Awkward Qixi Evening
“Spending this holiday alone is such a shame.”
Xiao Hehe almost missed her flight, and just as she got situated, a text came. It was spam for an online dating site. She deleted it without a thought.
So today was Qixi, a very irritating holiday.
The Qixi Festival, sometimes called the Double Seventh Festival or Chinese Valentine’s Day, occurs on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month. It celebrates the annual meeting of the cowherd and weaving girl, two lovers who were separated by a galaxy, only able to meet once a year.
Xiao Hehe took the opportunity to send a text, “Dearest Xiao Bao, Mum’s arriving at the airport at 20:30. Come quickly to pick me up!”
Zheng Xiaobao was her bum coworker. He was originally supposed to make this trip, but came up with a lousy excuse, and pushed the errand to Hehe. So maybe she wanted to treat him like a slave for a bit. In any case, this guy just happened to have bought a car recently. He’d patted his chest, and promised that he’d wait for her to return and be his first passenger.
She calls him “xiao bao”, literally “little treasure.” As far as I’m aware, it’s an endearing term that parents may use for their children. Incidentally, his real name is also Xiaobao, just with different characters.
Before Hehe had boarded the plane, she’d been filled with two bottles of beer by a lively client. But she didn’t get to finish her meal. Now, she was dizzy, hungry, tired, and sleepy.
She couldn’t remember Zheng Xiaobao’s entire phone number, so she went through her contacts, one by one. She finally found him, when the passenger next to her turned and bumped into her. Hehe pressed the “send” button, and a second later, the screen displayed “successfully sent.” And then she realized that she hadn’t sent that text to Zheng Xiaobao, but rather Zheng Xie.
Hehe started to sweat a bit, and quickly called Zheng Xie to explain. The phone kept ringing, but no one picked up. He can’t be that petty. Hehe didn’t give up and called again. Idiot… She should send another text. But before she could finish typing, her phone dinged twice and shut off. Hehe was dismayed.
Then she thought, Zheng Xie seemed to have never responded to her texts. Who told her to always send him garbage messages? He probably ignores a text once he sees she’s the sender, since she always calls him if it’s something important anyway. Moreover, Zheng Xie probably wouldn’t misunderstand. How could she be so impolite with him? With an IQ as high as his, he’d probably be able to guess that she’d sent the message to the wrong person.
Today was Qixi. Zheng Xie wouldn’t be spending it alone. There should be a fine glass of wine in his hand, as he enjoys his evening. He wouldn’t even notice her mistake.
With that thought, Hehe was reassured, and put her head down to sleep. But before she could fall asleep, she vaguely recalled that when he was younger, Zheng Xie also had a nickname called Xiao Bao. …What a mess. Now, she couldn’t get to sleep.
––––
There was still a bustling crowd at the airport. Once she was past the ticket counter, the girl who had been sitting next to Hehe was pulled into a big embrace. Hugging so closely on such a hot day, weren’t they afraid of heatstroke? Xiao Hehe would not admit that she was jealous. She just felt that it was immoral. And besides, the beds in the hospital are getting very close now (there’s too many people?).
“Ms. Xiao, over here.”
As she was stepping outside the airport lobby, she was thinking about whether taking the bus or the taxi would be more expensive. Suddenly, she hear a familiar voice. With another look, she realized it was Zheng Xie’s personal driver, Xiao Wang. It was no small surprise to Hehe.
“Who are you here to pick up? Did Zheng Xie…gege also have a business trip? Or…” Zheng Xie’s nth girlfriend? She promptly swallowed the second half of that sentence.
English doesn’t really have these terms of address that, for example, Chinese has. “Gege” literally means “brother,” but is also used for older male friends, etc. I’ll drop these titles in translation when used in conjunction with a name, but in this case, the pause before she says it (I assume) suggests their sort of ambiguous relationship.
“I’m here to pick up Ms. Xiao. Please get into the car.” Hehe looked up to the sky. Strange, the moon was in the sky. The color was normal.
When she got into the car, she found out that young master Zheng Xie had gone to the hospital that afternoon, with a high fever. Xiao Hehe was tired and weary, and after three seconds of consideration, she decided to go to the hospital to express her compassion and concern. After all, she’d known Zheng Xie for 25 years now.
