In Jiang Mu's eighteen years of life that had been as plain as water, the biggest upheaval was probably her parents' divorce when she was nine. Although she had later failed the college entrance exam, it was within her expectations and didn't come as much of a blow.
As a well-educated, law-abiding high school student, when she suddenly heard that Jin Chao, whom she had always regarded as family, was burdened with a human life, her whole mind went blank—or rather, she was shocked. Before she could recover from it, Jin Chao said those words to her, leaving her in a daze for the next two days. More than sadness, she felt worry. She tried asking Jin Qiang about it, but it seemed everyone was sensitive when it came to Jin Chao's affairs. Whenever Jiang Mu brought up Jin Chao's high school years, Jin Qiang would brush her off and tell her not to worry about it.
Jiang Mu couldn't imagine at all what drastic changes had happened to Jin Chao over the years. The more she speculated, the more she was tormented by all sorts of terrifying imaginings.
For an entire week, she didn't go to the auto shop, nor did she contact Jin Chao. But every morning when she left home and looked at the milk box at her doorstep, she couldn't help but recall Jin Chao's somber silhouette from their parting that day.
The milk box had been moved back for her by Jin Chao after she returned to live with Jin Qiang. At that time, Jin Chao had reminded her that the weather was getting cold and told her to wake up five minutes earlier to heat the milk, not to drink it cold.
So every day when she went out, holding the warm milk in her hands, her heart was always filled with mixed emotions.
She wasn't sure if Jin Chao had been in a bad mood that day and said those angry words to her. On Saturday morning, she couldn't resist sending him a red envelope, with the note: "Shandian's boarding fee."
But there was no response from the other side. Jin Chao didn't accept the money nor reply. She sent another one, but it still sank without a trace.
Later, as if out of spite, Jiang Mu sent one red envelope after another until her digital wallet was completely empty. Jin Chao still didn't respond at all.
After school, Jiang Mu took bus No. 6 to Tongren Lane, but when she got off, she saw that the auto shop's roll-up door was closed. Even San Lai's pet shop was locked. Staring at the empty space in front of the auto shop, she suddenly felt lost and helpless.
For a period after the incident with Jin Xin, she had felt it was hard to integrate into Jin Qiang's current family, even feeling like there was no place for her here. Only Jin Chao had appeared like a floating log by her side, ensuring she had somewhere to go when she didn't want to return home, that she wouldn't end up on the streets when she was in a mess, and that she wouldn't be alone when she was sad and helpless. She had long regarded Jin Chao as her only reliance in this city. It had never occurred to her that the floating log would also disappear, leaving her adrift alone in the sea.
Jiang Mu wasn't good at socializing. She hadn't spent much time with her classmates, and aside from necessary interactions at school, she had no private contact with them. Usually, apart from going to school every day and returning to Jin Qiang's home to silently close herself in her own little world, she had nowhere else to go. Now, standing on the cold, quiet street, her body was fine, but her heart felt empty.The weather had turned colder, and the temperature plummeted after the sun set. Jiang Mu wore a coat over her school uniform but still felt freezing. She tucked her hands into her sleeves, walked to the auto shop entrance, and knocked on the roll-up door. No one answered. Her expression gradually fell, and just as she was about to withdraw her hand, a sudden "thud" came from inside the door. She heard Shandian barking incessantly and ramming against the door from within the shop.
Jiang Mu crouched down by the spot where Shandian was hitting the door and called out, "Shandian, Shandian, it's me!"
Shandian recognized Jiang Mu's voice and responded with anxious whimpers, slamming against the roll-up door with a rumbling noise.
Jiang Mu pressed close to the door and said to him, "I don't have a key to get in. Don't worry, I'm not leaving. I'll stay right here."
She crouched by the roll-up door, continuously talking to Shandian, who occasionally whimpered as if replying to her.
The wind picked up on the street, and fewer people were around. Separated by the roll-up door, Jiang Mu hugged her backpack and leaned against it, while Shandian gradually stopped ramming the door but kept pacing restlessly inside.
Jiang Mu brought her hands to her mouth, blew on them to warm them, and muttered to Shandian, "I wonder where the auto shop owner went? It's so cold. I should leave."
As if understanding her, Shandian lifted a small paw and tapped it against the roll-up door. Jiang Mu turned and placed her hand against the door as well.
Headlights flashed as a white Honda pulled over by the roadside. San Lai got out of the car and froze for a moment when he saw the small figure crouched by the roll-up door.
Jiang Mu noticed the light from the roadside and turned her head. Seeing that San Lai had returned, with Jin Chao in a black jacket and jeans following behind him, her heart skipped a beat. The moment Jin Chao saw Jiang Mu, his brow furrowed slightly.
Holding her backpack, Jiang Mu obediently stood up and moved away from the door lock, pressing herself against the side of the auto shop. San Lai asked her in surprise, "When did you get here?"
"After school."
San Lai checked the time. "You've been crouching here all this time? Aren't you cold? Silly girl."
