On the road from the county town to the client’s village, Sun Xi and Yu Jiuqi quarreled again.

Initially, while waiting for Wang Huan at the highway entrance, the atmosphere had been quite harmonious.

After Sun Xi had the car repaired, he went to fill up gas and stopped at the gas station at the county highway entrance. He sent Yu Jiuqi a message asking if he needed to pick her up from the farmhouse. Xiao Jiu said no need, it wasn’t far, she’d check out and come directly.

He added to be careful coming over, the road was quite slippery. Xiao Jiu replied with an OK emoji that shot out little hearts.

Sun Xi stared at that emoji shooting pink little hearts outward. Though the hearts weren’t big—just one—he bet she’d sent it by mistake and would immediately retract it. If it wasn’t retracted within five seconds, he swore with pursed lips that next time something like last night happened, he could only perform at eighty percent of his capability at most.

Three minutes passed, and that emoji remained. He turned to look at the corner of the county town covered by heavy snow outside the window. Frowning but with the corners of his mouth turned up, he twisted his face into an expression of worrying intelligence. He thought that anyway, he’d made plenty of vows, and few of them lasted to the end. He turned back, long-pressed the emoji, and saved it to his collection.

Yu Jiuqi walked over from behind the car. Sun Xi watched her quietly step through the uncleared snow, walking slowly step by step to the car’s rear. Thinking she was going to sit in back again, she instead directly opened the passenger door and handed over a bottle of mineral water.

“There’s no chilled ones left, but in this weather, room temperature is about the same as chilled.”

Sun Xi took it, thinking he should express something, and said: “Thanks.”

Xiao Jiu sat down properly, closed the door, and looked down at her phone: “You’re welcome.”

Sun Xi felt she’d misunderstood him. He wasn’t being polite. Politeness, in this region with the country’s lowest sense of boundaries between people, was an alienating word for two people who’d shared more than one entanglement and were still tangled together—equivalent to being unfamiliar, even hostile.

So he wanted to add a few words, but before the words he’d prepared could leave his mouth, she raised her voice to make a phone call.

“Hello, Old Master Gao? This is Little Yu from the bank…” Xiao Jiu nodded at him, meaning let’s talk later.

Sun Xi sat calmly sideways in the driver’s seat, secretly breathing a sigh of relief. The post-snow sunlight shone in from her side, scattering fragmentarily before his eyes, casting halos on the black steering wheel and hood. Following her small movements as she spoke, the halos reorganized and changed, making people feel lazily charmed.

As if it truly was a moment of beautiful time.

He no longer avoided looking at her. She was still wearing that black outfit from when they fled Shicheng together. She seemed to have washed her hair this morning, blow-dried it and gathered it high on her head in a loose bun, revealing her entire clean and fresh face. She had a typical oval face. A few years ago she still had some baby fat; now her cheeks were much thinner, her features appearing more three-dimensional. When she smiled, those two dimples became even more obvious.

Those two dimples suddenly turned toward him.

“My colleague arrived, I’ll go down for a moment.” She smiled and said.

After she got out of the car, Sun Xi suddenly felt the air conditioning was a bit stuffy. He half-lowered the window, letting some cold air in. He just happened to see her walking toward a white car diagonally opposite not far away, standing at the driver’s position while a young woman inside handed her a bag of documents.

Wang Huan had originally agreed to accompany Xiao Jiu to the countryside, but this morning her one-year-old daughter suddenly developed a high fever. Her mother-in-law had gone to Sanya with her sister-in-law’s family, her husband couldn’t get leave, so she couldn’t get away. She could only help Xiao Jiu deliver the materials and additionally brought a digital camera, saying the team leader instructed it would be best if she could take some photos at the client’s cattle farm on site.

Xiao Jiu thought since she was asking someone to help temporarily anyway, being able to deliver the materials was already great. She could handle the rest herself, and at least she had Sun Xi’s car to come back. She told Wang Huan to hurry back home to take care of her child.

Before leaving, Wang Huan remembered something and suddenly asked: “Do you know someone called Sister Xue?”

“What Sister Xue? What’s the full name?”

