When Yu Jiuqi’s call came in, Sun Xi was parking. He glanced at the incoming call display on his phone, slightly furrowing his brow. He quickly turned the steering wheel, swerving around a dawdling electric car, and steadily parked in a residential complex parking lot on the North Fifth Ring Road.

He held the still-vibrating phone in one hand, got out of the car, and stood in Beijing’s deep winter night. He didn’t answer immediately but looked at the time—11:20. He remembered the last call was also at this exact time, not a minute off.

Was she timing it precisely to reach him? Did she think this was burning incense and making wishes, choosing auspicious days and times?

Just like last time, Sun Xi could completely guess the purpose of this call. After so many years of secret meetings and partings, although they deliberately played at coldness and hostility, deliberately pretending to be strangers who didn’t know each other well, ironically, they were probably also the people who understood each other best.

He knew that the call on that snowy night last time wasn’t serious. She was being irresponsible, impulsive, helpless—just like many times in the past, using him as an emotional outlet for entertainment.

Once he was willing to play dumb and let her entertain herself with him, but later he came to loathe that worthless version of himself.

Of course he regretted it. Why couldn’t he regret it? And whether he regretted it or not essentially couldn’t change anything anyway. Why suffer through self-inflicted misery again?

Just as the ringtone was about to end, Sun Xi swiped his phone to answer, just like last time.

“Hello.” His tone was inexplicably stiff and irritable.

“Is it convenient for you to talk?” Her voice was low and soft, yet cautious.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, it’s just about what you called me about today…”

“Wait a moment.” Sun Xi suddenly interrupted her. “I’m dealing with something right now. Can I call you back in twenty minutes?”

“…Okay.”

After hanging up, he stood in the residential complex and smoked a cigarette. Only after exhaling that irritability puff by puff did he go upstairs.

His apartment wasn’t large—a standard two-bedroom—but it was in a good location. Although not exactly new, weighing everything together, the price wasn’t expensive either. It was ranked high on the cost-effectiveness lists by many real estate bloggers. But when Sun Xi bought it, he hadn’t considered any of that. At the time, he just desperately wanted to produce some tangible evidence to prove he was capable, that he was worthy.

After moving in, he’d never renovated. The furniture and appliances only guaranteed the most basic living needs, with no decoration. The entire house was empty and lifeless, just like himself—even after accumulating so-called external value, the interior remained a wasteland.

He turned on an overhead light and sat on a spring sofa placed on the floor, palm tightly gripping his phone, staring at the time on his watch. After the second hand made its final tick, he called back.

He certainly knew why she was suddenly calling. This call didn’t surprise him at all; in fact, it was much later than he’d expected.

Yu Jiuqi answered quickly: “Hello.”

From her voice, she seemed to be outdoors. There was the ambient sound of an open outdoor environment. Just that single word carried brief coldness—she was either outside or on a balcony.

Sun Xi asked: “Are you outside?”

“No.”

Then it must be the outdoor balcony of her attic room. Three or four square meters in size, separate, soundproof, far from Wen Wen’s room downstairs, but with a small window from which she could observe the movements at Wen Wen’s bedroom door. In the past, she’d made most of those long and short phone calls hiding here.

It’s just that today the temperature had dropped again there. The attic faced north, and the north wind was most frightening. Sun Xi directly revealed the purpose of her call: “You want to talk about the money, right? I didn’t make a mistake with that amount.”

He explained: “My uncle called me tonight. The police must have contacted them too. He roughly told me about today’s incident. Even though the chicken frame shop isn’t large, with such serious damage, the compensation won’t be small. Your family… you use it first. You can say it’s money you saved from investing.”

He paused mid-sentence, originally wanting to say he knew most of the household expenses were shouldered by Yu Jiuqi, but then felt it unnecessary to mention.

Yu Jiuqi kept her voice down, but the urgency was still audible: “How can I let you pay this money? It has nothing to do with…”

He interrupted: “Ultimately, this is Tingting’s responsibility. This matter is on her. It’s only right that we pay some money.”

“But it’s too much.”

“What amount did you settle on in the end?”

“It’s not finalized yet. We need to schedule another mediation session.”

“Then let’s talk after seeing the result.”

She suddenly fell silent. There was only the faint sound of breathing in the cold air transmitted through the distant signal. Sun Xi also didn’t speak, falling into silence. The phone pressed lightly against his ear. In that even breathing, he turned his head to look toward a corner of the living room.

How coincidental—he saw the only photo in the only glass cabinet.

