The enamel washbasin clattered across the center of the alley for several rounds before finally falling silent. Amidst the urban clamor and the bustling pedestrians, both of them froze.
Tan Junzi tilted her head and gave Chang Ying a slightly guilty smile. "Chang Ying." Her voice trembled on his name, drifting into his ears and making his heart itch. He suppressed the urge to let his lips curl upward, instead pulling the corners of his mouth down into an impatient scowl. To Tan Junzi, this looked like pure, unadulterated rage.
She felt a twitching sensation under her ribs, as if a large hole were letting in a draft, and her calves began to shake.
Chang Ying. After more than four years, the boy had long since molted into a man. His shoulders were broad, his back wide, and his gaze was somber. Dressed in a crisp, tailored suit, the reckless swagger and arrogance of his youth had vanished, replaced by an unfathomable and unpredictable depth.
Tan Junzi felt her throat tighten and her nose sting. Her heart hammered with trepidation as she gripped the straps of her backpack. This wasn't how she had planned it; she wasn't ready.
However, her anxiety didn't last long. An older woman kicked the enamel basin with a loud *clack*. "Hey, whose basin is this, just sitting in the middle of the road? If nobody wants it, I’m taking it!"
"No, Auntie, don't! That's mine!" Tan Junzi scrambled over, snatched the basin from the woman's hands, and clutched it to her chest.
Chang Ying: "..."
The trunk popped open. Tan Junzi tossed her large backpack inside. Chang Ying suppressed the urge to help her with the bag and walked straight to the driver's seat.
Sitting in the passenger seat, Tan Junzi tucked her hands under her thighs, momentarily at a loss for words.
Chang Ying spoke flatly, "Taking you home?"
"Yes. Am I interrupting your work?" Tan Junzi nodded quickly.
Chang Ying merely glanced at her without a word. That look felt somewhat foreign, making her heart tremble. She quickly turned her head toward the window, but she could still feel his gaze lingering on her like thorns against her back. She turned back cautiously and asked, "What is it?"
Chang Ying withdrew his gaze and pointed a finger vaguely. "Seatbelt."
"Oh, right." Tan Junzi hurriedly pulled at the seatbelt, but it jammed halfway.
Chang Ying let out a small "tsk" and leaned over to help. He retracted the belt first, then pulled it out in one smooth motion, clicking it into place.
Tan Junzi didn't know if he did it on purpose, but he had leaned in so close that his masculine scent overwhelmed her. For a moment, her heart raced wildly, but the sensation vanished as quickly as he pulled away.
She still caught the scent of tobacco—very faint—mingled with a woodsy fragrance on him. Her thoughts were a mess.
Two people who had once been so intimate were now silent in the car. Over a decade of familiarity and four and a half years of separation left Tan Junzi feeling restless and awkward. She had seen Chang Ying in his high-spirited youth, seen his mischievous side, his tenderness like water, and his most intimate, vulnerable moments... yet she couldn't grasp the man he was now: mature, silent, and somewhat businesslike.
"Where do you live now?" Tan Junzi asked. After she spoke, Chang Ying glanced at her, his fingers tapping the steering wheel with a hint of impatience. He didn't answer. Tan Junzi immediately fell silent, unsure which part of her question had hit a nerve.
During the ten-minute drive, Tan Junzi felt as though she were suffocating in the cabin. When the car stopped in front of her apartment building, she took a deep breath of fresh air the moment the door opened and practically leaped out of the car.
As he opened the trunk for her luggage, Chang Ying rested his hand on the lid. Watching her bend over to hoist the heavy bag, his hand rose traitorously to help, but he forced himself to stop. Yet, the moment she looked up, he instinctively placed his hand over the sharp edge of the trunk lid to protect her head. Tan Junzi, however, did not bump into it as he had expected.
"I'll head up then?" Tan Junzi backed away slowly. "Are you going back to the office? Go on, get back to work. I'll come find you this weekend when you're not busy. I have something to tell you."
Chang Ying didn't say much, only giving a slight nod before getting back into the car.
Clutching her basin, Tan Junzi rushed into the stairwell like a gust of wind and thudded up the stairs. She was clearly spooked. *The weekend?* Chang Ying turned the word over in his mind and smiled. He turned the steering wheel, drove a circle around the neighborhood, and pulled over at the curb. He didn't even turn off the engine, instead checking his phone with a leisurely air, as if waiting for something.
Tan Junzi was out of breath by the time she reached her floor. What did this feel like? It was like a teacher telling you there was an exam in three days; you planned what to review each day, only for the teacher to pull out the papers on the second day and say, "Let's just take it today." It caught her completely off guard.
She was flustered.
She had returned with a sense of resolve, but not for *now*. She wanted to play the ostrich for a few days, to catch her breath and prepare what she needed to say before going to apologize to him.
Reaching the fourth floor, she stood dazed in front of her door. She had tried to insert the key, but it jammed halfway. When she pulled it out, it left behind a sticky string. Tan Junzi leaned in suspiciously to look at the keyhole, but it was too dark to see anything. She pulled out her phone and turned on the flashlight. Which brat was so ill-mannered that they stuffed chewing gum into her lock?!
