The setting sun sank into the desert, scattering broken gold across the rippling surface of the Dang River.

Along the riverbank, people taking evening strolls gradually increased in number.

Qin Lie turned the steering wheel and drove onto the tree-shaded little street from yesterday.

Through the open car window drifted the sound of someone playing the erhu from a music shop on the street.

Someone was singing opera to accompany the erhu melody, like resonant Qin opera.

Charcoal stoves were set up at the barbecue stands, with wisps of smoke rising. Several women in aprons sat by the roadside chatting.

Qin Lie parked by the roadside and walked into Liu Boyang’s repair shop.

The storefront looked quite small, but the interior space was decent, with three old cars parked inside.

Neither Liu Boyang nor Qin Zhan was in the shop.

Qin Lie was about to go check outside when a hand emerged from under the red jeep’s chassis.

Following that hand, he saw oil-stained gloves and rolled-up shirt sleeves, revealing a section of pale white forearm.

“Pass me a wrench.”

Qin Lie stopped in his tracks. He recognized this voice—it was that woman called Chen Xi.

His gaze lingered on her wrist for a moment, then looked toward the toolbox on the ground.

He bent down, picked up a wrench from inside, and handed it to her.

The sound of metal clanging came from under the car.

After a while, the hand reached out again, the oil stains on the pale white arm appearing more prominent.

“Screwdriver.”

Qin Lie squatted down, picked up a screwdriver, and handed it over.

More clanging sounds, then a flashlight was handed out.

“Help me hold this steady.”

As soon as Qin Lie took the flashlight, his wrist was grabbed, the cool touch pricking his skin.

Then his entire body was gently pulled under the car.

“Right here, don’t move.”

Qin Lie was suddenly yanked and stumbled forward, half-kneeling beside the car.

His thick eyebrows raised slightly, but he maintained the half-kneeling position, his upper body pulled by Chen Xi toward the ground.

He turned his face to look at the narrow space under the car, the flashlight illuminating fine particles of dust.

Chen Xi lay on her back on the creeper board, strands of hair tangled around her neck, a thin layer of sweat on her nose tip, frowning in concentration as she tightened screws.

A few minutes later, Qin Zhan came in from outside carrying a case of beer.

As he walked toward the courtyard, he shouted, “Take a break, Sister Xi, I ordered roasted lamb ribs.”

Qin Zhan had just entered the courtyard when he suddenly saw a tall, sturdy man half-kneeling beside the red jeep.

Qin Zhan was startled, but when he saw it was Qin Lie, he laughed so hard his shoulders shook.

“Bro, haha, you’re helping Sister Xi!”

Hearing this, Chen Xi suddenly turned her head and met a pair of deep, cold eyes outside the car.

This brief moment suddenly reminded her of a hunting lone wolf.

She turned away and continued working.

Qin Lie asked, “Can it be fixed?”

Chen Xi didn’t speak, just finished tightening the last screw.

Finally, she pushed with her feet, lying on the creeper board as she slid out from the other side.

Qin Zhan quickly ran over, took her hand, and pulled her up. Chen Xi used the momentum to stand.

Her hair was casually tied in a bun at the back of her head, with sweat-dampened strands clinging to her neck.

Chen Xi pulled the car keys from her jeans pocket and tossed them to Qin Zhan.

“Try the car.”

Qin Zhan caught the keys and excitedly opened the car door and jumped in.

The engine roared powerfully and smoothly, without any hesitation, as if tamed by Chen Xi.

Qin Zhan grinned from ear to ear and drove the car out with a press of the gas pedal.

After the exhaust cleared, Chen Xi removed her gloves and threw them in the toolbox, walking to the faucet in the small back courtyard to wash her hands.

Qin Lie put the flashlight in the toolbox.

Walking to the back door, he watched Chen Xi cup a handful of cool water to wash her face and neck.

