Mud beads

After leaving the office, Yu Zhu splashed cold water on her face in the restroom.

Water touched her swollen cheek, and that half of her face burned dully. She braced herself against the sink with one hand and slowly pulled open the corner of her mouth with the other. A piece of flesh inside her mouth had been cut by her teeth; the bleeding had stopped, but when she licked it with her tongue, she could still taste a faint rusty flavor.

The person in the mirror had messy hair, half of their face was red and swollen, but their eyes were clear.

She pulled out two tissues and pressed them against her face. The tissues quickly became soft from the water, and the coolness lingered briefly against her skin before being pushed away by the deeper heat.

She tied her hair up, threw the tissue into the trash can, and walked out.

Outside the restroom, Toru Echizen stood with his arms crossed against the wall in the hallway. Hearing footsteps, he looked up.

Yu Zhu looked at him, her feelings complicated.

She had intended to say thank you, but the words changed as she spoke: "Looks like you can't curry favor with Minister Su."

Echigo's gaze fell on her profile. The palm print there had faded, leaving only a red, swollen area.

"He's not as stupid as you think," he said calmly, his face unusually expressionless. "He knows how many more years he can work, and how many more years I can work."

Yu Zhu paused for a moment, then lowered her head and smiled.

Therefore, he did not rashly testify for her.

Minister Su had a son late in life and will retire in a few years. But Echizen Toru is different. He is young, capable, and has resources; it's hard to say who will rely on whom in the future. When people like them sit at the same table, a single sentence is enough to determine the relative importance of their interests.

They are all sensible people.

Only she is confused.

"Minister Su can transfer the compensation to you." Yu Zhu lowered her eyes, turned and walked towards the stairs. "Remember to settle the account for me."

After she finished speaking, there was silence behind her for a few seconds. After a moment, footsteps sounded again.

"Yu Zhu".

Koshima Toru quickly passed by her without looking back.

"You're still such a useless piece of trash."

Moth

Yu Zhu did not attend the afternoon classes.

Teacher Shen asked for leave for her and told her to go home and get some rest. She kept her eyes on Yu Zhu's face as she spoke, her voice very soft: "If anything happens, call me. The school won't ignore you."

Yu Zhu nodded and said okay.

She emerged from the college building; the sun was already setting. The paths in the teaching area were crowded with students, some carrying balls, others books. The shadows of the trees fell in patches on the ground; everyone was heading back to their own lives.

The road from the school to the neighborhood wasn't long, but she still hailed a taxi. After getting out, she saw a fruit stall at the entrance of the neighborhood with a blue sunshade. The stall owner was spraying water on the peaches; the water droplets clung to the pinkish-white fuzz, making them look incredibly fresh. Nearby, an old woman was squatting, picking through vegetables, her fingers fiddling with green peppers, haggling loudly over prices.

Yu Zhu walked around the stall and entered the building.

The hallway was darker than outside. The charging cable of an old electric scooter dangled from a first-floor window, its red indicator light flashing. She walked upstairs, her shoes making a dull thud on the worn concrete steps.

When she reached the second floor, she heard someone coming downstairs.

Liang Dong was carrying a clear plastic bag containing several peaches. He was wearing a white T-shirt, and his hair looked freshly washed, with a slight dampness on his forehead. He stepped out of the shadows, carrying the clean, warm scent unique to young people.

Upon seeing her, he held up the peach in his hand and smiled.

"I was just looking for you."

Yu Zhu immediately turned her face away, hiding the swollen side against the wall.

Liang Dong's gaze fell on her face, and his smile immediately vanished.

He stepped down two steps, his expression suddenly changing: "What happened to your face?"

"It was just a small misunderstanding." Yu Zhu lowered her head and walked upwards, the spot where she had been hit burning hot again. "It's been resolved."

Liang Dong stepped in front of her, his voice urgent: "Who hit you?"