To be precise, it wasn’t a photo but rather something from that year when they’d participated in an amateur rowing competition in Beijing. They’d won the silver medal in the couples’ division. The organizers wanted to make their couple’s photo into a photo trophy, but they’d rarely taken photos together since that incident in their youth. Feeling it would be rude to refuse, Sun Xi finally said they’d just engrave text instead.

Yu Jiuqi said then you think of a sentence. He smiled and gave instructions to the organizers. A day later, Yu Jiuqi received this silver, square photo trophy with forceful, vigorous characters engraved on it—

“From South to North, Little Jiu Yu Is the Most Beautiful”

He remembered she’d been very happy at the time, suddenly jumping up and leaping onto him. He steadily held her waist and hips, embracing her. She lowered her head, cupped his face, looked for a long time, then asked with a smile, Sun Xi, do you love me?

……

“Sun Xi?”

An urgent voice on the phone called him back. He furrowed his brow tightly, withdrew his gaze, and struggled to suppress the burning, sour pain in his heart. He suddenly very much regretted that back then he should have made her throw away that broken trophy too, smash it, make her burn it in one fire like destroying shameful and terrible evidence.

“Go ahead.”

“Sun Xi… I think…” She stammered, hesitating, seemingly also pacing back and forth on the narrow balcony. “I think between us, we shouldn’t…”

“Yu Jiuqi.” He interrupted coldly. He knew too well what she was about to say. Rather than make it difficult for her, better for him to be the bastard. “Don’t overthink it. I don’t have any other meaning. I also want to settle these matters.”

He added: “If you’re not fed up with this mess, I am. I’ve already rolled back here, and still can’t have peace. I’m really sick of it. Use that money however you want. I’ll just consider it some compensation, for the sake of peace and quiet.”

After saying this, he viciously punched himself in his heart.

The other side was clearly also angered: “What do you mean by compensation? You want peace and quiet? Are you serious?”

“Yes.”

“You’re giving me money because you want peace and quiet?”

“Yes!”

“Who doesn’t! Who doesn’t!” She suddenly roared in a low voice, like a weak, withered tree bent by accumulated snow, collapsing and breaking with a crash. “Everyone involved in this, all these years, everyone—who doesn’t want peace and quiet? Including my mom, doesn’t she want peace and quiet? But why can’t she have peace and quiet?”

Her voice choked up a bit. She pressed it down before continuing: “Is it your turn to compensate, Sun Xi? What are you compensating for?”

Sun Xi clenched his fists, his whole body tense: “Whatever you think it is, then that’s what it is.”

“Ha,” she scoffed coldly. “Then your 900,000 isn’t enough compensation. It’s not even a fraction.”

“Then what would be enough?”

“I don’t know.”

“Besides this, I have nothing else.”

He laughed self-mockingly for no reason, repeating: “Yu Jiuqi, I really, besides this money, have nothing left.”

The other side fell into silence again. The inflammatory words just spoken came to an abrupt halt. For that moment, it seemed even her heartbeat stopped.

Sun Xi suddenly deeply regretted saying those words. He felt like a hedgehog that had voluntarily shed its shell. No matter how hard he tried to make defensive gestures, having lost his spines, it was too late.

Time became long. His elbow propped on his knee, he stared at the recently opened postal package shell not far away, waves of regret in his heart. He knew she wasn’t having an easy time either. She didn’t want to hear him say such things. His original intention was not to make things difficult for her, but the result was that for his own satisfaction, he’d personally stuck the knife in her.

He began to loathe himself again, feeling everything before him was deserved.

“Yu Jiuqi?” He called her name softly.

“Mm.” Her voice was a bit nasal.

“I’m sorry. I just wanted to do something about today’s matter.”

“I know.”

“I’m definitely not going back to Shicheng again.” He turned his head to look out the window, looking at Beijing’s brilliant yet lonely night. “I hope all this ends soon.”

“Mm.” Her voice became even more nasal.

“Are you okay?”

She took a deep breath. That breath sounded trembling.

So he asked again: “Are you okay?”

She paused, only saying: “After the compensation is settled, I’ll return the remaining money to you.”

“Whatever you want.”

“Goodbye.”

“Goodbye.”

Sun Xi still couldn’t sleep that day. Even at four in the morning of the latter half of the night, he still had no sleepiness. He couldn’t stand it anymore and immediately drove downstairs to that KTV in Tongzhou. After waiting an hour, he finally got the “Mohe Dance Hall” private room. He ordered a few songs, turned off the lights, turned on the rotating mirror ball, and lay down with a sinister unwillingness, staring hard at it.