In her mind, other than going for checkups, the hospital was a place you only go to every three or four years. The hospital was no better than a maze. After numerous turns, she finally arrived at her destination. Really, how corrupt it was. He was staying in such a large room for a fever. How nervous the hospital beds must be.
Zheng Xie was leaning up on the bed, the IV still attached to his arm. His face was a bit pale, but his eyes were clear and bright. When he saw her enter, his expression didn’t change. He just pointed at the bench against the wall, motioning for her to sit.
His secretary, Wei Zhixian, sat on a stool beside the bed with a laptop, carefully recording the words that were dictated to him. The economics terms were like a monk’s mantra to her. Listening made her dizzy, and in a moment, she had fallen asleep.
She was, in fact, tired. On her business trip, she’d spent more than 14 hours a day working, and hadn’t had a good night’s sleep at all. She only woke when someone placed a coat on her. Rubbing her eyes, she saw that it was the elegant Secretary Wei. Seeing Hehe wake up, Wei Zhixian smiled gently. “I was about to leave. Should I give you a ride?”
Before Xiao Hehe could answer, the young master on the bed said, “No need. When I’m done with this, Hehe will leave with me.”
“The doctor said you should stay in the hospital overnight for observation…” After seeing his boss’ face, Secretary Wei responded, “Okay, please be sure to rest. Director, your phone.” He pulled out a shining, limited edition platinum phone from his pocket.
No wonder it was raining red. That he would actually send someone to pick her up, after receiving that text… So it had been Secretary Wei who saw the text. This was even more embarrassing. What a way to lose face.
––––
When they left, outside his room, there were several baskets on the ground. Brilliant purples and reds, and other colors. The aroma filled the air. Hehe bent down, and picked up a uniquely decorated basket. “This one looks nice. Let me have it.”
Zheng Xie grabbed on her collar to pull her back up. “Hospital flowers are unlucky.”
“Today is Qixi, but I didn’t even receive any flowers.” Hehe wanted to break free from his grip.
“When we leave the hospital, I’ll buy you some.”
“But I like these,” Hehe insisted.
Zheng Xie clearly looked like a sick patient before, but was moving very agilely right now. Hehe wasn’t sure how he did it, but the basket was no longer in her hands, and she had been pulled back to her feet. With a blink of an eye, they had already left the patient room. What’s so great about knowing a bit of martial arts? Hehe was being dragged away by the wrist, as she looked back towards the basket of flowers.
Hehe drowsily fell into sleep. She faintly heart Zheng Xie say, “Xiao Wang, turn down the air conditioning.” The car made a turn, and Hehe’s head hit the glass. Aiya! And she woke up again. Using the light shining into the car, she looked over to Zheng Xie. His face was pale, and he looked a bit lifeless. His skin was originally white, but now it was almost transparent. A small, white face that contrasted with a pair of shining, dark, bottomless eyes.
The directionally challenged Hehe just realized that the car was headed toward the West District, where she lived. Actually, the hospital Zheng Xie was just staying in was much closer to his luxury apartment, only ten minutes or so away.
“Driver Wang, send Zheng…Xie gege first. I’m not in a rush.”
“I’m going there today too.” Then Zheng Xie leaned back and closed his eyes.
Zheng Xie’s “there,” was in the same building that Xiao Hehe was going to. In fact, it was right across from her place. His apartment was twice as large as hers though, and he stayed there less than two weeks a year. Xiao Hehe had a foreboding feeling, and her sleepiness disappeared.
Sure enough, Zheng Xie walked right into her apartment with her. He took off his shoes, and, as if addressing a servant, naturally said, “Go to my place and bring me a pair of underwear and my bathrobe. And make me a bowl of noodles…make them tender. And add in an egg.” Then he headed straight to the bathroom.
Seriously…! Although he was a patient, she had also just gotten off a long plane journey. If he really wanted, there could be a street full of young ladies willing to cook him noodles and wait on him. Why did he have to order her around? Xiao Hehe cursed silently, then rubbed her nose, and resigned to look for Zheng Xie’s house keys.
As Zheng Xie ate his noodles, she went to shower. She also washed the clothes Zheng Xie left behind. She really just took whatever came at her. When she came out, the noodles were all eaten. There wasn’t even any soup left. The bowl was just left in the sink, so Xiao Hehe washed it.
She didn’t see Zheng Xie, and figured he must have returned to his place. Wearing her pajamas and slippers, she went into her darkened bedroom, and threw herself onto her bed.
