In early August, Mu Wen received her first official paycheck. A full 13,000 yuan—to her, it was an absolute fortune.
That 13,000 yuan had been hard-earned.
She had just started her formal position, primarily serving as Lin Weisen's assistant, and in the meantime, two clients that no one else wanted had been assigned to her. She burned the midnight oil, working even harder than she had during her school days. Base salary plus bonuses came to 13,000 yuan. After deductions for housing fund and social insurance, she took home around 10,000.
One day, she overheard the finance staff chatting, saying how impressive Engineer Lin was—he'd pulled in over a hundred thousand that month. "Engineer Lin" naturally referred to Lin Weisen; he handled large-scale, high-end clients with substantial bonuses. Mu Wen thought to herself: When will I ever be as good as my mentor?
She wanted to celebrate her first paycheck with someone, but Chu Ling had been sent by the company to do pre-coverage for the US Open and wouldn't be back until the end of the month. Her classmate working at the design institute had been stationed at a construction site and couldn't accompany her either.
Wanting to mark this meaningful day, she bought small cakes and coffee for her mentor and Xiao Gu in the afternoon, and also picked up an adorable bib for Xiao Gu's baby. Xiao Gu was delighted, saying, "Engineer Mu, you really shouldn't have spent so much."
In the company, designers were addressed with the honorific "Engineer" before their surname. Though she'd just started, she was now Engineer Mu. Mu Wen said to Xiao Gu, "Next month, I'm going to give your little one a pair of baby chopsticks."
Xiao Gu was good to Mu Wen.
When Mu Wen first took on her responsibilities, she often found herself overwhelmed. Twice, when she couldn't get away for re-measurements, Xiao Gu went during her lunch break to handle them for her. Mu Wen was very grateful.
Late one night after work, she passed by the famous KTV near Baishi Bridge. A few tipsy people lingered in small groups at the entrance. During her school years, she rarely participated in such entertainment—it wasn't cheap by her standards, and she could never bear to spend the money.
Little "Pixiu" Mu Wen decided to splurge for once and go sing karaoke! Carrying her bulky backpack, she pushed open the door. The lighting inside was dazzling, with pretty dresses and flashy shoes passing before her eyes. She felt like she'd stumbled into a grand garden by mistake. The few times she'd gone with classmates before, they'd huddled together for courage and felt safe. Now she was alone, feeling somewhat outnumbered and exposed.
She stuck out like a sore thumb.
She booked the smallest private room and, once inside, had no idea what to sing. Xie Chong called to say the round knob on the custom furniture had fallen off, and asked her to arrange for someone to fix it.
They'd spoken twice on the phone since that rainy night encounter, both times about furniture issues.
Because Mu Wen had officially joined the company and Lin Weisen was too busy, he'd assigned some after-sales service for existing clients to her. Xie Chong was quite pleased when he learned of this, and now felt entitled to ask her about every little matter concerning that house.
Mu Wen thought Xie Chong was practically an idiot when it came to daily life.
Every time she sent a repair technician over, the technician would report back to her: "Rich people, huh—won't even turn a screw themselves."
Now he was saying the door handle had fallen off. Mu Wen brushed him off casually: "Sure, sure—it's too late now. I'll put in a work order for you tomorrow."
"Where are you? Why not do it now?" Xie Chong said. "Put it in right now."
"I'm at karaoke, and my laptop has no internet. Can't do it."
"Singing alone? Then I'll come too." He pressed Mu Wen for her address, and half an hour later, he pushed open the door to her room.
The room was so small that when he plopped down on the sofa at the other end, the space felt cramped. Mu Wen stopped her off-key warbling and said to him, "Hurry and pick a song—I booked the room for an hour, and there are only five minutes left!"
Xie Chong had never in his life seen anyone book a KTV room for just one hour. This "Scrooge" really was something. He went out and added two more hours, and when he came back, Mu Wen was sitting there obediently.