But two hours later, when the sky outside was already bright—damn it, he still couldn’t sleep!

The playlist had cycled through again. This large private room that could accommodate twenty people was quiet and empty. Only the dazzling mirror ball mechanically rotating overhead was still spinning, like an awkward clown.

He sighed heavily, finally accepting it. He knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep today.

He couldn’t help but feel somewhat desperate. He thought this seventy-percent similar knockoff mirror ball was the last remedy, but after just one day, it had become ineffective and useless. It was as if he’d drifted back into the deep sea with nothing to rely on in all directions. The driftwood he thought he could grasp was just a mirage.

For that moment, he admitted—he missed Shicheng a little.

But he was also serious about saying he wouldn’t return to Shicheng again. No one wants to return to a place that never welcomed them. No one wants to be treated like a rat, like a ghost, like a black sheep or an ominous thing—even if there were still countless threads tying him to that place.

But those threads were too weak, unable to withstand pulling, insufficient to drag him back.

His mind had cleared considerably. Probably because he’d slept well here yesterday, he didn’t feel particularly tired. Looking at the time, he planned to go straight to work at the hotel. At this moment, he suddenly received several WeChat messages from Sun Tingting.

She first sent three photos—three pencil sketch works, two portrait sketches and one still life drawing. Although the brushwork wasn’t yet sophisticated, they were vivid and lifelike, clearly showing considerable talent.

Tingting was planning to take the art major entrance exam next year. She’d already set her sights on a key university in Guangzhou. Her academic grades had always been good. As long as she polished her professional skills well and passed the professional exam after the New Year, getting into college wouldn’t be a big problem.

His finger wearing the plain ring slid across the screen. He briefly looked at the three paintings. Then Tingting sent several more voice messages.

“Bro, take a look. These are my works from this period’s mock exam. Teacher Zhu said they’re pretty good. Teacher Zhu is usually super cold and rarely praises anyone. This is the first time she’s praised me. I think I’ve got a chance this year! Haha, I couldn’t help but send them to show you!”

Sun Xi clicked on the next one. The voice messages continued playing in sequence.

“Bro, I thought all night about what you said on the phone yesterday. What you said makes sense too. If we keep bickering like this, neither family will have good days.”

“Ugh, I was just too angry at the time. I wanted to get revenge and provoke them a bit. I know it was their family that forced you to leave. I think it’s very unfair. Why should you not be able to stay in Shicheng just because their family can’t tolerate you? You can’t even go home?”

“I really don’t understand why you’re so afraid of them, but I’m not afraid. This time I’m listening to you. I can have my friend delete all those videos. I won’t provoke them anymore either. But that doesn’t mean I’m afraid of anyone in their family!”

“Bro, don’t worry. I’ll work hard. You work hard too. Our family will get better. We won’t always be looked down on!”

Finally, Tingting sent a tiger emoji working hard.

Sun Xi sat directly under the mirror ball. The colorful light projected on his face. In the alternating brightness and darkness, that somber face showed slight emotion. He raised his hand and replied to Sun Tingting with a line of text.

[Those paintings are pretty good.]

Tingting immediately replied: [Do you like them? If you like them, I’ll give them to you!]

Sun Xi replied: [Okay.]

[Then I’ll mail them to you!]

[Okay.]

After coming out of the KTV, Sun Xi drove directly to the hotel. At the entrance, he saw Sister Juan, the administrative department manager, with a new employee decorating a Christmas tree.

He suddenly froze. Right, in three days it would be Christmas.

The hotel lobby wasn’t particularly spacious. The front desk and small bar already occupied half the space. Now with a two-meter-tall Christmas tree squeezed in, it seemed even more crowded. Those two people weren’t very tall and were barely managing to hang colored lights while standing on stools. Sun Xi strode over and said, “Let me do it.”

Sister Juan smiled warmly, saying enthusiastically, “Then let General Manager Xi do it. Long legs are really great. How did you grow those legs?” Sister Juan was a relative from Chen Mulin’s wife’s family. He’d brought her directly from his hometown and placed her in the hotel to manage administration and finances. Sun Xi knew clearly in his heart that even though Chen Mulin treated him as a friend, in business he still kept one hand back.

“Didn’t Chen Mulin say he was giving you a long New Year holiday? It’s only been a few days. Why did you come back so soon?” Sister Juan, being Chen Mulin’s aunt’s generation, called him by his full name directly.

