The man fled, and Miao Jing was stopped by Chen Yi and Bo Zai.

At that time, Chen Yi’s methods were still too green, his heart too soft. Fearing Wei Mingzhen would abscond with the money, he had people secretly watching the mother and daughter. He didn’t care how reckless Wei Mingzhen was as long as they kept a close eye on Miao Jing. She was at school all day, surrounded by countless watchful eyes. If she made any suspicious moves, it would be too easy to catch her.

When Wei Mingzhen took a roundabout route to the train station, Chen Yi knew something was wrong and rushed to the school. He arrived just in time to see the man who came to pick up Miao Jing fleeing. Putting on an innocent face, he casually draped his arm over Miao Jing’s shoulders, suppressing his expression as he dealt with the school security. He knew everything about Miao Jing’s class number, grades, homeroom teacher, home address, and family relationships. That’s how he managed to take the dazed Miao Jing away.

A black heavy motorcycle appeared out of nowhere. Chen Yi, face ashen, ordered Miao Jing to get on. She cowered in fear, staring blankly at his extremely grim face, not knowing where he would take her.

The helmet knocked against her head, making her wince in pain.

“Behave and get on!”

Miao Jing was forced onto the motorcycle. As it roared away, her trembling hands clutched his clothes. Her eardrums thundered as the motorcycle seemed to race madly forward, finally stopping at the train station. Chen Yi took her there to find Wei Mingzhen and chase after that man. While gripping Miao Jing’s school uniform, he searched through the ticket hall, waiting room, and platforms, repeatedly calling Wei Mingzhen.

Her daughter was in his hands.

The phone was turned off. They couldn’t find anyone anywhere. Perhaps Wei Mingzhen had truly taken the earliest train as the man had said. The man had also disappeared. Chen Yi’s expression grew increasingly cold, and his tone toward her became more fierce: “Where’s your mom? Where did she go?”

“I don’t know…”

“You don’t know?!” His eyes were savage as he gripped her fragile shoulders and shouted, “You don’t know how she came to pick you up? Tell me, where did she go?”

No matter how Chen Yi threatened and intimidated her, Miao Jing only shook her head saying she didn’t know. Her palm-sized face was as white as paper, her lips withered, her dark eyes lost and confused as she stumbled after him, fearful yet bewildered.

She truly didn’t know.

Unable to find anyone at the train station, they returned home. Chen Yi’s iron-like grip dragged her upstairs. Miao Jing collapsed onto the sofa, trembling as she watched Chen Yi rage like an angry lion, his expression already chilled beyond recognition, as if the next moment he might pounce and tear out her throat.

Chen Yi maintained his cold expression, keeping his patience as he questioned Miao Jing repeatedly—

How much money did Wei Mingzhen take?

What did that man do?

How did mother and daughter plan this? How did they coordinate and arrange it?

Miao Jing’s face was numb as she curled into a ball, her lips quivering with only four words: I don’t know.

“Say ‘I don’t know’ one more time!” Chen Yi’s eyes turned red, veins bulging at his temples as he raised his clenched fist. Miao Jing let out a sharp cry, shoulders tensing as she suddenly closed her eyes, her long black eyelashes trembling against her cheeks, pitiful and utterly fragile.

“You don’t know?” He sneered coldly, throwing the phone at her. “Call your mom back. If she doesn’t come back, you—”

Chen Yi suddenly leaned in close, his sharp features magnified before her, eyes like knives gleaming with bloodthirsty cold light, his tone sinister and harsh: “I’ll kill you!”

She trembled as she bit her lip, head lowered, glistening tears welling in her eyes but refusing to fall.

Chen Yi watched her like a tiger eyeing its prey. Miao Jing didn’t dare defy him and called dozens of times, but Wei Mingzhen’s phone remained off. Chen Yi made her send text messages until her fingers ached, but there was still no response.

Chen Yi ransacked everything, carefully going through all of Wei Mingzhen’s belongings. All the family’s bankbooks, bank cards, and documents were gone. All of Wei Mingzhen’s various certificates and information had completely disappeared. She had left Chen Yi nothing but a pile of useless papers about Chen Libin.

