Mianmian went to work the next day, her mind elsewhere. Yingying’s heavily swollen belly kept flashing before her eyes.
As usual, she changed into her work uniform—a white blouse and pleated skirt—and awkwardly tugged at the hem, trying to cover more of her thighs.
Walking through the dimly lit, deafeningly loud corridor, Yingying wasn’t waiting by the door of her usual private room.
Mianmian glanced toward the back dormitory area when she heard the sharp voice of the head madam, Sister Li, coming from the crack of the nearby break room door, accompanied by the loud sound of a hand slamming the table.
“…That little bitch has really screwed me over! Carrying a big belly and still daring to sneak out to entertain clients behind my back! This afternoon, when Manager Wang reached out to touch her—good grief—it was as hard as a big watermelon! His face turned green on the spot, said it was bad luck, and stormed off!”
Sister Li was clearly on the phone with someone, her voice trembling with anger.
“Boss Liu? Boss Liu didn’t mind. Said he’s into this sort of thing, and it’s rare to come across a full-term ‘pregnancy pearl.’ Offered triple the price to take her out! But that damn girl didn’t know what was good for her—she flat-out refused!”
“…Didn’t I try? I practically begged her, almost got down on my knees! Now look what’s happened—I’ve offended both clients! This month’s performance bonus is completely ruined! Just wait till I skin her alive!”
Mianmian’s heart tightened, and she quietly retreated into the shadows.
It was the first time she’d heard the term “pregnancy pearl,” and her gut told her it wasn’t a good thing.
Only after Sister Li finished cursing, kicked the door open, and stomped away in her high heels toward another direction did Mianmian dare to slip out and head straight for the back area.
The kitchen was hot and greasy, the roar of the massive exhaust fan drowning out most sounds. A few helpers were busy working, and no one paid her any attention.
Mianmian spotted Yingying right away by the corner sink.
She wasn’t wearing her fitted pleated skirt uniform but had changed into a loose, old T-shirt that barely covered her bottom, with nothing on her legs.
Her belly was no longer wrapped in white cloth, left completely exposed and hanging heavily in front of her as if it might drop at any moment.
The fetal movements were frequent and intense, visible bulges shifting beneath the thin fabric of her T-shirt.
Yingying was bent over, her enormous belly almost pressed entirely against the edge of the stainless steel sink.
She moved sluggishly as she washed the mountain of dishes piled before her. After every few plates, she had to struggle to straighten her back, wiping the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand, panting heavily, her brows tightly furrowed from the pain in her waist and back.
“Yingying!” Mianmian hurried over, lowering her voice. “Why are you washing dishes here? If your belly’s bothering you, why don’t you go back and rest?”
Seeing her, Yingying forced a bitter smile onto her pale face and whispered back:
“Go back? Go back and starve? I refused to go out with that pervert, so the old madam sent me here to wash dishes. She’s really inhuman!”
As she spoke, she couldn’t help but clench her fist and pound it hard against her lower back twice, her expression pained.
“That damn boss, may he die a horrible death… Just wait till my man comes back. We’ll see how he deals with them.”
“Shouldn’t you go to the hospital? Your belly…” Mianmian couldn’t tear her eyes away from the violently shifting abdomen.
“What’s the point? Going would just waste money. They’d just tell me to lie down and wait. And who’s going to pay me if I’m lying down?”
Yingying took a shaky breath, her gaze somewhat unfocused yet tinged with stubborn hope.
“Just a few more days, every bit of extra money helps. After giving birth, the postpartum recovery period will cost money too… Mianmian, I got in touch with him. He said on the phone that he’ll definitely come pick me up in the next few days.”
Mianmian looked at her sweat-drenched hair plastered against her bloodless cheeks, at the enormous belly that seemed completely disproportionate to her slender limbs, at the way she gritted her teeth and endured in the stuffy, greasy kitchen. Her heart felt clogged with something, sour and bitter.
She silently rolled up her sleeves. “I’ll help you wash.”
“No!” Yingying quickly stopped her, her eyes filled with gratitude but also wariness. “You should go back to the front. If Manager Li sees you here, she’ll scold you too. I’m fine, I can handle it.”