“Don’t know. Just today at the bank lobby, when I was telling the team leader about coming to Fuman Village with you, she was beside us taking a number and waiting in line, and she asked about you.” Wang Huan thought about it. “That woman has quite distinctive features—tall, buzz cut, but quite simple and honest.”

Xiao Jiu shook her head indicating she didn’t know her, then said: “What did she ask about me?”

“Just asked if you were that little teller who cracked the pension fraud case last year.”

Yu Jiuqi nodded in understanding, saying it was probably some elderly person’s family member. Occasionally family members came to give her small gifts to thank her and such—no need to think about it. Go back quickly, Huanhuan.

Wang Huan looked at her again: “Jiu, why are you so happy about a last-minute business trip?”

“Am I happy?”

“Yes, you’ve been smiling the whole time.” Wang Huan looked at her.

Xiao Jiu waved her hand, saying this is just how I am, have you ever seen Yu Xiao Jiu not smiling?

Wang Huan was stunned, then glanced at that unfamiliar car diagonally opposite and the man showing half his face inside. Naturally seeing that she’d come down from that car, she asked: “Who’s that?”

Xiao Jiu also turned her head back: “A friend?”

Wang Huan obviously didn’t believe her, her voice getting louder: “What friend?”

Xiao Jiu smiled: “Just a friend.” Her gaze scattered, then she added: “A very good friend of many years.”

When she came back, Sun Xi had already closed the window tightly.

After Yu Jiuqi sat down properly, she wanted to chatter about Wang Huan’s situation, but just as she started, she was interrupted by the person beside her. She didn’t know what was wrong—he was suddenly speaking in a muffled tone.

Sun Xi said: “The address?”

Xiao Jiu gave the client’s home address. Sun Xi input it into the car’s navigation, but his navigation hadn’t been updated to the latest version and couldn’t pinpoint small villages under northeastern county-level cities accurately. Xiao Jiu had to use her own navigation to search the route and tell him how to go.

It was only a forty-minute drive, but it took them a full hour and a half to see the road sign for Fuman Village.

The rural roads being difficult was one aspect, but more importantly, the two of them didn’t coordinate well and went in circles quite a bit. Xiao Jiu misread the route and made Sun Xi take a big detour. Sun Xi also turned in the wrong direction, and Xiao Jiu complained resentfully that she was going to be late for her appointment with the client. Finally, when they managed to drive to Fuman Village, it still wasn’t right—Fuman Village was divided into East and West villages. The client was in West Village, but they’d run to East Village.

By this time, the sun had already risen to its zenith. Both of them had exhausted their patience and had no more pleasant expressions. What had started as bickering about directions gradually transitioned into a heart-to-heart quarrel.

At first it was still within controllable range.

Xiao Jiu stared intently at her phone’s route, complaining slightly: “I said earlier to turn from that small road—that must be West Village.”

Sun Xi looked ahead with a dark face: “I asked you at the time, and you said you weren’t sure.”

“The navigation didn’t direct that way, but actually I was sure.”

“Then blame the navigation, don’t blame me.”

“I didn’t say I was blaming you.”

Then Xiao Jiu suddenly pointed at the fork in the road ahead, raising her voice to remind him: “Sun Xi, Sun Xi, it’s this road, turn right, don’t turn wrong again!”

Sun Xi turned his head to look at her, his eyelids drooping, looking lazy, but his eyes were heavy—a bastard look that said try saying one more word.

But Xiao Jiu wasn’t afraid of him. At least this look of his couldn’t intimidate her, so after the car drove into the village, she chattered on with instructions again.

“Just wait in the car for me. I’ll sign some documents, then go to the cattle farm. It’ll be over in two hours. If you’re hungry, you can go to the village supermarket to buy something to eat.”

“Is the cattle farm far?”

Xiao Jiu said it was on the edge of the village, not far from the client’s home. Seeing that he seemed inclined to follow along, she lowered her eyes and pondered, then tactfully refused.

“You’re an unfamiliar face. The client might be uncomfortable with you there.”

“Just say I’m your colleague.”

“He’s been to Shicheng. He’s met all the people in our group.”