A departure without warning, preparations made with premeditation—it wasn’t clear if this was Wei Mingzhen’s idea or if someone had guided her.

He sat in the chair, letting out a long breath as he leaned forward deeply, elbows propped on his legs, both hands thrust into his hair, numbly stroking his fluffy head. Miao Jing sat in the living room, staring woodenly. The tears in her eyes had dried, leaving just a shallow pool at the bottom that caught the faint light of the last sunset glow before fading into a deep, hopeless darkness.

Wei Mingzhen didn’t reply to messages or answer calls. The next day, Chen Yi got Miao Jing a new phone with an unfamiliar number. They called Wei Mingzhen, but the phone was still off. Miao Jing texted Wei Mingzhen, saying she was Miao Jing, truly Miao Jing, telling her about their hometown when she was little, begging her to answer the phone.

Finally… a landline number lit up the phone.

After waiting for what felt like forever, both Miao Jing and Chen Yi’s frozen gazes shifted slightly. He gestured for her to answer with speakerphone on.

It was Wei Mingzhen, calling from a public phone booth.

“Mom.” Miao Jing’s voice barely contained her sob.

“Why didn’t you want to come along?” Whether from nervousness or something else, Wei Mingzhen hadn’t noticed Miao Jing’s state. Her tone was very anxious and uneasy. “I called ahead to arrange everything, told you just to go with the person, didn’t I? Why wouldn’t you get in the taxi? You even said you’d call 110 for the police. Miao Jing, what’s wrong with you? Do you want to stay in Teng City? How would you stay there alone?”

Who knows how that man had explained things to Wei Mingzhen?

Miao Jing froze. Chen Yi’s eyes stared straight at her as he made a choking gesture, his lips moving silently, telling her to speak according to his wishes.

“Mom, I… I didn’t…” Her voice was as faint as a mosquito’s. “Mom, where are you?”

“Where are you?” Wei Mingzhen asked her, tone cautious. “Are you at school or somewhere else? Chen Yi, has Chen Yi given you any trouble?”

“I’m at home. Chen Yi went out and went to buy something. I’m alone at home… He hasn’t troubled me… We get along well… Mom, where are you? When will you come back to get me?”

Wei Mingzhen only said she wasn’t in Teng City.

“Mom… come back, please come back soon. Chen Yi hasn’t troubled me, please come home soon…” Miao Jing carefully watched the person before her, quickly adding, “Brother treats me very well, don’t worry about me…”

Chen Yi suddenly frowned.

“I have some things to take care of. Once I’m done, I’ll come back. Miao Jing, take good care of yourself first and go back to school. Let me think… I’ll contact you again in a few days.”

The call came suddenly and ended just as abruptly.

Miao Jing was dazed and lost. Chen Yi kept his face taut, seeming to want to say something, but finally just sprawled back on the sofa, closing his eyes, his eyeballs slowly rolling beneath thin eyelids.

After taking these two days to process, both had accepted the reality—Wei Mingzhen was gone, with no knowing when she’d return.

Neither left the house. Chen Yi smoked and played games without restraint, eating only takeout—mainly Chen Yi eating, throwing some scraps to Miao Jing to fill her stomach so she wouldn’t starve. Apart from the bathroom, she wasn’t allowed to move beyond his line of sight. Miao Jing could only sleep on the sofa. After several nights, whether from the strong smoke or from being shocked and exhausted mentally and physically, she developed a fever.

She had always been healthy since childhood, rarely getting sick. This fever came suddenly—her whole body burning hot, listlessly closing her eyes to sleep. When Chen Yi ate, she didn’t move at all, curled up on the sofa with her back to him. Occasionally she’d get up to drink some water, then lie back down to sleep. She endured like this while Chen Yi occasionally glanced at her, seeing her curled up hiding on the sofa, black hair disheveled, eye sockets sunken. It didn’t seem like she was pretending; she was genuinely unwell. But Miao Jing didn’t make a sound, and his mood was terrible, so he ignored her, only caring about his eating, drinking, and entertainment.