Mianmian left the kitchen.
All night, she was distracted in the private room. The customers’ noise, the pungent smell of smoke, the glaring lights—everything felt especially unbearable. The image of Yingying’s heavy, sagging belly pressed against the dishwashing station kept flashing before her eyes.
A little past two in the morning, they finally made it through the last wave of customers.
After quickly cleaning up the private room, Mianmian didn’t even bother counting her tips and rushed straight to the kitchen.
The kitchen lights were still on, the sound of running water loud and clear.
As she got closer, Mianmian’s heart sank.
Yingying was kneeling on the floor.
In front of her was a large basin full of greasy dishes and utensils, piled high with soap suds.
She knelt there with her legs spread wide apart. Because her belly was so large, she had to lean back to keep it from pressing directly against the cold, damp floor.
Even so, that enormous sphere almost touched the ground.
One hand braced against the floor, the other mechanically swishing around in the basin. Her movements were so slow it was like a movie in slow motion. With every motion, large beads of sweat rolled from her forehead and splashed into the suds.
Her face was an unnatural grayish-white, her lips bitten until they lost all color. She looked as if she’d been pulled from the water, or as if she might shatter at any moment.
“Yingying!” Mianmian rushed over, trying to help her up.
Yingying lifted her head, her gaze somewhat unfocused. Seeing Mianmian, she forced a weak smile, her voice so faint it was almost inaudible. “…Too many… can’t finish washing…”
“Stop washing! I’ll help you back to rest!” Mianmian struggled to lift her by the arm.
Yingying’s whole body was limp as noodles, most of her weight leaning on Mianmian.
It took all of Mianmian’s strength to half-drag, half-carry her back to that tiny dormitory room.
When she laid Yingying on the bed, Mianmian’s hand accidentally brushed against her belly. It was hard as a rock.
Yingying immediately curled onto her side on the narrow single bed, letting out a stifled moan.
“Are you going into labor? Let’s go to the hospital!” Mianmian’s voice rose with urgency.
Yingying weakly shook her head, her hand pressing hard against her swollen lower abdomen. Gasping for breath, she spoke in broken fragments:
“The water hasn’t broken yet… still early… wait until the pain gets worse later tonight… then go…”
Mianmian watched her trembling in pain, drenched in sweat, and felt like crying from anxiety, but she couldn’t persuade her otherwise.
She stood by the bed for a long time, until Yingying’s moans subsided a little, seeming to drift into a dazed sleep. Only then did she leave, glancing back repeatedly.
Stepping out of the building that reeked of stale air, the cool summer night breeze hit her. Only then did she realize her own back was soaked through, the damp chill clinging to her skin.
The next day, Mianmian was restless and distracted.
Distracted during the meal, Mianmian only snapped back to attention after Teacher Zhao called her several times. Yet her mind kept drifting back to the image of Yingying kneeling on the floor, struggling to wash dishes with her swollen belly.
Judging by the intensity of her pain, it seemed similar to how Teacher Hu had looked on the afternoon she gave birth. And the interval between the two episodes was quite short…
She must have been admitted to the hospital by now.
Had she given birth yet? Was it the son she had been longing for?
And what about the man who promised to take her away—did he show up in the end?
Her thoughts were a tangled mess—worry, a simmering anger toward that unknown man, and a complex mix of awe and fear toward the immense power of new life, a feeling she couldn’t quite put into words.
In the evening, she gathered her things to head out again.
Jiang Yu’an, lounging on the sofa playing video games, didn’t look up as he asked lazily, “Off to tutoring again?”
“Mm,” Mianmian mumbled vaguely, hurriedly changing her shoes.
“What student is so eager to learn, studying until the dead of night every day?” Jiang Yu’an’s voice drifted out from the game’s sound effects, his tone unreadable.
Mianmian’s heart tightened. She didn’t dare look back. “The student’s foundation is weak, and time is tight. We’re doing an intensive crash course lately.”
With that, she practically fled, pulling the door open and leaving.
She didn’t notice that behind her, Jiang Yu’an paused the game, his brow deeply furrowed as he stared at the closed door. Then he grabbed his jacket from the back of the sofa and followed her out.