Although Qiu Xing spoke harshly and his posture was imposing, compared to the man facing him, he was too thin and not very intimidating physically.

Lin Yiran stood pale-faced, her hand clutching Qiu Xing’s clothes and trembling.

“You definitely can’t take her away. This isn’t your business, so stay out of it,” the man opposite said to Qiu Xing.

“How can I walk away after running into this?” Qiu Xing tilted his head slightly, glancing at Lin Yiran hiding behind him, then scanning the other man up and down, who was wearing only underwear, and said, “Anyone who stumbles upon this scene couldn’t ignore it. Are you filming a crime movie?”

Qiu Xing turned back to ask Lin Yiran, “Why did you come back here?”

Lin Yiran responded with a tearful voice, “I wanted to get my documents. I need them for school.”

“Is there anyone else inside?” Qiu Xing asked.

“I don’t think so…” Lin Yiran answered.

Qiu Xing then held the metal rod in one hand and used his other to pull Lin Yiran by the arm from behind him. Lin Yiran, looking at the man in front, pressed tightly against Qiu Xing in fear.

People inherently have a sense of shame—it’s one of the characteristics that distinguishes humans from animals.

This man had jumped out of bed to chase someone, wearing only underwear, which was truly undignified. Standing outside like this wasn’t appropriate; in broad daylight, it made him self-conscious.

Right in front of the man, Qiu Xing grabbed Lin Yiran by the arm and pulled her into the courtyard, saying, “Go get what you need.”

Having them enter the yard was better than letting them run away, so the man followed them inside, intending to put on his pants. Qiu Xing ignored him and just told Lin Yiran to get her things.

After the man put on his clothes, he went outside while making a phone call and locked the door from the outside. Lin Yiran looked outside and saw that the man had left the courtyard and locked the main gate as well.

She glanced at Qiu Xing, who said, “Get your stuff.”

Lin Yiran gathered her document folder, ID card, and bank card as quickly as possible. She couldn’t find her phone—it might have been taken. She also hastily grabbed some clothes and stuffed everything into her backpack.

“Don’t forget anything,” Qiu Xing reminded her.

Lin Yiran nodded repeatedly, put on her backpack, and said, “I’m ready.”

Qiu Xing didn’t bother with the door lock at all and jumped directly out through the window. With the window already broken so badly, locking the door meant nothing.

He led Lin Yiran to the wall. The stool they had used before was gone. Qiu Xing bent down and boosted Lin Yiran up. She climbed onto the wall and jumped over to the other side.

Qiu Xing took a few steps back, then charged forward, using one hand to vault himself over the wall, still holding the metal rod when he landed.

The gate on this side wasn’t locked, and the man was leaning against it, watching them.

Lin Yiran nervously looked back at Qiu Xing, who showed no obvious expression.

The man hadn’t fought with Qiu Xing earlier because, without clothes, he lacked confidence. Now he wouldn’t let Lin Yiran just walk away.

Debt collectors waiting at someone’s door were certainly not good people. They wouldn’t be scared off by Qiu Xing’s threats; Qiu Xing looked small and young. Moreover, the man had made a phone call, and others were likely on their way.

A fight was unavoidable, yet Qiu Xing didn’t seem worried at all. He took out two phones from his pocket and gave them to Lin Yiran, who clutched them tightly as she watched Qiu Xing approach with the metal rod.

This was the first time Lin Yiran had seen people fight in real life—not on TV, not in online videos, but right in front of her.

When the man swung a chair at Qiu Xing, Lin Yiran let out a shriek. Qiu Xing dodged to the side, but the chair leg struck his arm.

During the close-quarters fighting that followed, Lin Yiran could barely breathe. She picked up the metal rod that had fallen and gripped it tightly, ready to strike if Qiu Xing began losing.

Only when the opponent sat on the ground clutching his chest, gasping for breath and unable to stand up, did Qiu Xing walk back to her. Lin Yiran dropped the rod, grabbed Qiu Xing’s arm, and they ran off together.

Qiu Xing had long legs and took big strides. Lin Yiran, with her backpack, struggled to keep up, running anxiously.

In truth, no one was chasing them. Qiu Xing had kicked the man in the chest, and he probably needed half a day to recover. But they didn’t know when the people the man had called would arrive, so they had to leave the area quickly.

On the early morning street, only breakfast stalls were open in the rundown old district, with steam rising from the steamers at their entrances.

Lin Yiran followed Qiu Xing, continuously holding onto his arm. Her palm was cold with nervous sweat, while Qiu Xing’s skin was burning hot from the fight.

Lin Yiran kept looking back, but fortunately, no one was following them.

