After the four men had their fill of food and drink, they cleared the table and started playing mahjong. Jiang Mu pulled up a small stool next to Jin Chao’s side, cracking sunflower seeds while watching the Spring Festival Gala. When a funny skit came on, she covered her mouth and giggled to herself. Jin Chao glanced at her from the corner of his eye while shuffling his tiles.
Although he had spent the previous New Year playing cards with his brothers, this year was different with a little shadow by his side. The empty corner in his heartfelt somehow filled, and his expression softened.
At midnight, Jiang Mu’s phone rang. She put down her snacks and checked her phone to find that Jin Chao had sent her a red envelope. She looked up at him in surprise, but he kept his eyes fixed on his tiles, his profile showing a rare contentment as he casually threw out a Two of Characters tile.
Jiang Mu pressed her lips together in a smile and lowered her head. As the sound of the red envelope being opened rang out, all the men at the table looked up. San Lai was the first to react, glancing at the time on the TV before saying, “It’s the New Year.”
He then sent Jiang Mu a red envelope, saying, “Little Mu Mu, here’s your New Year’s money.”
The Iron Rooster and Jin Fengzi also sent her red envelopes. Jiang Mu felt embarrassed to accept them and instinctively looked at Jin Chao. San Lai said, “We’re giving you New Year’s money, why are you looking at him?”
Jin Fengzi chimed in, “It’s our custom here that anyone without a job can receive New Year’s money.”
Jiang Mu still tugged at Jin Chao’s sleeve, unsure what to do. He lowered his head, took her phone, opened all the red envelopes at once, and handed it back to her.
Jiang Mu’s face lit up with a bright smile as she respectfully wished her brothers a happy New Year.
In previous years, they would have likely played through the night, but this year, with Jin Chao having a little shadow beside him, they wrapped up the game shortly after midnight and headed home.
As soon as Jin Chao stood up, Jiang Mu approached him and asked quietly, “Can I not go home tonight? After all… Dad’s not home.”
Jin Chao said sternly, “You need to break this habit of not returning home at night.”
Jiang Mu replied playfully, “It’s not like I’m hanging out with bad people.”
Jin Chao walked toward the door: “How do you know I’m not a bad person?”
“You’re a good person as long as you haven’t done anything bad to me.”
Jin Chao opened the door and looked back at her without saying anything before walking out. Jiang Mu followed him next door. Jin Chao turned back and said, “The key.”
Jiang Mu took out the key from her pocket and detached the “Morning Thoughts of evening dreams” keychain before returning the key to him.
Jin Chao took the key and raised his eyebrows, staring at the item in her hand. Jiang Mu dangled it and said, “Let me keep this, you probably don’t need it anymore.”
Jin Chao crouched down to open the rolling door and replied, “How would you know?”
Jiang Mu smiled and said, “Of course I know. I’m here now, so you don’t need to think of me morning and evening anymore, do you?”
Jin Chao paused, stood up, and gazed at her with light in his eyes. Jiang Mu stepped into the garage with a smile, and Jin Chao pulled down the rolling door, watching her cheerful silhouette, the light in his eyes growing more profound.
Jiang Mu walked straight into the break room, with Jin Chao following. He turned on the heater and pushed a chair toward her. After she sat down, Jin Chao brought another chair in front of her and sat down. Since there were too many people earlier, he hadn’t had the chance to ask, but now he spoke up: “Didn’t you say you were going home? Did you fight with your mom?”
Jiang Mu lowered her eyes, picking at her fingernails with a drooping face as she muttered, “Mom said… she wants to go back and sell the house.”
Jin Chao remained silent, his brows slightly furrowed. Jiang Mu continued, “When she first said she wanted to go to Australia with that foreign guy, I thought it wasn’t very reliable. Now she comes back from one trip and immediately wants to sell the house like she’s been brainwashed or something. I’m just worried she’s being scammed by that person. It would be hard to protect her rights in a different country. What do you think?”
Jin Chao pondered for a moment before saying, “I can’t draw any conclusions since I haven’t met him. However, have you considered something?”
