The table was laden with an array of exquisite dishes, so delicate in presentation that one almost hesitated to disturb them. However, it was evident that Xiang Ri did not belong to the category of those who could resist such temptation. No sooner had he placed his luggage down than his hand reached for the delicious spread before him. At that very moment, Shi Qing, who had been bringing out a large bowl of soup from the kitchen, caught sight of him and scolded playfully, "Teacher!"
Xiang Ri sheepishly withdrew his hand. "Heh, I was just smelling it, not stealing any! I swear, I'm not stealing," he declared, though his half-hearted attempt at swearing only made his guilt more apparent.
Shi Qing placed the bowl on the table, her gaze fixed on him with mild reproach. Having become accustomed to such exchanges under the influence of Chu Chu, though the recent "gift" incident still made her feel a little shy, she quipped, "If you're hungry, you should wash your hands first." Before she could say more, two people entered from the door. One was Chu Chu, and the other, a woman of middle age whom she did not recognize.
Seeing the unfamiliar, kind-faced woman, Shi Qing immediately deduced who she was, and her face flushed with an involuntary warmth.
Xiang Mu stepped forward and took Shi Qing's hand, studying her closely for a long while. "So, you must be Xiao Qing? I wonder what my mischievous son did to deserve such a beautiful student," she said, glancing over at her son, who was standing nearby with a silly grin on his face. Her gaze turned oddly knowing.
Xiang Ri, sensing the subtle implication in her look, quickly muttered, "I'll go wash my hands," and hurried toward the kitchen.
The saying that "three women make a play" was undoubtedly true, and though one of the women was much older, making the generational gap inevitable, the mutual politeness between the two younger ones facilitated smooth conversation.
Having just finished lunch, Xiang Ri was left in the corner, while Xiang Mu eagerly led the two women into the room that Chu Chu had prepared for her several days ago, to share private words.
Feeling bored, Xiang Ri was about to turn on the TV when a call from Officer Tie interrupted his plans, halting what seemed like his ideal way to pass the time.
He told the women in the room he was stepping out, but none of them even spared him a glance. A casual hum from one of them acknowledged his words, nothing more.
Xiang Ri, dumbfounded, noted that even his most obedient disciple showed no interest in him, her indifference apparent. He sighed inwardly and retreated, planning to visit a certain female police officer, hoping for at least a touch of tenderness, despite knowing that the likelihood of such a reception was less than one in ten thousand.
Tie Wan's apartment was now as familiar to him as his own home. With a quick whistle to the two retired soldiers standing at attention by the community gate, he paid no heed to their glum expressions and made a beeline for the officer's apartment.
"You're only coming now?" Tie Wan's face was not the least bit welcoming. Though he had arrived fairly quickly, his presence was far from appreciated.
Xiang Ri was taken aback. "Am I really late?" He had rushed here the moment he received her call, without delay.
"Of course!" Tie Wan glared at him, "Look at the time! It's been half an hour!"
"Impossible," Xiang Ri pulled out his phone, checked the time, and confirmed that no more than fifteen minutes had passed since he left.
"I said it's been half an hour!" Tie Wan's temper flared, her voice unmistakably sharp.
Xiang Ri realized something was amiss. Her demeanor was unusually agitated, almost explosive, as if she had consumed gunpowder. Cautiously, he glanced at her. "Are you sure your relatives didn't come today?"
Tie Wan's veins visibly bulged, her hand twitching as though she might strike him, but she suppressed the urge. "What are you talking about?" she snapped. "Do you think a woman can visit twice a month... for that?"
"Oh, my mistake, my mistake..." Xiang Ri quickly apologized, but still couldn't resist asking, "You seem really upset today, though?"
"Who else but you!" Tie Wan's anger flared even more as she voiced her complaints. "This morning, my mother called again."
"She didn't say anything bad about me, did she?" Xiang Ri finally understood, realizing her mother must have scolded her earlier, and now she was taking it out on him. Still, it seemed a little unfair.
