Dazzling

When Qing Ye returned, several people were gathered around the cashier counter. Before she could figure out what was happening, she heard Liu Nian say, "This is an Apple computer, very expensive."

She asked, "What happened?"

Then she saw the MacBook Pro on the counter had gone black, the counter was covered in water, and the keyboard was sprinkled with goji berries and longan fruits.

An old-fashioned water dispenser stood beside the counter. Earlier, Zhao Mazi, one of Li Lanfang's regular mahjong partners, had gotten up to get water. Another partner asked him to fetch some for her too. After pouring his own water, Zhao Mazi carelessly placed his uncovered cup on the counter while pouring the second one. When he reached for his cup again, it was too hot. He jerked his hand back and spilled it, sending scalding water all over the laptop.

Qing Ye panicked. All her study materials were inside, many from her previous school. She hurriedly pressed the power button, but there was no response—the screen remained black.

To make matters worse, Zhao Mazi stood nearby making flippant remarks: "Just a cup of water can't break a computer. It's no big deal."

Qing Ye glared up at him. The forty-something Zhao Mazi, Li Lanfang's regular mahjong partner, faltered under her fierce gaze.

Qing Ye picked up the laptop, shaking off the goji berries and longan, and said to him, "If this can't be fixed, you'd better be ready to pay for it!"

Then she turned to Liu Nian and asked, "Is there an Apple service center around here?"

"Huh?"

"Never mind. Where can I get a computer repaired?"

Liu Nian snapped to attention and told her, "Oh, take a pedicab and tell them to go to Electronics Street. They'll know."

"Okay."

Without another word, Qing Ye grabbed the laptop and headed out. Liu Nian, concerned, chased after her and said, "The ride should cost five yuan. Don't pay more."

The so-called pedicab was electric—a rare sight in Beijing. Even if Qing Ye had seen one before, she had never ridden in one. She hadn't expected it to be so bumpy. Terrified, she clutched the laptop with one hand and gripped the door edge tightly with the other, feeling like her backside was getting bruised. Unfortunately, this rundown place had no decent roads—just potholes everywhere. The driver took a shortcut and even veered onto a dirt path. The pedicab tilted sharply, giving Qing Ye a scare that they might overturn, leaving her drenched in cold sweat.

The driver remained completely unfazed, maneuvering the shabby pedicab with the flair of a drift king on Mount Akina, just short of actually drifting.

By the time they reached Electronics Street, Qing Ye was pale and nearly nauseous. She handed over a ten-yuan bill and walked off without looking back, vowing never to ride that rickety thing again. What a chaotic mess.

The so-called Electronics Street was nothing like Beijing's Zhongguancun or Pacific Digital Plaza. There were no large buildings and few shops—just a sparse row of storefronts. Bicycles, electric scooters, and motorcycles were parked haphazardly and disorderly in front.

The key point was, these shops didn't just sell phones and computers. They also had lighting fixtures, transformers, switches, and even showerheads and faucets? It was like a jumbled stew.

Qing Ye visited several computer shops. Although some sold Apple computers, they were all older models. When it came to repairs, none of the shops could fix Apple computers—they could only attempt repairs on regular laptops.

A shop assistant asked if she was in a hurry. If not, she could leave the computer there, and they could help send it to the county town for repairs, though it would take quite some time.Qing Ye hadn't expected that even getting a computer repaired would be so troublesome here. With all the back and forth, she probably wouldn't make it in time for the start of the school semester.

A young guy noticed her looking lost and offered a suggestion, "Why don't you go to Shunyi and ask Ju Huang? If even he can't fix it, then no one around here can."

Qing Ye had heard someone mention Ju Huang at the previous shop too, guessing he might be a technician with more repair experience in the area. So she followed the electronics street, looking for a storefront called Shunyi.

The weather was unbearably hot, and there were no trees for shade in this area. Qing Ye, baking under the sun, balanced her laptop on her head and walked all the way to the end of the street in her beige sandals. She almost thought she'd missed it, but then she turned around and saw a shop across the street with a sign that read "Shunyi Repair Department."

She quickly picked up her pace and jogged over. However, before she even stepped inside, Qing Ye felt this repair shop was baffling.

The entrance was blocked by two broken refrigerators. Further in, there were bulky old TVs, and beyond that, a messy pile of all sorts of household appliances. What exactly did they repair here?

There was no one in the shop. A curtain hung inside, and from behind it came the occasional sound of men cursing, the atmosphere thick with smoke.

In the past, something like computer repair would have been handed off to her father's assistant. Qing Ye would never have set foot in such a mixed and chaotic place. The environment made her extremely uncomfortable. Yet, just as she was about to turn and leave, she paused, gritted her teeth, and called out toward the inside, "Is anyone here?"

No one answered her; the noises from within continued. Qing Ye cleared her throat and called out again, "Is there any—"

At that moment, a man in a white tank top pushed the curtain aside and emerged. His bare arms were covered in tattoos, and though he wasn't tall, he had an air of someone not to be trifled with.

Qing Ye had never dealt with this kind of person before. She froze, momentarily speechless.

Hua Bi looked at her curiously and asked, "What do you want?"

Qing Ye's throat felt tight, but she forced herself to speak. "I'm looking for Master Ju. The people at the computer store up front said he's here."

Hua Bi laughed when he heard her add "Master" after "Ju." He looked her up and down again. "You're not from around here, are you?"