The plastic bag in his hand wasn't tied tightly. His fingers loosened, and several peaches rolled out of the bag, tumbling and hitting the stairs. One rolled past Yu Zhu's feet, hitting the edge of the step, tearing its thin skin, and leaving a wet stain of sweet juice.

Yu Zhu wanted to say that she was fine, but when she opened her mouth, her voice suddenly choked up.

Her eyes welled up with tears, and she quickly bent down to pick up the peaches that had rolled onto the stairs.

Peaches were scattered everywhere, one stuck in a corner, its pinkish-white skin covered in dust. She should pick them up, wash them, and they could still be eaten. Food shouldn't be wasted. These were brought down for her by Liang Dong; Liang Xia might have tasted them too, or perhaps they thought they were good and wanted to share them with her.

When I touched the broken skin of the peach with my fingertip, it felt soft and mushy.

Her heart sank as well.

For some reason, when Yu Zhu saw Liang Dong, all the grievances she had been suppressing suddenly poured out uncontrollably, like the bag of peaches.

She could only bury her head even lower.

"Okay, stop picking them up."

Liang Dong grabbed her arms with both hands and lifted her up from the ground.

Yu Zhu raised her eyes slightly.

Liang Dong's appearance before her was as if he had melted away. Even though he was so close to her, his brow bone, nose bridge, and lips were clearly visible, the tears welled up and everything blurred. She had held back for a long time, from the office to the restroom, from the school to the taxi, from the school gate to this damp and dark little building.

I can't hold back anymore.

"Am I useless?" she asked.

Liang Dong was stunned.

Am I really that useless?

As she asked the second question, Yu Zhu's tears rolled down her cheeks, soaking into a neat circle on her collar.

Liang Dong reached out and pulled her into his arms.

Yu Zhu finally burst into tears.

"When I was little, they hit me, and I didn't dare fight back..." Her voice was initially choked up, but she quickly couldn't hold back anymore. "In junior high, they bullied me, and I didn't dare fight back either. I know I was useless back then, I know..."

Liang Dong's hand slowly landed on her back.

"But I'm rebelling now!" She clutched his clothes, tears welling in her eyes and flowing down his chest. "I've rebelled—what am I supposed to do? How can I avoid being a coward?"

The air in the hallway was stuffy and hot, the walls were damp, and the smell of cooking oil seeped down from someone upstairs through the cracks. Liang Dong hugged her, initially hesitant to pull too tight. But as he listened to her words and felt the warm, dampness against his chest, his arms tightened involuntarily.

He wanted to tell her she wasn't useless, that she was the strongest, the bravest. But when she cried, he felt as if a piece of the starry sky in his heart had shattered. The crystalline fragments fell softly, like an acid rain falling on his heart.

Liang Dong quickly reached out and wiped away the tears that were about to overflow from the corners of her eyes.

"Bullshit." He looked down at the half of her face that was exposed outside her hair, the red and swollen patch piercing his eyes, as if he himself had been slapped across the face. "You are Asteria."

He was still thinking about giving her the peaches today, hoping she might smile, say thank you, or even wash one and share it with him—he always thought highly of her and habitually felt that she could shoulder all hardships.

He's the useless one.

He would simply stand on the stairs, knock over a bag of peaches, and offer her the most insignificant comfort that anyone could give.

On the stairs, an old man carrying a birdcage slowly walked down, his plastic slippers clattering on the steps. When he saw Yu Zhu and Liang Dong, he was taken aback for a moment, then immediately coughed.

Upon hearing the sound, Yu Zhu's shoulders twitched, and she instinctively tried to pull away from Liang Dong's embrace.

But Liang Dong held her very tightly.

The old man glanced at the peaches scattered on the ground, then slowly strolled downstairs.

After a burst of chirping birds, the hallway fell silent again.

Yu Zhu lowered her eyes.

The spot where she had just been lying was soaked with tears. Liang Dong's chin rested against her brow, warm and carrying the fresh scent of soap.

She looked up and saw Liang Dong's Adam's apple bob.

"Yu Zhu," his voice was so low it was almost touching her ear, "Let me protect you, okay?"