Mr. Lizard Outside the Window - Chapter 51
Chapter 51: The Desperate Mr. Lizard
Banxia was cycling past Aunt Du's house when she saw the elderly woman struggling to carry a trash bucket, her hand trembling as she leaned on her walking stick.
"Let me help," Banxia said, taking the bucket from her, cycling a short distance, and emptying it for her.
The elderly woman was reluctant to use trash bags. After emptying the bucket, Banxia rinsed it with well water in the courtyard and poured the dirty water onto the flowerbed by the wall.
The flowers in the courtyard, once potted, were now thriving in the ground.
They were planted densely yet artfully, their arrangement pleasing to the eye. The red brick walls, the moonlight, the fragrance of flowers… it reminded Banxia of her childhood, of Grandpa Mu's courtyard next door, filled with flowers, their natural, uncontrived arrangement creating a tranquil, ethereal atmosphere.
Banxia's gaze drifted towards the window of the wing room where the piano had once been, where her childhood companion had spent countless hours.
"Xiao Xia, have you seen that Xiao Dong boy recently?" Aunt Du asked, taking the bucket back. "He lives in the same building as you, at Ah Ying's place."
"You mean Senior Ling Dong? I've been away, so I haven't seen him. Did you need something from him?"
"Nothing in particular. He used to come by often, but I haven't seen him for over ten days. I was just wondering."
"Okay, I'll ask him if I see him."
As Banxia returned home, she saw Ling Dong at the door to his apartment.
Before she could greet him, he seemed to be in a hurry, stumbling inside and slamming the door shut.
The senior was always a bit… odd, so Banxia didn't think much of it.
Back in her own apartment, a pot of steaming monkey head mushroom and duck soup was waiting for her on the stove.
Banxia sat by the window, savoring the rich, fragrant soup. A sweet warmth spread through her, the sweetness of being loved, the comfort of companionship, all contained in that simple bowl of soup, each sip chasing away the loneliness that had been her constant companion for so many years.
Xiao Lian came home very late that night.
Banxia was already in bed when he crawled in through the window, his little body damp.
He crawled onto the bed and nuzzled her cheek, the fresh scent of shower gel clinging to his scales.
"Did you take a shower, Xiao Lian?" Banxia asked, reaching out to touch his back.
Xiao Lian flinched, shaking his tail. "Don't… don't touch," he said, his voice strained.
"What's wrong?"
"I just shed my skin," he mumbled, burrowing into her blankets. "It's… sensitive."
Time had flown by. It seemed like only yesterday that she had helped him shed his skin, the scene still vivid in her mind.
Has it been a month already?
Hearing that his skin was sensitive, mischievous thoughts stirred within her.
Thankfully, she had read enough gecko care guides to know that a gecko's newly shed skin was delicate and prone to infection. She had to be careful.
She suppressed her playful impulses and gently stroked his head, her touch light and gentle.
The comforting touch made Xiao Lian close his eyes, a soft sigh escaping his lips.
"The soup was delicious. What are we having tomorrow?" Banxia asked.
"What do you want?"
"Crab rice cake soup!"
"That's too cold for your stomach."
"Then… squid soup with fish paste?"
"Okay."
"And steamed millet cake?"
"Yes."
"Isn't that too much trouble?"
"Not at all."
As the sun rose and set, Ling Dong stood by the stove in his apron, tending to the simmering squid soup, while simultaneously talking to Xiao Xiao on the phone, the speakerphone on.
"Add Peking Opera and traditional Chinese lyrics?" Ling Dong frowned slightly, stirring the soup with a long ladle. "It's not impossible, but it's not as simple as he thinks. Traditional elements require… nuance, a certain understanding. The opera piece he wants to add is completely unsuitable for this song. I don't think I can take on this project."
Xiao Xiao groaned. "I knew you wouldn't agree. I'm so disappointed! I loved your demo! I wanted to bring it to life! I even had the marketing campaign planned out! If it weren't for paying the bills, I wouldn't even work with those idiots!"
Ling Dong consoled him. "It's alright. That's how the industry works. Capital dictates everything. But at least independent musicians like me can still create the music we love."
"You're right, Ah Lian," Xiao Xiao said, using the nickname he had given his idol, a term of endearment he had become accustomed to. "Don't waste that demo. Finish the song yourself. And don't just upload it to Red Orange. Try a bigger platform! Your music deserves a wider audience!"
"Okay," Ling Dong said, tasting the soup, a satisfied smile on his face. "I've always liked incorporating traditional Chinese elements into my music. For this song, perhaps I could use some Peking Opera percussion instruments in the background. The four-beat rhythm from the Gong and Drum Classic would be quite fitting."
