The next day, Yu Mo didn’t wake up until eleven in the morning. She had been jolted awake by pain twice during the night, and she couldn't remember how many more times she had drifted in and out of sleep after accidentally rolling onto her arm. In short, she had slept terribly.
She examined her arm. The areas that had been red and swollen the previous night had turned a deep shade of purple, looking particularly startling against her snow-white skin. The burning sensation from the night before had faded, replaced by a dull ache that made it nearly impossible to lift her entire arm.
Sighing, she reached for her phone and saw a message from Qi Lian sent around nine o'clock: *Are you awake?*
She tossed the phone aside without replying and struggled out of bed to go to the bathroom. The pain in her arm was so sharp that even pulling up her pants was an ordeal. Gritting her teeth, she cursed both of them under her breath.
The events of the previous night were absurd, but what was even more ridiculous was the dream she’d had. She had spent the whole night clinging to Qi Lian, crying and acting spoiled; the sensation was so vivid that she could still recall the warmth of his skin.
She wondered if she had been possessed.
Just as she stepped out of the bathroom, she heard a knock at the door. She called out to ask who it was, and a deep voice replied, "It's me."
Without thinking much of it, she went over and opened the door.
Qi Lian walked in, carrying a thermal flask and a plastic bag. He scanned her complexion and asked, "How are you feeling? Did you sleep well? Is it any better today?"
Yu Mo didn't feel like talking much and offered a single word: "Hurts."
Qi Lian set the items down and took her arm, staring at the purple bruise for a long time without speaking. Finally, he traced it gently with his fingertips.
To Yu Mo, that touch felt like a small snake slithering straight into her heart, sending goosebumps racing across her skin. She pulled her arm away without a word.
Qi Lian opened the thermal flask on the table. "I stewed some bone soup. Drink up; they say eating bone mends bone."
Yu Mo didn't stand on ceremony. She sat down at the table, took the small bowl with her left hand, and began to sip it one mouthful at a time.
"How did you know I just woke up?"
"I’m a fortune teller," Qi Lian said nonchalantly.
When she was nearly finished, leaving only the yams and ribs in the bowl, he asked, "Why aren't you eating the rest?"
"I don't want to. Just leave it for now; I'll eat it later."
"I brought a bottle of Red Flower Oil. We need to rub the bruise out. Take it out of the bag; it's right next to you."
Yu Mo glanced at the bag, slowly turned her body, and reached for it with her left hand.
Qi Lian stepped forward and grasped her right arm. "You can't move your hand at all, can you? You can't even lift a spoon?"
Yu Mo remained silent, which was an admission in itself.
Qi Lian sighed. "Always trying to be brave. Let me rub it for you first. It’s going to hurt, so grit your teeth and bear it."
Qi Lian poured the Red Flower Oil into his palm and rubbed his hands together until they were hot. Then, he pressed his large palm over Yu Mo’s bruise. The moment he applied pressure, Yu Mo let out a cry and nearly jumped, trying desperately to pull her hand back.
Qi Lian’s hand was slick, making it hard to hold her. He gave a soft scold, "Don't run. Endure it, and it'll heal faster."
Yu Mo continued to dodge instinctively. Seeing that this wasn't working, Qi Lian had no choice but to sit opposite her, firmly pinning her legs between his own.
By the time twenty minutes had passed, he was drenched in sweat. Her cries had left him shaken and hesitant to apply more pressure, so he cut the intended half-hour massage short.
As he used soap to wash his hands in the bathroom, a phrase came to mind: *A doting mother spoils the child.* He couldn't help but chuckle.
After washing his hands, he wrung out a towel and walked over to Yu Mo. He cupped her small face and wiped away both her sweat and her tears.
Yu Mo struggled slightly and cried out, "You're dripping water on my clothes!"
She looked down, and her head suddenly buzzed as her face flushed crimson. She looked up at the man in front of her in disbelief; he was looking right back at her.
She stood up abruptly and bolted toward her room.
Qi Lian called out behind her, "You can't change your clothes with that hand unless I help you. You might as well leave it; it's too late to change now anyway."
Ignoring him, Yu Mo entered her room and slammed the door shut. She lay on the bed, seething with silent frustration.
She was wearing a low-cut nightgown and hadn't put on a bra all morning. Looking down, the two points of her chest were clearly outlined against the white cotton vest. And she had been fluttering about in front of Qi Lian like that. When he was massaging her arm, his face had been perhaps only ten centimeters away from her chest.
She felt incredibly embarrassed and incensed.
What was even more infuriating was that the man seemed to understand everything. He was right—she couldn't put on a bra with one hand, nor could she change her clothes. She was trapped in a state of desperate awkwardness.
She wrapped herself in the bedsheets, rolled over, and fell asleep.
When Qi Lian came to call her for lunch, she was sleeping soundly with her mouth slightly open. The bedsheet had long since been kicked aside, her hair was a messy tangle across her face, and the collar of her white vest had slipped to one side. The bashful pride she had tried to hide now stood prominently.
