She stumbled as she rushed downstairs, shoving aside an elderly man who stood in her way. She screamed at the two men grappling with each other, "Both of you, stop it right now!"
Hearing Yu Mo’s panicked voice, Qi Lian instinctively turned his head.
Feng, blinded by rage, seized the opening and swung a fist.
Yu Mo rushed forward to pull them apart. In the chaos, Feng’s punch landed squarely and heavily on her arm.
A sharp cry of pain escaped her lips as her arm instantly went numb.
That cry made Qi Lian lose all reason. Until that moment, he had been holding back, not truly fighting. In a real brawl, two versions of Feng wouldn't be his match—but Feng was his brother.
Seeing the fist land on Yu Mo, the world turned blood-red before his eyes. He grabbed Feng by the collar and wound up his own fist.
"Motherfucker, Feng!"
The onlookers gasped in shock.
Yu Mo stood to the side, trembling all over. It was hard to tell if it was from pain or fury. She screamed at them, "Keep going! Don't stop until one of you is dead!"
Cradling her injured arm, she turned and headed back upstairs.
Behind her, the crowd erupted into excited whispers.
Her arm hurt terribly; a searing heat radiated deep from the bone, and tears began to fall uncontrollably. She heard the sound of someone sprinting up the stairs, then heard a voice calling her name—"Yu Mo"—filled with desperate anxiety. Her anger flared, and she quickened her pace toward her apartment.
Qi Lian surged up from behind, reaching out to catch her, but he was still two steps below and couldn't grab hold. He barked out in worry, "Slow down! Just slow down!"
Yu Mo burst through her door and spun around to slam it shut, but she was a second too late. Qi Lian threw his weight against the door and squeezed through the gap.
His strength was far superior to hers; she was no match for him. She stumbled back several steps before finding her footing.
Qi Lian slammed the door shut behind him, grabbed her, and hoisted her up by the waist.
Both were breathless. Yu Mo continued to struggle violently, letting out whimpers like a trapped animal.
Qi Lian tried to soothe her, his voice frantic. "Don't panic, don't panic! I just want to see the injury."
He used his large hand to wipe the tears from her face, his voice low and husky as he pleaded for mercy. "Don't be angry. It’s all my fault. Put it all on me. I’ll let you pay me back twofold, alright?"
He set Yu Mo down on the sofa, scanned the room, and picked up a wooden stool. "Here, use this. Hit my arm with it. Use as much strength as you want."
His eyes were bloodshot, his mouth bruised, and his gaze burned with a frantic intensity.
Yu Mo was frightened. She shrank back, her voice thick with tears. "Qi Lian, you bastard. Get out!"
Qi Lian dropped the stool and knelt before her. "I know I’m a son of a bitch. Keep a tally of this debt and settle it with me later. Just let me see the injury first."
Yu Mo pulled away from his hand, twisting her body to keep him from touching her.
Losing his patience, Qi Lian ignored her protests, pulled her into his arms, and held her firmly. He lifted her arm to inspect it closely.
Yu Mo let out a sharp cry of pain.
The hand Qi Lian used to hold her arm trembled involuntarily.
"Don't move," he coaxed. "Be good." His powerful hands gripped her fair, slender arm, carefully palpating the limb while avoiding the red, swollen area.
He lowered his head and spoke softly to the woman in his arms. "The bone seems okay. If it hurts badly tomorrow, we’ll go to the hospital for an X-ray to check for a hairline fracture. Now, let me ice it for you, okay?"
Yu Mo sat in his lap, her body pinned firmly by one of his arms, unable to move.
His body heat and heartbeat gradually smoothed over her panic, leaving only pain and a sense of grievance.
She said, "I don't need your help. I can do it myself. Just leave. Who knows if next time someone will end up with a broken leg or..."
Before she could finish, Qi Lian’s large palm clamped over her mouth.
