Two black crows fluttered down onto the bare tree branches.

Xia Xia counted down: “Three, two…”

Xie Huai was moved. He reached out his hand: “Come here.”

Xia Xia asked: “Why don’t you come over?”

Xie Huai had no way to deal with her. No matter how angry he was, he couldn’t bring himself to be harsh with the girl’s innocent face.

He walked over and reached out to stroke her hair.

Xia Xia dodged his touch: “Are we still breaking up?”

Are we still breaking up?

Her eyes held both joy and reproach, her cherry-colored lips pressed tightly together, her round cat-like eyes staring at him stubbornly.

When Xie Huai had said they would have no relationship in the future last night, he hadn’t thought it through. He had only wanted to push her far away, to never let her return to his side.

He had spent the entire night at the police station without closing his eyes once. For the first time in his life, he watched how the clouds slowly moved to cover the moonlight, how night gradually broke into dawn to reveal the sun.

He had been completely awake all night. Even though his body had reached its limit, his mind showed no signs of weariness.

He tossed and turned, but all the anguish tangled in his mind instantly dissipated when he heard her words.

—He had never really thought about breaking up; those were just crazy words spoken in a moment of emotional distress.

Xie Huai pressed the girl’s head against his chest: “I’m sorry.”

Xia Xia’s shoulders trembled slightly. She broke free from his embrace and swung her hand, slapping him across the face.

She had used very little force; Xie Huai’s face didn’t even turn aside, and after the soft smack, there wasn’t even a mark on his cheek.

“Did that hurt?” she asked.

Qi Da stood nearby, dumbfounded. In the past, anyone who had hit Xie Huai had never met a good end.

He remembered how in middle school, people who had beaten Xie Huai were beaten back several times worse by people he sent. The teacher who had hit Xie Huai’s head with a book had to apologize to him in the office in front of the principal and parents… In his memory, he had never seen any of Xie Huai’s girlfriends dare to hit him.

The only impression he had was of a girl who had once played games with him, giving him the cold shoulder and silent treatment. When she ignored him, Xie Huai didn’t seek her out either. A week later, when the girl sheepishly came back trying to make conversation and reconcile, Xie Huai looked at her in confusion and asked: “Didn’t we break up? What… what was your name again?”

It’s over, Qi Da thought.

He had just witnessed Xie Huai apologize to someone for the first time, and not even ten seconds later, he was about to witness another couple’s relationship shatter.

Xie Huai said: “It doesn’t hurt.”

Xia Xia gave him another slap on his other cheek, asking a second time: “Does it hurt?”

“It doesn’t hurt.” Xie Huai paused, “Stop hitting. Isn’t your hand sore?”

“If you’re not satisfied, I’ll do it myself.”

Xie Huai swung his hand and slapped himself, the sound ringing loud, hitting right on the scratch from the brass knuckles on his cheek, making his lips tremble with pain.

He didn’t make a sound, just asked: “Are you satisfied now?”

Xia Xia remained silent, watching him quietly. Xie Huai slapped himself again.

Qi Da: “…”

His shock wasn’t over yet when Xie Huai, after finishing the slaps, seriously asked: “Are two enough? Can I hug you now?”

Xia Xia lowered her gaze, staring at the colorful marble tiles beneath her feet, deliberately avoiding his gaze.

Xie Huai touched her arm, which had been permeated by the cold wind like an ice pop just taken from the freezer with white vapor rising, cold to the touch.

“I was being stupid, I deserved those slaps.” Xie Huai said hoarsely, “Don’t be angry anymore.”

Xia Xia’s tears, which had just been held back, couldn’t be contained anymore. Her eye rims, which had just calmed down, immediately became red again.

She was held in Xie Huai’s arms, turning her head to bite his shoulder with her sharp canine teeth.

“You bastard,” Xia Xia cursed while crying, her tears soaking Xie Huai’s shoulder. “If there’s a next time, I really won’t want you anymore.”

Qi Da stared at the quiet couple in the backseat.

Xia Xia’s head rested against the car window as she dozed lightly. Xie Huai lay sideways with his head on her lap. His nerves, which hadn’t relaxed for a long time, finally found a place where he felt safe, and he fell asleep shortly after.

The car drove aimlessly along the city’s main roads. When the wheels hit a pothole, Xia Xia’s head bumped against the solid window glass, waking her from her slumber.

She looked down at Xie Huai, who was sleeping deeply, his peaceful sleeping face as content as a baby’s.

Xia Xia curled her pinky around his sideburns, twirling them round and round, playing happily when Qi Da couldn’t help but ask: “I’ve been driving for an hour now, the car’s almost out of gas.”

