In truth, when Lu Yuwen had said it just now, Su Man had also been momentarily startled — but she hadn’t thought much of it. When people are close, it’s natural to use more familiar forms of address.

Now that Li Li was pointing it out to her face, it felt like part of the drunken spectacle.

Su Man frowned. “Stop making trouble. Go rest — look at the state of you!”

Li Li was genuinely feeling awful, and with Su Man’s grip firm around him, he had no real say in the matter and was being steered toward his front door whether he liked it or not — though he was still fixated on Lu Yuwen. “Who’s that guy? A relative of yours?”

“None of your business! He’s a guest at my house!” Su Man answered curtly, and pressed the doorbell.

Li Li’s mother came out, and upon seeing the state her son was in, launched into a lecture as a matter of course.

Together the two of them maneuvered Li Li inside. Li Li’s mother then turned to Su Man and said, “Man Man, I’m so sorry — our Li Li has troubled you again… Sigh, this child never tells the family anything, and if you ask too many questions he gets moody. You’re the only one he can really talk to.”

Su Man thought: *He throws temper tantrums at me too.*

But she couldn’t say that, so she managed a strained smile. “It’s fine. I’ll head back now, Auntie.”

“Alright, you go rest.” Li Li’s mother turned to her son. “Get up — don’t just lie there! Go to your room and change. Do you want some water? Should I make you some hangover tea?…”

“Please don’t — the last batch you made tasted awful…” Li Li shook his head and staggered to his feet, shuffling toward his room with a hand pressed to his forehead. “I was only a little dizzy before, but after I drank your tea, I wanted to throw up even more…”

His mother followed anxiously after him, still fretting aloud: “If you know you can’t hold your drink, then don’t drink so much. Are you feeling very unwell? Sigh, how much did you end up having…”

Su Man stood at the doorway, glanced back at Li Li, let out a quiet sigh in her heart, and turned to walk home.

……

Lu Yuwen was no longer in the courtyard.

When Su Man came inside, he was standing by the water dispenser, leaning slightly forward, holding a transparent glass — he filled it about two-thirds of the way, then walked over and held it out to her.

Su Man blinked and took it automatically, having assumed he was pouring water for himself — she hadn’t expected it to be for her.

“It’s hot today, and you must be tired after running out like that,” Lu Yuwen said. “I noticed you hadn’t had anything to drink.”

“Thank you…” Su Man took a slow sip. The water was warm, flowing pleasantly down her throat. Comfortable.

“Girls are better off drinking warm water regularly — don’t just reach for cold drinks whenever it’s hot. It’s not good for you.” Lu Yuwen said, then laughed softly at himself. “Am I being too much of an old mother hen?”

Su Man’s face went red and she waved her hands quickly. “No, no, not at all…”

Lu Yuwen continued: “I called you Man Man earlier — it seems like it rubbed your friend the wrong way.”

Thinking of Li Li, Su Man shook her head again. “Don’t mind him — he drank too much. His head isn’t clear.”

“Then going forward, is it alright if I keep calling you that?” Lu Yuwen asked.

Su Man nodded without thinking. “Of course.”

The moment she agreed, her heart gave a small lurch. She thought back to the way Lu Yuwen had called her “Man Man,” and a sliver of uncertainty crept in — for the degree of familiarity between two people who’d only known each other two days, this nickname seemed… slightly… a little… somewhat… overly… intimate?

But she’d already agreed. Could she take it back now?

Su Man was usually straightforward by nature, but somehow, in front of Lu Yuwen, she always ended up hesitant and second-guessing, weighing things back and forth in her mind…

Maybe it was because they still weren’t close enough, so she wasn’t as relaxed as she was with family or friends?

She quietly analyzed the reasons to herself.

“Man Man.”

Su Man paused and looked up at Lu Yuwen.

Lu Yuwen said, his expression warm: “Once I get my temporary ID tomorrow, I’ll be moving to a hotel. I’m sorry for imposing on you these past couple of days.”

—