“Wei Zhi, this document needs the Director’s signature. I can’t step away right now; could you run it over for me?”
The next morning, shortly after Wei Zhi arrived at the office, the cashier from across the room approached her with a file, asking for a favor.
“Oh, what happened to your forehead?” the cashier exclaimed in surprise, her finger reaching toward Wei Zhi’s brow.
Xiao Cai, sitting nearby, and the finance manager behind the glass door both looked up.
Wei Zhi tilted her head, dodging the woman’s hand, and smiled. “It’s nothing. I wasn’t paying attention while grabbing something and bumped into a cabinet.”
“Ah, I see. Well, about this document?”
“I’ll take it for you.”
Wei Zhi took the file, stood up, and walked out of the finance office.
In the restroom, she hesitated in front of the mirror for a moment. She pulled her hair down over the wound on her temple, covering it completely at first, then carefully brushed a few strands aside.
Once she finished tidying herself, she headed toward the Director’s office with the file.
“Director Ji.”
She knocked softly. Only after Ji Qikun’s voice came from within did she open the door and enter.
After stepping inside, she reached back and closed the door behind her.
“Director Ji, this is a document from the cashier’s office. It needs your signature.”
“Mhm.” Ji Qikun took the file, scanning it as he spoke. “When there are no outsiders around, you don’t need to call me Director Ji.”
“…Alright.”
“Why are you in low spirits today?” Ji Qikun looked up with a smile, but it vanished within seconds. “You’re hurt?”
He stood up and, without waiting for her answer, brushed her hair aside.
A scar about three centimeters long was partially visible on her temple. Though not severe, it looked painful.
“How did this happen?” Ji Qikun asked.
“…I took a spill while delivering food.”
“Don’t lie to me.” Ji Qikun looked into her eyes. “Did you have a fight with your family? Was it Wei Lai?”
Wei Zhi’s silence was an answer in itself.
Ji Qikun sighed, took her hand, and led her out of the office.
“Where are we going?”
“To the pharmacy,” Ji Qikun said without looking back. “I can tell you haven’t applied any medicine.”
“I can wait until after work…”
“It can’t wait.”
Ji Qikun pulled her along firmly, indifferent to how many offices they passed.
There was a small pharmacy not far from the gallery. Ji Qikun bought some supplies for treating trauma and, sitting on a street bench, used a cotton swab dipped in iodine to gently dab her wound.
“Your brother really has a heavy hand. Do your parents not care?” Ji Qikun asked.
“…”
“At the very least, move out and live with me,” he said, cupping her face and speaking earnestly. “Only I won’t hurt you, because I am the person who loves you most in this world. Do you know that?”
Wei Zhi nodded. Her smooth, lustrous black hair slid from her shoulders, matching her submissive posture.
Ji Qikun smiled with satisfaction.
After the two returned to the second floor of the gallery, Wei Zhi asked Ji Qikun to go back to his office first. She detoured to the finance office, grabbed something from her workstation, and then headed to the Director’s office again.
Ji Qikun had already signed the document at his desk. Just as he was about to hand it to her, he saw what she was holding, and a look of helpless, pleasant surprise appeared on his face.
“This is…”
“For you.” Wei Zhi shyly handed him a glass jar filled with colorful paper lucky stars. “…Do you think it’s childish?”
“Not at all. It’s the thought that counts.” Ji Qikun smiled as he took the jar. “I couldn’t be happier. You must have spent a long time folding these?”
“I folded a few every night before bed. It took nearly a month. I’m just a very slow folder.”
“What made you think of folding these?”
“I just wanted to thank you… for everything,” Wei Zhi said.
Ji Qikun gave a soft laugh and carefully placed the glass jar in his drawer.
“I’ve received your sentiment. I’ll take it home and put it away properly after work.”
***
The internet cafe was perpetually filled with the stench of braised beef instant noodles and cheap cigarettes.
A young man who hadn't slept for several nights hammered away at his keyboard, the clattering sound echoing through the space filled with LCD screens.
Wei Lai reluctantly logged off. Hooking his arms around his fair-weather friends, he walked out into the night. The cashier girl, wearing a miniskirt, leaned against the counter. She used two fingers adorned with pink rhinestone nails to meticulously crack sunflower seeds, sparing them a lazy glance. “Take care now.”
“Want to grab some late-night snacks?” one of the friends invited.
He didn't say who was paying, but Wei Lai knew exactly what he meant—they wanted him to treat.
His pockets were empty. He’d taken a beating for nothing last night and gained nothing from it. He couldn't even afford to top up his internet credit to keep playing, let alone treat anyone to a meal.
“Nah, I’m not hungry. I’ve been gaming all day, I’m tired. I’m heading out,” he said, feigning nonchalance as he pulled his arm back from his friend’s shoulder.