Miao Jing hadn’t eaten all day. As Chen Yi passed through the living room, he saw she had shifted her sleeping position, her slender limbs splayed out, hanging off the sofa’s edge, her face pressed against the sofa, her delicate features tightly scrunched.

He walked over to look twice, saw she did not react, and walked away, tapping out some noise on the coffee table. Miao Jing had no response, only letting out a slight breath, unconsciously curling her arm to cover her burning face. Chen Yi impatiently reached out one hand, touching her forehead briefly before hesitating and pulling back.

“Miao Jing.”

Miao Jing opened her eyes, looking at him dazedly for a moment before shifting her body into a ball, squeezing into the sofa corner, and closing her eyes to continue sleeping.

Her thin shoulders rose and fell slightly, weak breathing heavy and rushed, long and short.

“Such a pain in the ass.” Chen Yi frowned in disgust, went to the nearby pharmacy to buy some fever medicine, threw it on the coffee table, and kicked the sofa. “Miao Jing.”

Miao Jing weakly groaned, her dry lips stuck together, moving slightly but unable to part them.

He stood with hands on his hips, seeing her complete lack of movement, and roughly yanked Miao Jing up from the sofa. “Get up! Are you mute or something, can’t speak?”

She was pulled up in her dazed state. Her fingers were soft and cold, but her cheeks burned like fire. Miao Jing was completely limp without an ounce of strength, frowning slightly, eyes half-open and silent as he pushed and threw her onto the sofa. Chen Yi handed over a bottle of mineral water and some pills, face grim: “Take the medicine, stop playing dead.”

She swallowed all the pills and gulped down most of the water bottle. Her lips became a bit more vibrant, and her pale, weak face gained some spirit. Chen Yi looked at her and coldly sneered: “Why act pitiful? What good does acting pitiful do? If Wei Mingzhen doesn’t come back, no one will care even if you die.”

Miao Jing’s eyes were reddened from the fever, and bloodshot throughout. She blinked slowly.

As the medicine took effect, she slept again. When she woke, she felt somewhat better but still lay half-dead on the sofa. Chen Yi approached with a dark expression, throwing a takeout box of porridge in front of her, and said abruptly in a cold voice: “Consider us even now.”

He was referring to several years ago when he had been beaten by Chen Libin and lay in bed, and Miao Jing had brought him that cup of water and bowl of egg custard in the middle of the night. Today… they were even.

The two stayed home for exactly a week. Wei Mingzhen’s phone remained off—or rather, was completely unreachable, the number deactivated. There were no more calls to contact Miao Jing either. Chen Yi called various thug-like friends in front of Miao Jing, searching the whole city for Wei Mingzhen and that man.

That man used to be in business, later making quick money through questionable means. This time he had truly run away—all his family’s assets had been sold off. When they asked his parents and relatives about his whereabouts, no one could contact him.

The two had planned it early, taking Chen Libin’s money and running.

Hearing this news, Miao Jing’s face had long since become numb and rigid, without a single tear or cry.

She hadn’t thought about anything else, only wanting to return to school for class. She was in ninth grade now, the coursework was very demanding. She didn’t want to stay at home, watching Chen Yi’s vicious and gloomy gaze roll over her again and again.

Chen Yi sneered: “Go back to school? What dream are you having?”

Miao Jing hugged her knees, her quiet eyes silently observing him as she softly uttered a few words: “Teacher Li, he’s my math teacher, he mentioned you before…”

His middle school homeroom teacher for three years, Teacher Li, who had cleaned up many messes for him, had stayed on teaching ninth grade and was now also the math teacher for Miao Jing’s class. Miao Jing had heard him mention Chen Yi from the podium, saying he had once taught a brilliantly intelligent student whose one day of class was worth their week, but unfortunately, due to family circumstances, he ultimately hadn’t stayed on the right path.

Chen Yi’s pupils suddenly contracted as he froze for a long while. Finally, he stood before her with stiff shoulders, his expression cold, telling her to get lost.