Jiang Mu lifted her gaze to look at him.
“She hasn’t dated anyone in all these years since splitting up with Jin Qiang. Do you think she would settle? If she’s made this decision, she must have her reasons. You’ll have your own family someday. Finding someone compatible isn’t easy, and she can’t spend the rest of her life alone.”
Jiang Mu blurted out, “I’ve thought about it before – it would be fine not getting married and living with Mom forever, or even if I did get married, we could all live together.”
Jin Chao broke into a smile, making Jiang Mu’s face flush. She realized how childish her words sounded – marriage wasn’t something she could decide on a whim at this moment.
The air grew quiet for a moment before Jin Chao suppressed his smile and glanced at her: “So you don’t plan to get married?”
Jiang Mu’s eyes wandered to the repair shop, feeling as if feathers were tickling her heart. She blushed and said, “I… how would I know…”
Jin Chao asked her, “Have you tried talking to her about it?”
Jiang Mu nodded, “We’ve argued about it countless times, especially before the college entrance exam.”
Jin Chao crossed his hands over his knees and looked at her, “If that’s the case, you can’t change anything. If I were you, instead of worrying needlessly, I’d focus on handling my affairs well. If she ends up happy, you can rest easy. If things don’t work out, at least you’ll have the ability to provide for her in her later years.”
Jin Chao’s profile appeared steady and reliable under the yellow light of the break room. The concerns that had troubled Jiang Mu for half a year seemed to take on a different perspective through Jin Chao’s words. She had been worried that the foreigner couldn’t provide her mother with a stable life, feared that following Chris abroad would lead to various problems, and had tried several times to stop Jiang Yinghan. But she had never considered that her mother also needed a partner – someone to lean on when she felt vulnerable, to keep her company when she felt lonely, to help her pass the time when she was bored.
It seemed that ever since her father left, she had taken it for granted that her mother would rely solely on her. She had only worried about her mother’s safety without considering her needs. Jiang Yinghan was indeed a mother, but she was also a woman.
Jiang Mu really couldn’t do anything – if she could influence Jiang Yinghan’s decision, things wouldn’t have come to this point. Still, she said dejectedly, “But if Mom sells the house, I won’t even have a place to stay if I go back to Suzhou.”
She looked up at Jin Chao as she finished speaking. In the dim light, she gazed at him and mumbled, “What will I do if I become homeless?”
Her voice was as soft as the steamed cakes Jin Chao remembered eating in the South when he was young. He heard her words but didn’t speak, just smiled with lowered eyes. Jiang Mu puffed her cheeks, “What’s so funny?”
Jin Chao straightened up and leaned back in his chair, looking directly at her. Jiang Mu thought it might be because he’d had quite a bit to drink – even his gaze seemed intoxicating. It made her increasingly nervous, and she looked up at the ceiling, her voice barely a whisper, “Father doesn’t care, Mother doesn’t want me, Brother doesn’t love me…”
Jin Chao’s smile spread to his eyebrows, light dancing in his eyes as his voice carried the relaxed tone of slight intoxication: “How would you like me to love you?”
Jiang Mu’s heart began to race. She hadn’t expected Jin Chao’s words to make her heart flutter like this. She didn’t know what this feeling was – she hadn’t been drinking, yet she felt somewhat drunk.
Jin Chao looked at her reddened cheeks, then turned away. He got up to pour her a glass of water, placed it beside her, and returned to his chair.
Although Jiang Mu had been somewhat sulking earlier, now that Jin Chao had asked such a question, she couldn’t utter a single word.
After a long while, she finally managed to say, “I won’t pressure you anymore, but you can’t joke about your safety. Can you at least promise me that you’ll stay safe, no matter what?”
Jin Chao raised his eyebrows and looked at her. Her eyes were clear and transparent, her expression so serious that he could see the genuine concern in her eyes, pure and sincere.
Seeing his silence, Jiang Mu leaned forward and asked tentatively, “Is it a lot of money? The civil compensation?”
Jin Chao’s relaxed expression gradually tightened: “How did you find out?”
