The first stage of Yu Mo’s mother’s chemotherapy in Shanghai didn’t conclude until the twenty-sixth day of the twelfth lunar month, after which Yu Mo accompanied her back to Jinning.
Her mother’s constitution was decent. Aside from the significant suffering she endured in the middle of the treatment—such as being unable to eat—she fared reasonably well, and her hair remained relatively normal.
The family of four celebrated the New Year with great bustle and joy. Because of her mother’s illness, everyone felt a sense of having survived a disaster, making the holiday exceptionally happy.
On New Year’s Eve, as they did every year, her parents gave Yu Mo and Xue Shen generous red envelopes.
Her mother’s complexion was inevitably a bit sallow. She took Yu Mo and Xue Shen’s hands, stacking them together, and looked from one to the other with a satisfied expression.
“My main task now is to recover my health,” she said. “I don’t have any other demands for you two, except to be good to each other and have a child. Our family isn’t short on money. Xue Shen, don’t push yourself too hard at work. Just live your lives well together.”
Xue Shen looked at Yu Mo tenderly. “I will, Mom. I’ll spend more time accompanying Mo Mo.”
Yu Mo leaned into her mother’s arm, acting like a spoiled child.
The family shared a moment of indescribable peace and harmony.
Once the New Year passed, Yu Mo returned to work promptly on the seventh day of the first lunar month.
Because she had taken quite a bit of leave during her mother’s illness the previous year, she made a point of visiting Old Zhang’s office as soon as she arrived to express her renewed commitment to her job.
Old Zhang’s expression was sour, his already long face stretching even further.
“You women... I really don’t know what to say. First you, then Lily. You both had such great momentum, but you’re just too unstable. I’m constantly on edge, wondering what kind of nonsense you’ll pull next. Look at the men—the sky could fall and it wouldn’t affect their work. Sigh, I really should just hire more men in the future.”
Yu Mo left his office feeling dejected, nearly colliding with Zhou Tao in the hallway. The scent of the latter’s perfume made Yu Mo’s nose itch.
Zhou Tao gave her a sidelong glance and walked away with a sway of her hips.
After the New Year break, Zhou Tao was noticeably more curvaceous; the buttons on her shirt looked as though they might burst at any moment.
The fact that she even bothered to spare Yu Mo a disdainful look was likely because Yu Mo had been the top salesperson in their group for a month before the end of the year. Otherwise, Yu Mo would have been like air to her—not even worth the effort of a glare.
As Yu Mo watched her walk away, she felt a flicker of admiration for Zhou Tao. She was always driven, letting nothing stand in her way. That, too, was a form of self-discipline.
Thinking of being driven reminded her of Lily.
Lily had once been neck-and-neck with Zhou Tao, but then something had possessed her, and she had become a completely different person.
Yu Mo scanned the office and found Lily’s figure. Lily happened to look up at that moment, and they shared a distant smile.
Lily looked distracted. The smile she gave was no longer intimate, and her face appeared incredibly haggard. The long New Year holiday hadn’t helped her rest or regain her former radiance; she seemed to have suddenly withered.
Yu Mo wasn’t sure if it was an illusion, but she felt as though Lily was avoiding her, no longer seeking the closeness they once shared.
Lily’s performance was no longer outstanding either. she spent her days coasting, which infuriated Old Zhang so much that he constantly used her as a target for his scolding.
After the morning team meeting, Yu Mo was about to grab her bag for field work when an unexpected incident trapped her in the office.
A young woman in her early twenties, accompanied by several friends, blocked the entrance to the main office, wailing and accusing someone of playing with her emotions.
The office instantly erupted into chaos. Xiao Zhuang, the receptionist, shouted for them to stop while physically stepping aside, allowing them to march straight into the office.
Looking closely at the crying girl, her belly was already quite prominent—at least six or seven months along.
Her face was full of collagen, making her look even younger than she first appeared. Her features were delicate, though it was a somewhat cookie-cutter kind of beauty.
She sobbed her accusations: Jin Guangyao had seduced and then abandoned her. He had promised to marry her, but as soon as her belly grew, he vanished. Her friends held the door, refusing to let anyone in or out, screaming for Jin Guangyao to come out.
Wasn't this the salesman Lily had mentioned—the one who was a favorite among middle-aged wealthy women?
No one in the office spoke. "Honey Peach" even pulled out a compact mirror to touch up her lipstick, pursing and pouting her lips at the glass while casting occasional glances at the victim, her mouth curling into a mocking sneer.
Jin Guangyao was nowhere to be seen.
As the scene grew more unseemly, the leader of Group Two and a company vice president who had come down from upstairs began trying to persuade the girl to leave. They spoke words of sympathy while trying to pull her toward a meeting room.
The girl planted her feet firmly, her body sagging toward the floor as they pulled. She shrieked, “If you have something to say, say it here! Let everyone see!”
That level of feistiness clearly didn't come from an ivory tower; she had been seasoned by the streets.
Yu Mo took advantage of the moment her companions left the doorway to help and slipped out of the office with her bag.
She received a call from Liu Zhiyan while in a taxi. The car was stuck in traffic on the Second Ring Road, and the driver was venting his frustration with a string of choice curses.
Yu Mo answered in a soft voice, afraid of provoking the driver further.
“Yu Mo, how was your New Year? I have good news. The data we ran in the lab over the break shows great progress. We’re about to catch up on the schedule we missed before.”
Liu Zhiyan’s voice had a clear, clean quality to it—the high-spirited energy of a young man.
Yu Mo looked at the frustratingly long line of cars outside and felt genuinely happy for him. “Congratulations! But didn't you take any time off for the New Year?”
“No, another engineer and I stayed in the lab. To us, experimental results are the most rewarding things; it doesn't matter if we rest or not. Having ideal data makes me feel completely refreshed.”
Listening to him speak, Yu Mo’s lips unconsciously turned upward. She thought of the sordid people in her office and felt relieved that people like Liu Zhiyan still existed in this world.
“Let me treat you to dinner, Yu Mo. I’ve been so busy lately, and I finally have some free time. I want to tell you about my progress in detail,” he said with the enthusiasm of a child.
Yu Mo declined. She liked him as a friend, but not as a suitor.
Though she had once tried hard to change her way of living, she had to admit by now that a person’s preference for the opposite sex is rooted in their bones, and one’s attitude toward love does not change easily.
Let it be. Any more than this, and she wouldn't be able to cope.
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 腊月二十六 | 26th of the 12th lunar month | A date shortly before the Lunar New Year. |
| 晋宁 | Jinning | A place name. |
| 压岁钱 | Red envelopes / New Year's money | Gift money given during Lunar New Year. |
| 老章 | Old Zhang | Yu Mo's boss. |
| 莉莉 | Lily | Yu Mo's colleague. |
| 周桃 | Zhou Tao | Yu Mo's colleague/rival. |
| 小庄 | Xiao Zhuang | The office receptionist. |
| 金光耀 | Jin Guangyao | A salesman at the company. |
| 水蜜桃 | Honey Peach | Likely a nickname for a flirtatious or attractive colleague (possibly Zhou Tao or another). |
| 刘知砚 | Liu Zhiyan | Yu Mo's friend/admirer, an engineer. |
| 二环 | Second Ring Road | A major road in a Chinese city. |
