Chapter 71: Cicada
In the afternoon of a summer day, the scorching temperature distorted the air, making everything seem distorted and terrifying..
The Gu family’s mansion had a large lawn, a place where the children usually gathered to play.
The first half of the Gu family patriarch’s life was a legend in Qingchuan’s business world. He started from scratch and built the current Gu family, a prominent family in Qingchuan, with his ruthless and decisive methods. It was a legendary story.
But even legends eventually grow old. The patriarch was getting older day by day. Facing death, he was no longer obsessed with power. He waved his hand, retired from the business world, and went back to his old age.
The patriarch disliked his scheming descendants, so he let them leave, but they could send their grandchildren to accompany him in the mansion. The children’s vitality dissipated a lot of the gloom that had accumulated in the mansion over the years, and the patriarch was happy.
The children were still young, just about to start elementary school, so they all gathered together to start a private academy. Most of the students were surnamed Gu. Sometimes, when the patriarch was in the mood, he would give the children a few lessons, telling them about his glorious past, praising the children as the hope of the Gu family in the future, and saying that they would definitely become talented and virtuous.
In the afternoon, it was free activity time for the physical education class. Only the boys gathered on the court, running around as if they weren’t afraid of the heat. The beautifully dressed girls sat in the shade of the trees, having a tea party and playing house.
The fresh summer breeze, the noisy and impetuous atmosphere, the scene looked so beautiful from afar, like the bright citrus fruits hanging on the branches in summer, looking appetizing.
The citrus fruits were so beautiful. Up close, one could smell the rich fragrance of ripeness. One couldn’t help but peel them open. But what met the eye was rotten and soft flesh, so disgusting that it made one want to vomit.
…
“Hey, you have to admit, it’s no wonder the old man dotes on this little girl. Those eyes are so enchanting, like a fox spirit. If she’s like this now, what will she be like when she grows up?”
“Who’s to say? I’ve seen her mother before, she’s a carbon copy of this child. I don’t know which nightclub they found that top hostess from. That sultry look, a single blink and my soul was gone. If she were in bed, I’d die happy.”
“Be careful, don’t let anyone hear you.”
“What’s there to be afraid of? She’s not even as tall as my belt. What could she possibly understand? No father, no mother, who’s going to protect her?”
…
Two laborers were trimming the branches on the lawn with a machine. The machine roared, and the grass flew everywhere under the sharp blades. The vulgar words spewed out, undisguised by the noise.
They were just lowly laborers, yet they could speak so freely about their noble masters. The feeling of insubordination excited them. But the more vulgar their words became, the more humble they were in their bones. Only those who had fallen into the dust would have such a morbid desire for revenge.
Their words were all overheard, by the girl who seemed particularly out of place.
Compared to the exquisitely dressed little girls having a tea party under the trees, Gu Zhi looked like a pitiful Cinderella, her clothes plain, her hair falling loosely, a child no one cared for.
But Gu Zhi didn’t envy them at all. She knew she was prettier than those girls. If she gave them her clothes to wear, they wouldn’t even be Cinderellas, just ugly ducklings who couldn’t turn into swans.
Just as she never cared about the slander behind her back, she felt it was just the pathetic counterattack of the insecure, not worth a second glance.
The cicadas’ chirping, once it started, never stopped. The entire summer was filled with the noisy calls of the cicadas, which was annoying, as if it raised the summer temperature by a few degrees.
Gu Zhi hated physical education class. It wasn’t because no one wanted to team up with her, but because she wasn’t allowed to read during PE. So she hated it. But after all, she was a child and could always find ways to pass the time.
She squatted alone in the shade of a tree, hiding from the sun, and accidentally saw a cicada clinging to the old, mottled tree trunk, chirping.
Gu Zhi’s dark pupils reflected the cicada’s ugly and frightening appearance. But she boldly caught the cicada in her hand, watching as the grayish-brown creature slowly crawled from her palm to her wrist. The cicada’s complex limbs on her delicate skin had a tickling sensation, and it kept chirping.
She watched for a while, then flicked the cicada to the ground and crushed it with her foot. The arthropod shattered, its limbs and internal organs smearing a vivid ink painting on the rough concrete.