“Then say I’m your friend.”

“A friend also wouldn’t…”

“Won’t work?” Sun Xi suddenly couldn’t hold back and blurted out, “A very good friend of many years also won’t work?”

Xiao Jiu turned her head in shock to look at him, seeing him clenching his jaw, frowning tightly, seeming to also be annoyed at his loss of control. That face that was usually fierce-looking became even more irritable.

Actually she wasn’t surprised. She’d guessed then that he should have heard it. Inexplicably feeling guilty, she explained a few sentences.

“I didn’t mean it that way.”

“Then what did you mean?”

“Why are you being so particular about this?”

“I am being particular.”

“But what I said wasn’t wrong either. You are my very good friend of many years.”

“Oh, so do you sleep with very good friends of many years?” Sun Xi gripped the steering wheel and turned to look at her, dark and oppressive, almost gritting his teeth. “And just last night at that.”

The car drove into the village’s small road. They were only a few hundred meters from that cattle-raising old man’s home who’d once pestered her to approve a loan and almost filed a complaint about her. It could have been endured, but Yu Jiuqi also couldn’t hold back—her temper was ignited.

She deliberately said: “Sleeping together doesn’t mean anything either.”

He sneered coldly: “You’ve really made something of yourself now, Yu Jiuqi.”

Xiao Jiu saw the client’s home was almost there and coaxed him: “Wait until I’m done with work, let’s talk.”

But today he wasn’t so easily coaxed: “Say what you have to say now.”

“Forget it, these things aren’t important.”

“Not important? Then what is important?”

He parked the car properly and turned to look at her. Seemingly speaking angry words with emotion, but every sentence pierced the heart: “Your work is important, family is important, your parents’ kindness is important, the bathhouse is important, the cattle farm is even more important…”

Xiao Jiu glared at him: “Sun Xi.”

Sun Xi looked at her, swallowed back half a sentence, and modified it slightly: “I don’t care. What about yourself?”

Yu Jiuqi quickly unfastened her seatbelt. She knew his words weren’t finished. She didn’t want to hear them, didn’t want to respond, temporarily didn’t want to and had no energy to face them.

But just before she got out of the car, that sentence still came heavily from the driver’s seat. Though he suppressed his voice, each word hammered heavily on her head, stirring up waves of buzzing like tinnitus.

He said: “Do you yourself matter?”

Yu Jiuqi only looked at him once, didn’t answer, and closed the car door.

She didn’t know if she saw wrong, but in that glance, Sun Xi revealed a trace of pity.

Do you yourself matter?

Do I matter?

When Xiao Jiu walked into the cattle-raising old man Gao Wanfu’s home, this sentence weighed on her heart, giving her not a moment’s peace. She didn’t even touch a bite of the farm meal the client had specially prepared for her, only drank a cup of tea, then directly took out the documents to discuss work. She wasn’t sure what she was concerned about, just wanted a quick resolution.

She patiently explained the corresponding commercial loan policies once, then helped fill out the new materials step by step, re-confirmed the mortgage qualifications, and finally said take me to the cattle farm to take a few photos so we can assess the amount more accurately when we go back.

On the way to the cattle farm, Xiao Jiu didn’t see Sun Xi’s car. Guessing he might be wandering in the village or went to the supermarket to buy things, she didn’t pay attention. Gao Wanfu’s cattle farm wasn’t small in scale for the village and township, but the environment was very poor. Not to mention the heavy smell—the place was also cramped. The cattle couldn’t move around freely and didn’t look fat enough either. Besides his son’s wedding betrothal gifts, he indeed also needed money to change to a larger base.

Yu Jiuqi carefully walked into the cattle farm, following behind a young person responsible for feeding. She took enough photos and recorded some videos. After checking once that nothing was missing, she looked at the time—exactly two hours had been used. Smiling, she said alright, that’s it for today, I’m going back.

But before she reached that intersection, someone suddenly called out to her.

“Is that Little Yu, Yu Jiuqi?”

Xiao Jiu looked over following the voice and saw a woman dressed like a rural housewife standing in front of a dilapidated brick house, smiling genially at her.

