The Fisherwoman - Chapter 3

Ling Xuan and I went on living together in this lukewarm fashion for a year.

More than twelve months under the same roof did nothing to lower his guard. He remained cold whenever he faced me. He never acted spoiled, never smiled, and never once called me his older sister.

Lately, unless I imagined it, he seemed even more resistant to me.

One evening, while we were clearing boxes from the living room, I tripped and accidentally knocked him to the floor beneath me.

I immediately rubbed the back of his head. “Sorry. Did you hit it?”

Without a word, Ling Xuan shoved me off. His expression was terrible as he turned and marched into the bathroom.

He was still showering after I finished cleaning the living room. Afraid he would soak himself waterlogged, I knocked on the door.

“Ling Xuan, aren’t you done yet? Hurry up. Showering too long isn’t good for you.”

A chaotic series of thumps came from inside.

“What else am I supposed to do?” His voice was inexplicably sharp, with an edge of despair. “Walk out like this?”

I was baffled. “Like what? What’s wrong with you?”

He fell silent again. I even heard muffled groans, as if he were scrubbing so hard it hurt.

I quietly backed away.

I thought I understood.

It was summer, and moving boxes had made me sweat. Ling Xuan was a little obsessed with cleanliness. He already hated physical contact with me, and when we fell, my sweat must have rubbed onto him.

He probably felt so filthy that he kept scrubbing, even when his skin was about to peel off.

Honestly.

I wiped the sweat from my cheek and muttered, “Fussy little brat. As if he doesn’t sweat when he works.”

Naturally, I only grumbled where he couldn’t hear me. He got angry when I disagreed with him. If he heard me call him fussy, who knew what kind of fit he might throw?

Fortunately, Ling Xuan’s temper came and went quickly. By the time he left the bathroom, his expression had returned to normal. Apart from his unusually flushed face, he looked no different from usual.

Seeing that I had packed everything by myself, he apologized regretfully.

“I didn’t mean to leave you to move all the boxes.”

“It’s nothing.” I waved it off. “You usually do all the housework. It’s only fair I pack the rubbish.”

Then I stood and headed for the bathroom to rinse off after working.

Ling Xuan caught me in alarm. His fingers closed around my wrist, only to fling it away as though burned.

“Wait before you go in…” He pressed his lips together. “I have something to tell you.”

He had found a summer job and would start the next day.

“I’ll repay every cent you’ve spent on me this year, with interest.”

Of course I couldn’t take his money.

“Your sister earns plenty at her new job. I don’t need what little you make. Enjoy your summer.”

Again he stressed that he wasn’t my little brother.

“Even blood brothers keep clear accounts, much less you and me.”

“Xie Yingning, I will pay you back. I don’t want to owe you anything.”

This time, I understood what he meant.

Moving in with me had been his only choice. Now that he was about to turn eighteen, he naturally wanted to be rid of me. Repaying the money was the cleanest way to draw a line between us.

I hesitated, wondering whether to remind him that my task would end after his eighteenth birthday.

He would leave for university. I would go home and return to my dream of saving for a boat.

I had no intention of clinging to him.

The words reached my lips, but his earnest expression made me swallow them. The young master was as stubborn as a mule. He never believed anything I said. He might decide I was lying to trick him.

Afraid of angering him again, I could only nod.

“Whatever makes you happy… Just be careful.”

Ling Xuan left for his part-time job.

With time still left on my own vacation, I had nothing to do at home. I was about to check tickets for my trip back to the village when I dug my long-neglected phone from the bottom of my bag.

Messages rose from it like resentful drowned ghosts.

They were from Zhuang Jinyu.

[Xie Yingning, you’ve rejected me five times this month. You’d better have a good explanation.]

[Have I been too indulgent? Have you forgotten your place?]

[Answer me. Don’t pretend you haven’t seen this.]

I hurriedly sent a voice message.

“I wasn’t pretending. I really only just saw them. At home, I hardly remember to touch my phone.”

“I wasn’t ignoring you on purpose, either. I’ve simply been too busy to get away.”

Ling Xuan had his university applications, and for some reason my boss had lately insisted on taking me everywhere. I spent every day working outside and had no time for my appointments with Zhuang Jinyu.

My explanation was completely sincere. Not one word was a lie.

Yet Zhuang Jinyu, who had been firing off messages moments earlier, vanished as soon as I replied. He ignored me for more than ten minutes, then leisurely sent an address.

[I’m returning tomorrow. Three in the afternoon. Meet me here.]

But this was the final day of my vacation. To secure these days off, I had promised my boss I would stay at his side the instant I returned.

There was little chance I could slip away to see Zhuang Jinyu.

“Can we meet on the weekend instead?” I asked awkwardly.

This time he disappeared even longer. I was nearly asleep with the phone in my arms when his reply arrived.

[If you don’t want to see me, say so. It’s not as though I can’t do without you.]

[If this is your attitude, there is no reason to renew our contract when it expires.]

He had even brought up refusing to renew. He was definitely angry.

After I had canceled so many times that month, his anger was understandable. I was at fault and too guilty to refuse again.

So I apologized as gently as I could and promised to meet him the next day.