"Brilliant!" Xiao Xiao exclaimed, even mimicking the rhythmic pattern. "Kuang cai kuang cai kuang kuang cai! And with the pentatonic scale and authentic pronunciation, it'll be perfect!"
"Exactly! Opera is essentially pentatonic. To maintain that style, we'll have to modify the chorus, merge the free pitch transitions of opera with the song's structure. And the rhythm will need some adjustments too," Ling Dong said.
"There's a lot to consider. It requires time and effort, a meticulous approach," Xiao Xiao said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
He enjoyed talking to Red Lotus. Their musical sensibilities were so similar, their communication effortless, their ideas often converging, even sparking new inspiration.
A true artist, creative and rigorous, he thought. A perfect musician.
He sincerely hoped they could collaborate long-term.
If only the company wasn't controlled by that clueless VP with his ridiculous demands, he thought. I could help this amazing talent truly shine.
Ling Dong hung up, his mind still on the music. The soup bubbled on the stove, the millet cake steamed, its sweet fragrance filling the air.
The timer ticked away.
Yesterday's shedding incident seemed to have had no lasting effects, apart from the strange and rather unpleasant experience of shedding his human skin.
Thankfully, he had transformed back into his gecko form just in time, sparing Banxia from witnessing the horrifying sight of his peeling human skin.
Since becoming a lizard, he shed his skin monthly, just like a normal gecko. And each time, the duration he could maintain his human form decreased.
It was a constant worry, a heavy weight on his heart.
He glanced at the timer. Nineteen minutes.
After the last shedding, he had been able to stay in his human form for fifty minutes.
Lately, with his improved emotional stability, his time had been steadily increasing.
He just needed to see if it would continue to improve.
I hope it increases, or at least stays the same, he thought. If I have more time, I can visit Aunt Du tomorrow, maybe even go for a longer walk. Buy some fresh vegetables, get a new plant…
As the timer reached twenty minutes, his pupils suddenly contracted.
Without warning, his pajamas and apron fell to the floor. The stainless-steel ladle clattered onto the stove, splashing the hot soup across the burner.
The flames, doused by the liquid, erupted in a cloud of white smoke.
A black gecko crawled out from beneath the pile of clothes and stared at the now impossibly high stove, stunned.
The blue flames licked at the bottom of the pot, a menacing hiss.
Banxia wouldn't be back for a while, and he couldn't leave the stove unattended.
The gecko, after a moment of stunned immobility, began to climb the stove, his tiny claws slipping in the spilled soup. He struggled to reach the gas valve, his small body straining with the effort.
He managed to turn off the gas, but his tail brushed against the hot burner.
The searing pain made him recoil, falling from the stove onto the floor.
Though the burn was on his tail, it felt like his heart was being seared, the pain intense, radiating through his entire body.
He looked at his injured tail. Her favorite spot, now charred and red, an ugly, painful reminder of his… monstrous form.
For a moment, the familiar world, the sunlit kitchen, seemed to distort, revealing its true nature, a hostile, terrifying place.
When Banxia returned, the kitchen was a mess, clothes scattered on the floor.
Xiao Lian was curled up in the small basin in the bathroom, his tail submerged in cool water.
"What happened?!" Banxia cried, scooping him up, his tiny body trembling with cold.
"I… I accidentally burned my tail while cooking," he mumbled, his eyes closed. "It's nothing. I'm just… cold."
Ignoring his protests, Banxia rushed him to the pet hospital.
"You again," the vet said, recognizing them. "Be more careful! Geckos are delicate creatures, both physically and emotionally. Don't let him get hurt again."
"I'll give you some ointment. Apply it when you get home. Keep an eye on it. If it gets worse, come back," the vet said.
Banxia knew that "come back" meant amputation.
The thought made her shudder. As soon as they left the hospital, she said, "No more cooking for a while, Xiao Lian. Just rest. I'll buy you delicious food every day. I promise I'll eat properly too, three meals a day, no skipping meals, no more late-night snacks, no more getting sick. Just… take care of yourself. Don't scare me like that again."
Xiao Lian, his injured tail bandaged, burrowed into her coat collar, pressing against her warm skin, and murmured, "Mm-hmm."
After winning the national competition, Banxia's life became even busier.
The school held a commendation ceremony and a concert in her honor.
And with the end of the semester approaching, she had to prepare for her final exams and her graduation recital.
