0030: Visiting as a Guest

Bai Xiaoxiao walked to the bike shed by herself. She recalled the day’s exam, and after reassuring herself nothing had gone wrong, took a deep breath. But once she let go of the exam, her mind filled with the image of a boy—like her, he was thin, but rather good-looking.

Yet, compared to this, what puzzled her more was his apparent concern for her. At first, she wondered if he might be interested in her. But after glancing at herself in the mirror at home, she doubted it. Even if he really was, she knew she couldn't respond in kind.

Back in middle school, reading those romance novels, she too had yearned for beautiful love stories. But now, she understood she needed nothing but her studies. Only by studying hard could she get into a good university, earn money, and bring happiness to her parents.

Just as she gripped the worn handlebars and pushed her bike out of the shed, a familiar yet somewhat unfamiliar figure blocked her path.

“Hello, Xu Lin.”

“Hello, Senior Bai, there’s something I’d like to talk to you about.”

“Xu Lin, I…”

“It’s not about dating, don’t worry. It’s something else. Could we talk outside?”

“All right.” She glanced at Xu Lin walking beside her. Truth be told, she had trouble refusing people.

Not to mention society, even at school, students had already become creatures obsessed with appearances. If a handsome boy and a pretty girl walked together, people would stare and wonder if they were a couple, then try to find out which class they were from. But if two average-looking students walked together, no one cared—a reality too true to ignore.

They didn’t run into any acquaintances along the way. Xu Lin simply walked behind her as they left the school gates.

“Aren’t you riding a bike?” she asked.

“No.”

“Then I’ll walk with you,” she said, stepping off her bike and leaving the bike lane.

“I want to apologize to you.”

“Why… do you want to apologize?”

“Because I misunderstood your friends—they’re all good girls.”

“Yes, they know my family isn’t well-off, so they always ask me to bring them breakfast or something else, but every time, they pay for mine as well.”

“Honestly, I thought they were the kind of girls who bully honest students. I’d planned to talk to them, and if they didn’t listen, I’d call the police.”

“Thank you for your concern, Xu Lin. We’ve only met once, yet there really are more kind people in this world.”

She unexpectedly raised her head and smiled at him, revealing teeth so white and even they seemed to shine against her complexion.

“So if you have any difficulties, you can tell me. I’ll do my best to help you.”

“Why do you want to help me, Xu Lin? Is it just out of kindness?”

“You’re curious?” For the first time, Xu Lin found himself questioned for doing a good deed.

“Maybe it’s because I was like you in the past. Thanks to others’ help, I became different, striving forward.”

Xu Lin thought of his college classmates from his previous life. He’d always been a withdrawn, socially awkward person, from elementary to high school. He had friends, but never knew how to socialize. It wasn’t until university that his roommates taught him the skills to survive in society and helped him become much more outgoing.

He was deeply grateful to those classmates. Even if they might not be roommates in this lifetime, if he ever had the means, he’d like to have a meal with them again, just to say thank you.

As Bai Xiaoxiao watched Xu Lin’s changing expression, she felt he probably wasn’t lying.

“By the way, Senior Bai Xiaoxiao, could you tell me about your family?”

“There’s nothing special. My family came here to work, so we have to be thrifty.”

Hearing the word “family,” she slowly clenched her palm, gripping her oversized school uniform tight to her body.

“Every family has its hardships. I’m just a high schooler and can’t help much. I’d like to visit your home, if that’s all right?”

“Huh? Right now?”

“Right now.”

“My place is a bit far. It’ll take over half an hour on foot. If you want, get on the bike, I’ll give you a ride.”

Xu Lin glanced at her bicycle—it wasn’t a mountain bike, just an old, ordinary one. Much of the paint had peeled, but like her shoes, it was meticulously clean.

Without hesitation, he grabbed the handlebars. “Hop on, I’ll give you a ride.”

“No, it’s pretty far. You’ll get tired.”

