Xiaotao then sent me her address. Within minutes, I was dressed and ready to go. Dali, who was sitting on his bed and playing with his phone, asked me, “Dude, it’s so late now and you’re still going out?”
“Xiaotao discovered some clues about the case. I have to go check it out.”
“Will you come back tonight? Want me to leave the door unlocked for you?”
“No, it’s fine. I’ll probably be pulling an all-nighter.”
“Want me to go with you?”
“No, not this time.”
When I thought about it, this exchange between me and Dali really did sound like I was speaking with my wife. Xiaotao wasn’t completely wrong after all. The thought of that made me blush again.
In order to look convincing, I brought my bag with me and hailed a taxi outside the college gate. After about half an hour, I reached Xiaotao’s apartment complex and I suddenly felt nervous. This would be my very first time going to a girl’s house in the middle of the night. As I was in the elevator going up to Xiaotao’s room, my throat went dry. When I knocked on Xiaotao’s door, my hands were pathetically shaking.
As I waited for Xiaotao to get the door, I could hear the sound of my heart beating in my chest. What should I say to her the moment we meet?
Before I could think of the right words, the door opened. Xiaotao was wearing a loose dress that exposed her slender jade-like legs. She wore a pair of cute bear slippers and her hair was wrapped in a white towel. There was a black patch on her nose. A sweet and refreshing fragrance wafted from her body and I could see that her skin was slightly red. She must’ve just come out of a hot shower.
“I’ll… I’ll finish the dumplings and go back immediately,” I stupidly mumbled.
Even as I was saying it, another part of me was sneering at myself. What a coward! I thought. Did I really rush all the way to Xiaotao’s house in the middle of the night just to eat dumplings? Give me a break!
Then Xiaotao’s exposed collarbone caught my eyes, and they trailed downwards where I noticed two pointy bumps on her chest. I then remembered how girls usually didn’t wear bras at home. That thought turned me as red as a tomato.
Pathetic! I cursed myself. You utter loser!
“What are you gawking at?” she barked. “Come inside already! And don’t forget to change into indoor slippers!”
“Okay.”
I changed my shoes and put my backpack on the sofa. I looked around. Xiaotao’s apartment wasn’t big, but it felt very warm and welcoming. The floor of her living room was covered under a soft carpet with cartoon characters on it. There were also a few teddy bears on the sofa. I didn’t expect Xiaotao to have such a girly side. The sofa was large and orange in color, and it looked very comfortable to sit or lie down on. Beside the sofa was a coffee table, and there was a basket full of fruits on it. The whole house had a fragrance to it which was the typical scent of a girl’s boudoir.
“It’s really warm in my house. You should take off your jacket. Or are you afraid of me?”
“ I won’t be here long anyway. Do I need to take it off?”
Xiaotao waved her hand and said, “Then don’t bother coming inside. I’ll just hand you the dumplings in a plastic bag and you can be on your way.”
“Oh… okay, that’s fine.”
“You idiot!” Xiaotao burst into laughter. “Take off your jacket now goddammit!”
I quietly obeyed, then followed her into the kitchen. I saw the package of frozen dumplings in the trash can. She lifted the lid of a pot and ladled some dumplings into a bowl and served it on the table. She asked me if I wanted some vinegar to go with it, but she didn’t wait for my answer and just dripped vinegar onto the dumplings.
“I feel like I might have anorexia lately,” she revealed. “I can’t eat much even when I’m really hungry. Sometimes I can barely finish half a bowl of instant noodles.”
“If you go on like that, you’ll burn out sooner or later,” I cautioned her.
“I know, I know,” she sighed. “But what can I do? The life of a police officer is just too stressful. I can’t help myself.”
“I can go back and prepare some herbal medicine to help with your appetite and energy if you like,” I suggested.
“No, no, there’s no need for that,” she shook her head.
The dumplings smelled scrumptious. It had been a while since I’d last eaten fresh dumplings. In no time at all, half of the bowl’s contents were gone. Then I noticed that Xiaotao had been staring at me while I was eating. I stopped immediately and asked her, “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“The way you’re eating it makes it look so delicious,” she said. “I feel a bit hungry now.”
“Let me get another bowl for you then,” I suggested and was about to get up.
“No, I don’t feel like cleaning an extra bowl. I’ll just eat one from your bowl instead.”
She then opened her mouth, revealing two rows of perfectly white teeth. I was stunned. Was she expecting me to feed her?
I had no choice but to comply. I picked up a dumpling with the chopsticks and carefully placed it in her mouth.
“Mmm, delicious!” she exclaimed after chewing for a while. “Feed me more!”
In the end, I fed Xiaotao five little dumplings.
“I’m full now!” she announced. “I guess the best way to treat anorexia is to watch other people eat! Maybe you should come around more often!”
“But I have classes to attend…”
“Do you have evening classes?”
I was rendered speechless by that response, so I just buried my head into the bowl and gobbled up the remaining dumplings. I was about to wash the dishes for her, but she stopped me.
“Leave it in the sink,” she ordered. “I’ll do the dishes later.”
I didn’t want to be rude by refusing her, so I just did what I was told.
Now that I had finished the food, I told Xiaotao it was time for me to go back. She glanced at the clock on the wall and said, “But it’s almost eleven o’clock—aren’t the gates to your dorm closed by now? Just sleep here tonight.”
“No, that would be inappropriate!” I shook my head repeatedly.
“Don’t misunderstand me! You’ll sleep on the sofa and I’ll sleep in my room. What’s inappropriate about that?”
“But I’m a guy… Is it wise to let a guy spend the night at your place?”
“Idiot! Do you think I’d let any guy spend the night here? I’m doing this because it’s you, and I know that I can trust you completely.”
She then got up and told me, “I’ll go get you a blanket.”
Xiaotao went into her bedroom and rummaged through her closet in search of a blanket, leaving the door open in the process.
I took the opportunity to take a peek at her room. It was casually decorated and looked very cozy and inviting. A large bed was fitted with pink sheets, and the mattress looked as soft as clouds, as if one could completely disappear inside it. There was a computer desk next to the bed with a white Apple MacBook on top of it. I could picture Xiaotao sitting cross-legged on the bed while typing on the laptop. She must look very serious yet very cute at the same time.
After a while, Xiaotao returned with a wool blanket in her hand.
“Will this blanket be enough for the night?” she asked.
“Yes,” I nodded.
“If you get thirsty, just help yourself with the water dispenser in the kitchen,” she said. “There are paper cups next to it. Oh, and you know where the toilet is, don’t you? If anything happens, just knock on my door…”
She paused and smiled. “I don’t think you’ll be knocking on my door, though.”
“Uh… okay!” I nodded again, not knowing how else to respond.
“Good night, then!”
“Good night!”
She was just about to go back into her bedroom, but she suddenly turned around and smiled at me. “It’s still early, though. Should we do something together before going to sleep?”
If you could picture the scene at the time, you would understand how I felt. There Xiaotao was, in a simple dress that revealed her slender and seductive legs. One of her hands was resting on the door, and the hem of her dress was raised ever so slightly by her raised shoulder. To top it all off, she was asking me that question in the most playful tone.
I could almost hear the rush of my blood to my head. I was probably as bright and red as a fifty-watt light bulb!
She came nearer and asked again, “How about we do something exciting together?”
“What… What do you mean?” My heart rate probably shot up to 150 beats per minute. Xiaotao was only inches away from me, and her scent filled my nose, almost intoxicating me. I was dying of anticipation for what was coming next, but my throat was too dry to say anything.
“Wait here, I’ll go get something.” She winked and disappeared into her room.