He told her to keep singing, but she waved her hand and said, "I'm done—my room time is up. Now it's your turn to sing."
Mu Wen was deliberately teasing Xie Chong.
Xie Chong was a fun person, and she quite enjoyed ribbing him. When she joked with her colleagues, she kept it to a line or two, afraid they'd get upset. But with Xie Chong, she could speak freely without worrying he'd take offense—because his own mouth wasn't exactly gentle either.
Xie Chong picked up the microphone and made as if to throw it at her, putting on a fierce face, and Mu Wen giggled: "Go on, sing! I've never heard you sing."
"Dream on." Xie Chong looked at a thermos on the table and asked Mu Wen, "You came to sing karaoke and brought your own thermos?"
"Water's expensive," Mu Wen replied seriously.
"And you didn't order any food?"
"I just bought a jianbing downstairs from the office—added two eggs to it. I'm full."
"So you're just singing dry, is that it?"
"Is dry singing not allowed at a KTV?" Mu Wen said with complete confidence. "Isn't a KTV for singing?"
"You're not wrong." Xie Chong laughed in exasperation at Mu Wen. He got up and went out again, and when he returned, three people followed behind him carrying trays laden with beer, snacks, cold dishes, noodles, and fruit.
He vaguely guessed that today might be a special day for Mu Wen—otherwise, she wouldn't have "splurged" on karaoke. For her, this expense would fall into the category of "useless" money, and Mu Wen never spent money on useless things.
Since it was a special day, Xie Chong wasn't about to let it pass by without a trace.
"What's wrong?" Mu Wen asked. "You haven't eaten?"
"No, I haven't," Xie Chong said.
"Then what are you going to do with all this food if you can't finish it?"
"If I can't finish it, I'll just throw it away." Xie Chong tossed a pair of chopsticks in front of her as he spoke, then sat down in the middle of the sofa, opened a bottle of beer, and took a sip.
"Is it good?" Mu Wen asked him.
"You're from Inner Mongolia and you're asking me if the beer is good?"
"Heh heh, I don't drink often. My dad used to drive big trucks, so he couldn't drink…"
"What about now?"
"Now he delivers goods in the banners, sums, and gachas of Yakeshi. He still can't drink."
"What do all those words mean?" Xie Chong asked Mu Wen, since she kept saying things he couldn't understand.
Seeing that she wasn't picking up her chopsticks, he added, "Keep me company and eat a bit. Let's chat." He opened another bottle of beer and placed it in front of Mu Wen, then clinked his own bottle against hers, producing a crisp sound. "Cheers."
He tilted his head back and took a drink.
Foam swelled up inside the glass bottle and spilled slightly from the corner of his mouth. He grabbed a tissue and casually wiped it away.
"Why are we toasting?" Mu Wen asked.
"For whatever reason—let's just say today's a good day," Xie Chong said.
Mu Wen was delighted. Today really was a good day! She sat down next to Xie Chong and clinked her bottle against his. "Cheers."
The door was pushed open, and a server came in carrying two hot dishes. Mu Wen was surprised. "There's more?"
"No more," Xie Chong said. "That's really it now."
Only then did Mu Wen nod in relief.
She was glad Xie Chong had come uninvited—it made her feel less alone. They didn't sing at the KTV; instead, they ate.
Mu Wen took a sip of beer, then another. When she went for a third, Xie Chong snatched the bottle away from her.
"Just this one bottle—take it easy." He could tell Mu Wen wasn't much of a drinker and worried that if she got too drunk, she might use her brute strength to trash the place.
Mu Wen obediently picked up her chopsticks and started treating herself to a proper meal. On weekends, she and Chu Ling would cook nice food at home, but on workdays they ate fast food: noodles, rice bowls, that sort of thing. Xie Chong had ordered so much food that it had actually whetted her appetite. She ate with her head down while chatting with him.
She asked about his business. "Honestly, I've known you this long, and I still don't know what you actually do. Does your family's money just fall from the sky?"
