Chapter Twenty-One For lunch, we had stir-fried cured pork with garlic...

This chapter was supposed to update at midnight, but there was a glitch with the scheduled lottery update last night, so I'm making up for it now. Please add to your favorites, send VIP tickets, flowers, everything you can... I admit, I'm a bit greedy when it comes to lottery tickets... hehe.

The feeling of first love is always sweet, though this only applied to Fu Xinxin. Zhuo Nan, that rascal, had lost count of his past romances—if you included his “previous life,” that is.

For an entire lesson, the two of them never stopped passing notes, saying everything they could think of, yet still, Fu Xinxin felt there was so much left unsaid. When the bell rang, she realized she hadn’t listened to a word of the class, distracted as she was by passing notes to Zhuo Nan. Twice she’d exchanged notes with him, and twice she hadn’t paid attention. In her heart, she thought, “This guy is so annoying, making it impossible for me to concentrate.” But if she were told to ignore Zhuo Nan from now on, she simply couldn’t do it. Her heart, just awakening to love, was already tied to him.

As soon as the bell rang, Fu Xinxin darted out of the classroom. Zhuo Nan knew she was too shy to face him—little girls were always like this; he’d get used to it. Shi Yang, true to form, sidled up to Zhuo Nan after class. “Bro Nan, what was up with you this morning? The guys are all baffled.”

The corners of Zhuo Nan’s mouth lifted in a smile as he whispered a few words into Shi Yang’s ear. “Oh... Oh... Bro Nan, you’re too much! Tell me, did you succeed?”

“Keep your voice down! Girls are shy. Besides you, don’t go telling anyone else about this.”

“Got it, Bro Nan.” The kid even gave Zhuo Nan a salute, always the clown.

“Come on, I want to talk to you about something serious.” With that, Zhuo Nan led the way, and the two of them walked to a secluded corner of the sports field.

“What’s up, Bro Nan?” Shi Yang, seeing no one around, couldn’t wait to ask.

Zhuo Nan had thought long and hard before deciding to bring Shi Yang into this. If he really intended to take Shi Yang along for the ride, it was better to let him get his feet wet early. “What’s your dream, bro?”

The question stumped Shi Yang. He just stood there, unsure what to say. Did Bro Nan really call him out here in the blazing sun to talk about life ambitions? Damn, is Bro Nan really losing it...?

“Bro Nan, I don’t have much of a dream. I’m not going to get into a good high school, I’ll probably end up at a technical school or something, just see what my family arranges...” Dreams felt too big and far away for Shi Yang; his little head just couldn’t wrap around it.

Zhuo Nan certainly didn’t want this kid to follow his old path and join the army. If history didn’t change, Shi Yang would end up disabled anyway. So since he was doomed in his past life, why not gamble in this one? Let him try his luck in the underworld—maybe he’d make something of himself. Now was the chance: let him follow Long Kun and see if he could rise up. That would be up to Shi Yang himself.

“Shi Yang, do you want to try your hand at the underworld?”

Shi Yang thought he’d misheard, but Zhuo Nan’s face was serious—no joke there. So he perked up and replied, “Bro Nan, if it’s with you, I’m in.”

Zhuo Nan smiled, “It’s not exactly with me, but it’s close enough. If you’re willing, I’ll take you to see for yourself after school.”

Causing mischief at school was one thing; but getting mixed up in society was a whole different concept. Though Shi Yang felt a thrill, he was also anxious—this was risking your life, one foot in the grave, the other in jail, nothing good either way. But since he’d promised Zhuo Nan, he couldn’t back out—loyalty always came first.

Seeing Shi Yang’s expression, Zhuo Nan smiled to himself: "No one wants to join the underworld. It’s a hard road, the glamour built on risking your life." Zhuo Nan knew he was taking a gamble; he didn’t know if pushing Shi Yang down this path was right or wrong. If he succeeded, his life would be secure; if he failed, his future would be ruined. But it was still better than Shi Yang ending up maimed in the army.

At noon after school, seizing the chance as he went downstairs, Zhuo Nan leaned close to Fu Xinxin’s ear and said, “Come early when you return this afternoon. I’ll be waiting for you behind the sports field.”

Her face flushed red as an apple, adorably shy, unable to look up. She just nodded with a soft “Mm...” as her answer. Zhuo Nan thought, “This girl really is timid.” Since she’d agreed, Zhuo Nan didn’t say more—if anyone saw, it would be bad. Besides, she kept signaling for him to leave quickly.

Little Fu had fallen in love. The sparrows chirping in the trees used to be annoying, but now they sounded like music. The little brother on the first floor who liked shooting at her with a slingshot suddenly seemed adorable. She slung her backpack over her shoulders, walked with a light step, humming “A Date in ’98” by Wang Na, thinking, “Zhuo Nan and I got together today—I must remember this day...” At the thought, she blushed, a shy smile on her lips, and her dimples looked even cuter.

“Mom, I won’t be home for dinner tonight,” Zhuo Nan announced at the table.

