Mud beads

Liang Dong took a shower before leaving the house. He shaved too hastily and cut a small piece on his chin, causing a bead of blood to appear, which he wiped away with cold water.

Before going upstairs, his agent took a clean set of clothes from the trunk and handed it to him. The tags had been removed, and there was a stiff crease on the back of the clothes. The agent kept urging him to button up his cuffs and pressed down his collar with his palm, repeatedly telling him, "Don't talk too much inside. If Mr. He tells you to drink, then drink."

The second hot dish in the private room had already gone cold.

The round table was large, but only seven people were seated. Mr. He sat next to the head of the table, pouring tea for a gray-haired man. Liang Dong had seen that man on set—Director Zhou. After filming began, he had only seen him a few times from afar behind the monitor; he hadn't had a chance to speak.

There was also a young actor at the table, surnamed Tang. He was originally slated to play the fourth male lead in the movie, and would be joining the crew next week. His role was much more important than Liang Dong's, and he usually had an assistant with him. But tonight, he was sitting alone in the seat closest to the door, his glass of white wine untouched, and his chopsticks clean.

As Liang Dong entered, President He looked up and said, "You've arrived."

The agent first smiled apologetically, "There was a traffic jam on the way, I'm so sorry. Xiaodong, please say hello to Director Zhou and the other teachers."

Liang Dong walked to the table, called out to everyone in turn, and finally looked at Director Zhou, bowing: "It was my fault today, I caused trouble for the crew."

Director Zhou, holding a cup of tea, didn't invite him to sit down: "Do you know how many scenes have been cancelled?"

Two games.

"Lights up, extras arrived, cameras on. Over a hundred people are waiting for you." Director Zhou looked at him, smiled, and said, "Trying to act like a big shot?"

Liang Dong did not explain.

Mr. He pushed the empty glass in front of him, and the agent immediately picked up the decanter and poured half a glass of baijiu.

Liang Dong took it, tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp: "I'm sorry, Director Zhou, the later scenes can be scheduled earlier, night scenes are fine too. I'll make up for it."

The liquor was strong, burning down his throat. He hadn't eaten anything properly all day, his stomach was empty, and the heat made him frown.

A well-dressed middle-aged woman at the table smiled and said, "Young man, health is your most valuable asset."

Director Zhou then pointed to the chair next to him: "Sit down."

The waiter brought another set of chopsticks and a bowl. The agent sat down to Liang Dong's right, nudging him with his knee under the table, indicating that the matter was half resolved.

The conversation about movies returned during the dinner.

Director Zhou didn't like to mince words; all his questions were about filming. He asked which set needed to be demolished tomorrow, which rain scene needed to be reshot, and whether the actors' schedules could be rescheduled. General Manager He chimed in, his tone unhurried, but everyone at the table listened intently.

When asked about the availability of the fourth male lead, the young actor surnamed Tang put down his chopsticks.

Mr. He glanced at him: "Xiao Tang has a show next week, and the platform is pressuring him. The film crew also has to postpone it by a few days this month, so the two clash."

"We can promote the program," Xiao Tang said immediately.

"Breach of contract is money too." Mr. He smiled. "Your company has already talked to the producer, so don't overwork yourself. We'll readjust the rest of the film's content."

Xiao Tang didn't say anything more.

His agent wasn't there, so no one could relay his words. A waiter came in to change plates, and he stepped back, his arm brushing against his glass. A little liquor spilled, landing on the tablecloth and wetting a small circle.

Director Zhou took a cigarette from the pack, but didn't light it. He looked at Liang Dong first and said, "I watched the rough cut of your two scenes from a few days ago."

Liang Dong looked up.

"To be honest, I think your acting was just average." Director Zhou lit a cigarette, glanced at the middle-aged woman sitting next to him, turned his head, and smiled. "But President Lin said your eyes are expressive."

The private room fell silent for a moment.

The agent immediately nudged Liang Dong's leg under the table: "Xiao Dong, hurry up and toast President Lin."

Liang Dong stood up again.

Another half cup.

"Xiao Dong, did you understand? This role was strongly recommended by President Lin." President He gestured with his lip. "Go, go and toast President Lin."

Liang Dong held his wine glass, his gaze first falling on Xiao Tang.

Xiao Tang was also looking at him, still smiling, but her hands were folding and refolding her napkin. The words "change people" hadn't even been uttered in her previous remarks. Yet the seat was already empty, and everyone at the table was waiting for Liang Dong to sit down.

