What's Wrong With Being Fifteen Years Older Than Me?! - Chapter 8

“So, what about this pig…?” While Lu Zhiyun found the cartoon pig on top of her head ridiculous and a little strange, she had to admit the child had a knack for drawing. The pig was so lively and vivid.

“I just drew it randomly, too,” the girl said, looking away guiltily and pretending to look at her homework.

“Then, can I have this drawing, Xiaoli?” Lu Zhiyun held the paper to her chest, looking like she really wanted it.

“Oh, if Auntie Lu likes it, you can have it,” Ye Li said, trying to act calm. But inwardly, she couldn’t help but think, Why would anyone want that? It’s not even a good drawing, and it has a pig on it.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the woman carefully folding the drawing, then opening her leather bag and putting it inside. It was just a plain piece of scratch paper, but she was treating it like a priceless work of art. Ye Li quietly looked away, but the pen in her hand accidentally drew a long, black line on her workbook.

“Oh.” The girl let out a tiny gasp, which caught the woman’s attention.

Lu Zhiyun leaned in curiously, her eyes instinctively falling on the English workbook. She quickly and expertly pointed out a mistake. “Xiaoli, you got the first question wrong.”

Ye Li’s brow furrowed, and she forced herself to look at the problem again. The woman’s gentle English accent filled her ears as she read the question aloud and explained it to Ye Li. “Do you understand which one to pick now?”

The girl came back to her senses. She had been so distracted by the woman’s voice that she hadn’t taken in anything she said. The heavy rain continued to fall outside the convenience store window. Under the woman’s watchful eye, Ye Li did her English homework more seriously than she ever had before.

But Lu Zhiyun, exhausted from the day, finally couldn’t stay awake anymore. She propped her head on her hand, resting it on the table, and started to doze off. Ye Li would occasionally glance up. The sleeping woman’s long eyelashes fluttered slightly, and a stray lock of hair fell over her beautiful profile, creating a graceful curve. In that moment, it was as if all the noisy sounds of the rain outside faded away.

Auntie Lu is really beautiful, Ye Li thought.

After more than three months, Ye Li had gradually begun to adapt to life in Jingchuan. As December arrived, the temperature plummeted. Everyone bundled up in warm, puffy clothes, and Ye Li was no exception. To prepare for winter, Auntie Lu had bought herself several down jackets. Since the weather was cold, the school no longer required students to wear uniforms. Everyone wore their own clothes to school. One day in class, someone asked Ye Li, “What do your parents do? They must be really rich. I just noticed that your down jackets are all really expensive.”

It was only after her classmate mentioned it that Ye Li realized her jackets each cost several thousand yuan. Her dad had never bought her such expensive clothes. Speaking of her dad, it had been a long time since he called. At first, he would call almost every week. Then it became every two weeks, and then once a month. Now, it had been well over a month.

That night was Saturday. During dinner, Ye Li couldn’t help but ask Auntie Lu about her dad. “Has Dad not called yet?” Because Ye Li was too young to have her own phone, her dad always called her through Auntie Lu’s. The girl’s face was filled with a hope that was impossible to hide, and her sincere, yearning eyes made it hard to tell her the truth. Lu Zhiyun shook her head, then comforted her. “Your dad must be busy with work lately. He’ll call as soon as he has a moment.”

After dinner, the girl put on her hat and gloves and went to the front door to change her shoes. Seeing this, Lu Zhiyun asked, “Xiaoli, are you going out this late?”

Ye Li didn’t want to reveal her real reason, so she made up an excuse. “I just want to go for a walk.”

“I’ll go with you.”

“No, I want to be alone.” She said it and then left in a hurry.

Worried, Lu Zhiyun quickly took her wool coat and keys from the hook and followed her out. It had snowed during the day, and the ground was not completely cleared. Her shoes made a crunching sound as she walked. The girl walked quickly, her head down, moving forward in a rush. Lu Zhiyun couldn’t keep up. Her own health prevented her from walking too fast, so she was quickly left behind. The street was desolate in the cold wind, which felt like sharp blades on her face.