That woman was in her forties, wearing cotton clothes and pants, at least 1.8 meters tall, with a very sturdy build. Her face had two patches of cracked redness. When she smiled she seemed a bit shy. Looking up further, she actually had a buzz cut.

Xiao Jiu suddenly remembered—remembered what Wang Huan had said at the county highway entrance.

That housewife also took the initiative to say: “You might not recognize me. I’m a family member from last year’s pension fraud case.” She added, “Thanks to you, otherwise my mother-in-law would have put the whole family fortune into it. Little Yu, I heard you came to our village and especially wanted to see you. Do you have time? Come in for a drink of water. I must thank you in person.”

Yu Jiuqi hesitated. She wanted to go find Sun Xi and had even prepared to call him, but this housewife spoke earnestly and looked simple and kind. It wouldn’t be good to reject someone’s kind intentions, so she thought it would just be chatting for two sentences—it wouldn’t take long.

But as soon as she followed her into that brick house with only one room, Xiao Jiu realized something was wrong.

Although there were some pots, bowls, ladles, and pans in the brick house, obviously no one had lived there for a long time. Not only was it cold and drafty with no fire, there wasn’t even anything warm in the house. The windows were tightly closed, all sealed shut. The light was very dim. Yu Jiuqi suddenly felt extremely uneasy. Just as she turned to leave, that housewife closed the door from behind, locked it, turned around, still wearing a smile.

She had no concealment and directly laid her cards on the table.

First she said very sincerely: “Little sister, don’t be afraid. Let me say this first—I won’t hurt you. I’m not someone who does evil things. In my whole life I can’t even kill a big goose. You’re absolutely safe.”

How could Yu Jiuqi believe a single word from her? She took out her phone to make a call, but before she could unlock it, the woman came over and forcefully snatched it away. Xiao Jiu’s hand was already shaking. Plus that housewife was rarely tall and strong—in a few moves her hands were twisted behind her back and tightly bound with thick hemp rope.

While tying her up, she slowly confessed: “I’m not an elderly person’s family member. I’m a criminal’s family member from that fraud case. My husband and my brother-in-law—you got them both sent in. Remember last year when someone sent threatening messages saying they’d get revenge? Don’t be afraid, that wasn’t me, that was my son. When I saw those messages, I scolded him. But last month he also had an accident—fell from upstairs. He’s still in the ICU now.”

She got a broken stool for Xiao Jiu, spread an old cotton jacket on the stool, saying this way sitting won’t freeze your bottom. Carrying Xiao Jiu’s trembling arm like carrying a little chick going to be beheaded, she made her sit down, then bent over and tied her two ankles.

Then continued: “I’m also at the end of my rope. That ICU costs at least ten thousand yuan a day. My husband still has external debts. My brother-in-law’s family has a child in middle school left. My father-in-law and mother-in-law in the nursing home also need money. I have no way out, little sister. I have no education, can’t earn money. Someone like me, even if I went out to sell myself no one would want me. But all these old people are looking forward to money every day—they’re all counting on me. What can I do?”

Xiao Jiu finally understood. She had been kidnapped. Kidnapped by the criminal’s family member from that fraud case.

That woman held Xiao Jiu’s phone and unexpectedly scanned her face to unlock it. Flipping through Xiao Jiu’s contacts, she directly found Yu Kaixuan. A pair of large hands cracked from the cold slowly typed while continuing to mutter.

“I know your dad runs a bathing center—Shicheng’s most famous bathing center. That must have quite a bit of money. But I won’t ask for too much—just give me 1.01 million and that’s it.”

Yu Jiuqi trembled and shook, trying hard to stay calm: “Why this amount?”

That woman sighed: “My in-laws will live ten more years at most. My brother-in-law’s child has eight years until college graduation. My son, well, he can probably only live another month or so. Adding it up, actually 850,000 is enough. I’ve already borrowed this money from loan sharks and saved it separately for them. When I get the ransom, I’ll pay back the loan sharks with principal and interest—exactly 1.01 million.”

Xiao Jiu was a bit surprised: “What about after?”

