The old apartment complex was just that one area, with open-air staircases built on the outside made of thin iron, making a "thumping" sound with every step.
Xia Mian went upstairs, counting the room numbers one by one to find her own.
She had paid for a month, and the landlady gave her a discounted rate.
Aunt Pang's door was open, and the sound from the television inside drifted out. Wearing her reading glasses, she watched as Xia Mian walked past the window and waved to call her over.
"Hey, little Xia is back."
Xia Mian stopped and looked at Aunt Pang, responding first before recalling how Zhuang Zhong had described her.
Seeing Aunt Pang's little curly hairstyle, she couldn't help but want to laugh, but she held it in.
It wouldn't be polite.
"Auntie."
"Hey, little Xia, I went into your room at noon to tidy up. The bedding and pillowcase were freshly changed for you. The weather is nice today, so I took the quilt out to sun it. If you aren't in a rush to sleep, I'll bring it back for you tonight."
Aunt Pang was a displaced resident from this area who had taken over these old buildings years ago and turned them into a homestay. The location faced the sea and was right next to the Snack Street, so many young people stayed here for convenience.
Although the exterior looked a bit old, the interior was kept clean. Aunt Pang had redone the soft furnishings and even created a few rooms with cream and wood-style themes.
Whenever guests had a request, she would go in to change the bedding or clean up.
Xia Mian replied, "Oh, thank you, Auntie."
"Don't mention it. Just let me know if you need anything else."
Aunt Pang had wanted a daughter when she was younger, but she ended up with a son who was a handful. They would have small fights every three days and big ones every five. When she got angry, she would chase him all over the street with a broom, which everyone in the neighborhood knew about.
The first time she saw Xia Mian, she liked the girl. She was fair and clean, looked quiet, spoke in a gentle and polite voice, and most importantly, she was exceptionally pretty. Those big eyes were watery, as if they could speak.
She immediately picked the innermost room with the largest balcony for Xia Mian, so she could sunbathe whenever she wanted and see the sea from inside the room.
As Xia Mian entered her room and was closing the door, a sound of dragging footsteps came from the other end of the hallway.
"Mom, what are you yelling about in the middle of the day? It's so noisy."
"What time do you think it is? Still sleeping? The little girl next door has already gone out and come back. Hurry up and get ready; there's hot porridge in the pot, go eat it yourself!"
The afternoon heat had faded quite a bit, and the sea breeze rolled in through the street corner, carrying the scent unique to summer.
Xia Mian lay by the window watching the sea for a while, only pulling back her numb arm when her mobile phone rang.
Before answering the call, Xia Mian specifically pushed the window all the way open to let the noisy sounds from outside come in.
"Mom," Xia Mian answered the phone.
The woman's gentle voice came from the other end: "Mianmian, how is your trip going? Have you eaten?"
"I've eaten, Mom," Xia Mian said in a well-behaved voice.
"Did you forget to send me the address like I asked last time? Don't eat random things while you're out, and always pay attention to your safety, you hear me?"
Once Yu Weiran started, she couldn't stop. Her voice was warm, and her words flowed like a long, endless string.
Xia Mian placed her mobile phone on the corner of the table and stopped listening, just responding occasionally with "I know."
The male at the Tattoo Shop was right; she only looked well-behaved, but she was actually rebellious at heart.
She had told Yu Weiran she was going on a graduation trip to Minghai with classmates, but in reality, she had secretly run off to Xia Cheng alone. She hadn't even made a strategy guide; she just went wherever her feet took her.
She had never traveled far alone before, but she had seen a post about Xia Cheng online and just came on a whim.
Xia Mian pulled over the small notebook on the table, which listed "100 things to complete."
"Travel alone" was at the very top, with a checkmark drawn in marker next to it.
Actually, she felt that one hundred was a bit much; she was afraid she wouldn't be able to finish writing them all.
She deliberated and wrote the words "Tattoo" with her pen.
After hesitating for a long time, she still didn't draw the checkmark behind it.
For some reason, when she wrote those two words, Zhou Ran's face flashed through her mind involuntarily.
"Mianmian, are you listening?"
Yu Weiran's voice came through the receiver again, pulling Xia Mian's thoughts back.
"I'm listening."
Yu Weiran sighed: "Have you taken your medicine today?"
Xia Mian gave a vague "Mm," and said, "I took it."
"Take care of your health while you're out. I'm not by your side, so don't get sick again."
"I know."
A man's voice sounded from the other end of the phone: "Weiran, come look at this."
Yu Weiran's voice grew more distant: "Coming."
By the time her voice was clear again, Xia Mian had already picked up the phone and held it to her ear.
"Your Uncle Dong is calling me, so I'll stop talking for now. Remember to call me anytime to let me know you're safe, okay?"
Xia Mian said, "Okay."
She was like an NPC; no matter what Yu Weiran said, she would respond obediently.
After hanging up, Xia Mian saw that a message had arrived on WeChat.
She tapped on the little red dot, and the newly added friend had sent an image.
Xia Mian tapped to open it. Zhou Ran's profile picture was a sea with a silver-white moon hanging above it, and the sea surface showed the reflection of the moon.
His username was simple and clear; there was no need for a nickname, it was just "Zhou Ran."
She tapped on the image Zhou Ran sent. It was a butterfly outline drawn with a green pencil. It looked like a draft; the patterns on the wings were sketched casually, but the lines were fluid, and every stroke was drawn extremely well.
Zhou Ran: 【Like this?】
Xia Mian tapped and typed on her phone screen.
【I want some embellishments.】
Zhou Ran: 【What kind?】
Xia Mian thought for a moment: 【Like those silver-white rays of light, circling around the butterfly.】
The messages on WeChat stopped.
Xia Mian wondered if what she said was too hard to understand.
【I don't know how to describe it.】
She stared at her phone screen, watching Zhou Ran's name on the WeChat interface change to "typing..."
After waiting for a while, Zhou Ran's message finally came through.
Zhou Ran: 【Then wait until you come over tomorrow to describe it in person.】
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