Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Chapter 4
In school, Luo Xi’s popularity took flight, almost
overtaking the Young Master’s. Before, the girls only
see Luo Xi as good and gentle, but after the thief
incident, he is a star-crossed prince, innocent yet
suffering, his soft smile, a thin fragile light. For not
coming to his aid when he was misunderstood, every
girl blamed herself. So they swore.
In the future, they would love more, care more and
protect their Luo Xi.
Whenever Xia Mo and Xiao Cheng got home from
school, a variety of gifts would be laying in front of their
doorstep. The mailbox was filled with many letters
addressed to Luo Xi. One time, a cute girl even hid in
the corner of the street of their house but ran away,
blushing, when Xia Mo saw her. Yi Pa laughed, saying
that Luo Xi was so popular that he could even become
a star in the future.
___________
Recently, Xiao Cheng seemed to have something on his
mind. He ate very little, would spend hours sitting in
front of an empty canvas foolishly, and did not even
seem to hear when Xia Mo called him. Later, when Xia
Mo asked, Xiao Cheng revealed that he was worried
about what to get their mother for her birthday. Every
year before, he would always paint her a painting for a
present but he wanted to give her something special
this year.
“Xiao Cheng,” Xia Mo tried to comfort him, “No matter
what you give Mom, she will be very happy. If you want
to buy some gifts, Jie will give you the money, alright?”
Xiao Cheng nodded.
Two days later, Xia Mo was watering the flowers while
Luo Xi was playing the guitar when Xiao Cheng came
in, excited, holding a newspaper.
“Jie! Luo Xi Ge!”
On the front page, there was an article about a new TV
show called, “Superstar,” which is a singing
competition where contestants, regardless of age, can
entered with their choice of song. There will be
celebrity judges, each with a small gong, and when the
one of the gongs sound, the contestant have to stop
singing. Each contestant will get prize money,
depending on the number of seconds they were able to
sing. Those who sang the longest will go to the next
round and get a bonus prize.
“Can we go?” Xiao Cheng asked excitedly, “Luo Xi Ge’s
singing is really good so we’ll win for sure. And the first
day of competition is Mom’s birthday! We’ll go on TV
and sing for Mom. She’ll be very happy!”
Xia Mo rubbed her forehead, trying to think of how to
refuse without hurting Xiao Cheng’s feelings.
“I’m not going.” Luo Xi said, his voice final.
Xiao Cheng looked at him, surprised and confused,
“Luo Xi Ge…”
“Hey!” Xia Mo yelled. He was too straightforward.
Luo Xi looked at her coldly, the all too familiar evil smile
spreading on his face. Without another word, he got up
and went into the house.
Xiao Cheng looked down.
Xia Mo could see the tears forming in his eyes as Xiao
Cheng struggled not to let them fall.
“Xiao Cheng, we can give Mom another gift. How
about… perfume? Or a necklace” Although she does
not like the idea of participating in a TV show, seeing
the how disappointed her brother was made her heart
ache.
Xiao Cheng did not speak but gave a small nod.
Teardrops fell down gently on the garden soil.
Xia Mo quickly hugged him.
“Xiao Cheng, be good. Don’t cry. Do you really want to
go?”
Xiao Cheng nodded.
“Well,” she took a deep breath, “I’ll go with you. But
we’re not very good at singing so if we don’t pass,
don’t be too disappointed, alright?”
“Jie…”
Xiao Cheng sobbed and snuggled into her arms, like a
little child.
Xiao Mo was sure that it would be impossible for the
two of them to even pass the screen test and appear
on TV. But it turned out that not many people knew
about the contest thus very few people actually signed
up.
The first test is a screening in front of the staffs.
She and Xiao Cheng sang their school song.
The song itself was very immature.
But the staff seemed to have more interest in Xia Mo
and Xiao Cheng than their singing. They kept looking at
the siblings up and down, whispering words such as,
“handsome,” and “so cute” over and over again.
They kindly told Xia Mo that the two had passed the
screening and can come to record the program on
Saturday. Xia Mo was stunned , unable to move, while
Xiao Cheng excitedly jumped up and down.
Even during dinner at home, Xia Mo was still in a dazed
state. She stared at the bowl of rice, all appetite gone.
