Mud beads

A strange auntie opened the door to Yueyuan. Yu Zhu paused for a moment, then looked past her and saw the silver-gray suitcase in the entryway first.

The suitcase wasn't large; a printed silk scarf was tied to the handle, and the wheels were dusty. Next to it sat a pair of pointed high heels with thin heels and two sparkling rhinestones embedded in the upper.

The woman on the sofa heard the noise and immediately stood up.

"Pandi?"

The moment the name came out of her mouth, Yu Zhu's hand, which was resting on the doorknob, stopped.

Yu Laidi is prettier than I remember.

She resembled Yu Zhu, with large eyes, a high nose bridge, and a pointed chin. Her eyebrows were thin and arched, and her eyeliner was more pronounced. Her hair was permed into large curls, with high volume at the roots. She wore a milk tea-colored short jacket and a pencil skirt, with rows of gleaming gold buttons. She hadn't removed the metal chain handbag from her shoulder, and her nails were long and sharp, each one adorned with tiny rhinestones.

Yu Zhu stared at her for a few seconds, then hesitated before calling out, "Sister."

Yu Laidi, without any hesitation, quickly walked over and hugged Yu Zhu, saying, "It really is you! I almost didn't recognize you."

The handbag slung over her shoulder was caught between the two of them, its metal chain digging into Yu Zhu's ribs. Yu Zhu's hands hung limply at her sides for a moment before she raised them and gently touched her back.

"haven't seen you for a long time……"

Yu Laidi let go of her, then grabbed her hand and looked her up and down: "You've grown so tall and fair-skinned. You were very dark-skinned when you were little, and Mom even said you couldn't get fairer from the sun. I never imagined that girls could change so much as they grow up."

Yu Zhu glanced into the living room.

Echigo sat on a single sofa by the floor-to-ceiling window, wearing a loose-fitting light gray loungewear set with the cuffs rolled up to his wrists. A pair of exquisitely crafted crutches rested beside the sofa, and an electric wheelchair sat in the foyer not far away, indicating that his leg was still not fully healed. When he saw Yu Zhu enter, he didn't speak, but only raised his eyebrows from afar, with a half-smile on his face.

Half an hour earlier, Yu Zhu saw that WeChat message and absentmindedly finished teaching the next class. Only after the last child was picked up by their parent did she stand in the empty classroom and call Yuejian Tetsu.

She asked, "What do you mean my sister is in the Moon Garden?"

"Shall we have Yu Laidi talk to you?" Yuejian Tetsu said on the other end of the phone.

Yu Zhu gripped her phone tightly: "No need, I'll come now."

The phone hangs up.

Standing in the living room of Yueyuan, Yu Zhu still felt somewhat dazed. She had thought that she would see Yu Laidi again one day, but she never expected that Yu Laidi would sit down in front of Yuejian Che first.

"Sit down." Yu Laidi pulled her towards the sofa, her hand resting naturally on her wrist. "Why are you still acting so silly?"

Yu Zhu pulled her hand away, not sitting down: "Why are you here?"

"Business trip." Yu Laidi straightened her skirt and sat down, her knees pressed tightly together. "The company has a client here, and they asked me to come over at the last minute. I'm already in Chang'an, how could I not come to see you?"

She placed her handbag beside her lap and smiled at Yuejian Tetsu again. When she was talking to Yu Zhu earlier, her voice was loud, but when she turned to him, it softened.

"These past few years have really been a hassle for Mr. Yue."

Echizen Toru picked up the teacup on the low table, blew on the tea foam, and said lightly, "You're too kind."

As Yu Zhu watched them exchange pleasantries, a strange, inexplicable feeling welled up inside her. She reached out and tugged at Yu Laidi's sleeve, her tone slightly firm: "Let's talk outside."

Yu Laidi looked up, startled, and asked, "Where are we going?"

"Anywhere is fine."

Yu Laidi glanced at Yue Jianche, smiling somewhat embarrassedly: "You silly girl, Mr. Yue isn't an outsider. Besides, you've been together for so many years—"

"I haven't lived here for a long time," Yu Zhu interrupted her, her face turning cold.

Yu Laidi glanced at her, then looked at Yue Jianche again.

"Now that we're here," Echizen Toru placed his teacup back on the low table, smiling politely. "Sit down and let's talk."

The porcelain cup fell, making a soft clinking sound.

Yu Zhu took a deep breath.

Yu Laidi pulled her down to sit and patted Yu Zhu's hand: "You've never been close to anyone since you were little."

