Mud beads

Yu Zhu placed her phone on the edge of the sink, screen facing upwards, the cold light illuminating a small, hazy mirror. There was no electricity in the room, so she couldn't dry her hair. She simply patted the water out of her hair with a towel, dried herself, and put on her pajamas.

Liang Dong arrived very quickly.

A series of heavy footsteps echoed down the stairs outside the door, the sound stopping nearby. Yu Zhu walked to the door and quietly opened it a crack.

In the corridor, the metal cover of the electrical box was creaked open.

Liang Dong called out "Sister," his voice muffled through the crack, "I pushed it."

The circuit breaker clicked, the lights in the room flickered on for half a second, and then went completely dark again.

She jumped again.

Liang Dong didn't touch the power switch again, but moved a few steps towards the door: "What did you just do?"

Yu Zhu pushed open the door.

Two of the hallway lights were broken, casting a dim, yellowish light on Liang Dong's face, blurring his originally sharp features. He seemed to have come down in a hurry; his gray T-shirt was on backwards, the label stuck in front of his neck. A speck of white residue clung to his chin, and a faint scent of mint toothpaste filled the air.

"Nothing was moved..." Yu Zhu said.

Liang Dong glanced at her, then quickly looked away: "Did it jump while you were using the hairdryer?"

"no."

"May I go in and take a look?" Liang Dong stood still, not moving forward.

Yu Zhu opened the door, shone her phone light on him, and stepped aside, saying, "It's convenient."

Liang Dong walked to the door, bent down and took off his shoes outside.

The bathroom was too small; two people standing inside felt cramped. The hot water had just been turned off, and water droplets still clung to the tiles. The scent of shampoo, lingering in the damp air, was so strong it was almost embarrassing.

Yu Zhu raised her phone and stepped back to the door, the beam of her flashlight shining obliquely down, illuminating a small corner of the room.

Shower head, toilet, sink. A clothesline stretches between two walls, dividing the bathroom into two spaces. In the sink basin sits a basin of soaking clothes; a white bra lies on top of a short-sleeved shirt, half-submerged in water.

Yu Zhu's fingers curled slightly, causing the light to flicker. Liang Dong, however, seemed not to notice, and half-squatted down, pressing his knees against the wet tiles, to inspect the socket panel under the sink.

He reached out and touched the outer casing of the panel, then tapped a crack in the wall with his knuckles: "The socket is loose, and water is getting into the crack."

Yu Zhu pressed the flashlight down: "Maybe it splashed while you were showering?"

"Possibly. The cover was loose, and it was damp inside, so it tripped as soon as the power was turned on."

Liang Dong didn't open the package immediately, but turned to look at her and asked, "Do you have any tissues?"

Yu Zhu ran to the living room, grabbed a few tissues, and handed them to Liang Dong when she bent down to reach out. As she did so, her wet hair fell down, and a drop of water slid down her cheek, landing on the back of the neck of the boy who was crouching on the ground.

Yu Zhu was completely unaware, but Liang Dong's hand, which was taking the tissue, paused for a moment. A drop of water slid down his neck and into his collar, leaving a small dark stain.

He used a tissue to dry the water on the panel, then asked Yu Zhu to find some transparent tape to seal the loose edge of the socket. This wasn't a proper repair; it was just a makeshift fix. After finishing, he propped himself up, but as soon as he looked up, he bumped into Yu Zhu's wrist.

The light flickered and the flashlight went out.

In the darkness, one's senses are magnified infinitely.

Liang Dong stepped back first.

"I'll go push the gate," he said. "You wait in the living room."

Yu Zhu nodded and quickly led the way to the door.

In the hallway, the sound of the electrical box cover opening and closing rang out again. With a beep, the lights in the room came back on.

Liang Dong returned to the doorway and bent down to change his shoes. It was too hot in the bathroom, and Yu Zhu noticed a little red on the edge of his earlobe.

