He Mei was over seven months pregnant, but because she was naturally thin and had a retroverted uterus, her belly only protruded slightly. To an unobservant eye, she didn't even look pregnant.
During her last prenatal checkup, she had been waiting with a crowd of other expectant mothers when a nurse looked at her and tried to shoo her away impatiently. "Family members can't wait in line; tell the pregnant woman to come herself."
When she replied that she *was* the pregnant woman, the young nurse stared at her stomach with deep suspicion for a long time.
Since her bump wasn't prominent, she didn't feel particularly burdened. She continued her daily routine just as she had before the pregnancy—dropping Qiqi off at school in the morning and then heading to Teacher Zhang’s house.
The only real change was her mother-in-law, who watched the couple like a hawk guarding against a thief.
Perhaps the "commotion" from their early marriage had been too loud—and those sounds certainly hadn't been joyful—leaving the old woman traumatized. She seemed firmly convinced that her son would inadvertently harm his frail wife.
First, she pulled her son aside privately to warn him. "He Mei is expecting. You can't be reckless. It’s best if you sleep in separate rooms."
Jiang Yuan ignored her, continuing to pester He Mei as he always did.
His mother eventually lost her temper. Usually a mild-mannered woman, she resorted to pinching her son. "You reckless boy! That’s your wife and child—don't you have any heart? How did I raise someone so cold-blooded?"
Jiang Yuan complained to He Mei in bed, "Is my mom staying up all night with her ear pressed to our door? If this keeps up, your husband is going to lose his mind."
He Mei was thin-skinned and so embarrassed she didn't know what to do. To make matters worse, seeing that her son wouldn't listen, the mother-in-law turned her efforts toward He Mei. "You can't just let him have his way. Men lose their heads when they're worked up and don't care about the consequences. You have to stop him. If something happens, it’s us women who suffer the physical toll."
He Mei wished she could dig a hole and disappear into it.
Now, whenever she and Jiang Yuan wanted any intimacy, they felt like thieves—constantly on edge, terrified the mother-in-law would knock on the door. On one hand, she wanted to be a "proper" wife and listen to her mother-in-law; on the other, she couldn't resist Jiang Yuan. She was perpetually conflicted.
This had become her greatest recent frustration.
Jiang Yuan didn't want her going to Teacher Zhang’s house anymore, but she insisted. She liked it there. For reasons she couldn't quite articulate, she felt it represented a life she would never truly have a chance to touch—and once the new baby arrived, she wouldn't have the chance again, as she’d have to raise the child herself.
One afternoon, Liu Zhiyan arrived. He had been coming home frequently lately. The three of them often sat around the sofa, looking heavy-hearted.
He Mei noticed that Liu Zhiyan didn't look well either. He looked like a frost-bitten eggplant, with dark stubble shadowing his jaw.
She only caught snippets of their conversation and didn't know the specifics, but she gathered that Liu Zhiyan’s project wasn't progressing as expected; some experimental data had turned out very poorly.
Teacher Liu’s expression was solemn. The old man’s usually ruddy face had lost its luster over the past few days, yet he still tried to comfort his son.
"Setbacks are normal. No field of study or academic achievement ever has smooth sailing. Keep yourself steady and maintain a good mindset."
Teacher Zhang brewed a cup of white chrysanthemum tea for her son to soothe his "internal heat" and placed it gently by his hand. She smiled and asked, "How is that girl you mentioned last time?"
Liu Zhiyan pushed up his glasses. He had been working overtime for days and had barely slept, looking quite haggard, though his spirit seemed largely unaffected.
"Her situation is a bit complicated, and I don't have the energy right now. I'll wait until I'm free to see if things on her end have been resolved. We exchange a few words on the phone occasionally."
He Mei couldn't help but look up at Liu Zhiyan. She waited for him to elaborate on how Yu Mo’s situation was "complicated," but unfortunately, they had already changed the subject.
A wave of disappointment washed over her.
She felt like the situation with Yu Mo was a giant mystery; everyone knew a little piece of it, except for her, and no one would tell her anything.
Her husband, that thick-headed brute Jiang Yuan, insisted that Yu Mo had dumped Qi Lian and flown away, never to return to Lianhua.
