Have you ever hated someone very much, but at the same time wanted them to be close to you? You want them to be close so that you can seize their weaknesses and defeat them later. It's like the old proverb: "Keep your loved ones close, but keep your enemies closer." Sun Tzu wrote: "Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt." This is exactly what I intended to do to my nemesis.
From the first day I met Xiao Lan to now (it had been two weeks), Xiao Lan refused to move or go home. Whenever I asked him to move or go home, he would tell me that he could go home only if he accumulated enough merits. To be honest, there were some benefits to having Xiao Lan around. There were some advantages and disadvantages to having Xiao Lan with me. First, I could see when Xiao Lan was around. Second, those strange sounds and hallucinations no longer appeared. Third... third...
The disadvantages of having Xiao Lan outweighed the advantages of having him around. First of all, he wasn't helping around the house. He behaved like a prince in a fairy tale. He refused to eat anything other than meat. A normal person would eat a balanced diet of vegetables and fruits, but if you put them in front of him, he would stare at you with evil sapphire eyes and refuse to eat. He didn't like bathing. He didn't spend more than five minutes in the shower. He refused to put dirty clothes inside the wash basket. He refused to sleep on the sofa or dog mat. He arrogantly walked around my house as if he owned the place, acting as a human.
What I hated most about him was that he knew where I was. Wherever I went, he knew, as if he had a tracking device implanted in me. As I sat across from Xiao Lan, he was eating steak happily, and I wanted to know where I would live. I needed to move out of my luxury home and live in another place where I could start again. I wanted to live my life in a quiet place, where I could enjoy the four seasons of winter, spring, summer, and autumn.
"How about Gansu Province?" Xiao Lan said.
"Huh?"
"You were thinking of enjoying your life in a nice, quiet place with the four seasons."
"Who allowed you to read my mind?"
"You did." Xiao Lan drank from his cup. "There are many smaller towns around the area."
"Xiao Lan, how about I buy you a house in Gansu Province since you like it there? You can finally move out."
"Where would you go to live?"
"I would buy myself another house far down south, right at the border of Thailand or Laos. I thought it would be best if we lived very... very... far apart. If I could, I would prefer living on the other side of the world, away from you."
"You don't need to buy me a house in Gansu Province."
"Why not?" I asked.
"I have a room in Gansu Province."
"Xiao Lan..." I held my table knife tightly. "I thought you said that you didn't have a house, and you couldn't go home without accumulating enough merit." I was ready to pierce my knife into his evil sapphire eyes. "Why... suddenly... do you have a house in Gansu?" I lost my temper at him.
"I don't think of it as a house. I go there once a year." He still chewed the food calmly, as if this conversation wouldn't disturb him at all. "Buy me a ticket to Hezuo."
"Xiao Lan, are you leaving?" I asked excitedly.
"Yes."
"I'll book a flight for you right away. You can leave this afternoon. I'll give you some money for you to travel home."
"You sound very excited," Xiao Lan smiled at me.
"Of course I am! You're going home and you'll meet your family!"
I was very happy; it certainly showed on my face. I was very happy to finally get rid of the leech who had been leeching on me for several weeks. As soon as Xiao Lan, the leech, left, I would move out immediately and cut all contact with him. I quickly finished eating the meal and excused myself from the dinner table.
I left the dining table and went straight to the bedroom. I locked the door and dialed Jack.
"Yes, sir," Jack said.
"Jack, have you found me a place yet?"
"Yes, sir," Jack replied. "I'll send you the photos."
"Jack, no need for that right now. Buy a one-way bus ticket from here to Hezuo."
"For whom?"
"Xiao Lan."
"Okay, sir."
"I want it now. The sooner the departure time, the better."
"The earliest one is at 3:05 PM today."
I looked at my watch, and it was already 1:15 PM.
"Perfect. I'll take Xiao Lan to the bus station at 1:30. Make sure the moving crew is here by 2:00. I need everything moved to the new place by 3:00 PM this evening. I'll call you. Tell Chi he doesn't need to work until the end of the month; I've already paid him."
"Yes, I'll relay the news to him."
"I have to go. I don't want the leech to suspect me. You must remember not to leak any information about my whereabouts, or I'll sue you."
"I see."
I opened the bedroom door, and Xiao Lan stood there staring at me, as if I should apologize to him.
"What?" I asked him.
"Did you get me a ticket to Hezuo?"
"Yes, I did. I got you a bus ticket. Also, when I take you to the station, I'll give you some money from the ATM."
"I know that you have many cars in your garage. Can we take your Jeep Wrangler to send me to the bus station?"
"What? Why?"
"Oh, I've never ridden in a Jeep before."
"Of course." I smiled at Xiao Lan.
I didn't care about his needs at this point; if he wanted me to take him to the bus station, I would be willing to comply. I hoped to get rid of him as soon as possible.
I took Xiao Lan to the bank, and I withdrew three hundred yuan for Xiao Lan. I also brought some snacks for Xiao Lan to eat on his eleven-hour trip. I parked my Jeep at the bus station's parking lot.
"Jig."
"What?" I quickly turned around, but to my surprise, that bastard Xiao Lan kissed me on the lips. I blinked, and then everything went dark.
The kiss shocked me. This was what they called being scared to death. I fainted.
In this darkness, I felt cold. My hands and feet started to freeze. During this time, I felt like I was in a vast black water. I crawled into the fetal position, hoping I would feel warm, but I still felt cold. I also heard voices everywhere, but it seemed that I understood some, but not all.
As soon as Xiao Lan left me, I became blind, heard strange sounds, saw strangers appear in front of me—and all these things happened again. I tried very hard to get rid of Xiao Lan. I would not follow him to Hezuo. I opened my eyes, and I was in a strange room.
I sat up and felt that there was nothing around me except the sheets and thick, smelly blankets. I saw a little oil lamp flickering on the table. I went to the table and sat down. Because I didn't know where I was, my heart was beating. I pinched myself twice, and it hurt both times. I knew I wasn't in a dream.
I thought of the worst case: Was I being kidnapped? If that was true, what did the kidnapper want? I was a rich person, but I was mean, so not many people knew that I was rich. Jack was the only person who knew I was rich. Chi didn't even know.
Then, the door slowly opened, and my kidnapper would enter the room. I didn't know what he wanted. When the door was fully opened and the man walked forward, I couldn't believe my eyes.
Xiao Lan, the nemesis, stared at me, his evil sapphire eyes gleaming in the dark. I was furious. I could smell my anger and found myself hyperventilating.
"Oh, you're awake now," Xiao Lan, the nemesis, said.
I refused to talk to him because I was still furious.
"Are you hungry?" he asked naively.
I was snarling at him, as if, if he moved one inch forward, I would bite him like crazy dogs fighting for food on the street. He approached me and put a bowl of noodles on the table.
"Where... the... hell... are... we...?" I asked angrily.
"My room."
"Xiao Lan!" I yelled angrily. I grabbed his front collar. "Tell me how the hell did we end up here?"
"We drove here."
"I don't want to be here! I bought you a bus ticket to get rid of you!" I pushed him away. "I hate you!"
"I hope you stay true to your words and never like me," he said. He walked to the door. "Sleep." He closed the door.
Of course, I would never like him. I would hate him forever. If I hated someone, I would never like them. I hated you, Xiao Lan, my nemesis.