Gu Zhi looked down at the hand that had just caught the summer cicada, her long, narrow eyes squinting slightly, a faint curve on her lips, as if touched by some unknown emotion. She vaguely felt her heart tremble, her body shaking with excitement.
Life seemed so fragile, so easily crushed, just like her parents who had suddenly passed away, silently, in a car accident.
…
“Miss, are you looking for the master?”
The well-dressed old butler stood in front of the study, looking at the well-behaved little girl. He lovingly smoothed the messy hair by her ear. He knew that although this mansion was large, the only person who truly cared for the girl was probably the master. Who would have thought that such a young girl would lose her parents?
“Mm-hmm, I’m looking for Grandpa. I have something to tell him.”
Gu Zhi nodded, her eyes filled with the innocent and romantic spirit of a child, which made the old butler’s heart ache even more. He could only sigh helplessly. “Sigh, the master is inside. Go in.”
“Thank you.”
Gu Zhi said thank you softly, a cute smile on her face as she walked into the study.
“Grandpa!”
She looked at the old man who was practicing calligraphy in the study and called out sweetly.
The old man stopped his brush. He didn’t like to be disturbed when he was practicing calligraphy, but he was helpless when it came to Gu Zhi. He doted on this well-behaved and obedient granddaughter to the core.
“Oh, who is this? It’s my good granddaughter Aiai.”
The old man laughed heartily, calling Gu Zhi by her nickname. The wrinkles on his forehead crinkled, his gaze kind and loving. He took off his reading glasses, completely ignoring the couplet he was writing.
“Grandpa, Aiai missed you.”
Gu Zhi ran to the old man and shook his rough, large hand. Her cute appearance made the old man’s heart melt. He patted the soft flesh on Gu Zhi’s cheek. “Grandpa missed you too. I even dreamed of my good granddaughter last night.”
The old man really liked this granddaughter more and more. He knew why Gu Zhi was clinging to him. The matter of Gu Zhi’s parents was his biggest regret, and their child made him feel guilty. He had thought that no matter what happened to Gu Zhi in the future, he must give this granddaughter the best, so that she could live a stable and happy life.
But Gu Zhi was also obedient, with good grades and an even better appearance, which made the old man like her more and more. She was much better than her cousins of the same age.
“Aiai has something to ask Grandpa for help with.”
“Oh my, my good granddaughter is asking for something for the first time.” The old man was overjoyed and pulled Gu Zhi onto his lap. “What do you want? Grandpa will definitely buy you the best.”
“Aiai wants a pet. Will Grandpa buy one for me?”
“Okay, okay, Grandpa will buy one for you. I’ll have Uncle Qian take you to the best pet store now.” The old man readily agreed with a smile, tapping Gu Zhi’s cute little nose. “What kind of pet do you want? You can think of a name now. Grandpa will have a name tag engraved for it.”
“Mm-hmm, a kitten or a puppy is fine. As for the name…” Gu Zhi frowned and thought for a moment, then said in a sweet, childish voice, “Let’s call it Xiao Chan. Cicadas are always chirping in the summer. I want to have such a lively pet.”
“Okay, leave it to Grandpa.”
The old man readily agreed, wanting to spend more time with his good granddaughter, but he was suddenly overcome with drowsiness and couldn’t help but yawn a few times. He sighed, “Sigh, Grandpa is not in good health anymore. I have to rest in the afternoon. Can Aiai fan me like before?”
“Mm-hmm, Aiai will take care of Grandpa. Grandpa, you should rest now.”
“Okay, you’re really Grandpa’s good granddaughter.”
The old man was helped by Gu Zhi to lie down on the recliner. His eyes were a little red. The more obedient and filial his granddaughter was, the heavier the guilt in his heart became. Not wanting the little girl to see, he simply closed his eyes with a cheerful smile, enjoying the cool breeze from the fan, and soon fell asleep.
In the quaint study, the lights were dim. Gu Zhi held the fan and watched as the old man slowly closed his eyes. The smile on the girl’s lips disappeared into the darkness of her eyes. She looked at the dying old man, her gaze strangely familiar, as if she were looking at the summer cicada that had been trapped in her hand.