The cool early summer morning breeze blew against their bodies. The smell of rotting garbage from street bins mixed with the fresh fragrance of trees filled their nostrils. Before Lin Yiran stretched the dilapidated street, the gentle sunlight, and Qiu Xing walking with long strides without looking back.

*

Even during this recent nightmare period of her life, this day was particularly dramatic for Lin Yiran.

At ten at night, she sat in the passenger seat of the truck. The reflective strips on the median barrier reflected the headlights, looking like a line of small lamps from a distance. To the right, pitch-black fields and plains stretched out vast and quiet. The highway ahead seemed endless.

Warm wind blew in through the window, causing Lin Yiran’s ponytail to whip against her face. She raised her hand to her head and twisted her hair into a bun. Loose strands around her forehead and temples still flew about in the wind. Lin Yiran hugged her backpack, her body bouncing with the movement of the truck, her heart swaying unsteadily.

Qiu Xing drove silently, eyes fixed on the road ahead, his expression cold.

“Where will you get off?” Qiu Xing asked her.

“I don’t know,” Lin Yiran answered first, then after a moment added, “Anywhere is fine.”

Earlier that morning, Lin Yiran had followed Qiu Xing to the repair shop. Qiu Xing told her she could leave, but Lin Yiran stood there for a long time without moving. Later, she asked him to take her to another city.

There was nothing left in that city for Lin Yiran to miss. All her belongings were packed in her backpack.

Qiu Xing didn’t say anything more.

He seemed to talk very little, rarely speaking, his face usually expressionless, as if he were impatient with everything. Since he didn’t speak, Lin Yiran remained silent too. Neither of them was in the mood for conversation.

The truck sped on, and Lin Yiran was quickly yet gradually leaving the place where she had grown up. There was her broken home and all her memories from before adulthood.

Actually, among those memories, she had experienced happy moments too. When her father was still teaching at the elementary school, before her parents divorced.

Back then, their family lived in that house in the suburbs, leading an ordinary yet comfortable life.

That was when she and Qiu Xing first met.

Qiu Xing was three years older than her, the little brother from the Qiu family next door. They hadn’t played together much; Qiu Xing didn’t like playing with her, saying she was too young.

Back then, Qiu Xing was a very mischievous boy. He was so naughty that his father often kicked and yelled at him, telling him to behave, but as soon as his father turned away, he would run out to play again, refusing to use the main gate and instead always jumping over the wall.

He was very cheerful then, not as quiet as he was now. The Qiu family was well-off; Uncle Qiu was in business. Because of Qiu Xing’s schooling, they lived in the old house instead of moving, but they also owned two apartments in the city.

Later, Lin Yiran’s parents divorced, and her mother took her away from there. Lin Yiran was nine years old at the time. They hadn’t seen each other in all the years since, until now, under these circumstances.

“How did Aunt Shen pass away?”

When Qiu Xing spoke, Lin Yiran was still staring out the window, and the sudden voice startled her.

Lin Yiran turned to look at Qiu Xing and replied, “Liver cancer.”

Qiu Xing didn’t say anything else, just nodded.

On the smooth highway, the truck ran steadily, with occasional slight bumps accompanied by the rattling sound from the rear of the vehicle, like a lullaby.

Late into the night, Lin Yiran became drowsy. She closed her eyes and leaned against the seat. Qiu Xing closed the window on his side.

Lin Yiran also reached out to feel around on her door, finding an old-fashioned window handle. She pinched the knob and turned it several times, closing her window too, leaving only a small gap for air.

With the windows closed, the old truck’s stale smell became more noticeable—the interior permeated with sweat and motor oil was somewhat choking. Lin Yiran seemed oblivious to it, closing her eyes and numbly falling asleep.

In a haze, she felt the truck stop. Lin Yiran opened her eyes to see Qiu Xing parking at a service area, opening the door, and getting out.

Shortly after, Qiu Xing returned but didn’t start the engine. Instead, he rolled down the window. He climbed over the middle section to the bunk behind the seats and lay down in his clothes.

The cab was a bit stuffy, so Lin Yiran rolled her window down halfway again. With both windows partially open, an occasional night breeze passed through.

Qiu Xing seemed very tired. He fell asleep quickly, his breathing heavy. Lin Yiran looked back and saw that Qiu Xing was already in a deep sleep, his brow slightly furrowed even in sleep.

Mosquitoes flew in from outside. In the narrow space of Qiu Xing’s bunk, several mosquitoes buzzed continuously, occasionally flying over to Lin Yiran’s side.

In her ears were the sounds of mosquitoes buzzing and Qiu Xing’s sleeping breaths, and from outside, the sound of cars whizzing past on the highway at night. Yet everything also seemed to have the quietness appropriate for nighttime.

