A young woman with sleek, straight black hair, wearing a white silk blouse and a pale purple long skirt, sat quietly. Her delicate and ethereal features resembled those of a summer poster, a retouched photograph, or a figure in a painting.
"Your eyes are sharper than a man's when it comes to spotting beauties." Chen Yi chuckled, tilting his head to look. His Adam's apple suddenly tightened, his smile froze, and he brushed Wei Wei's hand off his shoulder.
Wei Wei, with her S-curve posture now unsupported, nearly stumbled face-first to the ground.
Miao Jing watched as Chen Yi, clutching a cigarette box, strode urgently toward her on his long legs, stopping right in front of her. He furrowed his brows, scrutinized her briefly, then reached into the box for a cigarette, placing it between his lips. His hands slipped into his pockets to search for a lighter but remained there, forgotten.
"How did you get here?" His voice was hoarse and indistinct.
"Bo Zai said the billiards hall is quite nice, so I came to check it out." Miao Jing's tone was calm.
"How long have you been here? Why didn't you let me know?"
"About an hour. I saw you were busy, so I didn't disturb you."
"Hmm."
He removed the cigarette from his lips, holding it between his fingers, lightly or firmly kneading the filter.
"It's getting late. I'm heading back."
"I'll walk you home."
"No need. You have your hands full with so many customers."
"Miao Jing."
Miao Jing stood and walked out, with Chen Yi following close behind. Wei Wei tried to interject, but no one paid her any attention.
A taxi was waiting by the roadside, ready to be hailed. Chen Yi stared at Miao Jing as she opened the car door. She turned back with a smile. "No need to see me off. Go back inside."
Chen Yi stood with his hands on his hips, shoulders slouched, slowly smoking as he watched the taxi disappear into the distance.
Chen Yi didn't return until one in the morning that day.
Since Miao Jing had come back to Tengcheng, if the billiards hall closed too late, Chen Yi would spend the night there and return home the next morning.
What he did, how he lived, whether he came home or not—Miao Jing never asked or interfered.
Seeing the light still on in her room, Chen Yi knocked gently. The door remained closed as Miao Jing asked him what he needed.
"Why aren't you asleep yet?"
"I'll be sleeping soon." Her voice was soft and frail. "You should rest early too."
The next day was Sunday, and both siblings woke up late. When Chen Yi asked again what she had been doing so late, Miao Jing said she was working overtime—her supervisor had sent over a component blueprint last minute, and she had been revising it until late. After saying this, she went to the fridge to look for something to eat.
"I'll go downstairs to buy some breakfast. What would you like?"
"No need." There was milk in the fridge and bananas and apples on the table. Miao Jing decided to make do, pouring the cold milk into a glass and sitting down to sip it slowly, her posture resembling a still-life painting.
Chen Yi frowned again, crossing his arms and staring down at the wooden floor.
"Working overtime like this all the time, you should just live in the company dormitory." His tone was flat. "It's more convenient and saves trouble."
"Hmm." Miao Jing pondered for a moment, then nodded gently. "You're right. That way, I won't be in the way when you bring different girls home in the middle of the night. Otherwise, you'd have to sleep outside or stay in a hotel, then come back in the morning to shower and change—such a hassle. As your sister, I ought to show some discretion."
Chen Yi's Adam's apple bobbed, his face shifting through shades of pale and ashen. His eyes, dark and hard as a winter night, fixed on her. He seemed to want to say something but clenched his teeth tightly, his fingers trembling against his lips as if reaching for a cigarette, though there was none. Finally, he coldly forced out a few words: "As long as you know."
Miao Jing finished the last sip of milk, offering him a gentle smile—as pure and sweet as the milk itself.On the next workday, when Chen Yi opened his door in the morning, he happened to see Miao Jing leaving with a small suitcase. The front door slammed shut with a "thud." He closed his eyes, irritably rubbing his forehead as his temples throbbed faintly. Breathing heavily, he strode stiffly through the house. Passing by a misaligned chair at the dining table, he kicked it violently, sending it flying until it crashed against the balcony doorframe with a series of thuds, pitifully tilted on the floor.
Miao Jing did not return home that night.
Chapter 10: Defying This Lawless Little Rogue
During his vocational high school years, Chen Yi rarely attended classes. He merely paid tuition, showed up for a few days each month to take exams, and waited to receive his diploma after three years.
He had a friend who repaired motorcycles, and behind the auto repair shop was an empty warehouse where he could crash with just a bed set up. There were plenty of places to hang out—internet cafes, billiards halls, taekwondo studios, and arcades. By the time news of Chen Libin’s accident reached the school and was relayed to Chen Yi through friends, several days had already passed. When he finally arrived at the ICU and saw the person lying in the hospital bed, Chen Yi’s feelings were roughly like swallowing a dud bomb.
He had thought that he and his father would remain bitter enemies for life, but he never expected Chen Libin to suddenly end up bedridden—his mother had taken her own life and passed away when he was just starting elementary school. Chen Libin appeared refined and amiable, but in private, his words were sharp and venomous. After his wife’s death, his mouth finally fell silent. From then on, father and son lived alone, enduring no shortage of hardships. Whether they were truly biological father and son was uncertain—Chen Libin had never taken him for a paternity test. Some said he resembled his mother, but there were traits reminiscent of his father, especially the eyes. Others insisted he bore no resemblance at all—this kid was full of restless energy, nothing like his quiet, reserved father. Now, it didn’t matter anymore. The man was dying, and with death, all grievances would vanish.
Chen Libin remained unconscious and was transferred to the respiratory ICU, where he was kept on a nasal feeding tube and ventilator. He stayed in a private room, with family members taking turns providing round-the-clock care. Chen Yi was primarily the one keeping watch, though Wei Mingzhen would occasionally stop by when she had time. Miao Jing, on summer break, was tasked with running errands and delivering meals.
Chen Yi refused to eat the boxed meals Miao Jing brought and wouldn’t allow her to deliver them. He had plenty of disreputable friends who sometimes brought him a change of clothes, bought him a razor and soap, or brought him late-night snacks. The only time he asked Miao Jing for anything was to have her buy cigarettes from a convenience store. Staying day and night by the side of someone lifeless, regardless of their relationship, was inevitably draining and gloomy. He reeked of the acrid, bitter scent of tobacco.
"Hongtashan, seventy for a carton."
Miao Jing clutched the money, studying the dense red veins in his eyes and the faint stubble emerging on his chin.
"Such cheap cigarettes... are they even smokable?" she timidly ventured.
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