"Why do you want to know about me? Are you planning to settle down with me?" Xie Chong shot her a sideways glance and laughed. "My work—how should I put it? It's not that hard. On one hand, I do art collection work—finding artworks and reselling them to people who appreciate them. You could call it a branch of the art economy."
"I also do import-export business with a good friend of mine—selling everyday goods overseas in bulk trade."
"My parents run a bearing business, and in the past couple of years I've occasionally helped them out."
Mu Wen tried to digest Xie Chong's work. "So the people you deal with are all rich too! Now I finally understand why you always go to that restaurant with the eunuchs and palace maids…"
"That restaurant… my business partner got talked into buying a membership card…"
Mu Wen thought of Xie Chong standing among the eunuchs and palace maids and couldn't help but laugh. She hadn't expected his work to be so complicated. She could barely keep up with a single job, yet Xie Chong juggled several and still looked so relaxed—so relaxed that he seemed like he didn't need to work at all.
It was only then that Mu Wen realized: working diligently at a job wasn't the only path in life. There were countless paths, and what mattered was the choice. And the starting point mattered too.
She knew Xie Chong had been born standing at a height.
Even though he always said he was nothing special in Beijing—that the city was full of entrepreneurs, artists, and rich people everywhere—Mu Wen knew that was just his modesty. He had always stood high. That was why he had so many more choices when it came to work.
She was a little envious of Xie Chong.
But then she thought again: there may be many people standing high, but there are also plenty of people climbing fast!
When she thought that way, her mind opened up again.
The day Mu Wen received her first paycheck, she realized she couldn't keep working like this forever—she needed to find other paths.
Seeing that she had been silent for a long time, her eyes gleaming with some strange light as her mind wandered, Xie Chong nudged her arm with his elbow. "Why are you suddenly so interested in my work?"
Mu Wen pulled her thoughts back and said to him, "I want to get to know you better."
"Why?"
Because I can't help wanting to know you. That's what Mu Wen said in her heart.
She maintained strict boundaries in her behavior around Xie Chong, but in her heart, she always thought of him. She couldn't treat him as an ordinary client, yet she feared that her feelings might disrupt the balance between them, so she forced herself to appear open and unburdened.
Still, every time she answered his call, she hoped they could talk a little longer.
Like on this day—in a place meant for singing, they hadn't sung a single song, just idly chatted away.
Mu Wen told Xie Chong about her hometown, about her parents, and somehow, she brought up her father's car accident. As she spoke, tears came, and she reached for a tissue to wipe her eyes. She had been young then, knowing only that her father was badly hurt, unaware of how long a family took to regain financial stability after such an ordeal.
She said she knew she could be stingy at times, and that it was annoying, but thankfully she had a few true friends who hadn't drifted away because of it.
Xie Chong listened quietly.
He had guessed her family circumstances might not be great, but he hadn't imagined they had once been that dire. He thought of her hair clip missing a flower and those "smiling" shoes, realizing she had already done her best.
He didn't comfort her.
He didn't know how to. He had never experienced her pain. But he felt a pang of sadness.
The ever-optimistic Mu Wen, after a few sips of beer, was wiping tears in front of him. Fortunately, she quickly cheered herself up, waving a hand at Xie Chong and saying, "My dad's getting a new car this New Year!"
"Congratulations," Xie Chong said.
"Thanks." Mu Wen slipped back into her cheerful, mischievous self. Xie Chong deliberately leaned in to look at her—she had just cried, her eyes and the tip of her nose still red.
"Done crying?" he asked.
"Done."
"So when are you going to fix my door handle?" Xie Chong said. "Honestly, that handle is so ugly, I don't even want to go home."
He had already moved to Wanliu.
After unexpectedly discovering he could sleep well there, he had decisively relocated.
"If I place the order tomorrow, the earliest they'd come is the day after," Mu Wen said. "Unless I fix it for you."
