Speed and Love

Although Flathead and his two companions didn't cause further trouble at the auto shop, they remembered to stop by the pet store before leaving to demand compensation for rabies vaccines from San Lai. After all, Da Guang's fleshy arm bore a clear row of dog bite marks. But San Lai just crossed his legs and lazily replied, "Didn't you say you'd respect my old man? When the son causes trouble, the father handles it. Go ask my dad for the money."

San Lai's father was notoriously known as Lao Lai in Tonggang. By the end of last century, he had single-handedly squandered the family business built over generations. Despite being hunted by debt collectors across the underworld, he still managed to stand firm in this small patch of land called Tonggang, making him quite a fearsome figure. Flathead and his crew naturally didn't dare to actually approach San Lai's father for money, so they eventually slunk away.

The crowd that had gathered along the street gradually dispersed. Even the chickens that had been stealing rice wandered off contentedly with full bellies, leaving only the auto shop in complete disarray both inside and out.

What struck Jiang Mu as strange was that back in her hometown, whenever two groups clashed on the streets, concerned citizens would dial 110 before things even turned physical, and the police would arrive almost instantly. Yet here, despite the prolonged commotion, no one had called the police.

She asked San Lai in surprise, "Why didn't anyone call the police?"

San Lai chuckled. "This is an internal conflict among the people. As long as no one's life is endangered, the police would just come to watch the show if they showed up. What mediation could they really do? After mediation, these guys would just come back to make trouble again in a few days. Why waste public servants' time?"

But judging by the earlier confrontation, Jiang Mu could tell the men were somewhat intimidated by Jin Chao. She didn't understand why they'd still come asking for a beating if that was the case. Did they enjoy getting thrashed?

Seeing her confused expression, San Lai brought over a small stool, grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds, and stuffed some into her hand too. He explained, "You think those guys actually came to fight? I'm not boasting, but look at You Jiu now—all he does is keep his head down and work, simple and low-key. You never saw him during his school days. Back then..."

San Lai suddenly realized he was speaking too loudly and glanced over at Jin Chao, who was inspecting the scratches on the BMW. Seeing that Jin Chao wasn't paying attention, he lowered his voice and told Jiang Mu, "Back when he was still in his Seventh Day phase, forget three punks, even ten wouldn't dare mess with him. After all, he didn't value his life, but others still feared death."

"Even now, he could easily take on several guys by himself. It just depends on whether he's willing to fight. The previous times when people from Wan Ji came to cause trouble, You Jiu didn't lift a finger and just sent them away. This time, maybe it's because they messed with Xiao Yang, or maybe it's because of you."

"Those guys aren't actually here to burn, kill, or loot. They just cause minor damage each time, aiming to irritate You Jiu and disrupt his business."

Jiang Mu asked, puzzled, "Why would they do that? Is there some grudge?"

San Lai narrowed his eyes and spoke with the tone of an elder, "You Jiu used to work his way up to head mechanic at Wan Ji, training many apprentices under him. Many customers would only deal with him. Later, because..."San Lai's voice suddenly cut off. Jiang Mu turned her head to look at him as he glossed over the details: "Due to some reasons, You Jiu decided to leave Wan Ji. Tie Gongji left with him. Their departure was a significant loss for Wan Ji. After they left, morale at Wan Ji collapsed and rumors spread everywhere. Many workers resigned or switched jobs. After You Jiu and Tie Gongji opened this shop, many regular customers transferred their business here too. Do you think the other side would let him off easily?"

Jiang Mu gradually furrowed her brows. San Lai continued: "Do you think those punks came looking for trouble willingly? They were all instigated by Boss Wan behind the scenes. On one hand, he's jealous; on the other, he probably still wants You Jiu to go back and help him. After all, when You Jiu was around, how carefree was he? He could go gamble in Macau for a month without returning, and You Jiu could still manage all three shops properly."

Jiang Mu didn't know what reasons made Jin Chao leave the place where he had stayed for over three years, but from San Lai's fragmented words, she understood that Jin Chao wasn't having smooth sailing now either.