She said: “After it’s done, I’ll turn myself in. In this day and age, there’s no escaping—I won’t run.”

After speaking, she took two photos of Xiao Jiu’s face and sent them along with the text to Yu Kaixuan.

Xiao Jiu sat dazed, suddenly understanding that this housewife who’d been dragged by life into desperation was paving the way for her family members by sacrificing herself. She couldn’t say why clearly, but she suddenly wasn’t afraid anymore. What followed was anger.

She suddenly asked her: “What about yourself?”

The housewife looked at her as if not understanding.

“Don’t you plan for yourself at all?”

“Haven’t I arranged everything?”

“But this is all for other people! Your in-laws, your brother-in-law’s family, your son—they’re all other people!”

She added: “Why do you live for other people? Why do you commit crimes for other people? Why do you stake your life for other people…”

The housewife stared at Xiao Jiu in surprise, not understanding why she was suddenly so agitated. When she’d just tied her up there was nothing, but now she seemed so wronged she was about to cry.

She even laughed: “How are they other people?”

“Then who are they?”

“They’re my family.”

“So what if they’re family?” Xiao Jiu subconsciously retorted. “Shouldn’t you yourself matter more!”

After saying this sentence, Yu Jiuqi was struck as if by lightning and didn’t come back to her senses for a long time.

She sat on that small stool, suddenly feeling a heart-gnawing pain.

That housewife looked at her pitifully and actually started consoling her, saying don’t cry, crying won’t help. Besides, I’ve guaranteed I won’t hurt you. Even if I can’t get the money I won’t harm you. Oh my, stop it.

Xiao Jiu suddenly remembered something. Forcing herself to calm down, sobbing, she called to her: “Sister, Sister Xue, I know you’re not a bad person. Can you do me a favor? Can you help me send a message to someone? Not for rescue, no need for rescue—just to tell him one thing. Is that okay?”

Sister Xue frowned and asked: “You tell me first what you want to say?”

What do I want to say?

What do I want to tell him?

Yu Jiuqi sat on the small stool padded with the cotton jacket, hands tied behind her back, slowly turning her head to look toward the murky and dilapidated window outside. Recalling these past days and nights of entanglement, years of separation and reunion, the conflict between instinct and reason, the battle between responsibility and self, and even so, the feelings that couldn’t be severed.

I have so much I want to say.

I want to tell him, you’re right, I’m not satisfied with my life now. Actually, most of the beautiful times in my life have been with you.

I want to tell him, it’s not that leaving you brings happiness—it’s that only being with you makes me happy.

Tell him, when I made that phone call I wasn’t drunk, I was sober. That night I suddenly missed you very much.

No, actually all these years, I’ve missed you all along.

Do I matter?

I don’t know, but you matter very much to me.

You are not just my very good friend of many years.

So, from last night until today, I have answers to all your questions.

Yu Jiuqi suddenly lifted her head, a pair of reddened eyes flashing brightly, looking at the kidnapper before her who was also a fellow traveler who’d made her instantly understand. Though this moment was inappropriate, she didn’t want to drag it out anymore—she couldn’t wait a moment. She said, Sister, please help me relay one thing to him.

……

At the same time, in three corners of Shicheng and the surrounding villages and townships, three people simultaneously received information related to Yu Jiuqi.

Yu Kaixuan had just finished a meeting with employees. Checking his phone, he saw at a glance the threatening message and photos the kidnapper had sent using Xiao Jiu’s phone.

Wen Wen was preparing to call the hotpot restaurant to reserve a spot, waiting for Xiao Jiu to come back to eat. She suddenly received a TikTok link from a friend asking, your Xiao Jiu is in a relationship? She opened the link and saw what a tourist at the county farmhouse had secretly filmed—Sun Xi leading Yu Jiuqi down from a crashed car.

Sun Xi had just bought a pack of cigarettes from the village’s small store. He pulled out one cigarette and hadn’t lit it yet when he received a text message from Xiao Jiu with only a few short words.

He stood frozen there, looking for a long time. Obviously these were the words he most wanted to hear, yet for some reason, his heart grew panicked.