Hu Shurong’s words resounded clearly through the empty factory.

Black soot filled the cracks between floor tiles, mixing with the howling north wind and paper-like snowflakes, rolling along the broken stones.

Snow and ash blew onto Xie Huai’s feet, caught by his suddenly upturned shoelaces like growing vines.

The hanging light above swayed back and forth, like a candle flame flickering in the wind, about to extinguish at any moment.

Xie Huai’s face was backlit, and Xia Xia couldn’t make out his expression. She only saw him clench his fist and raise his head.

Her heart felt like it was balanced on a knife’s edge over an endless abyss, trembling with Xie Huai’s every movement. She feared he might lose control of his emotions and explode, inciting Hu Shurong’s rage and sending them both over the cliff to shatter into pieces, leaving no remains.

Xie Huai’s voice squeezed through his throat: “Let her go. I’ll pay back every cent.”

Hu Shurong: “I’ve heard ‘I’ll pay you back’ from countless people over the years. I used to believe it, but later I understood that people’s mouths can spin the most elaborate lies. If I release her now, you’ll go straight to the police.”

“Without leverage, relying on verbal promises alone – I don’t trust it.”

Xia Xia tried to stand up, but Sun Feng slapped her head and pushed her back down, barking: “Stay put.”

Xie Huai pushed past the two men blocking him and strode to Xia Xia’s side, grabbing Sun Feng’s collar and landing a punch on his nose bridge.

Sun Feng’s nasal bone broke instantly, blood gushing out like a fountain.

Xie Huai pinned his head against the wall, eyes blood-red and terrifying: “Try hitting her again, I dare you!”

Sun Feng covered his nose, blood flowing between his fingers: “I won’t fight back. You’d better get your fill of hitting me now, because when you can’t come up with the money, just watch how I’ll torture her to death.”

Half his face covered in blood, he smiled hideously: “Young Master, how have you fallen so low?”

The rage in Xie Huai’s eyes burned like fierce flames.

He was still rational, even clear-headed, but it was this rationality that drove him to raise his fist again, violently smashing Sun Feng’s head against the wall.

The two men by Hu Shurong stood watching for a while, only moving to stop him after Sun Feng’s head was bleeding profusely.

One man wearing brass knuckles grabbed Xie Huai’s shoulder, made a fist, and punched him hard in the abdomen.

“Xie Huai, I allowed you to retaliate when Sun Feng hit your woman,” Hu Shurong’s voice rang out. “But he only hit her once – this goes against the rules.”

Xie Huai’s face turned deathly pale as the man stepped on his shin, trying to force him to kneel.

His knees bent slightly, but he tried to steady himself and stand up.

The man walked in front of him, tightened his brass knuckles, and delivered more than ten brutal punches.

When he let go, Xie Huai collapsed uncontrollably. He tried to push himself up with his palms on the ground but vomited blood.

Xia Xia: “Xie Huai—”

She stumbled over, supporting his chin with her shoulder. Xie Huai’s hot breath fell on her shoulder.

Xia Xia looked down to see his clothes stained red with blood.

“Let me see,” she tried to check his injuries under his clothes, but Xie Huai stopped her.

Xie Huai wiped the blood from his mouth, spraying blood mist as he spoke.

He looked at Hu Shurong: “She must leave with me.”

Hu Shurong remained silent.

Xie Huai’s lips curved slightly in a reckless smile as if he wasn’t the one bleeding: “Either she leaves with me, or you kill us both.”

He raised an eyebrow: “I’m not afraid to die, and neither is my woman.”

“Kill us if you want, but I’ll never leave her here…”

The man stepped forward and punched him in the face, cutting off his words.

A gash opened on Xie Huai’s face, first showing four bright red marks that then burst open, blood seeping out and covering his face.

Xia Xia screamed frantically: “Stop hitting him—”

The fat man pulled her away. Xie Huai tried to fight back but caught sight of someone’s arm around Xia Xia’s neck. The man raised his eyebrows at him, the threat clear.