Before Yu Zhu could withdraw her hand, Yu Laidi patted her hand again and said, "If it weren't for Mr. Yue when you were little, how could you have gotten into such a good university? Everyone in the village says you met a benefactor."

Yu Zhu was annoyed by what she heard, but she couldn't bring herself to argue, so she just hugged the backpack in front of her chest even tighter.

Yu Laidi has always been very good at speaking.

When guests came to their house when they were little, Liu Guizhen only needed to call out, and Yu Laidi would know to first move a stool, then pour water, and sweetly call him "Uncle" and "Aunt." By the time the guests praised her for being sensible, she would already be sitting next to the adults, and would most likely receive a handful of melon seeds or a piece of candy. Yu Zhu was slow to react; by the time she understood, all she could do was wash cups and sweep the floor.

Yu Laidi had also done chores and been scolded. She just understood earlier than Yu Zhu which kind of work would be noticed and which mistakes her younger sister could take the blame for first. When Liu Guizhen was angry, she would run out quickly. When Liu Guizhen was in a good mood, she would always be the first to return.

That wasn't a great evil. The children in the mountains were scrambling for space in the narrow gaps, and when she was in a good mood, she would sometimes spare a little for Yu Zhu.

"Mr. Yue, you don't know, my parents still talk about Pandi all the time." Yu Laidi never lets the atmosphere get awkward for long. "They say they don't know if the girl has lost weight or gained weight, or if anyone is taking care of her. That's how parents are; the older they get, the more they worry about their children."

Upon hearing this, Toru Echizen raised his eyes slightly and rolled his eyes almost imperceptibly, but his face still maintained a polite smile.

He nodded: "I understand."

"I've been working out of town all these years and haven't had time to visit her." Yu Laidi couldn't see the sarcasm in Yuejian Tetsu's smile; she only found him gentle and easy to talk to, and she opened up even more. "It's tough for women to work hard outside; they have to rely on themselves for everything."

She sighed softly, her eyes sweeping around the living room as she lowered her head.

The living room in Yueyuan was spacious and airy, with a vintage chandelier hanging from the high ceiling, casting a soft, warm light on the dark wooden walls. The carpet wasn't thick, but its tightly woven pile felt smooth and supportive underfoot. An abstract art installation sat beside the sofa, and the frameless paintings on the wall seemed to command a hesitant price. Yu Laidi's gaze moved from the wall to Yue Jianche's watch, finally settling on his legs, quickly turning to concern: "Mr. Yue, your legs..."

"Sister!" Yu Zhu finally couldn't help but speak up.

Yuejian Tetsu stared at Yu Zhu's earlobes, which were slowly turning red, and his smile deepened: "It's nothing, I just accidentally fell, it'll be fine soon."

"You'll need to take good care of yourself then. They say it takes a hundred days to recover from a broken bone." Yu Laidi leaned forward slightly. "You can't be careless just because you're young. I know a friend who does orthopedic rehabilitation; he's very skilled. Would you like me to ask him for you?"

Echizen glanced at her, his tone neither cold nor warm: "You're too kind."

Yu Laidi wasn't embarrassed by the rejection. She smiled and said, "That's good then," and took a sip of the tea in front of her. Her brow twitched slightly upon tasting it, and a hint of surprise appeared on her face. She exclaimed, "This is truly excellent tea!"

Yu Zhu felt like she was sitting on pins and needles, and sweat began to break out on her back.

She disliked Yu Laidi's politeness in belittling her to praise others, disliked Yu Laidi's naturalness in still referring to her as "our family" when speaking, and disliked even more her overly bright enthusiasm when facing Yuejian Che. When Yu Laidi was a child, she would always take a step back when standing in front of others. Many years later, that half step has returned.

Yu Laidi then started asking about her school, where she lived, and whether she worked part-time. Yu Zhu answered briefly, wanting the conversation to end quickly. Upon hearing that she worked part-time at a children's organization, Yu Laidi frowned slightly, but quickly smiled and praised her for being capable.

"I knew you weren't stupid, you were just a late bloomer when you were little," she said. "You were so quiet when you were little, you wouldn't answer a single question even if someone asked you ten. I was always worried that you'd suffer later in life. But look how good things are now, you got into university and you can talk now."

Yu Zhu looked at her but did not correct her.

Back then, she didn't like to talk because she had no say in the family. Yu Laidi spoke quickly, Liu Guizhen scolded quickly, and Yu Zhaozu cried even faster. Every time she was about to open her mouth, the matter was already settled.

