Drying Her Hair: Liang Xiaoqing's Smile

"Come in, quick." Liang Xiaoqing put away the umbrella and pulled out her keys to unlock the door. The white paint was peeling in patches. As she closed the umbrella, rainwater splattered against the top edge of the door and dripped down; the ground was already soaked. The rain was too heavy, the wind too strong, slanting the rain so it lashed directly into their faces. Tall buildings couldn't block the oblique rain. The walls bore grayish-white wet streaks, and only the overhead light in the corridor still cast a warm glow.

Liang Xiaoqing's back was wet, and the hem of her dress was soaked through, sticking unpleasantly to her calves. Standing behind Jiang Xu, she shielded her from the blowing rain. A strand of hair slipped loose from behind her ear, and she tucked it back casually. Bending slightly, she pushed gently at Jiang Xu's back to guide her inside. Once Jiang Xu was in, she followed quickly and pulled the door shut, sealing out the wind and rain outside.

The moment the door closed, it was much warmer. Liang Xiaoqing let out a breath. Jiang Xu was bending down to change her shoes; her soaked short-sleeved shirt clung to her waist, revealing her slender figure. She was even wetter than Liang. Water dripped from the hem of her clothes, leaving wet spots on the floor. Liang Xiaoqing grabbed the corner of her shirt, and droplets landed on her hand. "How did you get so wet?"

Her voice came out louder than she'd intended: "Take it off, quick. Take it off and I'll wash it for you." She wanted to help Jiang Xu peel off the wet clothes. She tossed her soaked umbrella onto the floor and stepped forward, but before she could catch the other side of the shirt, the sodden fabric slipped from her grasp.

"Sister Qing, I can do it myself." Jiang Xu hurried away, going to the bathroom and flipping on the heat lamp. The room was unexpectedly small to begin with; with the light on, the whole space brightened. Liang Xiaoqing followed her over, blinking as her eyes adjusted to the glare. The trail of water extended to the bathroom, and Liang Xiaoqing hummed in acknowledgment, a beat too late.

Even the closest relationships are separated by blood. Jiang Xu was cold to the bone. But she wasn't the kind to keep everyone at arm's length like a cold-blooded creature; she was just slow to adjust to emotional things. Liang Xiaoqing should understand that. In fact, Liang Xiaoqing truly accommodated her, but at certain moments, feelings of unease would suddenly surface. More often than not, though, it was just her worrying over nothing. Liang Xiaoqing shook her head slightly and returned to normal.

"Then take your shower first. I'll get your pajamas." The warm light made the skin glow. In the heat of summer, the pouring rain brought only a hint of coolness. Standing in the bathroom, Jiang Xu felt hot again, sweat mixing with rainwater, clinging damply to her back. Jiang Xu was a little nervous, though she couldn't say why.

"No need—"

Liang Xiaoqing told her to hurry up, and that she needed to shower too after Jiang Xu was done, her tone carrying a hint of urging. Jiang Xu couldn't bring herself to say anything more once she thought about Liang Xiaoqing's dress sticking wetly to her body—the last thing she wanted was for Sister Qing to catch a cold.

While Jiang Xu showered, Liang Xiaoqing changed out of her own wet clothes. When Jiang Xu called out, "Sister Qing, I'm done," Liang Xiaoqing answered twice in a row, grabbed a nightgown from the wardrobe, and hurried over to knock on the bathroom door. "Xiao Xu, open the door," she said softly. It wasn't deliberate; whenever she was with Jiang Xu, she couldn't help lowering her voice, afraid of startling her. Jiang Xu was sometimes like a cautious little kitten. Besides, thanks to Liang Xiaoqing's attentive care, Jiang Xu's face had filled out, with that baby fat particular to her age.

It felt wonderful to touch.

The frosted glass glowed with warm light, a layer of steam condensed on it. Liang Xiaoqing's hand slid over its smooth surface. Through the door, she could hear the faint drip of water. Somehow, she felt a little awkward. The doorknob turned; mist swirled out, and a hand emerged from the gap in the door—a pale arm beaded with water droplets, slender fingers all wet.

"Sister Qing..." came Jiang Xu's small voice.

Liang Xiaoqing quickly handed her the nightgown. "Here." Then she suddenly remembered there was no towel yet.

"Xiao Xu, let me get you a towel." That was why Jiang Xu had gotten so wet.

Wearing wet clothes was miserable, let alone right after being caught in the rain. At this moment, Liang Xiaoqing really was like Jiang Xu's mother, or some other blood relative—she genuinely cared about Jiang Xu. "Don't put it on yet!"

And so, by accident, Liang Xiaoqing opened the door, which had been cracked open just a sliver, all the way.

The cramped space was thick with steam and mist. The heat lamp above radiated warmth. Dampness and rising temperature all gathered in this little room. Jiang Xu quickly stepped back, nearly slipping; she steadied herself against the wall. She pulled the nightgown over her head, and it fell down over her. Her eyes, glistening and wet, were fixed intently on Liang Xiaoqing's face.

"Sorry, Xiao Xu!" Liang Xiaoqing waved her hands hastily and retreated toward the door, her vision blurred. She only caught a vague glimpse of Jiang Xu's silhouette. She was annoyed at herself for being so impulsive, flustered as she stumbled backward to the doorway, then immediately turned around, her back to Jiang Xu. "Tell me when you're dressed."

She seemed even more flustered than Jiang Xu herself.