Jiang Mu didn't answer, only cautiously glanced at Jin Chao. His features were cold and detached as he opened the roll-up door. Shandian excitedly burst out with wild barks, leaping toward Jiang Mu before she could react. Jiang Mu could no longer handle Shandian's weight, and the backpack she was holding fell to the ground. Having not seen Jiang Mu for several days, Shandian went wild, jumping around and pouncing on her. Jiang Mu dodged frantically, hugging her arms.
Only when a sharp command sounded—"Come here"—did Shandian stop his frenzied behavior. Wagging his tail, he ran to Jin Chao, his sturdy rear end shaking with joy.
Jin Chao didn't even glance at Jiang Mu as he entered the auto shop. Jiang Mu quickly picked up her backpack from the ground and followed him inside. She said to him, "I sent you a red envelope, but you didn't reply, so I came to check on you."
"Seen enough?" Jin Chao's back was to her, his voice indifferent.
Jiang Mu bit her lip and stopped at the entrance of the auto shop, not venturing further inside. He turned on the light in the repair area, his voice low. "If you're done, go back. I need to close the door."
Jiang Mu's fingers tightened around her backpack. She refused to leave but couldn't utter a word, simply staring at his figure.
Jin Chao took off his jacket and went into the room. After a while, he rummaged through the breakroom for something, filled out two repair orders, sorted through the accounts, and then went back into the repair area, crouching in front of a metal box to search for a few small items.Throughout this time, Jiang Mu had been standing rigidly at the entrance of the auto repair shop. The cold wind swept past her back, turning her lips purple from the chill. Finally, Jin Chao slammed the tool in his hand into the toolbox, straightened up, and glared at her: "What exactly do you want?"
Jiang Mu didn’t know. She truly didn’t know what she wanted. She just couldn’t stand the current state between them. She knew Jin Chao was pushing her away, shoving her out of his world, but she didn’t want to leave. It was as simple as that.
Seeing her red-rimmed eyes, Jin Chao tightened his lips and said coldly, "I’ll say it one more time—I’m closing up. If you don’t leave, you can stand here all night."
San Lai came in from next door and was surprised to see Jiang Mu still standing at the entrance, clutching her backpack. He walked over, took the heavy backpack from her arms, and asked, "You’re one stubborn girl. Did you eat dinner?"
His words made Jiang Mu’s eyes well up with tears. The sight of her holding back her sobs even made San Lai’s heart ache. He glanced sideways at Jin Chao, who turned and went into the break room.
San Lai sighed, placed a hand on Jiang Mu’s shoulder, and led her away, saying, "Come on, let’s go. No point staying here. Come over to my place."
Having crouched in the cold wind for over an hour, Jiang Mu’s legs were weak and unsteady. San Lai pulled her into the pet shop. The warmth from the heater inside enveloped her as soon as she entered, and her tears began to fall uncontrollably. Unaccustomed to such situations, San Lai quickly tried to comfort her: "Are you hungry?"
Jiang Mu nodded.
"Are you cold?"
She nodded again.
San Lai wheeled out his comfortable office chair and said to her, "Sit here and warm up for a bit. I’ll get you something to eat."
After setting her backpack down on the counter, San Lai went upstairs. Only after he left did Jiang Mu’s emotions slowly settle. She had visited the pet shop many times and knew there was a small loft upstairs where San Lai lived, though she had never been up there.
She looked up and heard San Lai call down to her, "Hey, don’t worry. No matter what happens, you shouldn’t torment yourself. That’s my motto. Even if you need to solve a problem, you should fill your stomach first…"
San Lai rambled on like a fussy mother. Teenage girls could be a bit stubborn, and he wasn’t sure if Jiang Mu was taking any of it in.
When he came back downstairs with a bowl of noodles, he found the situation slightly better than he had expected. There were no more tear stains on Jiang Mu’s face, though she still looked utterly dejected.
He pulled a small glass table over to her and said, "Eat the noodles while they’re hot."
San Lai had prepared the noodles generously, adding plenty of beef marinated by his mother and a braised egg. The beef was tender, and the egg was richly flavored. Perhaps because she was ravenous, Jiang Mu felt it was the most delicious braised beef noodle soup she had ever tasted.
Seeing how starved she looked, San Lai placed his WeChat QR code in front of her. Jiang Mu was taken aback and asked softly, "Is this… a marketing tactic to get me to sign up for a membership?"
San Lai burst out laughing. "What kind of person do you take me for? Would I kick someone when they’re down? This is so you can add me on WeChat. Next time you want to come over, just message me."
Jiang Mu stared blankly at San Lai, chopsticks in hand. San Lai pulled his chair closer and said, "If you want to see Lightning, just send me a message in advance, and I’ll bring him over."Jiang Mu's suppressed tears welled up again, her nose tip flushed red as she said: "San Lai, not only do you make delicious noodles, but you're also such a good person - caring for small animals with such compassion. Why does Tie Gongji always say you can't find a wife?"
Seeing how moved she was, on the verge of tears, San Lai shifted the conversation: "Of course, if you really want to thank me, you could sign up for a Super Supreme VIP membership. Your little Shandian will get 30% off on our full grooming services from now on."
"..." Tie Gongji didn't lie to me after all.
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