Jiang Mu walked briskly along the street, eventually breaking into a run. When her phone rang, she leaned against a lamppost, panting, and answered the call. Jin Qiang asked why she hadn’t returned yet. Digging her nails into her palm to steady her voice, she replied, “I’m grabbing a bite with classmates.”
After hanging up, she turned off her phone and tossed it into her backpack. Her insides felt as if they had been torn apart and mashed together, leaving her breath thin and strained. She had never experienced such a sensation before—like drowning in water, her body beyond control. Struggling to surface, she was swallowed by a sense of weightlessness, powerless to resist and unable to swim to shore.
She stumbled upon an arcade and plunged inside. Her eyes met a dizzying array of game machines, while noisy claw machines played incomprehensible tunes. By the basketball shooters, groups of young men and women laughed and cheered. Dragging her feet, Jiang Mu made her way to a corner and slumped before an arcade cabinet, bending over to clutch her chest. Only when someone tapped her shoulder and asked if she was unwell did she hurriedly grab her bag and abandon this fleeting lifeline.
Jiang Mu wandered aimlessly for a long time, her mind racing with thoughts. She recalled calling Jin Chao on previous nights, only for him to deliberately hang up. She even wondered if, on those nights, he had been embracing another woman—just like tonight—making it inconvenient to take her calls. She didn’t want to overthink, yet every possibility abruptly pieced itself together in her mind.
She repeatedly told herself that even if it was for business, frequenting such places was nothing to make a fuss about. After all, it was a matter of mutual consent. Only girls her age would cling to such fairy-tale ideals.
She understood the logic perfectly, yet her emotions remained uncontrollable. She knew her current state was unhealthy, but there seemed to be no way out.
She was merely a high school senior preparing for exams, while he had long stepped into the crucible of society.
She still had four years of studies ahead, while he would continue navigating complex social circles.
Their lives had diverged onto two parallel tracks since she was nine years old, with no intersection in sight. She couldn’t restrain her heart from leaning toward him, nor did she know how to forge a path where their tracks could meet.
Exhausting all her energy, she finally returned to her neighborhood nearly two hours later. The residential buildings stood silent at night, with no stray cats in sight. A flickering street lamp buzzed with faulty wiring. Jiang Mu hung her head and followed the intermittent light back to the old building.
Pushing open the stairwell door, she slumped her shoulders and stepped inside. The faint sound of shoe soles scraping the floor echoed in the hallway. Jiang Mu glanced toward the noise and found a figure standing unexpectedly before her. His shadow, cast by the dim outdoor lamp, stretched long and reached her feet.
Jiang Mu’s hand froze, her features stiffening. Standing just two steps away, she tightened her grip on the door, refusing to move forward.
She had no idea when Jin Chao had arrived or how long he had been waiting. At that moment, he frowned slightly, his gaze fixed on her. Jiang Mu felt a surge of turbulent emotion brewing inside her, ready to burst forth. Releasing the door, she brushed past him and headed deeper inside. The door swung shut behind her, plunging the stairwell into complete darkness.As she passed by Jin Chao, her arm was grabbed by him. Jiang Mu kept her gaze lowered, her short hair covering her face, so he couldn't see her expression. He only felt her desperately trying to pull her arm back. He simply moved a step to block her path, leaned down, and asked, "Where have you been?"
Jiang Mu replied in a hoarse voice, "Just went for a walk."
"Does going for a walk require turning off your phone?"
Jiang Mu's throat tightened as she swallowed the surging emotions rising within her. She said to him, "Move aside. I need to go back."
Jin Chao didn't budge. His tall frame stood in front of her, leaving her with no way to pass. When Jiang Mu tried to squeeze past him, Jin Chao simply placed one hand on the railing and the other against the wall, leaning down. His loosely buttoned shirt collar was slightly open, exuding the charm of a mature man. His voice softened, almost coaxing, "Didn't I end up not going?"
His words, however, seemed to break the dam holding back Jiang Mu's emotions. She remained silent, but her shoulders trembled slightly. Jin Chao pulled her closer and brushed aside the short hair covering her face. Under the faint light, her clear eyes were brimming with tears, making her appear fragile and helpless.
Jin Chao was momentarily taken aback and asked, "Why are you crying?"
Jiang Mu didn't know why she was crying. She couldn't explain it, only feeling a sharp, throbbing pain in her chest. She kept stepping back, trying to put distance between herself and Jin Chao.
