This quarrel came on with tremendous force.
Cheng Lele’s rebellion became unstoppable. She stopped going upstairs for breakfast. She’d buy a tea egg from the breakfast shop at the entrance, sit there peeling it for ages, then poke at it with chopsticks until the egg rolled onto the ground. Angry, she’d buy another one to poke. Afraid it would roll onto the ground again, she pulled out a paper cutter from her bag, cut it open, and scooped out the yolk to eat.
I’ve grown up!
Riding a bicycle, she didn’t know the roads. Before, sitting behind little brother every day, she’d been too busy chattering for half an hour to pay attention to how many turns the road from town to the county seat took. But what was there to fear? She had Gaode Maps—at that time, data collection in small places wasn’t very accurate, and the navigation led her in circles like she was hitting an invisible wall. The local dogs in town thought she was a little thief and chased her all the way. This time she rode like a train, and by some strange coincidence, she actually found the right road.
I’ve grown up!
In the evening after school, carrying her backpack, she could even chat with classmates while riding—how pleasant it was with no one managing her! If little brother’s bike rode past from the side, so be it. Hey, why did he get out of school so early today? Not doing supplementary lessons anymore? Hmph, supplement or don’t supplement, whatever.
Chen An rode ahead, always maintaining a distance of more than a meter from that brand-new pink bike behind him. This bike was different from the one he’d seen yesterday—probably bought last night after running out of the cinema. He guessed Cheng Lele had originally planned to have him come along to pick out a bike, but after their quarrel, she went by herself. Though it was also possible that Cheng Lele had called back that little punk and they’d chosen it together.
Chen An felt stifled thinking about it. His imagination wasn’t as dried up now as when he’d been pondering proposal rings before. Last night after the quarrel, back at home, his thoughts had been even more elaborate—he’d almost imagined Cheng Lele eloping with that little punk. The more he thought, the more suffocated he felt. Tortured by false images, he hadn’t slept all night. Only at dawn did he drowsily doze off for a bit. Unexpectedly, he overslept, hastily got ready in a few quick moves, and rushed downstairs. She was long gone—hadn’t even thought to call him once—just let him be late like that.
Chen An thought: Ungrateful white-eyed wolf. Cold stone that can’t be warmed.
The two of them secretly cursed each other like this. Each had a little theater playing in their heads.