The Scorching Sun - 72
It didn't take long for Yan Lie to start misbehaving again. Out of nowhere, he said, "You know what?"
Fang Zhuo privately decided that she didn't want to know.
She wiped the rainwater away, folded the rag, turned it over, and wiped the surface again.
Yan Lie slowed his speech, his tone coaxing. "Actually, I bought you a present."
Fang Zhuo asked, "Why did you say 'actually'?"
"I was going to give it to you, but you weren't at school. I was in such a hurry to come find you that I forgot to bring it." Yan Lie sounded almost cheerful. "I bought you a couple of pieces of clothing."
That didn't sound particularly strange. Fang Zhuo said, "I've already bought my own."
Yan Lie sat up straight and raised his voice. "That's different. I bought them for you!"
Fang Zhuo remembered the hat Yan Lie had bought her last time and wasn't quite sure how to respond.
Whenever inspiration struck him, his taste could be startlingly bold. He liked things that stood out, which had a way of making her heart skip a beat.
By the time Fang Zhuo went to the bathroom to wash the rag, dried her hands, and returned to the room, Yan Lie had already made the bed.
His clothes from yesterday were filthy with mud and rainwater and couldn't be changed into, so he had simply kept wearing Ye Yuncheng's jacket. He'd deal with the rest after they got back to school.
Yan Lie pulled up the model photos he'd saved earlier and turned his phone toward Fang Zhuo, determined to prove that his taste had finally passed inspection this time.
He was so tall that he looked almost awkward standing there in the doorway, ears practically perked up as he waited for Fang Zhuo's verdict.
One was a light-colored knit sweater, the other a color-blocked hoodie. They really were quite nice.
Fang Zhuo didn't pay much attention to clothing brands, but instinct told her these two weren't cheap. She'd seen similar labels on Yan Lie several times. After thinking it over, she still said, "You don't need to buy me expensive presents. Especially clothes. Don't buy me things like this."
"They're not that expensive. I paid for them with my own money." Yan Lie took his phone back. "I want to spend money on you. I've already been very restrained, Fang Zhuo."
"Thank you, but no." Fang Zhuo said, "I can give you presents because I like doing it. But when you give me presents, I feel pressured."
Her double standard was so frank, Yan Lie was completely stunned. For a moment, every argument he'd prepared vanished from his mind.
Carefully, Yan Lie said, "Don't you think that logic is... a little problematic?"
"No." Fang Zhuo said, "Think about it carefully."
However he looked at it, it was still nothing but bandit logic.
"Fang Zhuo, that's a little tyrannical of you," Yan Lie said.
Fang Zhuo didn't quite know how to describe it herself.
For a brief moment, she hesitated, wondering if she was being too sensitive, or if her pride was simply too strong.
She barely had to think before the answer surfaced in her mind.
Yes.
But that wasn't necessarily a flaw.
This was how Fang Zhuo had lived for the first nineteen years of her life, and she suspected it wasn't something she could change in the future either. It was her weakness, but it was also the fuel that kept her going.
No matter what kind of relationship she was in, her pride would always occupy an important place.
Yan Lie more or less understood that, but he still felt a little aggrieved. His voice softened as he said, "Can't I spend money on you? I'm your boyfriend. I've never heard of a couple having a rule that they aren't allowed to give each other presents. You said you like giving me things. Can't I give you things simply because I like you?"
Fang Zhuo lowered her head and thought it over, a little frustrated by how poor she was at putting these things into words. She rubbed the calluses on her fingers as she tried to explain herself. "I really do have a lot of thoughts about this. I don't know if you understand. I can't help caring about what other people think... like what your parents think, what your friends think, and the way I hold myself accountable to my own standards."
"You don't have to care about any of that!" Yan Lie tried his best to remain calm as he put a hand on Fang Zhuo's shoulder. "It's really not necessary. My parents absolutely won't think that way, and my friends even less so. Besides, what are you holding yourself accountable for? I know I'm Fang Zhuo's most generous recipient."
"If it were only about me, I wouldn't care. But when it's about you, I do." Fang Zhuo's brows drew together slightly. She spoke slowly, as though she had to weigh every sentence for a long time before letting it out. "I don't want to face too much judgment from the world while I'm still not strong enough. And right now, I really can't give you very much. I need to take care of my uncle first. So for the time being, you're not the person I'm most generous toward. I'm sorry."
Yan Lie wanted to tell her it was fine, that he could completely accept that. He wasn't actually asking Fang Zhuo to spend every last penny she had on him. He wasn't harboring some grand scheme to ruin the country through extravagance.
Fang Zhuo added, "Of course, you have to believe me when I say I'll achieve financial freedom very soon."
She counted on her fingers. "I'm fifteen thousand short. Once I have that, I'll dare to spend money however I want. I heard that if I go to graduate school, I can work on projects with my advisor. It won't be a lot of money, but I can give all of it to you."
By the time he heard the end of that, Yan Lie was experiencing a strange, inexplicable kind of emotion. Somehow, he'd managed to discover the joys of being kept. He tightened his face, desperately trying not to laugh, then made one last attempt at taking the indirect route. In a small voice, he asked, "Then can I pay you to take me?"
"No," Fang Zhuo said.
Yan Lie fell into thought. His train of thought was always more convoluted than Fang Zhuo's. After considering it for a moment, he couldn't suppress his amusement and said, "You really do think far ahead."