He had people specifically watching her at school, not believing Wei Mingzhen would just abandon Miao Jing like this. Every weekend he would drag Miao Jing out to question her about news of Wei Mingzhen—for an entire month, Miao Jing stayed at school without taking a single step away, never contacted anyone, no one approached her, and there was no news at all.

Two months later, Chen Yi’s patience ran out.

Money was certainly good, and it felt great to squander Chen Libin’s money, but unless Chen Libin died, he hadn’t counted on it anyway. If it wasn’t there, it wasn’t there. In this life, he had no more connection to Chen Libin.

“You did get yourself a good mother, just abandoning you like this? Not even asking a single question?” Chen Yi looked at the increasingly thin and quiet Miao Jing with a cruel smile. “A burden dragged around and tossed aside carelessly. Well, what’s more important than money? Running off with some man to live it up, how wonderful… You better remember clearly, that it’s Wei Mingzhen who doesn’t want you, it has nothing to do with me, Chen Yi.”

Miao Jing pressed her lips tightly together, turning her head away from him, her eyes wide open, deep and dark.

“Get lost, from now on go wherever you want, do whatever you want.” Chen Yi shrugged his shoulders, making a final decision. “You and me, we don’t know each other.”

He stopped caring—this mother and daughter had nothing to do with him anymore.

Chen Yi ignored Miao Jing, and those people watching her at school were gone too. Miao Jing secretly tried calling Wei Mingzhen, but the phone was indeed deactivated. She couldn’t contact her at all, not knowing where Wei Mingzhen was or how she was doing.

Fortunately, when school started, Wei Mingzhen left Miao Jing three thousand yuan extra. When Wei Mingzhen left the money, it was probably just in case, never knowing when Miao Jing might need it.

Miao Jing relied on this money to handle various school fees, food expenses, and living costs. Life dragged on until December when she had very little left.

Wei Mingzhen finally contacted her once, through Miao Jing’s homeroom teacher, leaving her a landline number to call back.

When Miao Jing got through on that phone, hearing Wei Mingzhen’s voice, tears rolled down from her eyes.

“Mom… why haven’t you contacted me all this time?”

“I’ve had some things going on here too, too busy to handle everything.” Wei Mingzhen’s voice was unclear. “Besides, you have money, can take care of yourself, and Chen Yi wouldn’t do anything to you, so I was still at ease…”

Wei Mingzhen thought Miao Jing and Chen Yi’s relationship couldn’t be too bad—they’d lived in the same room since childhood and hadn’t caused any conflicts. She still remembered that year when Miao Jing had asked Chen Yi for living expenses. Though Chen Yi had been silent toward Miao Jing, his attitude hadn’t been too bad. Moreover, Miao Jing’s nature was so gentle and timid, that she knew nothing and had done nothing wrong.

She hadn’t thought at all about how a fourteen or fifteen-year-old girl would cope and survive in such a situation—perhaps she had thought about it, but these worries were subconsciously ignored, diluted, just like Miao Jing’s living conditions all these years, brushed aside, going with the flow.

Miao Jing swallowed thickly, biting her inner lip, and pressing down the tears at the corners of her eyes.

Wei Mingzhen asked Miao Jing how things were with Chen Yi. She had been worried sick these past few months, fearing Chen Yi would seek revenge or call the police, so she had hidden her whereabouts deeply, not daring to let anything slip. Miao Jing told her what she knew—she had been at school the whole time, hadn’t seen Chen Yi again, and hadn’t heard a single word about him. Wei Mingzhen finally relaxed completely.

“Do you still have money?”

“Still have eight hundred yuan…”

Wei Mingzhen named a coastal city, saying she and the man were doing business in a small town there, telling Miao Jing to buy a train ticket and take a certain train to come over.

“But what about my studies? Can I go to school? Mom… I have the high school entrance exam in half a year.” Miao Jing’s voice was faint. “Is there somewhere I can study?”

This stumped Wei Mingzhen. Her location was in an industrial town, full of small workshops and factories, the residents mainly workers. The town didn’t seem to have a middle school, and she hadn’t asked about transferring to local schools.

