With no one around, the sunlight cast long, slanting shadows. There were only so many people at the welfare home. Tang Yang slightly turned her head and recognized the owner of the shadow behind her—Shi Jin.
Why was he following her? Tang Yang held her breath as she imagined many scenarios of a tattooed, fight-prone marginal youth stalking her: robbery, assault, or even taking embarrassing photos of her running wildly to blackmail her.
As Tang Yang’s thoughts became more chaotic, Shi Jin remained motionless, as if he wasn’t the one who had been following her.
Tang Yang reached into her bag and fumbled for her anti-wolf alarm. Feeling reassured, she tentatively turned to confront him: “You—”
Before she could take out the alarm, the rest of her words caught in her throat.
As Tang Yang turned around, the youth partially blocked the light for her.
He remained silent, one hand in his pocket, the other outstretched towards Tang Yang. In the center of his palm lay a necklace.
It was platinum, with the pendant outlined in tiny white diamonds. A multi-faceted blue diamond nestled among the white diamonds, gleaming brilliantly.
It looked familiar… like it was her own.
Tang Yang suddenly raised her hand to her neck, which was indeed bare.
Her gaze paused.
This was a gift from Mama Jiang to Tang Yang. She only wore it when she was in a very good mood or for important occasions. She must have put it on hastily this morning, and the necklace had gotten tangled in her hair. While playing Eagle Catches Chick earlier, she hadn’t noticed when it fell off.
Tang Yang glanced at Shi Jin, assuming he was trying to extort her. But as long as the price wasn’t too outrageous, she was willing to accept.
Tang Yang’s eyes deepened.
The youth pressed his lips together, then released them, repeating this action before speaking in a stiff yet mild tone: “Found it. Returning it to you.”
“Huh?” Tang Yang was stunned.
Knowing she had heard him, the youth didn’t want to say more and raised his hand impatiently.
The brand Mama Jiang gave Tang Yang was a high-end custom one, luxurious and exquisite. Like most people who wore this brand, Tang Yang had a mild obsession with cleanliness. For items like necklaces that touched the skin, they were reluctant to let strangers touch them. If someone did touch it, they wouldn’t throw it away but wouldn’t wear it again.
Whether by chance or intentionally, Tang Yang only now noticed that the youth had a layer of tissue paper in his palm, with the necklace on top. The necklace’s clasp was open, and the strand of Tang Yang’s hair that had been tangled in it was still preserved on the paper.
A truly complete return.
In that instant, Tang Yang couldn’t tell if the feeling in her heart was self-reproach or shame, warmth mixed with a tinge of sourness.
Tang Yang’s long eyelashes fluttered. She took back the necklace using the tissue paper and put it in her bag. She released her grip on the anti-wolf alarm in her other hand and replaced it with a White Rabbit milk candy, exchanging it for the necklace and placing it in the youth’s palm.
The youth, impatient with Tang Yang’s slow movements, took the candy and turned away with a rather unfriendly expression.
Tang Yang watched him leave.
Just at that corner earlier, there was a little girl about six or seven years old standing there. She looked at the two adults, her hands behind her back, her gaze timid.
As the youth approached the corner, the little girl shrank back.
The youth bared his teeth and glared at the little girl, who pouted. The youth raised his hand as if to hit her, and the little girl was so scared her eyes turned red, tears about to fall.
The youth still wore an ill-tempered expression, but his hand relaxed, and he carelessly placed the White Rabbit milk candy gently on top of the little girl’s head.
The wind blew, rustling softly.
The youth passed the corner and disappeared.
The little girl unwrapped the candy and put it in her mouth carefully yet joyfully. She squinted her eyes, her cheeks soft and bright.
Tang Yang stood at a distance, watching. Suddenly, in her mind, she recalled a scene from long ago, on that afternoon in Nanjin Street, when two children at Zhang Zhilan’s house, one saying he still wanted to be a soldier, the other singing in a young but serious voice, “Rise, those who refuse to be slaves…”
The two scenes seemed unrelated, but if they had to be connected, perhaps it was that in a certain soft corner of Tang Yang’s heart, on these two afternoons, she was gently poked with the same intensity.
At six in the evening, just before Tang Yang’s group was about to leave, the director of the welfare home returned.
