Zhou Tao treated the members of Group Two to a feast. The delivery drivers arrived one after another for half an hour before all the food was finally delivered. The Group Two staff were reveling in the meeting room; even with the door shut, their laughter and cheers could be heard outside, the air thick with their jubilant spirits.
Yu Mo glanced toward the meeting room. Through the glass, she saw Zhou Tao’s face, glowing with smiles, looking more radiant than a peach blossom in spring.
On the same path of life, some walked in the triumph of a spring breeze, while others were haunted by endless nightmares.
Yu Mo often had a recurring dream. In it, her hands were bound, and no matter how she struggled, she couldn't break free. With one final surge of strength, her hands would snap off at the wrists. She would watch, heart pounding in terror, as they drifted away.
She took a deep breath and continued scrolling through Taobao on her phone. Her mother’s birthday was a month away. She felt restless, her fingers moving mechanically while her mind remained a tangled mess.
Her mother’s birthday was an unavoidable occasion; she would have to appear alongside Xue Shen. There was only one month left. She wasn't ready.
She needed to forget as quickly as possible.
*So be it,* she thought.
She dialed Zhang Qingfeng’s number.
***
After work, she went to the neighborhood security office to pick up her packages. Lately, because she was renovating her place, the number of deliveries had become somewhat ridiculous. Nine packages of various sizes had arrived that day. She managed to clutch several small ones in her arms, but a large cardboard box left her with no choice but to kick it forward along the ground.
A young man passing by couldn't bear to watch. He leaned down, picked up the box, and said, "Let me help you for a bit. Which building are you in?"
They hadn't gone far when a tall man approached from the opposite direction. He was wearing a white T-shirt, black shorts, and plastic flip-flops. He walked straight up to the young man and said, "Give it to me. Thanks, brother."
He took the large box without leaving room for argument.
The young man looked at Yu Mo. Seeing she didn't object, he nodded and walked away.
Qi Lian tucked the large box under one arm and used his other hand to take the various small packages from Yu Mo’s arms, stacking them on top of the big box.
Yu Mo tried to stop him. "I’ll take those. I can carry them."
Qi Lian ignored her until she gripped the last package tightly, refusing to let go. Only then did he stop.
Even carrying a stack of boxes half his height, he moved with ease. His exposed arms were corded with lean muscle.
"I told you, if you want anything, just tell me. If there’s work to be done, let me do it. With that small frame of yours, you’re always trying to overreach."
A surge of irritation rose in Yu Mo’s heart. Lately, her internal struggles had left her utterly exhausted.
She turned to Qi Lian and said, "In the future, I'll let Zhang Qingfeng do it."
Qi Lian replied, "That works too. As long as someone is helping you."
Yu Mo added, "I’ve agreed to try dating Zhang Qingfeng."
The neighborhood streetlights suddenly flickered on, shifting the world from twilight to night in an instant.
Qi Lian said naturally, "That’s good."
Neither of them spoke as they walked a few more steps. Then, without warning, the packages in Qi Lian’s arms cascaded to the ground like a landslide.
As Yu Mo bent down to pick them up, Qi Lian said, "Sorry, I spaced out for a second and lost my grip. Anything fragile? If something broke, I’ll pay you back."
Yu Mo suddenly felt the streetlights were too piercing. Everything felt meaningless—like those moments in life where everything suddenly seems hollow and void.
She slammed one of the boxes she had retrieved into Qi Lian’s arms and asked, "Qi Lian, in your eyes, am I a particularly loathsome person? No, don't answer. If I were you, I wouldn't bother with someone like me at all. I'm sorry. And thank you."
She lowered her head and rushed forward.
Qi Lian was stunned for a moment before his long legs caught up to her in two strides. He looked down at the top of her bowed head and said, "You don't need to say sorry to me. I'm doing this because I want to. Zhang Qingfeng told me about what happened to you the other day."
He paused there.
Yu Mo turned to look at him and saw a fire burning in his eyes.
He stared into her eyes, his voice low and heavy. "You should have told me. Even if I’m nobody to you, just a friend... you’re all alone here in Lianhua. As a friend, I am reliable."
Yu Mo’s eyes stung. The emotions that had been building up since that day threatened to burst from her chest.
Qi Lian saw her eyes redden and her nostrils flare as she desperately tried to suppress her feelings. It felt as though his internal organs were being crushed by a pair of giant hands. In this moment, he felt that nothing else mattered. He would give her anything she wanted, as long as he had it.
"Yu Mo, you can't possibly understand how a man feels. I wanted to go and kill that bastard. But you don't care about that. I’m such a piece of work—I even pressured you like that the other day. You chose Zhang Qingfeng because he can do better for you than I can. I won't stop you. I deserve this."
Yu Mo’s tears finally spilled down her cheeks. For so many days, she had pretended the incident was over, telling herself to be strong. But the moment Qi Lian mentioned it, an overwhelming sense of grievance washed over her, and she finally let the tears flow.
Qi Lian wanted to wipe them away, but his hands were full. He coaxed her softly, "Don't cry. So many people care about you, what is there to cry about? I’m telling you, I didn't know such a big thing had happened to you that day. Once I found out, I wanted to chop myself into pieces. I should have noticed you were acting strange, but I let my temper cloud my head and only cared about my own madness. You’re right—a man like me isn't a good partner."
Through her blurred vision, Yu Mo’s lips trembled. The words slipped out before she could stop them. "You don't understand, Qi Lian. It’s not... I’m afraid. I’m just afraid."
