Golden Scale [EN]: Chapter 25

Thursday afternoon, Hou Longtao took Zhao Zhenyu to the School of Science of Beijing Union University (now renamed the School of Applied Sciences) on Yuehe Road in Haidian District. After circling around, they finally spotted a game arcade. Several bicycles and a dark green Toyota Camry were parked out front. Just as they were about to get out of the car, they saw several female students walking out. “Chen Xi, wait up!” A boy followed; it was Shi Long. “Tell your sister when you get home that I have to go to Shanghai with my mom this weekend, so I won’t be able to see her. I’ll take her out for dinner next week.”

“Can’t you just call her yourself?” A girl replied. It seemed she was Chen Qian’s cousin, Chen Xi. She was quite pretty, with a resemblance to Chen Qian around her eyes. “You’re living in her house now; I don’t want to call.” “Then how will you thank me?” “I’ll treat you to dinner another day.”

“Long, hurry up!” Someone shouted from inside. “Coming!” Shi Long responded, then said to Chen Xi, “See you later.” He turned and went back into the game arcade. “That kid is Shi Long,” Hou Longtao pointed him out to Zhao Zhenyu. “You know what to do, right?” “Don’t worry, Brother Tao, I guarantee I’ll take care of him.” Zhao Zhenyu finished speaking, got out of the car, and headed towards the game arcade.

Watching Chen Xi part ways with her classmates and ride her bicycle down the road, Hou Longtao’s mind began to formulate a plan. He floored the gas pedal and chased after her. It was a narrow road. Aside from the narrow sidewalks on both sides, there wasn’t even enough space in the middle for two Xialis [small, inexpensive cars] to drive side by side. The wide SL500 overtook Chen Xi’s bicycle at a moderate speed, and with a slight turn of the wheel, the rear of the car clipped the front wheel of the bicycle. “Ah!” A terrified scream came from outside the car, followed by the sound of the bicycle hitting the ground. Hou Longtao saw clearly in the rearview mirror that Chen Xi’s right ankle had struck the curb. It probably wasn’t a minor injury. He immediately stopped the car, took a few seconds to compose himself, put on a face of anxiety and apology, got out of the car, and quickly walked to the girl, who was still sitting on the ground. “Are you okay? I’m so sorry!” As he spoke, he helped her pick up the bicycle.

“How do you drive?” Her face was slightly flushed with anger, revealing an unexpected charm. Hou Longtao was momentarily stunned. He hadn’t noticed it from a distance, but up close, he realized that Chen Xi was no less beautiful than Chen Qian. For a moment, he was speechless.

The girl raised her head, about to continue her complaint, when she suddenly saw a handsome, well-dressed young man staring intently at her. His expression clearly showed that he was captivated by her beauty. Chen Xi, not yet nineteen, still harbored a girlish heart. She felt a mix of shyness and delight, blushed, lowered her head, and said softly, “Hey, I’m… I’m talking to you.”

“Ah,” Hou Longtao finally snapped out of it and quickly bent down to grab Chen Xi’s arm. “I’m really sorry; I shouldn’t have been answering the phone while driving. Are you hurt? Let me help you up.” “It doesn’t seem like anything serious, ah!” As soon as the girl stood up, she felt a sharp pain in her ankle. Her body swayed, and she fell into the man’s arms.

“What’s wrong?” Hou Longtao asked with concern, holding her.

Realizing that her face was pressed against the man’s chest, she cried out in embarrassment and pushed him away, freeing herself from his embrace. But she immediately felt another jolt of pain in her ankle, and her body involuntarily fell backward. Before the girl could cry out, Hou Longtao took two steps forward, put his left arm around her shoulders, and wrapped his right arm around her waist.

“You’ve probably sprained your ankle. I’ll take you to the hospital.” Their faces were so close that they could feel each other’s breath. Although Chen Xi was shy and embarrassed, she didn’t see a better option and could only nod lightly. She had had boyfriends before, so it wasn’t the first time she had been held by a man, but now the other person was a stranger, and in such a pose that she had only seen in movies. But for some reason, she didn’t find it entirely unpleasant.

“I don’t think you can walk.” Hou Longtao’s right hand left her waist, his left arm sank slightly, and his right arm scooped under her legs, lifting the girl up horizontally. Chen Xi guessed that he had no ill intentions, so she didn’t struggle. She just didn’t know whether to hug his neck or hold his chest, so she awkwardly placed her hands in front of her chest, looking rather comical. Even without holding the man’s body, Chen Xi felt secure. When they reached the car, the man bent his legs, hooked the door handle with two fingers of his right hand, and opened the door a crack. Then he used his right foot to push the door wider, and gently placed the girl into the car. “His movements are so gentle, and he’s so strong; it’s like I weigh nothing at all,” Chen Xi thought, surprised by her own thoughts.