Xiao Yang and Tie Gongji were cleaning up the repair shop. Jiang Mu felt it wasn't right for her to just sit around doing nothing, so she returned the sunflower seeds to San Lai, stood up, and said to him: "I'll go help over there."

Jin Chao was outside dealing with the scratches on the BMW. Jiang Mu entered the repair shop and saw many small parts had scattered under the metal cabinet. Noticing Xiao Yang preparing to move the metal cabinet, she quickly stepped forward to lend a hand. Xiao Yang looked up, surprised to see Jiang Mu, and said: "You can't move this."

Jiang Mu actually rolled up her sleeves and told him: "Let's try. Go."

At her command, Xiao Yang suddenly exerted force. As a result, his side lifted off the ground while Jiang Mu's side remained completely unmoved. She said frustrated: "What's stored inside this thing?"

Xiao Yang laughed and called Tie Gongji to move it instead. Jiang Mu could only go tidy up other things, but with her delicate arms and slender legs, she wasn't naturally cut out for manual work. Jin Chao glanced at her: "With a bit more strength you could move the earth. Don't get your clothes dirty - step aside."

Jiang Mu muttered: "I just wanted to help."

Hearing this, Jin Chao placed a metal can on the ground: "Then pick up screws."

Jiang Mu suspected Jin Chao had simply found a random metal can to keep her occupied. She even asked Xiao Yang: "Am I being looked down upon?"

All three men, inside and out, stifled their laughter. Xiao Yang comforted her: "No, no, picking up screws is quite difficult work. Like me, if my hands had no grip, I wouldn't be able to pick them up either."

Jiang Mu looked at him with deep sympathy, suddenly feeling she had been entrusted with an important task.

And so she began earnestly squatting on the ground picking up screws. Tie Gongji said with a laugh: "What was with that Xiangzi earlier? It's not even New Year yet, why was he kneeling and kowtowing to Jiu Ge? It made me want to give him a two-yuan red envelope."

Xiao Yang also burst out laughing. Jiang Mu kept her head down picking up screws and didn't make a sound, but she could feel someone's gaze resting on her. She lifted her eyes to meet Jin Chao's meaningful stare, making her feel guilty. Could it be that Jin Chao had eyes in the back of his head and saw her divine kick?

Jiang Mu had never been involved in any fights since childhood, let alone a brawl with so many people. She stared at Jin Chao, lost in thought. She had seen Jin Chao fight with others when they were young, but it was completely different from now. Earlier, his fists were like iron, his eyes like a wolf's, the ferocity between his brows made one's heart tremble. This was another side of him she had never seen before.Jin Chao shot her several glances, noticing her dazed expression, and asked, "Scared?"

Jiang Mu nodded, then shook her head. "Not by others, but by you. Next time... could you tone it down a bit?"

Jin Chao replied indifferently, "How? Wait until that guy's hands are all over you before I sit down to discuss life and ideals with him?"

Jiang Mu lowered her head and chuckled. The sunset dyed the sky orange-red, and the early autumn breeze whispered past her ears. An inexplicable sense of security welled up in her heart—a feeling she'd never experienced since arriving here.

The little black dog kept bouncing around her, in and out. There was a small step between the repair shop and the outside. As the puppy ran out, it stumbled clumsily, its short, chubby body tipping over. Its four little paws flailed in the air, struggling to right itself for quite a while. Jiang Mu laughed even harder at the sight and called out to the others, "Look at the black dog!"

Xiao Yang and the others turned to look and joked, "Doesn't it have a proper name? Calling it 'black dog' all the time might give it a complex."

Jiang Mu turned to Jin Chao, who lifted his eyelids slightly and said, "It's not my dog."

Implying that she should name it herself.

Almost without thinking, Jiang Mu blurted out, "Then let's call it Lightning."

Tie Gongji teased, "It runs as slow as a turtle. How can you possibly see it as lightning?"

Jiang Mu pressed her lips together and stayed silent. But Jin Chao paused his work and glanced at her. Jiang Mu met his gaze. Without a single word exchanged, in that moment of eye contact, she was certain Jin Chao remembered the name too.

