Mud beads

Yu Zhu's belated rebellious phase has finally arrived.

After the outburst in the hospital ward that night, she began to reject everything.

She refused to take medicine, refused IV drips, and refused to cooperate with any examinations. The doctor arranged psychological counseling for her, but she kicked the psychologist out of the room; the rehabilitation therapist brought a white cane and training equipment, but she threw them on the ground as soon as she touched them; the colorful pills were placed on her bedside table, but no one could persuade her to swallow them, even after they became damp and soft.

She becomes irritable and sensitive whenever someone gets close.

Even if the other person has already told her where they are standing, she will still tense up the moment their skin touches her, like an animal forced into a narrow corner.

The doctors and nurses gradually ran out of options for her.

Her other injuries have gradually stabilized. The swelling has subsided, the wounds have scabbed over, and her vital signs are gradually returning to normal. Only her impaired vision still needs to be examined, but Yu Zhu refuses any new treatment.

White walls, fixed hospital beds, windows that can't be opened, and people who show up on time every day.

The ward lost its purpose of treatment and eventually became a prison, and the prisoners inside no longer seemed to yearn for the light.

Moth

Echizen Toru still took her away.

He owns a lakeside apartment in the suburbs, a gift from a developer two years ago. The apartment is on the ground floor, less than 200 square meters, and has been vacant since basic renovations were completed. The surroundings are quiet; outside the floor-to-ceiling windows is a neatly manicured green space, and further out is a wetland, a year-round habitat for flocks of waterbirds. During the day, the wind blows across the lake, and occasionally one can hear the flapping of birds' wings and their calls of varying lengths. At night, even the sound of passing vehicles is rare.

Before Echizen moved in with Yu Zhu, he had the entire house renovated.

The glass coffee table and display cabinet were removed, leaving only a sofa, dining table, and a few lightweight chairs in the living room. Thick carpets were laid on the floor, and all the protruding corners in the house were covered with safety strips. Knives and porcelain in the kitchen were all locked in cabinets, and even the windows were restricted from opening.

The cleaning and cooking are done by the same housekeepers who come and go on time every day. Before leaving each time, they always lock the cabinets again and return the keys to Etsuya.

Tetsuya Koshima also moved here from Tsukien.

Aside from work that required him to go out, he was almost always within Yu Zhu's audible range.

The guest bedroom and study were combined into a spacious office area. The bed and wardrobe originally intended for guests were removed, leaving only the master bedroom in the entire house.

He had a long sofa placed near the window.

When he didn't need to go out, he would take phone calls and read documents in his study during the day, and at night he would naturally go into the master bedroom, lie down on the not-so-spacious sofa, and keep a seemingly restrained distance from her.

But this boundary only exists when Yu Zhu is awake.

Once her breathing had calmed down, he would get up from the sofa, walk barefoot across the carpet, and lie down on her other side. He seemed to truly believe that as long as he didn't reach out to hug her, it wasn't an intrusion, and as long as she didn't wake up, there was no question of rejection.

Yu Zhu doesn't always sleep soundly.

One night, she turned over in bed and her hand touched the man's warm chin. She paused for a moment, then raised her hand and slapped him hard.

Echizen Toru whispered, "It's me."

These two words enraged her completely. She hit and pushed him, finally biting his arm until she tasted blood before letting go.

After that night, Toru Echizen still slept on the sofa, and would still lie on the other side of the bed after she fell asleep, waiting for her to find out and then beat him.

They gradually fell into a pathological cycle of stability.

Moth

Yu Zhu began to make things difficult for him in every possible way.

But in Echizen Toru's eyes, she was ridiculously wicked.

She had never truly been a bad child and didn't know how to accurately hurt someone.

But he was happy to play along with her act of anger.

She pushes the water glass to the ground, and he will deliberately breathe louder; she throws clothes out of his closet through the window and exposes his misdeeds during his meetings, and he will lower his voice and ask her if she finds it amusing; she stuffs his pillow into the sink and pours his toiletries into the toilet, and he pretends to be angry as he cleans up, deliberately making smacking noises.

Yu Zhu couldn't see his face.

She was unaware that he was observing her, nor did she know that a knowing smile often played on his lips as he bent down to pick up those things. Sometimes he would stand quietly behind her, watching her grope around, searching for something to destroy.

She thought she had finally found a way to make him angry.