Hou Longtao took the opportunity to help the girl lock her bicycle and secretly glanced at the tail of the SL500. He was worried that it had been scratched. A man’s feelings for his car were often as strong as his feelings for a woman. After this quick inspection, he breathed a sigh of relief. “Damn, German engineering is really something.” There wasn’t a single mark on the Benz [Mercedes-Benz].

Chen Xi, sitting in the car, looked at the full mahogany interior and touched the leather seat beneath her. “This car is pretty nice.” She also noticed the logo on the steering wheel and realized it was a high-end Benz sedan. “He doesn’t have the arrogance of Shi Long, so he probably isn’t just a spoiled rich kid. But he’s so young; how could he afford this kind of car? He must be very capable.” This preconceived notion made the girl feel even more favorably towards the man. She didn’t even blame him for injuring her…

Zhao Zhenyu entered the game arcade and looked around. The equipment wasn’t as good as “Yuntian’s” [another arcade], but perhaps because it was located near the college road where many universities were located, the atmosphere was slightly more refined than “Yuntian”.

Shi Long was intensely battling another boy in front of a “Samurai Shodown” machine, constantly trash-talking each other. Four or five people were watching. Shi Long slapped the machine. “Are you convinced? You’re no match for me!” It seemed he had won. “Again, again!” The other kid was still not convinced and inserted another game coin.

Zhao Zhenyu bought ten coins and watched a game. He knew that this kid had some skill, but it wouldn’t be a problem for him to handle. Shi Long’s opponent was defeated again. “Who’s next? Who wants to get beat?” No one answered for a long time. He was arguably the best “Samurai Shodown” player in this arcade.

“I’ll go.” Shi Long looked in the direction of the voice and saw a tough-looking kid. He didn’t take him seriously and curled his lips. “Come on.” Zhao Zhenyu used 60% of his strength and played fifteen games, winning five and losing ten. “I’m out of coins.”

“Phew.” Shi Long rubbed the sweat off his hands. “You play pretty well. You’re the first person who’s been able to win two games in a row against me. If you practice hard for another two years, you’ll definitely be able to win a couple more. Hahaha. Why haven’t I seen you here before?” Even though he won with great difficulty, he was still as arrogant as ever. This was not surprising. He had money and influence at home, his girlfriend was a super beauty, and he was rarely challenged in the game arcade. Anyone would feel triumphant.

“I’m not from around here. I just came to find someone today. I saw the arcade and my hands got itchy, so I came in to play a couple of games. You just got lucky; otherwise, I could definitely win a few more games.” Zhao Zhenyu repeated what Hou Longtao had told him to say. “Oh, you’re pretty cocky,” Shi Long said, displeased. “What’s the use of just talking tough? If you’re not convinced, come again.”

“It’s boring. Let’s bet something; otherwise, it’s a waste of effort, and we get nothing.” Zhao Zhenyu lit a cigarette. “Want one?” “I don’t smoke. You want to bet? Okay.” “Then one hundred yuan [Chinese currency] per game.” “Are you crazy!?” Shi Long looked at the tough guy again. “Do you even have that much money?”

“Tch, if you don’t dare to play, just make excuses. I think you’re the one who doesn’t have money.” “Hey, you looking down on me?” Shi Long couldn’t stand his contemptuous tone, especially since there were several kids watching. “It’s not like I’m going to lose to you. Come on.” Although he said so, he was still a little unsure because he only had less than two hundred yuan in his pocket. If he lost, he wouldn’t even have a chance to win it back…

A handsome young man walked into the X-ray room of Jishuitan Hospital (Beijing’s leading orthopedic hospital). He was holding a beautiful girl with delicate features. It was easy to guess who they were. The man put the girl on the X-ray table. “Doctor, take a picture.” He handed the emergency doctor’s instructions to the staff.

“Help her take off her shoes and socks, and roll up her trouser legs.” After reading the instructions, the doctor glanced at the two of them, assuming they were a couple. Since there was a doctor’s order, Hou Longtao certainly didn’t hesitate. He sat down in front of the beauty’s feet and gently took off her light blue sneakers and pink cotton socks.

Chen Xi’s pretty face was as red as a ripe apple. Although it would have been a little difficult for her to take them off herself, it was by no means impossible. But the man started as soon as the doctor finished speaking. She didn’t even have time to stop him and could only lower her head and acquiesce.

Hou Longtao carefully held that snow-white, soft foot and slowly pushed the girl’s long underwear and outer pants above her swollen ankle, with a look of guilt on his face. “I’m so sorry, Sister Chen… I…” “It’s alright, Brother Hou, I’m fine.” The two had already exchanged names on the way here.

