Caught in My Own Trap Chapter 9

You should have a girlfriend

When chatting with friends, must talk about appropriate topics.

Xiao He He hunched on the sofa with her legs curved, drawing a group of cats.

She majored in fine arts. Working as graphic designs. Because she had a good boss that is not too aggressive, her work is not too hard. Therefore she had a lot of free time, giving her opportunity to earn extra money from time to time.

Zheng Xie’s sofa is really comfortable and very ergonomic, just like a cradle that is there to accommodate her. She wondered if she could come over to enjoy the sofa when Zheng Xie is not around. Or even better, to bring the sofa home, she though while sitting there looking at Zheng Xie on the other sofa.

Zheng Xie is no longer in his usual serious att.i.tude. Lying half lazily, pillow in his arm, leg on the low table in from of the sofa with his eyes half closed. What a pleasant sight.

She suddenly have an idea and quietly turn herself 30 degrees. She turn to a new page and sketched Zheng Xie in his current position and added a cat next to him, watching the television. She is very satisfied with her work.

Her task is to draw a set of 12 sketches of cat but her inspiration has dried up forgetting that there is a ready-made reference in front of her. He He wonders how to get Zheng Xie to give her another inspiration for another sketch with another cat. She found Zheng Xie looking at her sketch book and quickly she closed the book. She looked up at him with a slight smile.

Zheng Xie hates cat, so if he sees her sketching cats in his home, he will be very angry. And if he finds out that she has sketched him with a cat, he will definitely extend her some grief. Therefore, he must never see these.

Not many people knew the secret of Zheng Xie being afraid of cat. Most people think that he does not like cats. They sees him avoiding cats when he sees them. Some would have thought that he is probably allergic to cats.

After all, Zheng Xie has been synonymous with “brave”. Once when he was in high school, in the cla.s.sroom, he was trapped in the fire. In full view of others, he climbed down from the fourth floor along the windows and then jumping down when he is about four meters away from the ground. Just last year, together with a group of people, they went on a mountain climbing expedition. They came across snakes, Zheng Xie with a straight face, picked up the snake and drop it over the cliff in front of those screaming women.

So, who can believe that he is actually afraid of cats? Even kitten that is less than 2 months old… Simply very laughable.

Zheng Xie has long ago been studying He He quietly. He could see her guiltily covering her sketches which indicate that she is up to no good.

He He is wearing a wide shoulder straps linen blouse with prints and a denim shorts. Although he has always felt that He He is thin and but not short, but now looking at her, found her to be really small. She has small nose and mouth, thin arms with spindly legs, hands and feet are at least 1 size smaller than normal woman. Her legs and feet are very pale, dazzling white. This is because all summer, she had been wearing blue jeans and sneakers hence no chance to get the sun. At the moment, she is sitting on the sofa, not very dignified with one foot resting and shaking on the arm of the sofa, giving him a headache with the sound of the shaking.

Zheng Xie turned and looked at her feet for a second, without speaking but also to recover his eyes. He He very cooperatively and immediately place her feet back on the ground just like a lady and curled her lip: “There are no one else here.”

Before Zheng Xie could uttered anything, He He said: “This old drama, you have watched hundreds of time.” After a while said to herself: “In fact the big beard, is more stylish in this one. This one looked more rustic.”

“What do you children know?”

“Only old people will hold on to old things tightly.” Seeing that Zheng Xie is ignoring her, she felt bored and put down her sketches to lean over and push him: “Let’s watch the Olympic Games. How can you be so out of touch at times like this?”

“To me, I only see the result, the process is not worth looking at.” Zheng Xie moved to the side out and successfully got out of her reach.

“Wong. Teacher said, is the att.i.tude is not good, even if winning is also a lost. So the process is much more important than the result.”

“Teacher? The old man said this?”

Xiao He He remain silent.

“You know, this word itself has acid meaning, because you failed to convince others to win, has to give yourself a good excuse. You can’t fool any inexperience children.”

He He opened her mouth and then closed it, then open again with a gasp before finally could not help but sigh: “Generation gap!”

Then He He continue to sketch while Zheng Xie continue to watch his Legend of the Condor Heroes. In the meantime, on the corner of the television screen is a small screen of the Olympic broadcast. Easy for He He to keep track of the game and result.

On the television, Mu Nian Ci is being coaxed by Yang Kang. Zheng Xie whispered: “Silly girl.”

He He chimed in: “Mu Nian Ci is not stupid. In this life, it is rare to find love. Yang Kang although is not good, but he is sincere.”

Zheng Xie paused for a while: “Why are you so excited about?”

“You are the one that is excited. You like the hero, Guo Jing who is stupid and is blindly loyal to Yu Xiao. He loves his wife and daughter but somehow, for compliance, almost abandoned Huang Rong. Thanks to his good fortune, later for Xin Yi, had to cut Guo Fu’s arm. Huang Rong is such an aggressive woman, after marrying him become so terrifying. Even gave birth to such a child, Guo Fu, really a tragedy. He became his own hero while his family becomes victims.” Xiao He He debated. She rarely debate with such a strong point.

Zheng Xie kept silence for a long time. He He suddenly realized that she may have cross the line with Zheng Xie. But words spoken out cannot be recovered, so she softly added: “Uh, Yang Kang is actually just an a.s.shole joker. I prefer, the more perfect man.”

