OSL – Chapter Two
Although An Yin Zhu wants to change his birth name, he considers his grandpa’s wishes for him to be called An Yin Zhu before his grandpa’s pa.s.sing.
Initially Gu Tian Tian was apprehensive about staying at An Yin Zhu’s condo while she studies at college. Because she can live in another district in between the city and her family home so she can be closer to the hospital.
In the last six years, An Yin Zhu spent many days staying at her family home. It was Mrs. Gu who told Gu Tian Tian that An Yin Zhu requested to transfer Mrs. Gu to the city hospital so Gu Tian Tian could visit Mrs. Gu often while studying at college that swayed Gu Tian Tian’s decision to stay at his family condo. An Yin Zhu’s consideration changed Gu Tian Tian’s perception of him, he’s not always a bad egg. Thinking about eating Mrs. An’s cooking, and playing with Tian Tian makes it easier for Gu Tian Tian to put up with An Yin Zhu.
Gu Tian Tian cringes remembering An Yin Zhu graduating middle school when he was fifteen. After his middle school graduation, he spent his holiday at her family home. The women in her country town were fooled by his good looks and boyish charm.
The fifteen-year-old An Yin Zhu matured early. He didn’t tease Gu Tian Tian like he used to when he was younger. Instead he forced her to study during the summer holidays. She didn’t have ambition to study at a renowned private city college. Her summer holidays were ruined by tutoring sessions with him.
Gu Tian Tian looks forward to sweet revenge while staying at An Yin Zhu’s family condo. How much Mrs. Gu loves An Yin Zhu is how much Mrs. An loves Gu Tian Tian. Sometimes Gu Tian Tian and An Yin Zhu suspects they were switched at birth if they weren’t born in different years.
Mrs. An takes Gu Tian Tian sightseeing before the commencement of Gu Tian Tian’s first college semester. Whenever Gu Tian Tian wants to visit Mrs. Gu at the hospital or go to the library, Mrs. An would ask An Yin Zhu to drive Gu Tian Tian to her destination of choice.
Living in the city makes Gu Tian Tian reminisce about her childhood that was consumed with memories of An Yin Zhu. An Yin Zhu stealing her food, hiding her toys, pulling her hair, scaring her with insects, leaning on her shoulders, there were too many memories of him since she was a three-year-old.
Even though An Yin Zhu used to bully Gu Tian Tian, he would always cheer her up if she cried. It made her realise if she wanted him to get on her good side, all she had to do was cry. So if she knew he wanted to bully her, she would think of something sad to make herself cry, and stop him from bullying her. It frustrated him whenever she cried before he bullied her, and Mrs. An scolding him for making her cry.
Mrs. An used to warn An Yin Zhu not to make Gu Tian Tian cry, and he would say she cried on her own, but Mrs. An didn’t believe him. He had to hide behind Mrs. Gu so Mrs. An couldn’t hit him. He knew Gu Tian Tian was crying crocodile tears, but secretly laughing at him.
From An Yin Zhu’s perspective, he was showered with affections by the adults around him since he was born. But after Gu Tian Tian’s birth, the adults around him doted on her more than him. Everyone at childcare, and the hospital wanted to hug Gu Tian Tian. He used to bully Gu Tian Tian when he was a little boy out of jealously.
When Gu Tian Tian was in primary school, a boy in her cla.s.s used to steal her books and pull her hair. After An Yin Zhu found out, he made the boy give back her books, and hit the boy for making her cry. The teachers called An Yin Zhu’s parents to tell them about An Yin Zhu hitting Gu Tian Tian’s cla.s.smate. But the teachers were surprised Mrs. An praised An Yin Zhu. ‘I have a good son who protects his little sister.’
An Yin Zhu used the opportunity when Mrs. An felt proud of him by secretly pulling Gu Tian Tian’s hair. But Gu Tian Tian cried, and Mrs. An scolded him. ‘I have a bad son. After praising him, he bullies his little sister.’
After the fight, Gu Tian Tian’s cla.s.smates didn’t dare bully Gu Tian Tian because she was under the good fighter, An Yin Zhu’s protection. But Gu Tian Tian didn’t feel grateful since An Yin Zhu bullied her at home in sneakier ways, like feeding her healthy food she hated eating. Even adults misunderstood Gu Tian Tian and An Yin Zhu were close because he took her to school and back home.
When An Yin Zhu tutored Gu Tian Tian, if she got an answer wrong, he would pinch her nose, pull her ear or flick her forehead. Sometimes he hid her books in his bag, and she had to go to his cla.s.sroom to get her books.
In high school, boys had crushes on Gu Tian Tian. But An Yin Zhu threatened them if they bullied or were friendly toward Gu Tian Tian so they lost interest in Gu Tian Tian.
An Yin Zhu also confiscated love letters written to Gu Tian Tian, and gave them to Mrs. Gu. It made Mrs. Gu stricter on Gu Tian Tian, and she wasn’t allowed to date during high school.
Gu Tian Tian’ diary was proof An Yin Zhu was responsible for her tragic childhood:
2nd of September 20XX, my first diary entry.
3rd of September 20XX, the bad egg An Yin Zhu bullied me.
4th of September 20XX, Mr. Bad An bullied me again.
10th of September 20XX, Mr. Bad An chased away bad boys, but he teased me about them.
12th of September 20XX, Mr. Bad An hid my books again.
End of Chapter Two