Mr. Lizard Outside the Window - Chapter 22
Chapter 22: But I'm Not a Man
On Friday evening, Banxia was teaching a young student at Yuying Music School. The student, nicknamed Tiantian, was a plump and cheerful second-grader, dressed in a pretty little dress.
The beginning stages of learning the violin were tedious, filled with repetitive open-string exercises and posture corrections. The sound produced was like sawing wood, harsh and unpleasant. After a while, the little girl started to nod off, her eyes drooping.
"Are you tired? Do you need a break?" Banxia asked.
"No, no," the little girl straightened up with effort, stifling a yawn. "I have abacus class after this. I can sleep in the car on the way there."
"You have another class after this? So far away?"
"Yes," Tiantian ticked off her activities on her chubby fingers. "Tonight, it's violin and abacus. Tomorrow morning, drawing and dance. In the afternoon, hosting class and English. Mom said I can play on Sunday, but only if I finish my homework first."
The little girl, dressed impeccably, her life meticulously planned by her parents… Banxia wondered if she was truly happy.
"Tiantian, do you like playing the violin?" she asked.
The little girl hesitated, her eyes darting around, clearly reluctant to answer truthfully in front of her teacher.
"What about abacus, dance, drawing… do you like any of those?"
This time, Tiantian shook her head vigorously, making a face. "I don't like any of them. Mom makes me go."
"Then what do you like?"
The little girl thought for a moment, then said shyly, "I…I like reading novels."
"Oh, online novels?"
"Yes! Xia Laoshi, do you have a favorite novel? I love 'Jade Face's' books! His new series is amazing!" Suddenly energized, she glanced at her mother waiting outside the soundproof glass door and whispered to Banxia, "I think he must be a gentle, elegant young man, living in seclusion in the mountains, far from the hustle and bustle of the city, to be able to write such ethereal stories."
Kids these days are so imaginative, Banxia thought, slightly taken aback.
As it happened, she knew "Jade Face." He was the online novelist who lived across from her in the cheap apartment building. In reality, he was a slovenly, nocturnal man whose only hobby, besides writing, was playing mahjong with Ying Jie.
Not wanting to shatter the little girl's illusions, Banxia made a deal with her. "Tiantian, if you can master the Hrimaly scale by next week, I'll get you an autographed copy of 'Jade Face's' book. How about that?"
"Yay!" Tiantian almost jumped out of her chair, then quickly sat back down. "Really?"
Banxia smiled and gave her a high five.
As the lesson ended, the little girl, her cheeks flushed, asked as she packed up her violin, "Xia Laoshi, did you love playing the violin since you were little? Is that how you got into the music academy?"
"Not really. There was a time when I found practicing just as boring as you do," Banxia said, gently tapping her nose. "But after a while, as I got better, I could show off to my friends, and…and I could enjoy playing music with other people who loved it too. That's how I learned to love the violin."
"I hope I can be like you one day," Tiantian said, slinging her violin case over her shoulder. She pointed her chin towards the window. "Is the friend you mentioned the gege downstairs? I saw him pacing outside all evening."
Banxia followed her gaze and saw a young man pacing nervously under a banyan tree by the roadside.
Wei Zhiming stood under the tree, wringing his hands, unsure whether he should go upstairs and talk to Banxia or just go home.
He felt like an idiot. He had seen Banxia at the school gate and had wanted to call out to her, but something had stopped him. He had followed her here, like a lost puppy, and had been pacing outside for hours.
A pampered young master, sheltered from the harsh realities of life, he had been deeply embarrassed by his drunken no-show at the competition, feeling utterly humiliated by his senior's prank.
"What are you doing here?" Banxia's voice startled him.
He turned quickly and saw her standing there, her violin case on her back.
"I…I just wanted to apologize," he mumbled, feeling a surge of self-pity. "I didn't mean to drink so much that night. It was Senior Yan and the others. They kept forcing me to drink."
The light under the tree was dim. Banxia looked at him calmly, the city lights reflected in her clear eyes.
"When were you born?" she asked abruptly.
"Me?" Wei Zhiming blinked. "Aren't we the same age?"
Banxia sighed. "Are you telling me you're old enough to drink but not old enough to take responsibility for your actions?"
"No, it's not my fault!" Wei Zhiming protested. "It was those seniors! I didn't know they had a competition the next day too!"
"So, are you genuinely sorry, or are you just looking for me to absolve you?" Banxia looked at him intently. "Are you hoping I'll say, 'It's okay, I won anyway, and I was the star of the show, so I don't blame you at all'?"
Wei Zhiming's shoulders slumped. "Okay, okay, I was wrong. Go ahead and scold me."
