The thick night spread over the Old Street. A few lights flickered half-dead in the darkness, and the freezing wind and low temperatures drove away the few remaining pedestrians.
“Cough, cough, cough.”
Luo Ming lowered her head and coughed twice, a soft and painful sound. A faint flush tinted her delicate cheeks.
The sound of coughing caused Gu Yu to stop his work. Looking at Luo Ming’s pale and fragile appearance, he couldn’t help but ask, “Are you okay? Do you want to go see a doctor?”
“I’m fine. My throat just feels a bit uncomfortable. I’ll be better after I take some medicine tomorrow.”
Luo Ming turned her head and smiled at him. With half her face hidden behind her mask, her large eyes were revealed, appearing as clean and beautiful as ever.
“Alright. Take care of yourself and wear more clothes so you don’t catch a cold.”
“Um… Gu Yu… you’re actually quite the caring person…”
“…Not really… Let’s finish cleaning up. It’s time to head out.”
Gu Yu continued his work, dealing with the remaining food boxes. He picked up their two backpacks and handed Luo Ming hers. After saying goodbye to the Boss, they clocked out and walked out of the fast food restaurant.
It was very cold at night. Their thin school uniforms couldn’t block the chill, and their body heat rapidly dissipated. Suddenly, a black car sped toward them and pulled over at the curb.
The window rolled down slowly. Yun Qianxin gave Gu Yu a warm smile and said apologetically, “I’m sorry, Xiao Yu. I was a bit busy on my end and arrived late.”
“It’s fine, it’s fine. I’m already grateful that you could come, Sister Qianxin.”
“Heh.” The smile in Yun Qianxin’s eyes deepened as she looked at Luo Ming, who was standing to the side. “Luo Ming, why don’t you get in too? I’ll give you a ride.”
“There’s no need. I can head back on my own.”
“It’s all right. Come on in. It’s late, and it’s not safe for a girl to be out alone.”
“She’s right. Besides, it’s so cold tonight; it would be bad if you caught a cold,” Gu Yu added. He opened the car door and beckoned for Luo Ming to sit inside.
The cold wind brushed against her face, stirring strands of her long hair. The boy’s face was reflected in Luo Ming’s eyes. She blinked and hesitated for a few seconds before finally getting into the car and sitting down next to Gu Yu.
The dim streetlights flashed by outside the window as the car sped along the concrete road. The familiar alley entrance grew closer and closer.
Yun Qianxin looked up and saw Gu Yu and Luo Ming sitting obediently in the back seat through the rearview mirror. Neither of them spoke, both staring blankly at the cold, quiet streets outside.
“I can get off here,” Luo Ming spoke up, looking at the quiet night outside. Once the car came to a steady stop, she said, “Thank you, Sister. I’ll be going now. Bye, Gu Yu.”
“Goodbye.”
“Bye-bye, Luo Ming!”
Yun Qianxin turned her head to say goodbye to Luo Ming. Hearing the thud of the car door closing, she restarted the engine. Her thick eyelashes lifted slightly as she observed Gu Yu in the rearview mirror, her tongue sweeping across her teeth.
“Is Xiao Yu feeling reluctant?” she asked in a soft voice, her gaze licking the boy’s figure in the mirror.
“Huh? Reluctant about what?”
“Luo Ming, of course. It seems like Xiao Yu is reluctant to part with his female classmate?”
“No way. Please don’t tease me, Sister Qianxin.”
“Fine, fine. I won’t say it anymore.”
The corners of Yun Qianxin’s eyes crinkled with a smile. She drove skillfully until they reached the entrance of the old residential compound. She parked the car steadily at the curb, got out with Gu Yu, closed the door, and walked to his side.
She looked at the boy’s shivering, disheveled state. Suddenly, she took off the bright red scarf around her neck and wrapped it around Gu Yu’s throat. She tidied it for him and nodded with satisfaction.
“It suits Xiao Yu quite well. I’ll give it to you from now on.”
“I’m not that cold. You should keep it for yourself, Sister Qianxin.”
“Your nose is already red from the cold, yet you still say you aren’t.” Yun Qianxin pinched Gu Yu’s nose and took his hand, pulling him toward home.
“Sis… Sister Qianxin?”
This action surprised Gu Yu. Although it was actually quite normal compared to Yun Qianxin’s other unabashed behaviors, he was still not used to it. Skin contact with girls made him sensitive.
“What’s wrong? You can hold your good classmate’s hand, but not your sister’s?”
“It’s not that… Luo Ming, she… Forget it.”
Yun Qianxin gripped Gu Yu’s hand tightly. The boy offered no resistance. His long fingers were smooth and soft. She slid hers through his, playfully moving between them.
“Let’s go. I’ll make a delicious meal to warm Xiao Yu up.”
“Um… thank you…”
She used a considerable amount of strength, her hand acting like a tyrannical shackle on Gu Yu, as if she were afraid he would escape. They had been separated for so many years; she could no longer endure a single day away from him.
Yun Qianxin loved the physical sensation between their fingers. This was her young man, and he should be held firmly in her hands. No one else was allowed to touch him.
‘If he wants to run, then…’
Her footsteps stopped in front of a black door. Yun Qianxin used her key to open it and turned to smile at Gu Yu. “Come eat at my place first. You can go back after you finish.”
“Okay.”
Gu Yu followed her into the house and put on slippers. The interior was completely different from when Yun Qianxin had first returned. Most of the items had been replaced with new ones, and it was cleaned thoroughly, making it feel more like a home than the house he had lived in for more than ten years.
“Sit down for a bit and watch some TV. I’m going to cook.”
“Sister Qianxin… have you not eaten yet either?”
“That’s right. I’ve been waiting for Xiao Yu to finish work.” Yun Qianxin tied on her apron and smiled at Gu Yu while holding a spatula. “Xiao Yu is even busier than I am, eating dinner so late.”
“I have to make money… Sister Qianxin, you don’t need to wait for me this late. We have food at the shop.”
“That fast food that’s almost cold? Xiao Yu, you really are…”
Yun Qianxin sighed and turned to prep the ingredients on the cutting board. “I’m very happy to take care of you. You don’t have to worry so much. Just like before, it’s okay for Xiao Yu to rely on me a little more. If you need anything, remember to tell me.”
“Yeah, I know.”
Gu Yu nodded. He still couldn’t understand Yun Qianxin’s clearly excessive kindness toward him. That family-like concern seemed so right and natural in her eyes, as if this was exactly how they were supposed to be.
“By the way, did Xiao Yu finish his homework?” A gentle voice came from the kitchen, striking up a casual conversation.
“Yeah. I finished it at school, otherwise I wouldn’t have much time at home.”
“I see. Xiao Yu is so diligent. You’re wonderful.”
“It’s nothing, really. I just didn’t have a choice.”
The atmosphere immediately fell into silence. Yun Qianxin washed the vegetable leaves, the cold water sliding over her fingertips as scenes from the past flickered in her eyes.
‘No choice…’ She was also once someone who had no choice — a castoff of fate, stripped of her rights by those ugly, greedy people, living in a muddy abyss.
Now that she stood at the top and held the power, she had become just as ugly as they once were, selfishly seizing a boy who had suffered so much.
The water stopped. Yun Qianxin turned off the faucet, shook the droplets from her hands, and tossed the vegetables into the pan to stir-fry.
‘What need is there for me to care so much? I have never been a good person.’ She could do everything in her power and use any means necessary to achieve her goals. Especially when it came to this treasure that she could never let go of.