I was talking with XiaoHua and XiaoDuo while we were going downstairs through Zhengze's building. I also heard that Tian and Yu had to clean the pool as a punishment for what happened in these last days. The president—who I made sure he's my godfather because of a photo I had from my mom, him and me—denied Tian's request and Yu's proposal. That means that Tian will stay here at Zhengze and Yu won't fight him at the tournament.
"You must have fallen in love", I heard XiaoHua saying.
Oh my God, XiaoDuo has a crush?
"Are you sure?", the one with glasses asked.
"Perhaps it's just attraction, we don't know", I commented.
"Then let's see", the tallest one with light brown hair added in. "Do you think of him from time to time?"
"Yes!", XiaoDuo responded confident.
"Do you want to get close to him without any reason?", XiaoHua asked again.
"Of course! Every time I look at his eyes, nose and lips", I turned around and saw Fang Yu while XiaoDuo was talking and then I walked towards them, noticing she looked at us, "it feels a young doe is about to leap out from my heart!"
"Girl, that's your heart racing", I declared pointing at her one. "You do like him. By the way, who is him?"
"It's true, who's the lucky one?", XiaoHua tickled my other classmate, making both of us laugh.
Me because of how they look, and XiaoDuo because she's ticklish. Then the affected one freed herself.
"Stop! It's someone who doesn't study here, that's everything I will say", she crossed her arms.
"Okay, let's not insist", raised my hands. "XiaoDuo will tell us whenever she wants to. I have to leave, bye!"
"Bye! Good luck at work, Sally!", both of them cheered while I was leaving the place.
When I was walking outside the building, I saw Sun Hao also leaving the place. I heard he lives way too far from here, so he'll be tired if he just walks home.
"Sun Hao!", I called him and he went towards me. "You want me to take you?"
"Really?", frowned with a smile. He was excited due the proposal but he wanted to hide it.
"Yeah, since now I have Zhan", palmed my motorcycle.
And yes, I named my bike 'Zhan'.
"Just tell me where should I go, okay?"
"Uh, alright", I gave him the helmet I used to wear when I only had my roller skates.
I turned Zhan on and he leaded me to a food stall. It looks like right here they sell Chow Mein, and it smells way too good. It actually looks like Auntie Mei's restaurant when I was twelve, since them the place actually changed the lot.
"So, this is where you live?"
"No, this is just where my mom works, I just help her. I can treat you something."
"No, thank you. I already have to go."
"Sun Hao!", a woman with an apron appeared. "You're here, what a fast!", then she looked at me and gasped. "Aren't you introducing me your new friend?", scowled him.
"Ah, yeah, yeah, yeah!", nodded. "She's Li Sally, a foreigner classmate."
"You can also call me SāiLí", I bowed.
"Ah, she's so cute~! I wanna squeeze her cheeks and hug her! How old are you? Thirteen?"
"This year I'll turn into sixteen."
"Oh my God! So sorry", bowed.
"It's okay, everybody says I look even younger than I really am."
"I heard she graduated in advance and was recruited since New York, that's the reason why she's here so early. And she took me right here, so-"
"And you're not thanking her?", glared at her son.
"I-I was going to say I wanted to invite her a Chow Mein", stuttered, looking at his mom with fear.
"Yeah, even if I told him he shouldn't have", I commented.
"Ah~", she nodded slowly, "that's better. How you want it? With meat?"
"Yeah, thank you. How much?"
"No, SāiLí, it's on the house. Just enjoy it. By the way, call me Hao's Mom*, okay?"
"Why 'Hao Ma' if...? Alright then", shrugged.
I sat on a table and checked my phone. I had a message of Tian asking me where I was, then I told him I took Sun Hao to his mom's food stall. I also took a lot of pictures so I could show them to Auntie Mei. Once Hao Ma served me it, I started to eat.
I was actually starving but I didn't mind until I ate the Chow Mein.
It actually tastes almost like Auntie Mei's one!, thought to myself.
"Sorry, I don't speak english, what did you say?", Hao asked and I jumped on my seat, then I put a hand on my heart trying to calm down and not beating him up.
Ming Tian and I are actually cousins, always thinking out loud.
"I said it actually tastes almost like Auntie Mei's Chow Mein", he frowned. "I have a tutor, Ling Mei, she has a restaurant right where I used to live, and three years ago it looked just like this place", I stared at every angle I could look. "... She also cooks Chow Mein and every single typical food you can imagine, but she added her own twist to those meals... Basically, I think... this is the second best Chow Mein ever."
"Oh, so that's it", he nodded and so I did. "You want more?"
