Chapter 3: The Knight

A habit built over more than a decade had Zhou Mo awake at first light. Once she was ready, she headed toward the yard, only to find the heavy iron gate locked. Through the pale blue morning mist, the open ground inside lay quiet and spacious.

Zhou Mo rattled the chains on the iron gate and shouted inside, “He Chong! Time to get up!” After a moment, a shadow stepped out from the building. It was He Chong. As he drew closer, Zhou Mo noticed he was wearing nothing but loose boxer shorts, shuffling in flip-flops as he yawned, looking thoroughly annoyed.

He Chong asked, “Do you have any idea what time it is?”

“Six o’clock.” Zhou Mo rattled the chains, her face brimming with eagerness. “Which one do we start with first?”

“Which what?”

Thinking he was backing out on his word, Zhou Mo quickly said, “Last night, didn’t you…”

“Oh. We’ll talk once I wake up.” He Chong yawned again and turned to walk back inside.

“Hey!” Zhou Mo called out hurriedly to stop him. “Unlock the gate!”

He Chong paused, turned back, and said, “I didn’t bring the keys. Just climb over.”

The iron gate wasn’t particularly tall, but it wasn’t short either. Zhou Mo looked up at it, her expression hesitant.

He Chong raised an eyebrow slightly. “You want to do bad things, but you don’t even have this much nerve? Are you climbing over or not? If not, I’m going back to sleep…”

“Wait!” Zhou Mo swallowed hard, stepped closer, and gripped the iron bars with both hands.

He Chong walked over to coach her. “Step on the crossbar, grip tightly, then climb up. Once you reach the top, swing one leg over first… What are you afraid of? If you fall, I’ll definitely catch you.”

Zhou Mo nodded, her teeth clenched and her jaw set in a rigid line. Taking a deep breath, she gripped the bars tightly and pushed off with her feet. Climbing upward while searching for her next foothold, she quickly reached the top. She tossed down the cloth bag she was carrying first, then followed He Chong’s instructions by swinging her right leg over. Looking down, her nervousness faded slightly. Just as she was about to boast to He Chong, her left foot slipped on a crossbar, and her body instantly plunged downward.

“Ah!” Zhou Mo let out a sharp cry, her heart leaping into her throat, her mind going completely blank.

A moment later, she snapped back to reality. Feeling the strong grip of two arms wrapped around her back, she realized she hadn’t hit the ground. Instead, He Chong was holding her, her feet dangling in midair.

He Chong’s breath brushed against the top of her head, his voice laced with amusement. “What’s the panic? Told you I’d catch you.”

Zhou Mo’s entire weight rested against He Chong. In her initial panic, her hands had instinctively pressed against his chest. Now, feeling as if her palms were burning, she didn’t dare leave them there any longer. Squirming slightly, she murmured, “Put me down.”

He Chong let go, looking down at her with a smile. “Can you stand on your own?”

Her feet touched the ground. Averting her eyes, Zhou Mo awkwardly looked down to smooth her clothes. A moment later, she couldn’t help but look up again. He Chong, however, had already turned and walked away, his stride lazy and casual as usual. A subtle wave of annoyance welled up inside Zhou Mo.

Once inside the building, He Chong didn’t let Zhou Mo come upstairs, telling her to wait below while he headed up to the second floor. In the room, Yan Tianyu and Lin Xinghe were sleeping sprawled out every which way. He Chong didn’t wake them; he simply pulled on his clothes and grabbed his phone and wallet.

Heading back downstairs, he saw Zhou Mo crouching in front of the disassembled Audi, watching with keen interest. He Chong walked over and gave her head a light pat. “What are you looking at?”

Zhou Mo said, “When I was practicing basic skills as a kid, my teacher had me observe things around me, memorize them, and then draw them out exactly as they were.”

He Chong looked at the complex engine structure under the hood. “You can draw this?”

“I can. Anything my eyes can see, I can draw.”

He Chong chuckled, suddenly leaning in close to her face. “What about me? Can you draw me?”

Startled, Zhou Mo almost took a step back, her breathing slowing. Looking into his eyes so close to hers, she seemed briefly lost for words. “I can.”

“Then draw one of me.”

“I won’t.”

“Why not?”

“My rates are very high.”

He Chong smiled, pushed off the ground with one hand, and sprang to his feet. Zhou Mo paused in surprise; she had expected He Chong to keep haggling with her. Standing up after him, she said, “That’s not the attitude of someone genuinely asking for a drawing.”

“What, do I need to make three visits to your cottage^[1]? If you want to draw, draw; if you don’t, don’t. That’s up to you.”

That slight sense of annoyance from back at the gate flared up again, leaving Zhou Mo feeling inexplicably stifled, though she couldn’t say why. It was like playing badminton with someone; everything was going fine when suddenly the opponent stopped returning the shuttlecock, letting it fly past and drop to the ground.

He Chong took Zhou Mo out for breakfast, intending to drop her off back in the city after eating and run a few errands along the way. This time, it wasn’t at a roadside stall, but in a proper eatery that was much cleaner. A bowl of plain noodle soup with two poached eggs: clear droplets of oil floated on the light broth, scattered with bright green scallions, instantly whetting her appetite.

Zhou Mo was eating eagerly when He Chong stood up. A moment later, he returned with two bowls of hot rice tea, placing one beside her hand. Watching her devour the food, he smiled and said, “Weren’t you eating pretty delicately last time?”

Zhou Mo mumbled a quick “I was hungry” in response, finishing off nearly every last drop of soup. As warmth spread through her body, her mood brightened along with it. Seeing that He Chong had finished as well, she reached for her bag to pay the bill.

Just as her hand reached out, He Chong pressed it back down.

He Chong lowered his voice. “Just walk out.”

Zhou Mo’s eye twitched. “But…”

“Stay calm. Pretend we’ve already paid and just walk out like normal. I’ll count to three, and we leave together. Alright?”

Zhou Mo blinked. Sweat welled up in her palms, and her heart pounded violently, as if it no longer belonged to her. “Okay.”

The back kitchen of the eatery was bustling, and the proprietor’s wife was serving a neighboring table; everything seemed completely ordinary. Seeing He Chong’s lips move as he silently counted “one, two, three,” she immediately stood up.

Crossing the small dining room, navigating the aisle between neatly arranged tables, passing the cash register at the entrance… Sunlight burst into view, and Zhou Mo gasped for air like a drowning person brought to safety. But before she could even pause for two seconds, He Chong pushed her from behind. “Run!”

Zhou Mo didn’t think twice and sprinted away. She didn’t dare stop for even a second until she had run six or seven hundred meters, coming to a halt only when she reached the main gate of the garage.

He Chong followed close behind. Pulling out his car keys to unlock the door, he looked down at her with a grin. “Well? Thrilling?”

Her heart was still pounding frantically. Zhou Mo couldn’t speak, so she simply nodded.

The sun climbed above the buildings, rising higher as the car headed toward the city center. He Chong felt something off about the atmosphere. Glancing over, he realized it was because Zhou Mo hadn’t spoken a single word since getting into the car.

He Chong paused. “What’s wrong? Upset?”

