Mud beads

The next day, the kettle in Lao Xiao's office broke down, so he asked Yu Zhu to go to the tea room to get some hot water.

The tea room was next to the front desk; the small door was ajar, and hushed laughter could be heard coming from inside.

Yu Zhu carried the teapot and walked towards the door.

She hadn't originally intended to stop.

Until I heard the sound of the cup hitting the table, very softly but also very quickly.

"Mr. Jiang, this is a public area, it's not appropriate." Cheng Fu's voice came from inside the door, his tone amused, but his voice was tense at the end.

"I know." The man chuckled twice. "What's the harm in saying a few words?"

Yu Zhu stood at the door.

The break room was small, with a coffee machine on one side and a cabinet full of paper cups and tea bags on the other. Cheng Fu leaned against the cabinet door, holding a disposable stirrer in her hand. Mr. Jiang stood very close to her, his shirt cuff brushing against her wrist, his palm resting on the table beside her. His hair was styled with hairspray, and his perfume smelled strongly, mixed with the sour smell of coffee grounds, filling the two-square-meter space.

Cheng Fu first saw Yu Zhu.

Her gaze paused for a moment, then she quickly smiled again: "Teacher Yu?"

The man also turned around.

Yu Zhu, carrying the teapot, said without much change in expression, "Teacher Cheng, Miss Liu is looking for you."

"Now?" Cheng Fu asked.

"Yes." Yu Zhu nodded. "She said it was urgent."

The tea room fell silent.

Mr. Jiang withdrew his hand and chuckled dryly, "Then you go ahead and get busy."

Cheng Fu tossed the stirring stick into the trash can and walked away from him. She walked slowly, her skirt brushing against Yu Zhu's calves, light and slightly ticklish.

When Yu Zhu returned after fetching water, Cheng Fu stopped in front of her workstation.

"Seeing injustice on the road?" she asked.

Yu Zhu pulled out her office chair and sat down, ignoring her.

Cheng Fu tilted his head and smiled, then turned back to me, his voice turning cold: "You want me to thank you?"

Yu Zhu glanced at her for a moment, then looked back at the computer screen: "Whatever."

Cheng Fu's smile slowly faded.

She walked back to her workstation in her high heels, sat for a while, and then felt bored. She grabbed her bag from her desk, got up, and walked towards the employee entrance.

One of the lights in the corridor was broken, and the light flickered overhead. Cheng Fu took out a cigarette from his bag, lit it, and just as he turned on the lighter, the broken light finally went out.

"Oh shit."

Moth

It started raining in the evening.

The summer rain came suddenly, and the glass curtain wall outside the mall was quickly covered by rain. Parents in the waiting area were all on the phone, asking the driver where they were. Children crowded in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows to watch the rain, their fingers pressing against the glass, leaving patches of fog.

When Yu Zhu finished get off work, the rain still hadn't stopped.

She stood under the eaves of the mall without an umbrella, carrying a bag containing her lesson plans. Rainwater splashed onto the corner of the bag, staining it a darker shade. Her phone vibrated twice; she looked down at it.

Spicy Rabbit Head: It's raining so hard, have you gone home yet?

Yu Zhu: Not yet, I'm hailing a taxi.

Spicy Rabbit Head: Wait for me.

Yu Zhu stared at those two words, stunned for a moment.

The roar of an engine echoed from the exit of the mall's underground parking garage. Cheng Fu drove out of the garage in his silver sports car, saw Yu Zhu, pulled up, and rolled down her window: "Didn't bring an umbrella?"

Yu Zhu looked up at the rain, then looked down at her phone messages: "I'll wait."

Cheng Fu smiled, rolled up the car window, and drove the car out of the mall.

The water at the mall entrance had already reached the steps. A food delivery rider, wearing a raincoat, rushed across the intersection, her wheels splashing through the puddles, kicking up a cloud of dirty white foam. Just as she was about to drive onto the road, a black minivan blocked her way in the distance.

The car door opened.

A tall young man stepped down.

