Jiang Mu suspected Jin Chao was engaging in illegal activities behind Jin Qiang's back. Had she been unaware, she might have let it slide, but since this matter could endanger lives, she couldn't stand idly by.
Fortunately, she found a breakthrough—the "director" mentioned by Pan Kai.
Since Jin Chao had specifically come to the high school to find this person, he must know something. Unfortunately, Jiang Mu had staked him out for several days without success.
This Zhang Fan arrived late, left early, and holed up in the boys' restroom after class—truly living up to his "director" title with dedication. Jiang Mu couldn't just barge into the boys' restroom to find him, so the stalemate dragged on for days.
Senior year students at the affiliated high school had to attend classes on Saturdays, but the upside was no evening self-study on Fridays. Jiang Mu packed her things early and headed straight to Class 1 after school. Luck was on her side—she spotted Zhang Fan swinging his arms as he walked out of the classroom.
She immediately called out, "Zhang Fan."
Zhang Fan looked around, bewildered. Jiang Mu, hidden behind a pillar, called again, "Over here."
Hearing her voice, Zhang Fan turned and recognized Jiang Mu as the girl who had gotten into You Jiu's car that day. His attitude softened. "It's you."
Jiang Mu stepped out from behind the pillar and asked, "Do you know Jin... I mean, do you know Jiu Ge?"
"What's up?"
"I saw you looking for him that day. Are you close with him?"
Zhang Fan's reply surprised her. "It was my first time meeting Jiu Ge too. I'd just heard my brother mention him often."
Jiang Mu followed up, "Your brother is...?"
"My brother and Jiu Ge were in the same class in high school. What's your relationship with him?"
Jiang Mu recalled Jin Chao saying he wasn't exactly a model student at school and had advised her not to admit knowing him. After a brief pause, she replied, "I'm his tenant. By the way, what was that package you gave him the other day?"
As she asked, Jiang Mu felt a twinge of nervousness, fearing she might be treading on forbidden secrets. Yet Zhang Fan answered straightforwardly, "Blueprints. My brother asked me to deliver them to Jiu Ge."
This response caught Jiang Mu completely off guard. "Blueprints? What kind of blueprints?"
Zhang Fan laughed. "I can't even understand function graphs, and you're asking me about blueprints?"
Jiang Mu lowered her gaze, thoughts churning. After a moment, she looked up and asked, "Are you busy right now?"
"Meeting someone at the internet cafe. Why?"
Jiang Mu blurted out her premeditated excuse: "I need to find Jiu Ge for something. Do you know where I can find him?"
"At the shop, probably. Call him."
"I just tried—he's busy and didn't pick up. Could you take me there? I don't know the way."
Zhang Fan didn't overthink it. "Sure, I'll take you."
Outside the school gate, Zhang Fan hailed a taxi. After a short ride, the car stopped by the street in Tongren Lane. As they got out, Zhang Fan pointed across the road. "Right there. Let's go."
Jiang Mu grabbed his sleeve and pulled him behind a nearby ash tree. Silently, she observed the shop across the street—a modest storefront with a red sign above the roll-up door that read "Feichi Auto Repair." A few private cars were haphazardly parked in the open area out front, and inside, a vehicle was hoisted up with two workers bustling around it.Someone shouted, and a figure suddenly emerged from beneath the car parked at the entrance, raised on a lift. Jiang Mu finally recognized the person as Jin Chao. Half of his body was visible as he spoke to someone, his blue jumpsuit soaked with sweat and so dirty that its original color was barely discernible. The ground around him was littered with black engine oil and scattered parts, and he was working on the ground in such scorching outdoor heat.
The dilapidated street, rusty iron gates, barking stray dogs, shirtless men smoking, and haphazardly parked electric scooters—this was the face of the entire street.
Jiang Mu stared dazedly at the scene before her. Even if Jin Chao had been bold enough to take reckless risks, she could never have imagined him now lying on the filthy ground, doing such backbreaking and exhausting work.
In her memory, her brother had always been meticulous about cleanliness since childhood. On hot days after playing soccer, the first thing he’d do upon returning home was take a shower and wash his dirty clothes. She had never seen him disheveled and had always regarded him as someone destined for greatness. Over the years that followed, she had almost forgotten his face, but she could still recall the clean, pleasant scent of sunshine that clung to him.
At eleven or twelve, he was confident and spirited. He once told her, "I’ll strive to become a scientist, preferably an astronomer, to unravel the mysteries of the universe."