Zhou Mo frowned deeply. “My conscience is bothering me a bit.” She spoke without any real conviction. She was the one who had drawn up the list, and He Chong had simply carried it out, yet here she was, being hypocritical. Pausing, she explained, “A small shop like that probably doesn’t make much after working hard all year.”

“It’s decent.” He Chong didn’t tell her that people running eateries made far more than someone like him who “fixed cars.”

Zhou Mo clutched her seatbelt, hesitating again and again. Finally, she exhaled deeply and made up her mind. “I want to go back and pay.”

He Chong said nothing, just looking at her.

Zhou Mo’s expression turned firm. “I really have to. It’s fine if I do something bad myself, but I can’t hurt someone else’s interests.” She glanced at He Chong, feeling a little anxious that he might be upset. Softening her voice pleadingly, she asked, “Is that okay? I can pay for your gas.”

Far from being annoyed, a faint glint of amusement appeared in He Chong’s eyes. But aloud, he still grumbled, “You really are high-maintenance.”

He Chong glanced over at her again. The young girl sat with her head lowered and shoulders hunched, looking just like an elementary school student who had gotten into trouble. For some reason, he felt like smiling, feeling a nameless sense of gratification, probably because he hadn’t misjudged her. She possessed a pure, naive kindness that saw the world in clear black and white, which also made it easy to destroy. Countless people waded across the worldly river of no return and turned a murky gray, but Zhou Mo didn’t have to.

In the silence, the car kept driving forward, prompting Zhou Mo to remind him, “Shouldn’t we make a U-turn?”

He Chong smiled. “I already paid.”

“You’re lying.”

“I paid when I brought you the rice tea. I tricked you on purpose.”

Zhou Mo glared at him, but He Chong’s grin only widened. Steering with one hand, he reached into the storage compartment for a cigarette with the other, lit it, and took a drag, unable to hide the smug look in his eyes.

Zhou Mo muttered under her breath, “Childish.” And he was eight years older than her, no less.

Not wanting to invite trouble if Zhou Mo’s parents bumped into them, He Chong parked by the roadside an intersection away from the Zhou family villa. The closer they got to her home, the quieter Zhou Mo became. By the time he pulled over, her expression was so grim she looked like she was on her way to serve a prison sentence.

He Chong sighed inwardly. “Call me if anything comes up. Did you save my number?” Seeing Zhou Mo nod, he paused in silence for a moment before reaching out to pat her shoulder lightly. “Go on back.”

Zhou Mo unbuckled her seatbelt and reached for the door handle, then suddenly stopped. She turned back to look at He Chong. “Can I call anytime?”

Her eyes were clear and bright, as if able to look straight into a person’s heart. He Chong gave a low laugh. “Whenever you want.”

After seeing Zhou Mo off, He Chong drove to the Gu family residence to see Gu Zhiru.

Two days ago, Gu Zhiru had called to ask for a face-to-face meeting, saying the joint burial could be negotiated. Based on the info Zhou Mo provided last time, He Chong had asked around about the Gu family business and concluded that the alleged financial crisis was indeed no baseless rumor.

He had gone into the meeting with high expectations, but he hadn’t anticipated that Gu Zhiru would remain so arrogant and refuse to yield an inch.

Naturally, He Chong stood firm on his principles and refused to compromise. The talks hit a stalemate and ended on a sour note.

Fortunately, the modification proposal went smoothly. He Chong, Lin Xinghe, and Yan Tianyu buried themselves in the garage, tinkering for a week straight until they completed the final plan.

Sun Qi inspected the work and was thoroughly satisfied. He readily paid seventy percent upfront, promising to settle the remaining thirty percent once he found someone to implement the plan.

He Chong wasn’t stingy at all and split the money equally among the three of them. The two college students earned a handsome payout from this single job and left thoroughly satisfied, one heading off on vacation and the other going home. Just like that, the noisy garage suddenly went quiet.

One morning, while He Chong was downstairs dismantling a car by himself, he suddenly felt how unusually desolate the vast workshop was. For no particular reason, he recalled a scene from not long ago: a little girl crouching over there, munching on a steamed bun while watching him dismantle a car.

He stopped what he was doing, dropped his wrench, crawled out from under the car, pulled off his gloves, washed his hands, and leaned back against the sink to light a cigarette.

Ten days had passed, and Zhou Mo hadn’t called him once.

Savoring his own mood, he let out a self-deprecating laugh. Young people these days never stuck to anything for long; whatever they did was just a passing phase.

He took two heavy drags from his cigarette, stubbed it out, turned to go upstairs, packed a few clothes, locked up the main gate, and drove straight toward the neighboring city of Luocheng.

On the road, He Chong called Han Yu. “It’s my uncle’s birthday the day after tomorrow, so I’m stepping out of Xicheng for a bit. Keep an eye on the bar for me.”

Han Yu scoffed. “As if you actually look after the bar when you’re in Xicheng.”

He Chong chuckled. “That’s because I trust you.”

Hanging up, he continued driving north. By noon, He Chong arrived at a garment factory on the outskirts of Luocheng.

When He Mi was young, she had made a foolish mistake. After giving birth to He Chong, she refused to acknowledge him as her son so that she could date and have children normally in the future, dumping him onto her older brother, He Zhengkui, instead.

He Chong’s uncle was an honest and steadfast man. Over this issue, he had gotten into countless arguments with He Chong’s aunt, eventually leading to a divorce. Yet from start to finish, He Zhengkui maintained a single stance: this was his nephew, and he had to look after him. Luckily, He Chong was sensible and had never caused He Zhengkui any trouble while growing up.

Three years ago, He Chong had taken the lead in funding a garment factory for He Zhengkui. They collaborated with independent influencer brands to take white-label manufacturing orders. Business had been steady, and they even expanded their production line at the start of the year.

In the afternoon, He Chong joined his uncle for a tour of the workshop. The newly acquired large textile equipment rumbled away while workers moved back and forth in an orderly fashion. That evening, the two went out for dinner and drinks. Having not seen each other in a long time, they naturally ended up drinking quite a bit.

He Chong helped the thoroughly drunk He Zhengkui back to the garment factory dormitory from the restaurant. All along the way, He Zhengkui kept nagging him to hurry up and find a wife, saying he wasn’t getting any younger and asking why he wasn’t the least bit anxious. He Chong didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Then why don’t you find me an aunt-in-law first?” He Zhengkui glared at him. “Show some respect.”

After helping his uncle into bed, He Chong took a shower. As he stepped out of the bathroom, he noticed his phone ringing on the coffee table. His eyelid twitched as a sudden, strong intuition washed over him.

He picked up the phone and looked at the screen. The caller ID showed a number from Paris, France. Puzzled, he threw on some clothes and answered, “Hello…”

“It’s me.”

It really was Zhou Mo calling. He Chong turned on the speakerphone, set the phone on the coffee table, lit a cigarette, and asked with a smile, “Why did you run off to Paris?”

Zhou Mo sounded a bit listless. “The day after I got home, my dad sent me out of the country.”

“A trip?”

“Training. My dad found a very famous master painter in Paris.”