Zheng Xie said without even looking at her: “I am not able to communicate with kids born after the 80s.” He changed the channel.

Xiao He He sat back and relax, the crisis temporarily lifted.

Her memory is really poor, often speak too fast without thinking, hence had to pay the price.

 

Zheng Xie has always admired Guo Jing from young, although he really don’t have much in common with Guo Jing. He He remember back then, she discredit Guo Jing with almost the same set of theories. That time, Zheng Xie became very upset with her, showing his darken face to her for many days. Now as he is much mature, also more enriched in life experience, even his emotional intelligence is now much higher.

Suddenly something flash in He He’s brain. In fact, she have not seen much of her father’s photo. Her mother had said that she don’t want both of them to live in the past, so collected and kept all father’s photo. He He never raised any noise about wanting her father’s photo.

The most impressive photograph of her father in her memory is the one seen from Aunt Qian alb.u.m. She vaguely remember her father with a charming laugh. He He now want her legendary Guo Xing to actually be like her father.

She is feeling a little regretful. Things that Zheng Xie does are usually tough and is sensitive in mind. She is feeling sorry and realized that she should not just criticize Guo Xing who because of his dream and believe left his wife.

When she is feeling guilty, He He is most afraid of quietness. She turned and look at Zheng Xie whom is watching television quietly, even the volume is very low. Making it inevitably more uncomfortable. Zheng Xie is watching some programs, talking about pancreas treatment and a bunch of specialists as well as patients talking about their own experience. Zheng Xie is looking at the screen in full concentration.

Xiao He He, a layer of sweat breaking at her back, weakly said: “h.e.l.lo”

Zheng Xie did not respond, so she called a little louder: “Brother Xie!”

This time, Zheng Xie finally responded: “So loud for what?” Seeing the channel on the television, immediate change the channel. Just now don’t know where his mind has drifted to.

“I think, um…. I have a suggestion.” Xiao He He said and swallowed a mouthful of saliva.
Zheng Xie screwed his eyebrows slightly and turned to look at her.

“You should find a girlfriend.”

Zheng Xie thought for a while, chuckled and said: “Didn’t you always say I have a lot of girlfriend, a waste of resources?”

“I mean real girlfriend. You have not seriously dated any woman for a long time.”

Zheng Xie sweep her with the corner of his eyes: “Why?”

“On the premises of dating for marriage. You have always been playing games of mind, how you will encounter any genuine woman?”

“Who asked you to be a lobbyist? Cousin Rose? Cousin Huang Huang? Or my respectful aunties?” Zheng Xie casually asked.

“When you are ready to get married, all the right woman have been picked by someone else, leaving you those that you despise or those that despise you.” Xiao He He said although it was completely ignored. She cannot help but become angry. She bitterly thought that she had been vicious enough.

“Getting married early may not be something beneficial. If does not goes well, ended up with a divorce. Then once again get back together?” Zheng Xie say.

Zheng Xie rarely gossip. Xiao He He interest is fully evoke and with a mischievous smile said: “When you invite Mr Cheng Xian Sheng and Mrs Chen for a meal, bring me along ok? I have had not seen Mr Cheng Xian Sheng. Not even at his company.”

Zheng Xie tease her: “So he is your type of guy? Might as well forget the possibility. Even if he is single, it is impossible that he will take fancy of you.”

“I don’t appreciate it.”

“A man that had got married twice, there is nothing good to be appreciated.”

“You see, you don’t understand it. You can be a diamond bachelor, although expensive, but finally there is inventory. But it is different from Brother Cheng, once out of stock, we can only wait and see, cannot buy. This is rarer than you.”

Zheng Xie nearly choked. Luckily has not come to the stage of him spraying out the cold water. He continued: “I’m afraid you will not be able to see Brother Cheng for the next year. He has now evolved into a standard indoor man, rejecting all external events. People familiar with him knows that his wife is pregnant. People whom are unfamiliar with him thought that he is pregnant.”

Xiao He He laughed for a long time, and then said: “You must be jealous.”

“Yes…yes. For such a long time, I have not met any woman who would drive me nuts. I truly envied them.” Zheng Xie thinks that the conversation is getting a little boring, got up to leave.

Xiao He He sees that he is leaving, quickly seize the opportunity and neutrally asked: “What do you think of Secretary Wei?”

“Who?”

“In the novel also said, the male lead does cannot find any women that he has feeling for. He look back and realized that the best has always been around. Secretary Wei had accompanied you for so many years. She is smart, beautiful and talented with almost no temper. You have never been tempted?”

Zheng Xie looked at her with the “You’re an idiot” look.

“Oh, really no taste. What do you think of Ren Rang then? Beautiful and gentle, can be considered a good match with you.”

Zheg Xie this time did not even turn back to look at her, just walked away.

Xiao He He shouted at the back: “Don’t be shy, ah. Invite me to dinner at night with Ren Ran.”

“Xiao He He, why don’t you list down all the women you know for me to consider? Don’t forget to note their height measurements as well.” Zheng Xie turn back and said to her: “As the proverb say, you are noisier than six hundred ducks together.”

“Proverb says, five hundred.”

“Because you’re too noisy, so add another 2 percent.”