San Lai, munching on sunflower seeds nearby, chimed in, "The name you picked has this '80s Pili Little Whirlwind vibe to it." Why does it sound so outdated?"

Jiang Mu and Jin Chao almost simultaneously shot him death glares, making San Lai uneasy. He forced a laugh and said, "Alright, Lightning the Great, as long as you're happy."

They worked until sunset to tidy up the repair shop and had no time to prepare a proper meal. So, San Lai boiled several plates of dumplings and brought them over, enthusiastically calling Jiang Mu to eat first and insisting on handing her a pair of chopsticks.

Jiang Mu looked at the dumplings in front of her, not wanting to refuse San Lai's kindness. She picked one up, dipped it in what she thought was vinegar, but before it reached her mouth, she noticed the smell was off. She looked up in surprise and asked San Lai, "Isn't this vinegar?"

"Soy sauce."

"Shouldn't dumplings be dipped in vinegar?"

San Lai said matter-of-factly, "They're dipped in soy sauce."

Jiang Mu then looked at Xiao Yang, who had just washed his hands. Xiao Yang nodded, "Dipped in soy sauce."

Baffled, she turned to Tie Gongji, "You dip them in soy sauce?"

Tie Gongji affirmed, "Of course."

She had never eaten dumplings dipped in soy sauce before. Steeling herself, she took a bite and then froze. She stared at the dumpling and timidly asked, "What filling is this?"

San Lai replied, "Fennel filling.Jiang Mu was internally crumbling. "Isn't fennel a spice?"

San Lai: "No, it's not."

She looked at Xiao Yang, who stuffed one into his mouth. Then she looked at Tie Gongji, who asked her, "Haven't you had it before?"

Jiang Mu felt completely off. Her mind raced with images of cilantro, star anise, and some granular spice. She no longer had any idea what she was eating.Jin Chao strode over, distributed the dumplings in front of her to Xiao Yang and the others, and asked her, "What do you want to eat?"

Jiang Mu whispered, "KFC or McDonald's."

Then, feeling that everyone had worked hard and having something to eat was already good enough, she pointed at the dumplings and added, "Actually, these are fine too."

Jin Chao chuckled, patted Tie Gongji, and said, "Give me the keys."

He then hopped onto Tie Gongji's motorcycle and returned with KFC about ten minutes later. The aroma of the fried chicken made Jiang Mu realize just how hungry she was.

Jin Chao pulled up a chair and sat opposite Jiang Mu, watching her take small bites of her burger. He lowered his gaze thoughtfully. By the time he finished a plate of dumplings, she had only eaten half of her burger, unhurried as ever. It reminded him of her childhood—how eating a meal seemed harder than climbing to the sky. Back then, he often ended up feeding her himself, or else she’d take so long that her food went from hot to cold.

The memory, paired with the sight of the now fair and delicate Jiang Mu, brought a faint, almost imperceptible smile to his lips. It was as if he had raised her with his own hands.

Xiao Yang and the others finished eating and gathered around the table chatting. Jin Chao glanced at Jiang Mu and remarked, "With habits like this, you still want to live on your own? Ordering takeout every day?"

Jiang Mu retorted, "I won’t starve, at least."

Jin Chao lit a cigarette, lowered his head, and said, "You still have the college entrance exam to take. Last year, I didn’t know what happened to your health. Do you want a repeat this year? The food at home might not suit your taste, but it’s better than eating out. We’re all rough guys—skipping meals or eating whatever’s available. Can you keep up with proper nutrition living like this? Stay a few days, then go back."

Jiang Mu suddenly lost her appetite for the burger, her expression falling. Xiao Yang and Tie Gongji fell silent. Seeing the topic resurface, San Lai slapped the table and said, "Alright, alright, it’s not that big a deal. Tomorrow, I’ll buy an old hen to nourish our little sister. No matter how tough things get, we can’t let the kid suffer."

Jin Chao shot him a look but said nothing more, turning instead to continue working. San Lai sidled up to Jiang Mu and asked, "Want to see him give in?"

Jiang Mu’s eyes lit up as she turned to San Lai. He stroked the stubble on his chin, his deep eyes gleaming with cunning.