Without further hesitation, Liang Dong got up, walked to the woman's side, and bent down to hand her a wine glass.

"Thank you for your kind offer, Mr. Lin."

"Not really." The woman laughed heartily, placed her hand on Liang Dong's upper arm, and patted it. "Young man, keep up the good work."

Liang Dong froze for a moment, then raised his arm and drank the wine in his glass in one gulp.

Seeing that Liang Dong had finished his drink, General Manager He picked up his glass and said, "That's the kind of drive young people need."

People at the table raised their glasses one after another. Xiao Tang sat for two seconds, then picked up the glass in front of him that hadn't been touched. He touched the glass to Liang Dong across the round table, but the rim of his glass didn't touch; it just paused in mid-air.

"Congratulations."

Liang Dong drank his third cup.

In the latter half of the interview, the conversation shifted from the movie to its promotion. Mr. Lin asked him how old he was, whether he had ever filmed anything before, and why his live stream had suddenly stopped. Liang Dong answered each question.

Finally, when asked, Mr. Lin looked up at him and asked, "Who did you run off to see after leaving the film set today?"

The agent's hand stopped on the wine bottle.

"Family members," Liang Dong said.

"girlfriend?"

Liang Dong was silent for a moment.

The image of Yu Zhu standing by the window of her new apartment flashed through my mind. The sunset glow fell between her delicate eyebrows and eyes, like a layer of faded red makeup.

Liang Dong lowered his head and gave a brief smile: "I don't have a girlfriend."

The woman nodded and didn't ask any further questions. She then turned to Mr. He and said, "These days, a clean image is the most important thing for idols."

This statement was quickly overshadowed by new words. The agent placed a piece of fish on Liang Dong's plate and quietly urged him to eat. Liang Dong looked down at the fish in his bowl; the bones had already been removed by the waiter, leaving a white piece soaking in the broth.

He picked it up and ate it slowly.

The dinner party ended after 11 p.m.

Xiao Tang didn't wait for the elevator and went downstairs through the emergency exit. Director Zhou was flanked by President He and President Lin on either side as they walked ahead. Liang Dong's agent held back, waiting for the group to enter the elevator first before leading him to the next one.

The company's nanny van was parked outside the restaurant.

As soon as Liang Dong got into the car, his agent closed the door and let out a long sigh of relief.

"Consider yourself lucky, kid. Director Zhou hates actors quitting at the last minute, and President He and President Lin put in a lot of good words for him beforehand." He loosened his collar and continued his tirade, "Be there at 5:30 tomorrow, not a minute late. Don't sleep tonight, go read the new script right away, those scenes from before still need to be reshot. The company has already spoken to the platform, the live streaming account will be handed over to the operations team, so don't post anything recklessly."

The carriage was filled with the lingering smells of a few people from a dinner party. Liquor, hot food, perfume, and cigarettes mingled together in the cold air from the air conditioner. Liang Dong rolled down the window beside him a crack, letting in a night breeze that dispersed some of the cloying odors that had settled in his nostrils.

The agent continued, "Dating is the worst thing you can do in this industry. You don't have enough fans yet. If things really get out of hand, even the slightest rumor will be dug up. Whatever image the company creates for you, that's the image you'll project. Do you understand?"

"I heard you." Liang Dong looked down and took out his phone.

Yu Zhu had messaged him half an hour ago, asking if he had arrived. Since he didn't reply immediately, she wouldn't keep asking him one message after another, always maintaining a distance that made him feel a little distant.

As the alcohol took effect, the words on the keyboard became a little blurry. He typed, one word at a time: Don't worry, I just fell asleep. Remember not to get your feet wet yet, and make sure to lock the door tonight.

Shortly after the message was sent, Yu Zhu replied with a "Yes, ma'am" emoji and added: Goodnight, Mr. Rabbit Head.

Liang Dong stared at the line of words for a moment, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

The agent was flipping through notices beside her, the papers rustling as she talked non-stop. Liang Dong exited WeChat and opened a shopping app. Her shopping cart was full of items: a cream-colored dressing chair, a pair of plush slippers, a 30-liter oven, two narrow-necked glass vases, a set of plates…

He clicked on each item one by one to make the payment.

After entering the password, the page displayed a series of successful payment notifications. The estimated delivery time was within two days; some were for apartments on the third floor of older buildings, while others were for newer apartments on the seventeenth floor.

With his shopping cart empty, the restlessness in his heart subsided a little.

