This question was dangerous. If Fang Muyang gave an honest number, Fei Ni might ask how he could remember so clearly; if he said he couldn't recall, she'd retort that he must have lost count because there were too many.
Fang Muyang smiled and said, "If you asked how many portrait paintings I've done, I might be able to give you a number. But if you're asking how many were men or women, I truly don't know. Other than you, people's genders aren't important to me."
Fei Ni also laughed: "How many girls have you said this to?"
"Of course, only to you."
Fei Ni lowered her head to look at her fingers and shook her head. "I don't believe you."
"Telling you this is only right and proper—not only is it my duty to say it, but it's also your duty to listen. If I said it to someone else, it would be harassment, and they might even report me. Do I look like someone who harasses people?"
"Do you think you don't?"
"In that case, you're determined to be jealous today."
"Who's jealous?"
"There wasn't any vinegar in the noodles just now, so why do I smell something sour?"
Fei Ni immediately countered, "Your corny lines are what make people's teeth ache."
"Your teeth really ache? Let me take a closer look." Fang Muyang leaned in close to Fei Ni's ear. "I have even cornier things to say to you—if you'll allow me."
Fei Ni didn't want to hear any more and urged him, "If you don't eat the noodles soon, they'll get cold. Hurry up."
"Do you think adding some vinegar would make them taste better?"
"If you want vinegar, buy it yourself. Don't pin it on me."
"I mean vinegar is good for your health, and I'd be happy for you to have more."
Fei Ni, feeling falsely accused, knew that if she asked about Ling Yi now, Fang Muyang would only grow more smug, thinking it was a sign of jealousy. Not wanting to indulge him, she stood up to go to the washroom, but Fang Muyang grabbed her hand before she could leave. Using his freshly trimmed nails, he lightly scratched her palm. "Stay a little longer. Ask me anything, and I'll tell you. I want you to know me better."
Tickled and embarrassed, Fei Ni shook off his hand and used the last slice of abalone from her lunch box to shut him up. "Who wants to hear you talk?"
She glanced at the watch Fang Muyang had given her—it was already so late. Today was Saturday, and that terrifyingly punctual moment was about to arrive.
The sound came every Tuesday and Saturday without fail. On Tuesday, Fang Muyang had been outside making furniture and hadn't heard it. Today, she didn't want him to hear it either. They could deal with it another time—just not today.
Fei Ni had initially wanted to ignore Fang Muyang after being accused of jealousy, but now she had no choice but to speak to him first: "Weren't you going to upholster the sofa today? I'll go with you."
Fang Muyang didn't understand why Fei Ni, who disliked sofas, was suddenly so eager. He smiled and said, "Don't worry about it. I'll do it tomorrow."
"Tomorrow we're having dinner at my parents' place, so we should head over early." Not giving him any room to argue, she added, "Where's your sweater? Put it on, and let's go downstairs together."
Something felt off to Fang Muyang—Fei Ni was acting unusually anxious—but since he also wanted to stargaze with her, he agreed.
The stars were especially bright that night. Under the street lamp, Fei Ni helped Fang Muyang stretch the upholstery fabric so he could secure it.
The sofa was too big. Once it was in place, along with the sideboard, there'd be no room left for the piano.
But since the sofa was already made, she could only appreciate its merits.
"When did you learn carpentry?"
"During my time as an Educated Youth."
"It must have been hard." Fei Ni guessed that aside from carpentry, he'd also had to work in the fields. Unlike those in state farms, sent-down youth in rural villages didn't receive wages—they survived on work points.
"It was alright." He didn't think it had been particularly tough, though staying in one place without being able to leave had been a bit dull. Officially, since he had no home or parents in the city, he wasn't allowed to visit. Traveling elsewhere was also difficult because buying a train ticket required an official letter. During the Spring Festival, when others took leave to visit family, he stayed behind at the educated youth point. The locals were kind enough to invite him to celebrate with them. While others reunited with their families, he and his parents and siblings were scattered across four different places. If Ling Yi hadn't attempted suicide, he wouldn't have given up his chance at university for her—at least there, he could have lived somewhere new. Last summer had been his first family visit. If not for that trip, sneaking back with a classmate's help, and the heavy rain they'd encountered, who knew where he'd be now.