Fang Zhuo didn't know whether he'd actually understood what she meant, but she was satisfied to see him let it go. She nodded. "I think it's something we should take seriously."
"All right." Yan Lie perked up almost immediately, suddenly energetic enough to seize on a new opening. With a teasing smile, he said, "So you're worried about what my parents think because you're planning to marry me?"
Fang Zhuo: "..."
"I've thought about it too! I have!" Yan Lie hurriedly added. "But the legal marriage age for Chinese men is twenty-two, and I'm still three years short. If you're not in a hurry, I think we can wait until after graduation. We'll have more time then. Although I've heard that a marriage certificate can earn you extra credits, I've never heard of A University recognizing that kind of certificate. Besides, under normal circumstances, we already have more than enough credits."
Fang Zhuo: "..."
Fang Zhuo turned around and walked away.
Yan Lie followed close behind, clinging to her as he said, "If you've already thought that far ahead, then let me ask your opinion about something else. When do you want to get married? Summer or autumn? Western-style or Chinese-style?"
Fang Zhuo walked into the kitchen and grabbed little baldy.
The bald-tailed chicken failed to recognize the person who had discovered its supposed destiny. The moment it saw a human being, it let out a shriek and flapped uselessly, sending two feathers fluttering to the floor before Fang Zhuo got hold of its wing and took command of its fate.
Yan Lie fell silent. He still had some affection for the little Chicken Mascot's life, and asked softly, "What are you doing?"
Fang Zhuo lifted her eyes and pointed coolly toward the refrigerator. "Stay there. Find something to eat yourself. I've got something to do."
"But what about what we were just talking about..." Yan Lie said.
Fang Zhuo carried little baldystraight out the front door, while Yan Lie watched her go from a distance.
She hadn't gone far, perhaps only as far as the rice paddies, when the phone in her pocket began to vibrate.
Apparently realizing that Fang Zhuo wasn't actually going to kill the chicken, Yan Lie became emboldened again.
They Call Me Lie: Am I the person you're most generous toward, other than your uncle?
They Call Me Lie: So you're still willing to give me everything, right?
They Call Me Lie: Actually, I feel the same way. If you don't mind, you can manage all the money in our household in the future.
A little while later, apparently realizing Fang Zhuo wasn't going to respond, Yan Lie reined himself in somewhat.
They Call Me Lie: Something more immediate. What kind of present do you like? How about I buy you a little cake?
They Call Me Lie: You like spicy sauce, right? Then I'll buy you some spicy sauce?
They Call Me Lie: Could you please show a little consideration for your boyfriend's desire to spend money on you?
Little Sun: Come back and I'll make you chicken.
They Call Me Lie: ...I'm not particularly fond of chicken.
They Call Me Lie: But I do like eating the food you make.
They Call Me Lie: [Husky grinning stupidly]
The man really was simple-minded. Just like Sima Zhao, he couldn't hide even the tiniest ulterior motive.
And really, he was something else.
Archimedes had needed a lever long enough to dream of moving the earth. Yan Lie didn't need one. All he needed was one adorable little head...
Fang Zhuo hurried to Liu Qiaohong's house and handed little baldy over to him.
Seeing how roughly she'd handled the chicken, Liu Qiaohong hurriedly took it from her, untied the red cord around its leg, and put it into the wooden cage he'd prepared nearby. After the bumpy journey, little baldy had already given up struggling. Its throat had gone hoarse from all its squawking, and in the unfamiliar surroundings, it managed only one token crow.
"Maybe it really is a Chicken Mascot," Liu Qiaohong said, crouching down and tapping the cage. "Look. Ever since your family started raising this chicken, everything's gotten better. Ye-ge's business started making money, you got into A University, and even Xiao Mu's been doing much better. He doesn't have to stay cooped up in the house all day anymore. Quite a few people in our village think this chicken brings good luck."
Fang Zhuo: "??" What exactly had this chicken done to deserve all that credit?
Fang Zhuo took out the money for the rice and handed over a hundred for the time being.
Liu Qiaohong accepted it with a smile. "I asked around to see who'd be willing to keep it. Quite a few people said they could. In the end, I chose Brother Li, the one who grows oranges. His kid is taking the college entrance exam in two years, so they're willing to believe in anything that might bring good luck. He definitely won't let little baldy go hungry."
Fang Zhuo really couldn't understand how this chicken had managed to acquire such extraordinary luck or such a promising lifespan. Then again, perhaps the person indulging it the most was herself.
What a terrible deal. She'd raised a chicken all the way to the point where she had to arrange its retirement and funeral.
And if things had gotten this absurd, it was all Yan Lie's fault.
On the way, Liu Qiaohong also gave her the subsidy Ye Yuncheng hadn't managed to collect in time. With the weather turning colder, he'd bought them a set of thermal underwear as well.
She left Uncle Liu's house carrying the things and glanced at her phone. At the very top was a new message.
They Call Me Lie: Zhuo Zhuo, I sat on a little stool and thought over everything we talked about. I'm really happy you were willing to tell me all of this. From now on, whenever you have something on your mind, please tell me directly.
They Call Me Lie: I like being good to you, and I like the thought of having my name in your future.
They Call Me Lie: So when are you coming back? Is little baldy still alive?
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