The man wore a baseball cap and a black face mask, obscuring his face, but his presence was still striking. He held an umbrella in one hand and carried a bouquet of flowers in the other, walking briskly. The flowers were wrapped in old newspapers, their purple-blue petals glistening from the rain.

Cheng Fu followed the man's gaze.

Under the eaves of the shopping mall, a girl carrying a canvas bag saw him and ran headlong into the rain.

The man ran even faster, catching her with one hand and pressing the umbrella over her head with the other, his own shoulder quickly becoming soaked.

This was the first time Cheng Fu had seen Yu Zhu with that expression.

She held the flowers, her head tilted back slightly, her face wet with rain, but her smile seemed to come alive with the water, bright and lively. The man bent down and hugged her, his baseball cap obscuring his expression, his shoulders seemingly trembling slightly from laughing.

Cheng Fu found it funny.

Heavy rain, a canvas bag, and flowers wrapped in newspaper.

Poor and stingy.

But as she smiled, she felt a little heavy-hearted.

Cheng Fu expressionlessly took the phone from the stand that was navigating, brought up the camera, aimed it at Yu Zhu, and pressed the shutter button.

In the photo, a young couple embraces, with fine white raindrops falling across the scene. Yu Zhu holds flowers, half her face hidden under an umbrella, her eyes shining. A bunch of irises sits between them, their color a deep, cold shade.

Cheng Fu opened WeChat and sent the photo to Yue Jianche.

She sent the first few messages, but he didn't reply to any of them.

The previous message she sent him at lunchtime read: "You didn't expect this, did you? Your little girl works with me."

When she sent it, the other end finally showed that it was typing.

But in the end, he didn't reply to anything.

Cheng Fu parked his car on the side of the road and watched Yu Zhu and that man walk hand in hand into the mall. After waiting a while, she posted another comment under that photo:

Is her boyfriend a celebrity? He's so heavily disguised.

The conversation was not sent.

A red exclamation mark appeared next to that sentence.

The rain was heavy, whipped by the wind and lashing against the car window, leaving irregular droplets. She clicked on Yuejian Che's profile picture, then exited, then clicked back in. His Moments was a cold, impersonal line.

Cheng Fu finally chuckled.

The laughter was short and soft, falling into the sound of rain; she herself couldn't hear it clearly.

Moth

After that rain, Chang'an remained hot for several days.

As summer vacation reached its midpoint, the summer camp schedules at the institution became increasingly full. At the Monday meeting, Lao Xiao came in with an activity schedule, saying that someone was holding a charity gala at a hotel in Qujiang, and the organizers needed several groups of children's artwork and a few children's programs to accompany it.

The organization was invited to provide artwork, recitations, and a short children's play. Lao Xiao said that the parents and guests present this time were all exceptional, and urged everyone to keep a close eye on the children and the process, striving to help the organization reach the next level.

Cheng Fu sat at the other end of the conference table, twirling his pen with his head down. When he heard the word "guest," he looked up at Yu Zhu.

The charity gala was held in the grand ballroom on the first floor of the hotel.

At 3 p.m., Yu Zhu arrived with the organization's staff. The hotel's back door was connected to a freight elevator, and staff pushed carts full of display stands, clothing, picture frames, and children's props up from there. The corridor outside the banquet hall was carpeted with thick carpet, so the carts moved around quietly, with only the occasional dull thud from the metal wheels hitting the carpet.

The children's drawings were framed in uniform white boxes, each labeled with a number, and a copy was also printed in the auction catalog. The speech class was responsible for the opening recitation, and the drama class performed an excerpt from "The Wizard of Oz" in between. Old Xiao hadn't had a moment's rest since he arrived; he changed his shirt twice, styled his hair even more, and added decorations to his tie, smiling at everyone he met.

Yu Zhu is in charge of looking after the children in the drama class.

