Xiaolei - Chapter 8

We were drawing still lifes that night.

There were two kinds of still-life exercise: one completed the same day, and a longer assignment spread over three evenings.

This was the second night of a long assignment.

I arrived early and found my stool and drawing board tossed to one side.

Dalong and his girlfriend had taken the places Xiaolei and I used.

Dalong attended my school but was in a different class. He stood about six feet tall, with small eyes and a face full of acne.

He had been in several fights at school and had hoodlum friends outside it. He was fairly notorious here, too, and no one dared provoke him.

Back then, studying art was considered a shortcut to university, so plenty of poor students like him switched to painting halfway through high school.

I was afraid when I saw him, but I approached anyway. Forcing a smile, I said quietly, “Brother Long, I… I can’t sit anywhere else up front.”

Dalong was fooling around with his new girlfriend and did not even turn his head.

“Then move.”

I held up the gouache painting I had started. “If I move, the angle will change…”

“Then sit in the back!”

“Exactly. Stop crowding us,” his girlfriend chimed in.

If I sat behind them, Dalong’s tall body would block the still life completely. I would see nothing.

I sighed, unsure what else to say.

When I looked up, Xiaolei was standing nearby, watching me.

She understood that Dalong and his girlfriend had taken our seats.

Seeing her expression, I went back to Dalong. “Why don’t you move back a little? We can sit in front.”

He had been grinning and chatting with his girlfriend. Suddenly, he whipped around, pointed at my nose, and said, “Huh. Why do I feel like beating you today?”

Honestly, I was frightened. But with Xiaolei beside me, courage came from nowhere, and I abruptly raised my voice.

“This was my seat in the first place!”

Dalong shot to his feet.

“Say that again. Go on!”

“Just leave already. God, why are you so annoying?” His girlfriend also stared at me in disgust.

“This is my place. Why should I leave?” I shouted even louder.

Several students nearby began watching us.

Dalong suddenly kicked the stool aside and seized my collar.

Fear rose in me. I shoved hard, but I could not move him at all.

My hands and feet trembled and my breathing quickened, yet anger remained fixed across my face. “What do you think you’re doing?”

Other students hurried over to intervene, telling us both to forget it.

Dalong released me and laughed. Then he turned and kicked over both my and Xiaolei’s easels and stools. Paint and brushes scattered across the floor.

He took out a utility knife, extended the blade, and pointed it at me.

“I’ll gouge out your eyeballs and send them to your family. Think I won’t?”

Whether from rage or fear, I stood rooted to the spot, shaking.

Xiaolei rushed forward and placed herself in front of me.

Warmth surged through my chest, followed by even greater fury. I snatched a utility knife from the floor, aimed it at Dalong, and roared, “Come on!”

Cursing, Dalong picked up a stool and prepared to throw it at me.

His posture was terrifying. I quickly shielded Xiaolei and started away.

Hearing the noise, a teaching assistant ran over and ordered Dalong to put down the stool.

The instant Dalong saw him, his face changed to a playful grin. He sat as though nothing had happened.

“Oh, Jinjiao and I were only joking around. Right?”

I stood to the side protecting Xiaolei. Dalong’s shameless act infuriated me. I panted heavily, frightened and humiliated at once.

Without a word, Xiaolei crouched and gathered our paints and easels.

“Jinjiao, let’s not draw in this room.”

I stood frozen. Suddenly, warmth closed around my hand. She had taken it.

She smiled at me. “Come draw portraits with me.”

All my unhappiness vanished in that instant. I followed Xiaolei to another room to draw portraits.

When class ended, I packed my things and prepared to go downstairs. Dalong walked past the studio entrance with an arm around his girlfriend.

He stuck his head through the doorway and smiled at me.

“Jinjiao, I’ll be waiting at the gate.”