Chen Xi caught sight of the man standing in the back doorway from the corner of her eye. She wiped the water droplets dripping from her neck and asked, “Need something?”

Qin Lie said, “Yes, I need to find you for something.”

Chen Xi’s long eyebrows furrowed slightly. “Is the drone broken?”

Qin Lie replied, “I haven’t checked yet.”

He took out his phone and showed her photos of the canvas bag.

“You drew this design?”

Chen Xi nodded, “What about it?”

Qin Lie asked, “Interested in doing game character design?”

“No.”

Chen Xi refused decisively and brushed past him, walking to the front of the shop.

Soon, the arrogant roar of an engine sounded from the street.

Finally, Qin Zhan drove the car back.

He rolled down the window and smiled brilliantly at Chen Xi, “Thanks, Sister Xi.”

Chen Xi reached out and patted the car hood, her downward gaze containing a smile, like patting a child she had raised.

She asked Qin Zhan, “Where’s Liu Boyang?”

Qin Zhan replied, “He went to look at a car. Today looks pretty good, seventy percent new. Once it’s fixed up, it should sell for a good price.”

Just then, Liu Boyang walked into the shop.

He held a square stainless steel tray in one hand containing steaming roasted lamb ribs, and carried packaged cold dishes in the other.

“I met the seller at the door and bought them.”

Liu Boyang asked Qin Zhan, “Did you buy beer?”

Seeing Qin Lie, Liu Boyang smiled and greeted him, “Bro, have a drink with us.”

…

As night deepened, Qin Lie couldn’t help but glance at the several empty beer bottles by Chen Xi’s feet.

He had been accustomed to Northwestern women’s drinking capacity since childhood.

Chen Xi’s drinking capacity still made him take notice.

The streetlights cast a dim yellow light everywhere, and the lamb ribs on the small table had gotten cold.

Qin Zhan couldn’t stop talking about his car, and after talking about the car, he talked about the repair shop.

He asked Chen Xi, “Sister Xi, if we open a repair shop, what about your job?”

Chen Xi picked up a piece of cucumber salad and said flatly, “I resigned.”

Qin Zhan and Liu Boyang asked simultaneously, “When?”

Chen Xi replied, “This afternoon.”

Qin Zhan gave Chen Xi a thumbs up, “Awesome.”

Liu Boyang asked with some concern, “Did you tell your family?”

Chen Xi shook her head, “Not yet.”

Liu Boyang asked, “What about Brother Yuning?”

Chen Xi’s expression became slightly serious for a moment. “I’ll tell him tonight.”

Hearing Bai Yuning’s name made Qin Zhan feel uncomfortable, and he stirred up trouble by saying, “This is Sister Xi’s own business. What right does he have to interfere?”

Liu Boyang looked at Qin Zhan speechlessly.

Outside the courtyard, a white Camry stopped by the roadside.

Chen Xi saw the car and stretched out her arm to wave at the person inside.

The car door opened, and Bai Yuning got out and walked over.

He had finished his night shifts for this month and came to pick up Chen Xi to go home.

Liu Boyang stood up to greet Bai Yuning, “Brother Yuning, come eat something.”

Bai Yuning smiled and waved at him, “I already ate at work.”

He glanced at the empty beer bottles by Chen Xi’s feet and complained softly, “Why did you drink so much?”

Qin Zhan turned away and rolled his eyes skyward.

Bai Yuning’s gaze turned to Qin Lie and suddenly froze, then looked surprised.

“Qin Lie, when did you come back?”

Qin Lie again marveled at how interpersonal relationships in small places were like an inescapable web.

They had been in the same high school class but weren’t particularly close.

Qin Lie casually replied, “A while ago.”

Bai Yuning said, “I heard you’re a big boss in Beijing, developing games, right?”

Liu Boyang quickly interjected, “Yes, the Tunnel was made by Brother Qin. Brother Yuning, do you play Tunnel?”