One night after coming home, he had even said boastfully, "We found another young one for Old Qi. I saw him staring so hard at her face he nearly bored a hole through her. It looks like the crisis is over. We were all worried he’d put that woman on a pedestal and wouldn't be able to recover if she dumped him. Turns out we overthought it."
Hearing that made He Mei feel incredibly uncomfortable for some reason. She pinched Jiang Yuan’s arm and scolded him.
"We don't even know what really happened yet. Qi Lian only said Yu Mo went back for a while. Why are you in such a rush to set him up? It’s bad enough that you’re fickle and heartless; don't drag him down with you. Besides, I don't believe anyone can replace Yu Mo that easily, and I don't believe Qi Lian is the type to fall for every girl he sees. You don't understand this situation at all."
Jiang Yuan stared at her with his bright, wide eyes, dismissing her words. "What the hell do you know? Old Qi is just acting tough, alright? He’s my brother; I’m doing this for his own good. I’ve figured it out—he just likes that 'type.' He likes women like that. Just stay out of it."
He Mei kept remembering the image of Qi Lian’s hand resting on the back of Yu Mo’s neck, gently soothing her. The things flowing between them weren't something that could be easily severed, she thought.
The only fool in this matter was likely her own husband.
***
In the mid-afternoon, she received a call from Jiang Yuan saying he wouldn't be home for dinner and told her to just make something for herself and their son.
"Where are you going?"
"Didn't Bibo Springs give me a bunch of vouchers to settle their debt? I’m taking Old Qi and Qi Shuai to the hot springs after work. We’ll just grab a bite there. Those bastards... I’m going to recoup as much of my money as I can. Did you give the vouchers to your sister and brother like I asked?"
He Mei said she had.
Jiang Yuan and the other two were currently in the locker room at Bibo Springs, changing their clothes.
Jiang Yuan had been cursing the entire way. Whenever someone complimented the facility, he would bark, "That’s my damn money!"
Qi Shuai teased him, "Give it a rest. You really think you're a big shot? People would think you invested in Bibo Springs. With your few thousand yuan in wages, you couldn't even afford this one slab of stone." He pointed casually at the black sintered stone panel by the locker room entrance.
Jiang Yuan’s mood remained foul, and he continued grumbling under his breath.
Qi Shuai’s eyes wandered to the side, and he suddenly looked like he’d discovered something incredible. "Wait, Old Qi, let me see... what the hell is that on your...?"
Qi Lian picked up a large bath towel, preparing to wrap it around his waist.
Qi Shuai gave Jiang Yuan a look.
The two of them lunged forward simultaneously, one from the front and one from the back. Qi Lian only guarded against Qi Shuai in front and didn't expect Jiang Yuan behind him, who yanked the towel away.
Qi Lian cursed at them, "Motherfuckers, you've never seen a dick before?"
Qi Shuai stared at the area and shouted, "Holy shit, that’s a tattoo! Old Qi, who was it that used to drag us by our collars out of the Cobra Tattoo Shop? And now you’ve gone and got one yourself?"
He and Jiang Yuan stood in front of Qi Lian, staring intently at the spot.
"Back then, you two didn't know shit. Now, even if you tattooed your faces, I wouldn't care."
"What is that thing? A branch?" Jiang Yuan asked.
"Looks like a flower. A branch with flowers."
"Old Qi, you’ve got heavy tastes. People get tattoos on their arms or backs, but you put yours right in the thick of it. Who’s going to see it if you don't take your pants off? Why didn't you just go a bit lower and put it right on your junk?" Jiang Yuan grinned lewdly.
He thought for a moment, and a lightbulb went off. "Wait, it’s not for that Ran girl, is it? Do young girls like that kind of stuff now? You’re playing along just to get some 'young grass'? Showing her your devotion?" The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became.
Qi Lian snatched the towel back, wrapped it around himself, gave him a look that said *'you're a moron,'* and walked toward the outdoor pools.
Bibo Springs was massive, with a wide variety of themed pools. The one they chose was empty except for them.
Night fell early, and the moon had already risen over the mountains.
The water temperature was very high—most people probably couldn't stand it—but these thick-skinned men found it quite refreshing.
Jiang Yuan leaned against the edge of the pool, squinting. "If my wife wasn't pregnant, I would’ve brought her. Good thing I didn't, though; she couldn't handle this heat."
He turned to look at Qi Lian. "New Year’s is just around the corner. How old will you be then? What’s your plan? You really intend to just keep drifting like this?"