The director was a man in his early sixties, with gray-white hair but still energetic. He put down the things he had purchased and invited Tang Yang and Qin Yue up for a cup of tea, which they accepted.
In the office, Tang Yang and Qin Yue first expressed their gratitude for the successful completion of today’s activities. Tang Yang sincerely said that if there was an opportunity in the future, she hoped to come back.
The old director smiled and agreed, then told them about the general situation of the welfare home in recent years.
As they chatted, someone mentioned Shi Jin and the old director’s face gradually darkened. The door seemed to be moved slightly by the wind outside.
After a while, the old director sighed: “This child…”
Shi Jin’s parents were well-known professors at a medical school. He grew up in a well-off family. When he was eight years old, a swine flu pandemic swept across the country, and his parents both died in the line of duty on the front lines of the epidemic prevention. He then lived with his grandmother. Shi Jin’s grandmother was a famous entrepreneur in A City, with a vast financial clan group that could almost rival Jiujiang. By all accounts, Shi Jin should have continued to live a carefree young master’s life. But when he was twelve, his grandmother passed away, and his aunt and uncle adopted him. When he was thirteen, his aunt and uncle divorced, the financial group fell into internal strife, and for various reasons, his aunt sent him here and never took him back.
“He always felt that his parents’ deaths weren’t simply dying in the line of duty, but this matter has already been concluded.”
“He wants to do some kind of medical data mapping in the future, I don’t understand it.”
“This child has had bad luck. Before coming to the welfare home, his life was full of setbacks. After coming here and starting middle school, he participated in some computer competitions and won first place, but missed the identity confirmation deadline. He won a scholarship at school, but it was canceled because he got into a fight with a pharmaceutical representative.” The old director took off his reading glasses and slowly wiped his arms with a lens cloth. “This child earns money for his computer and tuition fees by doing odd jobs outside. He never asks the welfare home for a penny, and occasionally even buys books for the children here.”
The old director said: “He has a good heart, a strong spirit, is sensible, and has mild autism.”
Shi Jin is now in his first year of high school and has already received pre-admission qualifications from several top schools. He also has a pre-offer from an internet company working on intelligent medical mapping.
The old director slowly put on his glasses: “He occasionally does part-time work at that company now, wanting to go there directly after the college entrance exam. This child is close to me, so I just want him to go to university properly and get a degree. These internet things change direction every day,” the old director waved his hand, “you never know.”
As they chatted more, everyone became more familiar with each other.
Tang Yang said: “He probably has his considerations.”
Qin Yue: “What if he encounters something else in the future.”
“Click,” the door was pushed open.
“It doesn’t matter, there have been enough accidents already.” Shi Jin’s bangs were parted to the sides of his ears. He entered carrying a pot of flowers.
The evening light was warm and yellow, gilding the youth’s slightly raised chin. He had handsome features, with a sarcastic curl to his lips.
A teenager in his teens, bitter to the bone.
Tang Yang sighed.
Qin Yue’s eyes flickered slightly.
Returning home from the welfare home, the night was as thick as ink.
The stars spread across the sky like signal lights, flickering in vague directions in the darkness.
That night, the news of Gan Yiming and Wei Changqiu’s divorce was the top trending topic on Weibo.
Gan Yiming was sentenced to ten years in prison, along with a series of penalties and losing all his assets.
Netizens condemned Gan Yiming and had a great affinity for Wei Changqiu’s straightforward and decisive rich woman image.
“What’s wrong with a wife divorcing when her husband is corrupt? With a net worth of tens of billions, why should she look for a partner in the garbage dump?”
“Domestic screenwriters take note, here’s a standard phoenix man script: Born in a remote small county town, has a childhood sweetheart who went to university together, abandons the childhood sweetheart to rely on a rich woman, gets cocky and self-destructs, rich woman kicks him to the curb and childhood sweetheart gets promoted.”
“Hope to become one of Wei’s bags, carefully cared for, held in her palm, occasionally used, worry-free.”
“…”
That night, Chen Qiang finalized an eight-figure financing deal, and his inspirational interview video also trended, right below the previous topic.
Tang Yang had been active all day and her waist and back were sore. She was enjoying the massage technique that Jiang Shiyan had learned from her when Chen Qiang’s call came in.
“Sister Yang,” he called out, “Song…”
Tang Yang held up her phone and changed her position: “Huh? What did you just say? I didn’t hear clearly.”