Bai Yuning focused entirely on work and his personal life, knowing nothing about the gaming world.

But he still nodded supportively, “Tunnel, yes, I know that game. It’s very popular.”

Chen Xi silently rolled her eyes at Bai Yuning.

Besides Candy Crush, what other games did he know?

Bai Yuning caught Chen Xi’s half-smiling gaze and remembered to make introductions.

“I came to pick up my girlfriend. Her name is Chen Xi, also from No. 3 High School, six years younger than us.”

Qin Lie nodded, “We’ve met.”

When Chen Xi got in Bai Yuning’s car, she was already somewhat drunk.

She closed her eyes and leaned against the passenger seat.

Streetlights shone through the windshield into the car, flickering light and shadow across her face.

Bai Yuning’s car, like his home, had an overly clean smell.

Or perhaps it was because his clothes always carried a faint scent of hospital disinfectant—smelling it made Chen Xi less sleepy.

She suddenly remembered something and opened her eyes to look at Bai Yuning.

“Did you find the doctor I asked you to help find this afternoon?”

Bai Yuning nodded, “I found Dr. Wei, who is our hospital’s liver specialist.”

Chen Xi was still worried, “Is he the best?”

Bai Yuning smiled and glanced at her, “Who is this person that you care so much about?”

Chen Xi said, “A teacher.”

She turned to look out the window.

The banks of the Dang River at night were outlined with lights, creating the most beautiful scenery in the small city.

After watching for a while, she said unconsciously, “An amazing person.”

After Bai Yuning started working, his parents bought him a three-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment in Mingzhu Jiayuan Residential Community with full payment.

The community was close to his workplace, with a shopping mall nearby—one of the top developments in the city center.

As soon as they entered the house, Chen Xi jumped on Bai Yuning and kissed him wildly without restraint.

Bai Yuning lost his balance, staggered back two steps, and his shoulder blade hit the wall.

He hissed softly and laughed, patting Chen Xi’s bottom, “Can’t hold out after just one week?”

But tonight Chen Xi wanted to have a wild celebration.

She had resigned today, and the big stone pressing on her heart was finally gone.

At the same time, Chen Xi felt a hollow sense of loss that drinking couldn’t fill—she wanted something more intense to fill the void.

Chen Xi frantically tangled her tongue with his and removed his jacket.

She led him to the study and swept everything off the desk.

Books, pen holders, and other miscellaneous items crashed to the floor.

Bai Yuning quickly caught his Outstanding Young Doctor award trophy and placed it on the chair Chen Xi had kicked aside.

Chen Xi let go of Bai Yuning and sat on the desk, crossing her long legs.

She looked down at him from above, her gaze cold yet nakedly lustful.

“Strip.”

She spoke the word flatly to Bai Yuning.

As if under a spell, Bai Yuning hurriedly pulled off his belt.

One standing, one sitting, they entwined in the unlit room.

The desk creaked under Chen Xi’s movements, sighing under the burden.

Bai Yuning followed Chen Xi’s rhythm, breathing heavily.

“Does it feel good?”

“Are you enjoying it?”

He asked with short breaths as he moved.

Chen Xi reached out to grab his face, fumbling to cover his mouth, her expression focused, brow slightly furrowed.

She was trying hard to climb to a certain place but kept being interrupted by him.

She simply pushed him away and turned to brace herself against the desk, facing away from him.

The dim yellow streetlight spilled across the desk, and she was like a fish swaying its tail in moonlight.

Bai Yuning was stimulated to dizziness, groping for the only place on Chen Xi’s body that felt soft to him.

He pressed close against her, gently kissing her slightly sweaty neck and cool earlobes.

Bai Yuning whispered in her ear repeatedly how much he loved her, lingering tenderly for a long while before his movements became intense again.

Chen Xi closed her eyes, floating and sinking in the rocking motion.

But that small boat was sometimes near, sometimes far, and after brushing past her, she could never reach it again.