The conversation with Mu Nanqiu didn’t go any deeper on that matter, since it wasn’t something worth discussing at length over the phone. The two tacitly moved on and started sharing how much they missed each other.
When they were at school, they could see each other almost every day, could reach out and touch each other, feel each other’s warmth and scent.
Compared to now, where they could only hear each other but not touch, it was countless times better back then.
They talked for nearly an hour straight. Su Yao could have gone on, but since Mu Nanqiu had something to do on her end, they had to hang up.
She cooked something simple to eat, just to get by, and after dinner, she bought her return ticket on her phone. As soon as the time for the ticket came, she’d leave right away.
The quiet night was still and dark outside.
After nightfall, Su Yao felt a little out of sorts. Everything here went to sleep too early, and she was used to staying up late. There wasn’t much on her phone to kill time, so she lay down early and zoned out. She thought she wasn’t sleepy, but in the blink of an eye, it was already the next day.
When she woke up, Su Yao felt uncomfortable all over. Yesterday, she’d spent half the day cleaning the house and hadn’t bathed that night. Now she was probably already smelly, and her hair was a mess. The last time she went to town, she forgot about it, so she hadn’t groomed herself in days.
Unable to resist her curiosity, Su Yao pulled open her collar and sniffed herself gently.
She frowned, her expression especially odd.
It wasn’t too bad—not particularly awful, but definitely not pleasant. Anyway… it was just weird!
Sticking out her tongue, making a gagging face, Su Yao prepared her breakfast. Still just instant noodles—couldn’t be helped, it was convenient, and there weren’t many options back home, so this would have to do.
Once everything was in order, Su Yao went out, taking with her a Sickle she found in the house.
She only vaguely remembered the way, and after walking for a long time, she finally found her destination for the day. Staring at that Stele, Su Yao felt somewhat heavy-hearted, but not as sad as she’d imagined. Maybe time had healed the wounds, or maybe she had found something to rely on in her heart, so letting go didn’t hurt anymore.
Besides pulling some weeds, she just said, “I’m doing well,” and then headed back.
Apart from that, she also called someone to collect scrap, planning to sell everything in the house she couldn’t use. She didn’t wait long at the door before a young guy pulled up in a small pickup truck and parked in the yard.
“Hello, are you Miss Su?”
Su Yao nodded. The young man was a bit shy, but his wife was much more outgoing. She came up to Su Yao and started chatting.
The woman had a Little Messenger Bag slung over her back, stuffed with things, wearing a brown down jacket that had a few stains—it had clearly seen better days. Her face was plain, wide and round, giving a kindly impression.
But her smile was so dazzling that it made Su Yao a bit nervous.
“Little sister, you here alone?”
“Mm, it’s just me at home.”
Before taking anything, the woman had to ask. This didn’t feel like regular scrap collecting; it was more like someone selling off all their belongings. She had to be extra careful, so she asked, “What about your parents, or your grandparents?”
Su Yao’s answer was the same as before.
“It’s just me at home.”
“Ah—”
The woman quickly caught on and tactfully changed the topic, moving on to prices.
Su Yao didn’t really understand the going rates and had no clue how much she could get. As long as it didn’t seem like too much of a loss, she was fine selling it.
In the end, there wasn’t much to sell. But the commotion drew the attention of the neighbors, who all looked over curiously and began whispering among themselves.
Su Yao noticed, of course. After all, she was the kind of girl who had suddenly returned to her hometown, selling everything of value in the old house, and would soon leave, possibly never coming back.
Such things were bound to spark wild speculation, but Su Yao didn’t care anymore. Let them say what they would.
“Girl, what are you up to?”
A voice came from beside her. Su Yao looked over—it was the same auntie who’d talked to her before when she went to town.
Su Yao calmly explained, “I don’t need these anymore, so I’m just selling them for scrap.”
“Eh?”
The auntie’s eyes drifted over to the old Su family house, as if thinking something over. She turned and said to Su Yao, “Girl, if you don’t need them, maybe I do. Just give them to me.”
Su Yao hesitated but eventually agreed. The auntie picked out a few things that couldn’t be sold and took them all. Where there’s one, there’s two—soon the neighbors went from gossiping to picking out what they didn’t need and left satisfied.
Through it all, Su Yao just stood silently by, her face expressionless.
They call it vultures, but in more literary terms, it’s called a whale fall. Thinking of that, Su Yao couldn’t help but laugh.
“Girl, what’s so funny?”
“Nothing much.”