"Anything bad?" Tie Wan pointed at him, trembling with emotion. "You're the one who's been winning my mother's favor. Now, every day she calls to praise you and berate me! You tell me, shouldn't you be ashamed!"
Xiang Ri scratched his nose innocently. As for the question of "shouldn't you be ashamed," he chose to ignore it. "You didn't invite me here just to berate me, did you? Is this your way of getting back at me?"
"Go to hell!" Tie Wan, her thoughts exposed, masked her embarrassment with a sharp retort. Perhaps sensing her words were too melodramatic, she quickly added, "My mom asked me to tell you to visit number 3 at my house."
"Couldn't you have just told me over the phone instead of calling me all the way here?" Xiang Ri sighed with a bitter smile, realizing he'd been played.
"I like it this way. Who's to stop me?" Tie Wan grinned, savoring her little victory. "Alright, now that I've said what I needed to, you can leave. You're not welcome here."
"Can I at least watch TV?" Xiang Ri, unperturbed, strolled over to the couch and turned on the television, settling in comfortably.
After all, at home he was practically invisible, but here at least there was a feisty little thing to banter with, which was far more entertaining than the silence he endured at home.
Tie Wan's fists clenched, her temper threatening to boil over. "Do you think this is just any place?"
"Isn't it your house?" Xiang Ri muttered, changing channels with an air of indifference.
"Yes, it's my house! Now leave, or I'll call the cops and report you for trespassing," Tie Wan snatched the remote from his hand and switched off the TV with a flick of her wrist.
"Are you kidding? I'm just watching TV! Why are you being so petty?"
"Yes, I'm being petty! Go home and watch TV there!"
"You think I don't want to? It's just that there are too many women at home… no, that's not it, it's too noisy. Wait, too quiet!"
"Aha! Finally, the truth comes out! Too many women, huh? Still won't admit you're a flirt? Well then, today I'm going to teach you a lesson, on behalf of all the girls you've hurt!" Tie Wan's fury, already simmering, reached its boiling point. With a swift motion, she launched herself at him, intent on delivering a thorough beating.
Xiang Ri grabbed a cushion and held it above his head like a shield. Unlike Chu Chu, Tie Wan was no slouch—her daily workouts gave her strength, and her solid combat skills left Xiang Ri feeling a twinge of pain from the wild blows she landed.
"Hey, that's enough! If you keep going, I'll fight back."
"You think I'm afraid of you? Let's see if I can't handle you!"
Without hesitation, Xiang Ri flipped her over and pinned her beneath him, his hands firmly pressing hers onto the couch. The position they found themselves in was undeniably suggestive, far more so than their previous encounter.
With such close proximity, the heat of their breath mingled in the air between them.
Tie Wan's face flushed, and she struggled beneath him, trying to wriggle free. "Let me go!"
Feeling the softness and resilience of her body beneath him, Xiang Ri chuckled, his voice laced with amusement. "Didn't you say you were going to teach me a lesson?"
Tie Wan growled in frustration. "Who knew you were so strong—and so skilled at it! Tell me, do you always bully women like this?"
Xiang Ri, momentarily flustered, instinctively sank a little lower, and muttered, "No!"
Tie Wan groaned, unsure whether she was pretending not to notice his movements or if she simply overlooked them entirely. "I don't believe you! By the way, what did you mean when you said there were 'too many women' at home?" It was clear that Tie Wan's curiosity about his domestic life had not yet waned.
Sensing the underlying frustration in her tone, Xiang Ri, enjoying his mischievous advantage, was smart enough not to reveal the truth. If he did, he'd surely be sent tumbling off the couch by an enraged Tie Wan.
For now, it was a harmless lie. Xiang Ri gathered his thoughts, ready to spin a tale. "To be honest, there's just my mom at home. She's just come down from the countryside, and she never stops nagging me, always in my ear. I couldn't stand it anymore, so I had to come here to escape for a while."
"You mean... your mom... Auntie has arrived?" Tie Wan froze, her struggle ceasing. It seemed she'd forgotten, momentarily, that a man was pinning her down.