“Ah––”
“Yah.”
The short scream was Zheng Xie’s, the long one was hers. Xiao Hehe had fallen right onto Zheng Xie. She got up, and turned on the lights. “You’re sleeping in the wrong place. This is my house!”
She could understand him showering here, because it had already been more than two months since he lived in his apartment. Maybe he was worried that the water in the tap wasn’t clean. But even if no one had slept in his bed for two months, that doesn’t mean he can sleep in hers.
“Oh.” Zheng Xie didn’t answer, his voice sounding very deep in sleep.
“Where am I supposed to sleep?” This time, Zheng Xie didn’t even make a sound. He just turned over, and continued to sleep. He curled up when he slept, burying his head in his arms, just like a child. Hehe relented. She touched his forehead. It wasn’t hot anymore, but it was covered in sweat.
Remembering that he’d been admitted to the hospital for a fever, she covered him with a blanket, and another thinner layer. Then she took out a towel from the cabinet, and went to sleep on the living room sofa. Just put the blame on her house only having one bed. And she wasn’t going to sleep in Zheng Xie’s big, empty apartment. She’d have nightmares all night.
In the middle of the night, Hehe woke up, freezing cold. This damned weather. The weather report said it would be 30 degrees (86 F), and yet it was so cold tonight. That thin towel wouldn’t keep her warm. And her two thicker blankets were covering Zheng Xie right now. Xiao Hehe got up, put on her jacket, and then lied back down.
It was still cold. And the sofa that was normally so comfy on a lazy day, was now like torture. Her bones were going to change shape. The clock on the wall said 3 o’clock. Xiao Hehe’s mind and body were both tired, but she couldn’t get to sleep.
She crept into her bedroom, thinking to take one of the blankets Zheng Xie was using. The curtains were open, and the moonlight shone in. Zheng Xie was still curled up, looking not at all like his usual elegant self. One blanket was covering him, and the other was firmly under him. Xiao Hehe was tired and sleepy and angry. She pulled on the blankets, but they didn’t budge. And she didn’t want to wake Zheng Xie. She pulled again on the blanket, but could only pull it out partway. Then she just lied down, and before long, she fell asleep.
Awkward Qixi Evening
“Spending this holiday alone is such a shame.”
Xiao Hehe almost missed her flight, and just as she got situated, a text came. It was spam for an online dating site. She deleted it without a thought.
So today was Qixi, a very irritating holiday.
The Qixi Festival, sometimes called the Double Seventh Festival or Chinese Valentine’s Day, occurs on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month. It celebrates the annual meeting of the cowherd and weaving girl, two lovers who were separated by a galaxy, only able to meet once a year.
Xiao Hehe took the opportunity to send a text, “Dearest Xiao Bao, Mum’s arriving at the airport at 20:30. Come quickly to pick me up!”
Zheng Xiaobao was her bum coworker. He was originally supposed to make this trip, but came up with a lousy excuse, and pushed the errand to Hehe. So maybe she wanted to treat him like a slave for a bit. In any case, this guy just happened to have bought a car recently. He’d patted his chest, and promised that he’d wait for her to return and be his first passenger.
She calls him “xiao bao”, literally “little treasure.” As far as I’m aware, it’s an endearing term that parents may use for their children. Incidentally, his real name is also Xiaobao, just with different characters.
Before Hehe had boarded the plane, she’d been filled with two bottles of beer by a lively client. But she didn’t get to finish her meal. Now, she was dizzy, hungry, tired, and sleepy.
She couldn’t remember Zheng Xiaobao’s entire phone number, so she went through her contacts, one by one. She finally found him, when the passenger next to her turned and bumped into her. Hehe pressed the “send” button, and a second later, the screen displayed “successfully sent.” And then she realized that she hadn’t sent that text to Zheng Xiaobao, but rather Zheng Xie.
Hehe started to sweat a bit, and quickly called Zheng Xie to explain. The phone kept ringing, but no one picked up. He can’t be that petty. Hehe didn’t give up and called again. Idiot… She should send another text. But before she could finish typing, her phone dinged twice and shut off. Hehe was dismayed.
Then she thought, Zheng Xie seemed to have never responded to her texts. Who told her to always send him garbage messages? He probably ignores a text once he sees she’s the sender, since she always calls him if it’s something important anyway. Moreover, Zheng Xie probably wouldn’t misunderstand. How could she be so impolite with him? With an IQ as high as his, he’d probably be able to guess that she’d sent the message to the wrong person.