Her actions finally made Jin Chao frown. "What have I done to upset you?"
Jiang Mu cried even harder, tears of grievance sliding down her cheeks like leaves trembling in a storm. She looked at him and said, "Everything about you upsets me."
Jin Chao lowered his gaze and moved closer to her, his tone yielding and indulgent. "What would make you feel better?"
Jiang Mu didn't want him near her. She raised her hands and pounded his chest with considerable force, producing dull thuds. Jin Chao didn't move, merely watching her with lowered eyes.
With a tearful voice, Jiang Mu pushed against him. "I'll never feel better again, never again..."
Her small fists struck his chest again and again, pushing against him. Jin Chao didn't evade or move aside, allowing her to vent. The emotions that had troubled Jiang Mu for so long finally found an outlet. With each strike, she cried more intensely, her fists growing lighter and lighter until she was nearly drowning in tears.
Finally, Jin Chao couldn't bear it any longer. He grabbed both of her wrists, leaned down, and enveloped her as he whispered softly, "Mu Mu..."
With a click, the building's door opened again, letting in a sliver of fading light. Zhao Meijuan stood at the entrance, stunned, staring at the two of them in shock. "What are you doing?"
Jiang Mu quickly tugged at her wrists, and Jin Chao released her. Without looking back, she rushed upstairs.
Zhao Meijuan worked at a supermarket that took inventory at the end of each month, requiring two extra night shifts. She was happy to earn the overtime pay but hadn't expected to witness such a scene today.
Jiang Mu rushed home and locked herself in the bathroom, washing her face over and over again. She heard the door open outside and didn't know how to face Zhao Meijuan or what she might be thinking. She stayed in the bathroom for a while longer and only came out when she heard no more noise outside.
Jin Qiang and Jin Xin were already asleep. When Jiang Mu stepped out of the bathroom, Zhao Meijuan didn't even glance at her, instead busying herself with collecting Jin Xin's clothes from the evening and putting them into the washing machine, as if nothing had happened.Jiang Mu walked anxiously to the bedroom door, her hand touching the doorknob. But she bit her lip, turned back, and approached Zhao Meijuan to say, "Um, Aunt Zhao, about what happened earlier... could you not tell my dad?"
Zhao Meijuan finally straightened up and glanced at her face, now dried of tear stains, sighing, "Logically, it's not my place to say this. I've watched Xiao Chao grow up—he's endured many hardships and it hasn't been easy for him. He's a reliable person, but your mother would definitely not agree. You need to think it through clearly."
Seeing Jiang Mu lower her gaze and fall silent, Zhao Meijuan glanced at the main bedroom door and lowered her voice, "To be honest, I also hope Xiao Chao has a good life. But if I were your parents, I might not agree either. In the future, you'll still be a respectable college student, while he..."
He has a criminal record. Zhao Meijuan ultimately didn't voice the words, only telling Jiang Mu to act as if she had seen nothing tonight and not let it affect her college entrance exams.
After May began, Jiang Mu had already rarely visited the auto shop. With only a month left after Labor Day until the exams, time was growing increasingly tight, forcing her to focus all her energy on preparing for the tests.
However, one evening in mid-May, Wan Qing brought a few people and waited outside the affiliated high school. Spotting Jiang Mu leaving, Wan Qing flashed her car headlights twice. Jiang Mu paused briefly but had no intention of approaching. Wan Qing stepped out of her sports car directly, walking up to Jiang Mu and saying, "Need to talk to you for a minute."
Noticing Jiang Mu's defensive stance, Wan Qing smiled, "Don't look at me like that. I, Wan Qing, wouldn't stoop to anything shady against you. If I really intended to, I wouldn't come here myself to let you know. I want to discuss You Jiu."
Hearing Jin Chao's name, Jiang Mu frowned. Wan Qing glanced around and pointed to a nearby pathway, "Let's go over there."
It was a small garden adjoining the residential area, where the square-dancing aunties had already dispersed, leaving many wooden benches vacant. Wan Qing headed straight there, and the men who had come with her started to follow until she snapped, "What are you guys doing? Don't scare the young lady."
She then turned back to look at Jiang Mu, "Come on."
Jiang Mu tightened her backpack straps and followed. Meanwhile, Zhang Fan was called to the school gate, wandered around but didn't find whoever had summoned him, instead running into Wan Qing's people and casually making a call to Jin Chao.
The cool early summer breeze gently lifted Jiang Mu's short hair. She set her backpack down beside her. Wan Qing didn't sit next to her but stood opposite, lighting a slender women's cigarette.
