Mud beads

When Yu Zhu changed her clothes and came out of the auditorium, most of the people at the school gate had already left.

A night breeze blew in from the administration building, brushing against her face, carrying the heat of late summer. Seeing the three people by the guard booth, she adjusted her canvas bag on her shoulder and unconsciously slowed her pace.

She had just tidied herself up in front of the bathroom mirror—her lipstick was wiped off clean, and she had washed her face. But seeing Liang Dong, she still felt a sense of unease and guilt.

She shook her head, banishing the distracting thoughts, and a smile appeared on her face.

Upon seeing Yu Zhu emerge, Liang Xia was the first to greet her, her face still beaming with the excitement of the performance.

"Why are you taking so long to change your clothes?" she drawled. "I'm starving."

Liu Zhengyang followed behind Liang Xia, waving his phone: "We just searched, there's a hot pot karaoke place nearby, a ten-minute walk. We can eat and sing at the same time, perfect!"

"Okay," Yu Zhu readily agreed, her enthusiasm evident.

She looked up. Liang Dong was standing at the back, not coming over immediately. The traffic outside the school gate swept past him, and the lights swept across his face in bursts, making his smile appear faint.

He still leaned against the bunch of asters. The flowers had lost some moisture from the heat and the urban heat island effect; the branches and leaves, which had been standing upright just moments before, were now slightly curled and drooping limply on the wrapping paper.

Yu Zhu walked over to him and asked, "Are you hungry?"

Liang Dong looked at her for a while, his eyes crinkling slowly, and his voice gentle: "It's alright."

As he spoke, he took the canvas bag from her shoulder and extended his hand to her: "Let's go eat."

Yu Zhu reached out and took his hand.

The hot pot karaoke bar is located on the basement level of the shopping mall.

The room's air conditioning was set very low. A hot pot of chili oil was served, chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns sizzling in the oil, steam rising directly towards the light. The room's lights flickered between blue and pink, and a Jay Chou music video played on the screen.

Liang Xia complained that she was hungry, but she sat down next to the karaoke machine first.

Liu Zhengyang didn't stand on ceremony, tearing open the disposable isolation sleeve and putting it on the microphone. The accompaniment started, and the two of them, one a real singer and the other a daring one, joined in with a few lines of every song. Yu Zhu sat at the table, clapping enthusiastically, while Liang Dong stood by the hot pot, adding beef and then using a ladle to skim the foam floating on the surface.

As the song "I'll Love You Till I Die" ended, Liang Xia collapsed backward onto the sofa, repeatedly saying, "I can't take it anymore." Liu Zhengyang, holding a bowl of sesame paste in one hand and a microphone in the other, was still singing a heartfelt duet with Wu Bai.

Yu Zhu sat on the side, chewing on rice noodles and smiling.

She smiled more than usual, her eyes crinkling, a hint of shine still lingering on her face. The rice noodles were a little too early, a bit hard in her mouth, but she chewed them persistently, keeping her lips and tongue busy.

"Are you tired?" Liang Dong sat down next to her, handed her a glass of warm water, and whispered in her ear, "If you're tired, we'll go back early."

"It's nothing." Yu Zhu shook her head, took a sip of water, and said, "It's rare for me to get out and have fun."

The song on the screen changed, and Liang Xia immediately called out to her, "Zhuzhu, you have to sing this one with me."

Before Yu Zhu could refuse, Liu Zhengyang had already shoved a microphone into her hand. She hadn't heard many songs, and she knew even fewer, but the intro wasn't an unfamiliar melody.

"I didn't like you much when we first met, but who knew we'd become so close later—" Liang Xia's voice came from the speakers, unusually sweet, "We're like summer and autumn, yet we always manage to turn winter into spring—"

As she sang about winter turning into spring, she squeezed herself between Yu Zhu and Liang Dong, and reached out to tug at Liang Dong's face.

As the interlude began, Liang Xia nudged Yu Zhu with her shoulder: "Get ready to sing, it's your turn."

now you.

A fleeting glimpse of Echizen Toru's face flashed before my eyes.

Yu Zhu's hand holding the microphone froze beside her face.

"You dragged me away from a snowstorm of love—"

Yu Zhu was still standing there, stunned, when Liang Xia put his arm around her shoulder and said a new sentence, "I carried you away from the shattering of a dream—"

As Liang Xia swayed to her rhythm, Yu Zhu finally came to her senses.

She slowly began, "Meeting someone and having your whole life changed... it turns out this isn't just a plot device for romance..."

Her voice, mixed in with Liang Xia's bright and clear vocals, was almost inaudible. It wasn't until the chorus that she seemed to rediscover something, slowly letting go—

Moth

If it weren't for you, I wouldn't believe it.