“How long is the training?”

“Until school starts…” Zhou Mo sighed. “I’m being kept under very strict guard. My dad rented an apartment and arranged for a housekeeper to take care of me twenty-four hours a day, which is actually just surveillance. He probably thinks I’ve been a bit disobedient lately, so…”

He Chong frowned. “Is it okay for you to be calling?”

“They don’t check on me when I’m training at the master’s studio every day. I wanted to call you sooner, but my phone was stolen as soon as I arrived at the Paris airport. I didn’t memorize your number, only remembered the first nine digits, and tried several times… In the end, I had to ask Yinyin.”

He Chong couldn’t quite describe how he felt at that moment. He only felt a sudden tightness in his chest as a wave of emotion surged up inside him. He took a few deep drags of his cigarette, and once the stifling feeling subsided a little, he said, “You really are as foolish as they come.”

Zhou Mo said crossly, “Who told you not to use a smartphone? If you had WeChat or QQ^[2], contacting you wouldn’t have been such a hassle.”

He Chong instantly burst out laughing. “I can’t argue with that.”

Zhou Mo’s voice dropped. “I didn’t contact you for so long, so couldn’t you have taken the initiative to contact me?”

He Chong was rendered speechless, then let out a bitter smile, thinking to himself: At most, they had an employer-employee relationship. What standing did he have to reach out to her for no reason?

After a moment of silence, He Chong didn’t address her remark and asked instead, “Have you gotten used to living abroad?”

Zhou Mo immediately opened up, launching into a whole round of complaints about everything from the food to the weather. Listening to her, He Chong was amused from time to time. The call lasted a full half-hour, to the point where He Chong felt pained on her behalf over the phone bill. It was only when someone on her end seemed to be urging her along that Zhou Mo finally ended the call.

Silence returned to the room. He Chong had finished his cigarette long ago. Amid Zhou Mo’s detailed accounts, he sensed a touch of loneliness.

After celebrating his uncle’s birthday, He Chong returned to Xicheng and headed to the bar first. As soon as he showed his face, Han Yu teased him mercilessly, “Old He, what gave you the push to finally step into the modern age?” Taking He Chong by surprise, Han Yu reached out and pulled the brand-new phone straight from his trousers pocket. “Tsk tsk, you even knew to get an iPhone.”

He Chong didn’t let him inspect it closely and snatched it back.

Han Yu sized him up with a knowing smile. “I heard from Ye Yinyin that you asked her for Little Jasmine’s WeChat?”

He Chong didn’t bother responding. He really had bought the phone because of what Zhou Mo said, but he truly wasn’t used to it. After fiddling with it for a long time, he had only installed two or three common apps and added two or three contacts on WeChat. Now that keeping in touch was easier, Zhou Mo would send him photos every few days: pigeons in a square, a cat on a balcony. Though he claimed it was annoying, he still looked at every single one. Sometimes, when he was bored, he would even scroll back and look at them again.

Han Yu refused to drop it. “That girl is pretty great. Genuine people like her are rare these days. She’s pretty too, and a top student at Xicheng University.” Han Yu chuckled. “Are you feeling self-conscious? Thinking you come from a humble background and don’t deserve a young lady from a good family?”

He Chong’s expression didn’t change in the slightest. “You’re amazing. I didn’t even know I was going through such a complex inner journey.”

Their banter over, Han Yu got down to business. “Young Master Sun called you, right? He left the invitation here with me and insisted you give him the honor of attending. Old He, you’ve got quite the standing.”

That morning, He Chong had received a call from Sun Qi. To show appreciation for the modification plan He Chong had designed, Sun Qi had invited him to his birthday cocktail party. He Chong had no desire to get too deeply involved with Sun Qi, but in the end, he was wary of Sun Qi’s influence in Xicheng; having the invitation delivered to the bar was a clear signal. Since Sun Qi had the power to treat He Chong as an honored guest, he naturally had the power to crush him into dust just as easily.

The party took place two weeks later at a six-star hotel in a suburban resort. Clinking glasses and lively chatter filled the banquet hall. Dressed in a suit, He Chong felt completely out of his element.

Sun Qi introduced him to his circle of friends. “This is Brother Chong. I mentioned him to you before; he’s extremely reliable.”

One of Sun Qi’s friends chimed in, “Brother Chong used to run down south, right? You look familiar. Were you the champion of that city racing tournament?”

He Chong gave a polite smile. “That was just the first one. The competition wasn’t very strong, so I was just a bit lucky.”

Another friend of Sun Qi’s laughed. “Is Brother Chong open to anyone now, or strictly doing custom orders?”

Sun Qi answered for him. “This is a skilled craft. Even if Brother Chong wanted to take on more orders, he wouldn’t have the energy for it. Right, Brother Chong?” The implication was crystal clear: he didn’t want He Chong taking orders from anyone else.

He Chong smiled and said, “I’m just an amateur with limited skills. I’m grateful Young Master Sun thinks so highly of me.”

After exchanging pleasantries, He Chong took the opportunity to step out of the banquet hall. Smoking wasn’t allowed indoors, so he went out to the balcony, lit a cigarette, rested his arms on the railing, and took slow drags.

Below was a swimming pool, and on the surrounding lawn stood glamorous guests in elegant attire. He Chong glanced down casually, but his gaze suddenly paused. Beside a white dining table near the pool stood a familiar figure. He squinted for a moment, confirming that it was indeed Zhou Mo.

Zhou Mo being here was no coincidence. For Sun Qi’s birthday, almost every figure of any standing in Xicheng had been invited to attend. Zhou Mo had landed in the morning, been dragged off by Tang Shulan in the afternoon to get styled, and arrived directly at the party in the evening. Having flown over ten hours from Paris with barely any rest, she was entirely dazed.

Tang Shulan gave her waist a gentle pinch. “Momo, Uncle Duan is asking you a question.”

Zhou Mo finally snapped back to reality. “Oh, I’m majoring in oil painting.”

Opposite them stood the father and son of the Duan Family, who were immensely influential in Xicheng. The Duan Family had originally come from a scholarly lineage before abandoning scholarship for business, primarily dealing in fashion and cosmetics, though they were also deeply involved in art investment. Currently, Duan Yongzhou was in charge of the art investment sector. He was twenty-six years old, a star graduate from the University of Pennsylvania who had just returned to the country early this year. Tonight, Zhou Mo had been brought to the banquet for no other reason than him.

The elder Duan smiled and said, “Yongzhou loves art too. When he was little, he even wanted to learn painting like his grandfather, but unfortunately, he lacked the talent.”

Zhou Sipei smiled with deferential politeness without seeming obsequious. “In that case, why don’t we let the two young people talk alone? Standing around here, we’re only in the way.”

The elder Duan laughed. “Right, right, let’s talk among ourselves.”

Tang Shulan patted Zhou Mo on the shoulder, giving her a warning look.

With the adults gone, the atmosphere did not lighten at all; instead, it grew even more awkward. Zhou Mo looked at Duan Yongzhou across from her, unsure of how to start a conversation.

Duan Yongzhou, however, looked composed. He pointed at a chair beside them. “Shall we sit?”