Yu Zhu glanced at the time on her phone and couldn't help but ask, "Have you booked a hotel?"

Yu Laidi paused on her bag for a moment: "I came in too much of a hurry and haven't had a chance to check it out yet. I'll just find one nearby later, it's no trouble."

"There are guest rooms at home," Tetsuya Echizen said slowly. "You sisters haven't seen each other for many years, you can stay and chat at your leisure."

"It's inconvenient," Yu Zhu said immediately.

Yu Laidi looked at her, her eyes filled with a hint of reproach: "Mr. Yue meant well."

Echizen leaned back on the sofa, his hair a little longer, covering his slightly raised eyebrows and making his jawline appear even cleaner and softer: "Your room is cleaned every day."

Yu Zhu's entire face burned.

These words, if they fell into Yu Laidi's ears, would certainly take on a different meaning.

Sure enough, Yu Laidi glanced at Yuejian Che, then at Yu Zhu, and quickly broke into a smile.

"Why waste money staying in a hotel?" She reached out to pull Yu Zhu. "We can sleep in the same room tonight. I have a lot to tell you."

"Then you can stay here." Yu Zhu stood up abruptly. "I'm going back."

Yu Laidi's smile froze on her face.

She realized that Yu Zhu really was going to leave, and immediately stood up as well: "You child, why are you still so stubborn? Fine, fine, I'll go with you."

As she spoke, she picked up her handbag and turned to ask where the restroom was.

Koshima Toru pointed in a direction.

The bathroom door closed, leaving only Yu Zhu and Yue Jian Che in the living room.

The space suddenly fell silent. The warm, casual conversation from before was like a lipstick stain on the rim of a teacup—conspicuous but unseemly. Yu Zhu looked up at Yue Jianche, who was leaning back comfortably on the sofa, his hand supporting his head. His gaze was fixed on her face, a slightly amused smile playing on his lips.

"Aren't you going to ask me how my recovery is going?" he suddenly asked.

Yu Zhu turned her head and straightened her bag: "Do you need someone to take care of you?"

"I don't need anything." Echizen Toru rested his hand on the sofa armrest, rubbing it briefly before gripping the crutch beside him. "What do you think your sister thinks of our relationship?"

Seeing that he was about to stand up, Yu Zhu instinctively took a step back, then stopped: "No matter what she thinks, I will explain it to her clearly."

Echizen Toru laughed.

"Explain what?" He stood up, leaning on his crutch, and slowly took two steps forward. He leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Explain that we've done everything except sleep together?"

Yu Zhu suddenly looked up.

She stood in the shadow cast by him, looking up to meet his half-smiling eyes. The cool, woody scent emanating from him had faded considerably, replaced by a faint medicinal aroma. The new caregiver seemed to be taking good care of him; his face no longer showed the ashen look of a patient, but rather a healthy, almost glossy glow.

Echizen's gaze shifted from Yu Zhu's flushed earlobes to her slightly parted lips.

The bathroom door opened.

Yu Laidi walked out carrying her bag, and when she saw Yuejian Che standing there, she paused for half a second: "This is—"

The smile on Echizen Toru's face faded, and he raised his head, his posture gentle: "It's nothing, I just got up to see you off."

Yu Zhu didn't say anything, but turned around, took Yu Laidi's arm, and walked towards the entrance.

"What's the rush, child?" Yu Laidi stumbled slightly as she was pulled, frowned, and turned to Yue Jianche with an apologetic smile.

Yu Zhu pulled the suitcase by the door and lifted it up; the wheels landed on the stone surface with a hollow sound.

Yu Laidi quickly went over to take it, saying, "I can do it myself. How can I let you carry it?"

She gripped the lever, then turned back and nodded to Yue Jianche: "Mr. Yue, I apologize for disturbing you today. I'll treat you to dinner after I'm done with my work in Chang'an."

Echizen Toru nodded slightly: "Take care."

The gate opened, and the evening breeze blew in from under the eaves, carrying the fresh, grassy scent of the lawn after it had been mowed.

The sky wasn't completely dark yet; a thin layer of orange light remained in the west, pressing down on the smooth eaves and treetops of Yueyuan.

Yu Laidi stood at the door, pulled her suitcase, and turned to ask Yu Zhu, "Where are you staying now? Is it far?"

"Not far."

"Let's go." Yu Laidi took her arm again, a friendly smile returning to her face. "Take me to see where you're staying now."