Caught in my Own Trap (作茧自缚) : Chapter 14.1

Time flies. Today is exactly 1 month from the start of my 1st translation project, Caught in my Own Trap (作茧自缚). I have enjoyed translating and researching (where I could not understand or I wanted to understand more to enable me to share the information accordingly). And I hope that everyone is enjoying the read about Zheng Xie and Xiao He He as much as I am enjoying about them.

Today, we go back to the past and learn more about Xiao He He. And who influenced her decision into her current career. It is interesting to read about how much Zheng Xie impacted her growing up years and the many decisions that she had made in her life. 

Chapter 14.1 : Our Childhood

Xiao He He thinks that for selfish reasons, many reasons are often tangled together, it has nothing to do with love.

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Xiao He He got home very early. After feeding her cat, Xiao Bao and she played with it for a while. Then she runs through the TV channels, no good programs on the TV, hence decided to switch on her computer to work. The picture is pencil sketched, and then scanned and painted. She always like to have the several pairs of matching tone and style for her customer to choose from. Therefore, customer like to praise her good and considerate nature. In the true fact, it is her liking it, nothing to do with the attitude.

In the same company where art students-turned-designers love to create something new, and convince the customers to accept their ideas. But He He is different as she always have been very obedient to client’s wishes, and occasionally added some of her own ideas after some careful thinking. So Xiao He He is always the most likely one to make customer satisfied. She is very popular although she never have any big achievement. Her lady boss often said while watching her work while nodding and shaking her head at the same time: “He He, you’re clever and deft. Just lacking in ambition. Ambition!” She walked out of the door while mumbling to herself: “This is good. So much better too.”

He He do not have too many hobbies. Not even enthusiastic about beauty and interest in losing weight like most ladies. Her interest and love is only in her job. Others think she avidly immerse herself in the job late into the night, but she is actually just playing. She stayed up late into the night playing games, staying up all night chatting. Not much difference.

He He is painting a cartoon character, filling in the color while readily draw the horizon. Across the horizon is the seven colors of the rainbow and a small tree.

She recalled how she decided to take such career path. About a long time ago, too long that she can’t remember the year. Zheng Xie took her hiking up the mountain. It started to rain but they continued the climb.

Her age then must be pretty young. Because she remembers that when they are almost reaching the peak, she could no longer climb so shamelessly cry to go home. Later Zheng Xie piggyback her up.

If she was already a slight bigger girl, she certainly would not dare to throw the tantrum in front of Zheng Xie. She would certainly be thrown on the road by Zheng Xie.

In short, that day, Zheng Xie took off his coat and draped it around her head and piggy back her up the mountain. Arriving at the top of the mountain, the rain had stopped. She saw a beautiful view where Rainbow bridge from the side of the day across to the other side of the day with trees on the horizon.

He said: “What a pity, did not bring camera.”

He He said: “Never mind. I can paint for you.”

She just casually said it but a few days later, Zheng Xie gave her a big bag of brushes and paints with pens, colored pencils, crayons, oil pastel, watercolor paints, a variety of brushes and beautiful paper. Everything that one could think of.

In order to be worthy of these things, she began her painting career.

He He remembered, she did not intend to take painting as per goal in life. Although from a very young age, she started winning a lot of art-related prize. For her college entrance examination she took up law. Faculty of Law.

In fact, she had never had a goal in life. People often look longingly when referring to the future while on the other side, she will look bewildered and confused.

She wanted to go to law school because then, she fell in love with the Hong Kong dramas. Watching the dramas where they were debating in the court, she yearned and fantasies that she is also on air.

But her interest and dreams where crushed by Zheng Xie when he said: “Fellow classmate He He, from young until now, you have never won any fight with anyone. Even in the future in court it is accounted for full management, the shame when losing to the opposing counsel into silence is a small matter, losing the lawsuit will cause harm to the firm.”

During that time, He He was so angry that she turned red in her face. Thinking hard on how to refute it, she then realized that what he said is also reasonable.

Then the elders wants her to study arts, but she did not like as she felt that “art student” sound like a curse word. Only Zheng Xie supported her. “Don’t go and study Fine Arts. Fine Arts Department students are neurotic, not to mention that they are not normal. The competition is too intense, you would not be able to pass.”

Just with his words, Xiao He He viciously made a decision to went straight to the professional art. In actual fact, she does not need to make such a hasty decision. She has favorable resources where her mother is able to find her contacts. As a result, Xiao He He is very disappointed and is complete far away on her own in the university thousands of miles away from home.

She then with full of self-esteem and pride, pack and left home. Until the end when she began to reflect: “How did I ended up embarking on such path.”

He He is the kind of person that does not tangle in the past. She does not like to remember. Even when watching TV or reading novels, she hated the part “About the past”. In those circumstances, she often jump directly to the current development.

Su Ren Ran often joke about her nerve. When something happen, others will panic / cry or even laugh. But instead He He often becomes the spectators outside of her own stories. For example, there is a year while in school, He He fell and had a head injury. She lost conscious for half a minute. Everyone else were in a panic, dialing emergency numbers while crying due to worry. A moment later, He He woke up and frowned… she said: “Don’t cry. Really noisy. Give me water. I’m thirsty.”

She is the kind of woman who has never been hurt in the fall of spring and autumn, and all the elements of the literary and artistic female youth have nothing to do with her.

Today, the reason why she went back to the old memories is because Ms Yang Wei Qi career reminds her of the days when she was impulsive of her decision.

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