The two sat down, facing the shimmering swimming pool, neither of them speaking. After a moment, Zhou Mo heard Duan Yongzhou let out a few muffled coughs. She turned to look and saw him pressing the back of his hand to his lips, his brow furrowed in pain. The painful coughing spell had finally brought a touch of color to his pale face.

“Are you okay?”

Duan Yongzhou shook his head, his voice smooth and steady as flowing water. “Go have fun on your own. You don’t need to keep me company.”

Hearing him say that, Zhou Mo felt too embarrassed to leave after all. “Wait a moment. I’ll get you some hot water.” Gathering the hem of her gown, she stood up and stopped a server.

Before long, a glass of hot water was brought to Duan Yongzhou. Holding the glass, he took a couple of sips and softly said, “Thank you.”

Zhou Mo sat there awkwardly, not daring to leave. When she had stood up earlier, she had seen Tang Shulan and Zhou Sipei sitting not far away, watching her every move closely.

Duan Yongzhou followed her gaze and suddenly asked, “Shall we go inside?”

Once inside the hotel lobby, Duan Yongzhou stopped and looked down at Zhou Mo. “Go do your own thing. Don’t worry. If anyone asks, I’ll tell Uncle Zhou that we went out together.”

Zhou Mo was taken aback. “Why are you helping me?”

“You’re uncomfortable, and so am I,” Duan Yongzhou said evenly. He didn’t seem interested in small talk; bowing slightly, he walked past her into the building.

Zhou Mo glanced toward the entrance. Confirming that her parents hadn’t followed her in, she quickened her pace and headed swiftly toward the back of the lobby. A corridor there led straight to the rear exit and the parking lot.

Pushing open the back door, the damp, muggy air of the parking lot rushed to meet her. Zhou Mo took a deep breath, but suddenly heard the door behind her open again. Startled, she spun around, only to freeze.

Standing in the doorway was He Chong.

He Chong still had that same lazy, unbothered air. He looked at her with an inscrutable smile. “Long time no see.”

Zhou Mo couldn’t hide her surprise and delight. “What are you doing here?” He was wearing a formal suit; the last time she had seen him dressed like this was at He Mi’s funeral. She had to admit that in a suit, he exuded an aura distinct from his usual self, handsome in a way that was both proper and understated.

He Chong pulled out his car keys. “Where to? I’ll give you a lift.”

“I don’t know… Just drive around anywhere.”

Once inside the car, He Chong yanked off his tie and unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt, finally feeling comfortable. As he drove out of the parking lot, he cast a glance at Zhou Mo.

She was wearing a simple gown with light makeup, her hair meticulously styled. Pretty as she was, she looked so overly refined that she seemed a bit unfamiliar to him.

Earlier, he had stood not far away and watched the entire spectacle of her parents forcing her into this blind date without missing a single detail. His feelings were complex, a tangled knot he couldn’t quite unravel.

Zhou Mo turned on the car radio, keeping her head lowered in silence, looking listless.

He Chong withdrew his gaze and reached for his cigarette pack. He pulled out a cigarette and flicked his lighter. With a soft click, a flame burst forth. Leaning in to light it, He Chong took a drag and exhaled heavily.

Without looking at Zhou Mo, he said in a low voice, “That guy seems decent enough.”

Zhou Mo was stunned. She hadn’t expected He Chong to have witnessed such an embarrassing scene. She looked up at him. “You…”

“I’m a good judge of character. He’s not a bad guy.”

That feeling of annoyance welled up again, leaving Zhou Mo’s chest tight and heavy. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

He Chong chuckled softly. “Just stating a fact. Nothing more.”

Anger flaring inside her, Zhou Mo blurted out without thinking, “What do you know!”

He Chong paused and turned his head to look at her.

Zhou Mo bit her lip tightly, tears shimmering in her eyes. A knot of hurt choked her throat. “Do you know why my family keeps such a tight leash on me? My grandfather made his fortune through cutthroat profiteering and lacked formal education, so my father has always been desperate to enter true high society. His way of doing that was grooming me from childhood, using marriage as a stepping stone to advance his own standing…”

Tears welled in her eyes, but Zhou Mo fought to keep them from falling. “When I was young, I didn’t understand. I thought they were just strict with me. Until I was sixteen, when I overheard my father and mother going down the list of every prominent family in Xicheng…”

Family background, education, looks… weighed by the pound, meticulously calculated. The scene had been so cold-blooded and blatant that whenever she thought back to it, a chill ran down her spine.

He Chong suddenly slammed on the brakes. Zhou Mo lurched forward, instinctively reaching out to steady herself against the center console.

Holding the cigarette in his left hand, He Chong reached out with his right to switch off the radio. In the heavy silence that followed, smoke coiled through the cabin, sharp and pungent.

He looked at Zhou Mo, his expression serious in a way it had never been before. “Is this the kind of life you want?”

“I…”

“Do you or don’t you?”

Zhou Mo closed her eyes. “No.”

“If you don’t, then fight back. Half-hearted acting out won’t change anything.”

Zhou Mo pressed her lips together, silent. She didn’t dare. She had nothing; if she left the Zhou family, she was nobody.

“Zhou Mo, do you know how I grew up?” He Chong flicked away the long length of ash gathered on the cigarette in his left hand, brought it to his lips, and took a drag. “If I hadn’t fought back, if I hadn’t fought for myself, I probably would’ve died a long time ago.”

After a brief pause, he felt he had made it sound too extreme. “Of course, you’re different from me. The kind of life you want to escape might be the very thing most people yearn for.”

He stubbed out the half-smoked cigarette and started the car again. Streetlights receded rapidly outside the window. Amid the chaotic shift between light and dark, Zhou Mo remained silent.

He Chong had a premonition that after this conversation, he and Zhou Mo wouldn’t see each other again.

Finally, the car pulled up to the curb not far from the Zhou family home. He Chong rested a hand on the back of the passenger seat and patted it lightly. “Go on, get out.”

Zhou Mo silently unbuckled her seatbelt, pushed open the car door, and stepped out. Lush trees and flowers lined the road. He Chong was in no rush to leave, watching Zhou Mo walk unevenly into the distance, her shadow trailing on the ground, her figure forlorn.

Suddenly, she stopped beneath a tree, stood still for a moment, and crouched down.

Stunned, He Chong pushed open the car door and ran over without a second thought.

Zhou Mo’s head was buried deep in her arms, soft sobs escaping her.

He grabbed one of Zhou Mo’s arms, draped it over his shoulder, and pressed a hand against her back, giving a light pull. Zhou Mo leaned forward, her knees dropping to the ground as he pulled her firmly into his arms, and she broke into loud wails.

The girl was far frailer than he had imagined, her slender wrist bones looking as though they might snap with the slightest pressure. She cried intensely, her body trembling, like a fledgling bird desperate to return to its nest, its wings soaked by cold rain, unable to find the way home.

For no clear reason, He Chong thought back to his own eighteen-year-old self. He had finished high school, failed to get into college, and had nowhere to go. In a haze of confusion, he had boarded the bus to report for military service. Back then, after training ended, watching the sunset fade over the drill grounds, he had always felt a gnawing fear that the world was vast, yet he had nowhere left to turn.