“I can manage. You’re so light, it won’t be a problem.”

Seeing how insistent he was, she shyly let go of the handlebars, and Xu Lin swung onto the bike. She hesitated, then moved to the back.

“Shall we walk a bit further, so there are no students around before I get on?”

“Sure. But what’s there to be embarrassed about? Look over there.”

Following Xu Lin’s gaze, she saw a girl in a school uniform hop onto a motorcycle with a boy who was clearly no student. As soon as she got on, he turned to embrace her, and their lips met right away.

She quickly closed her eyes and turned her head away. “I think that’s not very good. As students… we should know better.”

“Yes, and it’s easy to get hurt. But even so, plenty of young boys and girls still fall into such traps. It’s only when they grow up and understand that they realize.”

“Regret is a word born from experience and hindsight, isn’t it?”

“But love is a mysterious thing. I’ve seen couples who started dating in middle school, stayed together through high school, and lived normal lives afterward.”

“So, there are things I don’t like or approve of, but I won’t completely dismiss them. People should respect their own choices, good or bad.”

“After all, who can know what the future holds?”

Xu Lin’s words made her feel that this junior was nothing like other boys—he seemed to have experienced so much.

“All right, there’s no one around. Get on.”

“Okay. But isn’t it a long way for you to go to my place and then go back home?”

“It’s fine, just half an hour or so. Hold on tight, we’re heading out!”

With a low shout, Xu Lin pressed down hard on the pedal. He was no longer the person he used to be. A slim girl—lifting off was nothing! His legs tensed, and with a powerful push, the bike shot forward. A pair of hands instinctively grabbed his waist, then quickly let go.

“Sorry.”

“Hold on tight! If our genders were reversed, you could be more careful. I’m a grown man—I’m more afraid you’d take advantage of me. Just don’t grab the wrong place.”

“Oh.”

They rode for more than ten minutes. The tall buildings around them gradually gave way to three- or four-story old shop-houses lining both sides of the road. They continued along for a few more minutes until a large sign appeared by the roadside: Bamboo Lane.

Xu Lin slowed down and turned onto the narrow path. As soon as they entered, the bike jolted—the asphalt gave way to dirt.

He slowed even more, and after a dozen or so meters, the road became slightly smoother.

“The road here really is hard to ride on,” he remarked.

“Mm, but they say it’ll be paved this year.”

“They said that five years ago.”

Xu Lin looked at the low brick houses and the narrow, endless alleys barely wide enough for one person. He realized that this legendary Bamboo Lane was exactly as described.

It was called Bamboo Lane, but had nothing to do with bamboo. Many years ago, there was a chopstick workshop here, which gave the place its name. The workshop had long since closed, but the name remained. Now, it was one of the few areas in Linshui City that hadn’t been redeveloped.

It was wedged between two roads, with more than three hundred households waiting for the day their homes would be demolished for new housing—but the wait had stretched on for seven or eight years. Over time, it became a haven for the elderly and migrant workers. The young had bought homes elsewhere, leaving the old to guard the family houses. When demolition finally came, the young would return to split the compensation. Migrants gathered here too because the rent was cheap and the location not too remote, though the environment left much to be desired.

“Xiaoxiao, back from school?” someone called.

“Yes.”

“Who’s this with you, Xiaoxiao?”

“A classmate.”

“A classmate? Not your boyfriend?”

“Haha, stop teasing the child.”

“Good evening, Sister Xiaoxiao!”

“Good evening, Xiaoli.”

Xu Lin continued riding deeper into the alleys, but the greetings from all around never ceased. It seemed everyone knew Bai Xiaoxiao and was on familiar terms with her. Every alley, every face was friendly, as if this little place was one big family.

“Everyone here is so friendly,” he said.

“Yes, that’s why, even though the environment isn’t the best, I think of this place as my home.”

When she said this, her eyes shone with a gentle, sincere light.