Meng Qi looked Cheng Wanyue up and down, teasing, “If you look sloppy like this, how beautiful must one be to be considered beautiful?”

Cheng Wanyue couldn’t have brought her drum set to the interview. When Meng Qi first met Cheng Wanyue, what caught her eye was, of course, her appearance—smiling eyes, two dimples, shoulder-length short hair in a bluish-purple shade, three earrings in her left ear that looked especially beautiful under the lights. Even as a woman, Meng Qi found her stunning. Second was her personality—straightforward and cheerful, making her easy to get along with.

Meng Qi thought about how her brother had fallen in love with Cheng Wanyue at first sight. Every time Zhou Heng came to eat, he would find an opportunity to approach Cheng Wanyue and strike up a conversation, like a devoted puppy.

Look, there he was coming over again.

“Alright, let’s talk about something important,” Meng Qi didn’t waste time and went straight to the point. “Wanyue, you see, after nine o’clock we have more customers. Could you extend your performance by an hour, until ten? Of course, your salary would increase too. As for how much, that’s all negotiable.”

Business had been good lately, and she wanted Cheng Wanyue to work overtime.

“Qi-jie, I’m sorry, but my brother won’t allow it. He’s already reluctant about me performing here. If I add another hour, he’ll make me go home. Besides, I have other work and need to rest regularly,” Cheng Wanyue said seriously. “Mainly, I don’t need the money.”

“That’s so envy-inducing,” Zhou Heng leaned against the bar and joined the conversation.

Earlier, when Xu Qian was being sarcastic, he had almost snapped back. She wasn’t some Cinderella; she was a genuine, bona fide princess.

“At your age, you could be married already, yet you still listen to your brother so much?”

Cheng Wanyue nodded. “Yes, I’m a total brother’s girl.”

On her first day in Beijing, she had promised Cheng Yanqing that she wouldn’t worry him. She had already worried him for many years. Back then, she was lying in surgery, and Cheng Yanqing often lay in a hospital bed too. Once, he had 1,200 milliliters of blood drawn and had little strength to walk for several days.

“Qi-jie, I can only stay until nine.”

“Alright then,” Meng Qi didn’t force the issue, but felt it was a pity. She had hoped to use Cheng Wanyue for advertising. “How about coming to Zhou Heng’s place for a meal sometime? His cooking is decent.”

“Sure,” Cheng Wanyue checked the time.

Tomorrow was Monday, and Cheng Yanqing had to work. He wouldn’t be able to rest easy until she got home. “Qi-jie, Dr. Zhou, you two go ahead with your business. I’ll be leaving first.”

Meng Qi gave Zhou Heng a look. “Walk Wanyue out.”

Zhou Heng belatedly realized he had said something wrong earlier. Just as he was about to speak, Cheng Wanyue picked up her phone and waved at him. “No need, I live very close.”

She wasn’t in a hurry to get home but rather to buy some grilled skewers. If she waited any longer, the grilled sweet potato skins might be sold out.

On the way, she encountered a group of students. They were smoking by the roadside and, perhaps because of her light clothing, whistled at her and deliberately spoke loudly to attract her attention. Cheng Wanyue was a bit distracted, thinking about the figure she had seen in the restaurant that looked like Qing Hang. In her memory, Qing Hang was still that shy young man whose ears would turn bright red when he secretly slipped notes into her hand, avoiding classmates at their high school.

What he looked like after they separated, she had no idea.

The vendor handed over the packed grilled skewers. Cheng Wanyue was about to scan the QR code to pay when a student bumped into her. She couldn’t hold her phone steady, and it fell screen-down on the ground.

The student helped pick up her phone, apologized, and then asked for her number in case it was damaged and needed compensation.

Of course, Cheng Wanyue didn’t give her number. These were tricks she had seen long ago; she knew this routine when she was just a teenager.

After dealing with a group of idle male college students, Cheng Wanyue went to the supermarket and bought two cans of cold beer. She carried them home, listening to music with her earphones. When she heard familiar songs, she would easily recall events related to them.

She had come to Beijing in early May.

As for why she came, she had thought of many reasons and could respond fluently to anyone who asked.

The real reason only she knew.

In late April, Zhou Yu and Cheng Yuzhou had returned to Bai City No. 1 High School to take wedding photos. She had gone back too. In the evening, she had wandered around the school, looking at the familiar playground, the classrooms she had once occupied, the corridors she had run through, the small shops she had visited countless times during breaks, watching the swaying tree shadows and the setting sun.

That night, she had a dream. Then she decided to come to Beijing. She couldn’t just let it go like that.

The motion-sensor light in the stairwell must have been fixed. When Cheng Wanyue returned yesterday, it wasn’t very bright. Just as she was about to find her key to open the door, it opened from the inside. Cheng Yanqing stood leaning against the shoe cabinet with his hands in his pockets, staring at her with an unfriendly expression.

Cheng Wanyue smiled cautiously. “I’m only five minutes late. You wouldn’t kick me out to sleep under a bridge, would you?”

“Depends on your behavior,” Cheng Yanqing had an intuition that her mood wasn’t good tonight. He stood at the doorway and interrogated her seriously. “Cheng Wanyue, be honest, what’s your real purpose in coming to Beijing with me?”