The city outside the window was still wide awake. It was almost midnight, and the Google screens on the mall exteriors were still changing colors in rotation. People crowded outside bars waiting for rides, and white smoke from late-night food stalls spread along the street. Taxis, designated drivers, and food delivery riders were stuck at red lights, their brake lights overlapping, illuminating half the street in bright red.

Liang Dong looked at the face in the car window, sandwiched between the flowing neon lights and shadows, and slowly closed his eyes.

Moth

Yu Zhu rested at home for three days. After three days, she went to the institution for classes as usual.

Old Xiao called her into his office. He was very polite and first asked her how she was feeling. He then said that she didn't need to rush the rest of her classes.

"School's starting soon," Yu Zhu said. "I won't be coming for the last few days of summer vacation."

"Okay." Old Xiao agreed readily. "You don't need to worry about the classes. If you want to come back after the semester starts, just contact me."

Yu Zhu nodded: "Thank you, Mr. Xiao."

Lao Xiao didn't mention the charity gala, and Yu Zhu didn't ask either.

The organization's official WeChat account posted photos of the event. Children stood on a brightly lit stage, and Lao Xiao and the organizers shook hands in front of the sign-in wall. The caption read, "The charity gala has come to a successful close." The photos didn't show the corridor, the swimming pool, or Mr. Jiang.

Yu Zhu had expected the police to take her statement, but the bottle of red wine, the blood on the carpet, and the fading splashing sounds in the pool all seemed to have been left behind that night, without leaving any record. Classes continued as usual, parents renewed their fees as usual, and when the elevator doors opened, the receptionist still greeted them with a smile and a welcome.

Cheng Fu never came to work again.

Her workstation remained untouched; the perfume, lipstick, and silver cup on her desk were all in their original places. Some said she had changed jobs, while others said she had gone abroad again. When a teacher asked about Teacher Cheng at the regular meeting, Lao Xiao simply said coldly that she had someone else to arrange things for her and that everyone should not inquire.

Yu Zhu did not send a message to Cheng Fu.

The red wine that night, the fitting room, the person who showed up early—that's enough. She has a clear conscience, so there's no need for her to hide. And whoever has a guilty conscience, there's no need to say more.

After leaving the emergency room that day, she would occasionally dream of rain in the mountains, and upon waking, she would always subconsciously reach for her phone by the bedside. She never asked about Etsuya Toru's condition; in her memory, that endless mountain path seemed to have reached its end.

August passed quickly.

September marked the start of the new school year, and the summer heat in Chang'an gradually subsided. Freshmen, dragging their suitcases, crowded around the school gate, while a row of recruitment tents for student clubs were erected under the trees. Yu Zhu was now a sophomore, her schedule fuller than last year, and her textbooks thicker.

She continued to go to the institution three times a week, scheduled for afternoons when she didn't have evening classes. When Mili saw her, she ran over holding a dog plush toy and asked if she had gone to Emerald City on a business trip. Yu Zhu smiled and said no, it was just that the way back was a bit long.

Life gradually returned to its original order.

Classes, library, institutions, rented room. Part-time income is meager, but when combined with living expenses, it's enough for her to pay rent, food, and add a little to her loan repayment schedule.

Liang Dong has been filming in other places.

His location changed constantly with his work schedule; one day he was at a film studio, the next he was in the south with a film crew. The two rarely saw each other, and their conversations always seemed to fall apart. When Yu Zhu woke up in the morning, she would see his message from the early hours of the morning saying he had finished work; when she finished class in the evening, he might have just finished his makeup and only had time to reply with a blurry photo from the set.

After the items for the new apartment were delivered one after another, the property management contacted Yu Zhu to open the door. Yu Zhu took her room key and went over, watching the deliveryman unpack the cardboard boxes and put the oven into the kitchen. The two glass vases, which were currently empty, were washed and placed upside down on the dining table to dry.

She only went to the new house once a week to ventilate it, water the new potted plants, and air out the blankets on the balcony. The house gradually accumulated more belongings, but Liang Dong never returned.

One afternoon in mid-September, Yu Zhu finished teaching a reading class at the institution and was putting the books that the children had messed up back into the low cabinet one by one when her phone suddenly rang.

On the screen is Toru Etsuma.

She glanced at it for two seconds and then immediately closed it.

Some children were still in the classroom, not yet picked up by their parents, hunched over their desks coloring paper figures. The colored pencils scratched across the paper. Yu Zhu put her phone on silent and continued collecting books.

Less than half a minute later, the screen lit up again.

It's Toru Echizen's WeChat account:

Moth

Your sister is at Yueyuan.