Chapter 21: Lady Du

Su Mu had miscalculated. He had expected to reach the entrance to the subway station faster, but Du Zhong unexpectedly arrived on a bicycle—a brand-new road bike. Both of Du Zhong's parents had steady jobs and reliable incomes, making his family much wealthier than Su's. As their only cherished son, Du Zhong was given whatever he wanted.

The "happy life" Su Mu imagined for himself was already Du Zhong's reality. Friends who had grown up together didn't care about who had more money or less. Perhaps, in the future, their differing environments would gradually lessen their contact, but for now, at this splendid age, those messy worries didn't need to be considered.

Li Ping'an was chubby, so much so that even his own father joked he was fit for slaughtering pigs. Su Mu was undeniably handsome, but compared to Du Zhong, there was still a gap—Du Zhong was the quintessential pretty boy.

He looked refined, the sort you might suspect of being a wolf in sheep’s clothing, though Su Mu wasn’t sure. Du Zhong had dated many times since childhood, had been popular with girls at Castellar Middle School, wooing plenty of white girls, and after transferring to his current private school, he continued to frequently change girlfriends. He was born with the temperament of a playboy.

His looks were for the girls, but since childhood, Su Mu and Li Ping'an had thought he resembled a woman. Du Zhong's mother had even raised him as a girl when he was little. Fortunately, he wasn’t effeminate, just a bit timid. Li Ping'an liked to call him "Du Lady."

It was a mocking nickname, but after hearing it enough times, Du Zhong no longer bothered to argue back. He couldn't win any fights and wasn’t about to cut ties—what else could he do?

When they were young, they often bathed together, and even now, Su Mu was certain Du Zhong had all the proper male parts. Otherwise, judging by appearances alone, one might mistake him for a woman. If a woman looked like this, she would be called seductive; but as a man, Du Zhong was simply "bewitching." Other men thought he looked too feminine, but girls adored him. Coupled with his sweet talk, he had coaxed a classmate into bed at fourteen. Had his parents not returned home early, he might have succeeded.

That incident taught Su Mu a lesson: if he ever had a daughter in the future, encountering a man like this would require immediate action—breaking his legs without hesitation, lest disaster befall her.

After being harassed by gay men countless times, Du Zhong learned his own lesson: never, ever, ever go to prison. And if he did, he would have to request a single cell, otherwise the consequences were unimaginable. He had no intention of leaving prison walking bow-legged.

Because of his appearance, other boys didn’t like hanging out with Du Zhong. His only friends were Su Mu and Li Ping'an—one silly, one bewitching. Odd, perhaps, but their personalities were decent. Otherwise, with so many Chinese kids in Chinatown, Su Mu wouldn’t have ended up playing with these two.

"Has your boss finally grown a conscience after exploiting child labor?"

Du Zhong locked his bike to a roadside railing and spoke as he saw Su Mu approaching, "Most people wait until college to work part-time for living expenses, but you started early. I’ve been bored to death at home lately, so when you called, I rushed right over."

Sweat glistened on his brow and his back was damp. Su Mu smiled and replied, "If I don’t earn money, are you going to pay for my tuition?

Child labor? My dad knows the owner of the convenience store. I was asked to help out—the pay is just a bonus. Otherwise, nobody would hire me."

"Spare me. I barely have enough pocket money. Last time I was about to forge my dad’s signature on a check. No money for a hotel room—don't you think that's urgent?"

Du Zhong was showing off, silently mocking Su Mu for still being inexperienced. At their age and in their environment, these were the favorite topics of conversation.

"Of course it’s urgent. Haven’t you seen the Teddy dog the noodle shop owner keeps? I think you resemble it. Next time we eat, I’d suggest separate plates—best not to catch anything," Su Mu said calmly.

Du Zhong was left speechless. He knew Su Mu had a sharp tongue. Continuing would only mean losing further, so he changed the subject, "Did your SSAT scores come out yet?

Come to my school. I’ll introduce you to some girls—I’ve made lots of new friends. The cheerleading captain always asks me for help. Do you know what that means?"

"Manual labor?"

"...Labor, my foot! It means I can easily get close to the cheerleaders—open-minded, pretty girls.

When I called Li Ping'an, he said you’ve been obsessing over Kate again lately. What kind of girl is so hard to chase? Want me to help you out? Just say the word, and I’ll storm into your school for you. Don’t worry, the gentleman’s code between brothers is sacred—I wouldn’t do anything to her."

Hearing this, Su Mu perked up, giving Du Zhong a look of uncertainty, as if he'd just heard a joke. In his opinion, Teddy dogs had no principles—carpet, pillows, bed legs, trash cans—anything was fair game.

He replied, "I wouldn't let a wolf in the door. If you get within fifty meters of her, you’ll quickly become a real woman.

The SSAT scores aren’t out yet. Usually it takes two weeks, but I heard the last exam’s questions were leaked, causing changes in the middle school admissions committee and affecting grading. The results should be sent out soon."

"Is it that serious? You’re the only one who thinks she’s great. I don’t like Kate’s personality; we’d have nothing to talk about," Du Zhong joked. His emotional intelligence was unparalleled, and unless he didn’t want to be friends with Su Mu anymore, he’d never cross that line of taboo between male friends.

These Chinese kids had grown up in America, but their personalities still held traditional ways of thinking—learned from their elders, blending East and West. The Chinese were naturally clever, loyal to their homeland while forging lives in a foreign land.

Having just stifled those feelings on the way, Su Mu didn’t want to talk about Kate. He walked down the stairs and said, "Do you know which subway line goes to City Hall?

My boss said it’s in a plaza just west of City Hall. When we get there, we don’t need to rush back. If we’re late, we’ll just call home."

"Dodger Stadium is nearby, right? I think it’s around there, but I’ve never taken the subway. We’ll ask the ticket clerk..."

Compared to New York’s vast subway system, Los Angeles’ was pitifully simple, especially in those days. The line Su Mu and Du Zhong were taking only went near downtown, still a long way from City Hall. Su Mu wondered if, should they take a cab, Mr. Han would reimburse them for the fare.

Such thoughts were best left unspoken. The convenience store owner treated Su Mu well, and he was too embarrassed to ask for small change. The subway line had only recently opened, and it was their first time riding—like country bumpkins entering the city, following others into the carriage as the train sped toward downtown to buy lottery tickets...