Mud beads

The doorbell rang, and Yu Zhu instinctively stood up and quickly walked to the door.

Liang Xia's face was reflected in the video screen in the entryway.

Yu Zhu immediately opened the door.

The curtains haven't been drawn since last night, and the room is dark, making it hard to tell whether it's morning or night.

Liang Xia stood at the door, the bright, warm light of the hallway behind her. She was still wearing the same black short down jacket she wore when she caught her flight, holding her suitcase, her eyelids were swollen, and her hair was sticking out messily from under her woolen hat.

Upon seeing Yu Zhu, she looked up, her eyes quickly welling up with tears.

Yu Zhu bent down and hugged her.

Liang Xia's clothes still carried the chill of the outside air. After burying her face in Yu Zhu's shoulder, she finally sobbed. At first, she gritted her teeth, but then her breath completely dissipated. She bent over, her fingers tightly gripping the fabric of Yu Zhu's back, and her sobs gradually grew louder from under her shoulder.

Yu Zhu raised her hand, wiped away the tears on her chin, and patted her back.

Over the past four years, Yu Zhu had seen her squatting in front of the freezer at two in the morning to inventory the stock, seen her riding her old electric bike through torrential rain across half the city, and seen her carrying boxes of fruit weighing over twenty kilograms to the warehouse. Liang Xia's bitterness always took a detour in her mouth, eventually turning into a light and meaningless remark.

But this time, Yu Zhu knew that this bend would be difficult to navigate.

After Liang Xia calmed down, Yu Zhu led her to sit on the carpet in the living room.

The coffee table Liang Dong bought was still in the center, with a small piece of protective film still stuck to the glass tabletop. Two picture frames stood on the TV cabinet, with auspicious red words printed on a white background, but no photos had been inserted yet.

Liang Xia glanced at it and quickly looked away.

On the island counter, the kettle was empty. Yu Zhu filled a glass with filtered water from the kitchen water purifier and placed it on the coffee table in front of Liang Xia.

"Go ahead and speak." She sat down next to Liang Xia.

Liang Xia compressed the company meeting into just a few minutes. The company was willing to continue providing legal counsel to minimize criminal liability, but would not invest any more business expenses in Liang Dong, while reserving the right to seek compensation from him for breach of contract.

"The Yu family demands five million before they'll issue a letter of understanding." Liang Xia raised her head, then lowered it again, the tissue in her hand torn into tiny white strips. "We can't afford that—"

Yu Zhu loosened her arms from her knees, smoothed the stray hairs from her forehead, and said calmly, "I'm going to find Yuejian Che."

Liang Xia's hand stopped.

Yu Zhu turned her face, moved the corners of her mouth, and reached out to hold her hand: "You don't need to say anything."

Liang Xia lowered her head; her tears had dried, leaving only a red mark from staying up all night.

"I know you don't want to have anything to do with him anymore." She thought for a moment and insisted on finishing her sentence, "But he might have some influence at the company."

"I see."

"Zhuzhu." Liang Xia shook her head, interrupting her, "I came to find you because I really can't think of any other way. I can't just watch him..."

She choked back a sob, gritted her teeth, and forced back the tears in her eyes: "He's my brother, I can't watch him go to jail."

"They were coming for me anyway." Yu Zhu pulled a tissue from the sofa behind her and gently pressed it against Liang Xia's face. "Liang Dong took this for me, I won't let him take the blame alone."

"I know this has little to do with you—"

"Alright." Yu Zhu reached out and pulled her close. "You said it yourself, 'A living person can't be killed by holding their pee,' right?"

Moth

The address sent by Echizen Toru was located on an old street behind the CBD.

The tall buildings on both sides cut the sky narrow, but a detached gray brick building remains on the street corner. The black iron gate is ajar, and the company name is engraved on a brass plaque, not very conspicuous.

There was no guard at the entrance. Yu Zhu pushed open the door and was immediately enveloped in warmth. The brass coat racks in the lobby were full of coats and scarves. The receptionist was wearing a dark green velvet suit and a pair of Doc Martens. A young man carrying documents passed by with dyed silver hair, his hooded sweatshirt peeking out from under his vest, and the silver studs on his earlobes gleaming under the wall lamp.

The hallway was filled with young people; no one was wearing a name tag, and no one stopped to look at Yu Zhu. The receptionist confirmed her name, then got up and led her up to the second floor.

Toru Koshima's office was at the end of the corridor.

