Mud beads

Yu Zhu was taken aback.

Her brain was still slightly numb from crying and lack of oxygen. But looking into Liang Dong's red eyes, she suddenly didn't want to think about anything anymore.

She nodded instinctively and said, "Okay."

Liang Dong didn't press for an explanation of what "good" meant. But Yu Zhu knew where that "good" would lead them.

When Liang Dong held her, there was no judgment, no possession, and no condescending pity. She seemed to be something precious within him, so precious that even after being beaten and crying miserably, she was still precious.

Suddenly, at that moment, she felt a tiny, shameful greed. She thought, "This is fine too."

They eventually picked up the peaches from the stairs. The one with the broken skin couldn't be kept, so Liang Dong took it to the bathroom to wash it clean, cut off the soft parts, and handed it to Yu Zhu with a little embarrassment.

"It's sweet," he said.

Yu Zhu took it and took a bite. Peach juice dripped down her fingers, and she quickly bent down to catch it. Liang Dong handed her a tissue, smiling, but his brow was furrowed.

Moth

The following days were filled with rehearsals for the drama festival.

The small auditorium doors were open from afternoon until evening. Teacher Meng meticulously reviewed everyone's positioning, cut two lines from Zeus's dialogue, added drumbeats to the narration, and lengthened Asteria's skirt by three inches. Yu Zhu attended classes during the day, rehearsed in the afternoon, and often ate dinner with Liang Dong when she returned home in the evening.

Liang Dong still kept the same habit he had with Yu Zhu's refrigerator as he did at the bubble tea shop. He would buy groceries in advance every week. Beef, shrimp, ribs, vegetables, mushrooms, and bags of washed fruit and yogurt, all neatly categorized and placed in her refrigerator. Whoever got home first in the evening would cook something. Liang Dong would stew the meat while Yu Zhu washed the vegetables beside him, her sleeves rolled up to her forearms, water droplets running down her wrists. If they both got home late, they would grab a quick bite at the entrance of the apartment complex. Clay pot rice noodles, beef noodles, rice bowls, and then slowly walk back home.

New things started appearing in Yu Zhu's home. From small items like a succulent plant and a tissue box to larger items like a microwave and a television. When she arrived home, Liang Dong had already cleaned the house thoroughly. The packaging boxes that had been removed were flattened and stacked against the wall in the hallway, and the plants were placed on the windowsill, the soil still damp from being watered.

Having lived alone for a long time, she wasn't used to this kind of care at first.

Because of the television, she got angry with Liang Dong for the first time. Liang Dong apologized quickly, saying that he had a computer in his room and couldn't fit it in. As he spoke, his voice lowered, and he gently squeezed her knuckles, saying that he just wanted to watch TV series and movies with her.

Every night, Liang Dong would return to the fifth floor as usual.

They didn't talk about their relationship, but life had already begun to show new signs of change. He stopped calling her "sister" and started calling her "Zhuzhu," his voice gentle, sounding almost the same as before. But sometimes when Yu Zhu looked up at him, she could see something new in his eyes—a passion, a depth, hidden behind the gentleness, occasionally slipping out.

Ji Yong had also asked her out a few times.

He offered to eat, drink, and attend performances, using a variety of excuses. Yu Zhu politely declined each time. Later, she saw on her WeChat Moments that he had gone to Turkey. String lights hung low outside a small pub, and a group of beautiful women crowded around him taking pictures. Ji Yong, wearing a floral shirt, held a drink, laughing carefree and exuberantly. Yu Zhu glanced at it for a few seconds, then swiped away.

Two days later, Liang Dong's live streams came to a complete halt.

A senior executive at the company appreciated him and moved up his schedule at the last minute. He'll be joining a production next week, playing a small role in a film by a big-name director. The role is minor with few scenes, but the production team requires actors to reduce their public appearances before filming, and his live-streaming account will be temporarily suspended.

Liang Dong agreed.

