In the month after moving in, Qin Shui had already familiarized herself with the surrounding facilities, supermarkets, and the like.
She ordered a Cinnamoroll insulated lunch box online. The parcel station sent a pickup code on Tuesday morning. It just so happened that Qin Sheng had finished breakfast and was getting ready to go to work, so the two of them went downstairs together.
Although they had originally agreed that she would only take care of dinner, she did not have anything to do while unemployed, so she simply started making both breakfast and dinner. That way, Qin Sheng would not find it troublesome and skip meals, or buy random things to make do.
Qin Shui went out from the first floor, while Qin Sheng went down to the basement level to drive to work. Over the past month, whenever neighbors who knew Qin Sheng saw them together, they assumed the two of them were husband and wife. Qin Shui had no way to explain, while Qin Sheng simply admitted it and laughed it off to muddle through.
After buying ingredients on the way back, she hurried to stir-fry three dishes before eleven o’clock: tomato and scrambled eggs, broccoli with shrimp, and spicy diced chicken. She neatly packed the dishes into the lunch box and sealed the lid.
Their place was not far from the Beidaihe Car Repair Center. Qin Shui’s electric scooter had been scrapped, so she took the bus instead. Along the way, she hugged the insulated bag holding the lunch box and kept checking the time, afraid that if she arrived too late, Qin Sheng would have already eaten.
It was August, and the weather was still extremely hot. By the time Qin Shui carried the lunch box to the entrance of the repair shop, her palms and forehead were covered in sweat.
Every time she stepped through the doors of the repair center, the burst of noise made it impossible for her to hear anything. Qin Shui found it hard to imagine how Qin Sheng managed to endure it here in the summer heat. It really was not cool inside, and it was extremely loud.
She carried the bag toward the area where she had last seen Qin Sheng. She had no idea whether anyone spoke to her along the way. In any case, she could not hear it.
When she reached the work area, Qin Sheng was not there.
His water bottle was sitting on the table piled high with tools. After looking around and confirming that he was indeed nowhere to be found, she walked over to the sofa and sat down to wait.
The young woman at the front desk had been paying attention to Qin Shui all along. Qin Shui sat there quietly, like someone in a painting, neither speaking nor playing with her phone, simply holding the bag in her arms and staring into space.
Ten minutes later, Qin Shui saw the receptionist walking toward her.
It was a bit quieter here. Qin Shui tried hard to listen while carefully reading her lips, making out that she was asking, “May I ask who you’re looking for?”
Qin Shui quickly took out her phone and typed for her to see: “I’m looking for Qin Sheng. Sorry, I’m deaf-mute.”
The receptionist froze for a moment, then gently raised a finger to signal her to wait. She ran off to pour her a cup of water, then took out her phone as well and typed: “He just went out to take a call. Didn’t you see him when you came in?”
Qin Shui shook her head. The receptionist sat down beside her, looking as if she wanted to say something but was hesitating.
“Are you his friend?” the receptionist typed. “I don’t think I’ve seen you before.”
“I’m his friend. I happened to be passing by and brought him something.”
The receptionist had long noticed the insulated bag and lunch box in Qin Shui’s hands. She bit her lip slightly, as if debating whether to remind Qin Shui of something. Then she switched to reassurance instead. “It’s fine, it’s fine. Lately, there’s been a woman clinging to him. She comes every day and it’s already affecting the shop’s normal operations. Do you know what their relationship is?”
Qin Shui was a little startled. She frowned in confusion, indicating that she did not know.
Afraid she had said something wrong, the receptionist hurriedly waved her hands. “Don’t misunderstand! It’s just that lately, Brother Qin keeps running out during work hours. The boss isn’t very happy and wants to dock his performance pay. If you two are close, remember to persuade him. He usually doesn’t listen to us.”
“I’ll talk to him. Thank you.”
Outside, the car-wash spray gun started operating, the noise piercing. The receptionist covered her ears and stood up, loudly reminding her, “Then sit here for a bit. If you need anything, call me. I’ll refill your water!”
She left.