“Fine, next time then.”
The three parted ways quickly. The other two didn't separate but walked off together; they were likely ditching him to continue the party elsewhere now that they saw he had no money.
“Two sons of bitches. I hope they get hit by a car the moment they cross the street.”
Wei Lai cursed them under his breath and reluctantly started the walk home alone.
He put on his latest Bluetooth earbuds and took out his newest phone. As soon as he started the music, he couldn't help but hum along to the melody.
If Wei Zhi hadn't woken up last night, or if she had just been straightforward and given him the money, he wouldn't have to walk home now.
Thus, he included Wei Zhi in his curses as well.
*Must be nice being a woman. Just dress up a bit and you can snag a rich guy. You can earn money just by lying down. Not like me—I’ve got a hard life—*
The main road ended, and Wei Lai turned onto the small path he had to take to get home.
Though the streetlights were dim and some areas lacked surveillance cameras, he wasn't a woman. What was there to be afraid of?
“I hold a cup, tasting your beauty~”
Wei Lai swayed his head to the rhythm in his earbuds, occasionally singing along with deep emotion.
“The mouth that left a lip print~ Oh~ Oh, ah, ah, ah!”
A darkness smelling of fish suddenly descended over him. Before he could react, he was forcibly dragged off the path by a pair of hands. Was it an alleyway? Or something else? Before he could think, a rain of punches and kicks began to fall.
“Ah!! Who is it?!” Wei Lai screamed while asking, unable to fight back at all. He could only protect his head with his hands and clamp his legs shut to prevent his vital parts from being injured.
No one answered his question. Wei Lai eventually slumped to the ground, curling into a ball under the storm of blows.
In the chaos, his new phone and his left earbud fell out.
Jay Chou was still singing “oh oh oh” in his earbud, but he no longer had the luxury of singing along. Wei Lai saw a foot wearing an AJ sneaker and jeans kick the phone away, then stomp down on his Bluetooth earbud.
He heard a sharp *crack*.
And then—
Wei Zhi’s voice.
“Stop hitting him. Let’s go.”
If the anger of being beaten for no reason was like a pile of dry wood—dampened slightly by the rain-like fear and retreat one feels toward a more evil person—then Wei Zhi’s voice was like the strongest oil and the hottest wind, capable of igniting everything in the world.
“You fucking—it was you! You got people to jump me!”
Wei Lai was livid. The courage he lacked moments ago surged up instantly. He struggled to pull the woven sack off his head, but the dim alleyway was already empty.
He staggered to his feet, feeling blood trickle down his forehead.
“You fucking coward! Come out and fight me one-on-one if you’ve got the guts!” he roared into the empty darkness.
There was no response.
Wei Lai panted, looking down to search for his new phone. He searched everywhere but couldn't find it. Only the words “Many Sons, Much Fortune Softshell Turtle Feed” on the woven sack stared back at him silently.
“Dammit!”
He kicked the bag away, ripped the remaining earbud from his ear, and hurled it into the distance.
***
There were many orders tonight, and Wei Zhi was swamped. She didn't catch a single break, and the T-shirt under her uniform was soaked with sweat.
While it was true that the more she delivered, the higher the unit price per order became, Wei Zhi had a full-time job. She could only use her free time after work to run deliveries. By midnight, she had completed nearly thirty orders, earning about a hundred yuan. Usually, it took her until 1:00 AM to reach thirty.
She would have kept going if Wang Lin hadn't suddenly called, saying Wei Lai had been beaten and sent to the emergency room.
There was nothing strange about Wei Lai being beaten; it was more unusual to find someone who knew him and *didn't* want to hit him. She hadn't intended to go, but Wang Lin said Wei Lai’s phone was lost and that he insisted on seeing his sister for something.
Wei Zhi didn't have time to change. She hurried over on her electric scooter—not out of concern for Wei Lai, but because she felt that settling this quickly would allow her to get back to her deliveries.
She parked the scooter at the hospital entrance and walked quickly into the ER, spotting Wei Lai surrounded by the rest of the family at a glance.
He sat dejectedly on a blue plastic bench, his head wrapped in bandages. But the moment he saw her, he stood up abruptly as if he’d been injected with adrenaline.
“You actually dared to show up? I’ll kill you—”
Wei Lai tried to rush her. Wang Lin scrambled to stop him, but Wei Shan pinned him back first.
“What are you, crazy? The doctor said you might have a concussion, not that you’ve turned into an idiot!”
“She’s the one who sent people to hit me! It was her!” Wei Lai pointed at her, trembling with rage.
Wang Lin looked at her in shock. Wei Shan studied her with half-doubt.
“Your sister? She was out delivering food, and then she called friends to beat you up?” Wei Shan tried to rationalize Wei Lai’s accusation.
