching him a dry towel.
A pink one. I’d even sneakily spritzed it with perfume.
“Don’t catch a cold.”
He took it, his fingers accidentally brushing my palm.
It tickled a little.
Both our ears turned red. Neither of us moved.
Dad was the one who affectionately ushered him out, spun around with a happy little bounce, and pulled the door shut.
“Off you go! I won’t see you out!”
As the lock clicked,
Dad thumped his right fist heavily into his left palm twice.
“We’re moving! Right now!”
Mom was the first to play dumb.
“Why? Lu and his family are so helpful.”
Dad tilted his head and bent down to meet her eyes.
“Don’t think I didn’t hear you asking Zhou Hui exactly how many abs that Lu had!”
Mom looked away guiltily.
I chimed in to help.
“But Auntie Zhou Hui was so sweet. She told me I could visit whenever I wanted.”
Dad leaned over and fixed me with a death stare.
“That’s because that little brat Lu Liubai likes you!”
At those words, I felt as though lightning had struck me from the roots of my hair to the tips of my toes.
I couldn’t stop smiling. At a loss for what to do, I kept stamping my feet.
“Dad, what are you talking about? He doesn’t… Oh my God, he really doesn’t. How could he like me? We’re just friends… Where on earth did you get that idea? Anyway, I don’t like him.”
I covered my burning face with both hands, grinning like an idiot. My legs went so weak I slithered down onto the rug like a slippery ribbon of wide starch noodles.
“I don’t… Oh, how could you even think that? Oh my God, anyway, I don’t like him! I don’t! I don’t!”
Then I plunged my tomato-red head into the couch.
Dad collapsed onto it.
And draped an arm over his eyes.
“A disgrace to this family. A disgrace!”
Silence settled over the room.
Pouting, I tapped my index fingers together.
“Dad, why did you say Lu Liubai likes me?”
Dad smiled. “It’s an infiltration operation. He’s only pretending to get close to you. His real target is your beautiful mother.”
Mom pointed at herself in embarrassment. “Huh? Me?”
Dad nodded emphatically.
“Who knows whether Lu’s still carrying a torch? Maybe he sent his son to seduce our daughter so he could get close to you.”
Mom couldn’t listen to any more. “Lu and Zhou Hui are very much in love.”
Dad was so worked up he nearly cried. He gripped Mom’s shoulders and shook her hard.
“But you’re his ideal woman! Do you understand? The one he can never get over!”
Mom rolled her eyes.
“Enough! Lu never liked me in the first place. Happy now? It was only because you were so pigheaded and had to compete with him over everything that I asked him for a little favor.”
So that was it.
I bit my lip. In that case, Dad and Uncle Lu could finally resolve their old grievance, couldn’t they?
Instead, Dad slammed a fist into the wall.
“Lu Jianguo, you bastard! You played me!”