"Just apply some sealant tomorrow and buy a splash-proof box to cover it up," Liang Dong instructed. "Don't use the bathroom outlet tonight."

Yu Zhu stood by the door, a little curious: "How do you know how to fix this?"

"I know a little bit, it's not really repair." Liang Dong bent down to straighten the slippers, looked up and smiled, "My mom is sometimes a bit out of it and will cause some minor damage."

He said it so casually, as if it were a burnt egg. Yu Zhu then remembered that Liang Xia had mentioned her mother had a mental illness and that her younger brother, who was in school, took care of her.

The room fell silent. Outside the window, a motorcycle sped past in the alley, its engine roaring past.

Seeing that he had put on his shoes and stood up, Yu Zhu quickly said, "Thank you for your help."

"No trouble at all." Liang Dong shook his head and reached out to close the door for her. "Goodnight, sister."

The door was pushed shut. Footsteps echoed up the stairs, growing softer and softer. Yu Zhu stood behind the door, waiting for the noise to completely disappear before turning back to the bathroom to wash the clothes in the sink.

Moth

The next afternoon, when Yu Zhu finished her class and went to make lemon tea, Sister Liao also came over, which was quite rare.

She seemed to have just arrived as well, sitting in a booth outside the bar, her handbag still on, her brow furrowed as she typed rapidly on her phone.

Liang Xia stood behind the bar, elbows resting on the counter, and chuckled, "The boss is personally on the front lines. What important instructions does he have? Is he going to pay salaries early?"

Sister Liao looked up and glared at her: "Dream on."

Liang Xia straightened up, crossed her arms, and said with certainty, "Then something bad has happened."

Sister Liao slammed her phone down on the table and said without beating around the bush, "Our shop will close in August."

Yu Zhu had just tied her apron, her fingers still hooked in the knot. Liang Dong, standing beside the workbench, was putting labels on cups. Hearing this, he pressed his fingertips against the cup without moving.

Liang Xia spoke first: "Why?"

"The landlord isn't renewing the lease," Sister Liao sighed. "I don't know which hothead bought the shop, but I heard they offered a pretty high price. I don't know what they're going to do with it, but the contract runs until August 10th, and I don't want to bother with anything else!"

"Is this guy out of his mind?!" Liang Xia's voice rose. "Business is best during the summer peak season, and this guy bought the shop, and by the time he finished renovating, the holidays are over! What's the point?"

Sister Liao was also annoyed, and the forced smile on her face faded: "Who knows what they're after? Maybe they know some inside information. My son is about to start junior high, and he only got a 40-something on his math test. The teacher calls three times a day; I've lost all motivation to continue!"

The shop was quiet for a moment, then Liang Xia yelled, "We're doomed! The three of us are going to be unemployed!"

The delivery machine beeped and dispensed a new order. The white receipt dangled down, swaying gently in the air conditioning. Liang Dong reached out, tore it off, glanced at it, and turned to grab a cup.

Yu Zhu asked from the side, "So, what number do we go up to?"

"Let's check the inventory." Sister Liao picked up her phone again. "Anyway, the house needs to be vacated for them before August 10th. You should find a new tenant as soon as possible. I'll also ask around for you if I can."

Yu Zhu stood at the bar, looking at the small building on the street outside. The storefront light wasn't on during the day, and there was a layer of dust around the edge of the sign. She had worked here for several years, from high school to university, from cutting her long hair to short hair, and then growing it back to how she was now. There was a dent in the sink from where she had accidentally bumped into something, and behind the warehouse door was an ugly smiley face drawn by Liang Xia with a marker. The third shelf of the freezer was always frosty, and she had to use her knee to push the door shut.

Her life was originally made up of these ordinary and stable trivialities, but now, with just one sentence from Sister Liao, everything is about to change.

After delivering the news, Sister Liao left, but before leaving, she reminded everyone that their wages would be paid as usual and that they would not be mistreated.