His raised fist slowly unclenched, and he gritted his teeth, not returning a single punch.

Brass knuckles are particularly painful – one punch breaks the skin, and several punches leave bleeding wounds.

The man stopped.

Xia Xia’s eyes were dry as she watched Xie Huai, covered in blood, climb to his feet. She wanted to cry but couldn’t.

Her hands were bound behind her back, fingers reaching down to grasp the razor blade in her pocket.

A pair of thick hands grabbed her delicate wrists from behind, followed by the fat man’s low voice: “If you don’t want to die, don’t take it out.”

Xie Huai raised his hand to wipe the blood from his face, but it kept flowing from the wound, barely lessening no matter how much he wiped.

His face was terrifying, more frightening than a demon crawling out of hell, yet his eyes were unusually bright.

He stared at Hu Shurong: “That year you gave me just a verbal promise, and I believed it. Today, trust me once too.”

Hu Shurong listened quietly, his mind conjuring the image of the young, naive boy from five years ago.

That night, like tonight, was also a howling snow-filled night.

Xie Huai had burst into the dance club alone. The atmosphere had been at its peak, with pole dancers stripped down to lace panties and transparent bras.

When his men had twisted him and brought him before Hu Shurong, he had looked no less miserable than now.

Hu Shurong still remembered the youth’s calm gaze, vivid even after so many years.

“I’ll pay back what my father owes you. What kind of skill is it to take revenge on women?”

Hu Shurong lowered his eyes: “Xie Zhisheng owes me five million.”

The youth’s expression was defiant: “I’ll pay it.”

“I’m a loan shark. Five million is far from enough.”

Xie Huai said: “As long as you stop harassing my mother, I’ll pay it back slowly, until I die if necessary, but I’ll pay it all eventually.”

Hu Shurong asked: “What if I do harass her? Xie Zhisheng humiliated me. Why should I give you time to pay slowly?”

Xie Huai was quiet for a moment: “Then I only have this one life – take it.”

He paused: “But I won’t let you take it easily. Even if I die, I’ll drag someone down with me.”

…

Many years later, when Hu Shurong recalled Xie Huai’s appearance then, what he remembered most deeply wasn’t his plea not to hurt Qiao Ru, nor his promise to repay the money, but his expression – calm and detached. He couldn’t see a trace of fear in the sixteen-year-old child.

He had come alone, seemingly reckless and ignorant, but had considered the worst outcome.

He hadn’t planned to leave alive.

It was Hu Shurong’s first compromise in life, not because a child had stirred pity in his heart, but because he knew if he didn’t agree, Xie Huai would truly fight to the death.

Hu Shurong didn’t value life, nor would he regret Xie Huai’s death. The thought that grew in his heart was strange.

If Xie Huai died, the five million would be lost, and his lost face wouldn’t be recovered at all.

Only with Xie Huai alive, thinking about how his family was being tormented because of Xie Zhisheng and would be tormented for life, would give him a sense of vengeful satisfaction.

But now—

Hu Shurong frowned. With survival itself being problematic, he had no energy to think about revenge.

He needed money – that was the urgent matter at hand.

“Since I promised I would pay, that’s a man’s word.”

“As long as you let her leave with me, I absolutely won’t go to the police,” Xie Huai’s gaze swept across the dark factory walls. “If you don’t believe me, I swear on my father.”

Hu Shurong considered briefly: “Untie her.”

The fat man loosened Xia Xia’s restraints but still held her arm, not letting her go to Xie Huai’s side.

Hu Shurong said flatly: “I also promise you that before you return, not a hair on her head will be harmed.”

Xie Huai was quiet for a while, his voice hoarse: “You still won’t let her go?”

Hu Shurong: “I’ve shown my sincerity. If you keep pushing, you’re being ungrateful.”