“There’s no school here, why don’t you come over first and we’ll figure it out?” Wei Mingzhen frowned, thought for a moment, and then changed her mind. “Or you could go back to our hometown to study? Doesn’t the town have a middle school? You can stay with your aunt, I remember your uncle has a relative who’s a teacher, so studying shouldn’t be a problem. I’ll talk to your aunt…”

In all these years in Teng City, mother and daughter had never returned to their hometown. Wei Mingzhen occasionally called home to keep in touch with relatives.

Miao Jing’s gaze was empty, having completely calmed down—a burden was a burden, she had been one as a child and still was growing up.

Where could she go?

Go to a completely strange place to live with two adults who had run away with money? Or return to her hometown to endure life dependent on others again?

She could have attended Teng City’s best high school. She only wanted to live a normal middle school student’s life, not to be alone at school, making up all sorts of excuses to avoid questions from classmates and teachers.

“I understand.” Miao Jing spoke calmly into the phone. “Let’s wait until the end of the semester, final exams are coming up…”

When the semester ended, the school closed for winter break and sealed the campus, everyone had to leave—Miao Jing hadn’t decided where to go, and truly had nowhere to go. After wandering outside school for several days, she spent her first trembling night in an internet café.

The café manager saw her hugging her schoolbag, sitting quietly and obediently in the corner, not looking like a rebellious student but rather like a well-behaved girl who had run away from home. He came over to ask several times what was wrong, telling her to go home early. Miao Jing walked aimlessly on the streets with her backpack, finally returning home in the black night—she still had the house key.

She stood below, looking up for a very long time. The windows were dark, no one was home. She went up quietly and opened the door without making a sound. Miao Jing turned on one light—the house was a complete mess, with Wei Mingzhen and Chen Libin’s room belongings piled in the corner of the living room. The dining table was covered in dust, the refrigerator still held meat and vegetables bought before Wei Mingzhen left, cigarette butts littered the living room coffee table, along with unfinished bottles of mineral water, the blanket on the sofa… Chen Yi hadn’t been home for who knows how long.

Miao Jing returned to her room. Her room hadn’t been cleared out by Chen Yi, either because he hadn’t gotten around to it or simply couldn’t be bothered.

The kitchen still had rice, noodles, and various seasonings left by Wei Mingzhen before she left. Whether expired or not, Miao Jing cleaned and arranged everything—she had lived very frugally at school this semester, spending every penny carefully, and hadn’t had a proper, abundant meal in a long time.

Miao Jing lived at home anxiously and silently for four or five days, and Chen Yi never came back.

Chen Yi rarely came home, sometimes at school, sometimes out with friends, playing games at internet cafés. When he finally did come back once, he happened to catch Miao Jing sweeping the floor.

She heard movement behind her, her body stiffening as she gripped the broom, not daring to move. Chen Yi stared at that thin back, thinking his eyes were playing tricks on him.

“You, turn around.”

Miao Jing slowly turned her body, her panicked eyes meeting Chen Yi’s truly unbelievable, goddamn ghostly expression.

“Why the fuck are you here?” He stood with hands on his hips, shouting at her, burning with anger. “What the fuck, are you sick or something?”

Miao Jing tightly gripped the broom in her hands, making herself as small as possible, pressing her lips together without speaking. Chen Yi strode over angrily, grabbed her sleeve, and threw her outside: “Get lost, get far away.”

Tears welled up in her dark eyes, her eye rims tinged with red as she looked at him, stubborn yet fragile. Chen Yi’s face was ashen as he gritted his teeth and slammed the door with a thunderous bang.

The iron door closed heavily in front of her, showering Miao Jing’s head with dust from the doorframe. It settled on her curled lashes, blown into her eyes by the air current. She strongly held back the itching sensation, biting her lips tightly as large teardrops fell one after another, soaking into her clothes, hitting the back of her hand, scalding hot at first, then ice cold, like the winter temperature.

Miao Jing sat outside the door all night, frozen until her hands and feet were numb, her whole body cold.

The next day when Chen Yi went out, seeing that person sitting on the doorstep, his mind buzzed, his vision darkened, and his anger exploded, his voice rough with rage: “Why the fuck haven’t you left yet? What are you doing here? What does this place have to do with you? The person’s gone, the money’s gone, you have the nerve to come back?”