Xia Xia heard the implication in his words that he wanted her to find a place to stop, but she pretended not to understand.

She continued playing with Xie Huai’s hair, saying softly: “Let him sleep a bit longer.”

Qi Da sighed helplessly, then glanced at Xia Xia in the rearview mirror, just as the girl was looking at him.

“Qi Da.”

Xia Xia’s voice was very soft, and her appearance was sweet and cute.

But after everything that had happened last night and this morning, Qi Da felt some resistance to her calling his name without reason.

He threw aside his usual playboy demeanor, behaving as obediently as a kindergartener asking a teacher for candy.

He smiled and asked: “Sister, what is it?”

Xia Xia asked: “Is Xie Huai not planning to go to the police?”

Qi Da was stunned. Seeing the serious emotion in Xia Xia’s gaze, realizing she wasn’t joking with him, he also put aside his playful manner and said seriously: “You probably don’t understand Hu Shurong. This man is famous not just because he runs dance halls and loan sharking, but because of his vengeful, unrelenting way of doing things, he’s more clingy than super glue.”

“Business people tend to believe in supernatural things. A few years ago, Hu Shurong opened a new disco on Nanjing Road. His competitors targeted him, spending big money to get terminally ill people to commit suicide in front of his store. Having someone die on opening day is the most unlucky thing, and Hu Shurong’s place closed that night and never opened again. Do you know how he took revenge?”

Qi Da lit a cigarette, but Xia Xia glanced at him: “Xie Huai is sleeping.”

Qi Da had to put out the cigarette before it could even give off any smell, saying frustrated: “He was willing to spend money, hiring thugs to guard his competitor’s store entrance every day, beating up every customer who came, making their business suffer. Then he played dirty tricks to completely ruin the competition. But that wasn’t the scariest part – he kidnapped the competitor’s wife and daughter…”

Qi Da didn’t continue: “…The person who died in front of his store had liver cancer and wanted to earn some money for his family’s living expenses after his death, but Hu Shurong didn’t spare him either, burning down his family’s house with one fire. What can you do when someone like that targets you? Xie Huai got his underling sent to jail, you think he’ll swallow this?”

“Of course, Xie Huai isn’t planning to go to the police,” Qi Da said flatly, staring ahead. “Hu Shurong has committed enough crimes to die many times over, but most of his dirty work was done in the shadows. After all these years, the police can’t find any evidence. Just for the organized crime charges alone, he’d spend at most a dozen years inside, and with good behavior, he could get his sentence reduced. When he comes out, he can still take revenge on you both.”

“What’s the use of going to the police? Spend a peaceful dozen years, and afterward still live in constant fear?”

Qi Da looked at Xia Xia: “Xie Huai never intended to let Hu Shurong live. Only with him dead will you and auntie be safe, understand?”

Xia Xia remained composed, but her heart skipped a beat.

She had already guessed what Xie Huai wanted to do, but hearing it from Qi Da’s mouth still made her hands and feet turn cold.

“You won’t stop him?”

“How can I stop him? Why should I stop him?” Qi Da smiled bitterly. “No matter how you think about it, Hu Shurong’s death is the best solution.”

“If it were me, trading a dozen years in prison for my family’s safety, I’d think it’s worth it.”

“Worth shit.” Xia Xia cursed, her hand unconsciously using too much force, jabbing Xie Huai’s face hard. “I think it’s a terrible trade.”

Xie Huai stirred uneasily in his deep sleep, his head pressed against her thigh, his forehead nuzzling against her belly.

Xia Xia withdrew her hand, looking tenderly at his defenseless sleeping face.

Qi Da was driving when he heard Xia Xia call him again.

“Qi Da.”

Qi Da replied patiently: “Sister, I’m here.”

Xia Xia: “If I remember correctly, you were the one who arranged the hookup for Xie Huai, right?”

Her tone was extremely soft, yet he could hear a terrifying sense of settling old scores in it.

Qi Da shuddered, instinctively checking the car’s temperature, feeling that today’s heater wasn’t quite sufficient.

After shuddering, he honestly said: “This was an accident. The day the college entrance exam results came out, Xie Huai argued with his mom. He wanted to stay in Zhangshi to earn money and pay back loans, but Auntie insisted he go to Nancheng for university. He was in a bad mood, that’s why he came to Changshi to hang out with me…”

“So you found him a hookup to relieve his emotions?” Xia Xia’s expression was mild. “Such a good brother.”