But Wei Lai remained obsessed, pointing at Wei Zhi. “She brought her friends and hit me herself! I heard her voice! I couldn't be wrong!”
Wei Zhi only found it absurd. “You’re delusional. I’ve been delivering food since I got off work. Do you want to see the records?”
“I’m not looking at anything! I heard your voice, you can’t fool me!”
No matter how angry Wei Lai was, or how much he insisted he’d heard her voice, it couldn't change the fact that Wei Zhi had indeed been delivering food all night. Not only could the machine testify for her, but countless restaurant owners could as well. Of course, they didn't have the time for that, and neither did Wei Zhi.
“If you’re sick, go get a CT scan to check your brain. I don’t have time for your nonsense.” Wei Zhi spoke mainly to Wang Lin. “I’m going back to my deliveries. It’s busy tonight; I might not be back by one.”
“Mhm… okay,” Wang Lin replied softly, her eyes filled with worry.
“Give me back my phone! You’re not allowed to leave!” Wei Lai shouted.
“…You’re mental.”
Wei Zhi turned and left.
“Fine! If you’re going to be heartless to me, don’t blame me for being ruthless to you!” Wei Lai yelled behind her.
She didn't even bother to look back.
***
After Ji Qikun returned home, he changed into comfortable cotton loungewear and threw the AJ sneakers and jeans he had specifically bought today into the trash. The conversation recorded on the voice recorder from the last time he played squash was also cleared.
He sat in his study chair, admiring the star-shaped jar full of lucky stars with great interest.
He had a similar one.
Memories of the past suddenly surfaced, carrying a sense of calm nostalgia for something he knew was gone. He opened the safe in the corner and took out a heart-shaped glass jar, also filled with colorful lucky stars.
However, the stars in this jar were much less uniform.
He randomly poured one out and slowly unfolded it. On the plain side, there was a line of elegant handwriting: *“I want to be with you forever.”*
A trace of a smile appeared at the corners of Ji Qikun’s mouth.
He refolded the star and put it back in the jar. Before placing both jars back into the safe, he suddenly compared the stars in the two glass jars once more.
Was it the perfect ones that were strange, or the imperfect ones?
With a certain suspicion, he gently poured the stars from Wei Zhi’s jar into his palm.
Four stars came out. He unfolded them one by one to compare.
The creases on every single one were exactly the same.
The same length, the same pressure.
Hundreds of stars, all identical.
***
Seizing the remaining time, Wei Zhi continued her deliveries, running up and down buildings with or without elevators. Sweat poured from beneath her helmet, and her throat was so dry it felt like it was on fire. She forced herself to endure it with sheer willpower, unwilling to spend two yuan on a bottle of mineral water. It wasn't until she got home that she downed a large bottle of boiled water almost vengefully.
Wei Lai seemed to have given up on harassing her; otherwise, he would have waited up for her even if it meant not sleeping. But now, thunderous snoring echoed from his room.
Wei Zhi was drenched in exhaustion.
She took a quick shower. Just as she was about to get into bed, her toe kicked the delivery box she had opened yesterday.
She didn't want to leave things to pile up until she woke, so she forced herself through her fatigue to take out the bulk-packaged lucky stars—520 stars for four yuan—from the box. She found a storage bin that still had room and tossed them in haphazardly.
Gratitude… she really should thank Ji Qikun.
That day.
The moment he pushed the door open, she had been standing at a fork in the road of her life.
The computer interface had been stuck on the digital ledgers for a long time. She had been hesitating, changing one figure after another. Small price differences, when aggregated, would become a massive sum.
After finishing the edits, she had remained on that screen, her mouse hovering, unable to click "Save."
Should she continue? Or retreat?
The sound of the door opening had suddenly rung out. She had looked up and met a pair of eyes that she found beautiful at first glance—pure black, as inscrutable as a dark undercurrent.
She had captured a flash of amusement within them.
No, she had a third option.
The boundless night was still spreading.
Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale.
She couldn't sleep yet. She reached under her pillow to find her medicine, closed her eyes, and swallowed a pill dry. Only then did she allow herself to fall.
Falling.
Until she plummeted into the deepest night.
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 季琪琨 | Ji Qikun | The Director/General Manager of the gallery. |
| 魏芷 | Wei Zhi | The female protagonist. |
| 魏来 | Wei Lai | Wei Zhi's younger brother. |
| 魏杉 | Wei Shan | Wei Zhi's father. |
| 王琳 | Wang Lin | Wei Zhi's mother. |
| 幸运星 | Lucky stars | Origami stars, often given as gifts representing well-wishes. |
| 多子多福甲鱼饲料 | Many Sons, Much Fortune Softshell Turtle Feed | The brand name on the woven sack used to jump Wei Lai. |
| 小蔡 | Xiao Cai | A colleague in the finance office. |