Back then, Jiang Mu had believed every word her brother said. After they parted, she had imagined what he might be like as an adult—a lawyer, a doctor, a teacher, an office worker in a high-rise, or perhaps even pursuing scientific research. Whatever career he chose, she envisioned him as well-groomed and full of ambition. Never had she expected the scene before her to shatter that illusion so completely.
In truth, she should have realized it earlier. On the day she arrived in Tonggang, she had noticed stains on Jin Chao’s white T-shirt. When she pointed it out, he casually rolled up the fabric, hiding not just the dirt but also the reality of his current life.
She had asked him what he was doing now, but he never gave her a straight answer. He didn’t want her to know about his life—something Jiang Mu had never considered before coming here.
Zhang Fan, seeing her hiding behind a tree and peeking without approaching, couldn’t help but say, "What’s the deal? Didn’t you have something to discuss with Jiu Ge? He’s right over there."
Jiang Mu suddenly regretted coming. A heavy, indescribable feeling weighed on her chest, making her uncomfortable. She shook her head. "Never mind, let’s go."
Zhang Fan grinned mischievously at her cautious demeanor. "You came all this way just to catch a glimpse of Jiu Ge? You’re not secretly in love with him, are you?"
Jiang Mu was taken aback and retorted, "Don’t talk nonsense."
Clearly baffled by her behavior, Zhang Fan tugged playfully at her backpack. "What are you afraid of? Go say hello. I can’t stand people who like someone but drag their feet forever."
Jiang Mu gripped her backpack tightly and stepped back urgently. "Stop joking around. I’m really not going. I need to head back."
As the two tugged at each other, San Lai emerged from the pet shop next to the auto repair shop and spotted them. Glancing across the street, he called out, "Zhang Fan!"
Zhang Fan released Jiang Mu’s backpack and looked over, hearing San Lai yell, "What are you two pulling and shoving for?"At that moment, Jiang Mu also spotted the man—it was the tall, thin bearded guy she had encountered twice before. His shout drew the attention of the workers at the auto repair shop entrance. Jiang Mu quickly turned away, only to hear Zhang Fan beside her exclaim, "This girl has taken a liking to Jiu Ge, but she's too shy to go over and say hello."
Jiang Mu stared at Zhang Fan in shock, while the men across the street burst into laughter. Someone shouted, "You Jiu, a girl's looking for you!" Another patted the red Lavida raised on the lift. Hearing this, Jin Chao emerged from beneath the car, slowly straightening up.
Xiao Yang beside him leaned in and pointed across the street. The sky had darkened, and the streetlights flickered on simultaneously. Just as Jin Chao's gaze landed on her, the overhead lamp illuminated Jiang Mu's figure brightly. She tried to hide behind the ash tree, but the trunk was too slender to conceal her, creating a comical effect akin to burying one's head in the sand.
Jin Chao first narrowed his eyes, his expression darkening. But upon seeing her futile attempts to hide, he let out a soft sigh and beckoned her over.
Unable to pretend she hadn't noticed, Jiang Mu obediently stepped out from behind the ash tree. She heard Zhang Fan still chattering beside her: "See? Even Jiu Ge is asking you over. What are you afraid of? Be bold—it's easier for a woman to chase a man."
Jiang Mu turned to him expressionlessly and retorted, "Has anyone ever told you that you look like Takeshi Kaneshiro when you shut up?"
With that, she strode directly toward the auto repair shop. By then, all the men in front of the shop had their eyes fixed on Jiang Mu—two familiar car owners and two young workers, all grinning at her in a way that made her intensely uncomfortable.
As she drew closer, she recognized the two workers—they were the ones who had accompanied Jin Chao to the affiliated high school that day. They clearly remembered her too, greeting her with, "Hey, little sister."
Jiang Mu raised a stiff hand to wave back, then stole a glance at Jin Chao. He stood beside a large metal barrel about three steps away, removing his grease-stained gloves and placing them on the barrel. His gaze was shadowed as he watched her.
Jiang Mu had to admit Jin Chao's eyes held an intimidating pressure. Even though he hadn't asked why she was here, his naturally authoritative stare made her feel inexplicably guilty, as if she'd done something wrong.
She took a step toward him, keeping her eyes downcast, and murmured an explanation: "I just... came to ask if I could borrow a house key. I didn't tell them there's no evening self-study today... I was afraid they might go to the supermarket..."
Her explanation sounded feeble even to herself. As she approached, Jin Chao took a step back. Only then did Jiang Mu lift her gaze and notice that despite wearing gloves, his exposed arms were smeared with grime, and his clothes reeked of engine oil. The thick, airtight coveralls seemed stifling, and Jin Chao was drenched in sweat, deliberately maintaining distance from her.