Qi Da: “…Don’t just count me alone, weren’t you also out—”

Meeting Xia Xia’s terrifying gaze, he couldn’t finish saying “Weren’t you also out looking for hookups when you met him,” swallowing the words back.

Damn, he thought, what kind of girlfriend had Xie Huai found?

—She looked soft and sweet, who knew she’d be so fierce inside?

Xia Xia lowered her eyes, returning to that obedient and adorable next-door sister appearance: “You play around if you want, but don’t drag Xie Huai into it. If I find out you took Xie Huai to those places again…”

“Yes, sister.” Qi Da was quick and sensible. “I absolutely won’t do it again.”

It wasn’t until Qi Da’s car ran out of gas and stopped at a gas station that Xie Huai woke up.

He had just woken up and wasn’t fully alert, rubbing his eyes as he looked at the scenery passing by outside the windows.

Qi Da asked him where to go, and he slowly came to his senses: “Find a place to park, you can go back.”

Qi Da looked at Xia Xia: “What about her?”

Xie Huai held Xia Xia’s hand, closing his eyes and leaning against her shoulder to doze, his voice tinged with some fatigue: “She’s coming with me.”

Qi Da was somewhat surprised. Xie Huai smiled: “Thanks, sorry for taking up so much of your time, making you unable to properly celebrate the New Year.”

He took Xia Xia to get off in the city center’s commercial district.

In recent years, the New Year atmosphere hasn’t been as strong as before, with many young people preferring to stay in the city. On New Year’s Day, many squares were wide open, restaurants, movie theaters, and KTVs all open for business, and stores packed with people, creating a bustling New Year atmosphere.

“Hungry?” Xie Huai asked as if the previous night’s heart-pounding events and last night’s estrangement had never happened.

Xia Xia nodded, then shook her head. Xie Huai didn’t understand her meaning.

“Shower first, then go to the hospital,” Xia Xia pointed at his simply bandaged wound. “Change into clean clothes before going to eat.”

Xie Huai took her to a nearby express hotel and got a large bedroom.

Xia Xia ducked into the bathroom to shower, while Xie Huai went downstairs to the women’s clothing store to buy her a thick coat.

When Xia Xia came out from her shower, he was sitting in the bay window eating a lollipop, his gaze falling on the window outside, looking at who knows where.

The room’s air conditioning temperature was set high, providing enough warmth.

Xia Xia came out wrapped in a towel, hugging his thin waist from behind.

“What are you thinking about?”

Xie Huai was quiet for a moment, then curved his lips: “Thinking about how you’re hugging me now, smelling so nice and feeling so soft.”

The hotel-provided shower gel was osmanthus-scented, and Xia Xia was covered in the fragrance that shot straight to his sensitive nose. He rubbed his nose, unable to help smiling.

“What else?”

Xie Huai made a sound but didn’t speak further.

“I know what you’re thinking about,” Xia Xia gently rubbed her cheek against his back. “Even without Qi Da saying it, I know.”

She let go of him, and turned his body straight, making him face her directly.

The bright yellow noon light penetrated through the window behind, the sky clear after snow, so dazzling it made one’s eyes dizzy.

Xia Xia smiled playfully, hiding in the shadow cast by Xie Huai’s body.

She contentedly nestled against his chest, pressing close to listen to his strong heartbeat.

“You’re a man,” she smiled. “You know what you want to do, what you should do, I won’t interfere with your decisions and choices.”

“I know you don’t want me to get hurt. I won’t go anywhere, I’ll just wait here for you to come back.”

“Even if you go to prison for murder, I’ll wait for you to come back.” Xia Xia turned away, not wanting Xie Huai to see her wet eyes, but her choked voice couldn’t be hidden. “It’s just… it’s just that when you come out I might be old, not pretty anymore, won’t look good in a wedding dress for photos…”

“And having babies, I heard it’s dangerous for older women to give birth.”

“If you find Hu Shurong, when you act, could you think a little about me, about our future.” Xia Xia had cried too many times in one day, her voice was hoarse. “Protect yourself, don’t use too much force.”

She raised her bright eyes to gaze at Xie Huai: “Do you want me?”

“I used to be afraid of pain, never letting you go all the way. If you go to prison, you won’t see women for a long time.” Xia Xia suggested, “Let’s make love, or get married now. I’ve seen foreign movies where prisoners’ wives can visit during their sentence…”

Xie Huai chuckled softly – it was the first time in many days that Xia Xia had seen him laugh.

He gently lowered his head, pressing his forehead against hers: “Stop talking nonsense.”

He said: “I’ll always be with you. I’ll be there as we grow old together.”