The growing pains of youth cut deeper than any injury. Zhou Mo was going through them now, and he could no longer stand by as a mere spectator. This feeling might be concern, or a tender care deeper than concern, or perhaps something deeper still: affection.

He Chong mulled it over, then lightly nudged the weeping Zhou Mo in his arms. “Want me to take you boxing again?”

Zhou Mo replied in a muffled voice, “No.”

“Are you hungry then? Want me to take you to get something to eat?”

“No.”

He Chong narrowed his eyes. “Aren’t you a bit hard to please? Give me a little credit here, would you?”

Zhou Mo let out a small snort and finally burst into laughter.

He Chong loosened his grip and helped her back into a crouch, reaching out to pat the dust off the knees of her dress. Her makeup was smudged from crying, turning her back into the familiar, disheveled girl he knew so well.

Zhou Mo pulled He Chong’s sleeve over and wiped the tears from her cheeks.

He Chong shook his sleeve with disgust. “It’s covered in snot.”

“There is no snot!”

“Is too. You were even blowing snot bubbles.”

Zhou Mo hastily wiped her nose with the back of her hand, only to see the mischievous grin on He Chong’s face and realize he was teasing her again. The two of them crouching in the shadow of the tree looked completely out of place in their fine clothes. Yet Zhou Mo didn’t care at all; she felt only relief, a small spark of courage kindling in her heart. “Will you stay with me?”

He Chong didn’t catch her drift. “Hmm?”

Zhou Mo looked up, her eyes washed clean by tears and shining bright. “If I fight back, will you stay by my side?”

He Chong pondered for a moment. “I’ll have to think about it. My rates are pretty high, after all.”

Zhou Mo gave him a push. “Holding a grudge? Stingy.”

He Chong burst out laughing.

Hacking through briars and thorns, wading through waters to slay dragons: these were a knight’s duties to begin with. If one day the princess wanted to venture out and take on the world, the knight would willingly accompany her.

Looking at Zhou Mo, he felt a sense of helplessness he hadn’t experienced in years. All his emotions ultimately boiled down to a single internal sigh: despite being eight years her senior, he had really capsized in a ditch^[3].

With the start of the new semester, Zhou Mo was stretched thin, balancing her studies while helping Ye Yinyin prepare for the finals of the entrepreneurship competition. It wasn’t until mid-September, when things finally settled down a bit, that Zhou Mo planned to meet up with He Chong.

During a general lecture that day, Zhou Mo sent He Chong a WeChat message asking when he was free. Although He Chong had switched to a smartphone, he was still slow to reply to messages. Zhou Mo waited and waited without a response. Bored out of her mind, she pulled out her sketchbook and aimlessly sketched lines onto the paper while listening to the lecture.

Ye Yinyin suddenly ducked her head and leaned in close. “Momo, want to hear some gossip?”

Zhou Mo snapped back to reality and glanced at her sketchbook. A few simple strokes had outlined a familiar silhouette. Startled, she hastily covered it with a textbook. “What gossip?”

“Lin Heng,” Ye Yinyin whispered. “He broke up with his girlfriend from Xicheng Normal University last week.”

Zhou Mo felt only indifference; Lin Heng felt like someone from a past life. Just then, the screen of the phone resting in her desk drawer lit up, and she quickly pulled it out.

Sure enough, it was a message from He Chong: “I’m at the bar. Free whenever.”

Zhou Mo quickly replied: “Lunch is on me today.”

He Chong: “Sure. What time do you finish? I’ll wait at the campus gate.”

Zhou Mo agreed on a time with him, locked her phone, and turned around to find Ye Yinyin staring at her with burning curiosity.

Ye Yinyin: “Are you and that older guy named He actually a thing?”

Zhou Mo was thoroughly caught off guard. “Are you kidding? Me and him, we…” She suddenly found herself at a loss for words, unable to define what their relationship currently was, knowing only that it wasn’t remotely what Ye Yinyin was suggesting.

“You two?”

Zhou Mo turned Ye Yinyin’s head back toward the front. “Pay attention to the lecture.”

When class ended, Ye Yinyin went to a club meeting while Zhou Mo went to meet He Chong. As she neared the gate, someone walked straight toward her.

Zhou Mo paused in her tracks and offered a completely flat greeting. “Lin Heng.”

Lin Heng took a step closer, looking down at her eagerly. “Are you free? Let’s find somewhere we can talk.”

“Let’s talk right here.”

Lin Heng glanced around. “Let’s find somewhere else. There are people coming and going here.”

Zhou Mo didn’t yield an inch. “I’m in a hurry.”

Lin Heng took another step closer. “Zhou Mo, I’ve always wanted to apologize to you.” He paused, reached into his jacket pocket, and pulled out an envelope.

The moment Zhou Mo saw the envelope, her expression changed, and she lunged to snatch it away. Lin Heng raised his arm, easily dodging her grasp.

“What are you trying to do?”

Lin Heng looked at her. “Give me another chance. This time, I’m willing to wait until you’re ready.”

Thinking back, the heartache of their breakup really hadn’t happened that long ago, yet it felt like ages past. Whether it was the fluttering heart when he first pursued her or the lingering bitterness when he dumped her, both felt completely foreign now. Seeing Lin Heng suddenly change his mind out of nowhere left Zhou Mo bewildered and slightly amused.

Zhou Mo checked the time, having no time to dawdle. “I don’t think that’s necessary.” With that, she started walking forward.

Lin Heng quickly stepped forward and grabbed her arm. “Listen to me…”

Zhou Mo yanked hard, but couldn’t break free. Flustered and annoyed, she snapped, “Let go!”

“Zhou Mo…”

As they struggled, a loud whistle suddenly sounded from ahead. Zhou Mo looked up and hurriedly called out, “He Chong! Help me!”

He Chong was wearing a dress shirt today, a rare sight, likely here on business. The black shirt gave him a distant, aloof look.

He Chong walked over at an unhurried pace. Looking at Lin Heng with a half-smile, he said, “Friend, let go first, and let’s talk properly.”

Lin Heng raised an eyebrow at him, but only tightened his grip. The next second, He Chong seized his other arm, lifting and twisting it back so forcefully that Lin Heng’s whole body was yanked outward.

He Chong said coldly, “Let go!”

Cold sweat broke out on Lin Heng’s forehead from the pain. Not daring to resist, he hastily let go of Zhou Mo. Holding his wrist, he took a step back and realized the letter he had been clutching was now in He Chong’s hand.

He Chong flicked the paper open with his fingers, about to unfold the letter. “Did you write this to Zhou Mo?”

Zhou Mo turned pale and urgently called out, “He Chong! Don’t read it!”

He Chong raised an eyebrow, casually folded the letter back up, and stuffed it into her hand.

Zhou Mo was easily embarrassed, and the scene at the school gate left her eyes rimmed red with frustration. She crumpled the letter into her bag without care, ignoring both He Chong and Lin Heng as she hurried off with her head down. He Chong shot Lin Heng a warning glance before stepping out to follow her.