“You might not fear death, but I don’t believe you’re willing to let her die with you.”

“At worst, I’ll forget about the money and take both your lives to settle the 4 million,” Hu Shurong said. “I’ve been tolerant enough letting you act out here for so long. Don’t try to test my bottom line.”

“So many people died in the explosion here back then. Two more lives won’t make much difference.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the man beside him flicked open a folding knife and roughly pressed it against Xia Xia’s white neck.

Xie Huai raised his hand to wipe the blood onto his sleeve.

His face was swollen purple from intense pain, his chest heaving like surging waves, each breath making his windpipe wheeze like old bellows.

The two men with brass knuckles subtly moved closer to Hu Shurong.

In the tense silence, Xia Xia spoke.

She said softly: “Xie Huai, you go first.”

Xie Huai looked at her, his eyes filled with emotions she couldn’t understand – deep and thick.

She turned her head, her clear eyes looking at the man with the knife: “Let me go.”

The man, receiving a signal from Hu Shurong, put away his knife.

Xia Xia ran to Xie Huai’s side, cradling his face to examine his wounds.

Xie Huai was very cold, his clothes covered in snow from outside. Most had melted into water droplets, with some still clinging unmelted to the wool collar of his cashmere coat.

His eyes were bloodshot, red vessels filling the whites.

Xia Xia held him, clearly feeling his body trembling through their clasped hands.

“Brother Huai, I’m fine.”

She soothingly smoothed his hair, seeing him covered in blood, her heart almost breaking with pain.

“Go to the hospital first to get bandaged, then figure out how to gather the money. I’ll protect myself.”

She hugged him, and Xie Huai stood motionless, like a child in her embrace.

“I’ll wait for you to come back.”

She lowered her voice and whispered something in his ear.

When she tried to let go, Xie Huai held on tightly, refusing to release her.

Xia Xia smiled: “Don’t do anything foolish. I still want to keep walking forward with you.”

At that moment, she saw Xie Huai raise his eyes, emotions in them unlike anything before.

—They were emotions she could count one by one, an unspeakable despair.

Xia Xia’s head was covered with a coarse sack before she was thrown back into the car.

After several twists and turns, the car stopped in front of an abandoned building in the suburbs. When the sack was removed from Xia Xia’s head, only Fat Man, Er Tiao, and Sun Feng were there.

Hu Shurong and his confidants were gone, and the others had disappeared somewhere unknown.

Xia Xia was wrapped in the coat Xie Huai had left her, pitifully huddled in a corner, curled up listlessly hugging her knees.

The three men brought over the electric heater, turned it to the maximum, and gathered around to play cards.

Er Tiao’s mind wasn’t on the game. As they played, his eyes kept drifting to Xia Xia. Xia Xia was exhausted but seemed to sense it, opening her bleary eyes to glance at him.

That one look was enough to stir Er Tiao’s thoughts.

He threw down his cards and walked to Xia Xia, his fingers, greasy with something unknown, touching her cheek.

Xia Xia dodged, and he smiled: “There’s something dirty on your face, look.”

The substance on his fingers was Xie Huai’s blood that had gotten on her face, now dried into scabs, sticking hard to Xia Xia’s cheek.

The girl wasn’t moved at all by his explanation. Her gaze was vigilant as she glared at him with disgust.

Er Tiao moistened his dry lips and exchanged a glance with Sun Feng. “Listen, you don’t think Boss was serious about not being able to persuade her, do you? He was just tricking Xie Huai to get him to borrow money. We’ve followed Boss for so long – would he make things difficult for us over something so trivial?”

“Besides,” Er Tiao’s lecherous nature surfaced as his eyes traced Xia Xia’s shapely figure beneath her T-shirt, “as long as we’re gentle and don’t leave any marks on her body, who do you think Boss will believe when he asks – us or her?”

Xia Xia’s slender neck bore a faint red mark near her chin, left there hours earlier when she and Xie Huai had been playfully fooling around.

