If you feel that everyone is picking on you, I want to tell you that you're not alone. I'm one of the people who've experienced it many times in my life, but each time, I've come through with a smile on my face, and my two middle fingers raised up high at whoever picked on me. The more they picked on me, the more I want to succeed in life. If I happen to see them again, I hope it's on the day that I drive my Hongqi L5. Maybe I'll even drink tea with them. Let me tell you, the sweetest revenge is to make them completely ashamed of themselves by being more successful than them. A good example is Jack and me. Jack used to pick on me from middle school all the way through high school. See where we are now? Who's the boss? So, cheer up, because life is a tortuous, zigzag road, with many doors shut in your face. But where we fail is where we get up and start again.
Once again, I was locked in this cold cell for the second time, my body still numb and stunned. I was sure that, like he had done so many times before, Chi would come for me. I sat in a prison cell, thinking about my last experience of being imprisoned, and became even more angry. It wasn't even my fault that I'd gone to jail these two times. I wasn't sure which of the two times I was jailed was better. The first time I was in jail, I was soaked in rain. The second time, my whole body was numb from chest to toes.
I was very angry. I stood up and kicked the wall twice. I kindly asked the correctional officer to let me call Chi, but the correctional officer refused, so I started yelling at him. Then suddenly I saw a wavy shadow standing in front of me, as if it was unlocking my cell.
"There's someone here to take you home," a man said.
"Take me home? Who? Am I not going to be charged?" I asked politely.
"No, you haven't been charged with a crime. Your partner is here to take you home," he answered.
"You're ridiculous," I said, growing angry and raising my voice. "Once I leave here, I swear I'll sue your ass! Your stupid little office will be closed!"
"Better watch your mouth," he warned me. "Insulting a law enforcement officer can earn you plenty of time in prison."
"I'll make sure everyone—" I started, before Xiao Lan interrupted me.
"Don't mind him," Xiao Lan said. 'He's always grumpy."
"Your partner is here to pick you up," Officer Xu said.
"Mr. Wu, next time don't wander off because of a small quarrel," Officer Li said. "If you meet a bad guy, you may have more trouble."
Are there any bad guys worse than you? I don't think so. You... sir, are already labeled a bad guy since you shot your stun gun at me.
"What partner?" I asked.
I saw the arrogant Xiao Lan walk into the room with my cane. He approached me and put his arm around my waist. I pulled his hand away, but he kept holding me. He behaved as if we were a real couple. If I were to hang out with a man, I would never hang out with this stupid dog. I'll go back and ask Instructor Hang to accompany me instead.
"Move your dirty arm from my waist," I gritted, speaking in a low tone.
"Just play along, or spend a day in prison," his stupid voice said.
"Oh, now all the handsome guys are either gay or taken." As I walked over, I heard Officer Xu scoff.
No, I'm not gay! I mean, I had a ten-minute sex experiment with Instructor Hang at the time, but that doesn't mean I'm gay! I was offended. I stopped and turned around.
"I'm a handsome man! I'm not what you think! You be ready for my lawsuit!" I snapped at her.
"What are you talking about?' she said. 'I'm not talking about you. You're an average-looking man. I'm talking about your husband." She looked at Xiao Lan.
"You mean I'm less handsome than him?"
"That's absolutely right. Why do you even have to ask?"
"Let's go, love.' Xiao Lan pulled me away. I resisted. He pulled me again. I resisted, and he hugged me tightly, saying, "Stop struggling, or else I will really eat you."
"I'm not afraid!' I grunted. 'Let me go! If you dare eat me, I'm going to break your teeth!"
Xiao Lan laughed arrogantly and continued to pull my unwilling body out of the police station inch by inch. Once we got outside the police station, he handed me a plastic bag containing my wallet and cell phone. I snatched it from him.
"We should eat there," Xiao Lan said, pointing to a steak house across the road.
"We?" I looked at him. "There's no we. There's only me, myself, and I."
"Whether you like it or not, we'll be together from now on."