Today was Qixi. Zheng Xie wouldn’t be spending it alone. There should be a fine glass of wine in his hand, as he enjoys his evening. He wouldn’t even notice her mistake.
With that thought, Hehe was reassured, and put her head down to sleep. But before she could fall asleep, she vaguely recalled that when he was younger, Zheng Xie also had a nickname called Xiao Bao. …What a mess. Now, she couldn’t get to sleep.
––––
There was still a bustling crowd at the airport. Once she was past the ticket counter, the girl who had been sitting next to Hehe was pulled into a big embrace. Hugging so closely on such a hot day, weren’t they afraid of heatstroke? Xiao Hehe would not admit that she was jealous. She just felt that it was immoral. And besides, the beds in the hospital are getting very close now (there’s too many people?).
“Ms. Xiao, over here.”
As she was stepping outside the airport lobby, she was thinking about whether taking the bus or the taxi would be more expensive. Suddenly, she hear a familiar voice. With another look, she realized it was Zheng Xie’s personal driver, Xiao Wang. It was no small surprise to Hehe.
“Who are you here to pick up? Did Zheng Xie…gege also have a business trip? Or…” Zheng Xie’s nth girlfriend? She promptly swallowed the second half of that sentence.
English doesn’t really have these terms of address that, for example, Chinese has. “Gege” literally means “brother,” but is also used for older male friends, etc. I’ll drop these titles in translation when used in conjunction with a name, but in this case, the pause before she says it (I assume) suggests their sort of ambiguous relationship.
“I’m here to pick up Ms. Xiao. Please get into the car.” Hehe looked up to the sky. Strange, the moon was in the sky. The color was normal.
When she got into the car, she found out that young master Zheng Xie had gone to the hospital that afternoon, with a high fever. Xiao Hehe was tired and weary, and after three seconds of consideration, she decided to go to the hospital to express her compassion and concern. After all, she’d known Zheng Xie for 25 years now.
In her mind, other than going for checkups, the hospital was a place you only go to every three or four years. The hospital was no better than a maze. After numerous turns, she finally arrived at her destination. Really, how corrupt it was. He was staying in such a large room for a fever. How nervous the hospital beds must be.
Zheng Xie was leaning up on the bed, the IV still attached to his arm. His face was a bit pale, but his eyes were clear and bright. When he saw her enter, his expression didn’t change. He just pointed at the bench against the wall, motioning for her to sit.
His secretary, Wei Zhixian, sat on a stool beside the bed with a laptop, carefully recording the words that were dictated to him. The economics terms were like a monk’s mantra to her. Listening made her dizzy, and in a moment, she had fallen asleep.
She was, in fact, tired. On her business trip, she’d spent more than 14 hours a day working, and hadn’t had a good night’s sleep at all. She only woke when someone placed a coat on her. Rubbing her eyes, she saw that it was the elegant Secretary Wei. Seeing Hehe wake up, Wei Zhixian smiled gently. “I was about to leave. Should I give you a ride?”
Before Xiao Hehe could answer, the young master on the bed said, “No need. When I’m done with this, Hehe will leave with me.”
“The doctor said you should stay in the hospital overnight for observation…” After seeing his boss’ face, Secretary Wei responded, “Okay, please be sure to rest. Director, your phone.” He pulled out a shining, limited edition platinum phone from his pocket.
No wonder it was raining red. That he would actually send someone to pick her up, after receiving that text… So it had been Secretary Wei who saw the text. This was even more embarrassing. What a way to lose face.
––––
When they left, outside his room, there were several baskets on the ground. Brilliant purples and reds, and other colors. The aroma filled the air. Hehe bent down, and picked up a uniquely decorated basket. “This one looks nice. Let me have it.”
Zheng Xie grabbed on her collar to pull her back up. “Hospital flowers are unlucky.”
“Today is Qixi, but I didn’t even receive any flowers.” Hehe wanted to break free from his grip.
“When we leave the hospital, I’ll buy you some.”
“But I like these,” Hehe insisted.
Zheng Xie clearly looked like a sick patient before, but was moving very agilely right now. Hehe wasn’t sure how he did it, but the basket was no longer in her hands, and she had been pulled back to her feet. With a blink of an eye, they had already left the patient room. What’s so great about knowing a bit of martial arts? Hehe was being dragged away by the wrist, as she looked back towards the basket of flowers.
