The next morning, after nine o'clock, I finally let Xi Lin go. By then, everyone heading to work had left and those walking their dogs had returned home, leaving the neighborhood in a quiet and deserted moment.
Looking at Xi Lin in broad daylight, I realized his outfit was even more exaggerated. However, he did appear somewhat refined and proper, but I still refused to let him walk beside me. He whined and complained until I threatened to kick him in the chest, promising it would perforate his stomach. Only then did he fall back to follow a hundred meters behind me.
Despite this precaution, whether it was psychological or not, I constantly felt that in the bright early summer sunshine, from every building around us, behind every window, there were eyes—pairs or even numerous pairs—watching us, whispering and chuckling behind their hands.
"Look at that, how sneakily those two are behaving, like a couple of scoundrels."
"As if nobody knows, right? Although they're walking far apart, that magnetic field between them, repelling and yet conspiring, can't escape the sharp eyes of us gossipers."
"Exactly, let me tell you, last night at midnight—"
(Here, eighteen thousand five hundred and twenty-seven words are omitted.)
"Sister, wrapping your head in a green scarf with red flowers, you've got some really quirky taste—make sure to put emphasis on the third tone when you say 'quirky.' Plus, with that sneaky way you're walking, you look like someone stealing landmines." Before I knew it, Xi Lin had caught up to me and was whispering right next to my ear.
I delivered an elbow strike without turning my head, and then swiftly made my way through a patch of greenery, eager to get to my clinic. There, I could ignore humans and focus solely on the animals, which would be a lot more enjoyable.
But just as I reached the entrance of the community, I saw a beautiful woman sauntering towards me.
She looked the type to be a "Loli" on the outside, with a pretty face and an explosive figure; from her demeanor, she had the swagger of a dragon or tiger, an air of invincibility. She was none other than the "Pretty Pest," my close friend also known as Mrs. Tu, who had thrown the cowherd my way yesterday.
"Hey, little shota, how many times have I told you not to dress for looks, wearing jeans that tight?" She called out to a boy around fourteen or fifteen, who was riding a bike, starting one of her favorite sermons, "It compresses a man's critical organs. Over time, it can affect blood circulation and even sperm quality, possibly leading to infertility. Do you know what infertility means? It's a severe consequence, depriving you of life's greatest pleasure, which is—"
She spoke earnestly and with relish, while the boy's face turned beet red with embarrassment and discomfort. Just then, a middle-aged woman, like a flurry of hair in the wind, came running up so swiftly one would think the legendary art of teleportation had become a reality.
"Aren't you late for school? What are you still doing here? Don't talk to strangers!" The middle-aged woman was clearly the boy's mother, and she yanked him away.
The boy had been sitting on the bike, with one foot on the ground and the other on the pedal. As soon as the stinging slap hit him, he darted off like a pony whipped into action, speeding out of the community gate with his bike and disappearing from sight.
"This is not right, Old Lady," Mrs. Tu continued, undeterred. "For children, it's very important to learn about their bodies and develop a correct concept of sexuality. How can you avoid it? What if his excessive curiosity leads to him assaulting a female classmate? Wouldn't that be irresponsible?"
"I don't have time for you!" the middle-aged woman huffed loudly and stomped away in a huff.
Mrs. Tu seemed to want to go after her to argue, but her gaze fell on me, and her attention was immediately diverted. Seeing the colorful "Jin Ya" behind me, she raised her eyebrows suggestively.
"I'm impressed, you actually managed to get up so early today. Worthy of a Martial Arts practitioner, quite the stamina you have!" she said with a mocking laugh.
In that moment, who could understand the desolation in my heart? Even Chopin with all his brilliance couldn't play out my sorrow. This woman, with her smile blooming like flowers, was one of my best friends! But look at her, as if she'd sold me out for a share of the profits, so delighted she was.
She was someone I met five years ago when I moved to this neighborhood. She's two years younger than me, a bright graduate from the medical school, but unfortunately, she's not pursuing her potential, having given up a career of professionally 'slaughtering' in a big hospital, choosing instead to be a community doctor.