Mud beads

Yu Zhu's hand was held by Yue Jianche, her fingertips pressed against his warm and dry palm, which felt as cool as a small piece of wood that had been soaked in water.

She struggled, but couldn't break free, and her breathing became increasingly erratic.

The numbers on the monitor jumped rapidly, gradually changing from green to yellow. Echizen Toru's gaze shifted from her face to the screen, his smile deepening.

Looking at Yue Jianche's profile, Yu Zhu suddenly realized that her struggles only seemed to bring him double the pleasure. She slowly relaxed her tense body, ceasing her movements, and opened her mouth, her voice dry: "What exactly do you want?"

Koshima Toru did not immediately let go.

He glanced down at the back of her hand, where needles were still inserted; her skin was white and thin, revealing faint bluish veins.

She had lost weight. She was even thinner than on the day of the funeral. Her wrists were so thin they looked like they would break at any moment, yet her bones were incredibly strong. She would repay the money without hesitation and remove him from the blacklist without a second thought. She would rather brave the torrential rain of a winter night than stay by his side.

"Your words sound like you're trying to break away from religious beliefs," Toru Echizen chuckled. "What do you want to do, what do you want, and why—"

He turned his head to look at her, his eyes gentle: "People don't have that many reasons; it's mostly instinct."

Yu Zhu looked at him, remaining silent. Her eyes still held the moisture from her illness, as they were when she was a child, dark and bright, but without the timid, ingratiating look they once had.

"You've been corrupted by society." Toru Echizen lowered his eyes and tightened his grip on their clasped hands once more. "You've forgotten your instincts."

Yu Zhu listened, slowly closed her eyes, then opened them again: "Is my instinct to be your dog?"

Echizen Toru's drooping eyelashes lifted, and the curve of his lips fell back.

Yu Zhu's phone suddenly vibrated on the bedside table.

The screen lights up, but the name is not visible.

Yu Zhu's eyelids twitched, and she reached out to grab it, but Yue Jianche took the phone first.

He glanced at the screen, then turned the phone towards her and pressed answer.

Liang Xia's voice boomed from the receiver: "Yu Zhu! What are you doing? I sent you eight hundred WeChat messages and you didn't reply to a single one? Did you get kidnapped and sent to Myanmar while you were going to see a doctor?"

Echizen moved his phone further away.

Yu Zhu breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Liang Xia was still yelling on the other end: "Speak up! Are you mute?!"

Echizen Toru listened and said calmly, "She's in the hospital."

There was an instant silence on the other end of the phone.

After two seconds, Liang Xia lowered her voice and composed herself: "Who are you?"

"She—" Echizen Toru turned his head to look at Yu Zhu, a half-smile on his face, "her guardian."

"Guardian?" Liang Xia reacted quickly, her tone calm. "What guardian? I've never heard her mention her. These days, you can't just pretend to be an elephant by sticking a scallion in your nose!"

On the monitor, the numbers that had been dropping started jumping wildly again.

Yu Zhu reached out to grab the phone, but Yue Jianche dodged it by leaning back. He held her phone, listening calmly to Liang Xia's rant. Her face was unrealistically beautiful under the cold white light of the hospital room, her eyes deep and serene, like a Renaissance sculpture behind a glass gallery.

Liang Xia continued, "Don't pretend with me. I know who you are even if you don't say anything. Send me your address, I'm coming over now. Let me tell you, I have nothing to lose, I'll kill you if you bully Yu Zhu."

After she finished speaking, Echizen said, "The Third Municipal Hospital, VIP ward 1206."

Liang Xia, panting, said, "You just wait."

The call was disconnected.

Yuejian Tetsu tossed his phone back onto Yu Zhu's bedside table and raised an eyebrow.

"Your girlfriend?"

Yu Zhu pursed her lips and remained silent.

Echizen Toru smiled: "Pretty sassy."

As soon as he withdrew his palm, Yu Zhu immediately pulled her hand back under the covers. The warmth still lingered on her knuckles; she felt it was dirty and wanted to wipe it off, but now was not the time. She could only clench her fist, squeezing until her nails dug into her palm.

"I didn't tell her anything," Yu Zhu said.

Koshima Toru showed no emotion. "Looks like you haven't forgotten everything I told you."

Yu Zhu turned her head away and stopped looking at him.

Someone pushed a treatment cart past outside the ward, the wheels making a soft clattering sound as they rolled over the ground. The clock on the wall struck past one in the morning when Liang Xia hurriedly pushed open the door.

She was still wearing an old down jacket, the zipper undone, revealing her work uniform with the Nongning Tea logo. Her hair was messily tied back, her shoes were wet, and she was carrying a bulging plastic bag, which looked like it had been smuggled from the store, containing tissues, a hot water bottle, and fever-reducing patches.

Her mouth was already open when she rushed in.

"Yu—"

The sound stopped when Eshima Toru was seen.

The hospital room was dimly lit. Yue Jianche sat in a chair with his arms crossed, his long legs naturally stretched out, his posture relaxed. His black shirt was spotless, the cuffs holding the fabric to his arms neatly, the leather edges gleaming coldly. He looked up at her, his expression calm. Liang Xia met his gaze, and the fire in her heart felt like it had hit a wall.

Of course, she had met wealthy people before. But the man before her was too rigid in his air of nobility and refinement, like an equation in a textbook, giving off a sense of unspoken rules.

Liang Xia swallowed back the profanity.

She walked to the bedside and placed the plastic bag on the bedside table: "What happened?"

Yu Zhu's lips moved slightly, but she didn't smile: "It's nothing, just an allergic reaction to the medication."