The results of the X-ray came out. Chen Xi didn’t have a fracture, just a slight crack. She didn’t even need a cast. The doctor just used a bandage to tightly fix her ankle and foot together and warned her not to put any weight on her right foot. If she still felt uncomfortable after a week, she should come back for another checkup.

With Hou Longtao’s support, the beauty limped slowly out of the hospital. It didn’t hurt as much as it did at first, mainly because she was afraid there was something wrong with her bones, and her anxiety had exaggerated the pain. Now that she knew there was nothing serious, she really didn’t feel much pain.

On the way to take Chen Xi home, Hou Longtao asked her, “You can’t ride a bike for the time being. How will you get to school next week?” “I’ll take the bus, but I’ll have to get up a little earlier.” “That won’t do. What if your foot gets bumped when you’re squeezing onto the bus? How about this: I’ll pick you up and take you to school every day until you’re completely healed.”

“That’s too much trouble for you. It’s better not to. I’m really fine.” Chen Xi was a kind-hearted girl. “Don’t say it’s trouble. Even if it is, I have to do it. You were injured because of me, so I should at least take responsibility.” The man’s tone was firm, leaving no room for argument.

When they arrived in front of a tower building in the Wanjia Chang area near Gongzhufen, Hou Longtao stopped the car. “Don’t move.” After speaking, he got out and ran to the right side to help the girl open the car door, and then helped her down. “Which floor do you live on? I’ll take you up.”

“No need,” Chen Xi glanced at her watch. It was almost 6:00 PM. She guessed that her aunt and cousin had already returned home from work. She didn’t want her family to know about today’s events. “There’s an elevator, so there’s no need to climb the stairs.” It turned out that her parents were working out of town. In order to give their daughter a better education, they sent her back to Beijing to study when she was in the fifth grade. She had been living with her uncle’s family ever since and had grown up with Chen Qian like sisters. The Chen family had strict rules, especially because there were two beautiful young women in the family, so they were even more sensitive about relationships between men and women. When Chen Xi was in high school, she had a boyfriend, but the teacher found out and notified her uncle. Her parents even took time off from work to return to Beijing for this matter. She still remembered the feeling of being “grilled” by everyone. Her uncle and aunt had made it clear to her that she had to wait until she was twenty-one before she could have a boyfriend. Chen Qian was almost twenty-two when she found her first official boyfriend—Shi Long. In fact, Chen Xi and Hou Longtao had just met, and their relationship was very innocent, but firstly, she was afraid that her family would nag, and secondly, she did have a guilty conscience, subconsciously knowing that there was a high possibility of something developing, so the girl decided not to involve her family.

Hou Longtao estimated Chen Qian’s time to get off work and was racking his brains about how to avoid facing her for the time being. Now that Chen Xi wanted to go up by herself, she helped him a lot without knowing it, so he didn’t insist. “This is my business card. If your injury suddenly gets worse, be sure to call me. I’ll definitely be faster than an ambulance.” Chen Xi watched the man get into the car and was about to go home when she was stopped again. “Sister Chen, I forgot to ask you, do you have classes tomorrow morning?” “Yes.” “Then I’ll pick you up at 7:15, right here.” “Ah, would it be okay if I wait at the intersection at 7:15?” “Okay.” Just as he was about to close the car window, the girl added, “Brother Hou, you can just call me Xi…”

The Benz was on Chang’an Street. Hou Longtao thought about the last conversation with Chen Xi and couldn’t help but smile. The girl’s desire to keep her family in the dark was obvious to him. It would be best if he could hide it from Chen Qian, but it wouldn’t matter too much if he couldn’t. When he drove to the Military Museum, his phone rang. “Hello.” “Brother Tao, it’s Zhao Zhenyu.” “How did things go?” “According to your instructions, we played more than forty games, and I lost seven hundred to him. We agreed to fight again tomorrow afternoon.” “Was it too obvious?” “No, no, as you instructed, most of the wins and losses were only by one or two moves.”

“Not bad. Take a taxi there yourself tomorrow and lose another five hundred to him. Remember, you have to complain that the machine isn’t working well and ask him to play again next Wednesday. Then, after losing four hundred, say that the machine is against you and take him to ‘Yuntian’, and lose another six hundred to him, and let him win a little easier.”

“What if he doesn’t go?” “Hey, do I have to teach you everything? Show him a little weakness. That kid is arrogant and thinks he’s found a sucker, so there’s no reason for him not to go.” “Yes, yes, that’s why you’re the boss.” Zhao Zhenyu’s voice was full of respect…

At almost 10:30 in the evening, there were still many people enjoying themselves in the billiard hall on the second floor of “Yuntian”. “Fourth Brother, you’re really getting worse and worse. Before you went out, you used to beat me easily. Every time you come back in the summer, you’re worse than the year before. Now you’ve reached the point where I can beat you by five stars,” Long said, and with one shot, he sank the “black eight” ball.