The apartment was rented by Cheng Yanqing. He had come to Beijing on a six-month business trip for work. Renting an apartment was more comfortable and convenient than the company-provided dormitory. The second week after he settled in, Cheng Wanyue arrived with her suitcase and naturally took over the other room.

“That’s funny. What purpose could I have?” Cheng Wanyue said righteously. “My purpose is obviously to watch over you for my sister-in-law, to prevent you from flirting around.”

She raised her hand to push his arm. “Move aside, don’t block the door.”

Hearing this, Cheng Yanqing became uneasy. “I need you to watch over me?”

“It’s because you’re so childish at your age, always making your sister-in-law sad. When you can’t control yourself, I can lend a hand.”

Cheng Yanqing’s first love was also in Beijing.

“Are you trying to see Qing Hang?” He saw through her attempt to change the subject and wouldn’t let her brush it off.

“No,” Cheng Wanyue denied it without a second thought.

There was a hint of bewilderment in her eyes, as if she had to think very hard to remember who Qing Hang was. “Who cares about him? If you hadn’t mentioned him, I wouldn’t even remember that such a person exists. Brother, you’ll be staying until the end of the year, right? I want to see the flag-raising ceremony at Tiananmen Square on National Day. I’ve never been. Can you take me to see it then?”

“That’s no problem,” Cheng Yanqing agreed, but quickly returned to the previous topic. “Swear to heaven. If you lie, may you gain ten kilos.”

“How vicious!” Cheng Wanyue widened her eyes. “Is there no trust left between us siblings?”

“Just admit you’re guilty.”

She didn’t avoid Cheng Yanqing’s piercing gaze but slowly raised the bag in her hand and waved it in front of him. “I bought grilled skewers and beer.”

“You turn on the TV. I’ll get you some yogurt.”

“OK!”

Her family didn’t allow Cheng Wanyue to drink alcohol, not even beer. The two cans she bought were all for Cheng Yanqing.

The two sat in the living room, eating and calling home. Their parents both worked within the system and had been busy since being transferred to Xi’an recently.

Cheng Yanqing conscientiously cleaned up the mess and told his sister to wash up and go to bed.

Before she closed the door, he called out to Cheng Wanyue, “Yueyue, I won’t allow you to be heartbroken over a man, or to cry over a man. No one is worth it.”

They were fraternal twins, and no one understood her better than Cheng Yanqing. She thought her act was flawless, but in reality, it was full of holes.

“I won’t interfere with anything else. Do whatever you want. But if someone makes you sad, that’s not acceptable.”

Cheng Wanyue froze, her mask of indifference showing a crack. Cheng Yanqing had scolded her harshly when she wanted to give up, had hit her palm, and then rubbed and blew on it afterward. He had suffered more than she had. That year, Cheng Wanyue was only eighteen. While others could do many things at eighteen, she spent her eighteenth birthday in a coma on a hospital bed.

It seemed pretentious to cry and whimper in front of the family. Cheng Wanyue ran over and hugged Cheng Yanqing just before tears could fall. “I got it, nag.”

…

Cheng Wanyue’s social skills were beyond Meng Qi’s imagination. She could get to know a table full of people in just five minutes. Since she had arrived, business had indeed improved significantly.

Today, the lead vocalist had a family matter and took an hour off, so Cheng Wanyue took over his duties. All the songs she knew were old ones. Occasionally, when customers requested songs she didn’t know, they wouldn’t get angry and would let her sing whatever she wanted.

Ten minutes ago, she had been coolly playing the drums to warm up the venue. Ten minutes later, she was sitting quietly and singing love songs. Today, to match her white spaghetti-strap dress, she had tied her short hair up, loosely gathered at the back of her head. When she hit high notes, loose strands of hair fell and covered the three earrings in her left ear.

“I always thought love was the heartbeat of everything. Without love we would, we would slowly die bit by bit.”

On stage, only one beam of light shone around her. She had a professional attitude when working, and it was evident she enjoyed it. Qing Hang’s position was off to the side; she couldn’t notice him.

A waiter brought over a cocktail. “Sir, you’ve been coming for over a week straight. Our boss would like to treat you to a drink, on the house.”

The boss didn’t come to the restaurant every day, but in recent days, whenever he did, he would see Qing Hang sitting in the corner. Doctors’ working hours were irregular, and day and night were flipped. Either Qing Hang would come right after his shift or make a trip before work. Zhou Heng was Meng Qi’s cousin. Meng Qi was dating the boss, and Zhou Heng had introduced Qing Hang to the boss when they came to eat here last time.

“Thank you,” Qing Hang’s gaze wasn’t on the drink at all.

He was wondering why Cheng Wanyue had cut her hair short. She used to like long hair, though it was troublesome to wash, especially in autumn and winter, but she had always kept it long.

She used to like bright colors. Some people looked tacky in red, but she looked beautiful in it, like a burning flame. Now her clothes were only black and white.

She had been so afraid of pain, yet she had gotten three ear piercings.

“How long has she been singing here? Does she sing every day?”

The waiter said, “She’s only been here for a month. She’s not the vocalist; she plays the drums. Usually, she sits at the back, and some customers might not notice her. If you’d like to request a song, I can help you.”

A month.

So she hadn’t come looking for him.

Qing Hang suddenly stood up. “No need, I don’t listen to songs.”

—

Perhaps… they would meet tomorrow?