Holding her phone, she hesitated. Calling Chang Ying just minutes after he left... no, forget it.
She went to knock on the neighbor's door. It took a long time before Old Man Liu opened up, leaning on his walker. He was shocked to see her. "Girl, you're back?"
"Yes, Grandpa Liu. My lock is broken. Can I use your balcony for a second? I'll jump across." Tan Junzi looked apologetic.
Old Man Liu watched as Tan Junzi leaped onto the opposite balcony like a gazelle, marveling at how much she had changed after joining the army.
Chang Ying waited outside the neighborhood for an hour. The sun began to dip toward the horizon, but he still hadn't received a call. He frowned slightly but wasn't in a hurry, resting his head on his hands as he continued listening to the traffic radio.
Once inside, Tan Junzi opened all the windows to air the place out. The furniture and floors were covered in dust; she planned to give the house a quick cleaning.
When she went to turn on the tap, the pipes groaned and rattled. A few drops of water trickled out before going silent. Tan Junzi tapped the faucet in disbelief, and it coughed out a few more drops of rusty water.
Was the water cut off?
Her head felt fuzzy. She ran back to knock on Old Man Liu's door to ask if the water was out.
The old man shook his head, saying his was fine. Then he slapped his forehead, suggesting that maybe her main valve was closed. Though, he added, it didn't make sense for anyone to just close a main valve for no reason.
Tan Junzi checked, and sure enough, the valve was loose, not looking like it had been untouched for years. Confused, she used all her strength to twist it open. After a while, water began to flow from the tap.
By the time she finished cleaning everything, it was nine in the evening. Drenched in sweat, she prepared to take a shower.
She stripped and entered the bathroom, letting the water run for ten minutes, but it never got warm. Shivering, she pulled her clothes back on and went to the kitchen to check the natural gas. The stove wouldn't ignite at all. At this point, Tan Junzi couldn't help but start cursing in her head. Why was everything going wrong today? It felt like the heavens were deliberately preventing her from coming home.
The lock was broken, the water seemed off at first, and now the gas wouldn't light.
Gritting her teeth, she rushed back in and took a cold shower. September nights in Tongcheng weren't warm; as the saying goes, "each autumn rain brings a new layer of cold," and it had rained lightly that morning.
She dried herself in the bathroom with the heat lamp on, but she couldn't stop shivering. She had put on some weight during her years in the army, weighing around 48 or 49 kilograms, similar to her first years in high school. Because she had showered in cold water, there was no steam on the mirror. She looked at her reflection; her skin was flushed red from the cold.
When she started drying her hair, she turned the hairdryer to the highest setting, bending over to sweep through the ends. The warm breeze made her feel slightly better. After the cold shower, her head had already begun to throb.
*Whirrr—hiss—*
The hairdryer had been running for less than half a minute when, just like the power outages of years past, it died with a low moan, and all the lights in the house went out simultaneously.
Tan Junzi stood frozen in the pitch black, holding the hairdryer. What was happening today? Was she haunted?
She had already spent hours on a long-distance bus. Now, she just wanted to lie in bed with her wet hair and sleep, but the house was truly too cold. As she hesitated, her phone rang.
It was Chang Ying.
"...Hello, Chang Ying?" Tan Junzi answered.
The sound of a radio broadcast came from the other end, but no one spoke. After some static, Chang Ying picked up. "Sorry, I pressed it by accident."
"Oh." Tan Junzi didn't know what to say for a moment, her voice trembling. "Then, if there's nothing else, I'll hang—"
Chang Ying hesitated on the other end, interrupting her. "What's wrong with your voice?"
"Sigh... the power just went out. I'm so unlucky today. The gas won't light, the lock was broken, and oh, someone even turned off my main water valve." Tan Junzi sat on the edge of her small bed; the pillow and quilt smelled of mildew. Surrounded by darkness, she bit her lip and said, "Can I... can I stay at your place for one night?..."
As she spoke, she heard heavy footsteps on the other end of the line.
"I promise not to bother you. If you're busy with work and it's inconvenient, forget it, I can go to a—" she added.
Before she could finish, a loud pounding echoed from her front door. "Tan Junzi, open up."
Tan Junzi opened the door and looked in shock at a breathless Chang Ying. His collar was loosened. He leaned against the doorframe and said, "Pack your things. I... I was driving by. Hurry up."
"Okay, okay." Tan Junzi nodded like a chick pecking grain. She couldn't quite read Chang Ying's temper right now and was afraid of making him wait. She immediately grabbed her phone and wallet. Passing her luggage, she hesitated for a second before hoisting it onto her shoulder and following him out.
As she locked the door, she looked up at Chang Ying. The motion-sensor light in the hallway was broken too. Chang Ying was backlit, his presence imposing in the darkness. She hesitated. "By the way, some kid stuffed gum in the lock. It won't lock properly. What should I do?"
Chang Ying pulled the door shut with a hint of impatience. "Don't worry. No one will steal anything."