"You know how?" Xie Chong was a bit surprised; he had always assumed Mu Wen only knew how to draw, not handle hands-on work.
"I'll come take a look tomorrow," Mu Wen promised. Before they parted, she said to Xie Chong, "Thanks for coming today. You were right—today is a good day, because I got my first paycheck from my official job!"
"Then how about you cover the room fee and the meal bill from earlier?" Xie Chong held out his hand toward her.
Mu Wen slapped his palm with a "smack," left him with a "I'm broke," snatched the packed food from his hand, and ran off.
The next day, Mu Wen arrived at Xie Chong's home carrying a toolbox.
It was her first time visiting since the place had been furnished. The feeling was subtle, something she couldn't put into precise words. She stood at the door, took a few deep breaths, and only then rang the bell.
When Xie Chong opened the door and saw her toolbox, he asked, "You really know how?"
"Of course. Nothing can stump me!" She spoke while pulling out shoe covers, just as she did at every client's home. But Xie Chong stopped her, producing a pair of brand-new women's slippers and saying, "Put these on."
"Is that okay? Will you file a complaint tomorrow about my unprofessional service?"
Xie Chong couldn't be bothered to respond, taking her toolbox and heading toward the living room. Mu Wen thought for a moment, then left the front door wide open as she walked in. Xie Chong glanced at the open door, then at Mu Wen, and let out a cold laugh. "You're wary of me?"
"Service protocol, service protocol."
"Protocol my ass!" He grabbed a bottle of water for her and twisted off the cap. As he lowered his head, he caught sight of the cute patterned socks with little animals on Mu Wen's feet.
Who would wear socks like that? he thought. A bit too adorable, isn't it?
Mu Wen took in the decor of his living room at a glance—he hadn't been bragging: he did know how to style a space. His styling meant an eclectic arrangement of exquisite paintings scattered around the living room, and shelves lined with various crafts. His aesthetic was diverse, blending pieces of different styles into a cohesive design.
Sophisticated. Beautiful.
"These are artworks I've collected," Xie Chong introduced.
"They must be expensive?"
"Not too bad. If you bet early on an artist before they're famous, it's like buying futures—your odds of winning are higher."
"You're really impressive." Mu Wen stood before those works, marveling that someone in this world could possess such talent.
"So do you really enjoy going to exhibitions?" she asked.
"Exhibitions?" Xie Chong nearly rolled his eyes. "Ninety percent of exhibitions on the market these days are just gimmicks. Garbage. I don't like them."
He was arrogant.
It was the first time Mu Wen saw this truly arrogant side of him. She realized that beneath his politeness toward others, there was likely judgment. He wasn't the completely courteous person she had thought.
Mu Wen felt he was no longer so out of reach—he was becoming real and tangible.
"Should I go fix the handle?"
"Come on, it's in the bedroom."
"Oh."
Mu Wen hesitated at the doorway of his bedroom for a moment.
Xie Chong gave her a gentle push on the back. "What are you doing? Casting a spell?"
Carried forward by his force, she stepped into the room. Xie Chong's bedroom was almost entirely devoid of unnecessary items—the dark bedding was clean and tidy, and the overall color scheme was cold. The small potted flower on the wide windowsill was the only splash of color in the room.
Xie Chong sat on the windowsill, his long legs propped against the floor. He was blocking out the sunlight.
He noticed Mu Wen's unease, something that rarely appeared in her. She didn't speak to him, nor did she look around; she walked straight to the cabinet door to inspect the handle. The repairman who had come earlier wasn't wrong—he really wouldn't even bother to tighten a single screw himself.
She crouched down to take a tool from the toolbox, and when she stood up, she found Xie Chong suddenly standing right behind her. Startled, she let out a yelp and stumbled back a step, falling onto the bed. "What are you doing!"
Xie Chong's hand was behind his back, tightly clutching the underwear he had forgotten to put away, feeling awkward.