The sun, slanting toward the west, streamed in through the glass curtain wall and cast a sheet of white light across the floor.
In the slightly messy living room, Chen Yu lay on the sofa with a soft blanket draped over him. Ash was scattered across the coffee table, and cigarette butts lay across the ashtray.
Not far away, a phone with a cracked corner lit up once every second.
Each time the screen lit up, it was accompanied by a buzzing vibration.
Chen Yu had barely managed to fall asleep last night, only drifting off near dawn. After smoking and drinking, he was unusually drained.
So he skipped class again today, sleeping straight through to the afternoon. When he finally opened his eyes, he saw that the sun was already leaning westward, nearly ready to sink behind the horizon.
He lifted the soft blanket and sat up from the sofa, lowering his head and pressing his fingers to the bridge of his nose for a moment of relief.
Although he had drunk quite a lot last night and had been seven or eight parts drunk, he remembered every single thing that had happened, including every sentence Cen Sui had said to him over the phone.
As soon as he could not help remembering, his mind felt as if it had been filled with lead, heavy and aching.
Forcing himself not to think about it anymore, he lowered his hand and opened his eyes, his brows faintly furrowed as he glanced around.
Seeing the phone lying on the floor not far away, vibrating without pause, he stood up and went to pick it up.
He had broken the phone when he threw it. Two cracks ran from the corner across the entire screen.
Although it looked irritating, it could still function normally.
Chen Yu opened WeChat and scrolled through it. It was all nonsense from Wang Jie and the others, occasionally tagging him.
He skimmed it briefly, felt his irritation rising, and typed in the group: 【Stop bothering me. I want to be alone for a few days.】
After sending it, he turned off the phone and tossed it aside again. Leaning back against the sofa, he raised a hand and pinched the bridge of his nose.
*
Cen Sui spent the better part of half a day following beside Rong Mo, familiarizing herself with every antique in the shop.
Each time she got to know a piece, it felt as though she had undergone another baptism through the long river of history.
Once she finished familiarizing herself with everything, she followed Rong Mo into the inner room and sat down for tea.
Rong Mo’s mouth was dry from talking. After moistening his throat, he set down his cup and said, “This is just walking through the process. No need to feel pressured. It’s not that easy to run into someone who genuinely wants to buy antiques. When I’m not here, just watch over the shop. It doesn’t matter if nothing gets sold, but don’t accept items casually.”
Cen Sui lifted her cup, brushed it lightly against her lips, then set it down again. Looking directly at Rong Mo, she said very straightforwardly, “You still look down on me. You think I won’t be able to sell anything, and you don’t really trust my eye. You’re afraid I’ll accept the wrong thing and make you take a loss, aren’t you?”
Rong Mo studied her for a moment. Seeing that she was being honest, he chose to be honest too. “I do have concerns in that regard. But accepting items can also bring other trouble. It’s better not to take things recklessly. Not everyone in the collecting circle follows the unspoken rules of the trade.”
Cen Sui lowered her gaze and pursed her lips lightly, then looked at him again. “If we’re not accepting items, then we’re not accepting items. I don’t want to make more work for myself either. As for whether I can sell anything, you’ll just have to wait and see.”
Rong Mo looked at her confident and fearless expression, as if she were determined to shut his mouth with results.
He let out a small laugh and did not dampen her spirit. He nodded and said, “Alright. I’ll wait and see.”
*
Rong Mo closed the shop at dusk, and Cen Sui headed straight home.
She had not stayed at home at all this past week, either sleeping in her dorm or staying out with her girlfriends.
When she arrived home, Father Cen and Mother Cen had not yet returned.
After working the entire afternoon, Cen Sui was feeling hungry. Once she stepped inside and set down her bag, she slipped straight into the kitchen to look for something to eat.
Aunt Tang happened to be cooking dinner in the kitchen, the range hood humming as it drew in steam and smoke.
Seeing Cen Sui walk in with a hand on her stomach, she greeted her with a smile. “Hungry, aren’t you? Eat a little something to tide you over first. Sir and Madam will be home soon.”
Cen Sui hummed and nodded, searching around the kitchen.
She found a small clay pot set at the corner of the stove. Lifting the lid, she saw that a pot of congee had been simmered inside.
A rich and savory aroma rushed up to her, and Cen Sui’s stomach growled in response.
She swallowed and turned to grab a small spoon, stirring it through the congee.
The ingredients were abundant: abalone, sea cucumber, fresh shrimp split open from the back, as well as dried scallops and shiitake mushrooms.
No wonder it smelled so rich and fragrant.
Her stomach rumbling with hunger, and since this was her own home with no need for politeness, she took a small bowl, ladled herself a serving, and began to eat.
After finishing the first bowl, her appetite had only been awakened, so she served herself another and finished it in just a few bites.
When Tong Jingjing walked into the kitchen and saw Cen Sui, the latter was in the middle of lifting a dried scallop toward her mouth.
In that instant, Tong Jingjing’s expression changed drastically. She rushed to Cen Sui and snatched the bowl and spoon from her hands.