Jiang Mu had to admit that Wan Qing's smoking posture was strikingly confident. If not for Boss Wan's influence, she might not have disliked Wan Qing much.
Wan Qing took a few puffs, silently observing Jiang Mu, then suddenly laughed, "Honestly, before meeting you, I never knew You Jiu would go for this type."
Jiang Mu averted her gaze and replied, "I think I've told you already—I'm his sister."
Wan Qing flicked ash from her cigarette with her index finger, her expression neutral, "Sister or not, you're still someone who can get through to him."After saying this, she took a sharp drag of her cigarette, and as she exhaled the smoke, her voice drifted out with it: "Not long after You Jiu started working at my dad's place, I heard people mention him. They said a handsome young guy had come to the auto shop, efficient and capable. The first time I actually met him was one night when I was driving back from a bar and noticed the shop lights still on so late. I parked and went to check. When I walked in, he was shirtless, bent over under the hood, busy working. I stood at the entrance and finished a whole cigarette, and he never once glanced at me. I’d never seen a worker so focused.
Later, the sound of my high heels caught his attention. He looked up at me and said, 'Little girl, do you believe in love at first sight?'
A frivolous smile spread across Wan Qing’s lips: 'Maybe it was because after he looked up, I realized he not only had a great body but was also really handsome. That’s when I took an interest in him. Sometimes, if I was out late, I’d make a special trip to the auto shop to smoke a cigarette with him. Other times, I’d just sit nearby, playing games, keeping him company while he worked.
There were plenty of mechanics around his age at my dad’s shop, coming and going like horses in a race—few of them were steady. Even when they worked, they’d slack off if they could, only doing as much as they were paid for. He was the only one I ever saw who always had a book in his hand. During his apprenticeship, while others kept cigarettes and alcohol in their lockers, his was filled with books. I even saw him fill two thick notebooks with notes, and his handwriting was beautiful.
In the years You Jiu was at Wan’s Auto, there were internal disputes, clashes with competitors over clients, and chaos when the new branch expanded without a leader. He stepped up and took charge of many situations.
His abilities were never meant to be confined to that dingy repair shop. My dad said You Jiu was different from the others. If he worked steadily, even if it took time, he’d eventually make something of himself. He shouldn’t have gotten involved with those things.'"
Jiang Mu’s expression froze as she asked, "What things?"
Wan Qing lowered her head and crushed out her cigarette. "Don’t you know he’s been making a killing lately reselling parts?"
Jiang Mu frowned. "I know."
"You know? What did he tell you?"
After a moment of silence, Jiang Mu looked at Wan Qing. "He said he got a distributorship."
Wan Qing let out a scornful laugh. "Do you think just anyone can get a first-tier distributorship? Those parts are smuggled. The batch You Jiu took might already be under surveillance. They’re probably passing it to him to offload because there’s a problem. If something goes wrong, he’ll take the fall alone. Do you know how many years he could get?"
Instantly, Jiang Mu’s face went pale. She shot up from her chair. The wind no longer felt like the cool breeze of early summer but carried a biting chill that lashed at her.
She asked numbly, "Who’s 'they'?"
Wan Qing replied gravely, "Don’t ask. Even I don’t know. Just find a way to convince You Jiu to stop. He can’t touch that batch anymore."
Before they could speak further, Jin Chao appeared on the path. Surprised to see him there, Wan Qing watched his approaching figure with sarcasm. "Quite the network at the high school, huh? Found us already?"
Jin Chao walked straight to Jiang Mu, pulling her behind him, and glared coldly at Wan Qing. "Why did you come to see her?"Wan Qing saw how he was shielding the girl behind him, her eyes shifting back and forth before she let out a mocking laugh: "Just wanted to have some fun with her, what's wrong with that?"
Jin Chao's face darkened as he warned her: "I'm giving you some face here. If there's a next time, I won't be so polite."
A faint tremor passed through the light in Wan Qing's eyes, followed by a trace of bitterness that spilled from her lips—subtle and fleeting.
Jin Chao's phone rang; it was San Lai calling. After just a few words, Jin Chao's expression changed drastically. Hanging up, a terrifying, icy glare suddenly surged in his eyes as he fixed them firmly on Wan Qing. Then, grabbing Jiang Mu's backpack, he turned and strode back the way he came.
Wan Qing had no idea what had happened. She glanced at Jiang Mu, then followed along with them.
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