"Ah, yeah, thank you", responded in shock while he grabbed the plate to pour more and when I started to eat, I felt someone licking my feet.
I looked under the table and saw a dog.
"Aww~ what a cute!", I carried the puppy. "What's your name? Do you even have a name?"
"Ah, Best Fighter!", Hao said since the kitchen. "Is he annoying you?"
XiaoMi annoys me, this puppy obviously wouldn't, I thought and made sure no one listened.
"Course not! How could something so cute annoy me?", I put the puppy back to the floor. "So, he's 'Best Fighter', right?".
"Yeah, but sometimes he eats the lot, so much that I want to change his name to 'Guzzler'. The story is way too long."
"Someone tried to kill him?", I fed Best Fighter.
"No, but one of my ex classmates kicked him, so I beaten him up. I wasn't in Zhengze yet so I didn't break any rule."
"Ah, so you were like a... street fighter?"
"Not like that, just and only when they messed with an animal", I nodded. "Why? You know about those fighters?"
"The lot, I used to live in Bronx. It's not how people thinks at all, well it is, but ten times smaller than movies show. Anyways, we can't just blame the Bronx, there is always an underground fight everywhere. You can count on it."
He nodded and focused on cooking.
When I went to work at KFC, I was there as a waitress because I didn't have any delivery to do yet, then I saw my three cousins going inside here.
"Hey, Tian. Are you going to order something? I can make you a discount since I work here still", told him once he stopped, but he had a face... like if he saw a ghost. "... Are you okay?"
"... Ming Zhu, Ming Lang", he called his siblings and they stopped, looking at him. "Let's go home and order delivery instead."
"Alright."
Then Tian looked at me.
"Sāi, I hope you can make that discount."
"Calm down", I made the 'perfect' sign, "you won't pay that much. See you there."
Some seconds later, they left and then my boss ordered me a deliver, while I was going there I saw Tian, Zhu and Lang talking with another man.
But this man was kinda... mean, so I got close to them, taking advantage of the fact I have twenty two minutes still and the location was close.
"... To be honest, every time when I'm at boxing practice I really miss you, my human sandbag", then this guy punched the air and Zhu hugged Tian since she started to feel fear. "Beating you up was so amusing."
"Hey! What's going on?", I asked.
"Who is this?", he pointed at me.
"None of your business", I spat, "just stop bullying them. You don't want me to call the police, right?", showed my phone.
"Who would believe you, huh, bitch!?", glared at me and I put my phone on my pocket.
Then Lang ran towards him.
"Ming Lang!"
"Don't bully my brother and neither my cousin!", the man grabbed him from the shirt's neck.
"You sure have gutts, little brat. More than your brother."
"Ma YiChen!", Tian exclaimed.
"Ma YiChen, eh?", I put on my combat position after lowing down my bag, as well as the place was close I wasn't on my bike. "Leave my cousin, let's have a fight."
"With you?", pointed at me. "Nah", denied, "way too easy, you could lose against me for nothing. I want Ming Tian to dare me."
"So you're a shallow one, okay", sneered and put on my normal position.
"Just come at me!", Tian pointed at himself. "Don't hurt my brother!"
"What? You want to save him? I'd like to see what you're able to do."
"Sāi, please leave this place, you have to work."
I checked my clock.
"I still have twenty minutes, and it's close."
Zhu holded Tian even tighter than before, almost crying.
"I heard Zhengze's Queen chose you as her opponent in the final match. Since you're strong now, you can save your brother from my clutches."
"Ma YiChen", Tian hissed.
"Ming Tian!", Zhu gasped.
"... You want me to let him go? Sure. Beg me", pointed at himself.
"Tian, just tell me and I'll set Lang free. With no violence", whispered at him. "I can do it, it's so easy."
"No", he denied grabbing my wrist for a while 'cause I was going towards YiChen. "He won't let you, I don't want you to get hurt... Please, let him go."
"That's it?", scratched his head. "That's too simple", YiChen complained. "Kneel", pointed at him. "Kneel and beg me, then I'll let him go."
"Ma YiChen, don't go too far!", Tian yelled walking towards him, but YiChen glared at him.
Tian hugged Zhu and looked at YiChen.
"So have you decided? I don't have so much patience", bit his lip and grabbed Lang even stronger, he was about to cry, as well as Zhu.
Then Tian freed Zhu from his waist.
"Hold her so he won't hurt you guys", Zhu took my hand while Tian told me that.
"Tian, what are you doing?"
My cousin immediately knelt down, ignoring my question, while YiChen just nodded with a smirk, freed Lang and walked towards Tian to kick him on his shoulder, making him fall on his bag to the ground.
