White Lotus Chapter 5
5 | Five Roses
When his arm tightened around her waist, the tense Tang You could stand it no longer.
She gathered up all of her strength, and pushed the man’s arm away; like a frightened wild rabbit, she turned and ran out.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!
Tang You didn’t think that she’d ever run so hard before, not even for the 800m sprint during the physical fitness test in school!
When she reached her room, Tang You shut the door forcefully and locked it from the inside. Still feeling uneasy, she moved a footstool and set it against the door, as a weight to prevent the door from being opened easily.
After she’d set everything in place, Tang You went to bed with her trembling legs. She wrapped herself in the quilt, curled into a ball; her whole body continued to shake.
The mobile phone by the pillow rang; the cheerful ringtone cut through the darkness. Her entire body was still balled up in the quilt; from within, one trembling hand stretched out, grabbed the phone, and put it against her ear. She answered cautiously, “Hello?”
Miao Jiaxi was shocked by her tone. “What's wrong, sister? Who bullied you?”
“Nothing,” Tang You's heart was still pounding hard; it was as if the faint scent of tobacco and their brief physical contact had trapped her, and she couldn’t shake free. Flustered, she cried, “Jiajia, I’m not clean anymore.”
Her words frightened Miao Jiaxi so much that she almost went to see her old grandmother who’d died many years ago.
Tang You squeezed a corner of the quilt; she recalled the scene in the kitchen and choked out breathlessly, “Xiao Weijing wrapped his arms around my waist just now.”
“Ahhhhhhh that hand of his has touched who knows how many women, how disgusting!”
“My heart rate feels like it’s going faster than 500bpm!”
Miao Jiaxi finally understood why her best friend was so panicked.
Because of that damned marriage contract, Tang You had rejected the pursuits of many men; this was also why she remained steadfastly single despite studying at the College of Information Technology, where there were too many monks and too little porridge1.
In short, in terms of romantic relationships, Tang You was still a completely blank page; she only had theoretical knowledge on this topic from books, movies, and dramas.
Miao Jiaxi tried to calm her down. “Calm down, my dear sister. If your heart rate really goes over 500 bpm, you will be peacefully on your way to the crematorium now.”
Tang You was completely unable to calm down in her current state. She gripped the bedsheets, and said grimly, “Jiajia, I have decided. I’m going to increase my efforts.”
“Huh?”
“Fast and furious,” said Tang You. “I’m going to take the initiative. I swear, if I can’t disgust that Xiao dog to death, I will not return!”
“I wish you every success— may you soon become a disgusting b*tch,” said Miao Jiaxi with great admiration.
Tang You remained curled under the covers; she started to watch montages of vicious second female-leads, seriously taking mental notes on their tricks and methods.
On the other side, Xiao Zexing had just walked out of the kitchen.
The little girl had run away in a flash. He was drunk and caught off guard when she’d pushed him aside. By the time he came to, there was already no trace of her.
Xiao Weijing had his suit jacket on his arm; when he saw Xiao Zexing, he smiled and asked, “What's wrong, Second Uncle? Did my dad ply you with alcohol again?”
He had already detected the strong smell of alcohol emanating from the man.
Everyone in the Xiao family could hold their liquor quite well; the best among them was Xiao Weijing’s father, Xiao Zenian.
Xiao Zenian was good for nothing in other matters, but there were two things he was especially proud of—one was having a son like Xiao Weijing, and the other was his ability to drink.
Xiao Zexing had a drinking session that afternoon and had already drunk quite a lot; when he came back at night, Xiao Zenian continued to ply him with drink. In the end, even Xiao Zenian himself had to be supported back to his room—Xiao Weijing did not believe that his second uncle had come away unscathed.
Xiao Weijing knew that his uncle behaved with decorum even under the influence of alcohol; no matter how much he drank, he never lost control of himself.
It's just that, Xiao Zexing could never remember the things he’d done when he was drunk.
For instance, even though his behavior or manner of speech betrayed nothing of his condition now, come tomorrow, he would not be able to remember any of it.
The old adage, ‘in wine, there is truth’2 was entirely inapplicable to him—in fact, he spoke even less after drinking.
He had such a high degree of self-control that it was almost scarily inhuman.