Er Tiao’s eyes grew hot at the sight. “Damn, this woman gets around.”

Sun Feng sneered, “Look how far Xie Huai has fallen, yet she’s still eagerly giving it up to him. His favorite woman dumped him for me, and now his current woman’s going to get screwed under me. He used to be so arrogant, but now he’s lower than a dog.”

Xia Xia, exhausted and cold after a sleepless night, narrowed her eyes at his words.

Dissatisfied with her look, Sun Feng kicked her. “Who the fuck are you glaring at?”

Xia Xia winced in pain with a muffled groan. She lowered her voice, cultivating a tearful tone: “I wasn’t…”

She cried until her face was covered in tears and mucus, appearing like a terrified innocent.

Er Tiao cursed, his eyes red with unspeakable thoughts after being consumed by lust for so long.

He dragged Xia Xia to a dusty mat in the corner and knelt before it, undoing his belt.

Xia Xia bit her lip and said, “Xie Huai won’t give you any money.”

Tears streamed down her face, her fair cheeks flushed with fear. “If anything happens to me, Xie Huai absolutely won’t give you any money.”

“Maybe Hu Shurong will believe you didn’t hurt me, but if I tell Xie Huai you did, he’ll believe me,” Xia Xia choked back tears. “If you dare touch me, I’ll kill myself by smashing my head here. If Xie Huai doesn’t see me alive, he won’t give you a single cent.”

“Do you think if Hu Shurong doesn’t get his money, he won’t take it out on you?”

Er Tiao froze, his previously excited and flushed face instantly cooling, his lust-addled mind clearing somewhat.

He ground his teeth in frustration. Though he didn’t dare harm her, he couldn’t contain his agitation and anger, so he kicked Xia Xia onto the cushion.

Xia Xia curled up to protect her vital areas. Not satisfied, Er Tiao picked up a stick from the ground and started hitting her.

Fatty, sitting by the road warming himself by the fire, spoke up: “That’s enough. If you injure her, what will you tell Boss when he asks?”

Er Tiao threw the stick away and paced around the room cursing.

Xia Xia raised her head, her face covered in dust from the cushion.

She sneezed from the irritation, and her tears mixed with the dark smudges running down her face.

“Fuck,” Er Tiao said irritably. “I need to find a prostitute, right now.”

He grabbed his wallet and car keys to leave, but Sun Feng stopped him: “Are you fucking crazy? There are cops everywhere, you think they won’t find you? Kill yourself if you want, but don’t drag us down with you, you idiot.”

Er Tiao shoved his hand away: “You’re the idiot. What crimes have we committed that we need to hide from cops? What have you done since dropping out of high school to follow Boss? Just collecting debts and watching gambling halls? And me? Forget living the good life, I haven’t even had a taste of the soup all these years!”

“The one time…” Er Tiao glared viciously at Xia Xia, “that fucking Xie Huai put me in the hospital. How can I swallow that?”

“The cops want Boss, they did all the dirty work. I didn’t do anything, I’m not afraid.”

Fatty, feeling the room was cold, turned up the electric heater: “If you’re on their anti-gang list, you’re an accomplice. You can’t run even if you want to.”

“Fuck!” Er Tiao lost control of his emotions, crouching and crying with his head in his hands. “What did I do wrong to be chased by cops everywhere? I can’t even find a prostitute. I just beat up a few people, all the dirty work was done by Boss and them.”

He cursed a few more times and stormed out.

Fatty frowned and said to Sun Feng: “Go keep an eye on him.”

The room fell quiet, with only Fatty warming himself by the fire and Xia Xia’s sobbing.

Choking on dust, she said softly, “Brother, can I have some tissue?”

Fatty got up and tore off a piece of toilet paper. As he bent to hand it to her, his necklace fell out.

It was a gold chain with a heart-shaped frame containing a tiny ID photo of a fair, pretty baby.

