Mr. Lizard Outside the Window - Chapter 36
Chapter 36: Not Even South Lake Could Wash This Away
Mrs. Du, leaning on her cane, carefully dusted the old objects in her living room.
An antique clock, faded photographs in tarnished frames, yellowed books, a cracked eyeglass case… she polished each item meticulously, as if they were precious jewels.
Perhaps everyone was like this, clinging to the things they cherished as time slipped away.
She finished dusting and looked out at the young man working in her courtyard.
Ling Dong had been visiting her frequently lately. He never stayed long, just a few minutes each time, helping her plant a flower, carrying water, or simply sitting quietly in her courtyard.
But his beautiful eyes would always glance at the clock on the table, as if he were short on time, something urgent always pulling him away.
He was so young, yet he carried a certain weariness, a sense of time's passage usually felt only by the elderly.
But today, he seemed different.
The young man, his hands covered in mud, his gaze lowered, was transplanting a camellia bush.
His skin was pale, a bead of sweat trickling down his forehead, his long eyelashes casting shadows on his cheeks. A faint smile played on his lips.
Like a snowflake melting in the winter sun, transforming into a drop of dew on a leaf.
Has something good happened to him? Mrs. Du wondered, smiling.
Ling Dong patted down the soil around the camellia and washed his hands in the basin Mrs. Du had brought out.
The tap water, drawn from the well, was icy cold, washing away the dirt and the restlessness from his hands, his heart.
He straightened up and glanced at the clock on the table. Time seemed to be moving slower today.
Not slower, perhaps, but longer, he realized.
Usually, if he spent this much time outside, he would start to feel the familiar restlessness, the urge to transform.
He would have hurried home, turned off the stove, left Banxia a portion of the meal he had prepared, quickly eaten his own, and then, transformed into a monster, crawled back to his dark apartment and lost himself in his music.
Today, his time in human form seemed… extended.
Even just a little, it was a sign, a sign that things were changing, getting better.
He looked down at his hands, the droplets of water glistening in the lamplight, his pale fingers closing around the light, as if trying to hold it captive.
Though light couldn't be held, it didn't stop him from feeling a flicker of hope.
He didn't even realize he was smiling, his usual coldness melting away, replaced by a newfound warmth.
Like winter snow thawing into droplets of water.
A bicycle sped past the gate, then braked and reversed.
Banxia, struggling to contain her excitement, had turned back.
"Senior Ling Dong? What are you doing here?" she called out, greeting him politely.
Her breath came in short gasps from cycling, but her eyes shone with uncontainable joy.
She knew this house, the home of an elderly woman who lived alone. He must be helping her with her gardening.
He's so perfect, she thought. Talented, handsome, and kind.
Only someone like him could create such beautiful music.
A true role model, someone worthy of admiration.
"You're so amazing, Senior. We all look up to you," Banxia said, her foot still on the pedal of her bicycle. "Does Mrs. Du need any more help?"
Though she had stopped, she secretly hoped he would say no.
She was eager to get home, to see Xiao Lian.
Ling Dong looked at her, his heart pounding, a sudden urge to tell her everything rising within him. He opened his mouth, then closed it, shaking his head slightly.
Seeing his usual aloofness, Banxia didn't press the issue. She politely said goodbye and cycled away.
Geniuses are always a bit eccentric, she thought. Senior Ling Dong is perfect, except for his… coldness.
Xiao Lian is so much better, she thought. So sweet and gentle, and so easily embarrassed.
She parked her bike and hurried upstairs.
The light in her window flickered on, and Ling Dong, standing below, could hear her calling out, "Xiao Lian! Xiao Lian!"
He looked up at the warm yellow light in her window.
To her, the name "Ling Dong" represented someone admirable, someone worthy of respect.
Senior Ling Dong was a friend, a fellow musician, someone she could connect with through music.
If they had no future together,
He wanted her to remember him, at least, as Ling Dong, the normal, perfect human being.
Not as the monster who couldn't even maintain his human form while kissing her.
Not as the pathetic creature trapped in a curse.
Banxia had just arrived home when Xiao Lian crawled in through the window.
She reached out and picked him up.
After last night, he was docile and compliant in her hand, his beautiful eyes avoiding her gaze as he murmured, "Why are you home so early?"