Although she does not care if they win or not, she does
not want to look like an idiot in front of live television.
She sat in a daze for a long time, not aware of the
worried looks Yi Ma and Yi Pa been throwing her.
After dinner,
“Hey!”
Xia Mo called Luo Xi. She pretended to be calm and
light, but a faint redness in her cheeks betrayed her.
The dark night.
The golden moon.
Beneath the cherry blossoms tree.
“You want me to teach you how to sing?”
Luo Xi looked at her with a faint smile. She could not
stand his mocking eyes and wanted to turn and leave.
But she needed his help.
“This is to repay the favor from last time.” She replied
dismissively
“Why should I need to repay you?” he asked, leaning
against the tree trunk, smiling beautifully, “Did I
begged you to help me? I think not.”
Xia Mo narrowed her eyes.
“Of course, I can teach you to sing,” Luo Xi carelessly
strung the guitar, “But you have to remember that you
owe me now. You have to repay me someday.”
She glared at him. This kid-
He saw the way she looked at him and smiled lightly,
“What song are you going to sing?”
Xia Mo thought for a while, “How about that song that
you always sing? It sounds good.”
The whole night.
Luo Xi playing the guitar under the tree.
Xia Mo and Xiao Cheng practicing over and over again.
“The black cat is a stray cat
On a stormy night
The black cat can only eat rotten vegetables from the
junk
On a stormy night
On a windy night
where the cherry blossoms bloomed
On a windy night
The full moon hung in the night sky, the cheerful songs
seemed to make the tree branches chuckled together.
Sing and sing until Xia Mo’s throat began to dry and
Xiao Cheng got breathless.
Luo Xi put down the guitar, his fingers aching, “Do you
want the truth?”
___________
“Clang!”
“Right! These two will sing a song called “Black Cat and
Milk.”
“Hi!”
“Hi!”
“Yo!”
“Yo!”
The black cat can only eat rotten vegetables from the
junk
On a stormy night
On a windy night
On a windy night
“45 seconds!”
“46 seconds!”
“47 seconds!”
___________
Abruptly,
___________
At the study in Ou Chen’s house.
“52 seconds!”
“53 seconds!”
“54 seconds!”
___________
On a stormy night
On a windy night
On a windy night
On a stormy night
The black cat can only eat rotten vegetables from the
junk
On a stormy night
On a windy night
On a windy night
“136 seconds!”
“137 seconds!”
“138 seconds!”
___________
___________
___________
At night.
She gently touched the beer can in his hand. The two
cans, upon contact, made a crisp sound that rang
through the stillness of the night.
___________
Amazing!
Ou Chen is dangerous.
“Nothing.”
What is this?
___________
Luo Xi, Xia Mo, and Xiao Cheng began walking home
from school together. Xiao Cheng would run happily in
front while Luo Xi and Xia Mo walked leisurely side by
side. The cedar road stretched straight into the blue
sky, looking like a bridge extending into the ocean, the
white clouds bordering on the sides, Xiao Cheng
skipping ahead, his laughter floating gently from a
distance.
Xia Mo smiled.
Luo Xi chuckled.
His voice was so low that Xia Mo could not hear clearly.
She turned to look at her father, only to see sweats
rolling down his forehead, his bowl of rice completely
untouched. Xia Mo was only listening to Xiao Cheng
that she did not notice how silent her father and
mother were during the entire meal.
“I’m sorry…”
Yi Pa sheepishly wiped his forehead, not knowing how
to continue.
The bowl in his hand slipped and the rice fell out,
covering the table and vegetables.
Silence.
___________
“If Luo Xi does not leave, you will lose your job?”
Then-
Orphanage…
“Thank you.”
Luo Xi’s voice was polite but distance. Until the end of
dinner, the chicken wings lay untouched in his bowl.
Ten o’clock that night, Xia Mo’s phone rang. She looked
at the caller ID, “Ou Chen,” slowly inhaled to let her
feelings calmed down, the picked up the phone.
___________
This was all she could do for him. Even if she felt sorry,
this was the best she could do.
“Since you don’t like me, will you forget me once I’m
gone?”
“I will take good care of Milky.” She said. Cats were not
allowed on the plane.
“Wait!”