◎Stop Stringing Me Along, Li Xia. Let’s Date◎
It was as if she’d found the perfect opening into F’s world. Li Xia even forgot to be shocked that he was Lin Hong’s son. She just kept asking, “What did you mean earlier when you said he’d fallen out with his family?”
Lin Hong glanced at Li Xia.
“Back then, he wanted to study art and go to art school, but his dad wouldn’t have it. He wanted him to study economics so he could help manage the family hotels someday. They had a huge falling-out over it. His dad wouldn’t pay for art school, so I covered part of it, and he earned the rest himself. During the years he studied abroad, his relationship with his dad grew even more distant. It was only because I kept bridging the gap that things eased up a bit.”
As Li Xia listened, she finally understood what Fang Zeqing had meant about his family dynamics. It turned out he simply hadn’t had their support.
A person stubbornly pursuing something unrecognized and misunderstood by others.
Directing might always be the lingering note in his life that he’d never fully played out, yet everyone else turned a blind eye and turned a deaf ear.
Li Xia asked, “Couldn’t his dad understand him even a little?”
Lin Hong replied, “His dad had just one thing to say: ‘Win a big award, then we’ll talk.'”
“…”
Lin Hong sighed. “He’s been prepping for that Venice Award lately—I don’t really get it. When he came back from shooting something recently, he’d lost a ton of weight. The pressure was immense. That’s when I realized he was doing it partly out of spite toward his dad.”
Li Xia said, “It might not be entirely spite. When you love something that much, you naturally want to achieve something with it. Maybe we’re all idealists deep down.”
She recalled Fang Zeqing saying, “I’ve been busy proving myself.”
Li Xia could hardly imagine how devastating that phone call must have been for him that night. She’d only thought it was one more failure.
Lin Hong said, “What’s wrong with being an idealist? Financially free, spiritually independent—what else is there to pursue if not your ideals?”
Li Xia nodded.
“But Xia Xia, why the sudden interest in him?”
Amusement and curiosity sparkled in Lin Hong’s eyes. Li Xia knew she’d let the cat out of the bag. Her face flushed bright red in an instant. “I—I was just asking casually.”
Lunch was made by Lin Hong herself. Li Xia raved about how much she loved Lin Hong’s bamboo shoots, so Lin Hong laughed and said to come over more often.
After lunch, she got a message from F: 【Done hanging out with your friend?】
【I want to come see you】
Li Xia: 【Not yet】
F: 【What friend takes this long?】
Li Xia sneaked a glance at Lin Hong, a small smile tugging at her lips.
On her phone, he was still complaining: 【I didn’t see you yesterday, and now I’ve waited all morning】
【You’re leaving tomorrow】
【When are you gonna make time for me?】
He sounded like he was sulking. Li Xia: 【Then come find me】
F: 【Okay, send me the address】
Li Xia couldn’t resist teasing him: 【Don’t you know your own home’s address?】
There was an obvious pause on his end.
Li Xia: 【Fang Zeqing, you’ve been hiding that pretty well】
A voice message from F came through right away.
As if he didn’t have time to type, he said: 【I’m heading back now】
–
It took half an hour to drive from downtown. In the meantime, Li Xia and Lin Hong finished chatting about her new book. Lin Hong suggested a stroll nearby, so they took the little dog out together.
They walked along a tree-lined path and soon reached an artificial lake. They’d just sat down in a gazebo when Lin Hong got a call. Some delivery needed her personal signature. Melon Seed was romping happily on the grass, so Lin Hong said not to worry about back-and-forth and told Li Xia to wait there. She could play with Melon Seed if she wanted.
Li Xia agreed.
As soon as Lin Hong left, Li Xia got up to check on the little dog. She had to make sure it was safe. Melon Seed’s fur was gorgeous. Right then, it stood at the lake’s edge, peering into the water, then back at Li Xia, barking a few times.
“You want to go swimming?” Li Xia crouched down and asked.
“Can you swim?”
The little dog pawed at the ground and barked at her, clearly desperate.
Li Xia knew Border Collies could swim—she’d checked the lake water, and it looked clean enough. But she hesitated. Lin Hong wasn’t there. Should she let it go in? Melon Seed seemed to sense her doubt. It suddenly splashed into the shallows, paddled around in a circle to show off, then obediently climbed back out.
Li Xia jumped at first, but seeing it wagging its tail and behaving, she patted its head gently. “Okay, then. You can only play nearby, and you have to come when I call, got it?”
Melon Seed swam joyfully in the water, splashing around. Li Xia laughed and snapped photos of its bobbing head and big eyes. It swam even more exuberantly, showing off.