Qi Lian’s throat felt dry. He felt as if he were in a dream and didn't dare disturb it. He reached out and gently brushed the hair away from her face, then moved her right hand away from her side.
He pulled up a chair and sat by the bed, wishing only that this great dream would never end.
Yu Mo was woken up by hunger. Upon waking, she didn't know where she was for a moment. She turned her head and saw Qi Lian by the bed, staring at her intently without moving a muscle. Yu Mo felt this was a scene that only happened in dreams; she suspected she was still asleep.
It wasn't until she tried to roll over that Qi Lian spoke to stop her. "Watch your arm!"
Only then did she realize with startling clarity that she had been sleeping soundly in a state of disarray, while Qi Lian sat by the bed watching her at her worst.
She wanted to say something, but Qi Lian spoke first. "Get up and eat something."
With a slight delay, Yu Mo covered her chest with her arm. "Can you go out?"
Qi Lian ignored the question and said, "I'll bring the food in for you. Just eat in the room; the air conditioning is on, so it's not hot."
Less than a minute later, Qi Lian walked in carefully, carrying a plate in each hand and a bowl tucked between them. He beckoned her, "Come and eat!"
Yu Mo walked over and saw a bowl of chicken pieces, a plate of stir-fried cabbage, and a bowl of rice. The food was still hot, and a spoon was placed beside it. For some reason, she found the sight incredibly moving.
Qi Lian urged her, "Eat. Do you know how to use a spoon?"
Yu Mo picked up the white porcelain spoon with her left hand. Its touch was delicate and warm, bringing a sense of comfort to her heart. "Thank you!"
After Qi Lian left, the room became very quiet. Even the noisy cicadas outside seemed to have crawled off somewhere to slack off.
The rich aroma of the braised chicken made Yu Mo’s throat tighten and her eyes sting. Resisting the sourness in her throat, she stuffed the rice into her mouth, one bite at a time. The warmth of the human world was nothing more than a simple meal; some things existed whether you chose to see them or not.
Around six or seven in the evening, while the sky was still bright, Qi Lian returned with more food. With great effort and much struggle, Yu Mo had managed to pull a shirt over her clothes.
Qi Lian glanced at her as he entered, a hint of a smile touching his eyes, but he said nothing.
This time he had made eggplant with minced meat in a savory sauce. As Yu Mo ate, she looked up at him several times.
Qi Lian pulled out two tissues and placed them in front of her. Her left hand was clumsy after all, and she had gotten oil all over her mouth.
"Is something wrong?"
"I really can't get dressed properly, so I took two days off work. It's also inconvenient for me to go to the gate to pick up deliveries. Tomorrow, I'll order two meals; could you help me pick them up?" She picked up a tissue to wipe her mouth.
"What? Is my cooking not good?"
"No, don't you have work to do? I can't keep bothering you."
"Don't worry about anything else. Just wait for your meals when the time comes. Is there anything specific you want to eat?"
Yu Mo shook her head. "Everything you make is delicious."
A smile reached the corners of his eyes, and Qi Lian reached up to run a hand through his freshly washed hair.
Yu Mo had a small appetite and soon put down her spoon, saying she was full. Qi Lian looked at the leftover food in the thermal container without a word, pulled it toward himself, and began shoveling the rice into his mouth with the spoon.
Yu Mo let out a couple of surprised sounds. The man opposite her looked up and asked, "What's wrong? Still want to eat?"
Yu Mo shook her head. "Haven't you eaten? Why didn't you say so earlier?"
Qi Lian was using the spoon to scrape the last bit of rice from the container, creating a crisp metallic clinking sound. "I had a few bites. If you can't finish it, it'll just be thrown away. That's too wasteful."
After finishing the meal, Qi Lian tidied up and went to the bathroom to wash his hands.
The mirror cabinet above the sink was half-open. He tried to push it shut, but found it wouldn't close; the cabinet door was likely warped. He opened the door fully and his eyes landed on several items inside. He picked up a round blue bottle and stared at it for a long time. The words on it were so familiar, yet they felt impossible to string into a sentence: *Gillette Shaving Foam.*
Beside it sat a bottle of Nivea Men’s face wash.
He suddenly felt as if he couldn't breathe. The air in the bathroom grew thin, and something seemed to seize his heart.
Was it all for naught?
***
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
--- | --- | ---
红花油 | Red Flower Oil | A traditional Chinese medicated oil used for pain and bruises.
以形补形 | Eating bone mends bone | A traditional folk belief that eating a certain part of an animal will strengthen the corresponding part of the human body.
山药排骨 | Yam and ribs | A common Chinese soup pairing.
肉沫茄子 | Eggplant with minced meat | A popular savory Chinese dish.
妮维雅 | Nivea | A common skincare brand.
吉列 | Gillette | A common shaving brand.
