After idly scrolling through her Moments feed for a bit, Qian Duoduo was overtaken by sleepiness, turned off her screen, and dozed off.
But her sleep was restless. Half-asleep and tossing and turning, she vaguely heard someone speaking.
The voice sounded familiar, as if the person was deliberately lowering both their volume and emotion.
“Have you ever cared about me all these years? Did you ever once attend a parent-teacher meeting when I was in high school? Did you ever once call me on your own? Now you suddenly show up and say that you and Mom want me to listen to you—don’t you think that’s ridiculous?”
“I was doing just fine in Nancheng. What gives you the right to force me to go to Hong Kong with you?”
“Fine, sell that apartment if you want. I’ll move out tomorrow. It’s better this way. After all, that apartment is the only thing tying you to Nancheng. Sell it and you won’t have to keep running back and forth between Hong Kong and here. You won’t have to come back for the rest of your life.”
“How am I talking? You think I sound harsh? Of course I do. No one ever taught me how to be polite.”
The final word had barely landed when the call was angrily cut off.
The world returned to a deathly silence.
“……” Qian Duoduo furrowed her brow, sat up, threw on some clothes, and walked out of the bedroom.
Her home was laid out in a cross-hall plan, with a clear separation between living and sleeping areas.
She rubbed her eyes as she walked, and when she lifted her head in the cool moonlight after passing through the narrow hallway, she saw that the living room lights were on.
A tall, slender figure leaned against the railing of the balcony.
Zhao Jingxi.
It was late. The moonlight, sharp as a silver blade, traced the elegant lines of her collarbone.
The hem of her silk nightgown fluttered in the night breeze.
From a distance, she looked like a drifting, rootless butterfly.
A cigarette burned silently between her fingers, the tip glowing red.
After a moment, Zhao Jingxi took a drag and flicked the ash, her moonlit eyes dazed and hollow.
Just then, a sudden warmth crept over her.
Startled, Zhao Jingxi instinctively turned her head slightly. Two slender, pale hands were gently draping a cashmere sweater over her shoulders.
“…Did I wake you up?” Zhao Jingxi asked awkwardly, turning her face away, subtly wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. Her voice was low. “Sorry.”
Qian Duoduo’s gaze was filled with pain as she looked at Zhao Jingxi. After a pause, she asked, “Did you see your mom again today?”
Zhao Jingxi didn’t respond. She just took a deep drag of her cigarette, her head bowed low.
Qian Duoduo couldn’t see her face, but from the whitened knuckles gripping the railing, she could sense the inner turmoil and suppression Zhao Jingxi was feeling.
“Jingxi.” Qian Duoduo took her cold hand. “We’re best friends. No matter what happens, you’ll always have me.”
Her voice was soft and gentle, carrying a comforting warmth.
Zhao Jingxi felt moved, but on the surface she scoffed and replied nonchalantly, “Alright, I’m fine. You look so serious, like I’ve been abandoned by the whole world.”
“I didn’t mean it like that…” Qian Duoduo stammered.
“I know,” Zhao Jingxi gently interrupted her, then curled her lips into a faint smile. “I saw my mom today. She said the main reason she came this time is to sell the apartment on Jinwu Road.”
Qian Duoduo frowned slightly. “But aren’t you living there now? If she sells it, where will you stay?”
Zhao Jingxi tilted her head up toward the sky.
The night was pitch-black.
White smoke slipped from her red lips, sharp as a blade slicing through the darkness. “Exactly. Which just proves she never considered me at all.”
Qian Duoduo thought for a moment, then asked, “I heard you on the phone earlier. Did your mom say she wants you to go to Hong Kong with her?”
“Yeah. She said if she sells the place, I’ll have nowhere to live, so I should just go with her to Hong Kong,” Zhao Jingxi replied, the curve of her lips turning into a sneer. “Unbelievable. She thinks just because she gave birth to me, she has the right to control how I think and live? She should take a good look at herself first.”
“All your connections, your network, your resources— they’re all in Nancheng. Going to Hong Kong means starting everything from scratch. It’s not realistic,” Qian Duoduo said.
“Even a three-year-old could understand that. You think Hui Mingshu doesn’t? She just doesn’t care.” Zhao Jingxi tapped the ash from her cigarette with a slender finger.
The way she held it between her red lips was effortlessly sensual. “She doesn’t give a damn about how this will affect my career or my life. All she wants is to get rid of me as fast as possible, so she can cash in on that apartment.”
“Why is Auntie in such a hurry to sell the place?” Qian Duoduo asked, puzzled. “I remember you saying she’s been living pretty well these past few years. It’s not like she’s strapped for cash.”
Zhao Jingxi shrugged lazily. “Who knows. Her current husband’s in business— maybe he’s having cash flow problems and needs a quick infusion of funds?”
“That actually sounds plausible.”
Qian Duoduo pondered for a moment, then asked, “So what do you plan to do about the apartment?”
“If she wants to sell, let her sell,” Zhao Jingxi replied indifferently. “I’ll just rent somewhere else. This way I won’t owe her anything.”
Upon hearing this, Qian Duoduo sighed. “The apartment is under her name, so you really can’t stop her… How about this— one of my friends works in real estate. Send me your rental preferences, and I’ll ask him to help you find a place tomorrow.”