Friends are more devoted than lovers

Even if I'm busy with love/I've frozen you in the cold

You won't hate me/you'll just scold me a few times.

Moth

Inside the private room, the low temperature of the air conditioner gradually became insufficient to block the steam from the boiling hot pot, and the slight daze on Yu Zhu's face was washed away by the heat. Liu Zhengyang held up his phone to record them, while Liang Dong sat in a darker spot, his gaze fixed on her.

She was very close to him tonight. When she was close, he could smell the scent of shampoo in the ends of her hair. Sometimes she was far away, hidden in the gaps when she occasionally lowered her head, hidden in the way she repeatedly pursed her lips even though she wasn't drinking water.

Liang Xia got really into singing and waved his hand: "Bring on the beer! We have to drink until we drop tonight!"

Liang Dong frowned: "Sis, it's too late."

Liu Zhengyang chimed in from the side, "Little brother, the first lesson for adult gatherings is not to stop people from having fun."

Liang Dong ignored him and only looked at Yu Zhu.

Yu Zhu put down the microphone, glanced at Liang Dong, then turned to Liang Xia and said solemnly, "Wherever you go, I will follow."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Liang Xia called over a waiter, waving her hand dismissively, "Two cases of Urumqi beer, please!"

"Hey—" Liang Dong got up to stop her, but Yu Zhu held him down.

The beer was served, the bottles glistening with fine water droplets. Liang Xia pried open the caps and, like handing out milk to kindergarten children, handed one to each of them.

"Come on, my friends, let's raise a glass to the Alps!"

"Big sister, it's Asteria." Liu Zhengyang knocked his beer away and couldn't help but correct him, "You've gone all the way off to Siberia."

Yu Zhu laughed until tears welled up in her eyes. She raised her beer and bumped into them.

The beer at the KTV was bitter, with no malty flavor whatsoever, yet Yu Zhu drank it very quickly. Liang Xia brought her glass to hers, and she followed suit. Liang Dong initially hesitated, but seeing her flushed, slightly tipsy face, his tense jaw slowly relaxed.

"Drink less," he said.

Yu Zhu hummed in agreement, but her eyes remained fixed on the screen.

Liang Xia and Liu Zhengyang sang terribly, and their two microphones collided with a loud crack, making Yu Zhu cover her ears.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Liang Dong took the wine bottle in front of her.

He pushed the warm water towards her, "Drink this."

"Why do you keep making me drink water?" Yu Zhu pouted.

"I'm afraid you'll have a headache tomorrow." Liang Dong's tone was soft, with a hint of coaxing patience.

Yu Zhu stared at his drooping eyelashes for a while, then suddenly reached out and brushed a strand of hair from his forehead. Liang Dong paused, his ears slowly turning red. He didn't flinch, letting her touch him, and quickly handed her the warm water.

Moth

It was past 1 a.m. when the show ended.

The mall's roller shutter was half-drawn, and a cleaning lady pushed a mop from the end of the corridor, leaving streaks of water on the floor tiles. Liang Xia, drunk, clung to Yu Zhu, refusing to let go, insisting that Pierre Vaughan had to sing another song today. Liu Zhengyang, while helping her up, assured Liang Dong, "Don't worry, I'll take her downstairs and watch her go inside. I'll commit suicide if I lose a single hair."

Liang Xia raised her hand and slapped the back of his head: "How much is your head worth?"

Liu Zhengyang grinned as he was slapped: "Big sister, this head of yours is going to drive progress in the future."

It was a bit chilly in the early morning, so Liang Dong draped his coat over Yu Zhu. She was unsteady on her feet, her face flushed, but her eyes were bright. The smells of hot pot, alcohol, and the dampness of the night mingled together as she stepped out of the mall. A gentle gust of wind made her sway.

Liang Dong immediately grabbed her arm: "Can you walk?"

Yu Zhu pointed a finger to the sky: "It must be possible."

The next second, she almost missed a step.

Liang Dong pulled her closer to him and chuckled softly, "Yes, you can."

Yu Zhu heard him laugh at her and glared at him. That glare was weak and feeble. Liang Dong pulled her coat tighter and hailed a taxi.

The car smelled of worn leather. The driver had the radio on low, and someone on the midnight program was talking about the weather, saying it would still be hot tomorrow with scattered thunderstorms. Yu Zhu leaned back in the back seat and quickly fell asleep. She slept restlessly, her brow furrowed, her fingers still clutching the bag strap. Liang Dong sat beside her and gently pulled the strap out from between her fingers.

She didn't wake up, she just leaned slightly towards him.

