Those who have seen the light can no longer endure the darkness. After soaking in the sun for half the day, Shi Zhi suddenly didn’t want to return to an empty, lonely home. He asked the driver to change course halfway and head to Fu Yumeng’s shop instead.
It should have been a busy weekday afternoon, but the exquisitely decorated café was almost full. Guests gathered in small groups, chatting and laughing; leisure and contentment were on full display in the most conspicuous of ways.
This city never lacked happy people.
When Shi Zhi arrived, Fu Yumeng was busy working with her back to the door. A waiter recognized Shi Zhi and was about to call out a greeting, but Shi Zhi smiled and shook his head, finding a seat in a quiet corner.
Black tea paired with dessert—the sweetness of the food filled his hollow emotions. Shi Zhi leaned back into his chair, stretching slightly as his gaze wandered to the pedestrians outside the glass window.
In his field of vision, a family of three appeared. A boy in a high school uniform had a long, sulky face while an older man spoke to him with a beaming smile. The boy nodded reluctantly, and the three of them headed into the digital electronics shop next door.
Shi Zhi withdrew his gaze.
Perhaps children whose parents are still by their side never truly have to grow up…
“Little Ah-Zhi, what are you thinking about?” Fu Yumeng waved a hand in front of Shi Zhi’s eyes and handed him a cup of coffee. She teased, “When did you get here? You didn’t even say a word.”
Shi Zhi’s eyes crinkled: “I saw you were busy, so I didn’t want to disturb you.”
“If you’d called me sooner, I could have used it as an excuse to slack off!” Fu Yumeng rolled her eyes, then asked, “Why did you come over today? Weren’t you going to see Grandpa Xu? How is he?”
Shi Zhi thought of the old man, who looked like withered wood, and his mood sank. “Not great.”
“Grandpa Xu is getting on in years, and living alone in that nursing home for so long must be lonely. Look on the bright side for him, it might be a release,” Fu Yumeng comforted him.
Shi Zhi knew that well enough. It was just…
“I just feel like I’m alone again,” Shi Zhi murmured. “One more thing connected to my parents is fading away.”
Fu Yumeng opened her mouth, for a moment unsure of what to say.
Shi Zhi took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, and looked at Fu Yumeng with a sigh. “Yumeng, I really envy you.”
“Mm… I envy myself too,” Fu Yumeng replied solemnly. When she saw Shi Zhi smile, she finally asked, “But what exactly do you envy me for?”
Shi Zhi shook his head and didn’t answer.
After a long while, he asked, “Do you think I should go out more? Meet more people?”
“Going out more is the right move; meeting people is something you should just leave to fate. But why the sudden realization? You wouldn’t come out before, no matter how much I asked.”
Shi Zhi smiled slightly. “Someone told me that staying cooped up at home makes you grow moldy. They told me to get more sun.”
“Ooh, whose words are so effective? I wonder who it could be,” Fu Yumeng teased, then immediately began making plans. “In a while, I’ll hire a couple of summer workers to help in the shop, and I’ll accompany you on a sketching trip to relax your mind.”
Shi Zhi said, “Okay.” Then added, “Thank you, Yumeng.”
Shi Zhi realized his mindset hadn’t been quite right lately, but whenever he tended toward self-destructive reflection, someone always pulled him back.
There were the desserts delivered to his door that brightened his mood, the video games that sparked dopamine, and the timely phone calls and WeChat messages.
There was also his friend’s comfort that didn’t pry too deeply, and her unconditional support for all his decisions.
Looking at Fu Yumeng, who was already focused on looking up travel guides, Shi Zhi couldn’t help but think: How nice. This is truly nice.
The city had gained one more happy person.
“Oh, by the way, we’re having a tasting for the new summer items in a couple of days. Remember to come.”
“I will,” Shi Zhi said. “The first step of ‘going out more.'”
Fu Yumeng laughed as well. “Exactly.”
Secretly, she debated whether she should introduce Shi Zhi to more people.
Fu Yuchu had just finished a meal with a client when he saw two missed calls on his phone both from the owner of the restaurant that delivered meals to Shi Zhi.