She spoke the words calmly, then got up from her chair and walked inside alone.
Very soon, everything was over.
Bang—a gorgeous Firework burst in the night sky. Su Yao sat alone by the window, watching the beautiful lights.
Not far away, a few kids who’d come back to their hometown formed a group and set a bundle of straw alight. The fierce orange flames lit up the frantic people running around, women shouting and scolding, and little kids crying.
Su Yao laughed as she watched the commotion.
In the city, you could never see Fireworks like these. At most, people would light those small handheld ones that you couldn’t even find in regular stores—only in some out-of-the-way little shops.
She recorded a short video and sent it to Mu Nanqiu.
“Nanqiu, look, these are real Fireworks.”
“Does Yaoyao really like them?”
“It’s not like I especially love them…”
“Then you do like them.”
“It’s just that they’re a novelty.”
“Next time, let’s watch them together, how about it?”
“Eh?”
“If we get the chance.”
“Okay!”
Looking at the chat, Su Yao was over the moon, even happier than when she pocketed those few hundred yuan earlier today.
After Little New Year’s Eve, the next day, Su Yao turned off the electricity and water, packed her things, locked up, and got ready to leave. She felt no attachment at all. She got on the car to the town, then transferred to the train station.
She had completely lost her sense of refinement these past days. The elegant, beautiful girl she was at the start had turned into a messy, dazed little scatterbrain—though she wasn’t really scatterbrained, just hadn’t slept enough from getting up too early.
Traveling by car felt like torture, especially these long journeys with endless transfers and stops. So exhausting!
Thankfully, she was still groggy from lack of sleep, and before she knew it, she’d arrived at her stop back home. She got on the last stretch of the subway and finally returned to the place she was most familiar with and felt most comfortable in.
She took a deep breath—cough, cough—it was just exhaust fumes…
Su Yao pulled a face, dragging her tired body towards her apartment complex. Guard Grandpa was sipping his hot tea, and when he saw Su Yao, he greeted her.
“Back again, girl? Where’d you go? Oh, by the way, a girl came looking for you a few days ago—couldn’t find you, so she came back every day. Saw her a few times.”
De…
She didn’t even need to think to know who it was, so Su Yao didn’t bother. She was exhausted and only wanted to get home, take a scalding hot shower, and sleep well.
She was a little curious though—Guard Grandpa recognizing her was normal, since she passed by him all the time. But before, he’d never been so proactive in talking to her. Had she become more approachable now, making people want to strike up a conversation?
Back home, Su Yao immediately grabbed clean clothes and dashed into the bathroom. Looking at her own reflection, she felt like she’d just escaped a disaster. In her mind, a phrase echoed—she didn’t know where she’d heard it from:
A girl who isn’t refined won’t be loved, so go ahead and show your charm!
She gave herself a thorough scrub, nearly running out of hot water before she finally left the bathroom.
Wrapped in a thin layer of white mist, the girl wore only her closest-fitting undergarments. Her figure was slender and alluring, curves captivating, delicate brows lowered on her lovely face, soft pink lips pressed together, body slightly hunched as if afraid of the cold, inspiring tenderness in anyone who saw her—a desire to pull her gently into an embrace and warm her with the heat of their own body.
Cough, cough. Su Yao took a quick breath and hurried to her room, not bothering with a nightgown—she just dove straight into bed. As she slipped under the covers, a pair of pink panties tumbled out through the gap, followed by…
The cozy temperature under the air conditioner quickly lulled Su Yao into sleep.
A few nights later, Su Yao sat at her computer, munching snacks and drinking from a giant two-liter bottle of cola, watching the New Year’s Eve programs online, just like always.
When the time came, she grabbed her new phone and sent Mu Nanqiu a Happy New Year message, along with a photo in her nightgown—bare shoulders, collarbone, and a hint of a slope, her pale, tender skin looking especially soft and inviting.
Mu Nanqiu only sent one reply.
“Yaoyao, wait for me—I’ll come back to you soon!”
“sneaky_smile.jpg”
She opened the window—a heavy snow was falling outside, and who knew when it would stop.
Su Yao got up extra early, feeling excited, and arrived at the meeting spot half an hour ahead of schedule.
She looked around—there weren’t many people here. Taking advantage of the time, she used the snow nearby to make a snowman. Well, more like a big ball with a small ball on top.
Admiring her handiwork, Su Yao heard a familiar voice call her name. Her heart skipped a beat—even though they’d arranged this, seeing her in that moment made Su Yao happier than she could say.
She ran over and hugged her.