Volume 1, Chapter 23: The Gap of Reunion

Liu Ziwen feigned interest as he questioned me about my background, jotting down my answers on a sheet of paper. Xu Li was equally adept at pretense; she stood to the side with a gentle smile, acting as if she were barely acquainted with Liu, occasionally putting in a good word for me, suggesting he take good care of me.

The interview lasted ten minutes. I was hired. My hours were from nine in the morning to nine at night, with lunch to be provided by myself. Liu Ziwen fished a worn-out security guard uniform and a rubber baton from a cabinet. After changing in the restroom, I officially started my shift.

Xu Li lingered for another ten minutes before leaving Wufu Jewelry, hailing a taxi to an unknown destination. Standing before the main entrance, watching the endless stream of people and vehicles, I felt incredibly bored. I considered the position of security guard largely superfluous. If someone really came to rob the store, I certainly couldn't stop them; I could only call the police.

"Stand up straight!"

Not long after Xu Li left, Liu Ziwen emerged, curtly reprimanding my posture before getting into his white Range Rover and driving off in the same direction Xu Li had taken. I felt a surge of contempt for them, yet a conflict began to stir within me. If I were to hand those photos over to my father, I would surely lose this job. Xu Li would also be driven from our home, becoming a familiar enemy. Did I want to be that ruthless?

I went to a nearby shop for lunch and held my post in front of the jewelry store until dusk. Wealthy women drifted in and out, treating me like air, looking right through me. In their eyes, the jewelry inside was far more alluring than I could ever be. My legs ached from standing, so I would occasionally sneak a moment to sit against the wall, idly scratching at the ground with my rubber baton, staring blankly into the distance.

Just then, a girl walked toward me, glowing radiantly in the sunset. It was Yu Qingman. Dressed in a sheer white dress embroidered with a few red roses, her hair piled high and her makeup exquisite, she stood out among all the other customers. I stood up hastily, forcing a smile.

"You’re working here as a security guard?" Yu Qingman widened her beautiful eyes in disbelief.

"It’s a temporary gig," I muttered, feeling awkward and unable to meet her gaze. In that moment, I felt the chasm between us. Yu Qingman was about to enter university, a pampered flower of the ivory tower. I was merely a low-level guard with a meager salary, no longer having the right to pursue love.

Yu Qingman’s eyes softened with a hint of sadness, and she smiled, encouraging me. "Zhou Yan, promise me you won't give up on yourself. Go back and repeat your studies. I believe in you; you’ll definitely get into university next year."

"Maybe." I spoke vaguely, unwilling to promise her anything.

"I’ll be waiting for you at Pingchuan University. As long as time remains, we shall not part." Yu Qingman gently squeezed my hand before heading toward the counter. She wasn't just passing by; she had come to have a platinum necklace repaired, her expression carrying the pride and confidence of a wealthy lady. I later checked the price of that necklace: 8,800 yuan. Yu Qingman’s family was ordinary—her parents were both laborers—so how could she afford such an expensive piece? Before the college entrance exam, she had stayed out all night, and the necklace had appeared shortly after. I let my mind wander, feeling a bit unsettled, yet I didn't want to think the worst of her. After all, her parents adored her; perhaps it was a reward.

When Yu Qingman finished repairing her necklace, she pulled out a small, pink cell phone—the latest, most popular folding model, priced at 6,000 yuan. "Zhou Yan, save my number. Contact me if you need anything." Her tone was slightly condescending. I murmured in agreement and took out my secondhand phone. She paused for a moment before exchanging numbers, then drifted away. She hadn't mentioned Qin Shaohu at all, which made me feel that her previous anger toward him had been an act.

At nine o'clock, I finished my day's work. Dragging my aching legs, I walked through the fading twilight toward home. I often passed couples strolling hand-in-hand. I quickened my pace, feeling a bitter pang of loneliness.

Suddenly, I saw four young men standing by the roadside ahead, all facing my direction. The one in the lead, thick-set with his arms crossed over his chest, was Qin Shaohu. His vendetta against me was endless; he was here to waylay and beat me again. I didn't want to be thrashed, so I turned and ran.

"Zhou Yan, you damn idiot! You never learn, do you?" Qin Shaohu shouted, chasing after me. "Still daring to flirt with Yu Qingman? Today, I’m breaking your legs!"

"I didn't!" I yelled back, running for my life. I couldn't believe it. I had only had a brief encounter with Yu Qingman in front of the jewelry store, and he had already found out. Her smile was like a goddess’, but it brought me no luck; every time she appeared, disaster followed.

Qin Shaohu and his gang gave chase, and I sprinted with everything I had, drawing the stares of passing pedestrians. My lungs felt like they were on fire, and having skipped dinner, I was physically drained. They were closing in when, suddenly, a taxi pulled up ahead. Clutching at a straw, I waved it down.

The taxi stopped. I scrambled in, pulling the passenger door shut. Before the car could pull away, Qin Shaohu and his crew surrounded it. He hammered on the window like a rabid dog, screaming for me to get out. The driver, a middle-aged man, took a silent look at me, drenched in sweat, before laying on his horn and driving forward regardless. Fearing they would be hit, Qin Shaohu’s lackeys scrambled out of the way.

As the taxi broke through the blockade, leaving the group behind, I saw them in the side mirror, pointing and cursing at the car.

"Big brother, thank you," I said, genuinely grateful. He had saved me from a beating.

"It’s nothing!" the driver said, dismissing it with a wave. In a tone of worldly wisdom, he added, "When I was your age, I liked running with the wrong crowd too, thinking that my fists could conquer the world. It wasn't until I had a family that I realized nothing is more important than a wife and kids. They are your whole life."

Who wouldn't yearn for a happy family and the love of their kin? But I could only envy the warmth of others' homes; even if they had their quarrels, they didn't have to worry about the cold storms outside. In my house, there was only that desolate room, serving as a sanctuary.

When the taxi stopped at my door, I gave the driver an extra ten yuan. He smiled happily and drove off to find more fares.

Back home, Xu Li wasn't in the living room watching TV; she had already retreated to her room. I went to the dining area, where several dishes were laid out, and the rice in the cooker was still warm. If Xu Li could always treat me like this, I wouldn't mind viewing her as kin. But the weight of the past made us like two hedgehogs, forever unable to draw close for warmth.

After dinner, I went to the restroom. By chance, I noticed a pair of shredded black stockings in the trash bin, and my heart sank. Could it be that she had sent me off to work just to bring a lover home? Her boldness in these matters was growing by the day.