Liang Dong raised his hand, paused in mid-air, and then slowly lowered it, letting only his shoulder catch her steadily. The streetlights outside the car window streaked past, falling on her face and making the blush on her cheeks flicker.

When we arrived at the entrance of the residential area, Yu Zhu was already fast asleep.

Liang Dong paid the bill and called her twice. She groggily opened her eyes, glanced at him, and then closed them again. Liang Dong didn't call her again, but slung her bag over his neck and squatted down.

"Zhuzhu, come up here."

Yu Zhu seemed to hear him, and slowly placed her hand on his shoulder.

Liang Dong carried her on his back.

She was lighter than he had imagined. The smell of alcohol emanated from her breath, not strong, mixed with the scent of shampoo in her hair. Liang Dong supported her legs with both hands, walking very slowly.

The lights in the old building's hallway had just been repaired but then broke again, leaving a dark section between the second and third floors. Yu Zhu's face was pressed against the back of his neck, her breath sweeping over him, and the muscles in his back had been tense the whole way.

Liang Dong took out his spare key and opened the door. The room was dark, and the curtains were wide open. Moonlight streamed through the window and fell on the bed, casting a slanted square shape on the blanket.

He carefully placed Yu Zhu on the bed.

She frowned the moment her head hit the pillow, as if she were restless even in her dreams. Liang Dong knelt down, took off her shoes, and pulled the blanket over her waist.

The room was filled with darkness, making it appear even more cramped than during the day.

Liang Dongxin's job paid well, and he considered moving her to a different place. But then he thought she definitely wouldn't accept it.

The smell of hot pot followed them in and slowly spread. He stood there for a moment, then turned and went into the bathroom.

When he turned on the tap, the old pipe paused for a moment before water finally came out. He wet the towel, wrung it out until it wasn't dripping, and then took it back to the bedside.

Yu Zhu was still asleep.

Liang Dong knelt beside the bed, gently wiping away the remaining makeup from her face with a towel. The foundation, affected by the heat and alcohol bubbles, left a faint trace of color. The silver foil around her eyes was firmly attached; he carefully rubbed it with the corner of the damp towel. The silver foil fell from her skin, clinging to the edge of the towel, shattering like stars falling from the sky.

Liang Dong stared at that little bit of silver.

He remembered the car at the school gate, and Etsuya Tetsu sitting in the shadows of the back seat, nodding at him through the half-lowered window. The man's smile was so perfect, so perfect that no one could find a fault with it. But the silver foil on his chin was dazzlingly bright, so bright that Liang Dong couldn't deceive himself.

He squeezed the towel for a moment, then let it go.

He didn't ask her because she didn't say anything.

Liang Dong lowered his head and continued to wipe the corners of her eyes clean. A few of her eyelashes were damp with moisture, her eyelids twitched, and she suddenly opened her eyes.

The room was too dark, and she stared at him for a long time.

Liang Dong felt a void in his heart as she looked at him.

He feared she was still dreaming, that she might mistake this place for somewhere else, and that she might call out another name. That fear came quickly, so quickly that he didn't have time to think about it.

"I am Liang Dong," he said first, his voice very soft.

Yu Zhu was stunned for a moment.

Her eyes still seemed to hold a hint of intoxication, and her reactions were slow. After a few seconds, she recognized him, her eyelashes drooping slightly before lifting again.

"You can ask," she said.

Liang Dong's hand stopped on the towel.

He thought for a moment and said calmly, "I have nothing to ask."

Yu Zhu looked at him with a serious expression: "You can ask who he is, what our relationship is—you can also ask Ji Yong, or anything else. I will answer whatever you ask."

Liang Dong smiled.

The laughter was soft, falling into the darkness, carrying a hint of youthful stubbornness. What he had suppressed at the school gate was still burning in his chest in this small room.

It would be a lie to say he wasn't angry, and it would be a lie to say he wasn't upset. The moment he saw the silver foil on Echizen Toru's face, he wanted nothing more than to drag him out of the car window and smash those respectable fake smiles with his fists.

But he didn't want to push those things in front of her.

"It's okay." Liang Dong lowered his head, then raised it again. "It doesn't matter who he is, he'll be mine from now on anyway."

Upon hearing this, Yu Zhu suddenly fell silent.

A moment later, she raised her hand.

Her fingers first touched his distinct brow bone, then gently slid from his brow bone to his straight nose.

The cool fingertips finally stopped at his lips.

Liang Dong's breath hitched.

Yu Zhu looked at him, her eyelashes wet, as if she had just walked out of a long rainy season.

"Kiss me," she suddenly said. "Is that okay?"