"Okay, so now that you can say 'it's nothing' before 'drug allergy'," Liang Xia said, then turned to look at Yue Jianche. "I'll stay here and watch over her. You can go now."

Koshima Toru stood up.

He didn't argue with Liang Xia, nor did he look at Yu Zhu's needlework again. He simply picked up his coat slowly, nodded to Liang Xia, and went out the door.

Liang Xia was stunned.

After the door closed, she immediately let out a long breath, walked to the door to make sure Yuejian Che was out of sight, and then looked back at Yu Zhu.

"Holy shit," she exclaimed in a low voice, "This is your creditor?"

Yu Zhu closed her eyes and relaxed completely: "Mmm..."

Liang Xia sat on the small stool by the bed and remained silent for a long time.

Moth

The next day, during the doctor's rounds, it was confirmed that the allergic reaction had not recurred, and the doctor instructed her that she must write "penicillin allergy" on her medical records from now on. The nurse brought over a form, and Liang Xia listened more attentively than Yu Zhu, asking if she could eat spicy food, drink milk tea, and go to work.

The doctor looked up at her and said, "She needs to rest now."

Liang Xia nodded: "Did you hear that? You should be resting. If you dare to go back to the shop this afternoon, I'll tie you to the bed."

Yu Zhu looked down at the needle marks on the back of her hand: "I understand."

The discharge fees were settled long ago.

The cashier checked and said someone had already paid last night. Liang Xia's expression was complicated; she wanted to yell but didn't know where to begin. Yu Zhu stood beside her, her fingers gripping the discharge slip, a crease forming at the edge.

She neither made up the payment nor received a refund.

Yu Zhu returned to her rented room and went back to making lemon tea. She ate only plain porridge for two days before going back to work on the third. Sister Liao scolded her for being reckless, but still adjusted her work schedule later, allowing her to come in an hour less during the week. Liang Xia chimed in from the side, "See, even capitalists know how to be chivalrous."

After that day, life seemed to have been put back on its original track. School started, and Yu Zhu returned to campus.

Everything seems unchanged.

Echizen Toru has retreated far from her life, yet he is omnipresent.

Occasionally, the short videos would feature local news, showing Etsuya Toru standing among a group of people in dark jackets, shaking hands with city leaders. His face was too young and too striking; he wore a sharp suit with a small badge pinned to his chest, his smile gentle, and his posture composed.

His presence can also be found on the university campus. On the second weekend after the holiday, the new building of Chang'an University held a completion ceremony. On the stage, the president repeatedly thanked Mr. Yue for his kindness.

Toru Eshima's name always appears alongside various weighty terms—philanthropy, finance, leader, strategic cooperation.

Yu Zhu knew in her heart that Yue Jianche had not let her go.

However, he had more pressing matters to attend to at the moment.

With Grandpa Yue gone, Yue Feng refused to take over the matter, and Yue Jianche officially stepped into the limelight. There were plenty of people and money in Chang'an more important than her, and plenty of situations requiring him to handle with a smile. He didn't have time for her right now, just like when they were children in the Qinling Mountains, he only thought of teasing her when he was too bored.

This realization did not make Yu Zhu feel at ease.

She became even more clear-headed.

Moth

In mid-May, Liang Xia's mother passed away. Liang Xia took a week off to go home and handle the funeral arrangements.

Yu Zhu told her to take heart, but Liang Xia showed little emotion, only saying, "It's better that she's gone; living is just suffering." Before leaving, Yu Zhu called Liang Xia to the back door of the shop, handed her an envelope containing two thousand yuan.

"It's just a small token of my appreciation," Yu Zhu said. "Take care on the road."

Liang Xia didn't refuse, waved, got on the bus, and left. Yu Zhu stood at the shop entrance watching until the bus's taillights disappeared before returning to the shop.

She actually wanted to say, "You must come back," but she didn't say it.

After Liang Xia left, Sister Liao also gave Yu Zhu two days off.

"Anyway, you can't handle it all by yourself," Sister Liao said, flipping through her phone's calendar. "Let's all take a couple of days off."

Yu Zhu said thank you.

On her day off, she tidied up the rented apartment.

The floor was mopped clean, the clothes were washed, and the light bulb in the hallway was replaced. Eggs were boiling in a small pot; it was her breakfast for tomorrow.

Yu Zhu sat at the small table and turned on her computer.

Panpan's window popped up.

Panpan: Good evening, Zhuzhu, how have you been lately?

Yu Zhu paused for a moment as she looked at the line of text.

She typed: Great. I've given up my old bad habits.

Panpan: Congratulations on taking another step forward.

Yu Zhu stared at the screen for a long time.

The water in the pot almost boiled over, so she got up to turn off the heat, scooped the eggs out with a slotted spoon, and put them into a bowl of cold water. Just as she sat down, her phone rang.

Ji Yong.

Yu Zhu hesitated until the ringtone was about to end before pressing the answer button.

"Zhuzhu, I passed by the lemon tea shop today and it wasn't open." Ji Yong's end was quiet. "Are you on vacation? Coming out to relax?"

Without even thinking, Yu Zhu said, "I'm not going."

"So straightforward?" Ji Yong laughed. "I haven't even said where we're going yet."

"I'm not going anywhere."

There was a brief silence on the other end of the phone.

Then he chuckled, lazily, with a hint of sullenness: "Go to the window and look down."

Yu Zhu frowned.

"It's no use not looking," Ji Yong said. "I'm right downstairs from you."

Yu Zhu stood up, holding her phone.

She walked to the window and pulled back the curtains a crack. A familiar red sports car was parked in the dim light of the streetlights downstairs. Ji Yong leaned against the car door, wearing a black hoodie, and waved her phone at her.

His voice came through the phone.

"Come down," he said. "I'll wait for you here."