Hehe drowsily fell into sleep. She faintly heart Zheng Xie say, “Xiao Wang, turn down the air conditioning.” The car made a turn, and Hehe’s head hit the glass. Aiya! And she woke up again. Using the light shining into the car, she looked over to Zheng Xie. His face was pale, and he looked a bit lifeless. His skin was originally white, but now it was almost transparent. A small, white face that contrasted with a pair of shining, dark, bottomless eyes.
The directionally challenged Hehe just realized that the car was headed toward the West District, where she lived. Actually, the hospital Zheng Xie was just staying in was much closer to his luxury apartment, only ten minutes or so away.
“Driver Wang, send Zheng…Xie gege first. I’m not in a rush.”
“I’m going there today too.” Then Zheng Xie leaned back and closed his eyes.
Zheng Xie’s “there,” was in the same building that Xiao Hehe was going to. In fact, it was right across from her place. His apartment was twice as large as hers though, and he stayed there less than two weeks a year. Xiao Hehe had a foreboding feeling, and her sleepiness disappeared.
Sure enough, Zheng Xie walked right into her apartment with her. He took off his shoes, and, as if addressing a servant, naturally said, “Go to my place and bring me a pair of underwear and my bathrobe. And make me a bowl of noodles…make them tender. And add in an egg.” Then he headed straight to the bathroom.
Seriously…! Although he was a patient, she had also just gotten off a long plane journey. If he really wanted, there could be a street full of young ladies willing to cook him noodles and wait on him. Why did he have to order her around? Xiao Hehe cursed silently, then rubbed her nose, and resigned to look for Zheng Xie’s house keys.
As Zheng Xie ate his noodles, she went to shower. She also washed the clothes Zheng Xie left behind. She really just took whatever came at her. When she came out, the noodles were all eaten. There wasn’t even any soup left. The bowl was just left in the sink, so Xiao Hehe washed it.
She didn’t see Zheng Xie, and figured he must have returned to his place. Wearing her pajamas and slippers, she went into her darkened bedroom, and threw herself onto her bed.
“Ah––”
“Yah.”
The short scream was Zheng Xie’s, the long one was hers. Xiao Hehe had fallen right onto Zheng Xie. She got up, and turned on the lights. “You’re sleeping in the wrong place. This is my house!”
She could understand him showering here, because it had already been more than two months since he lived in his apartment. Maybe he was worried that the water in the tap wasn’t clean. But even if no one had slept in his bed for two months, that doesn’t mean he can sleep in hers.
“Oh.” Zheng Xie didn’t answer, his voice sounding very deep in sleep.
“Where am I supposed to sleep?” This time, Zheng Xie didn’t even make a sound. He just turned over, and continued to sleep. He curled up when he slept, burying his head in his arms, just like a child. Hehe relented. She touched his forehead. It wasn’t hot anymore, but it was covered in sweat.
Remembering that he’d been admitted to the hospital for a fever, she covered him with a blanket, and another thinner layer. Then she took out a towel from the cabinet, and went to sleep on the living room sofa. Just put the blame on her house only having one bed. And she wasn’t going to sleep in Zheng Xie’s big, empty apartment. She’d have nightmares all night.
In the middle of the night, Hehe woke up, freezing cold. This damned weather. The weather report said it would be 30 degrees (86 F), and yet it was so cold tonight. That thin towel wouldn’t keep her warm. And her two thicker blankets were covering Zheng Xie right now. Xiao Hehe got up, put on her jacket, and then lied back down.
It was still cold. And the sofa that was normally so comfy on a lazy day, was now like torture. Her bones were going to change shape. The clock on the wall said 3 o’clock. Xiao Hehe’s mind and body were both tired, but she couldn’t get to sleep.
She crept into her bedroom, thinking to take one of the blankets Zheng Xie was using. The curtains were open, and the moonlight shone in. Zheng Xie was still curled up, looking not at all like his usual elegant self. One blanket was covering him, and the other was firmly under him. Xiao Hehe was tired and sleepy and angry. She pulled on the blankets, but they didn’t budge. And she didn’t want to wake Zheng Xie. She pulled again on the blanket, but could only pull it out partway. Then she just lied down, and before long, she fell asleep.