"Mm." Jiang Xu hummed in acknowledgment and began putting her arms through the sleeves of the nightgown. She noticed Liang Xiaoqing's thin shoulders tremble slightly. She made rustling noises as she got dressed, and once she was done, smoothed down the hem. She had washed her hair too; the dripping ends left little wet dots on her back. It was still summer—clothes would dry on their own in no time, so a towel wasn't really necessary. Jiang Xu had always lived rough. "I'm done, Sister Qing."

Liang Xiaoqing's shoulders stopped trembling, but she shrank into herself a little. Jiang Xu spoke as she walked toward the door.

"Oh!" Liang Xiaoqing responded. She felt a damp, warm presence slowly approaching her back, but she didn't turn around. She took a few steps forward before finally turning.

Jiang Xu stood at the doorway: "Sister Qing, go take your shower."

"...Okay."

Liang Xiaoqing went to the bathroom first, then, thinking of something, went to the bedroom to get towels, grabbing one for Jiang Xu as well. She'd bought a pink one specifically for Jiang Xu, but Jiang Xu didn't like the color, so Liang gave her her own gray towel and used the pink one herself.

Jiang Xu was about to take her clothes to the washing machine. It was semi-automatic; usually either Liang Xiaoqing or Jiang Xu operated it.

"Sister Qing, are there any more clothes to wash? I'll do them all together."

"They're all in the washing machine already."

Liang Xiaoqing finished her shower quickly. Seeing Jiang Xu still standing by the balcony, she walked over and draped a towel over Jiang Xu's head. Her tone finally softened. "Dry your hair, or you'll catch a cold."

The rain outside had lessened. In the darkness, it was hard to see which way the rain was blowing; only gusts of wind drifted inside. The damp, warm heat clinging to Jiang Xu's body was blown clean away by the cool breeze. It wasn't cold—it actually relieved the stuffiness around her. Jiang Xu rarely dried her hair, especially in summer. She'd wash it and just let it air-dry; no one cared whether she dried it or not. Even in winter, she couldn't always use a hairdryer after washing her hair.

Jiang Xu could withstand the cold but not the heat. No matter how freezing the weather, she could tough it out, but heat was a torment for her—she'd been working from before dawn since she was young. In winter, at least she could stay in bed a little longer. Living in Liang Xiaoqing's home was like being in heaven.

"It's fine, my hair's almost dry anyway." Jiang Xu wanted to take the towel off; it blocked her vision and made it hard to work. Even with a washing machine, she still had to keep an eye on it. "Sister Qing, you got caught in the rain too. Go inside, don't let yourself catch a cold." Her tone was light, and when she didn't want to do something, she'd negotiate with Liang Xiaoqing in a gentle voice.

Jiang Xu knew how to be a good child. As she spoke, the corners of her mouth lifted slightly to show she was fine.

"That won't do. Even I feel cold with this wind blowing. It gets chilly at night, Xiao Xu. You're in your third year of junior high now—you have to take care of your body. You can't afford to miss any classes, and falling behind because of illness would be even worse."

A pair of hands rested on her head. Jiang Xu's vision went dark, and she lowered her head slightly to go along with the motion.

Now that Jiang Xu was about the same height as Liang Xiaoqing, many things Liang did for her had become less convenient. She knew Jiang Xu's temperament; the moment she heard that tone, she knew Jiang Xu wouldn't listen. So she had to dry her hair herself. She didn't think too much about it. After all, Jiang Xu was a child she'd personally brought back—she was responsible for Jiang Xu's life, and even something as small as drying her hair couldn't be taken lightly.

"When you take the high school entrance exam, if you get a good score, you can go to the county high school. The teachers there are much better than ours. If you study there, you'll definitely get into college. So you have to take good care of yourself. And when you're studying at the county high school, you must look after yourself too..."

Sometimes Liang Xiaoqing felt she was being long-winded—probably from spending too much time with Jiang Xu. But if she didn't say these things, she felt uneasy. Once she got used to it, she no longer felt like she was nagging; instead, she spoke with enthusiasm. She truly intended for Jiang Xu to go to the county high school. Shuiqing Town was too backward, and Jiang Xu was smart—she would surely get better opportunities studying at the county high school.

She was lost in her rosy plans, completely unaware that Jiang Xu hadn't said a word. She stood on her tiptoes to dry the top of Jiang Xu's head, leaving her damp hair half-dry and a mess. Jiang Xu felt Liang Xiaoqing draw close, and she gathered a corner of the loose nightgown against her chest. Pale, fair skin flashed before Jiang Xu's eyes.

"Xiao Xu, lower your head a little."

She obediently complied. To make it easier for Liang Xiaoqing, she simply sat on the small stool by the washing machine. The pressure on her head was just right—neither too hard nor too soft. Jiang Xu could hear the soft rustle of hair rubbing against the towel. To keep her body from swaying with the motion of the drying, Jiang Xu carefully grabbed hold of Liang Xiaoqing's clothes.

Liang Xiaoqing didn't notice at all. She started talking again about how heavy today's rain had been.

"It was sunny this morning, and I was so hot after class I kept chugging water..."

Jiang Xu could barely make out what Liang Xiaoqing was saying over the rumbling noise. She leaned closer, bit by bit.

Until her head rested against Liang Xiaoqing's stomach—soft and warm.

The towel was lifted away, and light flooded her vision. What she saw was Liang Xiaoqing's smiling face: "Xiao Xu, are you sleepy?"

Suddenly, Jiang Xu's heart began to race. Thump-thump-thump, echoing in her chest.

For no reason, she thought of the magazine she'd read during the day...