OSL – Chapter Six
‘Who does this darling little sister belong to?’ Wen Che asks. ‘An Yin, did you deceive her to follow you here? Little sister, do you need my protection?’
An Yin Zhu takes out his phone, and dials a phone number. ‘Is this the Hua Ha’s Newspaper? I spotted Wen’s company’s Wen Che. Right now, Wen Che is booking a hotel room with a female celebrity.’
‘Hey!’ Wen Che cries out.
Wen Che explains something to the woman in sungla.s.ses standing behind him, and they leave.
‘Do you remember Wen Che?’ An Yin Zhu asks Gu Tian Tian.
‘Did I meet Wen Che before?’ Gu Tian Tian asks.
‘When you were nine, Wen Che came to my house to play,’ An Yin Zhu says. ‘Wen Che used a toy snake to scare you, and you let Tian Tian bite him. Do you remember now?’
Gu Tian Tian remembers Wen Che is a bad egg like An Yin Zhu. When she was a nine-year-old, she was playing in the park with Tian Tian. Wen Che dangled a toy snake in front of her, she cried, and Tian Tian bit Wen Che. Afterward, Wen Che had to go to the hospital to get a rabies vaccine shot, and Mrs. Gu scolded Gu Tian Tian. Luckily, Gu Tian Tian’s family moved to the country town, and the Wen family didn’t cause trouble for her family.
The next day, An Yin Zhu dropped Gu Tian Tian off at college.
‘You don’t have to pick me up in the afternoon,’ Gu Tian Tian says.
‘Don’t get kidnapped,’ An Yin Zhu says, and drives to work.
In the afternoon, Gu Tian Tian receives a phone call from An Yin Zhu.
‘I’m parked outside,’ An Yin Zhu says.
Gu Tian Tian says bye to her friends, and walks to An Yin Zhu’s car.
‘Didn’t I say I’ll find my own way home today?’ Gu Tian Tian asks.
‘What happens if you’re kidnapped?’ An Yin Zhu asks. ‘Get in. My mum is waiting for us at home for dinner. She cooked your favorite dishes.’
Gu Tian Tian sits in An Yin Zhu’s car. He drives off, and glances at her.
‘Put on your seat belt,’ An Yin Zhu says.
‘No,’ Gu Tian Tian says stubbornly.
An Yin Zhu stops the car, and leans over Gu Tian Tian.
‘What are you doing?’ Gu Tian Tian asks.
Gu Tian Tian feels awkward having An Yin Zhu’s face too close to her face that she can feel his breath on her face.
‘Putting on your seat belt,’ An Yin Zhu says. ‘What else do you think I’m doing?’
Gu Tian Tian wants to bury herself in a hole. She feels embarra.s.sed about her friends texting her asking her if An Yin Zhu is her boyfriend, and his friends mistaking her as his little bride.
In the past, An Yin Zhu could hug Gu Tian Tian, and she wouldn’t feel awkward. But since the night her hands unintentionally rubbed his little brother, she’s conscious of the fact that he’s a man.
An Yin Zhu puts on Gu Tian Tian’s seat belt, and keeps his face close to her face. ‘Why is your face red?’
‘I’m hot,’ Gu Tian Tian denies.
‘Really?’ An Yin Zhu asks and smiles.
An Yin Zhu’s happy Ms. Little Oblivious is finally aware he’s a man. Should he take a stronger next step?
Gu Tian Tian pretends she isn’t embarra.s.sed. But she’s relieved to hear someone sent her a text, it’s Hao Ting. ‘We can see you two kissing in the car.’
Gu Tian Tian feels like lightning struck her head, and she quickly texts back to Hao Ting. ‘It’s not what you’re thinking. He’s helping me put on my seat belt.’
‘Excuses can’t hide the truth,’ Hao Ting texts. ‘What big brother? I heard Mr. An is your boyfriend. When is your boyfriend going to treat your friends a meal?’
‘He’s a neighborhood big brother,’ Gu Tian Tian texts. ‘My big brother is helping me put on my seat belt.’
‘OK, your boyfriend is putting on your seat belt because he cares about your safety,’ Hao Ting texts.
Gu Tian Tian texts half an explanation, and deletes it. She can’t believe An Yin Hua is ruining her love life again. Mrs. Gu agreed to let her date in college, but her college life hasn’t even began, but An Yin Hua has ruined her sweet college dating life.