Banxia usually worked late, either at the cafe or busking. It was rare for her to come home straight after school.
His shyness made her blush. "It's not… because I missed you," she mumbled, then immediately regretted her words.
After a moment of awkward silence, she confessed, "I'm representing the school in the competition soon, so I need to practice. But I also… wanted to see you. Do you want to go out with me tonight?"
Xiao Lian made a soft sound of agreement, his unique voice even more captivating in this moment of intimacy.
Even though his skin was black, she could almost see a blush beneath the dark scales.
Xiao Lian settled on her shoulder, and Banxia, her violin case on her back, went downstairs, her heart filled with a newfound joy.
Even without the passionate embrace of last night, the simple act of coming home to a warm meal, of having someone by her side, of hearing his soft murmur of agreement when she spoke, filled her with a sense of contentment, of belonging.
"Xiao Lian, did you hear the music next door last night?" she asked as they passed Ling Dong's apartment.
Xiao Lian, perched on her shoulder, mumbled, "Why? Did you hear it?"
"This morning, I saw Lin Shi, the writer who lives across from me, crying on his floor. He said Senior Ling Dong had written an amazing new song. I was asleep, so I'm curious to hear it."
"Do you…like Ling Dong's music?" Xiao Lian asked.
Living next door to Ling Dong, they often heard his music.
There was a hint of tension in Xiao Lian's voice, but Banxia didn't notice.
"Yes, don't you, Xiao Lian?" she said. "He's a true genius. I mean, not just his piano playing, but his… musicality, his understanding of music. It's a privilege to live next door to him, to hear his new songs. Don't you agree?"
Xiao Lian's mouth tightened, but his eyes shone brightly.
He seemed… happy?
He's happy that I praised Ling Dong?
On the second floor, Lele was drawing in her coloring book. Banxia bent down to greet her.
"Xia Jiejie, what's that?" the little girl asked, pointing at Xiao Lian on Banxia's shoulder.
"Let me introduce you. This is Xiao Lian, my…" Banxia coughed and whispered, "my magical house elf."
Lele's eyes widened. "Like the one who comes out at night and cooks for you?"
"Exactly!"
Xiao Lian, clinging to Banxia's shirt, flicked his pink tongue at Lele in greeting.
Banxia, unable to contain her joy, continued downstairs, her heart overflowing with happiness, wanting to share her newfound love with the world.
By South Lake, people had become accustomed to seeing a young woman playing the violin by the roadside.
Tonight, however, she wasn't alone. A small black gecko peeked out of her coat pocket, listening intently to her music.
Her music was different tonight too.
Under the warm glow of the neon lights, beneath the kapok trees, the melody was light and cheerful, a young woman dancing on tiptoe across the shimmering surface of the lake, her skirt swirling around her ankles, her voice soft and sweet, her heart filled with joy.
Couples strolling along the lake, drawn in by the music, remembered the sweet moments of their own love stories, drawing closer to each other.
"I told you she'd be here!"
Pan Xuemei, Shang Xiaoyue, and Qiao Xin stopped in front of Banxia.
"Xia, you're representing our school in the competition. You're going to the capital this weekend! Are you sure you should be practicing here?" Pan Xuemei asked hesitantly, her eyes scanning the crowd for Banxia's mysterious boyfriend.
Of course, she didn't even consider the possibility that he might be the little black gecko perched on Banxia's shoulder.
Qiao Xin chimed in, "If Xiaoyue hadn't said you might be here, I wouldn't have believed that someone newly in love would abandon their boyfriend to practice the violin!"
"Are you nervous about the competition?" Shang Xiaoyue asked, her voice slightly stiff. "Don't forget your promise."
Banxia was delighted to see them.
"This place is great! Look how many people there are! If you practice here long enough, you'll learn to focus on your music, no matter the environment," she said, playing a short, brilliant cadenza that caught the attention of a passing couple. They stopped, listened for a moment, then scanned the QR code on her violin case. "And most importantly, if you don't give it your all here, you don't earn any money," she winked at her friends.
"Really?" Pan Xuemei was skeptical. "You're saying that busking here actually improves your skills and confidence?"
"Of course! Ask Xiaoyue!" Banxia said, hoping they would join her and increase their collective earnings. "How about a little ensemble performance?"
