When Fei Ni heard Ling Yi offer to teach her how to brew coffee, she smiled and said, "If Fang Muyang wants coffee, he'll make it himself. When he gets back, I’ll ask him if he knows how. If he doesn’t, I’ll have to trouble you to teach him."
Ling Yi hadn’t expected Fei Ni to respond this way, and her smile stiffened slightly.
Fei Ni then asked Ling Yi, "Were you assigned to the publishing house right after graduating from university?"
Last year, she had specifically invited Ling Yi to visit Fang Muyang, and Ling Yi had condescended to come just once. After that, she hadn’t shown her face again. Yet today, she had come uninvited, calling him "Muyang" over and over, which gave Fei Ni a headache. Since Ling Yi kept bringing up her past with Fang Muyang, Fei Ni didn’t mind helping her recall how she had gotten into university.
Ling Yi didn’t understand why Fei Ni was asking this but answered truthfully that she had.
"If Fang Muyang hadn’t given up his university spot to someone else back at the educated youth point, he’d probably be working at a publishing house now too. Don’t you think so, Ling Yi?"
Hearing this, Ling Yi began to regret bringing Su Yu along. To prevent Fei Ni from steering the conversation toward her, she had no choice but to agree.
Fei Ni continued, "You know how important that opportunity was for Fang Muyang. Back then, after he gave it up, he had to stay in the countryside and earn work points with the locals. If there was a natural disaster, he might not even have had enough to eat. At least now, as a waiter, he earns a salary and doesn’t have to worry about food and shelter. If anyone should feel regret, it’s you—you should have felt sorry for him back then." Fei Ni smiled. "Ling Yi, you must have been really upset for Fang Muyang at the time, right? After all, he lost such a great opportunity. Not only could he not drink coffee, but he might not even have had sweet water. Although we don’t drink coffee at home now, I make sure he has all the sweet water he wants."
But Fang Muyang didn’t really drink sweet water, Fei Ni thought. He might actually like the coffee Ling Yi brought. If he really did, he could use the Moka pot Ling Yi gave him to brew it himself—she wasn’t going to serve him.
Fei Ni hadn’t intended to bring up the past with Ling Yi; after all, it was between Ling Yi and Fang Muyang. But since Ling Yi had come to flaunt her superiority, Fei Ni had no choice but to remind her.
Ling Yi’s face grew increasingly flushed, and she couldn’t hide it. Fei Ni’s words had struck a nerve, and she had no response.She recalled those unbearable days in the countryside—those times were too bitter. While she suffered in the rural areas, enduring blistered hands and feet too sore to stand, yet still forcing herself to work for labor points, people like Fei Ni were comfortably working in factories, drawing regular wages. Simply because Fei Ni’s parents were more mediocre and incapable than her own, in those earlier years, people like Fei Ni could live better than her. Excellence had somehow become a crime, met with exclusion and suppression. If it hadn’t been for Fang Muyang back then, she truly didn’t know how she would have persevered. In her childhood, everyone had doted on her because she was pretty and adorable; even her visits to the photo studio were free because they wanted to display her pictures in the shop window. Her childhood had been joyful, and the only unhappiness came from Fang Muyang. Whenever she took the initiative to play with him, he would often ignore her. Only once did he actively seek her out, wanting to paint her portrait. He insisted she hold her family’s kitten, but after sitting for what felt like an eternity, only the cat in her arms made it into the painting. In the countryside, Fang Muyang seemed like a different person; he no longer treated her with his usual indifference. He became a beam of light in her dim life, but that light vanished when Fang Muyang was hospitalized.
Fortunately, all of that was over now. The era where people like Fei Ni could lead comfortable lives simply because of their humble origins was coming to an end.
Ling Yi wanted to say that if Fang Muyang wished to work at a publishing house, her family could help. She was willing to do everything in her power to assist him, as long as Fei Ni didn’t obstruct out of jealousy. But with Su Yu, an unrelated person, present, Ling Yi couldn’t bring herself to say it.
Ling Yi didn’t want to continue this topic any further. She opened her bag and took out the letters inside, counting them one by one. "There must be at least a hundred letters in total."
But Su Yu had no intention of letting the subject drop. She asked Ling Yi, "Did Fang Muyang give up his university spot to someone from your educated youth point?" Ling Yi had previously mentioned to Su Yu that she and Fang Muyang were from the same educated youth point.
Ling Yi resented Su Yu’s nosiness. With Fei Ni present, how could she deny it?
Ling Yi gave a soft hum of acknowledgment, thinking that Fei Ni must be inwardly mocking her. Both of them clearly knew that Fang Muyang had given his university spot to her, yet she didn’t dare admit it in front of a third party.
Yes, Fei Ni’s family background was inferior to hers, and her job was worse too. But as long as Fei Ni brought up the past, Ling Yi would always be one step behind, because Fang Muyang had indeed given his university spot to her, and she owed him such a huge favor. When he was hospitalized, aside from the nurses, it was Fei Ni who took care of him. Once Fei Ni mentioned this, no matter how justified her own hardships were, others would only see her as ungrateful.