After everyone finished eating, Xiao Yang cleared the table. San Lai let Xishi out to pee, deliberately loitering by the door. He said to Jiang Mu, "Little sis, I’ve got a room upstairs. You can stay at my place if you want."

Jiang Mu played along, "Really? How much is the rent?"

As she spoke, she glanced sideways at Jin Chao, who showed no reaction and kept working with his head down.

San Lai told her, "How about this? You call me 'brother,' and I’ll cover your utilities. You just pay a token rent."

Jiang Mu stood up. "Let’s go check out the room now," she said, heading toward San Lai’s shop.

San Lai leaned against the lamppost railing, tapping his fingers in the air—once, twice. On the third tap, just as Jiang Mu pulled open the shop door, his fingers stilled. Jin Chao threw down his tools, straightened up, and said to Jiang Mu, "Come here."A fleeting smile touched Jiang Mu's lips, but by the time she turned her head, her expression had already reverted to one of pure innocence. She obediently walked over to Jin Chao, who said nothing as he lowered his head to remove his gloves. Raising his hand, he pressed it against Jiang Mu's head, applying slight pressure to turn her body around and push her into the auto repair shop.

Before returning to her room, Jiang Mu secretly glanced back at San Lai with a cheeky grin. San Lai winked at her, but Jin Chao shot him a glare when he noticed.

Only after Jiang Mu's figure had completely vanished into the repair area did San Lai leisurely speak up: "Stop saying things like that in the future. Women are sensitive. Those who understand know you don’t want her to live a rough life with you, but those who don’t might think you’re trying to drive her away. If she ends up crying secretly at night, it’ll be you who has a headache."Jin Chao lowered his head as he put his gloves back on, his voice low: 'The less she knows, the better.' The longer she stays, the more trouble it’ll be."

The smile faded from San Lai’s face, and he fell silent.

As soon as Jiang Mu entered the room, Xiao Yang and Tie Gongji consciously avoided the break room. Jin Chao didn’t come in to shower that night. While packing her schoolbag, Jiang Mu noticed Jin Chao’s hair was damp and his clothes had been changed—perhaps he had showered at San Lai’s place to avoid inconvenience.

Shandian was still young and needed to drink milk, so she was sent back to Xishi. By the time Jiang Mu was ready to sleep, the repair area was empty, and even the roll-up door had been locked. She lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.

Her peripheral vision kept catching the slight sway of the curtain, which felt somewhat eerie in the confined space, making her unconsciously glance toward it. Unfortunately, beyond the curtain was the break room, and outside the break room’s glass was the empty, gloomy repair area. During the day, with people coming and going, it hadn’t felt unsettling, but in the dead of night, the reflections in the glass made Jiang Mu feel particularly creeped out. She tried to avoid looking outside, but she couldn’t help staring at the gently swaying curtain, her heart uneasy. Subconsciously, a vivid image formed in her mind: a woman in white standing in front of the mirror outside the break room, and whenever the curtain swayed, a pair of eyes would be staring right at her.

Sometimes, once such thoughts start, they’re hard to stop, and the fear only grows stronger.

After struggling for a long time, Jiang Mu picked up her phone, opened WeChat, and sent a message to Jin Chao: "Are you asleep?"

After sending it, her eyes remained fixed on the chat window, waiting for the "typing" indicator to appear. But even as she pressed her face close to the screen, there was no response.

Just then, a voice suddenly came from near the curtain: "What’s wrong? Stomach hurting again?"

Startled, Jiang Mu bolted upright in bed and stared at the shadow outside the curtain. Trembling, she asked, "Where did you come from?"

Jin Chao turned on the break room light: "From the back."

"Where’s the back?"

"...There’s a window above your head."

Jiang Mu stood up on the bed. She had noticed the blinds above the bed but hadn’t paid them much mind. Now, she pushed them aside with her finger and saw a shed courtyard behind them, scattered with various items. She couldn’t help but ask, "Were you there the whole time? What were you doing?"