"You coward really piss me off", YiChen left and Tian ran to Lang.
"You'll see when I watch you again!", I yelled at YiChen and he turned around to see me. "You'll get what you deserve!"
He just smirked and walked away.
"Ming Lang!"
"No!"
"Ming Zhu, are you okay?", Tian took Zhu by her arms and hugged her worried, patting her back quickly.
Then I saw Lang, he had some tearing eyes, so I hugged him, patting his back like Tian with Zhu.
"Cousin Sally~, why didn't you save me?"
"... I tried to, believe me, but I didn't find a way to without hurting you in the process", caressed his hair and checked my clock. "Cousin Sally has to go, okay?"
"Okay."
I kissed his forehead and left the place.
When Zhou made a new order, my boss immediately gave it to me, so I went there on Zhan. Once I arrived, I was so surprised because this time no one tried to fight me, even when I was already on the top floor, it was like if it's the first time I delivered him a bucket. There was everybody but him, I'm simply surprised 'cause he never did this before, so when I saw a secretary I walked towards her.
"Excuse me, I have a KFC order to Fang Zhou, can you please tell me where he is?", I asked.
"He's waiting for you in his office", responded after staring at me. "Li SāiLí, right?"
"Yes", I nodded.
"Come with me."
She leaded me to Zhou's office, I didn't know he was that important actually. Well, the enterprises name is 'Fang's Group' and he has the same surname at the same time he's Yu's little brother and he also works here, but... Ok, perhaps I was being a little dumb until this moment.
The secretary opened the door.
"Mr. Fang, here's Li SāiLí."
Zhou just raised and showed us his left thumb since he's giving us his back. Then the secretary left and closed the door.
"Uh... Here's your bucket."
"Hmm. Sit down."
I saw on my left a couch and I sat on it, putting his baf beside my feet.
"So, level two?", raised two fingers of my left hand. "With 'Level two'... you were meaning this? By the way, who are you right here since you seem so important? I mean, what's your job?"
"No one", he turned towards me since his seat, blocked his phone and put it on his table. "Just the president."
My eyes were wide open.
"Okay", nodded, trying to process it.
"Just kidding, I'm just the CEO. Answering your first question, yes. And at the same time, no", responded with a little smile and winked. "So, where's my order? I'm hungry", put his hand on his belly, "starving actually."
I got the bucket from the bag and put it on his desk.
"... And the drinks?"
"Drinks?", wondered to myself and checked the bag to get not one, but two coke's tin cans. "Uh... Why did you order two?", gave him both of them.
"One is for you", he opened one and started to drink, I grabbed the other one.
"My boss is waiting for me."
"I told him to give you a little break since you always work there after college so hardly, and he agreed since you never took a rest once you've settled down here. So", gave me a piece of chicken, "let's eat together."
I sat down on the couch.
"This is kinda confusing."
"Since you're kinda interesting, a little bit of mystery is good, right?", looked at me funnily and I raised one eyebrow.
This dude is way too weird, I thought.
Then my phone buzzed and I grabbed it after putting the tin can between my thighs. It was a calling from my boss.
"Yeah?"
"Sally, your cousin made an order. I'm not asking you to deliver it since you're on a break but I'll make a question... Do you want to make him a discount?"
"Yeah, yeah, a discount", nodded. "I promised him to, so if you could-"
"SāiLí, calm down! Course I will, but I want you here on 30 minutes."
"Thirty minutes? Alright, bye", hang up.
"So, thirty minutes for what?"
"For... going back to work", I answered Zhou's question.
"Oh, then we have enough time."
"Yeah", put my phone on my pocket and grabbed the tin can to eat and drink with him. "And why I'm here this time, then? What's 'Level two'?"
"... I'm asking you to be my friend, Sally."
My eyes widened again.
"... You sure?"
"I always make a choice with a cold mind", pointed his head," and since you're not interested on my money... Perhaps you're a good friend."
"Yeah, maybe I am, you tell me."
Since I don't have so much friends, I can't say anything.
"Honest", pointed at me. "So, are you ready for the level 2? If you're not you can leave without saying anything", pointed at the door with his hand.
I drank all the content on the tin can, holding a belch.
"I am ready, in fact."
"So, we're friends now."
"Yeah. Level 2: Just started."
"Alright."
After work, on my way at home, I received a calling, I put my earphones on and reply.
"Hi?", I yelled since I'm riding Zhan.
"Sally, it's Sadie."
"Sadie!?"
"Are you on a bike?"