“My daughter,” Fatty said. “Just two months old. I couldn’t go home when she was born, so my wife sent me this photo.”

“The police are determined to get Boss, and they’re watching all our families too. My wife didn’t dare send it by phone, she went to an internet cafe outside the neighborhood before her confinement period was even over…”

Xia Xia wiped her tears: “She’s very cute.”

Exhausted, she curled up in the corner with her hands over her belly to rest.

She heard the north wind beating against the windows in the silent night. Later, Sun Feng and Er Tiao returned, Fatty went to sleep, and the two took turns keeping watch by the stove. Fatty woke at dawn, turned off the electric heater, and rinsed his mouth with mineral water in the corner.

Xia Xia hadn’t dared fall into a deep sleep all night, secretly pinching herself awake whenever she felt herself drifting off.

Fatty went out and returned half an hour later with a bag of bread and ham.

He gave Xia Xia a package of toast: “It’s New Year’s Eve, nothing else for sale outside. Make do with this.”

Xia Xia thanked him quietly. After a few bites of the frozen, dry bread, she suddenly covered her mouth and retched.

She vomited until her eyes were red. Fatty checked the expiration date – still three days away.

Xia Xia wiped away the tears squeezed out from vomiting and said softly, “I’m two months pregnant.”

“Xie Huai’s?” Fatty asked.

Xia Xia had no appetite left and set aside the bread, nodding weakly.

Dawn.

Qiao Bo opened the door and almost stepped on someone sitting outside the security door.

Xie Huai was covered in dried blood, silently leaning against the white wall. He had given his outer coat to Xia Xia and was left in just a thin sweatshirt.

He hadn’t slept all night, and when he looked up at Qiao Bo, his eyes were visibly exhausted.

Qiao Bo wore a brown jacket bought for the New Year and a red scarf around his neck. The whole family was cheerfully preparing to drive home for the holiday.

“Uncle,” Xie Huai’s voice was hoarse without him realizing it.

Qiao Bo quickly pulled him inside: “What happened? Come in and sit down first.”

“No need to sit,” Xie Huai said. “I’m here to borrow money.”

When the woman behind Qiao Bo heard this, her face immediately hardened: “I’ve heard of paying debts before New Year, but never borrowing money before New Year. Haven’t we done enough for your Xie family over the years? You only remember us when you need to suck blood?”

Qiao Bo frowned: “How much do you need?”

Xie Huai asked: “How much do you have?”

The conversation stalled.

Xie Huai said quietly: “Hu Shurong came to my house last night. Xia Xia was taken by him while trying to protect my mother. I need four million.”

“Four million?” the woman shrieked. “Why don’t you just rob a bank? I couldn’t earn four million in my lifetime. Do you think your uncle is a fool?”

Xie Huai pressed his lips together. He had spent all night calling friends he knew but had only managed to borrow a mere hundred thousand or so, far from four million.

“Xiao Huai,” Qiao Bo said, “you should go to the police about this. The police are looking for Hu Shurong now, they can help you get Xia Xia back.”

“Hu Shurong’s men have been following me, they were still downstairs when I came in just now,” Xie Huai said. “He’s managed to survive in the underworld for so many years, he would have considered this. If they discover I went to the police, he’s capable of anything.”

“Life isn’t like TV shows. I can’t risk Xia Xia’s safety.”

“The police want Hu Shurong, but it’s New Year’s Day – who knows when they’ll respond? Even if they do, they can’t guarantee Xia Xia’s safety completely. I don’t care if Hu Shurong goes to prison, I just want Xia Xia safe.”

“You think giving him money will settle things?” Qiao Bo asked angrily. “What if he takes the money and doesn’t release her? Won’t you lose both?”

“Uncle,” Xie Huai said calmly. “I came to borrow money, not to hear your lectures.”

“Hu Shurong only gave me twenty-four hours, almost half of which has passed. If you don’t want to lend me money, just say so, and I’ll leave immediately.”

