Fingertip (GL)
Fingertip (GL) – Chapter 24

Chapter 24 – The Theory of Lying

“Would you lie?”

When Wen Jialuo asked this, her eyes fixed ahead as she drove slowly, it felt as if she were talking to the air. Xu Shiqi was taken aback, not understanding the meaning, and could only look at her in confusion. But the girl didn’t say anything further; her question seemed like an unintentional murmur.

In fact, Xu Shiqi’s home was very close to the store, so close that after Wen Jialuo’s question, Xu Shiqi didn’t have time to inquire further before they arrived. Without thinking too much, she opened the car door to get out.

Wen Jialuo also got out of the car, standing by the side and watching. Xu Shiqi paused before asking, “Do you want to come up for a bit?”

“I thought you didn’t understand even the most basic hospitality,” Wen Jialuo walked over gracefully.

Xu Shiqi was furious and chased after her, saying, “If you want to come to my house, you should just say so. How would I know you want to come in if you don’t say anything? If you don’t want to come in and I insist, wouldn’t that put you in a difficult position? I…”

Wen Jialuo suddenly turned around, transforming into a Zen-like figure, stopping Xu Shiqi mid-sentence. Seeing the girl’s slightly annoyed expression, she felt a flicker of triumph.

“I should tape your mouth shut,” Wen Jialuo sincerely suggested, then with a hint of malice added, “Otherwise, you might start nagging and enter menopause early.”

Xu Shiqi felt her heart might be under too much strain. Wen Jialuo’s first half of the sentence felt like some tempting love confession in the dark of night—something she had never heard before, yet instinctively made her nervous and shy. All her senses were stirred up in an instant, only to crash down in the second half of the sentence like an empty balloon.

Fortunately, it was already dark, and the streetlights were dim. Xu Shiqi hid in the shadows of the night and hurriedly said, “Who asked you to worry about that?” before quickly walking away.

Xu Shiqi’s house was located in an old residential area, consisting of only two rooms and a living room. She had wanted to move to a larger place, but running a store made her fear spending all her money and leaving no room for emergencies. Moreover, in her parents’ eyes, houses were so expensive now that the younger generation could hardly afford them. Even as the daughter, when it came time for her to marry and buy a house, she would have to contribute some funds. Because of these reasons, she had dragged her feet and had not moved yet.

The house wasn’t actually older than Wen Jialuo’s place in the neighboring city, but it looked more worn down. However, once inside, the small space was filled with everything that made it feel less crowded.

Xu Shiqi went into her room to tidy up her clothes, leaving Wen Jialuo on the sofa in the living room, and turned on the TV for her to wait.

Wen Jialuo was used to air conditioning wherever she went and didn’t expect there to be none here. Even though the TV was blaring, it still felt somewhat desolate. She got up out of boredom, pacing the small living room that also served as a dining area. The walls were covered with various items: a clearly printed landscape oil painting, a hanging water tank that seemed to have fish bubbling inside, and a clock with footballs as its scale, even featuring a pair of badminton rackets, one of which had a broken net.

It was messy yet vibrant, Wen Jialuo thought to herself, and her eyes brightened when she spotted a row of awards. From elementary school to high school, there were awards for “Outstanding Student,” “Civilized Student,” “Recitation Competition,” and “Speech Competition.” There were so many certificates, all faded, that she hadn’t even noticed them earlier.

“My dad once wanted to cover an entire wall with my awards, but I suppose that dream will be hard to fulfill.”

Wen Jialuo turned and saw the award winner standing there with a bag, leaning against the wall and smiling.

In fact, Xu Shiqi had also received some honors during her university years, but awards were no longer in vogue, which made her think about whether she should buy some certificates just to satisfy her dad’s pride.

“Let’s go.”

The person in front of the award wall didn’t move but raised an eyebrow, “Aren’t you going to show me your bedroom?”

Xu Shiqi smiled and turned to close the door tightly, “It’s a secret area, no public exhibitions allowed.”

