Chapter Eight: The Big Girl

When Li Mu walked out of the barbershop with a bottle of mousse in his pocket, it was as if he had become a different person. His beard was long gone, and his hairstyle had changed so drastically that he’d gone from looking like a model student to one of those roguish young men you’d see in Hong Kong or Korean films of later years. Dressed casually in a well-worn cotton T-shirt, garish floral shorts, and flip-flops, he exuded a lazy, carefree charm. In this era, he was undoubtedly a handsome man with both looks and aura to match.

Just as Li Mu stepped out of the shop, Chen Wan arrived at the door on a brand-new Giant mountain bike. A beautiful young woman in her early twenties riding such a flashy bike, with a striking figure, was truly a sight to behold.

Chen Wan’s outfit was fresh and bright: a beige and pink striped T-shirt that hugged her form, light blue tapered jeans that accentuated her shapely hips as she pedaled, and a pair of white Converse sneakers. Her simple, clean look put to shame the many girls on the street in their loud bell-bottoms.

Though Chen Wan was three years older than Li Mu, in his eyes, a university student just past twenty was hardly a woman—more like an older girl. Yet this older girl was almost too beautiful, making even a man in his thirties like Li Mu’s heart flutter.

Li Mu was staring at her when Chen Wan looked up and met his gaze, her face instantly flushing crimson. She hadn’t recognized him; it was just that, in that moment of eye contact, she felt a jolt run through her, making her unbearably nervous.

Girls of this era had never encountered a guy with Li Mu’s style. Usually, the boys they saw either wore their hair long or sported garishly colored, outlandish “trendy” outfits.

Lowering her head, Chen Wan dared not look again. She slipped past Li Mu into the barbershop, but after a glance around, she saw only the eccentric shop owner and no one else. She muttered to herself, “Li Mu really is unreliable. He said we’d meet here—where did he run off to?”

Disgruntled, Chen Wan thought she might as well head to Li Mu’s house since he’d given her the address. As she stepped out, the handsome young man who’d electrified her moments before was standing there with a mischievous grin. “Sister Wan, how come you don’t recognize me after just one night?”

“Ah…” Chen Wan stared at him for a long while, then asked in disbelief, “You… you’re Li Mu?”

“Who else?” Li Mu replied, hands in pockets, lips curled.

Chen Wan’s face turned bright red in an instant.

Li Mu found he really liked seeing Chen Wan blush. She was already beautiful, but when she blushed, she became even more alluring.

Accepting the reality before her, Chen Wan couldn’t help but ask, “Why did you shave your beard and cut your hair like that? You don’t look like a student anymore.”

“Exams are over,” Li Mu replied matter-of-factly, waving her along. “Come on, let’s go home.”

His casual use of “let’s go home” made Chen Wan both shy and flustered. She stamped her foot, pointed at the brand-new Giant mountain bike, and said crossly, “That bike is for you. You push it!”

Li Mu was taken aback. “Why did you buy me a bike?”

“To make it up to you! I wrecked your old one.”

“But I won’t need it. I’ll be off to college soon.”

“Don’t you need to ride somewhere during summer break, to see friends or something?”

“Sister Wan, if I ride this thing to the internet café, it’ll be stolen in ten minutes!” Li Mu eyed the bike, recognizing it was of professional quality—lockable suspension, trigger shifters, front and rear disc brakes, all Shimano components. In this era, it had to be worth at least two thousand yuan.

“Is it really that easy to steal?” Chen Wan had never considered this. She didn’t go to internet cafés and had never lost a bike.

Li Mu sighed. “You really are a pampered beauty who knows nothing of the world. Never ride a bike worth over two hundred yuan to an internet café. That’s basic common sense.”

“What’s a pampered beauty?”

“It means you’re fair, rich, and beautiful.”

“Such a smooth talker!”