His action twisted her heart. Her voice grew softer until it faded entirely. Jin Chao picked up a tire wrench and asked her flatly, "See what you came for? Disappointed?"
The question stung her eyes. She hung her head in silence. Jin Chao told her, "Go wait over there. We'll eat soon."After saying that, he went back to work. Jiang Mu felt she should leave and turned to go, but the tall, thin man came swaying over to her with a teacup in hand, smiling as he said, "Why leave? You Jiu already told you to stay for a meal before going. Come, I'll find you a stool."
He walked familiarly into the garage, brought out a small wooden stool, and placed it at the shop entrance. Seeing Jiang Mu still standing obediently at the door with her backpack on, he chuckled, "What's in the bag? Gold bars you can't bear to take off?"
Jiang Mu awkwardly took off her backpack, hugged it, and sat on the small stool. The bearded guy leaned beside her and introduced, "That's Xiao Yang, You Jiu's apprentice. The other one is called Tie Gongji, as stingy as they come."
Hearing this, Tie Gongji, who was working nearby, picked up a screw and threw it back at San Lai, cursing, "Like you? Mr. Spendthrift, who doesn't know how to live frugally."
San Lai dodged slightly, and the screw flew past his shorts. He laughed and scolded, "Watch it, don't hit the little beauty."
Then he bent down and said to her, "They all call me San Lai. Got it?"
Jiang Mu nodded, "San Lai."
He corrected, "It's San Lai Ge (Brother San Lai)."
"..."
Tie Gongji turned his head and shouted, "Know why he's called San Lai? He's always lazing around in other people's spots, occupying the toilet without doing his business."
Amid the back-and-forth banter between San Lai and Tie Gongji, Jiang Mu turned her gaze to Jin Chao on the other side. He worked with intense focus, changing tires on a car. The car owner was older than him but still spoke to him respectfully, half-squatting to ask, "You Jiu, should I replace all four tires?"
Jin Chao replied, "No need, save some money. Move the front ones to the back and just replace two for now."
The owner nodded repeatedly, "You decide."
Jiang Mu watched him quietly. His tall, sturdy frame filled out the dark blue jumpsuit perfectly. He carried a new tire out from the shop effortlessly, and when he squatted down, the outline of his latissimus dorsi muscles stretched the fabric. His arms, the only part exposed, radiated strength. Jiang Mu had noticed before, but she'd assumed Jin Chao was into fitness, not realizing his muscles were forged through hard labor.
As she zoned out, San Lai bent down and asked, "Alright, now tell us your name?"
"Jiang Mu," she replied absently.
San Lai paused with his teacup halfway to his lips, looked down at the quiet girl again, and asked, "The 'Mu' from 'Yearning'?"
Jiang Mu nodded. San Lai took a sip of tea, glanced at Jin Chao not far away, and fell into thoughtful silence.
Jin Chao worked efficiently, soon finishing all four tire changes. He offered the owner a cigarette, chatted briefly, and saw him off. When he turned around, he spotted Jiang Mu sitting in the corner. The stool was low, and she sat there hugging her backpack, curled into a small ball. The scene felt vaguely familiar.
He recalled a moment from long ago. That day, Jiang Yinghan had been delayed and couldn't pick up Jiang Mu from school on time. The teacher told her to wait in the security booth and not wander off. Later, Jin Chao heard from the old man in the booth that the little girl refused to sit or drink water, just stood there. Her backpack was heavy, and her small legs grew unsteady, wobbling. He didn't know how long she waited—through class bells and break bells—but her mother never came. Seeing the little girl fighting back tears while pretending to be strong, he agreed to let her go find her brother.Little Jiang Mu walked back to campus with her backpack. As a first-grader with no sense of direction, she searched floor by floor until she finally found Class 3, Grade 6.
When Jin Chao finished school, what he saw was a pitiful little girl hugging her backpack and crouching in the corner. The moment she spotted him, her eyes turned red.
Back then, he had a group of little buddies who helped cheer her up and play with her. Soon, she stopped crying and smiled, but she held his hand tightly all the way home, afraid of getting lost.
His thoughts returned to the present. It seemed everything had changed, yet some things remained the same. Jiang Mu had come to find him alone, hugging her backpack and curled up in the corner, with San Lai chatting with her.
Jin Chao walked over in a few strides. When Jiang Mu looked up at him, he said to her, "Come with me inside."
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