She had been thrown out by him, still wearing slippers, with nothing on her—where could she go?

Miao Jing opened her swollen, reddened eyes, raising her hand to wipe the tear tracks on her face, her throat too choked to speak. Chen Yi’s face was grim as he stepped down the stairs, reaching out to throw her away again. He heard Miao Jing let out a sharp, miserable cry as she stumbled, clutching Chen Yi’s clothes, finally collapsing weakly on the steps.

“My legs… they’re numb.” Her voice was dry and hoarse as she lay on the steps gasping. “It hurts so much.”

Chen Yi frowned deeply as he picked her up, light as a feather, speaking coldly: “Sitting here all night without leaving? Are you fucking asking for it?” He went back inside to throw out her schoolbag, speaking viciously, “Get far away, you should know I’m being nice to you.”

Miao Jing buried her head against her chest, hugging her schoolbag, changing into her canvas shoes, and limping down the stairs while holding the railing. The iron railing was rusty and dirty, her slender white hands covered in black dust and cobwebs. The visible finger-width of her cheeks was sallow and dry, only that delicate swan-like neck revealed a hint of girlish innocence and gentility.

Chen Yi coldly watched her go down, finally only able to see her hand stubbornly gripping the railing through the stair gaps—after finishing a cigarette, he finally stepped down, grabbed that lone, delicate figure, saw the glistening tears in her frightened eyes, hatefully gritted his teeth and cursed, finally throwing her onto the motorcycle and taking her to the train station.

Miao Jing clutched his clothes fluttering in the cold wind.

“Do you have any money?” Chen Yi stuffed five hundred yuan into her dirty hands, speaking coldly and fiercely, “Go back to your hometown, find your mother, just go.”

She stood dazed, watching him turn and leave, put on his helmet, swing his long leg over, and start the motorcycle. His black figure merged with the machine, sharp-edged, whipping in the wind.

Miao Jing lingered at the train station for a long time. News and weather from various regions scrolled across the television screens, providing travel updates to passengers. She stood looking up, seeing that it was snowing again in her hometown. Cold air had moved south, bringing days of low temperatures with rain and snow, ice forming on the trees, very cold, very cold. She thought of her aunt’s family whom she hadn’t seen in so long, those sparse yet deep memories from childhood. She turned away from the large screen and went to find a nearby convenience store to call Wei Mingzhen, dialing again and again, not knowing why she couldn’t get through. She waited at the train station for a long time, trying the number every few hours, waiting from today until tomorrow, but still no one picked up the receiver.

She left the train station, taking buses to explore the city, of Teng City. At eight years old, she had nervously followed her mother here, wearing a pretty dress, carrying beautiful hopes for the future in this new city, thinking everything would be different, that she could grow up differently. Yet in the end, it was still the same silent, bitter suffering.

Miao Jing got off at one stop, went to the market to buy some ingredients, and carried these ingredients into an old residential complex, up to the second floor. She knocked first, three times. Someone came to open the door, lazily holding a cigarette in his mouth. Seeing her, his black pupils contracted, his expression surprised and annoyed, as if seeing a ghost.

“Brother.” Before he could speak, she held the ingredients with both hands, her clear, beautiful eyes boldly meeting his, her voice gentle. “It’s almost noon, can I make you lunch?”

Chen Yi was utterly stunned, completely baffled, not knowing whether to laugh from anger or amusement. He blocked the doorframe, not letting her in. Miao Jing shrank her body, slipping in like a fish under his arm, carrying the things to the kitchen.

“Miao Jing.” He turned to follow her. “You are sick, aren’t you?”

“I have nowhere to go. I’ll leave when school starts.” She efficiently organized the kitchen, her fragile yet straight back facing him. “Wait until I graduate from middle school, just a few more months, I’ll get lost after I graduate. I can help you wash clothes, cook, and clean.”

He leaned against the kitchen doorway, finding her both pitiful and laughable. Did he need a burden to do these minor chores?