Zhao Jingxi immediately threw her arms around Qian Duoduo, puckered her lips, and gave her a kiss. “Babe, you’re the best. Love you to death.”
Qian Duoduo pushed her face away, amused. “Alright, go take a shower and get some sleep. Tomorrow’s another sunny day — don’t let this drag you down.”
“I know.”
Then Zhao Jingxi hesitated, looking troubled. “Hui Mingshu’s rushing me hard. Once I find a place…”
Qian Duoduo thought for a couple seconds. “You can store your stuff at my office for now. We’ve got a big storage room — keeping things there for a few days won’t be a problem.”
“Mm, okay.” Zhao Jingxi stubbed out her cigarette and tossed it into the trash.
Then she seemed to remember something and asked, “Didn’t you say your parents are on vacation? When are they coming back?”
“Probably another two or three days.”
“Got it,” Zhao Jingxi said. “Once they’re back, I’ll just crash at a hotel.”
But Qian Duoduo immediately frowned. “Did my parents ever offend you? Did something happen between you?”
“What are you talking about? Of course not.”
“Then why go to a hotel when you’re already staying here comfortably?”
Zhao Jingxi pressed her lips together, voice dropping in embarrassment. “I just don’t want to be a bother…”
“That’s not a bother at all,” Qian Duoduo said with a smile, affectionately hooking her arm around Zhao Jingxi’s. “My home is your home. My parents are your parents.”
A gust of night wind blew past.
Zhao Jingxi’s eyes watered from the wind, her eyes turning misty. “Duoduo, thank you. Having you as a friend is the greatest stroke of luck in my life.”
Qian Duoduo’s nose tingled as well. She gently brushed a strand of hair from Zhao Jingxi’s ear. “Don’t say that. You’ve got so much more luck coming your way.”
*
Qian Duoduo was efficient as always. Early the next morning, she called her friend in real estate and explained the need to rent an apartment.
Since Zhao Jingxi didn’t have a fixed office job, commuting wasn’t a concern. She only had three requirements for the apartment: new building, good environment, and proximity to the subway.
“Got it, Teacher Qian. Leave it to me,” her friend promised over the phone, beating his chest with confidence.
“Thanks, and sorry for the trouble.” After hanging up, Qian Duoduo glanced over at Zhao Jingxi, who was still fast asleep.
No one knew how late into the night she’d stayed awake.
The pillow under her face was visibly darker, and faint tear stains remained at the corners of her eyes.
Qian Duoduo felt a pang in her heart. She paced back and forth in the living room for a bit before finally steadying herself and making another call.
After a few rings, the line connected.
“What’s up, sweetie?” Zhang Xuelan’s voice came through the receiver, full of energy and cheer.
Just hearing her mom’s cheerful tone lifted Qian Duoduo’s mood. She spoke softly, “Mom, where are you and Dad going today?”
“Some mountain, I think. The group leader and everyone else are organizing it. Your dad and I are just following the group, don’t feel like making any plans ourselves,” Zhang Xuelan replied with a light chuckle.
“Having fun these past few days?”
“Of course! I’ve already posted six or seven things on my Moments, and you haven’t even liked a single one.”
“I did! I liked the one where you were rowing a boat.”
“What about the others?”
“…Okay, okay, I’ll go back and like each one of them later. All of them,” Qian Duoduo said patiently, helpless against her mom’s occasional childishness.
Then she paused briefly, her tone turning hesitant. “Actually, Mom, there’s something I want to discuss with you and Dad.”
“What is it? Go ahead.”
Qian Duoduo carefully began, “Something came up at Zhao Jingxi’s place. Her mom wants to sell the apartment she’s living in… It was really sudden, and she’s still looking for a place to stay. So for now…”
Before she could finish, she was cut off by a raised voice on the other end.
Mama Qian sounded indignant, clearly upset on Zhao Jingxi’s behalf: “That mom of hers, seriously! She’s done nothing for that child all these years, and now she suddenly wants to sell the place? What kind of mother does that… You tell Zhao Jingxi to take her time looking for a new place. If she doesn’t have anywhere to stay, she can come to our house. Aunt Zhang and Uncle Qian see her as our own daughter.”
With her mom’s reassurance, Qian Duoduo finally felt a weight lifted off her chest. “We’re totally on the same page. Mom, you’re the best.”
“That’s all you wanted to discuss?” Zhang Xuelan said. “We know how close you are with Zhao Jingxi, and we understand her situation. It’s not easy for her. If we can help, of course we will.”
The mother and daughter chatted a bit more about daily life.
Suddenly, ding ding — a new WeChat message came in.
Qian Duoduo tapped to open it.
Chang Zong: [Teacher Qian, don’t forget about dinner tonight.]
Qian Duoduo replied: [Got it.]
On the phone, Zhang Xuelan noticed the silence and asked with concern, “Why’d you stop talking?”
“Just got a message. Work stuff,” Qian Duoduo replied casually. “Our company wants me to attend a military support-themed event.”
“Speaking of military support,” Zhang Xuelan’s voice grew serious, “don’t forget about Xiao Lu. Did you hear me?”
“Okay, okay. You and Dad have fun and stay safe,” Qian Duoduo said, changing the subject. “I’ve got to get back to work. Bye!”
*
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