Honestly, Li Xia hadn’t felt this carefree in a long time.
She used to take Bread to swim lessons. The first time was a total flop—its little butt and stubby legs flailing in the water, barely moving forward. It was like treading water in place. Li Chun had said its legs were too short, not enough power. Li Xia had burst out laughing.
But that was gone now.
Gazing at the happy, dashing little figure not far away, her smile faded as a thought struck her:
She no longer had her own little dog.
The lake surface was perfectly still, without a breath of wind, but Li Xia’s eyes welled up with a stinging ache. She wanted to cry but held it back, afraid Lin Hong would see when she returned.
Ten minutes passed with no sign of Lin Hong. Li Xia called Melon Seed out of the water.
That’s when she noticed it: sopping wet from the lake, fur dripping, but it wasn’t shaking off or barking. Something felt wrong. Li Xia rushed over in a panic.
She stroked its head over and over, calling its name, asking what was wrong, if it hurt anywhere. But the little dog couldn’t speak. It just weakly lifted its eyes to her. Li Xia sank to the ground and burst into tears. She regretted it so much—why hadn’t she just kept it on a leash? What right did she have to decide on her own?
She’d failed to care for her own dog, and now she was causing trouble for someone else’s. What kind of person was she?
In mere seconds, Melon Seed convulsed a few times and vomited up water and food onto the grass. Li Xia was terrified. Her hands shook as she pulled out her phone. She didn’t even dare tell Lin Hong. Instead, she called F.
“Fang Zeqing.”
“I—I let Melon Seed play in the water for a bit, and now… now it’s not doing well.”
Li Xia babbled apologies incoherently.
By the time Fang Zeqing arrived, Li Xia had brought the little dog to the grass in front of the gazebo. Melon Seed was nibbling on grass by itself while Li Xia held its leash, crying uncontrollably nearby. She didn’t want to, but she was just too scared. She couldn’t bear another loss. The guilt would kill her.
“Why are you crying like this?”
Her eyelashes and cheeks were streaked with tears. Fang Zeqing reached to wipe them away, but Li Xia pushed his hand off and choked out what had happened.
Fang Zeqing crouched down to check on the little dog.
He asked, “Did it eat too much at lunch?”
Li Xia thought back. She’d been chatting nonstop with Lin Hong and hadn’t paid attention.
Fang Zeqing nodded. “Border Collies often have sensitive stomachs. Too much food plus immediate exercise, and some lake water on top—it’s fine. It’ll feel better after throwing up and eating grass. Just give it some probiotics when you get home.”
“Li Xia.”
Li Xia kept her eyes downcast, silent.
Finally, she said, “Take me to the vet to get it checked.”
“You don’t trust me?”
“It’s not that.”
She was just too afraid. She could barely look at Fang Zeqing.
“Here’s an idea: I’ll call the vet right now and ask. Okay?”
On video, after hearing the details, the vet said the same thing as Fang Zeqing. They just needed to monitor the dog’s condition closely.
“See? It’s not a big deal.” Fang Zeqing reassured her.
Li Xia finally exhaled a long breath of relief.
She looked up at him. “I’m really sorry.”
Fang Zeqing ruffled her hair. “It’s okay now.”
They sat on a bench. Melon Seed seemed better. Fang Zeqing tweaked its ears. “You scared your big sister today, you know that? You even made her cry.”
The little dog blinked, tail wagging as it glanced at Li Xia.
“Now go make her happy.”
Melon Seed dashed over. Li Xia sat with her legs together, and it rested its head on her lap, pawing at her hand with its pink pads, trying to cheer her up. Li Xia patted its head and apologized. Melon Seed hopped onto the bench, curled up on her lap, and went perfectly still, ever so obedient.
Being comforted like this by the little dog made Li Xia’s heart ache.
She smoothed its fur, feeling the warmth of its belly. Her eyes burned hot and sour again.
Fang Zeqing sat beside her and rubbed her back.
“Don’t worry anymore. We’ve had situations like this before. It’s not your fault—we didn’t warn you ahead of time, right?” He took her hand and stroked it gently. “No one’s blaming you.”
Li Xia just hung her head, silent.
“It’s bigger than it looks, but it has a real glass stomach,” Fang Zeqing tried to lighten the mood. “Corgis are probably tougher. Did you ever take Bread swimming?”
“…”
“Li Xia?”
Li Xia’s chest felt tight, her throat clogged. The tears she’d held back for so long—grief, longing—fell one by one, uncontrolled, onto her hand, onto the dog’s fur. Fang Zeqing fumbled for tissues, but Li Xia didn’t take them. She couldn’t stop crying.
“Bread’s gone,” she said, her voice trembling.