"Yeah, I'm riding it. Don't worry, I have my earphones. Can you speak a little louder? I can't hear you well."
"Alright! So, how are you? Auntie Mei and I miss you so much."
"Tell her me too, and I'm fine, with no troubles, neither bad grades. In fact, I'm going back home from work."
"Oh, cool! Isn't there any boy in your life? Someone like... that guy, Fang Sho?"
"Fang Zhou, and no. We barely started to be friends."
"That's how some of the greatest lovers begin."
"Stop, Kami! What about you? Is there any boy or any girl in your life?"
Yes, she's bisexual. Since detective Hopkins is also like that, he didn't care. I mean, he was proud, and their relationship of dad and daughter got really better.
"I found a girl, her name is Candy, she's my classmate and we go to Drama Club together. She's dyslexic but kinda good, so cute."
"Ooooooh, do you like her? You should give her flowers", joked.
"Ha, ha, what a fun."
"You do like her, Sadie, I don't need to ask you since I'm the only girl in your life. Or I was until she came", joked again.
"Ok, I do like her, and I noticed she's lesbian and also likes me."
"Then go ask her", I arrived home so I parked Zhan and I took off my helmet and the earphones, so I put the phone on my ear. "By the way, you don't need to yell anymore, I arrived."
"Thank you, that was tiring. And I will go, but you think a seriously big teddy bear is too much?"
I laughed.
"No, Kami, unless she hates 'em."
"She's so girly, actually."
"Then she'll love it. Go ask her and if I notice you didn't, I'll go there on a plane to beat you up, you heard me?", she giggled. "Have to go."
"Ok, and don't worry, I saved money for this call."
"Alright", smiled. "Miss you all, bye!", I went inside home and hang up.
When I entered through the gate, Tian washed his face and went inside the house since the handwash was beside the gate. He sat on the couch, thinking about what happened today.
"Big Bro, Cousin", Lang appeared.
"Why aren't you sleeping? You should go to school tomorrow", Tian told him.
"It's true what that person said? He's been bullying you?", the tallest didn't answer to the youngest's questions. "Why didn't you fight back? Why didn't you let Cousin free me?"
"Fighting isn't good and it can't solve the problems. Besides, I didn't want your cousin to risk herself when I had an option to do it without violence. Just avoid it if it's possible."
"You're a liar. You taught us to have courage but you aren't able to do so! You even knelt for him!"
"That's because you two were there. I had to protect you."
"I don't need your protection!", Lang yelled. "I'd rather be beaten to death than seeing you so humiliated!"
My eyes were bigger than usual, that made me remember the underground fights. When I went there for the very first time, there were two men fighting and one of them died in the ring. Not with the Death Strike, but he was beaten up by the other one to death. I almost died that night too because my first fight was with the man who won. I also had another memories about clandestine fights with just those words.
Then Tian suddenly stood up.
"Do you really know what it means to be beaten up to death!? You don't! Do you know that Mom left us only because Dad beat someone to death!? That's what destroyed our family!... If I was the only one left, I would risk everything and fight back. But if Sāi and I are injuried or dead, who will take care of you? If I let Sally fight and she dies, what would I tell to Auntie Mei? Should I let a moment's recklessness turn you two into orphans? Go to bed!"
Then Lang went quickly to bed. That argue felt so really overwhelming, even though I didn't say anything. But I immediately found something to say once Tian and I were alone.
At the next day, the twins were leaving the house.
"Big Bro, cousin Sāi, we're heading for school!", Zhu told us.
While Lang was opening the gate, Tian and I went towards them.
"Zhu, Lang."
They turned around to watch us, the youngest boy stared at the ground once I said their names and we knelt down for seeing them better.
"I am sorry for yelling at you last night", Tian looked at Lang and caressed his hair. "I'll tell you everything about Dad one day", Then he looked at Zhu. "Ming Zhu, just like Ming Lang, you don't like me to act like this. Do you?"
"I don't dislike you, but I was so scared seeing that person bullying you and Ming Lang, and also calling our cousin, uh..."
"You don't need to say it, Zhu. It's not the first time, neither the last one, but I won't take care of them", shrugged. "And I hope it won't happen, but if someday you also receive those words, don't take care of them. None of you two should use them and neither deserve to receive them."
Zhu nodded.
"It's my fault. I should have protected you, or at least let Sally do it. If I was strong enough, no one would pick on you guys. I promise you that from now on, something like that won't happen again."
They both nodded and we caressed their hair.
"Go to school."
Then they left and I closed the gate.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
"Hao Ma" literally means "Hao's Mom" in Chinese, so that's the reason why I put it like that ;)