After the breakup, I was taken in by a group of trendy young women.

Shen Qing peeked half her face out from behind Shen Na's shoulder, her eyes slightly red, but her lips were curved in a smile. There wasn't a trace of grievance in her expression; instead, it was all anxiousness to clear his name: "Sis, brother has always protected me—last time at the supermarket entrance, that third brother who runs a billiards hall blocked me, and brother broke his finger with one hand and made him apologize to me in front of the whole street!"

When she said the last few words, her voice carried an undisguised pride, like a little girl showing off a treasure she found to her parents.

Shen Na turned to look at Shen Qing, but Shen Qing's expression made her swallow back the question that was on the tip of her tongue.

She turned back to look at Lin Ye again, this time with less scrutiny in her eyes and more of something indescribable, as if she had breathed a sigh of relief, or as if she was still a little unwilling.

She was silent for a while, then extended her hand: "Let's get acquainted, Shen Na."

Lin Ye stood up and reached out to hold Shen Na's hand.

Her hands were a little bigger than Shen Qing's, with long, slender fingers and warm, soft palms. Because she had just walked a long way with her suitcase, her palms were slightly sweaty, and they felt smooth and soft to the touch, like holding a piece of glutinous rice cake that had just come out of the steamer.

The sensation traveled from the base of my thumb all the way to my fingertips, so comfortable that I didn't want to let go.

"Linye."

He said.

The two people held hands for about two seconds under the dim light of the barbecue stall, and then released each other at the same time.

Shen Na withdrew her hand and nodded, as if she had finally completed a necessary authentication process.

She sat down next to Shen Qing, picked up her chopsticks, but didn't eat immediately. Instead, she asked another question that had been bothering her: "Tonight I'll go back to your place with you to see if you're lying to me. Shen Qing will sleep with me." Her tone left no room for argument.

Lin Ye put the unlit cigarette back in his mouth, his tone casual but firm: "Okay, I'll listen to you."

Shen Na then picked up her chopsticks, took a bite of a roasted lamb chop.

She paused chewing for about half a second, then started using her chopsticks even more frequently.

Watching Shen Na devour five skewers of lamb, three pieces of grilled lamb chops, and a plate of enoki mushrooms wrapped in tin foil, the man with the tattooed arm couldn't help but nudge Shen Qing with his elbow and whisper, "Your sister's a glutton."

Before Shen Qing could answer, Shen Na raised her eyes, her cheeks still puffed out, and said confidently, "I haven't eaten all day because I was looking for her."

Everyone at the table laughed.

The blond guy laughed the loudest, shouting "Boss, another case of beer!"

After finishing one case, they opened another. The bamboo skewers on the table were piled up like a small mountain, and the empty beer cans were lined up in a long queue.

The barbecue stall owner was sweating profusely, and the smoke from the grill had been burning non-stop from dusk until late at night.

Lin Ye leaned back in his chair, his third cigarette of the night between his fingers, watching Shen Na devour the last piece of roasted lamb chop and then take a big gulp of beer.

The way she drank was a stark contrast to her appearance—outside, she was a radiant and elegant long-legged beauty, but when she drank, she would tilt her head back and chug it down, then put down her glass and offer a comment.

"This beer doesn't have enough malt concentration; we'll switch to craft beer next time."

Lin Ye couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "This Shen Na is such a foodie."

Not the kind of casual, pecking-at-the-grain eater, but the real, hardcore foodie who can eat a whole table of dishes from one end to the other and then give a precise critique of each dish's cooking time and saltiness.

On the way back to my rented room, the night breeze had cooled down, and the sycamore trees cast dappled shadows under the streetlights.

The tattooed man and the blond man walked at the front, still arguing about whether the grilled kidneys were cooked too hot or too cold tonight.

Flowery Legs supported Green Hair, who was a little swaying from drinking, while Pink Hair shone a cell phone flashlight behind them to illuminate the path for Bangs. Wangcai lay in Bangs' backpack, its tail dangling out and swaying back and forth.

Shen Qing and Shen Na walked side by side in the middle of the group. Shen Qing held Shen Na's arm and occasionally turned her head to look at her sister's profile.

