Take Me Home

It was a month before the college entrance exam when Old Zhang treated us to a meal. We had a lot to drink that evening. With the three years of high school coming to an end, everyone was feeling sentimental. By the end, with Old Zhang and Old Jia joining in, all thirteen of us were quite drunk, talking nonsense after a few rounds of drinks. Old Jia grabbed Yang Xu's hand, saying he wanted to make him his goddaughter, and Yang Xu, stammering, swore at him, saying, "I'm a real man." We all laughed uncontrollably. When the night ended and everyone was heading home, Du Feiyu was too drunk to get into a car, insisting she wouldn't leave in one. Fortunately, her home wasn't too far away, so I walked with her.

It was summer, and even at night, the air was damp and stifling. Under the dim streetlights, I helped her walk, step by step. There were fewer people on the street now; in our small town, this was the norm. After dark, there's no nightlife here. Most people were either home or at the temple.

It should've been a romantic scene, but damn mosquitoes ruined it. I hate those disgusting blood-suckers. In the middle of summer, they swarm around you, taking advantage when you're distracted, feeding off your blood, and to top it off, they inject venom into you. They're like the ones who complain after eating their fill.

I kept swatting the little bastards away, saying to Du Feiyu, "Honey, why don't we take a cab instead?" She was flushed, probably from the alcohol, but honestly, she looked much better than her usual pale self. She shook her head and said, "No need. If you don't want to walk with me, you can head home."

As soon as the mosquitoes stopped biting, I realized I had a problem—I'm like a mosquito magnet. This was proven countless times when I was in university. In a dorm with four people, on a summer night with the window open, I'd wake up to find I had been bitten over a dozen times while the other three were untouched. From then on, my roommates would enthusiastically invite me to sleep in their dorm, claiming it was to strengthen our friendship, but I knew it was just to use me as mosquito bait.

Well, since she said it, I didn't want to refuse. Just like giving blood. What else could I do? After all, what she says is law.

I didn't say anything and kept helping her walk. After a while, she suddenly pushed me away and ran under the streetlight to vomit.

I thought, what a disaster. Why drink so much if you can't handle it? I quickly went over and gently patted her back. When she was done, I took out the half-bottle of mineral water I had left over from earlier in the day and gave it to her to rinse her mouth. Speaking of water, we just called it "purified water" in our hometown. Here's a joke from high school: once, we went on a trip and bought a bottle of Master Kong mineral water at a train station. After giving it to Yang Xu, he took a sip, and his face changed immediately. He couldn't spit it out on the train, so he swallowed and then told me, "What is this crap? Tastes like bleach." I took the bottle from him and looked carefully—it said "Kong Shuai Fu Mineral Water"! It was a complete knockoff, same packaging, but a different name. When I smelled it, it really had a strong bleach smell. The water was full of impurities. I thought, damn, this "Kong Shuai Fu" was truly "pure money water."

Back to the present, I gave Du Feiyu the water, warning her to drink slowly so she wouldn't choke. After rinsing her mouth, she tried to stand but wobbled unsteadily. I rushed to support her and walked her to a bench by the roadside where people could rest. She sat down, resting her head on my shoulder, and fell quiet. I was drenched in sweat, out of breath. She wasn't light—probably over ninety pounds. With my 170 cm frame, carrying her was exhausting.

But then, once I caught my breath, I felt something strange. The atmosphere had shifted. Her head was still on my shoulder, but her hand was lightly resting on my thigh!

Wait, hold on. Normally, she'd give me a dirty look if I even tried to hold her hand. What's going on? We were so close now, if I wanted to kiss her, I could probably do it in two seconds. The scent of alcohol mixed with her body fragrance filled my senses, and I swallowed hard. Could this be what they call a drunken impulse?

Could it be that tonight, I might finally lose my virginity and step into the adult world? Well, let's see how she reacts.

Just as I was getting bold, preparing to make my move, I noticed her breathing had changed. Then, I felt my shoulder getting wet.

Holy crap! Is she trying to seduce me? No, she's crying, isn't she?

I looked down at her. She was crying—quietly, without making any sound. She was biting her right hand to keep herself quiet. I couldn't help but feel a sudden sadness in my chest. She seemed to notice me looking, and in a calm voice, said, "Don't look."

She was usually strong and indifferent, so this was the first time I'd seen her cry. I didn't know what to do, so I just murmured, "Okay," and turned my head away, letting her wipe her tears and snot on my T-shirt. The streetlight cast a faint glow, and everything around us became still. The only sound was her soft sobbing. In that moment, it felt like we were the only two people in the world.

After a while, she spoke in a very calm tone, "You're a good person."

A good person? I half-jokingly said, "Of course I know I'm a good person. After all, only good people get bullied." But at that moment, I didn't fully understand what her words meant.

She moved her head off my shoulder and looked up at the night sky. In my hometown, you could see so many stars at night. It was beautiful. I didn't say anything, just looked at her. For some reason, in that moment, I felt like this scene was somehow sacred and untouchable.

She continued, "Do you know? When I was little, I was... raped."

What? I stared at her, wondering if she was just saying this because she was drunk. But when she saw me silent, she continued in a hoarse voice, "He was my boyfriend in middle school. I was so scared when it happened. I ran home, crying and crying. My dad asked me what happened, but I couldn't say a word. When my dad saw my clothes all messed up, he understood. He went to the guy's house, beat him up, and sent him to the police. Then I transferred schools. Do you know? I hate men. I hate all men."

My mind went blank. I didn't know what to say, just kept staring at her. I didn't know what any other guy would do in this situation, but all I wanted was to comfort her, though I didn't know how to start.

She looked at me for a long time. I felt uneasy under her gaze, as if her eyes could see straight into my soul. She murmured, "Do you know? Ever since I came here, I haven't talked to anyone about this. But these three years here have been the happiest of my life. Because of you. Because of you, I've slowly opened up. Watching you all so happy, my heart has started to brighten. Because of you... do you know?"

What do I know? I felt panicked by her question. I was speechless, but she continued, "You're a good person, Cui Zuofei. At first, I just needed someone to make me feel better, so I asked you to be my boyfriend. But I was just playing with you, you fool. I thought you'd get fed up with my temper and leave, but you didn't. You're still... still..." She trailed off, starting to cry again.

At that moment, something stirred within me. I gathered the courage to pull her into my arms, holding her tightly. She didn't resist, just cried, saying, "It's been over a year, and you're still the same as when we started, tolerant of me. You fool. Do you deserve this?"

Do I deserve it? I don't know. Maybe I'm just a fool who lets things happen. Maybe after going through life and death, I've learned to cherish what's around me. Or maybe I don't want to have any regrets. After hearing her words, I realized something—that maybe I had really fallen for her. I don't know why. Watching her cry made me want to cry too. That's all.

I let go of her and looked into her eyes, saying, "Don't think about the past. As long as we're alive, everything will pass. Trust me."

She froze for a moment, looking at me. I wasn't sure if my words were too deep for her or if hearing them from someone like me felt strange. Then she smiled, her tears still in her eyes, and said, "You fool."

What happened next was completely unexpected. I felt a hand cover my eyes, and then... I felt the soft, cold touch of her lips on mine. My God! What is this feeling? It's intoxicating. Before I could savor it, I opened my eyes again. She was standing, smiling at me.

The wind had picked up, bringing a cool breeze that made the stifling night feel a bit more refreshing. Her hair, her ponytail, and the white, slightly oversized T-shirt she wore fluttered in the wind. Under the streetlight, she looked so fragile. She smiled at me and said, "The wind's picking up. Take me home."

I licked my lips, tasting the alcohol, and my heart started racing wildly.