Jiang Mu bit her lip, ultimately choosing not to mention Jiang Yinghan, afraid of reminding him of those past events.
But Jin Chao said it for her: “Your mom?”
Jiang Mu lowered her gaze and said softly, “Mom said she’d set aside some money for me when she sells the house. I could talk to her about giving me part of it first.”
Jin Chao remained silent as the atmosphere grew cold. Jiang Mu secretly glanced up at him to find his expression had turned icy, his eyes covered with a frost that seemed to keep everyone at a thousand-mile distance.
She just didn’t want Jin Chao to do those dangerous things. She wanted to help him resolve his debt quickly, but she realized Jin Chao would never accept money from Jiang Yinghan. Back then, her mother had stood by and done nothing – how could someone as proud as him possibly let her ask her mother for help now?
Jiang Mu’s eyes suddenly reddened with anxiety: “I won’t mention it again.”
Jin Chao sighed and bent down slightly to tell her, “It’s not about the money.”
Jiang Mu looked at him puzzled: “Then what is it?”
Jin Chao simply reached out and ruffled her hair, saying, “It’s almost two o’clock, aren’t you going to sleep?”
“To be honest, I slept until evening, so I’m not tired at all. Are you tired? I can keep you company while you sleep?”
Both of them froze at her words. She suddenly stood up and explained, “No, no, I mean you sleep, and I’ll just… just sit nearby.”
Jin Chao raised his eyebrows: “Sit?”
Jiang Mu awkwardly pressed herself against the table’s edge. Jin Chao slowly stood up and said to her, “Then sit. I’m going to take a shower.”
With that, he walked into the room. Soon, Jiang Mu heard the sound of running water. She touched her face – it felt hot. She didn’t even look at her phone, just sat there for over ten minutes.
The water stopped, and Jin Chao’s footsteps echoed in the room. Jiang Mu stood up and lifted the curtain, standing at the doorway. The room was warm, and Jin Chao wore only a short-sleeved shirt. With his back to Jiang Mu, he reached up to take the hair dryer from the shelf, his T-shirt riding up slightly. Jiang Mu’s eyes fixed on his taut waist, emanating masculine vitality, and she suddenly felt her whole body tense up.
Earlier, San Lai had told her that in high school, many girls would secretly watch Jin Chao’s waist when he was cleaning windows. At that time, she couldn’t understand what was so attractive about a waist. Even now, she still didn’t know what was so attractive about it, but she couldn’t look away.
Jin Chao plugged in the hair dryer and glanced at her from the corner of his eye. Seeing her standing dumbly in the doorway, he blew some hot air in her direction before lowering his head to dry his hair, asking, “What are you looking at?”
Jiang Mu certainly wasn’t going to tell him she was secretly looking at his waist, so she let her eyes wander to the shelf and said, “Looking at the books you read.”
“Interested?”
“…Not really.”
“…”
After Jin Chao finished drying his hair, he turned to look at her. Feeling they couldn’t just keep staring at each other in this tiny space, he said after a moment, “I’ll take you home.”
Jin Chao put his jacket back on and picked up his car keys. Jiang Mu followed him to the garage. That black car seemed to only come out at night – Jin Chao rarely drove it during the day. Jiang Mu didn’t know much about cars, but she had witnessed this car’s speed. She knew this was Jin Chao’s money-making tool, which was why she had been so cautious before.
Once in the car, Jiang Mu asked, “In that race the other day, was the rule that whoever got the bag first would win?”
Jin Chao drove through the quiet streets and gave an affirmative sound.
Jiang Mu continued, “Then who usually provides the money?”
“Whoever organizes it pays.”
“Do you have a large organization?”
Jin Chao didn’t answer.
Jiang Mu asked again, “Is it always played this way?”
“Not necessarily. These casual races are rare. Some rich kids arrange one or two when they’re bored.”
Jiang Mu exclaimed, “Casual? Then what are the serious ones like? How do you all usually stay in contact?”
Jin Chao shot her a sharp glance before looking back at the road, “You’re quite bold with your questions.”