Miao Jing focused on washing vegetables and cooking. Chen Yi watched her, his desire to drive her away suddenly fading. He said coldly: “I won’t take care of you. Expect me to support you? Not a chance.”

“You don’t need to.” Miao Jing’s voice was muffled.

She settled in like this.

With Miao Jing there, the house was naturally clean and tidy, but Chen Yi rarely came home. He was usually out, occasionally coming back to stay for two days. With things having reached this point between them, they had little to say to each other. Miao Jing usually studied and did homework in her room. On Chinese New Year’s Eve, Chen Yi came home early, and they had a New Year’s Eve dinner together. Then Chen Yi went out to play cards, not returning until the third day of the New Year.

When Chen Yi said he wouldn’t take care of her, he meant it. After the New Year, when school started, Miao Jing went to register and paid the miscellaneous fees, leaving only 280 yuan—not enough for dormitory and food expenses. Miao Jing chose to commute, moving everything from the dormitory back home, and commuting to school every day. There were still some rice, noodles, and daily necessities at home; she used them very sparingly, able to stretch them for a while.

After school started, Chen Yi came home even less frequently. He didn’t like staying at home; coming home once a month was already good. With Miao Jing at home, he came back even less—what was there to come back for? Seeing that stubborn, vexing thing, wouldn’t that just be more vexing?

She managed like this for two or three months, though who knows how she managed. All the food at home was eaten, and the refrigerator was empty. Miao Jing started looking around the house, taking all the things Wei Mingzhen had left to the recycling station, selling her old books and empty bottles and cans from home, and eating plain boiled noodles every day.

Later one time, Chen Yi came out of an internet café and inadvertently glimpsed a figure by the road, wearing loose clothes, cap pulled low, carrying a large backpack, walking along the road, casually picking up mineral water bottles, crushing them and throwing them into the backpack. It was an entertainment street, with many people eating, drinking, and playing, and many elderly people picking up mineral water bottles.

He stared at that person, strode forward, lifted her cap, and sure enough saw Miao Jing’s sweaty and surprised face. That face wasn’t even as big as his palm. Suddenly seeing Chen Yi, Miao Jing was embarrassed, her face flushing from pink to bright red as she snatched back her cap from his hand and quickly walked away, turning her head.

At that time, smartphones weren’t yet widely popular, and computers were only in internet cafés and some homes. Miao Jing hadn’t learned other ways to make money. She was quiet and shy by nature, admired as an ice beauty by boys at school, and really couldn’t bring herself to talk about her situation. Sometimes she would buy pretty hairpins and stationery from wholesale markets, selling them to girls in her class under the pretense of helping out. When she had nothing else to do, she would collect mineral water bottles to take to the recycling station—bottles were worth one jiao each, and she could earn several yuan a day—this was the easiest way to make money.

Chen Yi followed her steps home. Upon arriving, he saw the kitchen and refrigerator were empty except for some loose noodles and a few vegetables. A half candle stood on the table. He frowned and pressed the wall light switch.

“Where’s the electricity?”

“No electricity.” Miao Jing’s voice was as faint as a mosquito’s. “Power’s been cut off.”

She had no money to pay the electricity bill, only managing to pay the water bill.

“Living like a primitive person?” Chen Yi looked at her mockingly. “Where’s your mom? Ran off with hundreds of thousands, didn’t send you any money?”

Miao Jing pressed her lips together, slowly shaking her head. That phone number somehow couldn’t be reached anymore—she had completely lost contact with Wei Mingzhen.

Chen Yi let out a long, derisive laugh.

She had grown thin, barely any meat on her bones, her skin dull and lusterless. Chen Yi looked at her fragile appearance and asked with folded arms: “Making money by collecting water bottles? Are you hungry?”

Miao Jing hid her head in her collar; he could only see one snow-white ear among her messy hair, its lobe round and blood-red.

“Life’s not easy alone, is it? Waiting for charity? Don’t count on me, it’s not my business even if you starve to death.”

“I’m not.” She bit her lip.

Chen Yi’s half-smiling gaze swept over her again and again, finally letting out a slow breath as he tugged her sleeve: “Come on, I’ll teach you how to make money.”