"Don't torture me on purpose," he said, his voice tight with pained regret. "It’s hard enough knowing I let this happen right under my nose. I should have rushed over and taken you away the very first second today. I won't let this happen again. I promise!"
Yu Mo’s large eyes were damp, the corners of her lids still stained red. Framed by Qi Lian’s large, rough, and well-defined hand, she looked particularly fragile and heart-stirring.
Qi Lian moved his hand to cover her eyes and whispered, "Don't look at me like that."
Outside the window, summer insects chirped. In the corner of the room, a vintage lamp cast an orange glow, and a jewel-toned floor fan shook its head tirelessly with a faint hum.
The shared warmth of their leaning bodies was a lure toward surrender, a drowning sensation that felt like a point of no return.
Qi Lian placed Yu Mo back on the sofa. Fearing he might break the dreamlike silence, he said softly, "Wait here. I'll get some ice."
His tall frame entered the small kitchen. He turned back and asked, "Is there ice in the freezer?"
Yu Mo shook her head pitifully.
In her empty freezer, Qi Lian found only a tub of ice cream. He pulled it out, went to the bathroom to find a towel, and wrapped it up.
This time, he sat beside Yu Mo, pulled her arm toward him, and gently pressed the towel-wrapped ice cream against it.
Yu Mo flinched, instinctively shrinking back.
Qi Lian gripped her arm firmly with one hand, coaxing her. "Don't hide. I know it hurts. Just bear with it. If you don't endure it now, it'll take longer to heal."
Yet, his movements were incredibly meticulous, light as a feather.
The pain caused tears to spring forth again. Yu Mo couldn't hold them back, feeling deeply embarrassed; she didn't want to cry incessantly like a child.
Qi Lian looked up and saw her tear-streaked face. He said softly, "Wipe your tears. Do you want to do it, or should I?"
Yu Mo felt she couldn't maintain her dignity any longer, so she stopped trying. "It hurts so much!" she sobbed. "I've never been in this much pain. I hate you guys so much."
Qi Lian’s hand paused. "Feng was the one who hit you. Remember that."
Yu Mo’s anger flared. She didn't stop to wonder why she was angrier at him specifically. She raised her voice. "What did you say? Are you not responsible? I hate you. I hate you the most."
"I never said you couldn't hate me. You can do whatever you want."
"Feng was leaving my house perfectly fine. Why did you have to fight him?"
"Why must it be that I fought him?"
"Feng isn't the type of person to solve problems with violence!"
"He’s the one who swung first. He’s no match for me; I wouldn't initiate a fight with him."
"..."
In truth, from the moment Feng appeared downstairs at noon that day, Qi Lian had seen him.
He had been hanging laundry on the balcony then. The midday sun was so bright it made his eyes blur. He saw Feng holding a bouquet of flowers, walking leisurely into the opposite building.
Qi Lian’s exposed skin suddenly felt like it was burning.
He stared at the window across the way, but the sun reflecting off the glass made it impossible to see anything.
After hanging the clothes, he tried to take a nap, but he felt as if something were biting him in bed—first his arm, then his thigh. He slapped at himself repeatedly, but aside from turning his own skin red, there was nothing there.
He leaped up and kicked the bed frame, cursing, "Fuck."
He played a few rounds of online games with Song Wei, but because he was distracted and playing terribly, they were slaughtered. Song Wei kicked him out of the party.
He sat on the wooden chair on the balcony, propping his legs up on the railing.
The sun hung high, white and blinding. The cicadas screamed frantically, and the summer heat was stifling.
The scene made him close his eyes, feeling as if he had returned to his childhood.
During this season, they—the boys—would soak in the Lianhua River every day, looking like a bunch of dark, slippery loaches.
Feng had never been a standout child. He always followed behind Qi Lian, and he was timid.
When they formed teams to swim, even though Feng wasn't fast, Qi Lian was willing to take him along, just as he looked after Qi Shuai.