Liang Xia has been working the early shift lately, finishing at 7 PM sharp. She changed out of her work uniform, took out her phone, and scrolled through a few job recruitment groups.

"It's alright." Liang Xia was optimistic. "Chang'an is such a big city, the three of us won't starve to death."

Yu Zhu agreed and continued packing the milk tea.

Liang Dong lifted the curtain from the rear area and peeked out: "Yeah, I'll take a look tonight too."

Liang Xia looked up at him and said, "If all else fails, you can become a male anchor, and the two of us will be your assistants."

Liang Dong ignored her, lowered the curtain, and crawled back into the spare tire compartment.

"Making money isn't shameful." Liang Xia slung her canvas bag over her shoulder, exchanged a glance with Yu Zhu, and laughed, "Welcome to Dongdong's live stream! Are you ready? Three, two, one, link up!"

Yu Zhu smiled and gave Liang Xia a push. Liang Xia winked and pushed the door open to leave.

As soon as the wind chimes rang at the door, only Yu Zhu and Liang Dong remained in the shop. The delivery machine continued to dispense orders, the fructose dispenser churned slowly, and the ice scoop scraped against the ice with a grating sound, gradually eroding even the little bit of news they had today.

Moth

It gets dark very quickly.

The air conditioner was set to 24 degrees Celsius, but the bar area was still sticky. There was no sound of airflow inside, but the undersides of roadside leaves were turned up, a grayish-green hue. At 9:30, the first lightning bolt lit up the night sky, a flash of purple light, and less than ten minutes later, the rain began to pour down.

The torrential rain fogged up the entire street.

Fewer customers were dining in, but takeout orders continued. Drinks were prepared and placed at the serving area, but no delivery rider came to collect them, even as water droplets rolled down the sides of the cups. Customers kept calling to urge and cancel their orders, and Yu Zhu answered the phone, apologizing repeatedly. Liang Dong was mopping the floor outside, pushing away the water that had overflowed into the doorway.

At 11:30, Yu Zhu finished processing the canceled orders and poured out all the discarded drinks and materials. Watching the white milk flow into the sink, she thought of what she had read in her textbooks about 1930s America—capitalists would rather dump milk than help the poor. She, who had come from the mountains, was now doing the work of capitalists.

Even after closing time, the rain was still pounding outside. The streetlights cast a dense line of white lines, and taxis sped past with their red lights on, none of them able to be stopped.

Yu Zhu and Liang Dong stood at the intersection, looking at each other in bewilderment as they gazed at the rain.

The rain started suddenly, and neither of them had an umbrella. Liang Dong tore the large cardboard box containing passion fruit into a large piece. The brownish-yellow cardboard was placed over their heads, and when the rain poured down, it emitted a mixture of tropical fruit and musty warehouse smells.

"Are you coming or not?" Liang Dong asked.

Yu Zhu looked up at Liang Dong's profile. His brows were slightly furrowed, as if he was also hesitating.

Yu Zhu thought for a moment, then smiled: "Let's go."

Upon receiving the order, Liang Dong raised the cardboard box high. As he raised his arm, the hem of his T-shirt was lifted, revealing a section of his lean waist. The two unconsciously drew closer in the slanting rain, Yu Zhu's shoulder almost touching his arm.

"Ready—" Liang Dong glanced down at her, "Run!"

The rain pounded on the cardboard with a dull thud. The wind whipped up the moisture and lashed at her face; after just a few steps, Yu Zhu's trouser legs were soaked.

Liang Dong braced himself against the cardboard with one hand and loosely protected her from behind with the other, pulling her slightly to the side as they passed a puddle. A car wheel ran over them, splashing dirty water onto his calves.

"careful."

"Um."

The rain was too heavy, and the traffic noise on the road was too loud, so you had to shout to talk. The cardboard boxes couldn't hold up until the first intersection; the edges absorbed water and began to collapse. Yu Zhu reached out and touched them, her fingertips pinching at them, and they were covered in mushy pulp.