People bustled about at the school gate. Zhou Mo clutched her bag tightly and walked briskly, nearly bumping into passersby several times. He Chong followed right behind her, considering speeding up to catch her, but thought better of it.

After walking more than five hundred meters and turning into an alley, the crowd thinned out.

With one hand in his pocket, He Chong maintained a seemingly lazy, unhurried pace, yet he never allowed the distance between them to widen.

“Hey.”

Zhou Mo walked quickly, turning a deaf ear.

“Hey, did you call me over just to go power-walking with you?”

The figure ahead paused. He Chong caught up in a few swift strides, grabbed her arm, and looked down at her face. “You’re not crying.”

“Who would cry over him?”

He Chong smiled. “It’s just a letter. Is it really worth all this?”

Zhou Mo kept her eyes lowered. “I wrote that letter to him after he broke up with me. He broke up with me because…”

The autumn sunlight carried a warm scent mingled with dust. The alley was lined with a few houses and small shops; from behind the tightly shut doors of one home, half a tangerine tree reached out over the concrete wall.

He Chong suddenly leaped up, plucked a tangerine from the tree, and offered it to Zhou Mo. “Guess whether this tangerine is sour.”

“Huh?” Zhou Mo looked a little confused.

He Chong looked at her and split the tangerine open. “Let’s make a bet. Loser buys dinner.”

Clumsy as it was, he had still interrupted her unburdening. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to hear it, but that he couldn’t bear to. One could easily imagine what intricate emotions were bound up in that letter.

Zhou Mo happened to be standing right beneath the branches of the tangerine tree leaning over the wall, wearing a white T-shirt with denim overalls, her long black hair tied back in a ponytail. Set against the autumn backdrop of green leaves and orange fruit, she looked so pure that He Chong was inexplicably reminded of the orange soda he used to drink as a kid.

Just taken from the cooler, still misting with a chilly frost. A slight bite on the tongue, followed by a cool, lingering sweetness. But because it came in a clear glass bottle, it had to be handled gently, cared for with delicate attention.

“Do you think it’s sour?”

He Chong mused, “Probably not.”

“Then you lost.” Zhou Mo raised her eyebrows with a slight smile. “Didn’t you learn about the roadside plum tree^[4] in school? If it weren’t sour, people would have picked it bare long ago.”

“Never learned it. I’m uneducated.”

Zhou Mo glared at him. “What’s there to be proud of?”

He Chong laughed, broke off a segment from half of the tangerine, and tried to pop it into Zhou Mo’s mouth. “Try it.”

Zhou Mo pressed her lips tight and shook her head vigorously to dodge him.

“Why are you dodging? Go on, try it.”

“I don’t need to taste it, it smells sour already!”

“So you see…” He Chong tossed the tangerine into a dustpan sitting outside a house door. “Some things are clearly no good, so there’s no need to waste effort trying them.”

Zhou Mo froze for a moment.

“I don’t know about anyone else, but if it were me and I liked a girl, let alone break up with her, I wouldn’t let her suffer even the slightest bit of grievance.” He Chong set off walking again.

Zhou Mo stopped for three or four seconds. For a moment, she genuinely couldn’t tell whether He Chong’s sudden move had been planned all along or if he was just seizing the opportunity to make a point.

In that brief moment of distraction, he had already walked far ahead.

“He Chong, wait!”

He Chong paused and turned back to look. Zhou Mo pulled the letter out of her bag, tore it to shreds in a few quick tears, and casually tossed them beside the tangerine in the dustpan. She dusted off her hands and caught up with a light step.

He Chong smiled.

As the two walked down the alley, He Chong asked, “What do you want for lunch? My treat.”

“How about grilled fish? There’s a famous grilled fish place downtown.”

He Chong paused. “It’ll be crowded at lunch, won’t we have to wait in line? I’ll take you next time. I have something to do this afternoon, so there probably won’t be enough time.”

“What is it?”

“Picking someone up.”

“Who?”

He Chong looked at her, hesitated for a few seconds, and finally decided to tell the truth. “My cousin. He’s getting released from prison today.”

Zhou Mo was taken aback.

Ever since she met He Chong, Zhou Mo had been introduced to Han Yu, who ran a bar; Wang Song, who ran a boxing gym; two college students involved in car modification; and now a cousin who was just getting out of prison…

As if reading her mind, He Chong said casually, “Think my social circle is a bit too complicated?”

Zhou Mo shook her head hurriedly.

He Chong didn’t say anything more. “Think about what you want to eat.”

They ended up having lunch at a restaurant specializing in fish with pickled mustard greens. He Chong was the one who found the spot. Even though Zhou Mo had lived in Xicheng for twenty years, she had no idea such a hidden gem existed.

Hearing her say that, He Chong couldn’t hide his pride. “I won’t brag about other things, but when it comes to finding good food, I’m an expert.”

Thoroughly satisfied, Zhou Mo patted her belly, refraining from bickering with him for once.

He Chong settled the bill and prepared to drive Zhou Mo back to campus. Watching him slide his wallet into his pocket, Zhou Mo suddenly realized something: she had known him for a while now, and though she was supposedly hiring him as a “part-timer,” she hadn’t spent a single cent so far. Feeling a bit guilty, she offered, “Let me buy you a bubble tea.”

“Only kids like you drink those sickeningly sweet things.”

Zhou Mo hurried to catch up with him. “Then… how about I pay you your wages?”

He Chong paused in his tracks. This time, she reacted quickly, stopping just in time to avoid bumping into him. Seeing the complex expression on his face, she couldn’t help asking, “Is something wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong. Just keep track of it, and we’ll settle it all at once later.”

Reaching the curb, He Chong unlocked the car. Zhou Mo lagged two or three meters behind him, her steps hesitating slightly without her realizing it.

He Chong had already held open the car door for her and turned around to look at her. The expression on his face seemed to say: Can you hurry it up? Why are you moving like you haven’t eaten?

Zhou Mo dragged her feet forward, finally making it over to him. She hesitated for a moment, but still couldn’t hold back what was on her mind. “Can I go with you?”

For a rare moment, He Chong fell silent.

Unable to hide her disappointment, Zhou Mo slipped into the front passenger seat.

When the car pulled up at the school gates, He Chong stayed in the driver’s seat and instructed her to contact him if anything came up. “Call me if it’s urgent. I don’t use WeChat much.”

Pressing her lips together, Zhou Mo slid out of the car, slammed the door shut with a loud thud, and walked away without looking back.

He Chong chuckled softly to himself. “Heh, quite a temper on her.”

At Xicheng Prison, He Chong picked up his cousin, He Yifei.

He Yifei had already changed into his own clothes and was sitting on a chair in the reception room, holding a black duffel bag. Seeing He Chong walk in, he stood up immediately and grinned. “Bro.” He Yifei was three years younger than He Chong. Being gentle-natured, he had often been picked on growing up, requiring the quick-witted and agile He Chong to stand up for him.

He Chong threw an arm around his shoulders and took the bag from him. “Let’s go. I booked a restaurant so we can get some food first. Then you can rest at my place, and later I’ll drive you over to Uncle’s.”

