ECG -Chapter 58 The Transparent Washbasin

Wu Xiaozhou and Fatty Meng arrived at Yanjing Railway Station at six-thirty in the morning.

It was too early to call the lawyer, and neither of them even knew which direction to head in, so they first found a small restaurant near the station and had breakfast.

After eating, the two sat on the steps of a pedestrian overpass, smoking.

Fatty Meng looked indignant.

“If I ever eat at a station-front restaurant again, I’m a damn grandson!”

Wu Xiaozhou chuckled. The noodles at that restaurant had been truly awful. It felt as if they had been boiled and then left soaking in water overnight. They had absolutely no chewiness.

It was supposedly beef noodles, yet after digging through the broth for ages, they found only three slices of beef thinner than paper. He genuinely admired the chef’s skill—if only that effort had been put into the food itself.

“Fatty, think about it. Have you ever had anything good to eat at a train station or bus station?” Wu Xiaozhou asked.

Fatty Meng thought for a moment.

“You know, now that you mention it, only places like KFC or McDonald’s are decent. Sure, they’re a bit expensive, but at least everything tastes the same wherever you go!”

Wu Xiaozhou nodded.

That really was true. When eating near stations, only a few chain restaurants could guarantee a certain level of quality. The rest all felt like tourist traps.

“Sigh! A lesson learned!”

Fatty Meng let out a long sigh and pointed at a KFC sign not far away, his face full of grief.

“How the hell did we not see that earlier?”

Wu Xiaozhou burst out laughing.

For the next hour or so, the two of them sat there watching legs.

People constantly flowed across the overpass.

Thick legs, thin legs, fair legs, dark legs…

It was impossible to take it all in.

Ring—

Wu Xiaozhou’s phone rang.

“Haozi!”

Lin Hao asked, “You guys made it?”

“Yeah! Yanjing is freaking hot!” Wu Xiaozhou said, wiping sweat from his forehead.

“Did you call Lawyer Wei yet?”

“Huh?”

Wu Xiaozhou glanced at his phone.

Holy crap, it’s already eight-thirty!

“I’m calling right now!”

“What have you two been doing?”

“Watching legs!”

With that, Wu Xiaozhou hung up.

…

Lin Hao looked at his phone and smiled bitterly.

Entrusting his lawsuit to these two unreliable guys really was something else.

He had just returned from his morning run. His sports T-shirt was completely soaked through.

He had gotten up later than usual, and by the time he went out it was already getting hot, but he still insisted on running for a full hour.

Taking off his shirt, he noticed that he had gained some muscle lately. He no longer looked as frail and skinny as he had last year.

Bare-chested, carrying a washbasin, he headed to the restroom at the end of the dormitory corridor to take a shower.

The hallway was completely quiet.

He was the only person left on the entire floor.

“Lin Hao! Lin Hao!”

While showering, Lin Hao heard a girl’s voice echoing through the empty corridor.

It was loud in the otherwise silent hallway.

He quickly turned off the faucet and listened carefully.

It was Chu Xiaomei.

He hurriedly started drying himself.

Why is she here? That’s strange.

“Lin Hao…”

The voice was getting closer and closer.

“Coming! Coming!” he shouted.

The more anxious he became, the more flustered he got.

Reaching for the large shorts hanging on the wall, he accidentally stepped onto the plastic washbasin. His foot slipped.

Smack!

He landed hard on his butt.

“What happened?”

To his shock, Chu Xiaomei had actually walked in.

Ignoring the pain, Lin Hao scrambled to his feet in panic and instinctively grabbed the plastic basin, holding it in front of himself as a shield.

Covering her mouth with one hand, Chu Xiaomei giggled.

“What are you hiding for? The basin’s transparent! Did you hurt yourself when you fell?”

Cold sweat immediately broke out on Lin Hao’s forehead.

This girl looked so delicate and refined, but she was way too bold!

“Quick! Get out! Get out!” he shouted.

With her hands clasped behind her back, Chu Xiaomei turned around and headed out, laughing loudly.

“Hurry it up!”

After putting on his shorts, Lin Hao hesitated.

He was still bare-chested, and he hadn’t brought a shirt with him.

Sigh…

Sooner or later, an ugly daughter-in-law has to meet her in-laws.

Carrying that damned transparent washbasin, he slowly shuffled outside.

Chu Xiaomei was dressed simply and coolly today.

An oversized white cotton T-shirt covered her thighs, making it look as though she wasn’t wearing shorts underneath.

Her long, slender, fair legs were dazzlingly white.

She wore a pair of pink flip-flops, and her ten toes looked smooth and translucent.

“Why did you come here?” Lin Hao asked, trying to make conversation. Otherwise, he felt far too awkward.

Chu Xiaomei said, “Nothing special. I was just wandering around and somehow ended up near the school, so I thought I’d come by and see you and Xiao Wu.”

“Come on, let’s go. The dorm has a fan! It’s way too hot out here!” Lin Hao said, carrying his washbasin and towel back toward the dormitory.

They had only bought the electric fan a few days earlier. They really had no choice—Wu Xiaozhou had declared that if they didn’t buy one soon, he was going to strangle somebody from the heat.