Xiao Zexing gave a brief note of response; the delicate sensation of their contact still seemed to linger in his hands.
There was also a faint scent of vanilla milk.
It was not until the next morning that Xiao Weijing learned that Zhao Manlan had actually let Tang You stay the night.
According to the rules of the Xiao family, breakfast had to be eaten together. Xiao Weijing slept late last night; the first thing he saw as soon as he got downstairs, even before entering the dining room, was Tang You's back view.
Extraordinarily slender; a fair complexion; long, soft hair; a light-colored, one-piece dress.
A very recognizable figure.
Xiao Weijing frowned, changed his mind, turned around, and left.
In order to avoid the relentless badgering from his mother and grandfather on the topic of their marriage, and also to avoid that fiancée, Xiao Weijing took his jacket and went out. He spotted Xiao Zexing in the garden talking with Xiao Zeyan.
Xiao Weijing smiled and greeted them.
“Second Uncle, you went to the kitchen last night; were you thirsty?”
Xiao Zexing had long shed the languid appearance of last night; clad in a light gray suit and standing straight-backed on a pair of long, slender legs, he looked meticulously neat and staid. He turned slightly and smiled, “Maybe, I can't remember.”
Xiao Weijing said, “I'll tell my dad later to not make you drink so much again.”
“It’s alright.” Xiao Zexing wasn’t bothered at all. “After all, Big Brother only has this one hobby left.”
Xiao Zexing and Xiao Weijing were similar in stature. Their noses and eyes, both inherited from Elder Xiao, were also extremely alike.
However, they had very different personalities and experiences, and their temperaments were worlds apart.
Xiao Zexing patted his nephew's shoulder and asked, “Did the old man scold you again last night? Since you are already engaged, you should treat her well. That fiancée of yours——"
After a two-second pause, unable to remember her name, Xiao Zexing continued, “Cultivate the relationship well. You should also stop being distracted, and not cause any more embarrassing situations.”
The ‘embarrassing situation’ referred to Wen Ling.
Xiao Weijing had just returned to China and happened to meet Wen Ling, who was celebrating her birthday. She’d enthusiastically invited Xiao Weijing to the party; Xiao Weijing attended purely as a platonic friend, drank too much, and when he left, Wen Ling helped support him. This happened to be photographed by the nosy paparazzi, and was used as the basis of that absurd report.
Xiao Weijing frowned. “I'll think about it.”
Xiao Zexing turned back to Xiao Zeyan and asked, “Did your adopted daughter spend the night here last night?”
His question took Xiao Zeyan by surprise. “No. Yesterday I brought them here to meet the old man, then went home after that.”
They had waited a long time before they were granted a meeting; Elder Xiao was not very interested in these two adopted children and sent them off after a few words. Xiao Zeyan could not observe any of Tang You’s cleverness that Xiao Zexing had reported—though the timid and cowardly part was true enough; she even spoke in such a small voice, like a mosquito.
Xiao Zeyan asked, “Why do you ask?”
“No reason,” Xiao Zexing smiled. “Thought I’d show some concern about family matters.”
It was only after Xiao Zexing left that Xiao Zeyan remembered something. He smacked his head and said to Xiao Weijing with a smile, “Coincidentally, the girl I just adopted is also named Tang You, same as your fiancée. Your aunt and I are thinking of a new name for the child to avoid any awkwardness in the future.”
Xiao Weijing replied with a look of displeasure, “Why does it matter? It's not like she has exclusive rights to that name.”
“Do you hate that girl so much?”
“It’s not that I hate her,” said Xiao Weijing. “Rather than hating her, it’s more accurate to say that I hate being forced into an arranged marriage by the family.”
Xiao Zeyan sighed. “Then you should have a good chat with the old man. You can’t force a melon to taste sweet. Don't hold up the girl’s future prospects.”
“I'll try my best. Although, it's not that I really can't marry her,” managed Xiao Weijing with some effort. “I just don't like that meek and docile manner of hers."
Xiao Weijing had to live according to the Xiao family's precise standards since he was born, and he was thoroughly sick of living this way. The thought that even the person who will be sharing his bed was determined by others was utterly repulsive to him.
Rather than ‘gentle and submissive’, he preferred ‘bright and vivacious’.
