Chapter 9

“Take care of me?”
“What do you mean, take care?”
Jin Qishan thought Su Xiaoxiao had gone crazy, speaking nonsense he couldn’t understand.
“Still haven’t eaten yet? Aren’t you hungry? Come in and eat,” she coaxed.
Why was the Su household acting so unusually these past two days?
Why was Su Xiaoxiao suddenly being so nice to him?
Jin Qishan didn’t dare overthink it, fearing it was another test or a trick. He refused to respond, determined not to eat even a single bite at the Su house.
But Su Xiaoxiao desperately tugged at his collar, trying to pull him inside.
Jin Qishan turned his head, looked at her, and finally spoke his first words to her:
“Get lost.”
Su Xiaoxiao struggled to pull him, surprised at how heavy he felt despite being so skinny, she couldn’t budge him.
The sudden shout startled her. For a few seconds, she couldn’t react.
The corridor lights suddenly brightened with his yell, making her face pale.
Jin Qishan felt a pang of regret, wondering if he had been too harsh.
Perhaps Su Xiaoxiao genuinely meant well?
Had he been too cruel yelling at a girl, would it hurt her feelings?
Seeing his tense expression soften slightly, Su Xiaoxiao immediately understood. She furrowed her brows, bit her lip, clutched her chest, teary-eyed, and said pitifully, “I know you don’t like me, or our family. But you don’t have to be so harsh. I just wanted to invite you to dinner.”
Having said her piece, she ran back home, sobbing softly, leaving the door wide open.
Jin Qishan watched her leave, feeling uneasy, his heart twisted with discomfort.
He stared at the open door and the light spilling out, as if a magic spell were beckoning him.
Clutching his worn backpack, he hesitated for a long moment.
Finally, he steeled himself, thinking that whatever punishment awaited him from Dong Xiaohong, he would accept it.
With that, Jin Qishan picked up his battered backpack and entered the Su household.
At this moment, he had no idea that this decision would soon change the entire course of his life.
The doors to a new world were opening for him.
Su Xiaoxiao and Jin Qishan’s quarrel at the door had been overheard perfectly by Grandma Su and Grandpa Su.
With her protective nature, Grandma Su felt like she wanted to smash Jin Qishan over the head with a spatula. How dare he tell her precious granddaughter to get lost, truly ungrateful, wolf-hearted.
Grandpa Su stopped Grandma Su: “They’re just kids quarrelling. It’s normal. Even if they fight, it’s not a big deal. But if you go out, it’s different. People will just say you’re acting like a child too. Then who will dare to play with Xiaoxiao?”
Grandma Su waved her spatula angrily: “Friends? What kind of friends are they? If no one wants to play, fine. Xiaoxiao can play at home by herself.”
“Don’t say things in anger,” Grandpa Su soothed. “Look how cheerful Xiaoxiao has been recently. Isn’t it great she’s making friends here? And she’s in the same class as Qishan, that’s a good thing.”
Grandma Su thought about it and found it reasonable. She put down the spatula, only to see Su Xiaoxiao returning, sniffling and tearful.
“What happened? Did Jin Qishan hit you?” Grandma Su hurriedly asked. “Where did he hit you?”
Su Xiaoxiao removed her hands from her face, revealing a smiling face. Softly, she said, “I was just teasing him. He’ll be coming in soon.”
Grandpa Su chuckled and whispered, “See? Just a joke between good friends.”
Just then, Jin Qishan entered. Su Xiaoxiao immediately resumed her act, leaning over the dining table, crying “Waaah, waaah.”
Jin Qishan pressed his lips together, standing nervously beside her, unsure what to say.
He wasn’t naturally silent; it was just that years of being quiet had made him even more reserved.
Grandpa Su quickly took Jin Qishan’s backpack and set it on the sofa, then pulled over a chair next to Su Xiaoxiao so he could sit beside her.
Su Xiaoxiao leaned on the table, occasionally letting out soft sobs.
Jin Qishan mumbled, his voice so low only she could hear:
“I’m sorry.”
Su Xiaoxiao: “Waaah, waaah, then you’ll eat at our house today, waaah…”
Jin Qishan: “Mm.”
Su Xiaoxiao: “Waaah, then you’ll always eat at our house from now on.”
Jin Qishan: “Mm.”
Her goal achieved, Su Xiaoxiao stopped crying, lifted her head, and pretended to wipe away tears.
Then, she placed a rib on Jin Qishan’s plate, her voice soft:
“Here, have a rib.”
Seeing no trace of crying on her face, Jin Qishan realized he had been tricked.
Yet this deception didn’t make him feel embarrassed.
Grandpa Su chuckled to Grandma Su: “See how clever our Xiaoxiao is? She acts just like the real thing.”
Grandma Su, a bit impatient, said: “Oh, stop it, you’re making me annoyed.”
Grandpa Su cheerfully piled some dishes onto Jin Qishan’s plate: “Qishan, eat more. You’re too thin. Here, have some soup to grow taller. Here, some meat, growing bodies need protein.”
Jin Qishan looked at the mountain of food in front of him, thought of his grandmother at home, and felt a mist cloud his eyes.
Only Grandma remembered that he was still just a little kid, still growing.
“Qishan, where’s your key? Forgot it again? Or lost it?” Grandma Su suddenly remembered. “Why are you always so forgetful?”
“Grandma,” Su Xiaoxiao emphasized, “why do you believe everything people say? Just because she says Jin Qishan lost his key, it’s true? Says he didn’t bring it, it’s true? I’ve never seen him with a key.”
“Good, good, good! Our Xiaoxiao is smart, knows not to easily believe others,” Grandma Su said happily. “Come on, have another rib, eat ribs to grow taller.”
Su Xiaoxiao sighed; Grandma Su still fell for these things, unable to notice the hidden meaning in people’s words.
Grandma Su then asked Jin Qishan: “Why has your mom been coming home later and later? With her coming home so late, how do you manage to eat? Does kindergarten really have that much to do?”
“Grandma, you ask too many questions. Jin Qishan doesn’t know how to answer,” Su Xiaoxiao said, eyes glinting, smiling. “Why not wait until Dong Xiaohong comes back and ask her? Ask if she gave him his key. If she did, I’ll watch over it, if it’s lost, it’s on me.”
Grandma Su looked at Su Xiaoxiao, full of affection: “Xiaoxiao’s grown up. Did you ask Dong Xiaohong yourself? You should call her ‘Auntie.’”
Su Xiaoxiao shook her head, wearing a ‘I won’t listen’ expression.
The Su household chatter back and forth, the atmosphere harmonious and warm.
The floor fan swayed, whirring loudly. Jin Qishan’s hair flew in the breeze, finally allowing him to rub his eyes.
He bit into a rib, it smelled delicious… truly delicious.