Fig

Author: Cao Shan / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-07-01
Features: On a midday summer day three years ago, in the faculty cafeteria of CYC University in New York, Shao An was carrying a takeout meal toward a less crowded area when he was suddenly bumped. Before he could even figure out what was happening, a wad of white cloth was shoved into his hands.
"Sorry, I made you dirty. Please wipe it off."
"It's okay, it's okay." Shao An wiped while not looking up, "Be more careful next time." Suddenly, he realized he was speaking Chinese. He had been in the U.S. for over two decades, and opportunities to speak the language had grown increasingly rare in his circles. He lifted his eyes to look. A woman in a white tank top, with long black hair and a light blue jeans, was lying on the table, picking up books with her back to him. Her slender waist was snow-white, drawing the attention of many.
"Oh, what a charming body!" The men with blonde hair and blue eyes couldn’t resist speaking up one after another. Why was this Chinese girl dressed so little? Shao An felt an inexplicable sense of protectiveness or blame, wondering if it was because he was Chinese, or who knew! Suddenly, he noticed that his "handkerchief" not only carried the greasy smell of food but also faint grassy scents from time to time. He sniffed it near his nose—seemed to carry a faint scent of a woman.
Good heavens, this was her T-shirt! Shao An felt as if he suddenly couldn’t breathe, nearly gasping for air. It was the first time in his life he had been so close to a woman’s scent. His eyes stared blankly at the "handkerchief" in his hands.
"Sorry, give it back."
"Oh, sorry for dirtying your clothes." Shao An finally took a breath and spoke a bit incoherently.
"It was me who spilled your food and dirtied your clothes. Why are you saying sorry to me?" The girl laughed.
"No, not sorry. Please put it on." Shao An quickly handed it back.
"Alright, then hold these for me." The girl smiled and handed him four or five thick books without hesitation. Shao An couldn’t help but take them.
"Okay, is this better?" The girl quickly put on the T-shirt. Shao An couldn’t help but chuckle. The white T-shirt faintly bore the prints of his five greasy fingers and a few scattered soy sauce stains.
"Sorry!" Shao An couldn’t help but laugh, feeling both amused and embarrassed as he looked at his fingerprints on the girl’s T-shirt. He didn’t even know where to put his hands.
"Such a fragrant fingerprint! I can’t even draw one. Here, there’s even an artistic line. The life line, isn’t it? Your life is now on me, right? Let’s go! To apologize, I’ll treat you to this meal." The girl laughed heartily.
"No, no, it’s my turn to treat." Shao An’s mind was already a mess with talk of fingerprints, life lines, and art. He didn’t know how to think or respond, only going with the flow. Yet, the Chinese tradition of men treating women was deeply rooted in his male dignity, leaving no room for doubt.
"Alright, stop arguing. I’ll treat this meal, and you’ll treat me to a big dinner next time. From now on, you owe me a big dinner." The girl smiled cleverly.
"This time I’ll treat, and you owe me a big dinner next time. I’ll definitely make it up to you."
"Alright, it’s a deal." The girl happily took the books from Shao An.
"It’s a deal."
As soon as the words left his lips, Shao An realized he’d been tricked. How did she bump into me, and I ended up treating her to a meal? Not only that, but I also owe her a big dinner? This whole thing felt so confusing. What was I thinking? Oh! A man doesn’t often get to be foolish! So Shao An didn’t dwell on it.
Shao An, who had always disliked and avoided women, found himself strangely unbothered by the quirky girl in front of him. Thus, he listened to her introduction in a daze, introduced himself in a daze, ate with her in a daze, and even took her—no, Qin Luo Yan—back to her apartment in a daze.
"Come in, sit for a while, have some Longjing tea." Luo Yan’s smiling mouth curved deeply, looking particularly healthy, like a cup of rich, silky milk tea.
"Alright." Shao An still agreed in a daze.
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