"I refuse to accept a dog like you!"
"I've told you many times that I'm a wolf, not a dog. You don't want to see me in my true form."
Xiao Lan started to walk away from the crosswalk, walking away from me, and of course, taking my vision with him. If I wanted to see, I had to follow him. Deep down, I knew he knew that.
Sitting across from Xiao Lan, I really wanted to know if people saw him as a dog or a person. I didn't understand why I could see when I was with him. There were many people looking at us, and I knew most people were staring at Xiao Lan. I hated the feeling of being second to others.
The waitress placed a glass of wine on the table in front of Xiao Lan.
"This is from the lady over there," the waitress said. She pointed to a middle-aged woman sitting with two other middle-aged women in the corner.
Xiao Lan raised the glass high and smiled at the women in the corner. He acknowledged these women with a bright smile. His smile was so beautiful, even I liked it. He drank the wine, and I could hear and see it flowing down his throat.
"What can I get you, sir?" the waitress asked Xiao Lan first.
I didn't expect her to ask me first because I knew that men and women usually ask the most beautiful person first. I didn't care, but I hated standing next to someone who was better looking than me. Because when someone compared me with others, I hated it, but I couldn't do anything about it. It's human nature. It's not like they were a piece of clothing. If I didn't like the color, I could change to another type, or if the clothing didn't suit me, then I'd get another size.
"Twenty ounces of steak, rare," Xiao Lan said.
The waitress turned to me; she gave me that ordinary look and tone of voice.
"Sir, how about you?"
"I would like medium-well, but not too well, or not too red. I still want to taste the softness and juice. Also, I want some herbal rice on the side, lightly sprinkled with salt. A Coke, but don't bring the Coke until my food arrives. A glass of water, which you can bring now."
I closed the menu and handed it to the waitress, who looked confused. I wanted to know how much she got from what I told her. She wrote something down, but I wasn't sure if she wrote what I told her or just scribbled anything. She took both menus and walked away.
"Medium-well is medium-well. Why go through all these details? No wonder you're a lonely person." He drank his free glass of wine.
"If the steak is cooked too well, it will be dry, and the taste will be wasted," I said.
"Then just eat medium-rare," Xiao Lan said.
"I order what I want because it's my money. You order what you want because it's your money."
"I have no money,' Xiao Lan said. "Usually people feed me."
"Don't tell me you want me to pay for your twenty-ounce rare steak?"
"I expect you to pay for me," Xiao Lan replied without shame.
"If you don't have money to pay for it, then why order such a large, expensive steak?"
"I'm hungry."
The waitress brought us the steaks, and when we started to eat, I realized that my steak was done perfectly. I was slowly eating my perfectly cooked steak when I noticed that Xiao Lan had been staring at me the entire time.
"What?" I asked, chewing my steak like an average, normal guy.
"I was just wondering what's so special about you," Xiao Lan said.
"I have nothing special." I continued to eat.
"I want to know how you see me?"
"You're sitting in front of me, of course I can see you!"
"I lingered for many years, but no one could see me except you."
Then I realized that Xiao Lan was a freeloader. I knew many people like Xiao Lan; I called them leeches. They only needed you when they saw benefits. I no longer wanted any leech. No matter how good this Calvin Klein perfume model looked, I didn't want to have anything to do with him. I ate quickly and asked the waitress to bring the bill.
"Well, Xiao Lan, it's nice to meet you. The food's on me."
The waitress came back and put my receipt on the table. I picked up the bank card and the receipt, telling Xiao Lan that I was going to the bathroom. I slowly walked out of the restaurant. I would rather be blind than have a leech leeching on me. These leeches would suck up your blood, and when you no longer had blood to give them, they would move to another host.
When I walked outside, the sun was shining, and everything around me was light gray. From yesterday to now, I had been encountering problems. First, I was diagnosed as a lonely person by the psychiatrist. Second, I got a leech-dog. Third, I met the two evil officers.
After all those misfortunes, my life had to get better. But I was wrong, and the day continued to get worse.