“I’m not playing anymore.” Hou Longtao sat down on the sofa on the side. A “ball marker girl” [billiard attendant] came over to clean up the pool table. Long playfully slapped her butt. “What time do you get off work?” “Twelve o’clock. Don’t touch me; everyone can see.” “What does it matter? Watch me make you call me grandpa tonight.” “Get out of here.” The woman pushed him away with a smile.

“Okay, come here, come here.” Hou Longtao called him impatiently. Long swayed over and sat on another sofa. “Sichuan girl. I just broke her cherry a few days ago; there was a lot of blood. How about it? I’ll have her find one for you too.”

“No.” Hou Longtao rolled his eyes at him. “I’m telling you, why don’t you find a few decent girlfriends? Female college students, female office workers, anything is fine. Don’t always mess around with these low-class girls. Also, you should change your walking posture. Why are you still walking like a thug?”

“Hey, isn’t this because of you? You should talk more to Fifth Brother; he just knows how to visit prostitutes. What if he gets a disease?” “Hehehe, okay, okay, I didn’t say anything. How are Third Brother and Er Dezhi’s companies doing? I don’t usually see them either.” “Not good. There are more advertising companies now than public toilets. We are new companies with no reputation, so we haven’t received many orders.”

“Isn’t Er Dezhi’s old man quite influential in CCTV [China Central Television]? Why doesn’t he introduce a few customers?” “Hmph, Third Brother and Fifth Brother aren’t short of money. They don’t care whether they have business or not. They just occupy a place in the office building and chase after those office ladies every day. Anyway, they pay me a salary, so I’m happy to be idle.”

Hou Longtao shook his head helplessly.

“No wonder you’re idle all day long. After a while, I’ll have an advertisement to make, so I’ll keep you busy for a while. How’s that thing I asked you to do going?” “Still nothing. I’ve taken people there these past two days, but I haven’t found anyone. That kid has skipped two days of class, and there’s no sign of him after school,” Long complained irritably.

“Then go again tomorrow. If not tomorrow, then go again next week, until you catch him.” “Okay, as long as you reimburse me for the car fare and meal money.” “After it’s over, don’t forget to tell your people to stay at home for a while and tell them not to run around.” Hou Longtao viciously twisted the cigarette butt in the ashtray again and again…

Just as the two brothers were chatting, a few kilometers away, a pair of sisters were getting ready to sleep. There were two single beds in the room. Chen Xi was sitting on one of them, wearing a set of yellow pajamas covered with bears, holding Hou Longtao’s business card in her hands. Thinking of the strange tension and excitement she felt when he touched the skin on her foot today, and thinking of his concerned expression when he opened the car door for her, she felt a sweet sensation in her heart. Young, promising, and well-mannered men are always more likely to be favored by women.

Chen Qian, who had just finished taking a shower, walked into the room wearing a set of pajamas exactly the same as her sister’s, except that they were blue. She combed her long hair. “Xi, does your foot still hurt? You’re really clumsy; you can sprain your foot even when you go downstairs.” Suddenly, she noticed that Chen Xi’s expression was strange, and there was a blush on her face. “Xi, Xi, what’s wrong with you?”

“Ah,” Chen Xi snapped out of her thoughts and found her sister in the room. She quickly put the business card under the pillow. “No… nothing. I have to go to class tomorrow morning, so I’m going to sleep. You should go to bed early too.” After speaking, she wrinkled her nose at a big teddy bear placed on the bedside and lay down.

The two sisters originally had a very good relationship and told each other almost everything, but now that Chen Qian and Shi Long were dating, and Chen Xi didn’t like Shi Long’s character very much, she didn’t want her sister to tell him her secrets, so the girl didn’t tell Chen Qian about today’s events. (Some readers will definitely ask, since Chen Qian’s parents didn’t allow her to date before the age of twenty-one, how could they allow her to choose a nineteen-year-old boy as her boyfriend? This is a story for later, so don’t worry. In the past, there were some contents that were not very reasonable in the front, and then there were explanations in the back, which were said to be funny and nonsense, so I would like to make it clear here.)

Chen Qian turned off the desk lamp, got into her bed, and looked sideways at the moonlight shining on her sister’s body. “That girl must be hiding something from me. Hmph, she doesn’t want her sister anymore now that she’s growing up. Ah, could it be that she has a boyfriend? I must get her to tell me the truth another day.” Although Chen Qian was too inexperienced compared to Hou Longtao’s “cunning and slyness”, she was, after all, a professional woman, and she could still guess Chen Xi’s thoughts.