Chen Yi took Miao Jing to a small supermarket, casually pushing her inside and to the food shelves, his tall figure looming behind her: “Which ones do you like? Take them yourself.”

She looked up in surprise.

He broke into a big mischievous grin, leaning close to her ear: “I’ll block the security camera for you, move quietly, slip them into your clothes. When someone’s checking out at the counter, just walk out confidently. Learn this trick, and you’ll never go hungry in your life.”

A package of cookies appeared from somewhere, the young man’s voice playful: “Cream-filled cookies, worth at least a hundred water bottles. Don’t you want to eat them?”

The cookies were silently pushed up under her clothes. Miao Jing’s heart pounded wildly, sweat breaking out on her forehead, her eyes red with shame. She stiffly pushed away the cookies, then stiffly stumbled out, walking in the blazing sun with cold hands and feet.

Footsteps caught up behind her: “So principled, rather starve than eat?”

“I’d rather starve!” She gritted her teeth, voice calm. “I’d rather starve than steal.”

He threw his head back laughing, his strong arm draping over her shoulder, teasing leisurely: “Fine, not bad. Then I’ll watch you starve, see how many days you can last.”

Then he dragged her to another place, an area with bright lights and gaudy signs. Chen Yi pointed: “See that? It’s a bar. There are lots of beer girls inside. If you can sell one drink in there, you’d have enough to eat and drink without worry, buy pretty clothes.”

Miao Jing shook off his hand, biting her lip, turning to run away.

“Miao Jing, Miao Jing.”

Her thin legs ran quickly, wanting to get far away from him, far away from this bastard.

There was movement behind her; Chen Yi quickly caught up, taking two steps in three strides, his arm catching around her waist and pulling her back. Miao Jing’s whole body shuddered as she let out a sharp cry, pinching his hand and bursting into tears: “I won’t go, I won’t go, I’d rather die than go!”

“Why are you crying? It’s not time for you to cry yet.” He wore a mischievous smile, dragging her along. “Come on, I’ll take you somewhere good, my secret base.”

Chen Yi put her on the motorcycle, holding her in front, taking her to a very desolate place—an abandoned factory.

Under the tall chimneys of the desolate, ruined factory, weeds grew wild. Chen Yi gripped Miao Jing’s fragile wrist, pushing her up onto a high platform, climbing up himself, leading her through the empty, abandoned halls thick with dust, and finally crawling through a hidden hole where a tall vertical iron ladder led into an unknown darkness.

“Climb up.” Chen Yi urged her.

Miao Jing trembled, her face bloodless, turning her head straight away.

“Don’t worry, I won’t hurt you.” He grinned playfully. “If you don’t go up, I’ll have to hold you and take you up.”

“I’m scared…”

“What’s there to be scared of? Just climb slowly.” Chen Yi banged on the ladder, the crisp metallic sound echoing in the empty, dark space. “I’ll be behind you—if you fall, you’ll just land on my face.”

Miao Jing was forced to move upward, climbing with both hands and feet until she finally reached the top, dizzy—it was another empty workshop, the floor covered with jumbled machinery whose original color couldn’t be made out.

Chen Yi followed her up, facing the empty factory area, letting out a shout—the echo drifted to the farthest reaches, slowly returning to their ears.

“Isn’t it exciting?” His face was full of enthusiasm. “Haven’t been here for several years.”

Miao Jing’s expression was wooden, completely not understanding what this meant.

“What’s the point of collecting water bottles?” He dragged some cables on the ground. “The stuff here is worth money. These are scrapped machines. The factory closed down, no one manages these anymore. People have already taken some, there’s still a bit left here… these big iron balls, and the copper wire that’s been removed, aluminum alloy—if you can carry it, you could sell it for a hundred yuan…”

Her heart was pounding, her forehead covered in cold sweat and black dust as she asked woodenly: “You brought me here to steal this?”

“This is collecting, collecting scrap.” Chen Yi corrected her righteously. “Isn’t it better than your water bottles?”

Miao Jing let out a sigh of relief, covering her head as she sat down heavily on the ground.