Qi Lian looked at the moon through narrowed eyes. The milky-white steam shrouded his face, making his expression unreadable.
"No plans," he said.
Jiang Yuan got annoyed by his nonchalant tone and made a motion to kick him under the water.
"What is wrong with you? It’s just the two of us here; talk to me properly. I feel like I don't even recognize you anymore. You’re acting like a dead pig that isn't afraid of boiling water. Even Qi Shuai is about to start calling you 'Master.'"
Jiang Yuan continued, "I heard you got into a fight last time—one against six and you just dove right in. Qi Shuai said by the time Jiang the Fourth arrived with his men, you hadn't even lost much ground. You’re something else. Everyone’s saying 'Brother Lian is a badass'; your legend is going to haunt the streets. Fighting, tattoos... going through a rebellious phase at your age? You’re really something."
Qi Lian tilted his head back, watching the moon. Jiang Yuan’s rambling was just background noise; he wasn't really listening.
Suddenly, Yu Mo’s face flashed before his eyes. He remembered how she had squeezed her eyes shut in pain, her brow furrowed. And then, after it was over, how she had stared at him with those wide eyes, filled with grievance and a flickering flame of something else.
He missed her so much it was a physical ache.
"Have you ever loved a woman?" he suddenly asked Jiang Yuan.
Jiang Yuan’s expression froze for a second, followed by a rare moment of bashfulness.
"What’s with the sudden deep question? I don't know what you guys mean by 'love' exactly. I have deep feelings for my wife, and I’m always excited to see her at night. I don't know if that’s called love."
Qi Lian remained silent for a long time.
Love is something you can't imagine until you've fallen into it. But when you truly love someone—to the point where you'd throw your life away, to the point where you become a total idiot—you’ll know.
Even if you cover your mouth, love will leak out from your eyes.
A year ago, he thought he had felt a hazy sort of love for Wang Ran. If it weren't for Yu Mo, he probably would have assumed that was all love was.
He said to Jiang Yuan, "Be good to your wife. Live your life well."
Jiang Yuan wasn't having it and raised his voice.
"Holy shit, you’re lecturing *me*? Out of all of us, I’m the only one living a proper life! Look at the rest of you. Qi Lian, think about Uncle Zheng. He wouldn't want to see you living like this from down there."
Qi Lian turned to look at Jiang Yuan, his eyes showing a flicker of emotion. "What would he want me to be like? He didn't care about me himself; he left me behind and died early. Those who leave have no right to tell me how to live."
Jiang Yuan wanted to slap him awake. "What kind of bullshit is that? Have you lost your mind? Was that his choice? Is that really how you’ve been thinking all these years? Uncle Zheng was such a good father. When I was a kid, I wished I had a dad like him. Back then, you had two wooden pistols tucked into your waist and a popsicle in your hand, sitting proudly on the front bar of his bicycle. You think every kid got to live like that? I’ll never forget him. Whenever he saw me, he’d pat my head and secretly give me treats. When he saw me crying after my dad beat me, he’d crouch down and talk to me for ages. I’m not ashamed to say I was never that close to my own father. It hurts me to see you like this for his sake. If he were alive today and saw you like this, he’d break your legs."
"True caring means being unable to stop worrying, being unable to bear leaving. It’s staying even if you're pushed away. It’s worrying if the other person is cold, or hungry, or being bullied. It’s not just words."
Jiang Yuan stared with his ox-like eyes, mouth agape, not quite following what Qi Lian was saying.
Qi Shuai came running back, carrying five or six bottles of drinks. The glass bottles clinked together as he shouted, "Holy crap! I just checked—they have dozens of different drinks, all with English labels I’ve never even seen. Here, take them. Let’s drink up, or we’re losing money!"
He looked exactly like a country bumpkin who had just entered the big city.
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
---|---|---
碧波池 | Bibo Springs | Literally "Blue Wave Pool/Springs," a high-end bathhouse/spa.
正叔 | Uncle Zheng | Qi Lian's deceased father. "Shu" is a respectful term for an older male.
江老四 | Jiang the Fourth | Likely a local figure or gang leader mentioned in the context of the fight.
杭白菊 | Hangbai Chrysanthemum | A specific type of chrysanthemum tea known for its cooling properties.
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