"Blaming others won't change anything. If you signed up for the competition, you should have shown some self-control. You almost cost us both the chance to perform. And more importantly, you almost cost me eight thousand yuan!" Banxia said, then chuckled, continuing down the street. "Okay, I'm done scolding you. I'm not angry anymore."
"You're so mean!" Wei Zhiming hurried after her, feeling strangely less awkward after her blunt reprimand. "Hey, Banxia, wait up!"
Banxia stopped at the entrance to the night market. "I promised to treat you after the competition. Steamed buns and soy milk, okay?"
"Steamed…buns?"
Wei Zhiming, accustomed to fancy dinners and cafes, couldn't quite grasp Banxia's style.
"Fine, we can add some barbecue," Banxia sighed, looking at the pampered young master. "But that's it. Nothing more."
Sitting at a small, wobbly table at a roadside barbecue stall, Wei Zhiming felt a sense of bewilderment. He was wearing a Versace jacket and Givenchy shoes, eating smoky barbecue skewers by the side of the road.
"Twenty skewers of lamb, two ginkgo nuts, two mushrooms, two okra, and one eggplant," Banxia ordered, then turned to him. "Do you want anything to drink?"
Wei Zhiming asked cautiously, "Can you even handle alcohol?"
"Not really," Banxia admitted. "We drink baijiu back home. But I could probably drink you under the table and still play the violin tomorrow night."
"No, no, no alcohol, thanks."
Banxia ordered a Sprite, poured them each a glass, and they started eating the freshly grilled skewers.
"This is actually pretty good," Wei Zhiming said, wincing as he bit into a hot skewer. "Banxia, do you…eat this often?"
"No, I can't usually afford it. This is a special treat, to thank you," Banxia, the frugal musician, raised her glass. "Thanks for practicing with me. It's a shame you couldn't accompany me at the competition."
Wei Zhiming felt a pang of guilt. "I know, I know. I promise it won't happen again."
After their meal, Wei Zhiming insisted on walking Banxia home.
"Why?" Banxia looked at him, puzzled.
"You're a girl! It's late. You need a man to protect you!"
"I've been walking home alone for years. I'll be fine," Banxia said, looking at the stylishly dressed young man. "You should be more careful walking home alone. Boys need to be careful too, these days."
Wei Zhiming trailed behind her dejectedly. "Banxia, you know, you're actually quite pretty, but you have no sense of…femininity. You talk like a guy. No man is ever going to like you."
Banxia didn't turn around, her slender shoulders illuminated by the lights of the night market. Her boots were worn, but her steps were steady and sure.
"I've been walking home alone since I was a teenager. Back then, getting home was a struggle. I had to squeeze onto crowded buses with sweaty adults, fight for a seat. It would be dark when I got off, and I still had a long walk home," she said, her voice calm and even, as if talking about something completely ordinary. "I've been doing it for years, and I've always been fine. Now that I'm older, why should I pretend to be weak and helpless just to please a man?"
Wei Zhiming was silenced.
But he didn't leave, continuing to walk with her until they reached her apartment building.
In his apartment, Ling Dong carefully cut the freshly baked millet cake into small pieces and arranged them neatly in a thermos box. He added a layer of savory douhua with beef broth.
He looked at his handiwork with satisfaction just as he heard Banxia's voice outside.
Quickly, he shed his human form, the pink apron and pajamas falling to the floor.
A black gecko scrambled up the curtains, reached the window, and peeked outside.
Under the longan tree, Banxia was talking to a handsome young man.
She nodded, waved goodbye, and turned to walk towards the building.
They looked good together, similar in age, and most importantly, both normal, ordinary humans.
Above them, in the dimly lit window, a small, black creature clung to the windowsill, its dark eyes silently watching the scene below.
When Banxia returned home, she saw Xiao Lian curled up on his new pajamas, his tail wrapped around him, looking listless.
She opened the thermal container on the table and exclaimed, "Wow! Millet cake and beef douhua!" She patted her stomach regretfully. "But I already ate. I'll save this for breakfast tomorrow."
Xiao Lian made a soft sound of agreement and said nothing more.
Banxia put away the food, washed the dishes, and sat on the edge of her bed, lost in thought.
After a while, she picked up Xiao Lian, who was still curled up on his pajamas, and stroked his head.
"Xiao Lian, I had dinner with a boy today," she said, her voice slightly indignant. "He told me that girls should always have a man accompany them when they walk home at night."
Xiao Lian, hurt and dejected, remained silent in her hand.
Banxia continued, "So, I think, starting tomorrow night, I should take you with me when I go out."
Xiao Lian looked up, startled. "But I'm not a man."
Banxia's eyes widened in surprise. "You're not?"
Xiao Lian's pupils narrowed into slits. "No, I am!"
RAHHHHHH
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