The next day, Qi Lian headed to the construction materials market first to buy two new drill bits from Old Hu before detouring to Imperial Lake to finish up his work. He estimated that the remaining tasks at Imperial Lake would take him until mid-afternoon.
At noon, he ordered a boxed lunch. He was in the middle of eating a piece of braised ribbonfish when Fatty Liu called him. Liu wanted to refer a job to him—fixing a leak at Tiankun—but Qi Lian refused immediately.
Fatty Liu had a booming voice and spoke in heavily accented Mandarin. "Xiao Qi, help me out here. I didn't want to take this job either, but the property management at Tiankun came looking for me. Damn it, do you think we can afford to not give them face? Do it for me. I’ve already bragged about you; I told them if even you can't solve it, no one in all of Jinning can."
Qi Lian felt a prickle of irritation. He couldn't turn this one down. Their industry had its own set of social obligations and favors. It looked like the work at Imperial Lake wouldn't be finished today after all.
Fatty Liu was short, had a significant belly, and was balding. On one of his thick fingers, he wore an even thicker gold ring. He was an old veteran in the Jinning renovation circle; these days, he didn't do the manual labor himself, acting instead as a boss who secured contracts.
Tiankun was a newly developed luxury estate in Jinning. Fatty Liu was on excellent terms with the property management there and had taken on several renovation and maintenance jobs for them.
This time, the property management had approached him because an owner’s master bedroom was leaking, and they wanted him to take a look.
One look had been enough to make his head ache. In the bathroom, the bathtub was built into the wall, and the pipes ran from the vanity into the masonry. There was no way to see anything from the outside. There was only one solution: tear it out.
But the owner was unwilling. The bathroom marble was imported from Italy; it would be impossible to find another batch with the same pattern and color. Unless it was absolutely necessary, they refused to let him tear it down.
Since the property management had called him in, the word "tear" was stuck in his throat. If it were a simple matter of demolition, they wouldn't have needed him. He wanted to gain some prestige and make a name for himself here, so he had to see if there was an alternative path.
There was only one person he could think of: Qi Lian.
He had boasted to the owner and the property management staff, "If my friend here can't find a way, no one else in Jinning will."
The owner was a capable-looking woman in her forties. Watching Fatty Liu talk until spit flew, she joked, "Boss Liu, is there some official certification for this? Is your friend really the best in all of Jinning?"
Fatty Liu smoothed the few remaining hairs on his head and said with a chuckle, "Ma'am, don't tease me. Our circle isn't that big. Once you've been in it for eight or ten years, you basically know everyone. You don't need certification; everyone knows who truly has the best skills. You just have to see who everyone turns to when they hit a wall—that’s the best certification there is."
A young man in glasses from the property management chimed in, "Old Liu, if you put it that way, we'll just go straight to him next time."
Fatty Liu didn't mind at all, still smiling. "Xiao Wang, that’s where you’re wrong. Whether he takes a job depends on his mood. Even for those of us in the trade, his schedule is usually booked three or four months out. There’s no need to go to him for ordinary jobs; that would be using a sledgehammer to crack a nut."
Qi Lian had no idea Fatty Liu was praising him to the heavens.
He hurriedly finished the rest of his rice, packed his tools, and hailed a taxi. At a luxury estate like Tiankun, temporary parking fees were at least thirty yuan an hour; driving himself wasn't cost-effective.
The taxi ride took about twenty minutes. When he knocked and entered, he found five or six people waiting for him.
Aside from Fatty Liu, everyone in the room looked a bit surprised to see him.
After all, when someone’s skills are touted as the best of the best, people expect someone older. They hadn't expected someone so young. Moreover, he didn't look like other renovation workers—covered in dust and grime. He wore sneakers, cargo pants, and a long-sleeved T-shirt. He had a lean build and a sharp, piercing gaze that stood in stark contrast to the traditional image of a laborer.
He nodded to everyone upon entering but didn't say much. After being led to the bathroom, he tapped around the walls, frowned in thought for a moment, then straightened up and asked Fatty Liu, "Which one is the owner?"
The lady stepped forward. "Master, if you have any ideas, please tell me."
Qi Lian subtly sized her up, considering his words. "Ma'am, I have to be clear. With a leak like this, no one can guarantee one hundred percent where the problem is until it's opened up. I can't either. The safest way is to tear it out."
