Qi Lian received the phone call just after ten o'clock at night.
Outside, the north wind howled. Leaden clouds had filled the sky since morning, and the northwest wind swirled around, snatching the last yellow leaves from the branches. It was the kind of cold that made people shrink into their collars, unable to even keep their eyes open. The third snow since the start of winter in Jinning was due to fall at any moment.
He watched the two words flashing on the screen—a triumphant clarion call that threw his mind into chaos. He stared at it for a moment, then set the phone aside and buried his head back into his circuit diagrams.
When it rang a second time, he threw his pen down, gritted his teeth, and answered. He kept his lips pressed tight, refusing to say a word.
At first, there was no sound from the other end. Then, he heard a suppressed sob—a tiny sound from the back of her throat, like a kitten letting out a piteous cry of pain after having its tail stepped on.
That single sob was like an arrow shattering thick layers of ice, striking unerringly at the softest part of his heart.
He bolted upright, shouting into the phone, "What’s wrong? Duo’er, tell me what happened!"
The person on the other end began to wail, sobbing uncontrollably like a child.
Qi Lian’s scalp went numb. He lowered his voice, afraid of scaring her. "Don't be afraid. Tell me what happened, I can fix it. Just tell me where you are first."
He was about to continue when he realized she had hung up. Stunned, he called back without a second's hesitation.
No one answered.
While waiting, he bombarded her with messages:
*Answer the phone!*
*Just answer the phone first.*
*No matter what happened, don't be afraid. Answer the phone.*
*Talk to me properly, you're scaring me to death.*
*If you don't answer, I'm going to Norway Forest to find you.*
His mind was a tangled mess. He tried to reassure himself that nothing major could have happened. She lived in a luxury estate with top-tier security; her parents treated her like a princess; her ex-husband was powerful and influential. What could possibly go wrong?
Yet, he was still frightened out of his wits. With a sharp *snap*, he unconsciously broke the pencil in his hand into two pieces. He threw them away in frustration.
In the brief gap between his failed calls, Qi Shuai’s call managed to wedge its way in.
Qi Lian summoned every ounce of patience he had. "What?"
"Brother, are you sitting on a powder keg?"
"If you don't have a damn reason for calling, hang the hell up."
"I do, I do! I thought about it and figured I should tell you. I called Miss Yu this afternoon, and she was..."
"Miss Yu?"
"You know, your little goddess. My sister-in-law."
"Speak!"
"In just a few minutes, she was throwing up the whole time. Sounded like she was going to heave up her gall. She even told me, 'Don't tell your brother.' The more I think about it, the more it seems off. When a woman pukes like that, could she be carrying your kid? But the timing doesn't seem right, does it?"
Qi Lian’s head throbbed. They had been together once over a month ago; the timing *did* match. If she dared to hide something like that from him, she had a lot of nerve. He felt like he could kill someone.
"Find an excuse to get her out tomorrow—"
"She’s not in Jinning. She said she’s in Shanghai."
"Fine. Hanging up."
Qi Lian took several deep breaths to force himself to calm down. He turned, grabbed his charger and car keys, and bolted out the door in two strides, forgetting to even turn off the lights or the air conditioner.
The weather was freezing. On the highway, he didn't see another car for minutes at a time. In every direction, there was nothing but endless darkness.
He called Yu Mo repeatedly. When his battery had dropped to half, she finally picked up.
Afraid of startling her, he spoke with extreme caution. "Duo’er, tell me where you are, okay?"
Her voice sounded like she had just woken up, or perhaps was about to drift off—light and airy. "Qi Lian, I'm fine. I was just groggy from sleep when I called you earlier. Nothing’s wrong."
"Have you been drinking?" he asked, incredulous.
The phone was moved away, and he heard the sound of violent retching—just as Qi Shuai had described, as if she were throwing up her very soul.
A moment later, Yu Mo spoke back into the phone. "I'm drunk... it's fine. I'm going to sleep now."
"Yu Mo," Qi Lian interrupted her, "either you tell me where you are right now, or I’m going to your company and your house tomorrow."
"What are you trying to do? I feel terrible right now. I don't have the strength to talk. I'm sick."
Qi Lian felt the tension that had been wound tight in his chest slowly begin to slacken. What had he been expecting?
"Tell me where you are. I'm already in Shanghai. I'm worried; I need to see you with my own eyes."
"Don't. You can't come. I caught a virus, it's highly contagious. I can't see anyone."
"I'm not afraid. I have a strong constitution. I just want one look."
Yu Mo was sitting on the floor of the hotel bathroom, her head resting against the bathtub behind her. Her consciousness was growing increasingly blurred, and the high fever had turned her face a deep crimson.
"No... I'm going to sleep."
"Don't hang up. I won't even touch you... Just tell me what you need, and I'll leave it at the door, okay?"
Yu Mo’s mind was hazy; she didn't even know what she said after that.
When she woke up again, it was the sound of the phone that roused her. She realized she had fallen asleep on the bathroom floor.
"I put the things by your door. I'm leaving now. Remember to get them yourself."
Her limbs felt like jelly as she crawled toward the door. She peered through the peephole to make sure no one was there before opening it. She leaned down with great difficulty to pick up the items on the floor.
Suddenly, a dark shadow lunged from the side. She thought her eyes were playing tricks on her, but in the next second, she was swept into a burning hot embrace.
Qi Lian lifted her up. She was as light as a kitten, her body scorching with fever, her face flushed red.
Even in this state, she feebly extended a hand to swat at him. "You liar... go away, don't come in."
Qi Lian held her, hooked the plastic bag off the floor with one hand, and kicked the door shut.
"Behave yourself."
He carried her toward the bedroom, but Yu Mo stopped him. "To the bathroom."
The ventilation fan in the bathroom was humming, but the air was still far from fresh.
Yu Mo pushed at him in a panic. "I need to use the toilet."
Qi Lian set her down on the commode. She didn't even have the strength to sit upright and began to slump over.
Qi Lian stayed by her side, holding her so she could lean against him. Yu Mo struggled to push him away, but it was too late. The bathroom echoed with a sound that filled her with despair. Her face turned even redder, and in a fit of self-abandonment, she buried her face against his waist.
"What are you afraid of? I'm your man, not a stranger. You're sick and you still have the energy to worry about all that? Are you finished? I'll help you wipe."
Yu Mo waved her hands in horror. "No, no! I'll do it myself. Turn your head!"
"Fine, fine. My little goddess, your pride is bigger than the heavens."
Once Yu Mo stood up, he picked her up and carried her into the shower stall. He bent her over and used the showerhead to rinse her off.
Yu Mo was dumbfounded, stammering, "What are you doing? I can do it myself."
Qi Lian ignored her bashfulness and continued his inspection.
"You need to rinse every time you go so it doesn't get inflamed. I'll go buy some wet wipes; it looks a bit red and swollen already, you can't use toilet paper anymore."
Yu Mo closed her eyes, resigning herself to fate.
Qi Lian went down to the hotel lobby. Fortunately, there was a convenience store nearby. In one go, he bought five or six packs of baby wipes, disinfectant, disposable underwear, and several cups of instant noodles.
When he returned to the room, his heart broke.
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
--- | --- | ---
晋宁 | Jinning | The city where the story is set.
朵儿 | Duo'er | Yu Mo's nickname (literally "Flower Bud" or "Petal").
挪威森林 | Norway Forest | Likely the name of a high-end residential complex.
上海 | Shanghai | Major city in China.
脸皮比天大 | Dignity Above All / Pride bigger than the sky | A phrase used to describe someone who is extremely concerned with their reputation or avoiding embarrassment.
