Life at the Bai residence was, for all intents and purposes, leisurely for Pei Cangyu.
His three meals a day were meticulously provided for. The driver who dropped him off in the morning would pick him up at noon, take him back after his lunch break, and return for him in the evening, never showing the slightest hint of annoyance at the repetitive task. Bai Shi wasn't always home; he had work and obligations at the main residence, appearing and disappearing like a ghost. Pei Cangyu had grown accustomed to his intermittent presence. As for Mr. Bai and Ms. Xu, their appearances were strictly regulated by the clock: mealtimes. Outside of those hours, they vanished. Even when they were in the house, they remained on the first floor, never venturing upstairs. They would greet him with polite nods but never engaged in conversation. Whenever Pei Cangyu tried to strike up a chat, he was met with airy deflections. They were profoundly deferential toward Bai Shi, yet there was a distinct lack of any genuine intimacy between them.
Pei Cangyu had initially thought this place would be different from the main residence, but reflecting on it now, there wasn't much of a distinction. That unshakable sense of gloom wasn't necessarily a product of the architecture itself.
Saturdays and Sundays were Pei Cangyu’s workdays, so he generally skipped school. Since the job wasn't part of his "official" schedule, he naturally didn't ask the Bai family’s driver to take him.
On Saturday morning, he woke up at four to start his shift.
At that hour, the only people in the house were him and Bai Shi, and he assumed Bai Shi was still asleep. Pei Cangyu crept out of bed, tiptoed to the dining room to grab a piece of bread, and prepared to head out as quietly as possible.
Just as he turned around, he saw Bai Shi standing right behind him. He nearly jumped out of his skin.
"You're awake? I thought you were sleeping." Pei Cangyu looked him over. "Why are you up so early?"
Bai Shi didn't answer. He didn't even lift his head. Dressed in white pajamas, his hair hanging damp and limp, he stood silently by the door like a night traveler tolling a funeral bell.
Pei Cangyu leaned in closer. "Are you okay? Hey."
He touched Bai Shi and found him deathly cold. He immediately turned to head back inside. "I'll get you a blanket. Wait here."
He hadn't taken more than a few steps before Bai Shi grabbed him. Bai Shi’s voice was unnervingly icy. "Are you going out?"
Pei Cangyu nodded. "I was planning to go to—"
"Go then." Bai Shi released him, his tone gradually warming as he finally looked up, a smile even gracing his lips. "Be careful on the road."
Pei Cangyu scrutinized him again. "Are you sure you're okay? Did you go out? Is it raining? Why are you soaked?"
As he fired off his string of questions, a sudden thud echoed from somewhere behind Bai Shi, sounding like something had been knocked over. Pei Cangyu craned his neck alertly. "What was that?"
"The basement."
Bai Shi didn't move an inch.
Blackback bounded out from the shadows, rolled around on the floor, then trotted over to sit at Bai Shi’s feet.
Pei Cangyu breathed a sigh of relief and looked back at Bai Shi, but Bai Shi spoke first. "Go on. I’m going back upstairs to sleep. Do you need the driver?"
Pei Cangyu didn't want to trouble anyone and waved his hands dismissively. "No, no need. I’ll go on my own."
With that, he bit into his bread, threw on his jacket, hurriedly tied his laces, and pushed open the door, stepping out into the early autumn dew.
Bai Shi watched Pei Cangyu’s retreating back, watching him flutter out of the decaying nest like a kingfisher taking flight into the world beyond. The door slowly clicked shut behind Pei Cangyu, the final sliver of light swallowing Bai Shi’s standing silhouette. Silence returned to the brown mansion, heavy as death.
***
It was three minutes past five when Pei Cangyu arrived at the convenience store. A few vans were parked out front, and men were filing out of the shop—burly, fierce-looking characters sharing cigarettes. They pushed through the small door, cursing loudly as they walked. Their vitriol wasn't directed at anyone in particular; they were just swearing for the sake of it.
They glanced at the approaching Pei Cangyu. Most looked away, but a skinny one shouted, "Damn it, you're late!"
Three minutes late.
Pei Cangyu ignored him and walked straight toward the shop. The man standing next to the skinny one chimed in, "Quite the attitude, isn't he?"