He's gotten a bit paler lately, and his hair has grown longer. The company teaches him how to manage his expressions, his clothing, and even corrects his posture. Sometimes, when Yu Zhu watches him at home, wearing an apron and cooking, his bangs falling as he bends down to chop potatoes, his wrist pressing against the back of the knife, the steam warming his increasingly clean-cut, increasingly refined face, she feels a moment of unreality. It's as if someone has already pulled him out of this old building, but he's still standing in her little kitchen, asking her, "Where's the salt?"

Moth

The official performance is on Friday night.

At four o'clock in the afternoon, the literature department students gathered in the small auditorium. There weren't enough dressing rooms, so everyone squeezed around two long tables backstage to get their makeup done. Powder compacts, false eyelashes, hairspray, staplers, and hot milk tea were piled together, the air filled with the smell of perfume and old wood. Feng Jia was applying a beard to the boy playing Zeus while simultaneously pulling out a powder compact to absorb sweat. Professor Meng walked back and forth with the program, reminding everyone to silence their phones and not to wander around after their performance, as leaders and guests would be visiting backstage that evening.

When Yu Zhu changed into Asteria's silver dress, the backstage area fell silent for a moment.

The dress was modified from ancient Greek style, a greyish-blue color draped down from the shoulders and cinched at the waist with a silver sash. A double-layered, folded collar hung down, revealing a patch of fair skin. Feng Jia applied fine silver foil to the corners of her eyes and then placed a crown so light it was almost weightless on her head. The crown was 3D printed by Liu Zhengyang's department; it looked rough up close but shone brightly from afar.

"Don't move." Feng Jia held the brush and brushed some glitter onto Yu Zhu's collarbone. "Tonight, you're the face of our literature department."

Yu Zhu chuckled at what she said.

She told Liang Xia and Liang Dong about the performance time. Liang Xia had taken a day off at Xindian and messaged her to say they should have a celebratory dinner together after the performance that evening. Liang Dong's reply was even shorter, consisting of only one emoji: a serious-looking cow making an OK sign with her hand.

At 7 p.m., the lights in the lobby came on.

The school organized this drama festival very formally, with a registration table and flower baskets set up at the entrance. The first row featured nameplates for leaders and guests, with the principal, secretary, and deans seated in the middle. When Yuejian Che arrived, the opening music was playing. Yu Zhu, standing in the shadows behind the side curtain, saw him being led to the first row.

He wasn't dressed formally today. A plain white polo-neck knit short-sleeved shirt, beige linen trousers, and a thin brown leather belt around his waist—he looked casual yet sophisticated, drawing frequent glances from the female students as he entered. The lights shone down from above the audience, illuminating his profile. He spoke to the principal with his head down, his expression serene, as if tonight was just a performance that had nothing to do with him.

Yu Zhu's fingers, which were holding up her skirt, slowly tightened.

She had actually considered that Echizen Toru might come.

During the best rehearsals, she even briefly wondered if Toru Echizen would see her like this if he were sitting in the audience—and this thought brought her an indescribable sense of guilt.

She quickly pressed it down.

As the host began to pronounce Hesiod's name, the lights dimmed and the curtains were drawn back from both sides.

She heard three drumbeats, and it was her turn to go on stage.

The stage was much brighter than during rehearsals. The lights were so bright that it was hard to open one's eyes, and the audience was a dark mass, with only a few faces visible in the front row. Yu Zhu walked to the center of the stage, her skirt brushing against her ankles, silver powder falling from her skin, swirling and hovering in the beam of light.

She looked up at the light above her head, her voice flowing naturally like water.

"I heard someone calling my name from the clouds—he said, 'The stars should bow down, the rivers should change course, and women should call their flight a blessing.'"

The audience was quiet, with only the melodies of violin and piano intertwining and rising and falling.