Sun Xi, standing on the stool, finished hanging one string of lights and felt it wasn’t enough. He asked, “Are there more?” The new employee responded and said she’d go check the storage room.

Only then did he respond to Sister Juan: “The hotel is busy at year-end, so I came back.”

“We can handle being busy. You could arrange things remotely if needed. After all these years, I’ve never seen you take a vacation. You have perfect attendance 365 days a year. Every New Year’s Eve, it’s you on duty. You finally have a long vacation and you don’t rest?” Her words had an underlying meaning. “Young people need to have some life too.”

The phone in his pocket vibrated. Sun Xi quickly took it out to look, conveniently dodging Sister Juan’s words. He’d never liked meaningless small talk and pleasantries.

The message was still from Tingting, a very strange sentence: [Bro, I’m sorry.]

Sun Xi had a bad premonition. He replied: [What’s wrong?]

The employee brought another set of colored lights. When Sun Xi was halfway through hanging them, his phone rang again. He stopped and quickly looked. Tingting had sent a photo.

The photo still showed those three sketches, but they’d already been destroyed. It didn’t look like they’d been torn up, but rather crumpled, dirtied, balled up into several clumps and thrown on the ground.

What had originally been clean, exquisite artwork looked in the photo like garbage paper used to wipe something dirty.

Sun Xi was just about to continue asking when Tingting sent two messages in succession.

[I can’t mail the paintings to you anymore.]

[Their family is going too far!]

Sun Xi immediately handed the work in his hands to Sister Juan. Without saying anything, he walked out with a dark expression and stood in the smoking area on the side of the hotel, calling Tingting back.

Tingting answered quickly, but as soon as she answered, she cried. She cried very hard and couldn’t stop. Sun Xi walked to a place where there was no one and shouted at her twice loudly before she stopped.

Sun Xi asked directly: “What happened with the paintings?”

Tingting said through tears: “It’s that crazy old woman Wen Wen. She came to our art studio. She clearly knew those were my paintings, but she used them to wipe her shoes!”

Sun Xi impatiently furrowed his brow. After a moment of silence, he asked: “Did she only destroy the paintings?”

“Isn’t destroying the paintings enough? What else does she want to do, take my life? Besides, these paintings were ones I promised to give you!”

“Where are you?”

“At the art studio.”

“Where is she?”

“They just left. Teacher Zhu drove them out.”

“They? Who else?”

“She brought Yu Jiuqi. The two of them came together.”

Sun Xi suddenly froze, momentarily not knowing what to say. After pausing for a moment, he heard Tingting say something that shocked him.

“Bro, that old woman is so crazy she even hits her own daughter!” Tingting seemed to laugh. She said loudly, “She beat Yu Jiuqi!”

Sun Xi’s voice was extremely cold: “Why did she hit her?”

“I don’t know. While we were arguing, I said a few things, and suddenly she went after Yu Jiuqi. Bro, you didn’t see it—such a big glass bottle, she smashed it right on Yu Jiuqi’s head. She really went hard!”

“What did you say?”

“Yu Jiuqi didn’t even dodge. She got dazed by that hit!”

“I’m asking you what you said!” He shouted.

“I don’t know. Wasn’t it just about those things?”

Sun Xi gripped his phone tightly, saying loudly with anger: “Sun Tingting, carefully, specifically, word by word, recall for me—what exactly did you say!”

Tingting’s side suddenly went silent. She seemed frightened. Only after a moment did she speak: “It was… I just said… I said their family is unreasonable. Their family drove you away. You originally told me you’d taken many days off for the New Year, but after coming back from that strawberry farm, you suddenly left. Did someone at the strawberry farm…”

Sun Xi asked sternly: “How did you know I went to the strawberry farm?”

“My friend saw your car coming out from there. Beijing license plates are pretty eye-catching. She also saw there was someone inside…” Tingting’s voice grew weak. “Bro, what’s wrong with the strawberry farm?”

Sun Xi gritted his teeth, his jaw tight. After a long while, he said flatly: “Nothing. It has nothing to do with this.”

“Okay, I won’t talk anymore. My parents are here. I’m not done with Wen Wen! Bro, you just focus on work. You don’t need to come back to handle this. I’ll deal with her myself!”

Tingting hung up.

Sun Xi stood in the outdoor smoking area for a long time. After lunch, more people came out to smoke.

An acquaintance asked to borrow a light. Only then did he seem to come to his senses.

He completely ignored the acquaintance. He turned and called Chen Mulin. Without wasting words, he only said, “I need to go back there again.”