After entering the room, Lin Hao didn’t even bother closing the door.

“Leave it open. We’ll get a cross breeze,” he said with a smile.

He switched on the fan and set it to oscillate.

Then he hurried to his wardrobe and pulled out a loose sleeveless undershirt, slipping it on.

Chu Xiaomei sat on Lin Hao’s bunk, her hands pressed against the mattress while her long legs swung back and forth.

“Where’s Xiao Wu?”

“He and Fatty Meng went to Yanjing. They’ve got something to take care of.”

“Oh.”

She didn’t ask any further, and Lin Hao didn’t elaborate.

A brief silence settled over the room.

Lin Hao grabbed a cup, poured some cooled boiled water into it, and handed it to her.

“So… what brought you here?”

Chu Xiaomei shot him a sideways glance.

“You already asked me that.”

“Huh?”

Lin Hao scratched his head awkwardly.

What’s wrong with me today? I’m acting like some inexperienced kid.

Back in the day, I could move through a garden of flowers without a single petal sticking to me…

Although his previous life hadn’t been particularly successful, he’d had no shortage of female companions. The music industry was probably one of the few professions where even a poor man could attract women.

From accompanying singers in dance halls to the day he became bedridden at forty due to illness, there had almost always been women around him.

Of course, that whole “not a single petal sticks to me” line was mostly self-glorification.

Whenever he had truly devoted himself to someone, the one who ended up heartbroken was always him.

There was no helping it—he’d been poor.

The tiny apartment he lived in was rented. His beat-up Volkswagen Jetta had changed owners so many times he couldn’t even remember how many. Most of the money he earned went straight into buying musical instruments.

He remembered one summer when Zhang Yuchun from the Beijing Dance Academy brought her parents to Yanjing.

After seeing his living situation, her mother couldn’t even finish her Peking duck before dragging her daughter away.

Ignoring the shocked stares from the restaurant patrons, she marched toward the exit while saying:

“If you keep dating this man, I’ll cut off every cent of your financial support—and I’ll break your legs while I’m at it!”

Her father didn’t say a word.

After Lin Hao chased them outside, the man stood on the steps, handed him a cigarette, and lit one for himself.

After a long drag, he simply patted Lin Hao on the shoulder.

Not a single word.

Then he got into a white Range Rover and drove away.

From that day onward, Lin Hao never went to see Zhang Yuchun again.

He simply wasn’t worthy of her.

“Where did you go during the vacation?” Lin Hao asked, sitting on the opposite bunk and lighting a cigarette.

“Where else could I go? Whenever I wasn’t busy, I’d help my parents with their market stall. Didn’t you notice I’ve gotten darker?” Chu Xiaomei looked at him.

Lin Hao examined her carefully for a few seconds and nodded.

“Yeah, a little. But you actually look healthier now. I think it suits you.”

“Really?”

She brightened immediately.

Lin Hao nodded.

He had heard Yan Xiaoqi and Fatty Meng mention that Chu Xiaomei’s family wasn’t well off. Her father had lost the use of one leg in a traffic accident, and her mother didn’t have a job. The couple made a living selling vegetables in the market.

“Oh, right—Xiaoqi’s got a girlfriend now!” Chu Xiaomei said with a grin.

That caught Lin Hao’s interest.

“Who is she?”

“One of the beauties from the dance department. Really pretty. They started dating before summer break. You didn’t know?”

Lin Hao shook his head.

He rarely paid attention to that sort of thing.

“How are your vocal studies going?”

Chu Xiaomei sighed and shook her head.

“Not great. I still haven’t found my direction.”

In truth, ever since hearing her sing, Lin Hao had already mapped out a future path for her.

After thinking for a moment, he said:

“Your voice has excellent projection, and there’s a metallic quality to it. You just haven’t found the right style yet.”

Chu Xiaomei looked at him intently.

“Don’t rush. Keep practicing guitar, and don’t neglect your vocal training. By next year at the latest, I’ll have a surprise for everyone.”

“A surprise?”

Her eyes immediately lit up.

“What kind of surprise?”

Lin Hao laughed.

“If I told you now, it wouldn’t be a surprise anymore, would it? By next year at the latest, I’ll write two songs for you. I guarantee you’ll become famous as soon as you sing them.”

“Really?”

Chu Xiaomei knew exactly how talented he was as a songwriter. At Ferry Crossing Bar alone, he’d already performed many original songs.

Lin Hao nodded.

“Then why not write them for me now?”

Lin Hao shook his head.

“Your vocal qualities are excellent, but your technique still needs work. This year is very important. Focus on building a solid foundation first. Don’t rush it.”

The truth was that Chu Xiaomei had tremendous natural talent and could probably perform them even now.

But Lin Hao was waiting for Wu Xiaozhou to mature further, and he also felt that the timing wasn’t right yet.

Chu Xiaomei looked a little discouraged and lowered her head.

“Alright…”

The two chatted idly for a while longer.

Eventually, Chu Xiaomei stretched out lazily on the bed.

“I’m tired. Don’t mind me. I’m just going to take a little nap.”

With that, she closed her eyes.