“She’s being nice to you because she likes you.” Xiao Zeyan’s chuckled. “Weijing, what Zexing said just now was right. Be nicer to her. No one's heart is made of steel, right?”
At that moment, he caught a glimpse of Tang You as she stepped through the front door. He stared at her momentarily, then left without saying what he was going to say.
Tang You did not see Xiao Weijing’s face; she only saw the figure walking away with large strides.
She silently gauged the speed—she wasn’t going to be able to catch up.
She gave up, turned around, and went back to her room.
Looking at the current situation, she was going to have to take the initiative to launch an offensive.
Yesterday's Green Tea B*tch3 performance wasn’t for nothing. That afternoon, Tang You received two pieces of good news that lifted her spirits.
The first was that Xiao Weijing had been given a severe lecture by Elder Xiao.
For the time being, the exact reason was unknown, but she was sure it had something to do with her.
The second was that Xiao Weijing was going to play polo later that afternoon.
The specific location and time had been sent by Zhao Manlan via text.
Tang You didn’t know how to ride a horse, but she once owned a dark sorrel pony—it was a birthday present from her grandmother.
In the first month when Jiang Tao moved in with her son and daughter, Tang You was constantly arguing with them. Seeing how much Tang You adored the pony, Tang Nan secretly took a slingshot and blinded both its eyes.
From then on, Tang You never had a pet again.
Except for Tang Huhu; this was a puppy she’d rescued from the streets, and she’d always kept in her apartment, apart for these few days when she’d sent it to the pet hospital to recover from an illness.
The few polo clubs in Xijing were all in the suburbs. There weren’t many of them; after all, it was a costly activity and can be said to be a luxury sport. In order to emphasize her Green Tea aura, Tang You wore a white t-shirt, a plaid skirt, and a pair of canvas shoes, and then put her hair up in a ponytail.
Harmless to both humans and animals.
This was the so-called ‘Green Tea’: one who wore the purest clothes, hid the most vicious heart, and spoke the most misleading words.
Zhao Manlan had given notice of her arrival in advance, so Tang You's car was not stopped and she drove in unimpeded.
The staff respectfully and politely invited Tang You in. The Xiao family was the polo club’s biggest client. All the men of the Xiao family loved this sport, and many, in order to get a chance to talk to the Xiao family, contrived to learn the sport so they could come over and try to build good relations.
Today, Xiao Zexing and Xiao Weijing were both present, so naturally, they had to treat Tang You with respect.
Tang You was not the only one who came upon receiving the news.
Zhao Die, who was leading a horse, looked at Tang You's outfit and pursed her lips disdainfully, “Look at her, wearing a skirt like that to the polo field.”
“After all, she comes from a small family.” Song Yu smirked, “It's normal that she doesn't know the rules.”
“When I think about how you’ll have to become relatives with such a person in the future, I pity you.” Zhao Die mounted her horse and turned it around. She said mockingly, “But fortunately, you are the elder, so you don't have to be polite to her.”
Song Yu squeezed the reins and swatted at her, “Don't spout nonsense.”
“How is it nonsense?” teased Zhao Die. “Who skipped going to the spa and dragged me here as soon as she heard that Xiao Zexing was here?”
Song Yu blushed; she watched Tang You follow the staff into the inner circle and sighed softly.
The Xiao family had a private field, so even though Song Yu and Zhao Die had come to the club, they couldn't get in there.
Zhao Die followed her gaze, saw Tang You, and laughed. “That one also shouldn’t be too complacent. Who doesn't know that Xiao Weijing doesn't care for her at all? If not, he wouldn't have left the country for four years, not even returning home.”
Song Yu did not respond.
She stroked the horse beside her and felt a little envious of Tang You.
Tang You didn't know the rules of polo, and was thrown into confusion as soon as she entered.
The people on the field were all wearing numbered polo uniforms—one team in black and one in red; donning polo helmets, they pressed their horses forward. The battle was at its most intense and it was so far away that it was impossible to see their faces.
Tang You stood by the edge, picked up a pair of binoculars, swiveled around, and found Xiao Zexing with unparalleled precision.
Truth be told, setting the issues of character and conduct aside, he really was very good-looking.
This man was good-looking to the point that it was impossible for one to overlook his presence.