Her expression was complex—it showed pride in letting her sister see that she was doing well, reassurance that her sister was being taken care of, and a little bit of expectation that her sister would accept Lin Ye.

Shen Na was still clutching a can of beer she had brought from the barbecue stand, and her face was already flushed with a few faint blushes from the alcohol, but she was still walking steadily.

Lin Ye walked at the very back, carrying Shen Na's suitcase in one hand and with the other hand in his pocket.

The wheels of his suitcase clattered on the uneven cement ground, and the streetlights cast long shadows of him.

He watched the eight girls walking in a row in the night, and couldn't help but take the cigarette out of his mouth, flick off the ash, and a small smile curved his lips.

Another one has been added.

Pushing open the door to the shared apartment, the smell of leather from the new sofa mingled with the scent of floral water from the coffee table and hit me.

Shen Na stood at the door and looked around—dusty fluorescent light tubes, a dressing mirror with a crack, colorful underwear on the clothesline by the balcony door, empty wine bottles neatly stacked in the corner, and an expensive new sofa that looked completely out of place in this dilapidated house.

She looked at it for a while, then turned to Lin Ye, her tone a mixture of surprise and confusion: "Is this sofa new?"

The tattooed man had already kicked off his shoes and pounced onto the sofa, peeking out from behind the cushions to answer Lin Ye's question: "Twelve thousand, the landlord paid for it out of his own pocket. Sis, don't ask anymore. Even the landlord is giving brother special treatment; things like this in the house can't be explained by common sense."

Shen Na glanced at Lin Ye again. This time, her eyes held neither scrutiny nor wariness, but rather a sense of reassurance that she herself might not have realized.

She took off her canvas shoes and placed them neatly at the door, then took Shen Qing's hand and walked into the house.

As night deepened, the noise in the room gradually subsided.

Green Hair and Pink Hair were asleep at the end of the sofa, their heads close together. Qi Liu was curled up on the yoga mat, hugging Wangcai. The cats were purring softly.

The tattooed man lies on the left end of the sofa, while the tattooed leg man lies on the right end, their feet twitching in the middle of the sofa.

Huang Mao insisted that tonight was hers, but Shen Qing wanted to stay with her sister, so she could only hug her pillow and huddle next to the tattooed arm. After a while, her breathing became even.

There was only one bed in the room. The sheets were old cotton cloth that was pilling from washing, and the duvet cover was made up of various patterns, but it was made very neatly.

Shen Qing unfolded the quilt and spread it out, then patted the pillow and placed it on the side of the bedside table.

Shen Na sat on the edge of the bed, watching Shen Qing busy herself. After a moment of silence, she reached out and grabbed Shen Qing's wrist, pulling her to sit down next to her.

You've lost weight.

Shen Na said, her voice soft and sweet, carrying the moisture and drowsiness of someone who had just showered.

"But she looks very well."

Shen Qing leaned her head on Shen Na's shoulder, her black hair falling down and covering her sister's arm.

"Sis, I'm really fine. My brother is good to me, and Huang Mao and the others are good to me too. I haven't had nightmares in a long time."

Moonlight filtered through the gaps in the sheets and curtains, casting a thin layer of silver on the floor.

Lin Ye lay on the sofa, legs crossed, with an unlit cigarette between his fingers. His expression was obscured in the darkness, but his eyes were open.

He was reviewing everything that had happened that night, including the extra person.

Then he heard the sound of bare feet stepping on the floor, very soft, but exceptionally clear in the quiet night.

Shen Qing walked cautiously toward the sofa.

The moonlight fell on her white T-shirt, outlining her slender figure.

She walked to the sofa and squatted down, facing Lin Ye.

Her black hair fell over her shoulders, a few strands brushing against the back of his hand.

Her eyes sparkled in the moonlight, her lips were slightly parted, and her breath was light and short. She lowered her voice, her tone tinged with embarrassment, but mostly with undisguised joy:

"Brother, my sister said I look good. She said... you're a good person."

Lin Ye reached out and gently tucked the strands of hair that had fallen across her face behind her ear.

"Go back to sleep," he said.

Shen Qing nodded, stood up and was about to leave when she turned back, bent down and quickly kissed him on the forehead, then turned and tiptoed back to the bed.