Irreversible - Chapter 19

Chapter 19: The Poor Little One Eats (Part 4)

Su Zhiyi insisted, and Gu Xizhou continued her “stumbling” recitation of the script.

When she finished, Su Zhiyi cooperated perfectly, clapping her hands with a bright clap-clap-clap. “Very good! You’ve memorized it without the script. Now, if you can just look forward more and be a bit bolder, it’ll be perfect.”

In reality, Gu Xizhou didn’t have any public speaking anxiety. But now, she maintained her troubled expression. “I want to, it’s just that when there are so many people, I…”

“Get nervous?” Su Zhiyi saw her predicament and gave a kind smile. “It’s okay. It’ll get better with a few more practices.”

“If you’re free tomorrow, I’ll accompany you again.”

Gu Xizhou acted surprised. “Oh, is that okay?”

Su Zhiyi nodded with poised generosity. “Of course.”

There were simply too many mosquitoes. On the way back, Gu Xizhou bought a bottle of floral water and gave it to Su Zhiyi.

Su Zhiyi initially declined, but Gu Xizhou spoke sincerely: “It was my oversight that caused you to get bitten.”

“You’re helping me so much; it would be embarrassing if I couldn’t even do something small like this for you.”

Su Zhiyi was a well-bred, decent child. Being “decent” meant that as long as something didn’t cross her bottom line, she wouldn’t make others feel awkward. For a practical gift like this, she truly couldn’t find a reason to refuse.

At the bottom of the Omega dormitory, Gu Xizhou handed the floral water to Su Zhiyi. Su Zhiyi didn’t refuse again. She took the bottle and waved to Gu Xizhou. “Thank you! I’ll bring this bottle tomorrow.”

“See you at the old spot.”

Gu Xizhou gave a timid smile and waved back at the slender figure walking into the tree-lined path. “Mm, see you tomorrow.”

She stood downstairs until Su Zhiyi reached the fifth floor and entered her dorm. Only then did Gu Xizhou withdraw her gaze. Her eyes instantly turned cold as she turned around and returned to her own room with an expressionless face.

The next afternoon, Gu Xizhou and Su Zhiyi met at the same spot. This time, Gu Xizhou brought the floral water and reed diffusers to drive away the surrounding insects. Without the annoyance of the tiny pests, Su Zhiyi was in an excellent state.

With Su Zhiyi’s help, Gu Xizhou was visibly more relaxed than the night before. By the end, she could face an audience fluently.

As the setting sun cast its slanted rays, the evening glow burned like fire across the horizon. The sunlight fell upon the surrounding woods as if igniting them. Gu Xizhou checked her phone and saw it was already 6:00 PM, so she extended an invitation: “Let me treat you to dinner today.”

Su Zhiyi was somewhat surprised, looking up to meet a pair of very determined eyes. “You’ve been my teacher for half a day; there has to be some reward. Good deeds should be thanked, so let me treat you to a meal.”

It seemed a reason impossible to refuse. Though Su Zhiyi felt a slight sense of subtlety in her heart, she readily agreed: “Alright then.”

Gu Xizhou successfully invited her to a restaurant and, following the spending standards of a normal college student, treated Su Zhiyi to a pot of pig stomach and chicken soup. The flavor was fresh and delicious, and Su Zhiyi was very satisfied; the meal was a delight for both host and guest.

Seeing how happy she was, Gu Xizhou made a suggestion as they left: “I know a place that makes great curry shrimp. Once this speech is over, I’ll treat you to another meal.”

The implication was that while she would still ask for Su Zhiyi’s guidance, she wouldn’t be treating her to dinner every single time. Su Zhiyi, who had been wondering if Gu Xizhou had ulterior motives, dismissed those thoughts upon hearing this. Even if there was something more, the girl was so tactful that it was hard to make things awkward.

Su Zhiyi nodded with a smile. “Sure, if your speech goes smoothly.”

The two left the restaurant and chatted as they walked along the busy commercial street. As the lights came on and the neon flickered, the scenery became hazy and ambiguous. Passing a decent-looking bakery, Gu Xizhou said, “The pineapple buns here are delicious. I’ll pack some for my roommates.”

“Mm.”