Liang Dong looked up and said, "It's over."

The cardboard box slowly bent over above their heads, rainwater pouring down through the cracks and landing right between them. Liang Dong squinted, his eyelashes soaked. He wiped his face and whispered, "It does smell a bit like passion fruit."

Yu Zhu burst out laughing.

Seeing her laugh, Liang Dong couldn't help but laugh too. The two of them stood in the pouring rain, holding a tattered piece of cardboard above their heads, looking utterly disheveled. The next second, a gust of wind blew sideways, flipping the cardboard halfway over. Yu Zhu frantically tried to grab it, but Liang Dong had already tossed it into a roadside trash can.

"Don't want it."

He took off the light-colored shirt over his short-sleeved shirt, shook it out, and held it over Yu Zhu's head.

The shirt was thin, and it clung to him immediately when the rain hit him, barely covering his skin. Liang Dong was only wearing a white T-shirt underneath, which clung to his body after being soaked through, and the outline of his shoulders and back was clearly visible in the streetlights. Rainwater streamed down his forehead, his long eyelashes were flattened, and the last lashes drooped down, sticking to the corners of his eyes, making him look innocent yet with a hint of resentment.

Yu Zhu was pulled forward by him, the wind blowing in from the intersection, the rain stinging her face. Thunder rumbled in the distance, but in such terrible weather, she felt no fear, but rather inexplicably found it amusing.

"Sister, what are you laughing at!"

Liang Dong ran for a while, then looked down and saw Yu Zhu's upturned lips, and slowed down.

Yu Zhu couldn't stop laughing, her chest aching from the combined impact of the rain and her laughter.

"Liang Dong!" She stopped and unconsciously grabbed his arm. "You look like a mischievous rabbit right now!"

"Huh?" Liang Dong froze, looked down at his soaked vest, raised his arm to cover his chest, and his eyes filled with panic. "Did I act like a pervert?"

Seeing his flustered expression, Yu Zhu laughed so hard she almost fell over. She seemed to have never laughed so unrestrainedly before, and towards the end, there was even a slowly creeping sadness in her laughter.

She stretched out both hands, placed her two index fingers against the corners of her eyes, and pulled them down a little.

"You don't know the Mischievous Rabbit? It's a cartoon character."

She doesn't watch anime, but this was printed in Yu Zhaozu's notebooks when she was little. She liked that white, slightly cheeky little rabbit the moment she saw it.

Liang Dong looked down at Yu Zhu. Rainwater slid down the bridge of her nose, and her eyes were brightened by the streetlights and rain.

There was no moon tonight, but as he looked at her radiant face, he felt as if he were seeing the moon.

Liang Dong was silent for a while, then lowered his arm and rubbed his eyes.

His eyelashes curled up again, but they were still stuck together in clumps, making them look a bit heavy.

He laughed somewhat helplessly: "I'm truly impressed..."

I don't know if I'm laughing at the rain, or at her.

Moth

The two walked into the building entrance together, and the gray sedan that had been slowly following them finally came to a stop.

Rainwater soaked the car windows, turning the streetlights outside into a blurry yellow. The wipers swept once, clearing the windshield for a moment before it was covered again by raindrops.

Echizen Toru held a nearly burnt-out cigarette between his fingers. The ash was long and wobbly, about to fall and land on his suit trousers. He didn't move until the lights on the third floor of the building, which had been off, suddenly came on, at which point he slowly lowered his eyes.

The car was quiet. A deep blue melody filled the enclosed space; it was an Irish folk song—

I was born sick, but I love it

Command me to be well

Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen

……

The cigarette was almost out, so he raised his hand and pressed the butt into the leather armrest on the inside of the car door.

Black scorch marks appeared, the edges were wrinkled, and a slight burnt smell wafted through the carriage.

The rain continued to pound on the car roof.