“My dad… doesn’t know yet, right?”

“Kept him in the dark the whole time.”

He Yifei’s expression dimmed. “Bro, thank you.”

“What’s there to thank me for?” He Chong rubbed his head. He Yifei wore a crew cut, and his prickly hair felt surprisingly pleasant to touch, so He Chong couldn’t resist giving it another pat or two.

He Yifei tilted his head away. “Bro, stop it.”

After their meal, He Chong brought He Yifei to his workshop in Yannan Town. After taking a shower and changing clothes, He Yifei found He Chong downstairs. He Chong was sitting on the steps by the entrance smoking, absentmindedly tapping a pair of pliers against the floor tiles.

He Yifei sat down beside him and held out his hand. “What’s this?”

He Chong turned to look. Sitting in He Yifei’s palm was a hair tie adorned with two tiny cherry charms, which obviously couldn’t belong to him. After thinking for a moment, he guessed Zhou Mo must have left it behind one of the times she showered here.

He Chong snatched it back. “Where did you find this?”

“On your bed.”

He Chong: “…”

He Yifei clutched his stomach, laughing out loud. “Just kidding! It was on the bathroom windowsill.”

He Chong gave him a look. “Spent half a year inside and came out even craftier, huh?”

Naturally, He Yifei pressed for details. “Bro, is there something going on with you?”

“What could possibly be going on? With my circumstances…”

“Your circumstances aren’t bad at all. Things aren’t like they used to be back then. You have Han Yu’s bar and this auto repair shop… Unless you’re trying to marry some fairy maiden, then maybe you’re still falling a bit short.”

He Chong let out a chuckle and steered the conversation away. “Alright, alright, stop worrying about me. What are your plans for the future?”

Before this, He Yifei had run a small shop making lightbox advertisements and neon signs. It didn’t make a fortune, but it was more than enough to support himself. However, he had already transferred ownership of the shop, using the proceeds to pay the damages after losing his lawsuit. If he wanted to start another business now, he would definitely have to ask He Chong for money.

Not wanting to cause He Chong any more trouble, He Yifei thought it over and said, “I’ll go to the factory to help my dad.”

“Works too. Business at the factory is pretty good right now, so going there will help lighten Uncle’s load. Don’t be so naive in the future. If you meet a girl, bring her over for your big brother to take a look at first, and I’ll screen her for you.”

He Yifei nodded obediently. “Yeah.”

After a moment, he remembered something. “About Aunt… my condolences.”

He Chong’s expression remained calm. “How long has it been already? There’s nothing left to grieve over. She was so uncomfortable staying with the Gu family; passing away might actually be a relief for her.”

“Where is she buried? I’ll go pay my respects tomorrow.”

“She hasn’t been buried yet…” He Chong explained the whole complicated story to He Yifei.

He Yifei pondered for a moment. “But leaving Aunt’s ashes at the funeral home isn’t right either. Wouldn’t it be better to bring them back?”

He Chong chuckled. “Bring them back and put them where? Uncle was angry with her and didn’t even attend her funeral. You don’t know my mother. She fought so hard her entire life to get to this point. If she stumbles on this final move, wouldn’t the whole game be lost?”

He Yifei pursed his lips. “I don’t get it anyway.”

“It’s best that you don’t.”

A few days later, He Chong took He Yifei to his uncle He Zhengkui’s factory. He Zhengkui knew nothing about He Yifei’s prison sentence, genuinely believing that He Yifei had gone to Southeast Asia to do business, just as he had been told. Seeing that He Yifei hadn’t tanned at all when they met, He Zhengkui wondered about it for a good while. “Didn’t you say the sun down there was brutal?” He Chong presented the local Southeast Asian specialties he had prepared in advance, helping He Yifei smooth over the lie.

Having settled He Yifei, another weight lifted from He Chong’s mind, leaving only He Mi and Zhou Mo to trouble him now.

At the thought of Zhou Mo, he could not help but sigh.

His car was parked along the curb outside the clothing factory. The key was in the ignition, but he had not started the engine. He Chong lit a cigarette, clamped it between his lips, and pulled the hairband from his pocket, inspecting it carefully in his hand.

Outside, rain fell with a gentle rustle, making the interior of the car feel exceptionally quiet.

He remembered walking past the corner store freezer in town as a child, staring hungrily at the clear, sparkling bottles of tangerine soda inside until his throat grew dry, even though he did not have a single cent in his pockets.

That anxiety and heartache of longing for what he couldn’t have had never been purged from his bones. Today, it resurfaced to clamor once more.

Squinting, He Chong flicked the cherry ornament dangling from the hairband, as if flicking Zhou Mo’s perpetually pouty face. “You really are a handful.”

Zhou Mo sneezed.

It was her tenth sneeze of the day. Her throat felt dry and sore; with the shift in autumn weather, she had unluckily come down with a cold. For some reason, today was an exceptionally bad day for her. On top of falling ill, she had run right into Duan Yongzhou at the department office.

Zhou Mo had originally gone to submit her assignment to Jiang Ye. Pushing open the ajar door, she saw a man sitting on the sofa in a sharp suit, who turned out to be Duan Yongzhou. He was there to handle follow-up arrangements for the “Duan Shao’an Cup” Youth Oil Painting Competition.

Only then did Zhou Mo connect the competition she had previously turned down with Duan Yongzhou. The famous painter Duan Shao’an had possessed extraordinary talent and made great achievements in his field, but heaven grew jealous of genius, and he died young. To honor his memory, the descendants of the Duan Family established the “Duan Shao’an Cup” Youth Oil Painting Competition in his name. And Duan Yongzhou was Duan Shao’an’s grandson.

It was already too late for Zhou Mo to retreat. Jiang Ye waved warmly to her. “Zhou Mo, you came at just the right time! I was just talking about you!”

Zhou Mo had no choice but to walk over and greet him. “Hello, Mr. Duan.”

Jiang Ye blinked in surprise. “You two know each other?”

“We’ve met once,” Duan Yongzhou said.

Jiang Ye smiled and said, “All the better that you know each other, then. Mr. Duan, I strongly recommend Zhou Mo to you. If you’re looking to invest and promote talent, no student in our academy currently has greater potential than her.”

As if to confirm, Duan Yongzhou flipped through the stack of names beside him, then looked up at Zhou Mo. “You didn’t enter the competition?”

“No.”

“Why? You felt it lacked prestige?”

Jiang Ye stepped in to smooth things over. “That’s just Zhou Mo’s nature; she cares little for fame or profit. Besides, this competition used a set topic, and she felt it was too limiting.”

Duan Yongzhou barely seemed to be paying attention. “Do you have any work? May I take a look?”

“Yes, there are a few in my studio…” Decisive as always, Jiang Ye set off to lead Duan Yongzhou to her studio right then and there.

Zhou Mo quickly stepped forward. “Professor Jiang, I just want to focus on painting. I’m not interested in any of this.”

Duan Yongzhou slowly raised his eyes, his gaze settling on Zhou Mo with a touch of scrutiny.