He called back, and the other side answered quickly: “Xiao Fu? Are you busy? Hope I’m not bothering you.”
“Not at all.” Fu Yuchu got into his car, buckling his seatbelt as he spoke. “Brother Yu, what is it? Did something happen?”
“Oh, no, no. Nothing major. It’s just about that friend of yours I’ve been delivering to. Didn’t you say he had no one to cook for him? Well, when I went to deliver just now, I saw someone at his place. Do I still need to deliver from now on?”
Fu Yuchu hesitated. “Someone was there? Could you have mistaken them for a delivery man…?”
“No, it was a handsome young fellow. He was the one who opened the door when I knocked. He was wearing an apron and looked like he was in the middle of cooking,” Master Yu said. “Since your friend has someone cooking for him now, I figured I’d ask if you still want me to deliver.”
Fu Yuchu felt a buzzing in his head. Even though he hadn’t touched a drop of alcohol, he felt dizzy. He said, “I’ll ask him. I’ll ask him.”
Fu Yuchu sat in silence for a long time, staring at his disconnected phone. He sent a message to Xiang Jing saying he wouldn’t be returning to the law firm. Then, he drove aimlessly until he realized he had parked at the entrance of the Yuelanju residential complex.
The complex separated pedestrians from vehicles, and this area consisted of temporary parking spots where cars rarely lingered. Fu Yuchu parked and looked up, noticing a BMW parked ahead; the owner was not in the car.
The May temperature in Ancheng had already risen. Even at night, the heat continued to pour through the windows. Fu Yuchu felt an indescribable restlessness. He rolled up the windows and turned the air conditioning to its lowest setting. Perhaps because of the blast of cold air, he soon felt a chill throughout his body.
The complex was exceptionally quiet at night, with only flying insects swarming around the dim yellow streetlights.
Even insects knew to seek the light—what about Shi Zhi?
Would Shi Zhi grow soft-hearted? Would he choose to forgive?
Fu Yuchu stared at the car ahead for a long time. After composing his emotions, he opened his phone and, with a tight jaw, sent a message to the person at the top of his pinned chats.
CH: Is the trench coat washed yet? When are you returning it to me?
The message was sent, but no reply came for a long while.
Fu Yuchu stared at the light coming from the left window on the 11th floor, weighing the feasibility of going up. What would he say? What excuse would he use? Would Shi Zhi be happy or angry? Would he be grateful for Fu Yuchu’s appearance, or would he blame him for interrupting his fiancé’s penance?
Buzz—
The phone vibrated. In that ordinary vibration, Fu Yuchu heard a form of salvation from Shi Zhi.
Shi Xiao Zhi: Didn’t you say you didn’t want it anymore?
CH: I’m fickle; I want it now.
CH: Give it to me. Give it to me now. I’m downstairs.
Silence followed again. The “The other party is typing…” status at the top of the chat box flickered incessantly. Fu Yuchu had never felt time move so slowly.
Shi Xiao Zhi: I can’t give it to you right now.
Fu Yuchu read those five short words several times. His fingers were stiff as he typed: Why?
Shi Xiao Zhi: Someone is at home.
Shi Xiao Zhi: It’s inconvenient to come down.
The air conditioning seemed to have been set too low. A chill traveled down his spine to his entire body, causing even Fu Yuchu’s handsome features to seem frosted over. He took off his non-prescription glasses, licked his dry lips, and asked something he already knew the answer to: Who?
Fu Yuchu seemed to see Shi Zhi’s hesitation, yet he still received the reply—
Shi Xiao Zhi: My fiancé.
Reluctance and jealousy, like the cold air inside the car, aggressively forced their way into Fu Yuchu’s heart and soul. His body felt cold, yet his blood was boiling.
If he had never had it… if he had never seen hope…
CH: Haven’t you already broken up and planned to cancel the engagement?
CH: Why do you still call him your fiancé?
This time Shi Zhi replied quickly. He wrote: Then what should I call him?
Fu Yuchu stared at the message, his gaze dark and heavy.