Qi Lian called her name, his voice barely a whisper. "Come closer. My hands are full, so just wipe your tears on my shirt. Don't be afraid. You don't have to fear anything. Even if you only see me as an ordinary friend, as long as I’m around, I won't let anything happen to you."
He didn't know what she was afraid of, but he was desperate to protect her.
Yu Mo’s tears gushed out. She wiped them away haphazardly with her hands, shaking her head, unable to speak.
That night, Qi Lian received a text message. It was only ten words long, but it kept him tossing and turning all night. He only managed to close his eyes when a neighbor’s rooster began to crow.
*You deserve the best girl in the world.*
Every word felt like a blade, stabbing repeatedly into his heart.
There will always be that one person in this world who acts like a bug in our immune system. In their presence, our physical consciousness completely abandons its defenses. Even their every breath can trigger angina, causing a total collapse.
***
Saturday night remained as hot as a steamer. During the day, everyone had huddled indoors, leaving the neighborhood nearly deserted. Only as evening fell did it gradually become lively. People came out to run, jump, chat, enjoy the cool air, and stretch their legs.
Yu Mo put down her chopsticks and said to Zhang Qingfeng, who sat opposite her, "The noodles at this place aren't great. Just have a few bites to get by. You helped me work for half the day; I feel a bit bad treating you to just this."
Zhang Qingfeng’s face was covered in sweat, but he didn't seem to mind. He smiled and took a few sips of the broth. "It’s fine, I’m not a picky eater. Next time, I’ll order the takeout. I’m pretty familiar with everything else in the Lianhua area, but I have no clue about takeout. I live at home, and my parents view takeout as the root of all evil."
"Yes, older people are all like that."
Yu Mo stood up and moved the electric fan closer to Zhang Qingfeng, then began tidying up the scattered takeout containers on the table.
Zhang Qingfeng shoveled the last few mouthfuls of noodles into his mouth and stood up to help. He grabbed a plastic bag and started putting the containers inside.
He said to Yu Mo as she wiped the table, "You can't eat takeout every day. Why don't you come home with me to meet my parents? Then you can come over for meals whenever you want, okay?"
Yu Mo shook her head quickly. "No, that’s too forward."
"As you wish. I just wanted to tell you that they’d be very happy to meet you. We can go whenever you’re ready."
Yu Mo nodded but didn't say anything.
Zhang Qingfeng placed the bagged trash by the door, wiped his hands, and asked, "What’s next on the list? Let’s get to it."
Yu Mo said, "Why don't you take a break? Most of it is done. You’ve already helped me hang the wallpaper and the paintings. I can do the rest myself."
Zhang Qingfeng looked around, quite proud of his handiwork. He teased her playfully, "Is my craftsmanship okay? Is the lady of the house satisfied?"
"Your craftsmanship is worth one bowl of noodles, no more."
Zhang Qingfeng beamed, undeterred. "Didn't you say the sofa needed a makeover? Where are the supplies? Let’s finish it all together."
Yu Mo went to the balcony and brought in the freshly washed sofa covers.
Zhang Qingfeng asked, "Aren't these new? Why did you wash them?"
Yu Mo began arranging foam cushions on the sofa. "To wash out the formaldehyde."
Zhang Qingfeng shook out the sofa cover Yu Mo had brought in. He looked it over from every angle for a long time before asking, "This is way too complicated. Why does it look so small? Are you sure it’ll fit your sofa?"
Yu Mo turned and grabbed the other end, studying the complex structure with him. "I had it custom-made online. Unless they made a mistake, it should fit."
"Hold this end and go to that side of the sofa. I’ll stay here," he directed her, beginning to pull the cover over the frame.
"I don't really get it. Why cover up a perfectly good wooden sofa? My house has wooden sofas like this too. They’re great—you don't have to worry about them getting dirty."
"They’re convenient, sure, but they’re uncomfortable and too ugly. Hey, hey! Don't pull so hard!" Yu Mo cried out.
Zhang Qingfeng burst into laughter. He gave a deliberate tug, pulling off the end Yu Mo had just managed to tuck in. Yu Mo glared at him, her eyes shimmering like rippling water.
Zhang Qingfeng suddenly tossed the sofa cover aside. He took two steps toward her and grabbed Yu Mo’s slender, delicate arms. The heat in his gaze was impossible to hide.
Yu Mo froze. A moment like this was bound to come sooner or later. She didn't resist.
Zhang Qingfeng’s face drew closer. She smelled his scent, and the hair on her arms stood up instinctively. She saw a tiny reflection of herself in his glasses—so strange, so rigid.
A feeling of revulsion rose from her chest. She pushed him away.
She couldn't do it. The body does not lie.
***
After Zhang Qingfeng left, she lay alone on the sofa. From her position, she could see the moon outside the window.
Her mind currently felt like a Van Gogh painting—swirling colors intertwined, twisted and distorted.
In the past, she would have believed her body could only accept Xue Shen, that she was simply unaccustomed to anyone else.
But now, she knew that wasn't it. That "exception" existed with overwhelming intensity. Even when Zhang Qingfeng had drawn close, that other face had flashed through her mind.
She covered her face in frustration.
Suddenly, a commotion broke out downstairs. A child shouted excitedly, "They’re fighting!"
Yu Mo’s heart skipped a beat for no reason. She scrambled off the sofa and rushed to the kitchen window to look down. At the sight below, she gasped.