Chen Qiang asked: “Are you and President Jiang doing well recently? The other day President Jiang said you’ve been quite busy since you were promoted to Deputy Director.”
Tang Yang: “We’re doing fine, yes.”
The two chatted for a while on speakerphone, and Jiang Shiyan also exchanged a few casual words with Chen Qiang.
“What were you going to say at the beginning? I didn’t catch it,” Tang Yang remembered.
Chen Qiang was silent for a moment: “Nothing, it’s nothing.”
That night, Tang Yang had a dream. She dreamed she was hiking alone in the mountains when the path split into two, just like in that poem from her middle school textbook: one path well-trodden and smooth, the other rarely traveled. Tang Yang could have chosen the less traveled path, but she followed the crowd and took the main road. As she walked, the people ahead suddenly vanished. The bright sky turned overcast, and in the ensuing darkness, the mountain transformed into an abyss. Tang Yang stood alone and helpless. Her foot slipped, and she plummeted into the depths like a butterfly with broken wings…
Tang Yang awoke with a start just as she began to fall, dazed and covered in cold sweat.
Jiang Shiyan woke up almost simultaneously.
“It’s alright, baby.”
“I’m here, baby.”
Jiang Shiyan gently rubbed her back, speaking softly to comfort her.
Once Tang Yang had calmed down somewhat, Jiang Shiyan went to the bathroom and returned with a damp towel. He patiently wiped the sweat from her temples, then her hands, carefully cleaning each of her delicate white fingers.
Tang Yang, still not fully awake, her mind foggy, asked, “If a mediocre college graduate with a relevant degree and a highly gifted high school graduate without a diploma both applied for a job at Yi Xiu, which one would you choose?”
Jiang Shiyan replied gently, “The one with higher aptitude.”
Tang Yang continued, “Then why do most companies require a bachelor’s degree in their job postings instead of just a high school diploma? Aren’t they afraid of missing out on highly talented individuals?”
If Tang Yang had been fully awake, she would have known the answer and found the question rather foolish.
But Tang Yang was still in a dreamlike state.
Jiang Shiyan gently brushed her sweat-dampened bangs to the sides of her forehead. “Because exceptionally talented individuals are rare. For the average person, a college graduate’s overall abilities are higher than a high school graduate’s. It’s the same reason why some companies only hire postgraduates and won’t even consider undergraduates.”
Perhaps it was Jiang Shiyan’s soothing voice, reminiscent of Tang Yang’s mother teaching her to read as a child, that lulled the little Tang back to sleep. She fell asleep still clinging to his neck.
Jiang Shiyan couldn’t move his neck, but his eyes could. He carefully reached behind him to the bedside table, hooked his pinky around his phone, dimmed the screen to its lowest brightness, and sent a text message to Cheng Siran.
— Help me look into the Linjiang City Welfare Institute.
Jiang Shiyan frowned. His little one had been off since returning from that place. She’d eaten half a bowl less at their late-night snack, and now she was having nightmares. What a wretched place!
In the days that followed, Tang Yang remained out of sorts, overthinking, anxious, and occasionally nauseous when eating.
Once or twice, Tang Yang ran to the bathroom to dry heave. Jiang Shiyan furrowed his brow, “Is your stomach acting up again? Let’s go to the hospital. Your digestive system is weak to begin with. What if it turns into something serious…”
Tang Yang wiped her mouth, “It’s nothing. I probably just had a cold cola at work this afternoon—”
Jiang shiyan’s face darkened instantly, “Tang Xiaoyang—”
Tang Yang shrank her neck in fear, “I couldn’t help myself…”
The ever-worrying Jiang, like a mother hen, wanted to pounce and bite her. Tang Yang quickly dodged.
Jiang Shiyan gave chase, and they ran around the sofa for a while until Tang Yang was pinned down. She giggled, “I was wrong, I was wrong, Big Brother Jiang. It won’t happen again. Big brother, big brother,” Yang Yang called out coquettishly and softly, “I beg Big Brother to spare this little one’s life.”
Big Brother Jiang held both of the little one’s hands, with the composed air of a ruler of the underworld: “Big brother has to teach the little one a lesson.”
Jiang Shiyan was only talking big.
