The metal seats in the subway car carried a chill. I gently rested both hands, still holding my phone, on my thighs.
This afternoon, I’d spent hours cradling Yan Dong’s six-month-old niece, trying to soothe her. The scent of milk lingered on my shoulder and neck, along with a dull ache. Right now, I really didn’t have the energy to scroll through my phone’s PPT files.
As for that enemy Yan Dong mentioned?
That kind of thing obviously had nothing to do with me. Instead, what concerned me more was which kind of cough medicine I should buy at the pharmacy on my way home.
Today was Saturday, and the Metro wasn’t crowded. By some stroke of luck, I’d actually found a seat with no one else nearby.
It took half an hour on the Metro to get home—just enough time to take a quick nap.
Because I left work more than an hour late today, doing food deliveries wouldn’t really be worth it tonight. I might as well spend a bit more time at home with Mom.
Sitting in the corner seat, I leaned my head slightly against the Acrylic Partition next to me. As drowsiness washed over my eyes like a tide, my mind suddenly recalled how Mother had curled up like a shrimp, coughing, before I left home this morning.
The temperature differences lately had made her cough much worse. I mustn’t forget to buy cough medicine later…
The Metro’s station announcements became distant. The last image before I slipped into confusion was the slight curve of that boy’s lips outside the Elevator.
In the dream, sycamore leaves covered the stone-paved road. The baby in my arms was unbelievably soft, the scent of milk blending with a familiar cedar fragrance that made me dizzy. She clutched at my dangling hair, calling out in a sweet, childish voice, “Mama.” Suddenly, she pointed her chubby little finger into the darkness behind us…
“Dad.”
From the shadows, I heard the squeak of sneakers scraping the floor. Looking toward the sound, someone whose face I couldn’t make out walked up to the dissection table. Under a Lab Coat, a Skull Hoodie peeked out, and a Scalpel spun coldly between his fingers.
He tilted his head, that familiar mocking smile always on his lips. “Honey, it’s time to change the baby’s diaper—”
“Yan… Dong?!”
My startled cry caught in my throat, turning into a sharp gasp. I snapped my eyes open and sat up straight, but still slammed hard into the back wall of the subway car. The ache at the back of my head was far more real than anything in the dream.
What I saw was still just a bunch of indifferent commuters in the subway car. What I heard was still the clattering of the speeding Metro on the tracks.
Scared me to death—thank goodness it was just a dream.
Once I’d calmed down, I let out a breath and leaned against the wall again. The flustered look on my face gradually faded.
Why would I have such a bizarre dream?
It must be the stress lately, causing these strange hallucinations.
After all that, my sleepiness was completely gone. I figured this nightmare would probably haunt me even when I tried to sleep tonight.
Shaking my head, I lit up my phone screen, only to find a Weixin message from Aunt Wang downstairs—no idea when she’d sent it.
It was an identity introduction with an attached Contract. I lowered my head and carefully read through the Contract document, then couldn’t help but chuckle.
“So I’m worth that much, huh.”
I shook my head to scatter the messy thoughts. As soon as the Metro came to a stop, I hurried out of the subway car.
The early spring night was as bone-chilling as ever. Standing at the Metro station exit, I looked up and stared blankly at the streetlamp’s gentle glow for a long time.
Maybe ten or twenty years from now, this would still be the view in my eyes.
I didn’t know why, but that thought suddenly popped into my head. It wasn’t until a cold night breeze swept over me that I reflexively wrapped my thin suit jacket tighter.
“Sigh, what am I daydreaming about?”
Letting out a soft sigh, I patted my cheek and ducked my head, quickly blending into the deep currents of the night.
The neon lights stretched my shadow long and thin, like an unbreakable chain dragging behind me. Passing a 24-hour Pharmacy, I saw my reflection in the glass window, pausing to touch the tear-shaped mole on my face—a mark I’d kept since my school days, now looking oddly enchanting in the moment.
I stared at the cough medicine ad for a while, hesitating. My wallet was tight, but I still bit the bullet and bought a box of Imported Cough Medicine.
“Authentic Beijing Wonton! Piping hot!”
As I left the Pharmacy and waited at the crosswalk, a boisterous shout with a strong Northeastern accent, mixed with the aroma of food, drifted over from not far away.
The LED Tube Light atop the food cart sizzled, steam weaving a hazy net in the cold night. The Wonton Vendor’s apron was splattered with oil stains that shimmered in the light, and he looked downright professional as he tapped a metal ladle against the edge of his pot.
Come to think of it, I’d only grabbed a plain bun for lunch on my way to Yan Dong’s place, and I’d spent the whole afternoon watching the baby. Of course, I hadn’t had time for dinner.
The tempting aroma of wontons was simply overwhelming at this point. If I weren’t worried about dirtying my uniform, I probably would have pounced on the food like a starving wolf.
“Hey, just got off work, little lady? Want a bowl of hot wontons?”
Maybe because I looked interested, the Wonton Vendor called out to me even more enthusiastically.
“No thanks, I…”
Before I could finish declining, my stomach growled awkwardly, making the Uncle burst into hearty laughter.
“Hey, I can see it’s not easy for a girl like you getting off work so late. This bowl’s on me.”
“No, no, Uncle, you have it tough too. I can still afford a bowl of wontons. I’ll just scan the code here, right?”
The wontons were ready quickly and placed in front of me. Well, the environment wasn’t great, but I had to admit—the Uncle’s skills were truly impressive.
Seeing how much I was enjoying the food, the Uncle, having nothing else to do, struck up a conversation.
“Little lady, dressed like that, you must be an office worker at a big company, right? Bet you make tens of thousands a month.”
If we’re talking about working hard and getting little pay, I guess I do count as white-collar. As for my salary—well, if you converted it to Vietnamese dong, tens of thousands would be an insult. It’s a whopping six million or so.
Heh, I really wonder how I’m supposed to spend all that money each month?
“Uncle, don’t you think I just radiate poverty from head to toe?”
“Now, what kind of talk is that, little lady? You’re still young, plenty of chances ahead. I’m just a rough old guy, not much insight—if I said anything wrong earlier, I hope you won’t mind.”
“Don’t worry, Uncle, I’m not upset with you. I just got a little discouraged thinking about work. By the way, the wontons taste great. I’d like to order another portion to go.”
“Alright, I’ll make you another bowl right away. But if you try to pay for this one, I’ll get upset. With the way we just chatted so openly, I shouldn’t charge you at all.”
He even put away the QR code so I couldn’t scan it, so I could only accept his kindness and shamelessly accept another bowl of wontons.
“Little miss, do you have a boyfriend?”