Zhou Mo placed the art appreciation assignment she had brought onto the desk. “My assignment… I’ll leave it here.” With that, she glanced at Jiang Ye, silently asking if she could leave.

Having taught for over a decade, Jiang Ye had seen all kinds of students. Art students often had quirky temperaments, and Zhou Mo was far from the oddest. She didn’t say much more, simply instructing, “Next Wednesday at two in the afternoon, bring your practice work to the studio to meet me. Don’t forget.”

Having “escaped with her life,” Zhou Mo let out a long sigh of relief as she stepped out of the faculty building. Opening her umbrella, she texted Ye Yinyin as she walked to confirm the time and location for the finals of the entrepreneurship competition.

Ye Yinyin replied quickly: This Saturday at two in the afternoon, Xicheng Hotel Banquet Hall. Honestly, Zhou Mo, what use are you? I can’t catch a glimpse of you all day.

Zhou Mo gave a light laugh and replied: I’m here to be your mascot!

Ye Yinyin: You said it! For an occasion as important as the finals, asking the mascot to perform a cheer routine on stage to liven things up isn’t too much to ask, right?

Because she had to hold her umbrella with one hand and type with the other, Zhou Mo walked very slowly.

She hadn’t gone far when hurried footsteps caught up behind her. “Miss Zhou.”

Zhou Mo took a moment to react before turning around to see Duan Yongzhou coming up behind her. He carried no umbrella, and the fine rain had dampened his hair, making it look even darker and rendering his face particularly pale in contrast.

Remembering how he had coughed continuously the last time they met, Zhou Mo held out her umbrella to him without a second thought. “Is there something wrong?”

Duan Yongzhou didn’t take it. Instead, he said urgently, “I am formally inviting you to sign with my company.”

Zhou Mo was somewhat bewildered.

Duan Yongzhou explained, “I just looked at your paintings. Professor Jiang was right; you have immense investment value.”

Zhou Mo gave a faint smile. “You had better ask someone else, Mr. Duan. Or I could recommend a few people to you…”

Duan Yongzhou cut her off. “I am one of the judges for this competition. I’ve seen all the entries, and I trust my judgment.”

Zhou Mo fell silent for a moment. “I’m not cut out for it. I lack ambition, and I only paint for my own enjoyment.”

“You only need to paint. Someone else will take care of everything else.”

Zhou Mo still shook her head.

Undeterred, Duan Yongzhou pulled out a business card and handed it to her. “If you change your mind, please feel free to contact me anytime.” He did not linger or press further. Once Zhou Mo took the card, he nodded slightly and turned away into the rain.

Zhou Mo had turned Duan Yongzhou down, but the matter did not end there as she had hoped.

On Friday evening, the award ceremony and celebratory cocktail party for the “Duan Shao’an Cup” Youth Painting Grand Prix were held at a hotel in Xicheng, hosted personally by Duan Yongzhou.

Zhou Sipei and Tang Shulan naturally got wind of such a grand occasion. Upon inquiring and learning that Zhou Mo had not even registered to participate, they flew into a thunderous rage.

When Zhou Mo got home after her evening elective class, she opened the door to see Zhou Sipei and Tang Shulan sitting upright on the sofa, their faces cold as ice. Their posture made it clear they were waiting specifically for her.

Zhou Mo locked her phone screen, quietly slipped it into her pocket, and forced herself to step forward. “Dad, Mom…”

Zhou Sipei roared in fury, “Kneel down!”

Zhou Mo bit her lip and did not move.

Zhou Sipei rose abruptly, his tall figure looming down like a collapsing mountain.

It had rained on Saturday afternoon, bringing an early dark. By evening, lights were already burning along Chengnan Old Street. The small banner hanging outside a tiny stewed offal^[5] shop was soaked through, stuck to its pole and no longer able to flutter.

He Chong pushed the door open and stepped inside, ordering a pot of wine and a plate of braised peanuts. He was a regular, so the owner recognized him right away. After bringing out the order, the owner didn’t pry, returning to the back kitchen to busy himself.

He Chong sat alone, drinking wine and eating peanuts while Peking opera hummed from the radio, checking the time every now and then.

Outside, rain pitter-pattered against the bluestone paving tiles of the narrow alley.

Rainy days meant few customers, and past seven-thirty, the place was completely empty. Wiping down the last few tables, the owner stood by the kitchen doorway holding a cloth and asked with a smile, “Waiting for someone?”

“Waiting for someone.” Glancing at the time, He Chong realized he had already been sitting here for nearly two hours. Feeling a bit apologetic, he asked, “Am I getting in the way of your business?”

“It’s no trouble,” the owner replied with a warm, honest smile. “It’s not like I’ve got anything to do once I get back anyway. Why don’t you start with a bowl of stewed offal?”

“Sure. A big bowl, with extra cilantro.”

He Chong pulled out his phone and called Zhou Mo. As expected, no one answered. Yesterday, Zhou Mo had made plans to have dinner with him tonight, but he hadn’t been able to reach her since four in the afternoon. Zhou Mo’s family situation was unusual, so being out of touch was a common occurrence; He Chong didn’t take it too much to heart.

By rights, having waited for over two hours without her showing up, he should have left. Yet he didn’t know why he hadn’t, vaguely worried that if she did come, she would have made the trip for nothing.

When the steaming bowl of offal was served, He Chong ordered another bottle of wine and invited the owner over for a chat and a drink. The evening slipped away like that, and by eleven, the owner began packing up to close for the night.

Warm from the alcohol, He Chong walked through the dimly lit alley, barely feeling the cold of the rain falling on him.

The alley stretched long and deep. He walked for a good while, surrounded only by the echoing rhythm of his own footsteps.

Having been drinking, He Chong didn’t dare drive, so he hailed a taxi on the roadside and went to the bar to crash with Han Yu. Han Yu wasn’t there; the bartender said he had gone out in the afternoon and hadn’t come back since.

He Chong couldn’t help but marvel at the oddity – what was going on today? Why couldn’t he reach anyone?

He Chong made do for the night in the staff breakroom. Rising early the next morning, he took a cold shower and prepared to go retrieve his car. But when he walked down into the main hall, he found Han Yu sprawled on the sofa like a dead fish.

He Chong walked over and gave him a kick. Han Yu mumbled, yawning as he opened his eyes.

“Where’d you go last night?”

Han Yu scrambled upright. “Don’t even get me started. Yesterday, that Ye girl only got second place in the entrepreneurship competition. She came off the stage clutching her trophy and bawled her eyes out, insisting on forcing me to treat her whole team to dinner.”

“If you didn’t want to, who could wring a single cent out of the miserly Boss Han…” He Chong paused, a sudden thought striking him. “When you had dinner, was Zhou Mo there?”

“Nope. Another reason Ye Yinyin cried so hard was because Little Jasmine didn’t show up – stood her up completely. And the one who took first place was Little Jasmine’s ex. Tell me, wouldn’t that drive her crazy…”

He Chong frowned. “Does Ye Yinyin know where she went?”

“Don’t you have her number? Contact her yourself.” Han Yu’s steps were unsteady with sleepiness, swaying as he walked away. “I’m going to catch up on sleep. Help yourself.”