Moonlight spread evenly over the world, gently releasing all human emotions—happiness, sorrow, and pain.

Lin Yiran took off her shoes, bent her legs to step on the seat, hugged her knees, and soon fell asleep too.

*

It was a night of half-sleep: Qiu Xing’s steady breathing and the rustling sounds when he turned over, the unpleasant smell in the cab, the posture of sitting with bent legs—all these should have made one feel uncomfortable. But perhaps because she was too tired, or maybe because leaving that city made her feel safe, although Lin Yiran didn’t sleep deeply that night, she didn’t feel bad.

At daybreak, Qiu Xing woke up. The sound of him jumping down from the cab and closing the door also woke Lin Yiran.

The window was still half open. Seeing she was awake, Qiu Xing pointed in one direction and said to her, “The bathroom is over there, the supermarket is across the way.”

“Okay.”

Lin Yiran put on her shoes and opened the door to jump down as well.

Qiu Xing had already walked quite far when he heard someone call from behind, “Qiu Xing.”

Qiu Xing turned around to see Lin Yiran standing there with her backpack, looking at him. Seeing him turn around, she asked, “Should I wait for you to come back before I go? Do you need to lock the truck?”

Qiu Xing said, “No need. Go ahead.”

Lin Yiran walked toward him, but Qiu Xing didn’t continue walking. He stood at the supermarket entrance waiting for her.

Qiu Xing glanced at her and asked, “Do you have money?”

Lin Yiran quickly replied, “I do, yes, I do.”

Qiu Xing nodded and walked away.

Lin Yiran went to the supermarket and bought some things. When paying, she used the bill with Lin Chang’s phone number written on it.

By the time Lin Yiran came out of the bathroom, she had changed her clothes. Her school uniform jacket had been left in the yard yesterday during the struggle with that man. Before, she had been wearing a long-sleeved shirt and school uniform pants. Now she had changed into a gray short-sleeved shirt and jeans, looking much fresher.

Qiu Xing had already finished getting ready. When Lin Yiran came out, he was standing not far away, making a phone call, and handed her a bag of breakfast.

Lin Yiran took it and thanked him.

Qiu Xing turned and walked away, speaking in a dialect Lin Yiran couldn’t understand.

Lin Yiran returned to the truck, put her backpack at her feet, and sat there quietly eating breakfast. Qiu Xing had bought her soy milk, a red bean bun, and an egg.

As she ate, she watched Qiu Xing sitting on the railing, making his phone call. He seemed a bit angry, his brows furrowed, his tone unpleasant.

Lin Yiran thought of him as a child. Although Qiu Xing hadn’t talked to her much back then, the two families lived close by and were quite familiar. Lin Yiran found it hard to connect the current Qiu Xing with that mischievous boy from before; they seemed like two different people.

After finishing his call, Qiu Xing returned, sat in the driver’s seat, and turned the key.

The roaring sound of the truck starting made Lin Yiran jump despite being prepared. Qiu Xing glanced at her and said, “We’ll arrive in the afternoon. If you get tired of sitting, you can lie down in the back.”

“Okay,” Lin Yiran turned to look at Qiu Xing and said softly, “Thank you.”

Lin Yiran owed Qiu Xing several “thank yous.” Whether it was that night when he let her come to his courtyard, the next day when he took her out, or when he took her to the hospital and paid the bill, as well as fighting to save her yesterday morning and taking her away from that city.

Compared to all this, the breakfast just now was hardly worth mentioning.

Qiu Xing didn’t say “you’re welcome.” After a moment of silence, he asked her, “Do you still remember my name is Qiu Xing?”

“Yes,” Lin Yiran nodded, glancing at him, “I remember Uncle Qiu, and I remember you, and Aunt Fang.”

Qiu Xing wasn’t as silent today as yesterday. After a few minutes, he said, “You moved away when you were quite young, right?”

“Yes, I was nine when I moved away,” Lin Yiran answered.

Lin Yiran still remembered that year when Qiu Xing had just started middle school. He was a good student. Uncle Qiu bought him a game console and a skateboard. Qiu Xing liked to play soccer and often came home carrying a football.

Following such a growth trajectory, Qiu Xing shouldn’t have turned out like this.

Lin Yiran looked at him and carefully asked, “How is Uncle Qiu?”

Qiu Xing said expressionlessly, “Dead.”

Lin Yiran blinked in surprise, and after a few seconds softly asked, “Then… how is Aunt Fang?”

Qiu Xing rested his arm on the edge of the car window, looking ahead as he said, “She went crazy.”