Chapter 41: South Gate Street Brother

Time is constantly passing by, no matter how you try to hold it back.

It was the school holidays, so Du Dandan had originally invited Li Luoran to go to Wucheng for a little trip, but Li Luoran took a call from home and, looking somewhat solemn, refused her suggestion.

She went home and slept heavily. When she woke she got a call — a high school best friend inviting her to dinner.

They picked a medium-sized restaurant. A total of three men and five women, exactly one table.

Lou Wang, the boy Du Dandan had called, looked around, frowned and said, “I used to think this place was decent, but after I went with my dad to Jinxiu Pavilion, this place looks shabby now.“

A long-haired girl in white, Su Juan, spoke bluntly, “This doggy’s just showing off again — you’ve been to Jinxiu Pavilion a few times and you’ve become like this?”

Lou Wang’s name sounded like the word for ‘bark’, so sometimes he was referred to by his friends as a dog.

Lou Wang glared angrily at her. Now he worked at the Environmental Protection Bureau, and in his new circle nobody had called him that for a long time.

Everyone laughed, and soon the months-apart barrier was broken.

They were all young, and after a few drinks, the mood got even livelier. Du Dandan drank a bit fast and felt light-headed. Her stomach churned uneasily and she kept feeling nauseous.

Lou Wang looked at Du Dandan and suddenly remembered the call she had once made him. His curiosity immediately rose.

“Dandan, what’s your relationship with that guy, really?”

“Who?”

Du Dandan shot Lou Wang a glare — the last time she called him, this stupid dog told all her friends over the phone that she wet his pants. She wasn’t about to forgive him so easily.

“Little Red Robe, weren’t you asking about him the last time?”

Lou Wang had no idea he’d already offended Du Dandan and was still grinning as he asked.

“That’s none of your business!”

Du Dandan snapped back at the bewildered Lou Wang. A wave of nausea hit her and she hurriedly stood up and ran for the restroom.

Dizzy and stumbling, she collided head-on with someone and could no longer hold back her nausea. With a lurch she vomited onto the floor, and the disgusting vomit splattered onto the other person’s pants.

The man had a bad temper too. He cursed and shoved Du Dandan hard — she was already unsteady and immediately went sprawling on her back.

“Fuck you! Watch where you’re puking!”

The middle-aged man wore a caramel-colored suit. Seeing filth on his trousers, he flew into another rage and couldn’t help kicking Du Dandan again after she had just gotten up.

After vomiting she suddenly felt much clearer-headed. She wasn’t angry about being shoved, only ashamed. She got up and immediately apologized, “I’m sorry, sorry.”

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Before she could finish the second sorry, she felt a sharp pain in her shoulder and was flung straight back down.

Du Dandan had always been a favored daughter and had never suffered this kind of humiliation, so she burst into tears.

“Goddamn!” The boys at her table, which was a little further away, saw this and immediately flew into a rage, shouting angrily as they rushed over to help her.

At the middle-aged man’s table, four or five tough guys stood up, grabbed bottles from the table and started fighting with Lou Wang and the other two young men.

Crying, Du Dandan stood up. Her friends were clearly losing this fight. Lou Wang was mostly talk — fierce in character but without a strong body to back it up. The other two were merely college students. They weren’t a match for these men hardened by the streets. The middle-aged men’s crew looked like they’d been through the underworld and hit hard. Within minutes, the three young men were beaten bloody and collapsed weakly to the floor.

The other girls desperately pulled at the big men who were still beating them, whispering pleading words nonstop.

Possibly fearing things would escalate, the middle-aged men stopped the beating. The girls tearfully helped the three limp boys up, all looking dazed.

The restaurant owner came over too. Seeing both sides stop, he let out a forced chuckle to smooth things over.

It was obvious the owner knew the middle-aged ringleader, and with a sycophantic smile said, “Brother Dao, they’re just young and clueless. You’re a magnanimous man, so don’t pursue it anymore.”

Brother Dao laughed, “Aren’t you just worried that this would affect your business? It’s fine, it won’t blow up.”

He then jabbed a finger at the teary-eyed, reddened Du Dandan and said, “I won’t even talk about how much my clothes cost. You students can’t afford to pay for it. Come here, wipe it clean and get the hell out!”

Lou Wang’s eyes turned red as he struggled to get up but Su Juan held his arm tight. About to curse in anger, another girl, fearing they’d provoke the men to keep beating him, reached out and covered Lou Wang’s mouth, stuffing the words back down his throat.

Du Dandan trembled violently and had to force herself to calm down.

“Big brother, I’m sorry.”

Du Dandan bowed in humiliation, then looked up and said slowly, “Big brother, would you dare let me make a phone call?”

Brother Dao laughed loudly — he didn’t think any truly influential person would let their kids eat in a place like this. But he still sized up Du Dandan anyway. She was ordinary from head to toe, so he immediately relaxed.

“Don’t wanna admit defeat, eh? Fine, go ahead and make a call. Don’t forget to tell him I’m Li Dao from South Gate Street!”

Sobbing, Du Dandan went to the restaurant phone and with trembling hands quickly dialed.

“Hello.” A familiar voice answered, and Du Dandan could no longer hold herself back — she burst into wailing sobs.

“Dandan?”

“It’s me…help me, Bad Guy Bro.” Du Dandan didn’t know why her heart suddenly felt relieved, and the nickname “Bad Guy Bro” she had privately used countless times, slipped out just like that.