The boy playing Zeus approached from the side of the platform, raising his arm, his golden cloak shimmering under the lights. Yu Zhu took a half-step back and knelt down, following her positioning. As she looked up, her gaze passed over the cloak and landed squarely on the first row.

Echizen's gaze fell on her.

"God King—"

Their eyes met, and her heart began to pound.

The last note stopped in mid-air.

Teacher Meng, sitting on the side of the stage, gripped the script tightly.

"—Tasting my panic."

Yu Zhu lowered her head and covered her chest with both hands.

This phrase was not originally included.

Her silver skirt billowed at her feet as she looked up again and spoke once more.

He sat in the brightest spot, waiting for me to look down.

She didn't look down at the audience anymore. Instead, she stood up and ran towards the sea covered with blue cloth, her voice echoing through the auditorium: "But if I bow my head, the stars above me will die!"

The drumbeats sounded again.

She ran towards the end of the stage, her skirt billowing up, the silver stars on her crown trembling violently. The narrator followed her movement, names like the sea, the night, the island, and Perseus rolling out from the speakers. Yu Zhu stood at the edge of the blue cloth, her fingers digging into the fabric's folds, her chest heaving, her voice clear and bright.

As she finished speaking, she raised her face.

"May the night bear witness for me, I once belonged to myself!"

The lights went out for half a second, then came back on, illuminating the entire auditorium.

Applause quickly erupted. Yu Zhu followed the crowd in taking their bows, and several stage lights were turned on. As she bowed, she saw Liang Xia sitting in the middle towards the back, clapping loudly and smiling broadly. Liang Dong sat next to her, his gaze piercing through the crowd to the stage, burning brightly.

After the performance, the principal went on stage to give his comments.

He said that the Literature Department's program this time was ambitious, textually conscious, and featured the expression of young people. After saying that, he invited Mr. Yue, the guest of the evening, to say a few words.

Echizen Toru stood up from the first row and took the microphone.

His voice was as pleasant as ever, and his smile was always elegant and appropriate: "The programs today were all excellent. It's remarkable that the school is willing to let students handle classic texts on stage. Rather than simply keeping ancient books as objects of study, I'd much rather see everyone take them apart, reassemble them, and then apply their own experiences to them."

A few laughs and applause rang out from the audience.

Koshima paused for a moment and looked at the stage.

"This section of Theogony left a deep impression on me personally. Many people interpret Asteria's escape from Zeus as a victory. But the ending Hesiod arranged for her was not easy. She fell into the sea, later married Perses, and gave birth to Hecate. Even when the stars leave the hands of the king of the gods, they still enter into another order."

As he said this, his smile deepened.

"So freedom is very expensive in mythology. A person has to leave their original destiny and have the strength to bear a new one. The student who played Asteria just now handled that pause very well. Fear came out, and so did resistance."

Applause rang out again in the auditorium.

Yu Zhu stood to the side of the stage, clapping along with everyone else. Her palms touched, but she couldn't manage a single smile.

She knew that Toru Echizen was referring to more than just Asteria.

After the performance, the backstage area was in complete chaos.

The actors were huddled together, putting away props; costumes were dragging on the floor, and crowns and capes were hanging everywhere. Feng Jia, carrying a bouquet of flowers given to her by someone else, squeezed through the crowd and rushed over to Yu Zhu: "Your impromptu lines just now scared me to death! Teacher Meng almost crushed the script in her hand."

Yu Zhu was taken aback: "Did I forget my lines?"

"If you forgot your lines, the audience will think it was part of the script." Feng Jia lowered her voice. "Teacher Meng just said you've finally figured it out."

Yu Zhu didn't speak, but just smiled and looked down.

Liang Xia quickly walked from the front hall to the backstage, followed by Liu Zhengyang and Liang Dong. Upon seeing her, Liang Xia immediately cursed, "Damn, you're way too beautiful!"

Yu Zhu's ears burned from her words: "What nonsense are you spouting?"