Then he frowned at the large bag on her back. "You're carrying this too?"
Tan Junzi avoided his gaze and nodded. "Yes, there are important things inside."
Chang Ying took the heavy bag from her shoulder and carried it downstairs himself.
Perhaps because her bad luck had distracted her, Tan Junzi slowly regained her talkative nature.
"So rude, stuffing gum in a lock. Why don't the parents do something?" Tan Junzi said indignantly.
"..." Chang Ying was silent for a moment before asking, "Then how did you get in?"
"I jumped in from Grandpa Liu's balcony," Tan Junzi said proudly. "And the water valve—I was scared to death at first, thinking the water was cut off, only to find the valve was closed. Strange, I don't remember closing it when I left."
"..." Chang Ying didn't respond. Tan Junzi paused for a few seconds as well; she regretted saying "when I left." But she couldn't help herself and continued, "The gas acted up when I tried to shower. It wouldn't light no matter what. I really don't understand that stuff, but Grandpa Liu said the neighborhood switched to IC cards. You have to buy credits first, but I searched the whole house and couldn't find the card. I'll have to get a replacement tomorrow."
The car had already begun the ascent up the mountain. This area had been converted into a villa district a few years ago; it was quiet, but quite isolated.
"Then how did you shower?" Chang Ying couldn't help but ask. He saw that her hair was still dripping, and she had hunched her shoulders when the breeze hit her outside.
"With cold water," Tan Junzi whispered. Chang Ying's hand instinctively tightened on the steering wheel before relaxing.
"And then the power went out. I figure a circuit breaker tripped. The wiring is old and hasn't been used in a long time," Tan Junzi concluded.
Chang Ying didn't reply again, appearing somewhat preoccupied.
When the car stopped in the garage, Tan Junzi got out, unsure which way to go. There were several other cars in the garage, but she didn't know anything about cars, so she didn't recognize the brands or ask. She felt it had nothing to do with her anyway.
Actually, when the lock was broken, she had wanted to call Chang Ying, but she held back.
When the water didn't run, she wanted to call again.
Then the gas.
Finally, when the power suddenly cut out, she was so frustrated she felt like the heavens were conspiring against her, forcing her to humbly seek Chang Ying's help today.
Standing in Chang Ying's house, she felt at a loss, feeling utterly embarrassed.
Chang Ying placed her large luggage bag by the door and naturally took off his coat. He was about to leave it on the sofa but hesitated and kept it in his hand.
He looked back at the girl standing lonely by the door. The tip of her nose was red, likely from the cold shower. The cold tone he intended to use couldn't help but soften. "Are you cold? Go take a bath."
There were several rooms on the second floor, and the layout was winding. Tan Junzi didn't know the way, so she simply followed Chang Ying. He led her into a bathroom nearly as large as her entire bedroom. The lights were blindingly bright. He started the water for her and pointed to a stack of folded towels. "They're all clean. I'm going out now." He didn't look at her, but he knew she was standing far away from him.
Chang Ying heard the sound of splashing water from behind the door, and his thoughts drifted for a moment. However, he quickly left the room and entered his study. He pulled open a drawer, tossed the gas IC card he had been carrying in his inner suit pocket inside, and locked it. Then, he tucked the key into a flowerpot on his desk.
He leaned back in his leather chair and finally let out a sigh toward the window.
He hadn't gone back to the old apartment last night just to sleep. He had a key to the Tan house. This morning, he had gone in, closed the main water valve, hidden the gas IC card on his person, and chewed a piece of gum to stuff into the lock before leaving. With everything prepared, he had driven to Xinzhuang to wait for her.
His plan was for Tan Junzi to find the lock broken and immediately come to him. Closing the valve and hiding the card were backup measures; he hadn't intended for her to take a cold shower. Unfortunately, Junzi had grown more capable over the years. Was she really that unwilling to ask him for help?
The power outage really wasn't his doing. It truly was the old wiring failing under the power of the hairdryer.
While the virtuous have their ways, the devil has his means. Fortunately, heaven was on his side. Regardless of how it happened, he had finally lured her here.
However, hearing that she had taken a cold shower left him with complicated feelings. He was clearly destined to worry about her, fated to be completely under her thumb.
At that thought, he rubbed his brow and resolved that when Tan Junzi came out, no matter what she said or did, he could not soften his heart again. He had already broken his own rules by carrying her bag and calling her first.
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
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彤城 | Tongcheng | The city where the story takes place.
IC卡 | IC card | A smart card used for prepaid utilities like gas or electricity in China.
搪瓷脸盆 | Enamel washbasin | A traditional metal basin coated in enamel, common in older Chinese households.
刘大爷 | Old Man Liu / Grandpa Liu | Tan Junzi's elderly neighbor.
浴霸 | Bathroom heat lamp | A ceiling-mounted heater with bright lamps commonly used in Chinese bathrooms.
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A Gentleman is Open-minded, While a Petty Person Sighs | Chapter 39 | A Calculated Homecoming | Novela.app | Novela.app