"Here? What if no one listens?"
"I'm a bit embarrassed…"
"Let's do it!" Shang Xiaoyue, having already busked with Banxia before, took out her violin. "But you're buying supper afterward!"
Banxia groaned dramatically.
Four young women, standing under the kapok trees, their music echoing across the lake, drawing a crowd.
Three violins and a flute, playing Vivaldi's "Summer," a piece they had practiced together at school.
They had competed with each other, supported each other, their friendship and camaraderie evident in their music.
The lively music, filled with youthful energy, filled the night.
Later, after their performance, the four girls sat at a food stall, eating crayfish.
"It was… actually kind of fun," Qiao Xin admitted, her fingers covered in red chili oil as she peeled a crayfish. "Some people were rude, but after this experience, I won't be so nervous about performing at school anymore."
Pan Xuemei: "Yeah, even my New Year's money didn't make me this excited! Every time someone drops a few yuan in the case, I almost jump for joy! How much did we make, Xia?"
Banxia counted their earnings with a grimace, wondering if it would be enough to cover their meal.
Shang Xiaoyue scanned the QR code on the table and paid the bill. "You treated last time. My turn."
Banxia hugged her arm gratefully. "You're the best, Xiaoyue!"
Pan Xuemei and Qiao Xin exchanged glances.
Shang Xiaoyue, the proud and competitive class monitor, had been so upset about losing to Banxia that she had fallen ill and had to stay home for several days.
They had expected their relationship to become strained, even hostile.
But now, so soon after the competition, they seemed closer than ever.
"We actually came here to see your boyfriend," Pan Xuemei confessed. "If you introduce him to us, I'll buy you supper every day!"
Banxia wiped her hands, carefully placed Xiao Lian on a handkerchief she had spread out on the table, and said, "Let me introduce you. My sweetheart, Xiao Lian."
"Boo!" the three girls groaned in unison.
Xiao Lian sat upright on the handkerchief, his tail curled around him, his little hands placed neatly by his sides, his neck raised, trying to appear dignified.
His black scales gleamed like jewels in the lamplight. He was a handsome gecko, his eyes bright and alert.
Only the slight darting of his eyes betrayed his nervousness at meeting her friends.
The three girls crowded around him. "He's so beautiful! Is that a leopard gecko?"
"He looks right at you! Like he understands us! So cute!"
"He seems so tame! Can I pet him?"
Banxia protectively placed her hand around Xiao Lian. "No, he's mine! You can't even touch him!"
"He's actually not that scary, now that I've gotten a closer look," Pan Xuemei, initially hesitant, had warmed up to him. "Sorry I called you ugly before, Xiao Lian. You're actually quite handsome."
The little gecko sat up even straighter, glancing at her.
Banxia introduced him. "This is Xuemei, Xiaoyue, and Qiao Xin. They're my good friends."
Xiao Lian nodded his little head, as if understanding.
The three girls were delighted.
"Your competition is in the capital this weekend. What about him? Are you taking him with you?"
"Of course! I can't play well without him," Banxia said, then turned to Xiao Lian. "Do you want to come with me, Xiao Lian?"
Xiao Lian rubbed his head against her finger in response.
The three girls cooed over his cuteness, but Banxia, possessive, wouldn't let them touch him.
"He's adorable, but you can't just distract us like that," Shang Xiaoyue said, remembering the topic Banxia had avoided earlier. "Speaking of boyfriends… where's yours? You said he was so wonderful. Why isn't he here to pick you up? He hasn't even called."
Banxia averted her gaze, avoiding their eyes.
Pan Xuemei: "Yeah, you said you… tasted him last night and that he was… amazing. And that tonight, you were going to…"
Banxia jumped up, covering Pan Xuemei's mouth, her face burning. "That's not true! I would never! I just wanted to… talk to him! That's all!"
Xiao Lian looked up at her, his beautiful, mysterious eyes gleaming.
"What are you doing, Banxia?!" Pan Xuemei protested, wiping the chili oil from her mouth. "This morning, you were boasting about how you were going to… ravage him, tease him… and now you're acting all shy?"
Banxia covered her face, mortified. She felt like jumping into South Lake and never coming out. She would never live this down.
Ah youth. Makes me feel so old
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