The children were in complete chaos in the makeshift dressing room. Dorothy was missing a red shoe, and the Tin Man, finding his hood stuffy, took off his tin hat and put it on the Scarecrow's head. Mimi sat in a chair waiting to get her makeup done, clutching a dog doll in her hand. When she saw Yu Zhu come in, she immediately lifted her skirt to show her.

"Teacher Xiaoyu, it didn't break today."

Yu Zhu knelt down and helped her straighten the bow at her waist: "It looks very nice."

Mili said proudly, "Today I'm going to be very obviously brave."

"Okay." Yu Zhu smiled and patted her head. "You've always been very brave."

A few children nearby laughed, their tension somewhat eased. Yu Zhu, holding a clipboard, called out names, double-checking the children's order of appearance. Today, she wore a black dress as required by the organization, paired with a white suit uniform issued by the organization. The dress was a gift from Zhou Qiyu; it was stylishly cut, exposing her entire back. Yu Zhu initially felt it was revealing, but since the jacket covered her, it didn't bother her. Liang Dong had messaged her that morning, asking what time she'd finish. He was filming a night scene at a film studio in another city; the voice message contained the sounds of wind and crew calling for people.

Yu Zhu didn't say much, only replying: I'll call you with a voice message when it's over.

Cheng Fu arrived half an hour later than Yu Zhu.

She didn't dress according to the organization's requirements, wearing a champagne-colored satin dress that beautifully exposed her shoulders and neck. Upon seeing Yu Zhu, she stared at her for a while, then tilted her head and said, "Beautiful."

As soon as Cheng Fu entered, Lao Xiao immediately waved her over. The registration desk was lacking someone who could command the atmosphere, and Cheng Fu stood there, her smile, address, and the way she handed out name tags were all appropriate. When familiar parents arrived, she could accurately call out the children's nicknames; when unfamiliar guests arrived, she could accept their business cards with both hands and work well with Lao Xiao.

Looking at her from the other end of the corridor, Yu Zhu thought that she really knew how to blend in with the crowd.

Her relationship with Cheng Fu had improved a bit during this time. They weren't exactly close, but at least they could quietly wait for the same pot of water to boil in the break room. On rainy days after get off work, Cheng Fu gave her a ride twice. His car smelled strongly of perfume, and Cheng Fu drove recklessly, frequently slamming on the brakes. Yu Zhu, clutching her bag, lurched forward, her hand instinctively reaching for the handle. Cheng Fu turned his head and laughed at her, "Teacher Yu, you're such a scaredy-cat."

They never mentioned Echizen Toru to each other.

After six o'clock, people began to enter the banquet hall one after another. The overhead lights dimmed, and tall, slender glass vases were placed on the tables, filled with white roses and eucalyptus leaves, the edges of the cool white petals tinged with a warm gold. Waiters moved about with trays, and champagne glasses clinked together with a crisp sound.

At 7:00 AM sharp, Lao Xiao personally went to the lobby entrance to greet people.

Echigo arrived at the perfect time. He was wearing a black, modern Chinese-style stand-up collar Zhongshan suit, without a tie, and a silver bamboo-shaped brooch on his chest. Old Xiao smiled so broadly that the lines on his face deepened. He handed over the program booklet for tonight with both hands and winked at Cheng Fu to lead him to the head table.

Cheng Fu stood next to Lao Xiao, paused for half a second, then quickly smiled and gestured for him to enter.

"Over here."

Echizen glanced at her, showing neither surprise nor the tenderness of an old flame: "Thank you for your hard work."

Cheng Fu walked half a step ahead of him, her champagne-colored skirt brushing against the carpet. She smiled and said in a low voice, "After following you for so many years, aren't you being a little too cold-blooded towards me?"

"This has nothing to do with your job, does it?" Echizen Toru said indifferently.

Cheng Fu's smile narrowed slightly: "The performance is over, can I take ten minutes of your time?"

Koshima Toru didn't stop walking: "I'm busy."

He made it sound simple, but Cheng Fu's smile faltered. She raised her hand to block the approaching waiter, turned her head, and said in a cold voice, "Don't you want to know about Yu Zhu?"