Wen Jialuo leaned forward, and for a moment, Xu Shiqi thought the girl was about to rush in and force her way into her territory. She immediately became tense and gripped the doorknob tightly.

Unexpectedly, Wen Jialuo only stepped back, turning toward the front door.

Seeing the girl’s carefree back, Xu Shiqi relaxed her body and smiled. Yes, why would she be as curious as herself?

When they returned to the old house, they were informed that Wen Baohua had already been picked up by Xia Bang. However, Wen Yu was back and was watching TV with the old lady.

“Alright, your task is complete,” the old lady patted her grandson’s hand. “You can go play now.”

“Grandma, look at what you’re saying.” Wen Yu turned to Xu Shiqi, his eyes wide with surprise, “So it’s you.”

He had heard that a classmate of Baohua’s had been invited to read to their grandma for relaxation, and he insisted on coming to see for himself. He remembered the ending of a song he had heard in a bar, and last time at Baohua’s house, he had forgotten to ask her to sing it again. Unexpectedly, they met again; it truly was fate.

Xu Shiqi didn’t recall doing anything particularly enlightening to him, so she could only smile. After sitting with the old lady on the sofa for a while, she got up to go upstairs to put her things away. When she came out, the two younger members of the Wen family were already helping the old lady upstairs. Clearly, Wen Yu had been praising Xu Shiqi’s singing to the old lady, which made her very eager to meet her and ask if she could sing any old songs.

Xu Shiqi thought for a long time and finally came up with a classic, saying the song was called “Zhi Yin,” a song by Li Guyi. It was indeed an old song, but the old lady was overjoyed, saying it was her favorite, insisting that Xu Shiqi sing it for her.

“The song is too old; I only remember the melody, but I can’t recall the lyrics,” Xu Shiqi laughed.

Wen Yu volunteered from the side, “We have a computer and printer at home; I’ll go online to get the lyrics right now.”

The old lady urged him to go.

Xu Shiqi helplessly sought help from Wen Jialuo, wondering how this family could come up with one idea after another. However, the other party was completely willing to help, smiling slightly as she massaged the old lady’s shoulders.

The lyrics were quickly found. After Xu Shiqi looked at them for a while, she cleared her throat, “Then I’ll sing it acapella. Don’t laugh at me if it’s not good.”

“Clear mountains, clear waters, high mountains and flowing waters, clouds linger.

A voice, like weeping, like narrating, like lamenting.

Sighing that,

In life, it’s hard to find a confidant; throughout history, true friends are the hardest to find.

Clear mountains, clear waters, high mountains and flowing waters, clouds linger.

A voice, like a eulogy, like a song, like a hymn.

Praising that,

When the general draws his sword to the south, I wish to be the long wind that wraps around the battle flag…”

Xu Shiqi always felt that this song was extremely sentimental, with its winding and twisting melody, telling a story gently.

As the old lady listened, she lightly tapped her knees to the rhythm. Noticing that the hand on her shoulder had gone still, she nudged her elbow to remind her, and that hand resumed its gentle pressure to continue the massage.

Because Li Guyi’s voice was clear and high-pitched, the song had a carefree and graceful quality, but when it was sung by Xu Shiqi, it turned particularly graceful and sentimental, like a secret whispered in one’s ear.

“Good, good!” After Xu Shiqi gradually finished, the old lady clapped her hands, “What a ‘When the general draws his sword to the south, I wish to be the long wind that wraps around the battle flag.’” The song seemed to remind her of that war-torn era, where love amidst the bombardment was just like that.

Wen Yu was also amazed, “Your voice is so good; it’s a shame you’re not singing professionally. How about I invite you to perform at our bar?”

“Don’t come up with stupid ideas,” the old lady laughed and scolded, growing more fond of Xu Shiqi, “Such songs, you young people wouldn’t understand.”

“Grandma, that’s not right…”

Xu Shiqi listened to the conversation between the two of them, casually glancing at Wen Jialuo, who had remained silent. The girl only lowered her head and caressed the old lady’s neck, as if she hadn’t heard her sing at all. Xu Shiqi felt a slight regret and loss, and the lingering melody in her heart faded away. She unconsciously crumpled the lyrics paper in her hands, momentarily lost in thought.