He wore a jersey that bore the number 9, rode a brown horse, and was swinging his mallet at the moment.
This was the first time Tang You saw him in sportswear. Unconcealed by shirt sleeves, the smooth lines of the man’s arms could be clearly seen. His usual imposing aura seemed to have faded slightly, and in its place, was an air of wildness.
The staff brought water and fruits over; there was a resting area next to the field, and Tang You sat there and waited patiently.
Tang You was quite lucky. Not long after she arrived, a chukka4 had just ended; she’d made it in time for the break.
—On the field—
Xiao Weijing took off his helmet, wiped his sweat, and praised Xiao Zexing sincerely, “Second Uncle, you’re just the same as always.”
Xiao Zexing handed his mallet to the staff next to him. “I haven't played in a while, and am a bit rusty.”
Deng Jue laughed, “Don't be so modest, didn't you just score the most? There aren't many left-handed people who can play as well as you.”
For safety reasons, polo players could only wield their mallets with their right hand. To the left-handed Xiao Zexing, this was somewhat of a disadvantage.
Xiao Zexing squinted at the edge of the field and looked at the girl who had just stood up. He couldn't help but ask, “Why is Tang You here? Who brought her here?”
Next to him, Xiao Weijing's expression changed almost imperceptibly.
He’d also spotted her.
Although he couldn't see her face, the only skinny girl who could come in here in the middle of their game, dressed in that manner, could only be Tang You.
Xiao Weijing did not like being restrained. He’d came to play polo today purely on a whim; the scary thing was that she’d managed to find out about such an impromptu plan, and came all the way here. This kind of persistent pestering made him even more uncomfortable.
Xiao Weijing watched the girl run over, carrying a bottle of water and a small basket of strawberries.
He gave a low snort. “Low-handed tactics.”
Did she really think she could move him like this?
When she got here, he would eat only two strawberries at most.
As for the water, he would only drink at most——
Huh?!
Tang You had completely ignored Xiao Weijing; instead, she ran to Xiao Zexing's horse and stopped before it.
She tilted a beautiful and delicate face up, and at the same time tried to raise the strawberries and water in her hands. The bright sunlight skimmed her thin wrists, making them gleam porcelain white. Her clear voice rang out pleasantly, “Would you like some water?”
Snap!
With a dark expression, Xiao Weijing snapped the handle off his mallet.
He was sure that Tang You did not even look at him just now.
That girl doesn’t even what’s good for her.
She only knew how to act obediently to curry favor with the elders, and didn’t even know how to be nice to him, her fiancé. She’s really not cute at all!
Not cute at all!
With a sullen expression, Xiao Weijing yanked the reins, turned the horse around, and headed straight off in another direction.
He did not want to say even a single word to Tang You.
This hypocritical woman needed to calmly think about who it is that she really needed to please.
Atop his horse, Xiao Zexing looked down at Tang You from his high vantage point.
From there, she really seemed too small.
Small hands, small face, small everything.
Deng Jue whistled and smirked, “Since a beauty has come for you, the rest of us will not interrupt.”
The others who were playing with them were all trainees of the polo club; they all smiled and gradually dispersed.
Xiao Zexing dismounted and looked down at her. “Who brought you here?”
Tang You smiled gaily, “I flew here.”
There was no way she was going to bring up Zhao Manlan’s name. Her mission was to make Xiao Weijing hate her, so of course, the more pretentious she was, the better.
Xiao Zexing did not show the slightest displeasure at her pretentiousness. He took off his gloves and handed them to the staff along with the reins.
Tang You matched his steps closely and walked beside him. She handed him the bottle of water; Xiao Zexing unscrewed the lid and drank half of it in one go.
After such strenuous exercise, it was only natural that he would be sweating. Tang You was prepared for this; however, she was surprised to find that he didn't smell like sweat—but rather, a light scent of cedarwood mixed with a bit of vetiver.
Xiao Zexing held on to the bottle of water. He was mindful of cleanliness and didn’t reach out for the strawberries.
Noticing his glance, Tang You stood on tiptoe, picked a strawberry, and brought it to his lips. “Taste it, it's really sweet.”
Xiao Zexing looked at her, lowered his head, and bit into the strawberry.