Wang Liru looked at him, puzzled. “If you’re not eating at home, where will you eat?” What she feared most was Zhuo Nan getting into trouble.

Zhuo Wengang set down his chopsticks. “Nan Nan, it’s not that I want to lecture you, but there are only three months until the high school entrance exams. If you don’t get into a good school, you’ll end up at a technical school, and after that, just become a worker. Buckle down and study. No one in our family has gone to college yet.”

Wang Liru nodded eagerly, “That’s right, listen to your father.”

Zhuo Nan was exasperated. Seeing that Zhuo Lanlan was about to speak, he quickly said, “Dad, Mom, I really have something to do. Think about it—if Miss Sun hadn’t brought us that hundred thousand yuan, how would I have managed? Tonight, I’m going to help her.”

At that, Zhuo Wengang and his wife remembered. “You’re right. Miss Sun helped our family; you should help her in return. But what can you do for her?” Zhuo Wengang was full of questions—a hundred thousand yuan! How many years would it take a working family like theirs to save that?

“Dad, her boyfriend was in the same cell as me. I helped him inside, so he had Miss Sun bring the money to our family. The point is, her boyfriend was framed. I have a way to prove his innocence.” Zhuo Nan ate another bite as he explained.

“In that case, you should help,” Zhuo Wengang agreed.

“Is it dangerous?” Wang Liru worried most about her son getting into trouble. In Zhuo Nan’s view, all the motherly love that should have been Lanlan’s was now split between them, if not more skewed toward him.

“Don’t worry, Mom. There’s no danger. Besides, I’ve already been inside—what could be scarier?” Zhuo Nan grinned.

“You...” Wang Liru could only poke Zhuo Nan’s head, helpless.

Looking at his happy family, Zhuo Wengang smiled, “Alright, let’s eat. Nan Nan, come home early tonight.”

“I will. Here, Lanlan, have this chicken leg. You’re still growing—eat more, and don’t even think about dieting.” As he spoke, Zhuo Nan placed the drumstick in Lanlan’s bowl.

“Thanks, brother...”

Seeing the siblings so affectionate, the couple exchanged a glance and smiled as they continued eating.

Fu Xinxin changed her bedridden mother’s diaper and fed her lunch. After making sure she was asleep, she slipped out. Her father hadn’t come home for lunch again—being a deputy section chief seemed to keep him endlessly busy, always at social events. She was just a child; her father never explained such things.

At the appointed time, acting like a thief, she looked around to make sure no one was watching before going to the place Zhuo Nan had mentioned. When she arrived, he was already lying on the grass. “Zhuo Nan...”

Hearing her voice, Zhuo Nan jumped up. “Xinxin, you’re here!”

“Why did you have me come so early?”

“Silly, of course to go on a date...” Zhuo Nan took her soft, fair hand in his.

“Stop it... Lower your voice, someone will hear us.” Her face was flushed as Zhuo Nan held her hand.

“Who’s going to hear? There’s no one here at noon... Come, sit here.” Zhuo Nan pulled her down beside him.

Sitting so close, Fu Xinxin was shy, staring at the ground. In her mind, she wondered, “Will he kiss me? On TV, this is when the hero kisses the heroine. If he kisses me, should I let him? If I don’t, will he be mad...?”

Zhuo Nan had no idea what was running through her head, nor did he let his mind calculate her next move. Dating was no fun if someone played the third wheel...

“Damn it, you’re the third wheel.”

“Get lost, go to sleep... I’m busy here...”

“Fine, I’m out...”

“Xinxin...”

“Don’t kiss me...” With her mind full of the question of whether Zhuo Nan would kiss her, she blurted it out as soon as he called her name.

“Uh...” Zhuo Nan stared in disbelief, mouth agape.

“I mean, you can kiss me...” Flustered by his reaction, Fu Xinxin tried to recover, but realized she’d made it worse. “Oh no... This is so embarrassing...” She hung her head, mortified, wishing she could disappear.

“Xinxin...” Zhuo Nan called her name again.

“Zhuo Nan, I meant to say... ah—” She didn’t get another word out before Zhuo Nan, seizing the moment, pressed his lips to hers, fulfilling her wish. With practiced ease, he parted her lips with his tongue.

Fu Xinxin was startled by the kiss and instinctively tried to push him away, but couldn’t bring herself to do it. She let Zhuo Nan continue. When his tongue touched hers, a shiver ran through her, a tingling current that replaced all her nervousness. Her arms slowly wrapped around him, surrendering to the sensation.

Sensing her response, Zhuo Nan intensified his “skills”—a technique he’d refined in his “previous life” through much practice. Not that there was anything mystical about it; he’d just been with a lot of women before.

This was Fu Xinxin’s first kiss and she couldn’t last long. Suddenly, she pushed Zhuo Nan away, gasping for breath, “Huff, huff, huff... Zhuo Nan, I need a break...”

Zhuo Nan smiled and licked his lips, frowning. “Why does it taste like garlic?”

Fu Xinxin, looking innocent, replied, “I had garlic stir-fried bacon at lunch...”

Zhuo Nan was utterly speechless.