But the favor she owed was to Fang Muyang—what did it have to do with Fei Ni? If Fang Muyang hadn’t fallen into hardship, what right would Fei Ni have to marry him?
Yet these were words she could never speak aloud.
Just as Su Yu was about to ask more, Fang Muyang’s timely return rescued Ling Yi from her predicament.
Fang Muyang had gone to the post office to collect a parcel. After leaving, he bought himself some drawing paper and paints, then went to a store and bought Fei Ni a reversible cotton-padded coat. Fei Ni only had one cotton-padded jacket and two outer garments that she alternated wearing; she was in need of another winter coat. After purchasing the coat, he also bought her a cashmere shawl that could double as a scarf. Fei Ni’s original scarf had been quite long, but she had unraveled it to knit him a vest, leaving only a short remnant that looked somewhat odd when wrapped around her neck.As soon as Fei Ni opened the door, she saw Fang Muyang holding a pile of things in his arms. Fang Muyang handed her the paper package containing the shawl and asked her to try it on. He then gave Fei Ni the bag with the reversible parka, saying, "This parka is double-sided, so it can be worn as two different coats. I know how to pick things, don’t I?"
The store name on the bag told Fei Ni that the coat wasn’t cheap. Plastic bags, which are now considered cheap and environmentally unfriendly, were still a rarity domestically at the time and weren’t typically provided in stores.
After this trip, he had probably spent all the money he had on him. What kind of shopping skills were those?
But with outsiders present, she had no choice but to save face for him and said, "You really do know how to pick things."
Fang Muyang gently flicked her ear. "How would you know if you don’t try it? Go on, give it a try."
Fei Ni was both annoyed and amused. In such a small room, with two extra guests, Fang Muyang hadn’t even noticed them.
She had to remind him, "We have guests. They came specifically to bring you readers’ letters."
Only then did Fang Muyang notice Su Yu and Ling Yi. He smiled and greeted them.
It was the first time Su Yu had seen such an affectionate young couple in person. She felt a little embarrassed, as if she had witnessed something she shouldn’t have, and lowered her head to sip her tea.
Ling Yi hadn’t expected the two of them to be so naturally intimate, unlike a couple forced together by circumstances. The brand on the bag reminded her that Fang Muyang was doing better than she had imagined.
Moreover, he seemed quite satisfied with his current life and didn’t need her help at all.
This left Ling Yi feeling slightly defeated, but then she thought, Fang Muyang had suffered in the countryside for a long time, just like her. Now, at least he had a home and a job. No matter how difficult things were, they were still better than before. It was understandable that he felt content for the time being. But as his life continued to improve, the gap between him and Fei Ni would only grow wider. By then, he probably wouldn’t be so satisfied anymore.
Fang Muyang walked over to the desk, put down his bundle along with his drawing paper and paints, poured himself a glass of water, and then sat down beside Fei Ni, holding the cup.
Ling Yi handed the letters she had brought to Fang Muyang. "I counted—there are ninety-six letters in total, all sent by readers from various places to the publishing house. My parents also really like your sequential pictures. I bought a copy and left it at home. Whenever important guests visit, my dad gives them a copy."
"Then please thank Uncle Ling for me."
Ling Yi’s smile returned. "I’m afraid I can’t pass that on for you. You’ll have to thank him yourself. My dad has been wanting to introduce you to some friends."
The Ling family’s living room had become lively again this year, with young people from the arts scene frequently stopping by for advice. Ling Yi brought up a popular play of the moment—one that was not only a box office hit but had also won several awards. The director and playwright of this play, Zhao Xun, was a guest at the Ling residence. This guest also greatly admired the sequential pictures.
Since Fei Ni worked at a hat factory and wasn’t familiar with the arts scene, Ling Yi kept the conversation within the circle of the three of them. She said to Su Yu and Fang Muyang, "Director Zhao is interested in adapting this sequential pictures into a play. You should get together sometime and discuss it."
Fang Muyang smiled and said, "The story is based on Su Yu’s work. If it’s going to be adapted into a play, he should discuss it with Su Yu. It has nothing to do with me, the illustrator." Noticing the oranges on the table, he asked Fei Ni, "Who bought these?"
Su Yu replied, "I brought them for you."Fang Muyang thanked Su Yu for her kindness and temporarily took on the role of host, offering oranges to everyone. However, aside from Fang Muyang himself, no one touched the oranges.
Fang Muyang peeled an orange, tore off the white strands from a segment, and put it into his own mouth. After finishing it, he handed a smooth, clean segment to Fei Ni. This cycle repeated, and Fei Ni ended up eating nearly half of the orange.