Qin Shui did not message Qin Sheng. The food would not get cold so quickly. She placed the insulated bag properly on the table, threw the paper cup she had finished into the trash, then slung her backpack on and walked out the door, planning to look for Qin Sheng once more before leaving.
The area outside the repair shop was not very large, and Qin Sheng truly was not there. Qin Shui thought he might have gone out to eat, but it was only eleven forty. It was not lunchtime yet, and the mechanics in the shop were all still busy.
There was no sign of any girl nearby either.
The midday sun was scorching. Seeing that she could not find him, Qin Shui turned toward the main road. She spotted Qin Sheng’s Volkswagen Golf parked in a corner space, so she slowed down and reached out to touch the rearview mirror.
It was just that single motion, yet she vaguely caught sight of Qin Sheng’s figure in the mirror.
“……”
To avoid awkwardness, Qin Shui instinctively found a hidden spot.
She saw Qin Sheng standing with a provocatively dressed girl at the entrance of the lodging hotel next to the repair shop. It looked as though they had just come out from inside.
A 24 Hour sign hung at the hotel entrance. That was where he had leaned to smoke last time. Alarm bells went off in Qin Shui’s mind, her blood surging upward, probably a sign that her blood pressure was rising.
The girl had blue highlights in her hair, with two small braids at her temples, and wore heavy, vivid makeup. A pure black jacket vest hung from her arm. She was dressed in a spaghetti-strap top and ultra-short shorts. There were conspicuous tattoos on her calves and wrists. From head to toe, only her plain flat shoes looked out of place.
Qin Shui’s gaze shifted to Qin Sheng beside her, who was smoking. The collar of his work uniform hung wide open. His eyes were cast toward the ground, and the expression on his face was obscured by the smoke he exhaled, making it hard to see clearly.
The girl was clearly acting coquettish, clinging to Qin Sheng’s arm and swaying it. The two of them stood closer and closer together. She talked to him for a long time, then simply rested her head on his shoulder.
Qin Sheng finally reacted. He exhaled the smoke from his mouth, nodded at her helplessly, then took out his wallet from his pants pocket and pulled out several light red bills, handing them over.
Qin Shui did not want to doubt Qin Sheng, nor did she want to make unfounded guesses about a stranger. But this kind of behavior looked far too much like a transaction. It was suspicious enough that if she were a police officer, she would definitely step forward to check their identification.
After taking the money, the girl looked much happier. She rushed up and showered kisses on the side of his face. Qin Sheng could not dodge in time and avoided her clumsily. He raised his sleeve and rubbed his face hard, then angrily pressed the cigarette butt against the wall to extinguish it.
The girl did not care at all and remained smiling. With her arms crossed, she leaned back in, grumbling at Qin Sheng as if questioning him. The two of them said something else that Qin Shui could not hear. Qin Sheng actually lowered his head and smiled, extremely sweet, completely different from his attitude just now.
Qin Shui stayed hidden behind his car until Qin Sheng watched the girl turn around and go back into the hotel. Only then did she have the chance to process what she had just seen.
Qin Sheng turned around and went back into the repair shop. Qin Shui carried her bag and walked toward the bus stop, her steps feeling a little light and unsteady.
She knew Qin Sheng had no brothers or sisters. Yet that girl looked about the same age as him, her makeup and clothing very mature. Qin Shui could not guess what their relationship was. Even with what seemed like an obvious conclusion laid out in front of her, she still chose not to think about it and not to believe it.
Qin Shui took the bus home. Qin Sheng sent her a message, but her phone was on Do Not Disturb and did not notify her. It was only after she got home and finished tidying up that she saw the picture he had sent.
Qin Sheng had carefully placed the Cinnamoroll lunch box on the table. In the background of the photo were the familiar cluttered tools and a corner of his water bottle. He had clearly taken care to frame the shot before sending it, saying thank you and that it was especially delicious.
After getting off work, Qin Sheng packed the lunch bag and lunch box properly and brought them back with him.
Ever since Qin Sheng could remember, he had eaten at the school cafeteria during his student years. After starting work, he ate takeout or the meals ordered collectively by the workplace. No one had ever brought him a lunch box or prepared a bento for him, and no one had ever thoughtfully stir-fried three meat-and-vegetable dishes for him, let alone remembered to include a small box of iced yogurt.