He paused. The owner, anxious, immediately replied, "I know that. Don't worry, Master. Just tell me what you're thinking. The worst-case scenario is just tearing it down anyway."
Qi Lian nodded. "Fine. Then let's try it my way. If it doesn't work, I'll charge a two-hundred-yuan call-out fee, and you can find someone else to tear it down. If it works, I'll restore your bathroom to its original state, and I'll charge two thousand."
Qi Lian saw Fatty Liu winking at him repeatedly. He glanced at the man but ignored him, continuing his own pitch.
The owner couldn't believe it and sought confirmation. "Master, when you say 'original state,' do you mean the marble will be intact, with no visible signs of repair?"
Fatty Liu stepped in to smooth things over. "It's impossible for there to be absolutely no trace at all. 'Intact' means as close to perfect as possible. It's better than tearing the whole thing out, anyway."
Qi Lian didn't dodge the question. He looked at the owner and said with certainty, "When I say original state, I mean original state."
His tone was steady and resolute, neither arrogant nor flighty. Those present believed him almost instantly.
Once the others had stepped out, Fatty Liu pulled him aside and scolded him in a low voice. "I say, Qi Lian, didn't you see me signaling you? Why did you agree so fast? If you make them think it's as easy as taking a leak, how are we supposed to raise the price? Didn't you hear this is imported Italian marble? A single slab costs more than five thousand, and you only asked for two thousand? How the hell are we supposed to do business like this? She would have agreed even if you asked for twenty thousand! And why talk so big? There was no need."
Qi Lian patted him. "Fatty, I have my principles. You know I don't like wasting words. Now, go find me a cutting machine. I don't say things I'm not sure of; if I say I can do it, I can. Out of that two thousand, I'll give you five hundred to buy some water. Let's leave it at that. I have things to do this afternoon and need to head back early."
Fatty Liu turned around and borrowed a cutting machine from the property management, lugging it back ten minutes later, huffing and puffing.
Qi Lian put on goggles and a mask, started the machine, and began cutting along the edges of two marble slabs.
Fatty Liu watched from the side, not daring to breathe, his fleshy hands involuntarily clenched together.
Cutting marble along the seams was not something an ordinary person could do; it was a task that truly required "boldness born of superb skill." If the pressure wasn't controlled perfectly, the edges of the marble would crack or chip. It required continuous, steady force without a single tremor.
Qi Lian had long, slender hands. He was unhurried, holding the cutting machine steadily as it traced the stone's surface inch by inch, as if he were caressing a lover's body.
It wasn't until half an hour later that the final corner of the stone was severed.
During this time, the owner had come by with a coffee. Seeing the young master kneeling on the floor, his focused expression made her believe that perhaps he really was the best. Some things didn't need to be said.
Qi Lian carefully removed the entire slab of marble in one piece.
Fatty Liu almost shouted in excitement. He slammed a hand the size of a palm leaf onto Qi Lian's shoulder. "Incredible! If you ask me, this skill is worth a hundred thousand! Those outsiders don't know shit. Holy crap, I really want to drag Old Hong and the others over here to see this, just to shut them up."
Qi Lian took off his goggles and mask, wiping the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve. Feeling good after completing a high-difficulty task, he offered a rare smile. "Fatty, that’s the first sensible thing you've said all day."
***
Yu Mo had run another fever that night and was still home on sick leave the next day.
In the middle of the morning, someone began pounding on the door of Unit 403. The knocks were "thump-thump," fast and heavy, announcing the visitor's ill intent.
Yu Mo felt a jolt of alarm. She threw on a coat and prepared to open the door.
Fortunately, another tenant, Big Sister Liu, was also home. Bristling with anger, Liu beat her to the door.
The door swung open with a clatter. Liu shouted irritably at the person outside, "What, are the Japanese invaders raiding the village? You're going to pay if you break the door!"
Standing at the door was a stout, middle-aged woman. She was so large she was almost as wide as the doorframe. Her tight, sheep-curl perm sat on her head, barely covering her massive face.
She knitted her brows and snapped back, "Pay for what? You lot pay for my box first! I'm asking you, who kicked a hole in my box? It was sitting perfectly fine by the door. Who did it offend?"
Big Sister Liu wasn't one to back down. "Don't 'you lot' me. Who are you talking about? Making accusations out of thin air—you looking for trouble?"