"You seem to adapt well wherever you go." For a moment, she even envied him.
"But I still prefer being with you."
Fei Ni hadn't expected him to say that. He always caught her off guard with such remarks, leaving her at a loss for words.
After a long pause, Fei Ni finally said, "You learned so many things during your time in the countryside—why didn't you learn how to do laundry?" The way he scrubbed clothes, their lifespan was cut in half at least.
Fang Muyang didn't tell Fei Ni that his clothes and bedding had been washed by the female Educated Youth at the point, and his quilts had been mended by them too. In exchange, he'd carried water and done heavy labor for them. Sometimes, they'd even fought over who got to mend his clothes. It had been a purely platonic arrangement, but he worried Fei Ni might misunderstand, so he simply said he was clumsy and hadn't improved despite years of practice.
"Clumsy?" Fei Ni wanted to say his hands were incredibly deft when he painted, especially when sketching girls, but what came out was, "Your carpentry is excellent, isn't it?"
"Do you like this sofa?"
Since it was nearly finished, how could she say no? Fei Ni said the sofa was very nice.
"With the sofa here, there won't be space for your piano, will there?"
In her mind, Fei Ni thought, Didn't I already tell you there wasn't room for a sofa? But you wouldn't listen and insisted on making one. But now that it was done, there was no point in dampening his spirits. Fang Muyang had equal rights to the apartment, and he was entitled to choose the furniture he liked. The real issue was that the place was too small. And this new home probably meant even more to him than it did to her. Before this, she'd lived with her parents—cramped, but still home. Fang Muyang had had it much harder, sleeping on a communal bed in a strange land.
With that in mind, she said, "Even if we had the piano, I'd only play the same few pieces all year." She checked her watch again—the neighbors' business was probably over by now. She turned to Fang Muyang. "Let's go back. We can finish this tomorrow."
Fang Muyang pulled off his sweater and laid it over the wood, motioning for Fei Ni to sit.
"Put it back on—it's freezing!" Fei Ni immediately picked up the sweater and added, "And it'll get dirty here."
"Stay a while. Let's look at the stars together."
"Aren't you cold?"
"Get closer to me, and I'll warm up."
But Fei Ni didn't move closer—only when Fang Muyang leaned in did she not push him away. He took her hand to warm it up. His hands were warm, the heat from his earlier work still lingering despite the missing sweater, and soon, that warmth spread to her.
Fei Ni quietly told Fang Muyang not to get too close—patrols were out at night, and a man and woman together were prime targets for scrutiny.
"We're married. Worst case, we can show them our marriage certificate."
"Why invite trouble?"
"If they had any observational skills at all, they'd know we're a proper married couple."
"And if they don't? Then we'll be the ones embarrassed." Fei Ni didn't deny they were a proper couple.
"I wouldn't be embarrassed. Even if we were caught in an improper relationship, I wouldn't feel ashamed at all."
Fei Ni thought his words alone were embarrassing enough, but she didn't pull her hand away.
The sky that night was an unusually deep blue, growing brighter the higher you looked.
It was also the night Fei Ni thought the sofa would remain in their home for a long time.
On Tuesday, returning from work, Fei Ni found the finished sofa missing from downstairs—it wasn't in the apartment either.
It was as if the sofa had never existed, but she clearly remembered Fang Muyang losing nearly a week's sleep over it.
Fei Ni suspected it had been stolen, though she doubted anyone would dare. She hurried downstairs and asked the first-floor residents if they'd seen where the newly made sofa had gone.
After several households claimed ignorance, an elderly woman finally told her that Fei Ni's husband had taken it away on a cart.
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