Professor Yu, impressed by her performance at the Collegiate Cup, suggested she start preparing for international competitions.
He assigned her even more practice pieces, her schedule now even more demanding.
In the midst of all the activity, she barely noticed Xiao Lian's occasional… oddities.
He seemed fine, his tail healing well.
She had forbidden him from cooking, and he had complied, though his takeout orders had become increasingly elaborate.
He had even ordered expensive bird's nest soup for her three times in one week, a gesture that both touched and worried her.
"Xiao Lian, I just have a stomach ache, not some incurable disease! We need to save money!" she had protested, carefully dividing the soup into two portions, one for him, one for her.
He had become even more clingy, spending almost every moment with her when she was home.
Accompanying her to cafes, to the music shop, even busking with her under the streetlights.
And in the darkness of her room, he had become even more… unrestrained, his usual shyness disappearing, his desires unleashed, catering to her every whim, his touch both tender and possessive.
Only when she tried to turn on the light would he stop her, his hand firm on her wrist, his voice a low, urgent plea.
Sometimes, his vulnerability, his barely suppressed moans, his sweat-slicked skin gleaming in the moonlight, were so tempting that she would lose control, her teeth sinking into his shoulder.
And in those moments, he would let out a low, almost wild whimper, even whispering, "Harder," his words a dangerous invitation.
"I'll cherish you, Xiao Lian," she would murmur against his skin, licking the mark she had made, her voice playful, yet possessive. "You're so good. I'm going to… devour you, slowly, bit by bit."
And he would respond with a passionate intensity, as if pouring his entire being into those stolen moments, his touch both a comfort and a torment.
The pleasure was always intense, fleeting, like fireworks exploding in the night sky, their brilliance quickly fading.
Banxia, floating in the afterglow, would reach out to touch him, her fingers tracing the smooth, cool scales of his skin, her voice soft and drowsy as she drifted off to sleep. "Lao Yu says I'll have many competitions and performances next year. We'll travel together, see the world, okay, Xiao Lian? Will you be happy?"
By the time she realized he had transformed back into his gecko form, she was already asleep, her hand still resting on his cool skin, her breathing slow and even.
In the darkness, Xiao Lian's dark gold eyes watched her through the spaces between her fingers.
Her words, like threads, pulled at his heart, unraveling it, each word a painful reminder of the inevitable.
He wanted to wake her, to tell her everything, but he couldn't bear to see the pain in her eyes.
Every month, he shed his skin, and every month, his time grew shorter.
His hope, his longing for a future together, was just an illusion, a desperate fantasy.
He had lost another half hour. He could only maintain his human form for twenty minutes now.
When the final judgment came, what would become of him?
A monster, no longer human.
Or nothing at all, his existence erased, his time run out.
Her hand, still resting on him, the warmth of her skin against his scales, was his only comfort.
He shifted slightly, wanting to memorize her face, the happiness she had brought into his life, the memories a treasure to be savored, even in the darkness of the netherworld.
Even in her sleep, her lips curved into a faint smile, as if she were happy, dreaming of something beautiful.
She was his most beautiful dream.
All the gentleness he had ever known, all the light and warmth in his dark and desperate world, came from her.
Being with her was a joy beyond words. Leaving her would break his heart.
He was willing to fight for her, to the very end, but he couldn't bear to drag her down with him, into the abyss.
Is there anything else I can do? he wondered, his heart heavy. He was standing on the edge of a cliff, nowhere left to retreat.
When it was time to leave, Ling Dong longed to speak to her, but his voice was gone.
He crawled out from beneath her hand, his tiny claws gently caressing her face, his lips brushing hers, a silent farewell, a final, desperate act of love.
Even if the world was ending, this single moment of warmth was enough to sustain him, to give him strength for one last fight.
He wouldn't give up, he couldn't.
Wait for me, he thought. Just a few more days. Wait for me to come back.
And if I don't… please, pretend I'm still out there, somewhere.
Don't think of me as… dead. And please… don't forget me.
Banxia woke up to an empty room. A text message from Xiao Lian: "Sorry, something came up. I have to go away for a few days. Wait for me. ๐"
Along with the message, a notification of a bank transfer, over ten thousand yuan.
Almost all his savings, everything he had earned.
"For you. In case you need it," the message said.
Banxia sat up in bed, staring at the cheerful emoji, the winking face blowing a kiss, a sudden unease creeping into her heart. Something wasn't right.
AHHHHHHHHHHH
ReplyDeleteWHAAAAT!??
NO WAY
MY ANXIETY IS BEING ANXIOUS （；´ะด｀）ใ