The group stopped, turning as one to stare at Pei Cangyu.
Pei Cangyu reached for the door handle, but the man pressed his hand against it, blocking him.
The skinny one chuckled. "Needs to be taught a lesson."
Pei Cangyu recognized the man: Gao Qian, the "Big Brother" the skinny guy followed. As a "good student" who respected his teachers and valued his education, Pei Cangyu viewed fighting as a mere hobby, not a career path. His goal was to study hard, find a good job, and live a mundane, safe life, just as his grandmother hoped. It wasn't that he was fleeing some dark destiny or a "prince of the underworld" curse; his grandmother simply didn't want him to be a thug. Even though, for a long time, Pei Cangyu felt that dropping out to join the gangs would have been the easiest path—perhaps even his most fitting destiny.
A "professional thug" was someone like the man in front of him. Gao Qian was famous in District Y, running several bars and, rumor had it, about a dozen gambling rings. Back when Pei Cangyu was in his fifth year of high school, Gao Qian had offered him an olive branch, inviting him to join his "startup team" to strive for greatness in the underworld together—to establish a foothold in District Y, expand across the city, and become a rising star of the criminal world. But Pei Cangyu, who disliked the risks of a startup, had declined the offer, maintaining his self-discipline as a science student and a stable member of society.
Gao Qian looked at him. "Want to go in?"
Pei Cangyu narrowed his eyes. "Is there a problem, Brother Gao?"
Gao Qian kept his hand on the handle, enunciating every word. "You're late." He pointed at the skinny guy. "Skinny stayed late for you. What do you have to say for yourself?"
Pei Cangyu held the handle, paused for a moment, then stiffly turned to face Skinny. He gritted his teeth and lowered his head.
"Sorry I'm late."
His voice dripped with resentment.
Gao Qian said nothing, but Skinny took the initiative. He circled around Gao Qian and got right in Pei Cangyu’s face, laughing arrogantly. "Dumbass. Still acting like a big shot, who the hell do you think you are..." He punctuated his words by poking Pei Cangyu hard in the forehead, several times in a row, forcing him back several steps.
Once Pei Cangyu was backed against the wall and Skinny moved in again, Pei Cangyu snapped his head up. "Fuck off, you moron!" He grabbed Skinny’s hand, twisting it into a mangled claw, and delivered a sharp kick to the man's abdomen. Skinny swung his other fist, but Pei Cangyu dodged and delivered a resounding slap to the side of his head.
The fight was on.
Gao Qian and his men didn't move, watching as Pei Cangyu systematically dismantled Skinny.
Pei Cangyu threw Skinny to the ground and stood up, spitting on the floor with lingering adrenaline. "Sorry, dumbass. Late, dumbass. Thanks for the hard work, dumbass." Skinny groaned on the ground, clutching his knee and rubbing his face. He looked up at Gao Qian, who remained expressionless.
Pei Cangyu grabbed the handle again, pulled the door open, and went inside.
The crowd outside slowly dispersed.
Feifei emerged from behind the shelves with a worried expression, carrying rubbing alcohol and gauze. "Are they gone?"
Pei Cangyu nodded. "Don't worry about it."
Feifei approached him, noticing the bruises on his shoulders. "What happened? Is it that bad?"
"...No, this is from something else... Forget it, don't worry about it. Just give me that." He took the supplies from her. "...I don't even need this. Do you have any Band-Aids?"
Feifei watched as Pei Cangyu applied a Hello Kitty Band-Aid to his hand, feeling a bit guilty. "I'm sorry you have to deal with this. But they use this place as their meeting spot now, and there's nothing I can do."
Pei Cangyu shook his head. "It's fine."
"Really... after my dad passed away, they just started coming. I couldn't stop them..." Feifei’s voice trailed off, sounding like she was on the verge of tears.
Seeing her like this, Pei Cangyu sighed. "There's no point talking about it. Aren't you going abroad next spring? Just sign the lease over to them and leave. Once you're gone, I can leave too. Isn't that for the best?"
Feifei lowered her head. "Thank you..."
Pei Cangyu frowned. "You don't need to thank me for that."
