A Visit

As I began to recite Pushkin's "If Life Deceives You," Jin Yulian leaned into my embrace and whispered, "Afeng, is there still any hope for our future?"

"Of course there is," I replied. "If there were no hope, I would have already taken you. Why would I wait for later?"

Jin Yulian said, "Afeng, my company is on the verge of bankruptcy, and the Qian Duobao family is not someone we can afford to offend. Tomorrow, after I finish the necessary paperwork with my brother, let's prepare to flee together."

"Are you saying you want to run away to the ends of the earth with me?" I asked curiously.

Jin Yulian smiled bitterly. "I don't particularly want to live as a fugitive, but if I truly marry Qian Duobao, you will surely suffer for the rest of your life. So, I have no choice but to stay by your side."

I kept to myself the fact that I couldn't yet reveal A-Yun's plan to her. I decided that once she had completely severed ties with Jin Baoqiang, I would go to A-Yun to help resolve her financial crisis.

I offered some words of comfort, and gradually, Jin Yulian’s mood calmed. Seeing she was exhausted and ready to sleep, I didn't disturb her further, closed the door, and headed out.

I walked into the empty streets; it was already past four in the morning. On that cold winter morning, only the street cleaners were hard at work. Wondering how Tietou was doing and feeling restless myself, I decided to go check on him.

By the time I reached the hospital, the sky was beginning to brighten. I found Tietou's bed; Auntie Lin was already awake, though Tietou was still fast asleep.

Auntie Lin looked surprised and pleased to see me. "Afeng, you’ve come to visit Tietou so early?" As she spoke, she made a move to wake him, but I quickly stopped her. "Auntie, don't disturb his sleep. I didn't have anything else to do anyway. How is Tietou doing now?"

"The doctor says he can be discharged in a few days to recover at home," Auntie Lin replied. "He can even get up and move around now."

"That's wonderful," I said. "Seeing his recovery puts my mind at ease."

Auntie Lin said gratefully, "It’s thanks to your help and the doctor's diligent care. The doctor mentioned that because Tietou was in such good health before, he should be able to make a nearly full recovery."

I felt a sense of relief; if Tietou was going to be alright, my guilt and distress would be greatly lessened. "Auntie, how is Xiaoyu doing with her studies? Is she getting used to living there?"

"It's much more convenient for Xiaoyu to go to school now; she doesn't have to get up so early," Auntie Lin said. "By the way, why haven't you come by to see her since you left? Have you been too busy?"

I smiled. "Yes, there have been a lot of things going on lately."

Auntie Lin laughed. "You don't need to worry about anything. Both Fatty and Xiaoyu have been thinking of you."

"I see," I said with a smile. "I'll go visit them when I have the time."

My conversation with Auntie Lin woke Tietou. When he saw me, he sat up to greet me. I chatted with him for a moment and urged him to focus on his recovery.

By now, the sky was fully bright. Auntie Lin went out to buy breakfast, and I bid them farewell. Leaving the hospital with nothing pressing to do, I decided to grab some breakfast near the school where Lin Xiaoyu studied.

I walked into a breakfast shop near the school and found a seat. It was still early, so the place wasn't crowded. My seat was near the door, allowing me to watch the students trickling down the street toward school.

Suddenly, I saw Lin Xiaoyu appear on the street, clutching her schoolbag and hurrying toward the campus.

I initially thought about calling out to her, but then I reasoned that she was heading to school, and there was no need for me to interrupt. I sat back down, intending to focus on my meal.

Suddenly, a raucous voice echoed from the street: "You dirtied my clothes! You have to pay up!"

I looked up to see a young hooligan with dyed yellow hair blocking Lin Xiaoyu’s path, demanding money.

Lin Xiaoyu protested urgently, "You were the one who bumped into me! Why should I pay you?"

The hoodlum sneered, "These pants are imported designer gear, worth over ten thousand yuan. Now that they're stained, you need to pay me a thousand. You aren't going anywhere until you do." As he spoke, he began tugging at her clothes.

Lin Xiaoyu’s face flushed with anger as she struggled. "The soy milk that stained your pants was your own! Besides, a little stain will wash right out—why are you demanding money?"

The hooligan played the rogue: "You bumped into me, which caused me to drop my soy milk, so obviously you're the one who has to pay."

I looked over and felt a vague sense of familiarity with the yellow-haired thug. It didn't take long to realize this was "Puppy," one of Bald Leopard's underlings.

I paid my tab, grabbed my piping hot steamed buns, and marched over.

I saw Puppy, relying on his superior strength as a boy, trying to grab hold of Lin Xiaoyu to bully her. The students passing by were too intimidated to intervene, and even a few of Xiaoyu's classmates who recognized her were afraid to step in.

I hurled a bun directly at Puppy’s cheek and shouted, "You bastard, cut it out!"

Hearing my voice, Puppy turned around, but he was caught off guard as the scalding hot bun slammed into his face.

The bun shattered, and the boiling hot oil dripped down his chin and into his collar. The greasy, burning sensation made him scream in rage, "Which son of a bitch dared to ambush me?"

I walked over, still chewing on a bun. When Lin Xiaoyu saw me, she exclaimed in surprise, "Brother Feng, it's you!"

I nodded at her. "Little sister, go on to school. Leave this to me." Lin Xiaoyu nodded and walked away, though she kept looking back over her shoulder.

When Puppy saw it was me, he froze for a second before stammering, "Brother Feng, I'm so sorry! I didn't know she was your little sister. I’ll never do it again, I swear."

I had no interest in bickering with him. I delivered a swift kick that sent him sprawling, shouting, "You degenerate! Remember this: if you ever harass my sister again, I’ll break your legs."

Puppy scrambled to his feet and scurried away. Lin Xiaoyu and her friends were whispering excitedly in the distance—presumably about how cool that kick had been.

I watched Lin Xiaoyu walk through the school gates before letting out a sigh of relief. I called Fatty. The guy hadn't even woken up yet, so I barked at him, "You lazy oaf, our little sister was almost bullied by a thug today. From now on, you are to walk her to school every day."

Fatty was shocked. "She ran into bad people on such a short walk to school?"

"Fatty," I said sternly, "if you want to live in my house, you will walk her to school every day. If you don't like it, get out." Fatty quickly agreed. I added, "If she gets bullied again, I’m holding you responsible."