Su Zhiyi followed her into the shop. They browsed through the dazzling array of food on the shelves. As they picked, Gu Xizhou said, “The mango mille-feuille here is great—dense texture but not greasy. You should try it… oh, and the Black Forest cake uses dark chocolate. It’s slightly bitter, just a hint of bitterness on the tip of your tongue at the first bite…”

She seemed to mention it casually, but by the time Su Zhiyi looked at the cakes, she felt as if every single one of them had little hands waving at her. Dessert was one thing in life Su Zhiyi found hard to refuse. Su Zhiyi knew it, and Gu Xizhou knew it.

Before Su Zhiyi could even try to resist, Gu Xizhou suggested, “Why don’t we sit down and have a slice of mille-feuille?”

“Alright.”

Gu Xizhou was a master manipulator. By the time Su Zhiyi had sat down and eaten more than half the cake, she realized she had fallen for the trap again. Gu Xizhou watched her with a smile, her tone very familiar: “You and Nanfeng really are twins; you both love cake so much.”

Su Zhiyi gripped her fork, letting out an embarrassed cough. “I do prefer sweets. But you seem very familiar with this shop—have you tried every cake here?”

Gu Xizhou nodded. “Mm.”

Su Zhiyi curved her lips, her expression slightly teasing. “Then you must really like sweets too.”

Gu Xizhou laughed and pushed her untouched strawberry cake toward her. “Try this one; it’s also very good.”

At this hour, the shop wasn’t very crowded. There were only a few couples out on dates, huddled together at small tables whispering over a shared dessert. Gu Xizhou and Su Zhiyi sat in a corner. The person closest to them was a high school student sitting alone, wearing a uniform and glasses, with her homework spread out as she wrote.

During their conversation, the wind chimes at the door rang, and a group of four or five students swarmed into the shop. Half-grown children are incredibly noisy; their arrival was like a flock of ducklings entering a quiet pasture, quacking incessantly.

Su Zhiyi and Gu Xizhou stopped talking, silently agreeing to finish and leave. But just then, two girls carrying trays walked toward them—or more accurately, toward the high school girl buried in her homework nearby.

Gu Xizhou glanced over and noticed the two newcomers wore the same uniform as the girl in the corner. She had a bad feeling. Sure enough, after putting their trays on the table, the two students flanked the girl in glasses, saying snidely, “Oh, look who it is—our little piece of trash. What are you doing here?”

The other chimed in, “Exactly. This is a dessert shop, not a place to pick up the bottles you scavenge.”

The girl being surrounded clearly wasn’t being bullied for the first time. She pulled her head in timidly, looking like a little mouse. The girl on the left, with her hair half-tied and an earring visible, reached out and thumped the girl’s head with her fist, laughing. “How much money did you make scavenging lately? Why don’t you treat us to a cake?”

The girl being crowded was nearly in tears, stammering, “I… I don’t have any money…”

The bully clicked her tongue and slapped the girl’s head. “You came here and say you have no money? That’s not very fun of you.”

With just those few lines of dialogue, anyone could see what was happening. Especially Su Zhiyi, who happened to be sitting directly across from them and saw everything clearly. Seeing a bullying scene like this would make even a saint angry, let alone her.

Su Zhiyi immediately put down her fork and prepared to stand up to stop them. Gu Xizhou, seeing her intent, placed a hand on her arm, silently soothing her: “I’ll do it.”

Su Zhiyi was stunned as she saw Gu Xizhou reach down to unbutton her shirt cuffs, roll up her sleeves, and stand up. Gu Xizhou dragged her stool over to the corner table and set it down.

Gu Xizhou sat backward on the stool, revealing the ferocious tattoos on her arms. Like a delinquent youth, she spoke with a grin: “Little sisters, what are you playing? I’m quite interested. Let me join in too.”

On both of Gu Xizhou’s arms were terrifying skeletal tattoos—blackened bones stained with blood extending down to her forearms, where a massive, horrific skull face was carved. It looked extremely intimidating. Paired with Gu Xizhou’s otherwise harmless face, there was a faint, contrasting aesthetic of violence.

The three girls fell instantly silent.

Su Zhiyi stared at Gu Xizhou’s thin but upright back and the overwhelming aura she projected, and couldn’t help but think: This person is friends with Nanfeng… I wonder if she used to do many bad things together with her in the past.