Ye Li walked to the payphone at the end of the sidewalk outside the apartment complex. She opened the door, went inside, and pulled a coin from her pocket. She dialed a number and put the receiver to her ear, waiting. She shivered from the cold, her heart pounding with anxiety as she listened to the busy signal. The result was no answer. She tried several more times, but the result was the same.

Did Dad not want me anymore? The thought made Ye Li’s nose sting and her eyes well up with tears. She put the receiver down in disappointment and stood inside the phone booth for a long time. Lu Zhiyun, who was standing not far away, watched the entire scene. Her heart ached with sympathy. Not wanting the girl to notice her, she stood for a while, then turned to walk back home.

The days went by quickly, and it was now December 25th. The day before, a tradition of giving apples to friends had spread through the school, as the Chinese word for “apple” sounds like the word for “peace.” Everyone believed that eating an apple on Christmas Eve would bring them peace. On Christmas Day, the streets and shops were decorated with festive themes, creating a strong holiday atmosphere. Since it was also a Friday, the students in her class were discussing where to go after school. Only Ye Li propped her head on her hand, gazing out the window at the white campus, a pensive look on her face.

“Ye Li, what are you thinking about? Everyone’s making plans for after school. Do you have any ideas?” The girl who spoke to her was named Han Yueyue. She had an oval face, was gentle and quiet, and lived in the city. She was also Ye Li’s desk-mate.

Ye Li came back to reality when she heard her name. “I want to go home early after school.”

“Huh? But it’s Christmas and Friday! Are your parents really strict?” The girl’s face showed surprise.

Ye Li nodded awkwardly, not explaining. Usually on Fridays, Auntie Lu had a class at the university, so Ye Li walked home by herself. The school gate was bustling with people. Vendors had even set up stalls on the street, selling all kinds of Christmas trinkets for students. Ye Li felt like an outsider. The festive atmosphere had nothing to do with her.

On her way home, she went into the phone booth again and stubbornly tried to call her dad over and over. People passing by gave her strange looks.

When she got back to Auntie Lu’s apartment, Ye Li went into her room, put her head under a pillow, and cried uncontrollably, as if to release all the frustration and sadness she had been holding inside.

When Lu Zhiyun returned from work, the apartment was dark. It wasn’t even seven yet, but the days had gotten shorter. “Xiaoli, are you home?” There was no response from the girl’s closed room. Lu Zhiyun stood outside the door for a moment, then went to the kitchen.

After hearing a rustling sound, Ye Li got up from her bed, went to the door, and said, “Auntie Lu, I don’t want to eat dinner tonight.”

Surprisingly, there was no reply. A moment later, she couldn’t help but open the door. The living room was dark. Did I imagine it? I was sure I heard her come back.

Just then, the woman slowly emerged from the kitchen, holding a cake with a flickering candle on top. “Happy birthday to you~ Happy birthday to you~ Happy birthday, dear Xiaoli, happy birthday to you.”

Ye Li froze, her fingers curling, unable to believe what she was seeing. Lu Zhiyun put the cake on the table and gently called for her to come closer. The girl hesitated for a moment, then clenched her fists and walked forward.

“Make a wish.” Through the dim, yellow candlelight, the woman’s face looked hazy, as if filtered through a vintage lens, giving her a soft, dreamlike beauty.

At the woman’s prompting, Ye Li made a wish. She wished to grow up quickly.

“Okay, blow out the candles.” The moment she blew out the candles, the woman standing by the wall switch turned on the ceiling light. It was then that Ye Li saw the cake clearly: a pink, princess-castle-themed strawberry cream cake.

“How did Auntie Lu know it was my birthday?” she asked, looking at the woman in disbelief, completely ignoring the tear streaks and red eyes from her crying. A flash of sadness crossed Lu Zhiyun’s eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a gentle smile. She quietly took a gift box from under the table and pushed it toward the girl.

“This is your 13th birthday gift. Open it and see.” Filled with curiosity, Ye Li opened the box and found a brand-new iPhone 4. The girl was so surprised she couldn’t speak.

Then, a gentle voice came from across the table. “Xiaoli, you can use this to call your dad from now on.”