Feifei stole a glance at him.
Pei Cangyu began setting things up for the day. Feifei sat nearby, working on a half-finished design sketch. Pei Cangyu heated up some udon noodles for himself and made a bowl for Feifei as well.
When the bell at the door rang, Pei Cangyu gave his habitual "Welcome," only to see Bai Shi walking in.
Feifei dropped her chopsticks mid-bite. She stared blankly at the man who had entered, then looked down at her sketch, then back at him. Deciding her drawing was mediocre at best, she quickly tucked it away.
Pei Cangyu’s eyes widened. "You... are you looking for me?"
Bai Shi walked over and nodded with a smile. Noticing there was someone else present, he paused before answering Pei Cangyu and turned to Feifei, offering a gentle smile. "Hello."
Feifei blushed. "Hello to you too."
Pei Cangyu looked at her, speechless, wishing she would maintain a bit more poise in her choice of words.
Feifei just rolled her eyes at him.
Bai Shi returned to the conversation. "I came to buy a few things."
"Oh, okay." Pei Cangyu started to walk around the counter to help him browse.
Bai Shi raised a hand to stop him. "I'll just look around on my own."
"Oh. Okay." Pei Cangyu stopped in his tracks.
Feifei watched Bai Shi walk toward the back shelves. Even at the furthest aisle, his shoulders were visible over the racks. She leaned toward Pei Cangyu and whispered, "Hey, is he your friend?"
"...Yeah," Pei Cangyu hesitated. "I guess so."
Feifei pressed, "What does that mean?"
Pei Cangyu scratched his head, unable to find a better explanation. "Yes. Do you want me to introduce you?"
Feifei propped her chin on her pen. "Not really, it's just..."
"What?" Pei Cangyu turned to her.
"You seem really... attentive toward him."
"...Do I?"
"It's just a feeling." Feifei waved it off with a laugh. "I feel like you're very tense about his every move. Like, the moment he showed up, your focus was entirely on him. He says he's just looking around, and you immediately try to follow."
Pei Cangyu began to defend himself. "That's normal, isn't it? He's the only customer, and he's never been here... probably..."
"That's why I said it's just a feeling." Feifei picked up her pen again, smiling as she nudged his shoulder. "Call it an artist's intuition."
Bai Shi stopped at the freezer in the last row, leaning over slightly to look inside. He turned around and saw Pei Cangyu and Feifei huddled together, whispering.
Feifei was telling Pei Cangyu about her drawing when she heard Bai Shi call his name. Bai Shi stood up straight, hands tucked into his trench coat, smiling as he beckoned him over.
Pei Cangyu immediately dropped his fork and stood up. Feifei tried to reach out to stop him. "Wait—"
But Pei Cangyu was already rushing to Bai Shi’s side.
Feifei frowned. She couldn't help but feel that Pei Cangyu was completely oblivious to the subconscious sense of control Bai Shi exerted over him. It was like... how to put it... it didn't look like a casual relationship at all.
She laughed at herself, thinking she was being too sensitive over a few gestures. She shook her head, dismissing the ridiculous thought.
Pei Cangyu walked up to Bai Shi. Bai Shi’s eyes followed him until he was right beside him, then shifted back to the freezer. "What should I buy?"
"Do you want a drink?"
Bai Shi nodded.
"These are all pretty much the same, just standard stuff. Is Coke okay?"
"Thank you." Bai Shi nodded at him but didn't move to grab it himself.
Pei Cangyu reached in for him.
"What happened to your hand?" Bai Shi asked suddenly.
Pei Cangyu looked at the Band-Aid on his hand, a souvenir from his scuffle with Skinny. "It's nothing."
Bai Shi took his hand, lifting it to inspect it.
Pei Cangyu let him, dazed. Bai Shi’s hand was cold; his whole being always seemed to carry a chill. He turned Pei Cangyu’s hand over, looking at it as if this unfamiliar wound had no business being there.
Pei Cangyu laughed. "Is it that big a deal? You literally watched me get my finger hurt before, and you weren't this serious about it."
"That was different." Bai Shi let go of his hand.
Pei Cangyu handed him the Coke. "How was it different?"
"That one wasn't mine," he said.