Yu Mo happened to walk out just then. When the woman with the perm saw her, her eyes lit up. "It's her. It's definitely her. Only she wears those high heels that could stab someone to death every day. One kick and she'd put a hole right through it."
She pointed a finger at Yu Mo and yelled, "You broke my box, pay up! Fifty yuan. My husband bought that specifically to store ducks."
The blood rushed to Yu Mo's face. She glanced at the "box" the woman was talking about—it was just one of the many foam delivery boxes piled from the door of 402 all the way to 403. Fifty yuan for one? This was a blatant shakedown.
She straightened her back, assuming a combative stance. "You say I kicked it, so I kicked it? Show me the evidence. And as for the box, you say it's fifty yuan? Show me the receipt."
The woman hadn't expected someone who usually looked so refined to have such a sharp tongue. She froze for a second before immediately resuming her attack, double chin wobbling as spit flew.
"If it wasn't you, who else could it be? You're the one who comes home late every single night. Oh, and if it wasn't because you couldn't see and kicked my box, why would the man who brought you home fix the light for us for no reason? I saw it! I saw that man bring you back, and I saw him on a ladder fixing the light. If you hadn't seduced him into doing it, would he have bothered?" She let out a disdainful "tch." Beyond the accusation of property damage, she was now throwing around slurs of seduction.
*Qi Lian fixed the light? When?*
Yu Mo was momentarily dazed by this information, but she immediately threw herself back into the fray. "Show me the evidence. If there's proof, I'll pay you immediately, no questions asked. But if you're just going to be unreasonable, my boyfriend isn't as easy to talk to as I am. Be careful he doesn't come to teach you a lesson." She paused for breath, then added, "Furthermore, what right do you have to put your boxes in front of our door? Did you rent the hallway too?"
Upon hearing this, Big Sister Liu immediately rejoined the battle.
Yu Mo turned and left the battlefield to them.
She told herself: *Great! Another skill added.* She could now argue with a middle-aged woman without bursting into tears from frustration.
It turned out that as long as you adopted the posture of a "villain" and set aside your dignity, even the truly malicious couldn't do anything to you.
***
In the afternoon, Yu Mo went out for a bit. As she reached the entrance of the residential complex, she received a WeChat message from Qi Lian.
*“You’re not home?”*
Before she could reply, another message followed immediately.
*“?”*
For some reason, when Yu Mo saw that question mark, she had a bad feeling—a strange, inexplicable intuition.
She quickly replied: *“I’m at the complex entrance, I’ll be home in a minute.”*
She ran into Qi Lian halfway. He was carrying the same thermos she had seen the night before, strolling leisurely from the direction of her building. When he saw her, his face remained expressionless. He sized her up from head to toe, watching her without saying a word.
Under the pressure of his gaze, Yu Mo felt an odd sense of guilt. She couldn't help but explain, "A client called this afternoon and asked to meet, so I went out for three hours."
Qi Lian lifted his eyelids and looked at her, asking tonelessly, "Are you that desperate for money?"
His tone stung Yu Mo. She started walking, brushing past him.
Her fragile self-esteem was already on the brink. She didn't need someone acting like a wise observer, staring into her soul and telling her the cruel truth! Especially not Qi Lian. After he had seen her weak and crying, wandering and helpless—after seeing all her embarrassments—this was like stripping away her last shred of dignity.
Qi Lian reached out a hand but then pulled it back.
She walked quickly ahead, and Qi Lian followed silently behind her, all the way into her room.
Yu Mo turned around, fire burning in her eyes. She looked like a hedgehog. "What are you following me for? I thank you for all your previous kindness, but please stay away from now on. We aren't that close anyway."
Because of her agitation, her eyes were red and her voice was raised. She looked exactly like a bristling cat.
She was usually elegant and calm, or perhaps soft and helpless. Qi Lian had never seen her "bristle" like this.
*Those little claws actually sting a bit!*
"I didn't mean anything by it."
Yu Mo sat on the only chair in the room while Qi Lian stood, creating a sense of confrontation.
She glared at him with her reddened eyes. "If I wasn't short on money, why would I live in this dump? If I wasn't short on money, would I be working this hard? Would I..."
Qi Lian thrust the thermos forward, cutting her off bluntly. "Eat first."
Yu Mo froze, her mouth full of words that were now stuck in her throat. She couldn't believe that at a time like this, all he cared about was eating.
"I'm not eating," she replied.
"Are you not eating the food I made, or are you just not eating?" he asked.