Cen Sui froze in confusion.
Tong Jingjing lowered her head and looked at the clay pot. Half of the congee inside was already gone.
She immediately looked as though she were about to cry. She pressed her lips together, wanting to lash out at Cen Sui, yet she could not make a sound for a long while.
After all, she was living under someone else’s roof. She did not dare show emotion or throw a tantrum.
Cen Sui had no idea what was going on with her. She blinked and asked, “You cooked it? I wasn’t supposed to eat it?”
Aunt Tang turned around at that moment. “Of course you can eat it. I made quite a few dishes. There will be more than enough.”
Tong Jingjing bit her lip. She wanted to say that she had made this pot of congee especially for her uncle and aunt, and that it was never meant for Cen Sui.
But after hesitating for a moment, she still did not dare say it, afraid of offending anyone.
After all, Aunt Tang had bought all the ingredients. She had only put them in the pot to cook.
And after all, Cen Sui was the young lady of this household. Father Cen and Mother Cen spoiled her. It was only a pot of congee.
Tong Jingjing felt like crying.
She had originally wanted to show filial respect to her uncle and aunt so she could earn some goodwill, yet Cen Sui had ruined everything.
Sob sob sob, she had cooked that congee for so long.
She had not even allowed herself a single bite.
This female supporting character must be poisonous.
Cen Sui saw that she looked aggrieved yet said nothing, and she had no idea what she was upset about.
Her attention was still on the congee, and she even praised Tong Jingjing out loud. “Cousin, your cooking is pretty good. This congee tastes nice.”
After speaking, she reached out and took back the bowl and spoon from Tong Jingjing’s hands. Right in front of her, she ladled another bowl, lifted it to her mouth, and began eating again.
Tong Jingjing stared at the congee, crying wide noodle tears in her heart.
She did not dare say anything out loud, but inside she was roaring endlessly: Young lady, why can you not just stay outside eating, drinking, having fun, and spending money chasing men? Why did you have to come back? The moment you come home, you cause me trouble. What is the meaning of this???
She had planned for an entire week, intending to use a pot of seafood congee to win over Father Cen and Mother Cen’s stomachs.
She never expected that just before success, Cen Sui would eat everything into her stomach.
She was so furious she felt like banging her head against the wall.
She remained sullen the entire evening. When she went to sleep that night, she dreamed she was swimming in a pot of seafood congee.
As she swam, she suddenly noticed that oversized sea cucumbers, abalone, shrimp, and dried scallops were staring wide-eyed and chasing after her, roaring as they demanded her life.
She was terrified, so she swam desperately, but no matter how hard she swam, she could not reach the rim of the bowl.
She was so anxious that tears fell, and she kept crying for her mother.
Just as the giant shrimp was about to catch her, she suddenly rose into the air and left the surface of the congee.
She thought she was saved, but as soon as she breathed a sigh of relief, she turned her head and found herself being scooped up by a white porcelain spoon.
Looking up, she saw Cen Sui slowly opening her mouth, about to put her inside.
At the very moment she was about to fall into Cen Sui’s mouth, she let out a sharp scream.
Then she opened her eyes and woke with a start.
Tong Jingjing sat up in bed, gasping for breath, looking completely shaken.
After pulling herself out of the dream for a moment, she reached for her phone to check the time. It was only two in the morning, so she lay back down again.
After lying down, she began giving herself psychological counseling and pep talks, telling herself to stay calm and not fuss with someone whose fate was destined to end in tragedy.
In ancient times, King Goujian of Yue endured hardship by sleeping on firewood and tasting gall. Compared to that, the little grievance she suffered was nothing. Take a breath and hold steady.
*
Cen Sui did not make plans to go out over the weekend. On Saturday morning, after getting up, washing, and eating a bit of breakfast, she went to Chenggu Road.
When she arrived at Treasure Pavilion, Rong Mo had not come yet, and only a few shops on the street had opened their doors.
There was basically no business in the mornings, so no one was in a hurry to open.
Cen Sui did not ask when Rong Mo would arrive. She unlocked the door herself, entered the shop, set down her bag, and following his example, lit a stick of incense inside.
Thin blue wisps of smoke rose from the incense burner.
She then took a cloth and carefully wiped down the shelves, the counters, and every antique in the shop, big and small.
After she finished cleaning, she sat down and began reading with full concentration, looking like someone who had transcended the noise of the world.
Rong Mo arrived at the shop close to noon.
After entering, he placed a box beside Cen Sui’s hand.
She leaned forward to look and saw that he had actually brought a whole box of snacks. There were preserved fruits, dried meats, and assorted nuts.
Rong Mo said, “Watching the shop gets boring. Eating snacks can help pass the time.”
Cen Sui quite liked the feeling of being cared for. With a faint smile at the corners of her mouth, she said, “Thank you, Boss.”
Rong Mo did not say anything extra. He simply added, “Study well.”
After speaking, he turned and went into the back room of the shop to take care of his own matters.