He borrowed dish soap from the receptionist and washed the lunch box thoroughly inside and out, not letting a single trace of engine oil get on it. He carefully placed it back into the foil-insulated bag.
That little white dog looked much more pleasing to the eye now.
By the time he got home, Qin Shui had already finished cooking. Qin Sheng changed his shoes and washed his hands, then quietly slipped into the kitchen and covered Qin Shui’s eyes from behind.
He smelled of smoke, engine oil, and leather, the scents mingling together. They were not strong, but they were unmistakable. Qin Shui felt a faint heat rise at the tips of her ears. She gently raised her hand and held his.
A bouquet of white roses appeared out of nowhere in front of her.
“Thanks for the lunch,” he said as he took out the lunch box and put it away. He gave her a thumbs-up and smiled. “It was really delicious. You have no idea how jealous they were of me.”
Qin Shui took off her apron, lifted the cooked noodles out of the pot, and pointed at it. Qin Sheng leaned over to look. She had made zhajiang noodles that day.
Qin Sheng noticed there was also a small pot set aside, filled with pan-seared chicken drizzled with teriyaki sauce.
Qin Shui checked the lunch box he had washed, packed rice and several blanched broccoli florets into it, and told him in sign language that this was his lunch for tomorrow.
The bentos she made were always portioned just right. Qin Sheng could eat until he was full without feeling stuffed. Qin Shui had told him more than once that lunch should be a little lighter so he could nap better at noon and not feel sleepy in the afternoon at work.
Qin Sheng silently treated her words like an imperial decree.
“Now that you’re taking care of one more meal for me, it’s like you’re paying double the rent,” he said.
He smiled, clean and open. “You can stay as long as you want.”
Qin Sheng stuffed the flowers into Qin Shui’s arms and gently pushed her outward. “Go cool off for a bit. I’ll handle this.”
Qin Shui carried the flowers out, found the vase she had brought in the bathroom, ran some water, and sprinkled it over the petals. Delicate, fragrant white roses. Aside from her parents, no one had ever given her flowers.
She did not like this bouquet, because the flowers would wilt after a few days. That kind of withering was slow. No matter how much nutrient solution was added to the vase, plants that had been cut off from their roots could not live long on water alone.
Qin Sheng called her to eat. Qin Shui carried the flowers out and placed them on the TV cabinet.
Over the past month, no matter what she cooked, Qin Sheng always showed appreciation. If he could finish it, he would never leave leftovers, and he never spared his praise when it was due.
She was not very hungry, but Qin Sheng served her a lot. When Qin Shui could not finish it, he took her bowl without the slightest hesitation and finished it in a few bites.
Because of the summer heat, they skipped their after-dinner walks. Qin Sheng washed the dishes and then sat with Qin Shui on the sofa to watch television.
Recently, he and Qin Shui had been watching Minning Town together. Qin Shui seemed to really like the male lead. Every time he appeared, she would unconsciously smile, her eyes bright and sparkling.
Normally, when they reached enjoyable parts, the two of them would happily discuss things animatedly, using sign language. But today, when something interesting came on, Qin Sheng spoke to her, and she hardly responded.
After being brushed off several times, Qin Sheng saw that she seemed uninterested and assumed she was not feeling well. He leaned in to check her forehead repeatedly and even wanted to find a thermometer to take her temperature.
But in reality, she was perfectly healthy. She just could not pretend everything was fine. Whatever she felt showed plainly on her face. Qin Shui quickly stood up to stop him, pulled Qin Sheng back, and made him sit properly and watch TV.
The atmosphere felt a little off. As soon as it reached nine o’clock, she seemed impatient. She stood up, made a gesture that she was going to sleep, and fled early into the bathroom to take a shower.
Qin Sheng watched TV by himself for a while. The more he thought about it, the more something felt wrong. He picked up his phone, flipped through it, and walked alone onto the balcony.
He called the coworkers who had been on shift at the repair shop that day one by one, asking whether any of them had seen Qin Shui come by at noon to bring him lunch.