Qing Ye nodded, and then she heard Hua Bi walk back behind the curtain, shouting, "Brother Wu, someone's here to see you."

A few seconds later, Hua Bi stuck his head out and said to Qing Ye, "He says to come in."

When Qing Ye heard the address "Brother Wu," her heart began to race. Her suspicions were confirmed when she pushed aside the curtain and saw Xing Wu sitting among a group of men, a cigarette dangling from his lips and playing cards in his hand.

Xing Wu didn't move, only lazily lifted his eyelids. The cigarette in his mouth emitted a hazy trail of smoke. When he got a clear look at who had entered, he narrowed his eyes.

Qing Ye said in astonishment, "I thought... Ju Huang was a person's name."

All the way here, she had been thinking her own surname was rare enough, but someone with the surname Ju? That was even rarer.

Hua Bi chimed in from the side, "This girl said she was looking for Master Ju."

"Ha ha ha ha..."

Instantly, the room filled with the men's boisterous laughter. Qing Ye, standing by the door, flushed bright red.

Xing Wu slowly took the cigarette from his mouth, stubbed it out in the ashtray, and a faint, amused glint appeared in his eyes. He asked, "What's the matter?"Qing Ye then awkwardly pulled out her laptop and said to him: "My computer got water damaged and the screen went black. The computer seller said you could fix it."

Xing Wu didn't move, but tilted his chin toward Hua Bi. Hua Bi immediately walked over to Qing Ye: "Give it to me."

Qing Ye handed the laptop to Hua Bi, who turned around and grabbed a box of specialized tools, tossing it to Xing Wu before passing him the laptop. Xing Wu placed the laptop directly on the scattered playing cards covering the folding table, unscrewed the back cover with a screwdriver in a few quick motions, and skillfully disconnected the battery cable.

The card game paused. Several young men chatted and smoked, the room was noisy, and they kept glancing at Qing Ye.

She wore a fresh and chic mesh dress. The waist-cinching design accentuated her proportions perfectly, while the V-neck outlined her delicate collarbones. Her look was fresh and fashionable, and with her pretty face, she naturally attracted everyone's attention in this room full of men where women were scarce.

Feeling extremely uncomfortable standing by the door, Qing Ye squeezed over next to Xing Wu instead. Bending down, she asked: "How is it? Can you fix it?"

Xing Wu didn't answer, but glanced up at her. Because she was leaning over, her hair hung down slightly, and a sheen of sweat from the heat coated the tip of her nose, giving her a natural, dewy freshness.

Xing Wu tilted his head and called out to Quan Ya, who was standing by the cabinet air conditioner: "Move, you're blocking the air."

As soon as Quan Ya stepped aside, Qing Ye felt cool breezes washing over her. Suddenly, she didn't even want to move anymore. So while Xing Wu repaired the computer, she stood beside him enjoying the air conditioning.

After working on it for a while, Xing Wu tossed the laptop and the disassembled parts aside and said: "Can't fix it. The motherboard's fried."

Qing Ye immediately grew anxious: "Can you replace it here? I need it urgently."

Xing Wu waved a hand, signaling everyone to resume the card game, and casually quoted a price: "Four thousand if you're not in a hurry, five thousand for rush service. Pay first. If it's too expensive, take it elsewhere."

With that, he started playing Fight the Landlord again. Qing Ye had expected a motherboard replacement to be expensive, but not this costly. Five thousand wasn't a fortune to her, but given her current situation, it would still hurt.

She asked: "If it's repaired, everything inside will still be there, right?"

"Yeah," Xing Wu answered offhandedly.

After getting that confirmation, Qing Ye didn't hesitate further. Thrown into this godforsaken place, this computer was her only lifeline. It contained all her photos—if the computer couldn't be fixed, she'd lose even the pictures of her parents.

So Qing Ye took out her phone and transferred five thousand to Xing Wu. His phone was lying on the table and chimed with the notification. Qing Ye told him: "Transferred to you."

Xing Wu didn't even glance at it, just grunted "Mm," and continued playing cards.

Qing Ye looked around and spotted a small stool near the air conditioner. She walked over and sat down, pulling out her phone to browse the web.

After a few rounds, Xing Wu turned to look at her: "Why are you still here?"

"Waiting to go back with you."

Qing Ye figured it was already past four anyway. Xing Wu would need to go back soon to feed his grandmother. It was too hot outside, and she didn't want to walk the entire street again to catch a tricycle. Those rickety things felt like a death wish on the roads here—the thought alone was terrifying.

But the other guys nearby froze when they heard Qing Ye's words. Hua Bi immediately asked: "Brother Wu, you know this girl?"

"Yeah," Xing Wu replied without further explanation.The others couldn't quite figure out the situation. This girl was still waiting for Brother Wu to go back together, which suggested their relationship wasn't ordinary. Yet Brother Wu had charged her such a hefty repair fee, making it seem like they weren't particularly close either. Everyone was confused, but seeing Xing Wu remain silent, they didn't feel it appropriate to ask further.

Only Quan Ya knew that Qing Ye was Xing Wu's cousin, so he wasn't surprised. He took a bottle of iced tea from the nearby fridge and handed it to her.

Qing Ye looked up at him, accepted the iced tea, and said, "Thank you."

"They all call me Quan Ya."

Qing Ye noticed he indeed had a small canine tooth and appeared rather refined—among this group, he was the one who didn't carry much of a ruffian air.

"Qing Ye," she replied without any hesitation.