The room wasn't large; one wall was lined with dark-colored bookshelves, while the other side featured a walnut desk and a set of royal blue suede sofas. The desk wasn't piled with documents, only two computers, an ashtray, and a vintage speaker. The window retained the original stained-glass windows of the old building; winter light filtered through the varying shades of glass, casting dappled shadows on the carpet.

Toru Echizen sat behind the computer.

He was wearing a simple light gray T-shirt, his hands resting on the keyboard. When Yu Zhu entered, his gaze remained fixed on the screen, seemingly engrossed in some work.

"sit."

Yu Zhu stood at the door for two seconds, then slowly walked into the office and sat down on the sofa.

Echizen didn't deliberately ignore her. He typed the last line, sent the file with his right hand on the mouse, and then leaned back in his chair.

"For Liang Dong?"

Yu Zhu nodded: "Mm."

Echizen Toru sneered and slid two steps back in his office chair.

Yu Zhu sat on the royal blue sofa, her beige coat buttoned tightly to the collar, which inexplicably reminded him of Ingres's "The Grand Odalisque". She looked like she hadn't rested properly for several days; her face was pale and somewhat ashen, and her delicate eyelashes drooped, making the dark circles under her eyes appear even more pronounced.

"Let me bail him out?" he asked bluntly.

Yu Zhu placed her hand on her knee, her fingertips slowly tightening, creating a crease in the hem of her skirt.

She had prepared herself mentally, but bowing her head in front of him still felt difficult: "I know you have this kind of relationship—"

"I do have some connections, but that doesn't mean I can do whatever I want." Echizen Tetsu stood up, leaning on the edge of the table. His tall, broad back blocked the warm light from the stained-glass window, and the room instantly darkened.

He walked around the desk to the stained-glass window, his gaze fixed on the view outside: "This is a criminal case. Forgiveness can only affect sentencing, it doesn't mean the case can be dropped."

Outside the window, the treetops of the old street are bare and withered. Further away, the glass curtain walls of the CBD gleam coldly in the thin winter haze. There are few people on the street; occasionally, a white-collar worker in a coat passes by, hurrying along, carrying a laptop or a coffee.

"As for the company, whether they are willing to advance the mediation fee depends on whether Liang Dong still has any value to them." Yuejian Tetsu's voice was devoid of emotion. "You should be well aware of this as well."

Yu Zhu stared at his retreating figure, remained silent for a moment, and then shook her head slightly with a self-deprecating smile.

"Alright," she said calmly, "state your conditions."

Koshima Toru turned around.

The subtle patterns on the lattice window fell across half of his face, making his long, narrow eyes appear even more profound. He gazed at her quietly for a moment, then a silent smile curved his lips.

Yu Zhu remained seated, saying, "I know you can do it."

Echigo left the window.

He slowly walked along the floral shadows on the carpet to her side, his slender fingers pressing on the sofa armrest, and he slowly bent down, placing one knee on the carpet beside her.

"Marry me."

Echizen spoke casually, his eyes still holding his usual smile. Yu Zhu suddenly looked up, momentarily unable to tell whether he was being sincere or mocking.

Her lips, dry from anxiety, moved in and out, but no sound came out.

She thought he would say something even more unspeakable.

Echizen looked up at her.

"Marry me, and all the money, power, and relationships you want—" He paused, a deep, dark tenderness welling up in his eyes, "everything I have will be yours."

Yu Zhu's fingers, which were resting on her knees, trembled slightly, and she quickly lowered her head.

Seven years ago, he used 100,000 yuan to give her a way to leave the mountains. Now, he kneels before her on one knee, putting himself in the price tag as well.

Good luck tricks people.

She took a deep breath, lowered her eyes, and smiled: "That sounds tempting."

Echizen Toru raised an eyebrow slightly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

The light streaming through the stained-glass window fell on her face, adding a touch of color to her pale complexion. But her eyelashes trembled, and her dark eyes remained lifeless, devoid of their usual sparkle.

"Could you... give me a month?" Yu Zhu asked hesitantly.

The smile on Echizen Toru's lips faded slightly.

Yu Zhu looked away: "Let me... handle it."

He knew perfectly well what she needed to handle, and who she intended to leave this month to. This fairy tale was drawing to a close; Cinderella was destined to wear a beautiful white dress and marry the prince—he deserved the magnanimity to allow the story to remain intact.

Although I wasn't so happy about it.

After a long few seconds, the corners of Echizen's lips once again curved into a humble smile.

He took her hand from her knee: "Of course."