Gu Tian Tian shoves her phone in her bag, and glares at An Yin Zhu. ‘Don’t pick me up anymore. Everyone misunderstands that we’re close. But we’re not close.’
An Yin Zhu’s good mood plummets, and he drives off. He can’t believe Gu Tian Tian wants to deny their close bond. ‘It’s true that we’re not close. But last week we slept in the same bed.’
Gu Tian Tian is speechless. An Yin Zhu turns his head to the side, and smiles at her. ‘Who is it that you don’t want to misunderstand about our relationship? I’ll help you clear the misunderstanding since it’s true that we’re not close.’
Gu Tian Tian has never won against An Yin Zhu when it came to war of words. It was OK for her to cry when she was a little girl to stop him from teasing her, but it’s embarra.s.sing for an adult to cry to get their way.
‘I’m warning you not to interfere in my love life,’ Gu Tian Tian says. ‘I’m in college now, and my mum agrees to let me date.’
An Yin Zhu’s complexion darkens. He waited a long time for Gu Tian Tian to grow up so he’s not going to let someone else take her away from his hands. ‘Do you have a crush on someone? Who is it? I’ll investigate him for you.’
Gu Tian Tian doubts An Yin Zhu has good intentions. She suspects he’ll investigate anyone she’s interested in, and report their weaknesses to Mrs. Gu.
‘If you mess with my love life, I won’t let you live a peaceful life,’ Gu Tian Tian warns.
‘Oh?’ An Yin Zhu asks. ‘I can’t wait to see how you won’t let me live a peaceful life.’
Gu Tian Tian has moved to the city for less than half a month, but An Yin Zhu is worried someone wants to s.n.a.t.c.h her away from him. He’ll need to enlist Mrs. An’s help to find out who she’s infatuated with.
An Yin Zhu’s words makes him sound jealous, but Gu Tian Tian doesn’t believe it. She takes out her phone again, and plays on her phone.
‘Who is your ideal type?’ An Yin Zhu asks.
‘I don’t know,’ Gu Tian Tian says without taking her eyes off her phone.
An Yin Zhu is secretly happy Gu Tian Tian doesn’t have an ideal type.
Ten seconds later, Gu Tian Tian amends her answer. ‘But my ideal type isn’t someone like you.’
An Yin Zhu is speechless. What’s wrong with him? He’s rich, handsome, not a player, and many women are attracted to him.
At home, An Yin Zhu wants to talk privately to Mrs. An while Gu Tian Tian showers.
‘Yin Zhu, quit acting suspicious, and tell me what you want,’ Mrs. An says.
An Yin Zhu suspects his mum is actually Gu Tian Tian’s birth mother. ‘She has a crush on someone. Mum, help me find out who he is.’
‘Who?’ Mrs. An asks innocently. ‘Xiao Tian?’
Mrs. An laughs. ‘Little boy, it’s your retribution. If you didn’t bully Xiao Tian when she was a little girl then she wouldn’t hate you now.’
An Yin Zhu reasons if Mrs. An didn’t act like she loved Gu Tian Tian more than him when he was a little boy then he wouldn’t tease Gu Tian Tian. Besides, he always cheered up Gu Tian Tian after he teased her.
‘Mum, you can see how well I treat her now,’ An Yin Zhu says. ‘She only remembers all the bad things I did. I stopped bullying her since I was nine when she started crying crocodile tears. Gu Xiao Zhu holds petty grudges.’
‘Yin Zhu, how can you say Xiao Tian holds petty grudges when it’s you who holds petty grudges,’ Mrs. An teases.
‘Mum, later remember to find out who she likes,’ An Yin Zhu says sweetly.
‘OK, I’ll ask Xiao Tian who she likes,’ Mrs. An says. ‘I want Xiao Tian to be happy.’
‘Mum, don’t you want her to become your daughter-in-law?’ An Yin Zhu asks.
‘Yin Zhu, don’t use my motherly love toward Xiao Tian to hide the truth that you want Xiao Tian to become your wife,’ Mrs. An says.
Gu Tian Tian walks downstairs drying her hair with a towel. An Yin Zhu tugs Mrs. An’s shirt sleeve, and he looks pleadingly at Mrs. An.
Mrs. An shakes An Yin Zhu’s hand off her shirt sleeve. ‘There’s no rush. I’ll ask later tonight.
An Yin Zhu feels anxious. ‘Mum, it’ll be too late if you ask later tonight.’
End of Chapter Six