He then made her believe that she had succeeded.

Occasionally, she actually does it.

Moth

In the middle of the night, Yu Zhu suddenly sat up in bed.

"Toru Koshima".

The bedroom was quiet when her voice suddenly rang out, carrying a tremor like someone waking from a nightmare.

Almost as soon as she spoke, Echizen Toru opened his eyes and reached out to turn on the wall lamp next to the sofa.

The dim light fell on Yu Zhu's face, making her bloodshot eyes glisten with tears. She stared intently at him, her face slightly turned away from his.

"What's wrong?"

I'm hungry.

Echizen paused for a few seconds, then picked up his phone.

3:07 AM.

She rarely said she was hungry. Most of the time, when food was placed in front of her, she would just coldly push it away. Even if he half-forced her to eat, she would quickly spit it out.

He lifted the blanket and got off the sofa.

What would you like to eat?

Yu Zhu did not answer immediately.

She sat on the bed, her fingers slowly twisting the corner of the blanket. Yuejian Tetsu didn't urge her; he sat down at the corner of the bed, his broad shoulders drooping with drowsiness, quietly awaiting her answer.

She finally spoke: "Beef noodles."

Toru Eshima walked into the kitchen.

The refrigerator was well-stocked, and the contents were changed almost every other day. A piece of fresh beef sat on the crisper drawer, glistening faintly under the light of the preservation lamp.

He took the beef out of the refrigerator, then pulled out a kitchen knife from deep inside the cupboard. He stood in front of the island for a while, holding the knife, before finally putting it down and going back to his bedroom to take out his phone and start searching for recipes for beef noodles.

The steps on the page are explained in great detail.

The beef needs to be cut into chunks, blanched, and then stewed with spices. Toru Koshima rarely goes into the kitchen, but following the recipe is never difficult for him.

The kitchen gradually filled with the aroma of beef and spices.

The timer went off; the noodles were cooked. He checked the time; it was just past four.

He ladled the noodles into a bowl, added the stewed beef and blanched vegetables, and then tasted the soup with a spoon. It wasn't quite as good as the aunt's, but there wasn't anything obviously wrong with it.

Yu Zhu had already walked out of the bedroom on her own.

She wore a long-sleeved white nightgown, the hem of which reached her knees. With one hand on the wall, she walked barefoot across the thick carpet toward the table.

Echizen placed the noodles on the dining table and went over to help her, but she waved him away.

He didn't insist, but simply pulled out a chair for her.

Yu Zhu groped her way to sit down.

Koshima Toru pushed the bowl to her right and put the chopsticks into her palm.

"It's hot, blow on it."

She didn't respond.

Yu Zhu tapped her chopsticks a few times in the bowl, then picked up a small handful of noodles. She lowered her head and took a bite, chewing slowly, before scooping up some soup.

After tasting the soup, she suddenly stopped.

"What's wrong?" Toru Echizen leaned against the table, looking at her with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows and his arms crossed. "Is it not good?"

Yu Zhu put the chopsticks back on the table.

"wrong."

Echizen Toru raised an eyebrow slightly: "Something's not right?"

Yu Zhu slowly turned her face.

She didn't answer him, but simply raised her hand and swept it sharply in front of her.

The bowl was overturned on the table.

The dark brown broth, coating the noodles and beef, spilled across the table, some cascading down the edge and onto the floor, while some landed directly on Yu Zhu's thighs. Her thin nightgown was instantly soaked, but she seemed oblivious, remaining seated.

The bowl rolled once on the table and fell onto the thick carpet with a soft thud.

As Toru Echizen watched the steam rise from the tabletop, the amused smile on his face vanished completely.

He stared at her for two seconds, then grabbed her arm and pulled her up from the chair. He half-dragged, half-lifted her across the living room, straight into the bathroom, and pushed her under the shower.

The icy water was poured over my head.

As the water rushed towards her, Yu Zhu instinctively turned her face slightly, then silently straightened up. Her short hair was quickly soaked, clinging to her thin cheeks, and her white nightgown clung tightly to her body like a bird's folded wings.

The water kept pouring down, but she neither dodged nor raised her hand to shield herself.

Echizen Toru stood before her, his chest heaving violently, and a genuine rage finally flashed in his narrow eyes.

Hearing his heavy breathing, Yu Zhu finally showed a long-lost smile.