The "kings" of the neighborhood only wanted to play with Qi Lian and looked down on his followers. Now, those neighborhood kings were long gone, their contacts lost. One of them had apparently gone to prison a few years back; Qi Lian didn't know if he was out yet.
The only ones left were the few of them.
And one of them was currently embracing his girl.
He felt as if ten thousand arrows were piercing his heart.
At 9:00 PM, Feng still hadn't come out. Qi Lian sat motionless, his legs covered in mosquito bites.
The lights went on across the way. He could see blurred silhouettes, seeing two figures overlapping.
He felt that the words he had said a few days ago were likely not going to hold.
He was Qi Lian, the former top dog of Second Middle School. There were things he could choose not to want, but no one was allowed to snatch anything from his hands. Something he held in his palm like a precious gem was absolutely not something he would give away to someone else.
The light in the opposite stairwell finally flickered on. He stood up, tossed aside a crushed cigarette, and walked out of his home.
He and Feng stepped out of their respective buildings almost simultaneously, running straight into each other.
"Feng," he called out.
Feng’s face didn't bear its usual cheerful grin. His brow was furrowed, and he nodded at Qi Lian with a gloomy expression.
"Feng, do you know why I let her stay in my apartment?" He gestured with his thumb toward the building where Yu Mo lived.
Feng looked at him with a dark expression, a realization dawning on him.
"Because she’s my woman. Are you going to fight me for the woman I’ve set my sights on?"
In an instant, Feng’s composure shattered. Between Yu Mo’s rejection and the provocation from his best friend who had always been a head taller than him, his eyes turned murderous. He swung the first punch without hesitation.
Qi Lian dodged and caught the fist in his hand. "Calm down," he said. "You’re no match for me. I don't want to lay a hand on you."
Those words were undoubtedly fuel to the fire. Feng closed in and threw a kick.
Qi Lian released his hand, spun, and kicked him back a significant distance.
"You’re my brother. I don't want it to be like this. I can yield anything else to you, but in this matter, consider me dishonorable. You know you can't win against me."
Feng charged again.
And that was when Yu Mo cried out.
Qi Lian felt he could never remain indifferent to Yu Mo’s voice. He got distracted, and the situation devolved into the outcome he least wanted to see.
"Why were you fighting?" Yu Mo asked him.
"Don't worry about it!" Qi Lian kept his head down, his short hair exceptionally dark.
"Does it have anything to do with me?"
"I said don't worry about it. It’s between men."
"What did you say a few days ago?"
"I forgot!"
Yu Mo pulled her arm back and glared at him.
Qi Lian let her pull away without stopping her. He hefted the tub of ice cream in his hand, feeling that it had mostly melted.
"Is it better? Does it still hurt badly?" he asked.
Yu Mo’s anger flared again. She stood up to drive him away.
"I don't need your concern. I'm not going to die."
Qi Lian stood up, put the ice cream tub back in the freezer, and said to her solemnly, "Go to sleep early. If it really hurts too much, call me; I’ll buy some Ibuprofen and bring it over. If you can't sleep, call me then too. I’ll stay with you."
He walked to the door and turned back to see Yu Mo sitting alone on the sofa, a small, curled-up figure cradling her injured arm. He felt his heart turn into dough—soft, shapeless, making it hard for him to move, making him not want to leave.
He spoke, his voice lowering unconsciously. "Go to sleep. I’ll come back tomorrow. Call me if it hurts."
He picked up a bag of trash by the door and gently closed the door behind him.
He stood in the hallway for a moment, unsure of what he was doing, feeling as if he had lost something.
After standing there for a while, he finally dragged his feet downstairs.
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 二中 | Second Middle School | A common designation for schools in China. |
| 扛把子 | Top dog / Kingpin | Slang for the leader of a gang or the toughest person in a specific area/school. |
| 布洛芬 | Ibuprofen | A common over-the-counter pain reliever. |
| 莲藕一样的胳膊 | Fair, slender arm | Literally "arms like lotus roots," a poetic description for smooth, pale, and well-shaped limbs. |