Tang You had peeled off the green stalks of the strawberries in advance. As he bit into the strawberry, the man's lips inadvertently slid over her fingers.
The tingling sensation traveled down from her fingertips, like small electric sparks crackling all the way down.
Tang You resisted the urge to retract her hand. Her eyes still sparkling, she asked, “Is it tasty?”
Just like a little rabbit.
His gaze skimmed over her face, collarbones, wrists, and finally rested on the loose shirt.
Not tapered at the waist, loose and airy.
The strawberries were very sweet.
Tender and fresh.
Xiao Zexing lowered his head slightly and looked at her. “Very tasty.”
Tang You finally noticed that Xiao Zexing had shallow dimples on both sides of his cheeks.
They were not deep; when this man was not smiling or smiling just a little, they were almost imperceptible.
He really was born with excellent qualities. From up close, every aspect was just so flawlessly good, that it was hard to decide which one was his best asset. However, right now Tang You felt that the very best and most attractive part of his face, were precisely these two shallow dimples.
Tang You quickly calmed herself down and reminded herself that she was supposed to be docile and demure, not thirsty and boy crazy.
She picked another strawberry; just as she was about to feed it to him, Xiao Zexing screwed the bottle cap tight, and with no intention to eat, asked indifferently, “Children should just focus on studying. What did you come here for?”
Tang You stayed silent. Her fingers still held the strawberry, but the sweet smile that was just there a moment ago had completely disappeared.
She seemed little aggrieved.
Xiao Zexing casually threw the bottle into the trash can, then finally heard the little girl speak. “I wanted to see if the wound on your forehead is healed.”
It was just a slight abrasion and was already completely fine.
There were a lot more serious injuries than that; this level of injury was not even worthy of being called a wound.
Xiao Zexing said, “If there’s nothing else, go back soon. This is not a place where you should be.”
From not far away came the sound of Deng Jue’s whistle. Xiao Zexing was just about to head back when he felt someone pulling at his clothes.
He looked down and saw Tang You's watery eyes, her delicate fingers carefully tugging the corner of his jersey.
She was tugging cautiously, as if she was afraid of hurting his clothes.
Tang You said softly, “I'll wait for you.”
As if she was afraid that he might scold her, after speaking, she immediately retracted her hand, stood in a disciplined manner with her head bowed.
Xiao Zexing's gaze froze momentarily.
He did not stay.
As soon as Deng Jue saw him, he first handed him a cigarette, blocked the wind with one hand, lit it for him with the other, and asked with a smile, “What? Has the ten thousand-year-old iron tree bloomed? Have you fallen for her?”
Xiao Zexing turned and looked back.
Tang You was still sitting there. Although it was already autumn, the scorching sun still shone brightly in the sky, and it was and blazing hot.
The legs under the skirt were thin and white. She swung them lightly and kicked a piece of gravel in front of her. The staff brought fresh fruit over; she took them with both hands, her upturned face smiling.
Well-behaved and polite.
Deng Jue commented, “I didn't expect that that’s your type.”
Xiao Zexing laughed and scolded, “What are you talking about? That's the little girl Zeyan just adopted, she's only in high school.”
Stubbing out the cigarette that he’d only taken a puff of, Xiao Zexing said, “I'm not a pedophile.”
Footnotes:
1 too many monks and too little porridge: A Chinese idiom, used to mean there is not enough of a resource to go around. In this case, there are not enough girls in the College of Information Technology, and it’s a feat that Tang You has managed to fend off all the boys.
2 in wine, there is truth: ‘In vino veritas’, a Latin phrase suggesting that a person under the influence of alcohol is more likely to speak their hidden thoughts and desires.
3 Green Tea B*tch: 绿茶婊 Lǜchá biǎo ; A slang used in China to refer to a girl who looks very pure and angelic and pretends to be harmless and fragile, but is actually manipulative and ambitious. Her appearance is typically clean, innocent, and pure: (long) straight black hair, demure clothes, and their favorite expression is to open their eyes wide and look at people (especially men) cluelessly 🡪 basically, all of Tang You’s actions and appearance in front of the Xiaos!
4 chukka: A polo game usually lasts one to two hours, divided into periods called chukkas (or "chukkers").