Feigning annoyance, Chen Wan added, “Then just don’t ride it to the internet café. In Shanghai, I’ve only seen outdoor sports enthusiasts with bikes like this—for cycling trips, you know?”

“I’ve heard of that…” Li Mu replied. “But I’m still a student. You don’t expect me to go cycling to Tibet like those people, do you?”

“Of course not. It’s just for you to get around.”

“How much did it cost?”

“Not much—just over five hundred.”

“You’re fooling no one! Just over five hundred? Sell me a hundred at that price! The gear set alone costs more than that.”

Chen Wan suddenly realized she was always so passive with Li Mu.

Annoyed and embarrassed, she huffed, “Why do you always have so much to say? If you don’t want it, I’ll leave, and we’ll never speak again!”

“I want it, I want it!” Seeing her upset, Li Mu quickly relented. “I’ll keep it, alright?”

He knew Chen Wan came from a well-off family and just wanted to make up for damaging his bike. Rejecting her gift would only hurt her, so it was better to accept.

Straddling the mountain bike, Li Mu patted the front bar and gestured to Chen Wan. “There’s no back seat—want to sit here?”

Chen Wan’s cheeks burned again. She shot him a sulky glance. “I’ll walk, thanks.”

She’d never felt this way before—teased by a boy three years her junior and utterly unable to retaliate. She couldn’t help but recall the boy she’d knocked over yesterday, and now, seeing his current look and demeanor, she sighed inwardly.

Some people are just born captivating, regardless of age.

Li Mu was precisely that type.

Knowing Chen Wan would never agree to sit on the front bar, Li Mu pushed the bike, while Chen Wan walked beside him, separated by the bicycle. The pair attracted a fair bit of attention.

Beneath the blazing summer sun, the two walked side by side, their looks and presence setting them apart from the crowd. Though Li Mu had shaved and changed his hair so much that Chen Wan barely recognized him at first, many in the neighborhood had watched him grow up. Seeing them together, they were surprised only for a moment before recognizing Li Mu.

By the time Li Mu brought Chen Wan home, several of his parents’ colleagues in the neighborhood were already gossiping.

“Did you see? Li Daoping’s boy, Xiao Mu, just brought home a beautiful girl. That girl—how should I say it? You couldn’t find another half as good-looking in the whole complex!”

“Li Daoping is truly blessed. His wife, Xiao Yunfang, was a beauty back in the day, and now their son’s found himself such a pretty girlfriend.”

…

Li Mu’s home wasn’t lavishly decorated, but it was exceptionally tidy. The yard was filled with flowers and plants his mother had tended, most in full bloom. Chen Wan was enchanted the moment she stepped in.

After parking the bike in a storage shed, Li Mu said, “Sister Wan, why not stay for lunch? A childhood friend of mine is coming over, and we’re supposed to get KFC together. Join us?”

“A childhood friend?” Chen Wan pursed her lips. “I’ll pass. I don’t want to be a bother. I’ll just sit for a bit and then go.”

Seeing her misunderstanding, Li Mu explained, “It’s no trouble at all. My buddy insists on dragging me to the internet café. If you’re free, why not join us? It’d be much more fun with a pretty girl around.”

“The internet café?” Chen Wan thought for a moment. “Alright, I don’t have much going on this afternoon. I’ll go with you for a while.”

“Let’s sit inside for a bit first.”

Li Mu led Chen Wan into the living room and poured her a glass of water. She looked around his home with curiosity.

The Li family’s décor was very much of its time. His father had even put up a trendy photo wall, covered with black-and-white wedding pictures, snapshots from their travels, each labeled with the date and place. In the color photos, Li Mu appeared as a baby, at ten months, one year old, and then a photo with his parents for every birthday up to eighteen.

Chen Wan was fascinated by the photos and couldn’t help but exclaim, “Your parents were such a handsome couple when they were young!”

“Weren’t they?” Li Mu grinned proudly. “Good genes run in the family—no wonder I turned out so handsome.”

“You really have no shame.”