Liu Zhengyang raised his hand from the side: "I can testify that Sister Xia almost cried just now."

"Shut up." Liang Xia turned around and glared at him.

Liang Dong stood at the back, holding a bouquet of flowers. The bouquet was simply wrapped, a cluster of asters with a few small star-shaped flowers interspersed in the middle. Yu Zhu looked down at it for a while, knowing that this was specially chosen by Liang Dong—Asteria's tears, witnessing the suffering of all things in the world, turned into star-shaped asters.

Therefore, aster also symbolizes an unwavering and undying original aspiration.

"Thank you." Yu Zhu took the bouquet, sniffed it, looked up, and extended her hand to him.

Liang Dong paused for a moment, lowered his head, gently hugged her, and then quickly left.

His ears quickly turned red.

Liang Xia rolled her eyes. Liu Zhengyang coughed and raised his Polaroid camera: "Let's take a picture! Hurry up, before the makeup is off."

Yu Zhu was squeezed in the middle. Liang Xia stood to her left, Liang Dong to her right, and Liu Zhengyang, holding a Polaroid camera, craned his neck to look for someone: "Who's free? Can you press the button for me?"

Footsteps sounded behind me.

School leaders accompanied the guests backstage to offer their congratulations. Teacher Meng walked in front, her face still glowing with the satisfaction of a successful performance. Yuejian Che stood in the group, looked up and saw them, and paused.

Liu Zhengyang was still holding a Polaroid camera, about to grab a passing staff member.

Echizen Toru smiled and extended his hand: "I'll do it."

Yu Zhu's smile froze instantly.

Liang Xia was also taken aback, and the smile on her face faded. Liu Zhengyang, oblivious to anything amiss, handed over the Polaroid camera and quickly went to Liang Dong's side, saying, "Thank you, sir."

"You're welcome." Echizen Toru took the camera, stood a few steps away, and snapped his fingers. "Look here."

The shutter clicked.

The photographic paper slowly emerged. Everyone in the photo was smiling. Liang Dong stood next to Yu Zhu, his head naturally tilted towards her. Yu Zhu was holding flowers, the silver foil on her face was dazzlingly bright, but her lips were stiff.

Echizen returned the camera to Liu Zhengyang and handed him the photographic paper.

He glanced at Yu Zhu, then at Liang Dong.

"Boy friend?"

The noise in the corridor subsided.

Yu Zhu tightened her grip on the flowers.

"Yes." She nodded.

Liang Dong paused for a moment upon hearing Yu Zhu's answer. But quickly, he stepped forward and extended his hand to Yue Jianche.

"Hello there."

Echizen looked at the hand hanging in front of him, smiled calmly, and reached out to grasp it.

"A perfect match, a handsome man and a beautiful woman." He paused, raising an eyebrow slightly. "They're a good couple."

The principal turned around and called out to Mr. Yue. Yue Jianche released Liang Dong's hand, nodded to the group as usual, and followed the school leaders to the other side.

Liang Xia frowned, opened her mouth, but seeing Yu Zhu's indifferent expression, she swallowed her words back.

Yu Zhu handed the flowers to Liang Dong, forcing a smile, "I'll go change my clothes first, then I'll go eat with you guys later."

"Then we'll wait for you at the school gate," Liang Dong said.

Yu Zhu nodded and turned to walk towards the stage.

The dressing room was on the other side of the stage, the closest point to cross it. The play ended, the curtain fell, and the stage lights went out, leaving only a dim green emergency light illuminating the blurry path ahead.

Yu Zhu walked slowly onto the empty stage, her long skirt trailing on the ground. Her thoughts were in turmoil, still immersed in an unsettled unease.

My journey is nearing its end.

In the silence, suddenly a pair of hands reached out from behind the stage and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her into the darkness.

The crown fell from the goddess's head and landed softly on the wooden floor of the stage.

A burning kiss pressed down.

In the darkness, there was a familiar, cool fragrance.