“Alright, Wen Yu, if you keep getting Grandma excited, and she doesn’t rest well, how will you compensate for her sleep?” Finally, the girl spoke up, her tone indifferent.

Only then did Wen Yu make a few funny faces, leaning in to affectionately touch the old lady’s cheek and said a few light-hearted words before leaving.

Xu Shiqi had intended to ask the old lady whether she wanted to hear her continue reading “Dream of the Red Chamber” or something else, but the old lady said the song was good enough, and it was enough for her to savor it in her dreams. Since tonight was Xu Shiqi’s first night staying here, she should rest well and see if she could adapt to this environment.

That said, Xu Shiqi insisted on accompanying Wen Jialuo to help the old lady to bed. After she closed her eyes and fell asleep, they quietly left the room together.

Leaving the old lady’s room, they first passed by the room where Xu Shiqi was supposed to sleep. Xu Shiqi stood at the door and said goodnight without turning back, but she heard someone behind her ask if everything was put away properly. Turning around, she saw the girl standing behind her, showing no signs of wanting to leave.

“Not yet.” Xu Shiqi opened the door and instinctively turned back again, only to find the other person still hadn’t left, “Do you… want to come in and sit for a while?”

“It shouldn’t be too late now, right?” Wen Jialuo replied politely, but Xu Shiqi felt quite speechless.

Letting the girl into her room, Xu Shiqi was still unfamiliar with the surroundings and didn’t know where to find a cup to pour water for her. After a moment, she remembered that she was the host and should not be so formal, so she busied herself arranging toiletries and sleepwear.

As she tidied up, Xu Shiqi listened attentively for the girl to speak, but Wen Jialuo kept her mouth tightly shut, simply sitting on the single sofa by the bed, lowering her head in thought. The room was too quiet for a moment, making Xu Shiqi feel a bit restless. She had to find a topic to break the silence, “By the way, isn’t there someone in charge of looking after the old lady at home?”

Wen Jialuo lifted her head and answered, “There is usually a nanny, but when I come back on weekends, I’ll personally do some things.”

“You’re really filial.” Xu Shiqi said sincerely.

“You’re also filial,” Wen Jialuo suddenly complimented her.

“Huh?” Xu Shiqi was surprised, “What do you mean by that…” She remembered how the girl had helped her out at the store, but she was unwilling to discuss that topic, so she stayed silent.

“However, you’re filial but don’t know how to show it,” the girl didn’t let her off and asked again, “Can you lie?”

“What do you want me to lie about?” Xu Shiqi sat at the edge of the bed, helplessly retorting.

“Don’t do this, and don’t do that; just tell a half-true lie,” the girl said slowly in a low voice, “It’s better than being pressured by your mom every day, and in the end, you’ll just explode.” She seemed to smile again, looking seriously at Xu Shiqi, “You’re good, really good, so don’t put yourself in such a bind. When you can’t ascend to heaven or descend to hell, don’t hang yourself in midair; it’ll choke you to death. So just do something trivial, find a way to tell a lie.”

The voice was very sincere, but it contained a hint of temptation, as if coaxing her, “Really, you can just lie. It’s easy to lie; just repeat it a hundred times, a thousand times a day, and eventually it will turn into a fact that even you will believe.”

After finishing, the girl stood up and before leaving, she left a remark, “Think about it.”

That night, Xu Shiqi didn’t know if the old lady, who had listened to her song, slept soundly, but she herself felt no sleepiness at all. She was lost in thought over what the girl had said before leaving, pondering deeply, caught in a web from which she couldn’t find a way out.

Originally, she thought that after hearing the girl’s past experiences and having had casual interactions since they met, she would at least have some understanding of each other. But at that moment, the girl who spoke of the “theory of lying” made her feel like an unsolvable puzzle. She felt she must have missed some important information, and she couldn’t find the thread, leaving her bound and unable to sleep.

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