Fang Muyang’s actions were so natural that it made Su Yu feel awkward, as if she were intruding on the young couple’s intimacy. Ling Yi also felt uncomfortable; today’s visit was nothing like what she had imagined. She hadn’t expected Fang Muyang to show so little interest in what she had to say.
But since she had prepared her words, Ling Yi saw no reason not to speak them. Even Su Yu realized that Fei Ni was being neglected and asked her what novels or plays she had been interested in lately.
Fei Ni answered honestly, "I haven’t paid much attention to those works." She preferred reading works that had stood the test of time, rather than keeping up with current trends.
Fang Muyang continued to pass orange segments to her, but with outsiders present, Fei Ni felt too embarrassed to keep eating. She stood up and went to refill the guests’ cups with hot water from the thermos.
Su Yu pulled a newspaper from her bag, flipped to the last page, and showed Fang Muyang a long column of text. "Out of all these reviews, I think Tian Xueying’s is the most fair and balanced."
"Tian Xueying?" Fang Muyang couldn’t help but laugh, then called out to Fei Ni, "Ni, stop fussing and come take a look at this article."
Fei Ni, with her back turned, trembled slightly at the sound of Tian Xueying’s name, her hand shaking as she poured water from the thermos.
Fei Ni sat down beside Fang Muyang and began to admire Tian Xueying’s masterpiece.
Fang Muyang smiled and asked Fei Ni, "What do you think of Tian Xueying’s article?"
His mother-in-law’s name was Tian Xueying, and Fei Ni had borrowed her name the last time she wrote a review of sequential pictures.
Fei Ni’s evaluation was lukewarm: "It’s alright."
Su Yu, however, disagreed with Fei Ni’s assessment and retorted directly, "This is definitely not just ‘alright.’ Out of all the reviews, I think this one is the best. If you read it more carefully, you’ll see what makes it so good."
Ling Yi said, "Let me see." After skimming through it, she agreed with Su Yu. "This piece is really well-written. I plan to show it to my father—many of the viewpoints align with his. If this is only ‘alright,’ then there’s no such thing as a ‘good’ review."
Fei Ni didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Ling Yi was clearly targeting her, and because of that, she was praising an article Fei Ni had written as incomparable. If Ling Yi knew Fei Ni was the real author, she had no idea how she would react.
"This article…" Fang Muyang was about to reveal the author’s true identity when Fei Ni gently nudged his knee.
It wasn’t something to boast about—the wife immediately writing a glowing review of her husband’s newly released sequential pictures.
Fang Muyang offered another orange segment to Fei Ni, but she refused, so he ate it himself.
He said to Fei Ni with a smile, "I think this article is excellent too. The three of us agree it’s great, and you’re the only one who thinks it’s just ‘alright.’ Your taste could use some improvement. Ling Yi, could you explain to Fei Ni what makes this review better than the others?"
Fei Ni nudged his knee again, urging him to stop, but Fang Muyang seemed oblivious to her intention and playfully tangled with her under the table.Ling Yi found Fang Muyang’s tone a bit odd—it didn’t sound like criticism but rather like affection. Still, since he had brought it up, she didn’t mind giving Fei Ni some extra guidance.
While Ling Yi was speaking, Fang Muyang peeled another tangerine. This time, he broke it in half, giving one part to Fei Ni and keeping the other for himself. He ate it with ease, acting every bit the host in his own home. Out of politeness, he also placed two tangerines by Su Yu and Ling Yi.
Ling Yi analyzed word by word how well "Tian Xueying" had written, leaving Fei Ni with mixed emotions. She wanted to laugh but felt it was inappropriate, so she followed Fang Muyang’s lead and ate her tangerine.
When Ling Yi finally finished, Fang Muyang smiled at Fei Ni and said, "I think every point Ling Yi made was quite reasonable. Shouldn’t you take back your 'not bad' comment now?"
Fei Ni ignored him and poured herself more water from the thermos. Her restraint from laughing made her look displeased instead. Ling Yi assumed Fei Ni was upset because Fang Muyang hadn’t taken her side, which eased her own irritation a little.
Seeing that it was getting late, Su Yu prepared to leave. Naturally, Ling Yi would go with her. Before leaving, she said to Fang Muyang, "This coffee and Moka pot are my gifts to you. When you have time, you can brew some coffee."
Fang Muyang thanked her and added, "Since you’ve come all this way, why not have a cup of coffee before you go?" He then looked at Ling Yi. "I don’t know how to brew coffee. Could I trouble you to make a pot for us?"
Ling Yi thought for a moment and said, "I can, but Fei Ni, could you grind the coffee beans into powder?"
Before Fei Ni could refuse, Fang Muyang interjected, "She can’t. She’s all thumbs, just like me—only good at drinking. We’ll have to trouble you again."
"In that case, do you have a coffee grinder at home?" Ling Yi doubted they did.
"No, I’m afraid you’ll have to use a rolling pin," Fang Muyang said, turning to Fei Ni. "Ni, go find our rolling pin and bring a piece of cheesecloth while you’re at it."
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