Qiao Bo said nothing, but the woman shrilled: “Borrow money? How? Given your family’s bottomless pit of debt, who could afford to lend to you?”

“We didn’t get much benefit when your father was alive, and after he died, debt collectors came after us too. Your grandmother took pity on your mother and sold her own house to pay her debts. Yes, your mother is pitiful, but aren’t we pitiful too? Your uncle let you live in our old house and only charged four hundred yuan rent per month, what more do you want?”

“Don’t blame your uncle for being heartless. Your younger siblings are about to start university, that’s tens of thousands in tuition each year, and we need to help your brother with a down payment for a house later. Housing prices keep rising – if we lend you the money, what if your brother can’t afford a house when he gets married? Will you find him a wife?”

The woman said coldly: “If it was your mother who was kidnapped today, your uncle, as her brother, would certainly help. But who knows your girlfriend? If we lend you money now, how do we know she won’t break up with you later? If you two don’t end up together, wouldn’t that money be wasted?”

“If you ask me, don’t trade money for her life, just let her die. You’re already poor, what business do you have having a girlfriend?”

The woman’s words were harsh but logical.

Xie Huai said nothing. The blood smell on him was overwhelming, and fearing it would stain the sofa, he didn’t even sit down.

His cousins sat on the living room sofa, idly eating apples and watching TV, occasionally glancing up at him.

He remembered that before Xie Zhisheng’s troubles, even though he was wild outside, he always remembered to bring gifts for his younger siblings when he came home, whether it was a new PSP game console or a girl’s favorite Pandora bracelet. The children were young then and would follow him around calling him “cousin.”

Xie Huai couldn’t remember how long it had been since he’d heard that title.

The children’s eyes were cold and distant as if looking at a stranger.

“Uncle,” Xie Huai had never been more desperate in his life, “no matter how difficult these years have been, I’ve never asked to borrow even a cent from you. This is the first time, and it will be the last. The startup capital for your store came from my father, and the business license was arranged through his connections…”

“Don’t make it sound like everything your uncle has came from your father,” the woman interrupted as if hit in a sore spot. “Yes, your father lent us money, but so what? He said we didn’t need to pay it back. Our current business was earned by your uncle’s own hands, it has nothing to do with you. Are you trying to take it from us?”

Xie Huai paused: “Not take, borrow.”

“I’m in contact with friends about selling my store in South City. As soon as I get the money, I’ll pay you back as quickly as possible.”

After a long silence, Qiao Bo finally spoke slowly: “I can lend you money, but if I lend this time, what about next time?”

“Even though Qiao Ru is my sister, I can’t let her drag me down for life.”

Xie Huai remained silent, and Qiao Bo continued: “If I lend you money today, from now on, whatever happens to your family has nothing to do with me.”

The woman: “Are you crazy…”

Xie Huai’s eyes were dry, his throat parched. In a hoarse, muffled voice he said: “Thank you, Uncle.”

“I can only lend you one million. I need to save some money for your siblings’ future,” Qiao Bo handed him a piece of paper. “If you’re sure about this, write the IOU. We’ll calculate interest at bank rates, to be repaid with principal in ten years…”

…

Xie Huai walked out of the residential complex. The snow that had fallen all night stopped at this moment.

The New Year’s Eve streets were almost empty of cars, the world wrapped in silver and white, vast and quiet.

Sunlight broke through the clouds, casting golden patches that reflected off the snow in brilliant squares.

The reflection made the world as bright as two daybreaks.

Two men’s shadows flashed at a distant street corner, and the phone in Xie Huai’s palm grew hot.

Xie Huai removed the phone’s case, revealing a small round metal piece attached to one of the components.

Standing in the snowy center of the street, he couldn’t help but recall Xia Xia’s whisper in his ear last night:

“Huai Ge, don’t listen to him. You must call the police, you must.”