Jiang Mu turned her head to look at him as he continued, “The reason I said you were my girlfriend that day was because it made the most sense. They all know my sister at home is only in second grade. Suddenly having such a grown-up sister would raise suspicions about your identity. This alliance hasn’t existed for just a day or two – they have their methods of controlling risks. The appearance of any outsider can easily draw attention, so in that situation, I could only say that to make them believe you were mine and dispel their doubts. As for the rest, the less you know, the better.”
Jiang Mu suddenly felt a chill of fear as she recalled the number app on Jin Chao’s phone. They didn’t communicate through WeChat or other common apps, so that app was suspicious – perhaps it was one of the risk-avoidance methods Jin Chao mentioned.
When Lightning got into trouble last time, Da Guang had said Jin Chao had touched the alliance’s interests. Was this underground organization the alliance he spoke of? What exactly had Jin Chao done?
Everything seemed like a dense web, appearing both dangerous and terrifying to Jiang Mu. Seeing her serious expression, Jin Chao laughed, “I’m just going to make money. I’ll make it and leave – it’s not like I’m killing anyone. What are you panicking about?”
But Jiang Mu asked worriedly, “Will it keep going? Or until the debt is paid?”
“At most half a year.”
“Can the money be repaid in half a year?”
Jin Chao appeared casual: “More or less.”
This was the first direct answer Jin Chao had given her since their argument about this matter. Half a year – Jiang Mu felt slightly relieved.
Jin Chao saw her relieved expression from the corner of his eye, his gaze deepening as he fell silent.
Jiang Mu had never seen a snow scene in the early morning before. The streets were empty, and Jin Chao drove slowly. She took out her phone and snapped a few photos.
It snowed in Suzhou too, but not every year, and even when it did snow, by the time people woke up the next day, the streets would already be cleared. By afternoon, most of it would have melted.
That’s why Jiang Mu always got excited when it snowed, especially here in Tonggang where the snow was thick enough to make one want to step in it.
She remembered how in childhood, whenever it snowed, she and Jin Chao would rush out early in the morning to find untouched snow to stomp in. If they went out late and the clean snow downstairs had been disturbed by other children, Jiang Mu would always be disappointed.
The car stopped in front of an open square. Looking out, there was a vast expanse of pristine white snow. Finding such a snow-covered area would have been precious to them in the past. Jiang Mu looked at it longingly and turned to Jin Chao, asking, “Can we stop? I want to play for a while.”
Jin Chao slowly pulled the car to the roadside and reminded her, “It’s cold outside.”
“Just for a moment.”
Seeing her eager expression, Jin Chao knew what she wanted to do and had no choice but to join her outside.
The snow reached Jiang Mu’s ankles. As soon as she got out, she ran toward the space. Jin Chao called out from behind, “Don’t run, haven’t you fallen enough?”
Jiang Mu couldn’t be bothered with his words. She turned back to Jin Chao and said, “Wait for me, I want to make a shape in the snow, then you can take a photo for me to record the first day of the New Year.”
Jin Chao didn’t understand why girls were so obsessed with taking photos, but he could only wait for her at the side.
So while Jiang Mu enthusiastically stomped in the snow, Jin Chao stood under a streetlight at the edge of the square and lit a cigarette. Having lived in Tonggang for so many years, heavy snow fell every winter, sometimes for many days at a stretch. He had lost the childhood wonder of snowy grounds and the youthful interest in play, yet he still stood there in the cold, watching the excited figure of that girl, keeping her company as she braved the cold.
Jiang Mu slowly stomped out a heart shape. Standing at the tip of the heart, she looked up at Jin Chao. His silhouette was rimmed with a halo of light, elongated by the streetlight. Wisps of smoke curled from between his fingers sparks flickering like a scene from an old dream – flowers that weren’t flowers, the mist that wasn’t mist, but he was still the same person.
Jiang Mu’s smile was dazzlingly beautiful against the vast white expanse. She raised both hands above her head and made a heart shape toward Jin Chao. The cigarette between his fingers tightened, and the next second, when he heard Jiang Mu call out, “I’m ready, take the photo!” his grip on the cigarette finally loosened…