Jin Chao replied, "Working overtime."Jiang Mu then recalled that last night, she had apparently called out Jin Chao's name twice in her dream, and he had come over. She had assumed he was in the maintenance room, but he must have been working overtime in the back area as well. So close to the room, just separated by a window—good thing she hadn’t muttered anything nonsensical to herself, or he might have overheard it all.

Jin Chao stood outside and asked again, "What is it?"

Jiang Mu released the blinds. How could she tell him she was afraid because the curtains swayed, the lounge glass reflected light, and the maintenance room was too dark? Of course, she couldn’t say that, so she replied with feigned seriousness, "I want some water."

"..."

Jin Chao pulled the curtain aside and glanced at the bottled water on the bedside table. Jiang Mu caught sight of it out of the corner of her eye and quickly added, "It's cold. I'm afraid it'll upset my stomach."

Jin Chao let go of the curtain, picked up the electric kettle, and went out. Shortly after, he returned with the kettle filled, plugged it in, and pulled up a chair to wait for the water to boil.

The water heated quickly. Jin Chao mixed it with cold water to warm it, then handed her a paper cup. Jiang Mu was wearing a light-colored, collared nightgown, and from his position standing by the bed, Jin Chao caught a glimpse of the delicate white lace peeking out from her collar. He immediately averted his gaze, looking upward. Jiang Mu, however, drank extremely slowly, like a kitten lapping water, taking small sips while stealing glances at him.

Finally, unable to bear her scrutiny any longer, he spoke up, "Are you planning to drink that until tomorrow morning?"

Jiang Mu had no choice but to hand him the cup. Jin Chao glanced at it—more than half the water remained. It hardly looked like she was thirsty at all.

He raised an eyebrow, turned, and started to leave. Jiang Mu stared at his retreating back and murmured, "Are you leaving?"

Jin Chao turned back to look at her. Her short hair clung to her face, and her watery eyes were fixed on him pleadingly. Suddenly, he asked, "What made you decide to cut your hair?"

Jiang Mu answered honestly, "I was afraid the nutrients would go to my hair and affect my intelligence."

"..."

Jin Chao glanced at her slender frame again, the corners of his eyes crinkling slightly as he walked out. Soon after, Jiang Mu saw him turn off the lounge light. She thought he had left, but then a faint glow from a phone screen appeared outside the curtain. Through the gap in the curtain, she no longer saw the reflective glass but the silhouette of Jin Chao, leaning back in his chair with his back to the curtain.

He stayed quietly in the lounge, playing on his phone, his long legs propped up on the table, as if he had no intention of leaving anytime soon.

Jiang Mu breathed a sigh of relief and lay back down, staring at the dark ceiling. "Does Lao Ma like you a lot?" she mused. "Every time he sees me, he tells me to learn from you. He said you dislocated your right arm but still managed to rank in the top ten of your grade using your left arm. How did you do it? Can you write with your left hand? I didn’t know you were left-handed. Are you left-handed? I remember when we were kids, Mom corrected you for a long time for eating with your left hand. Didn’t you switch after that..."

Jin Chao quietly turned the game volume down to a minimum, listening to her murmurs. The night was still, and sleep eluded them. It had been a long time since he had heard that soft, southern accent, so characteristic of her. After coming here, he had gradually forgotten that familiar lilt. Now, hearing it again, it felt as though time had rewound to the past—slow, carefree days, free from worries.He remained silent, listening quietly, as if by not interrupting her, she could keep talking forever. Those sentences filled with interjections, the unclear enunciation muffled in her throat when drowsy—every sound carried a soft, glutinous charm, like a lullaby on an autumn night, gradually soothing the restlessness deep within him.

Only when she paused, yawned, and mumbled, "Are you even listening to me? You're ignoring me," did the spell break.

The room fell silent for over ten seconds. Suddenly, the light from his phone outside vanished, and Jin Chao's voice emerged low: "When did you find out?"

Silence—dead silence. Jiang Mu knew what he was asking: about the fact that they weren't biologically related.

After a long pause, she finally replied, "Before I came here."

Another stretch of quiet passed before he asked her, "What did you think after you found out?"

Jiang Mu turned over to face the inner wall, her eyelashes trembling slightly as she tightly clutched the corner of the blanket and closed her eyes.

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