Chapter Sixty-Four: The Three Rules

Less than two weeks after the new semester began, the National Day arrived. Although the school only granted us five days off this year, I boarded the bus home without hesitation.

As soon as I stepped off the bus, I dialed Lele’s number. “Hey, honey, did you miss me? Hu Hansan is back again!”

“Tch, you still look just as silly as ever. Tonight, your big sister will treat you to dinner,” Lele said, yawning lazily, her tone far less excited than I’d imagined.

“Uh, where are you? Why don’t I come find you now?” I could hardly wait to see Lele.

“No, don’t! I’m still busy and can’t get away!” Her voice was soft but firm. I didn’t dare insist and hung up helplessly, resigning myself to seeing her only that evening.

Dragging my suitcase home, I spent the afternoon watching TV in my room, bored out of my mind. Finally, after five o’clock, Lele’s text arrived: “Pig, come downstairs, I’m waiting outside your building.”

I quickly turned off the TV and dashed downstairs, appearing before Lele in under two minutes. “Honey, have you been waiting long?” I asked, excitedly holding her hand, concern written all over my face.

“Idiot, look at how pathetic you are! I only arrived when I sent the message—how long could your sister have waited?” Lele stretched lazily and then naturally leaned against my chest.

“Hey, Lele, you’ve gained weight.” I took the chance to pinch her cheek, pretending to scrutinize her.

Oddly, Lele didn’t get angry today. Instead, she clung to me even tighter. “If one day, I turn into an old sow, would you still like me?”

“No!” I blurted out without thinking.

Lele hadn’t expected that answer. She immediately lifted her head, her face filled with disappointment.

Knowing what she was thinking, I gently patted her head and explained seriously, “Lele, do you know? A person can like many people at once, but there’s only one they truly love. Lele, I love you, so I don’t just like you.”

“You big meanie! Liking is a gentle form of love, loving is a deep form of liking—how can they be different?” Hearing my words, Lele breathed a long sigh and smiled at me helplessly.

I then leaned carefully to her ear and whispered, “Lele…”

She seemed lost in her own world, and only after a while did she come back to herself. “Uh, what is it? Were you calling me, Piglet?”

“Where shall we go tonight?” I didn’t pay much attention to her odd behavior, asking casually.

“How about… how about you help me choose a new phone charm? The old one is really worn out.” As she spoke, Lele waved her phone in front of me. To my surprise, even though she had switched phones, the new one still carried the same bunny charm we bought together in our third year of high school. It was a pair, but sadly, mine had been lost.

“Lele, it’s so old—why haven’t you changed it yet?” I grabbed the cute bunny and gave it a squeeze, feeling unexpectedly touched.

“Pig, I’ve been waiting for you to buy me a new one.” Lele slapped away my wandering hand, put the phone back in her bag, then slipped to my right side and wrapped her arm around mine.

Following Lele, we walked to a nearby accessory shop.

The shop was filled with dazzling trinkets. After some browsing, Lele seemed to take a liking to a pair of heart-shaped phone chains. She turned and handed them to me, seeking my opinion. “Piglet, what do you think of these?”

I glanced at them. The chains were split into left and right halves, apparently connected by magnets, so they could easily join and separate.

“Just right—one half for each person,” Lele continued.

“No, I don’t like it.” I immediately shook my head in opposition. “How can hearts be casually split in two? That’s not a good omen!”

Lele frowned at my words and put the chains back. We picked out accessories for ages—if I liked one, she didn’t, and vice versa. In the end, we simply bought two new bunny charms.

By then, it was nearly dinner time, so we crossed the street to the Haoke Lai restaurant.

When Lele offered me a piece of steak she’d cut, her smile was as innocent as a child’s. For some reason, I suddenly felt afraid—afraid that one day, Lele would leave me forever. Perhaps Lele was really a fairy who accidentally fell into the mortal world; otherwise, why did I always worry about losing her?

“Is it tasty?” Lele propped her chin in her hand, gazing happily at me as I chewed the steak.

I smacked my lips loudly in response.

By the time we finished shopping, it was late. As we walked home, Lele suddenly asked, “Piglet, do you remember what I said to you that day?”

“Which day?” I was completely confused.

“That day last month! When I called and you said you were cycling.” I felt her grip on my hand tighten slightly.

“Oh, I remember. What about it?” Was she still hung up on whatever happened that day? That didn’t make sense.

I stared at Lele in confusion.

She kept walking as she spoke: “If you meet a girl you like at school, you really can… Piglet, I mean it.”

“Lele!” At that, I grabbed her arm and almost shouted, “Are you breaking up with me again? No! This time, whatever happens, I won’t let go—never!”

Lele struggled painfully against my grip and slapped my arm. “Idiot, you’re hurting me!”

Seeing her distress, I quickly released her.

“Actually… actually, as long as you keep me in your heart, that’s enough. The rest, I really don’t care…” There was a childlike innocence and a hint of melancholy on Lele’s face, making me feel sad for no reason. “Piglet, you’ll be lonely at school. If there’s someone to keep you company, I…”

“Don’t say that, Lele…” Her words left me at a loss. I didn’t understand why she suddenly brought this up.

Lele paid no attention to my protest and dragged me to sit on the first step beside the street. “Xiaobei, I want to make three rules with you.”

“Go ahead.” I was eager to know what was really on her mind, so I didn’t interrupt.

“First, you’re allowed to have a girlfriend at school, but don’t forget that I’m your wife! Second, you must text me daily and call me at least twice a week—no, three times! Third… hmm, the third…” Lele scratched her head, unable to think of a third rule. “I haven’t figured out the third one yet. When I do, I’ll tell you!”

I listened in silence as she finished, then couldn’t help but smile. But only I knew how fake, how utterly fake my smile was.

(Chapter revised on September 14, 2010)