"I'm not eating the food you made! I get it now. If you eat someone's food, you have to be subservient. You get looked down upon for being poor and you can't even talk back."
Qi Lian's familiar irritation returned. That wasn't it at all. He knew something was wrong, but he didn't know how to fix it. He was full of anger, but he didn't know who he was angry at.
"Impressive. You really have a lot of backbone." He followed that harsh sentence with another: "Anyway, you've already been looked down upon today. You might as well eat the food, otherwise you're just losing out."
He shooed her up. "Go sit on the bed. Give me the chair."
Yu Mo didn't move. "I'm wearing my outside clothes, I can't sit on the bed!"
Qi Lian was stunned. *Crap, it’s never-ending with her. This isn't okay, that isn't okay.*
"You and your fussy habits," he muttered.
But he looked around and said, "Then go eat at the dressing table."
Once Yu Mo was settled, he remarked, "I see you're mostly recovered. You could go to a battlefield and be a hero, taking on a hundred enemies at once."
Yu Mo looked up and stared at him. "Qi Lian, do you just love mocking people?"
Qi Lian saw her about to put down her chopsticks and immediately shut up. "Just eat."
Yu Mo lowered her head and focused on her meal.
For a while, the only sounds in the room were her soft chewing and the clinking of dishes from the rental next door.
A coarse male voice cursed, "Damn it, I told you to put less chili. Are you dead or just deaf? You're just waiting for me to die, aren't you? Marrying a sow like you is the worst luck of my life."
The couple next door had started their battle again. They insulted each other three times a day like clockwork. It seemed they existed only to make each other miserable, their only goal to curse the other to death.
Yu Mo ate very daintily—small bites, unhurried. Today, Qi Lian had made braised pork ribs; they were tender enough to fall off the bone, coated in a fragrant, reddish-brown sauce.
When she ate the ribs, her cheeks puffed out, giving her an air of innocent charm.
Amidst the loud shouting from next door, Qi Lian spoke without warning. "How much money do you need? I can lend it to you first."
It was as if a bell had chimed in Yu Mo's head. She sat up straight, forgetting to chew the rib. "Qi Lian, are you very rich?"
The remaining logic in Qi Lian's mind told him he was acting like a total sucker, but he still heard himself say, "Just tell me how much."
Yu Mo raised her voice. "Are you serious? Are you stupid? Isn't your money earned bit by bit through hard work? If you get scammed once, you'll have nothing left."
A small smudge of sauce, about the size of a fingernail, clung to her pale, jade-like cheek, looking as if it might fall at any moment.
Qi Lian stared at it. His dark eyes were calm, but he kept them fixed on her. In that defiant, indifferent tone of his, he said, "I'm willing."
Yu Mo took it as a provocation. She nodded. "Fine, consider it me meddling! You deserve to be scammed! I don't want your money. Just wait patiently for a scammer to find you."
He said in a strange, mocking voice, "Master, is two hundred yuan enough?"
Yu Mo’s face instantly burned with embarrassment. She grabbed a Bobbi Brown powder brush from the dressing table and threw it at him. Qi Lian was quick; before the brush could even get close, he caught it firmly in his hand.
He let out a triumphant huff.
The embarrassing emotions were swept away like rain in the wind.
Suddenly, a shrill female voice rose next door. "Li Jinyuan, you god-forsaken bastard! Even eating a damn meal can't shut your mouth! If you're so capable, don't eat! If you're so capable, don't crawl into my bed! Nagging all day long—even the mangy dog at the door is more of a man than you!"
Qi Lian knit his brows and jerked his head toward the wall. "Is it always like this?"
"Every single day."
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
--- | --- | ---
天堃 | Tiankun | A high-end luxury residential complex.
御湖 | Imperial Lake | A residential complex where Qi Lian is working.
晋宁 | Jinning | The city where the story takes place.
刘胖子 | Fatty Liu | A renovation contractor and acquaintance of Qi Lian.
小王 | Xiao Wang | A staff member of the property management at Tiankun.
老胡 | Old Hu | A shopkeeper at the construction materials market.
李金元 | Li Jinyuan | The husband of the loud couple living next to Yu Mo.
冤大头 | Sucker / Easy mark | Literally "big-headed ghost," refers to someone who is easily cheated or spends money foolishly.
炸毛 | Bristling / Fur standing on end | Used to describe a cat (or person) who is angry, defensive, or agitated.