During this period, he preferred hugging her to making love, pressing his body against her back to give her a sense of security. On the rare occasions when they did have sex, Jiang Shiyan always considered her feelings first.
Just as Tang Yang’s streak of bad luck was about to pass, before Jiang Shiyan could claim his due from his little girlfriend, he received a message from Leo about a business trip to Great Britain.
A City lies in the subtropics. By late May, the sun blazed fiercely, cicadas buzzed incessantly, and the ground temperature seemed hot enough to fry an egg. Especially at noon, with air conditioning indoors, the outdoors shimmered with heat.
On the weekend, Tang Yang didn’t go to work overtime. As Jiang Shiyan packed his luggage, she sat cross-legged on the sofa, sucking on a popsicle and cheering him on.
Jiang Shiyan folded clothes while fussing, “My mom said she’d come over. Her cooking isn’t great, but the housekeeper she’s bringing is skilled. You can ask for yu xiang rou si (fish-flavored shredded pork) and tang cu pai gu (sweet and sour ribs). You’ve been craving sour foods lately.”
Tang Yang sucked on her popsicle, “Mm-hmm.”
Jiang Shiyan continued, “I’ve stashed some snacks in the living room TV cabinet, some in the bedroom drawer, and I’ve even sent some to your office. They’re all healthy, but some might cause inflammation, so eat sparingly.”
Tang Yang smacked her lips, “Okay.”
Little one’s mind seems to be wandering.
Jiang Shiyan turned to look at her seriously, “That’s the last popsicle you can have. I gave the remaining three in the fridge to Old Li’s grandson downstairs this morning.”
Tang Yang slowly stopped sucking, her little face showing disbelief: How could he make such a major household decision without consulting his girlfriend?
If I had consulted you, no changes would have been made.
“Also,” Jiang Shiyan continued shamelessly, “My mom checks the fridge every time she visits. I’ve also spoken to Qin Yue at your workplace. The bank card I left in your bag is my secondary card, so I can see everything you buy. If you’re willing to go out of your way to withdraw cash from an ATM, then I can’t do anything about that—”
With a “plop”, Tang Yang coldly dropped her unfinished popsicle on the floor, the juice splattering.
Controlling even popsicle consumption? This man was denying her basic rights.
Jiang Shiyan abruptly tossed aside the clothes he was folding, his expression even colder than hers.
Who was it that couldn’t sleep at night last week? Who had been feeling nauseous and picky about food all day? Who refused to go to the hospital and couldn’t even take medicine?
When Tang Yang couldn’t sleep last week, Jiang Shiyan had to work the next day too, but he still stayed up all night talking to her, comforting her softly.
Tang Yang had been craving something sweet and sour, but the ratio of sourness to sweetness had to be just right. So Jiang Shiyan bought tomatoes, cut them open one by one, and scooped out the juice to make her a cup.
In the past, when Tang Yang lived alone, she could take medicine without blinking. Last week, her little eyebrows furrowed into waves and she just couldn’t swallow it. So Jiang Shiyan bought hard milk candies, ground them into fine powder, and mixed them into her gastric medicine.
Sometimes, Tang Yang wasn’t able to drink it, she just wanted to throw a little tantrum. Jiang Shiyan accepted it all, mixing sugar into her medicine again and again. The once unruly young master of the Jiang family, who used to lose his temper at the slightest provocation, had become almost devoid of temper…
Thinking about it this way, his control over her popsicle consumption seemed trivial.
Neither of them spoke, the atmosphere tense as if a violent domestic dispute could erupt at any moment.
Tang Yang looked at Jiang Shiyan, and Jiang Shiyan stared back at his little girlfriend.
One second, two seconds, three seconds.
Tang Yang bit her lip, then opened her arms, softly asking for a hug: “Jiang Shiyan, you’re so good to me.”
Her coquettish tone was as sweet as honey.
Jiang Shiyan lunged forward to embrace his little girlfriend.
Outside, sunlight sneaked a corner into the room. The little girl in his arms was soft and delicate, her eyes curved in a smile, her small mouth rosy.
Jiang Shiyan leaned in to kiss the corner of her lips.
He mimicked her, his eyes also curved in a smile, half responding and half continuing: “Then does Yang Yang want Jiang Shiyan to be good to you for a lifetime?”
Calling her his unique “Yang Yang”, and wanting to call her that for a lifetime, to call her.