The next day, Yan Ningxi got up early. Ming You actually woke up when Yan Ningxi got out of bed, but she didn’t want to move or speak. Yan Ningxi didn’t call her either, so she stayed in bed until after nine.
She had thrown away the panties she wore yesterday during her bath, and she slept in her bra.
After washing her face and brushing her teeth, she went to the living room with her hair disheveled.
Yan Ningxi worked at the dining table. When she saw Ming You finish washing up, she closed her laptop, went to the kitchen, and brought out the porridge she had kept warm along with the fried eggs and chicken breast.
“Come eat breakfast.”
But Ming You stood there motionless, as if she hadn’t heard.
Her head and stomach had hurt last night, so she hadn’t paid attention to any changes in the apartment. Now she saw it—the bouquet she had abandoned on the roadside was sitting safely in a vase, blooming vibrantly.
The flowers she had thrown away had been “picked up” by Yan Ningxi.
Yan Ningxi had “picked up” the things she discarded.
Yan Ningxi had thrown away the red roses. Yan Ningxi hadn’t accepted someone else’s feelings.
“Your phone is on the coffee table. It’s fully charged.” Yan Ningxi wouldn’t explain further about picking up the flowers and putting them in the vase. She had already said what she could last night.
Ming You ate, then washed the dishes.
There were no extra words, no extra expressions.
In front of the understanding and meticulously considerate Yan Ningxi, she began to struggle to face her own “filthy” and “evil” inner thoughts. She could no longer use those insincere sweet words and fawning behaviors to “ingratiate” herself or “flatter.”
She had stayed too long in the false illusion she had built for herself, and her perception of truth and illusion had become confused.
One step forward was a mountain of blades, one step back was a sea of fire. She had trapped herself in this perilous situation of blades and fire, unable to advance or retreat.
She desperately needed an “out” to live. Otherwise, she would “die” again sooner or later.
“Read a book, watch TV, whatever you like.” Yan Ningxi moved her workspace from the living room to the bedroom, leaving more space for Ming You.
All morning, Ming You sat on the sofa with her knees hugged to her chest.
During that time, Yan Ningxi draped a blanket over her and heard a “thank you.” The two of them had no further interaction.
The fridge didn’t have much stock, so lunch was just two dishes, one meat and one vegetable. As usual, Ming You insisted on taking over the dishwashing and stove-wiping after the meal.
After finishing the chores, she refilled the hot water bottle with hot water and sat back on the sofa hugging it.
Yan Ningxi changed into going-out clothes, tied up her hair, and applied subtle light makeup.
She sat down next to Ming You and smoothed her messy hair to the sides. “You’ve been thinking all morning. What have you come up with?”
“I cursed out Teacher Qi yesterday.”
“What did you curse her for?”
“Immature. I called her immature.”
Immature? What made it immature? What had Qi Xuexin said or done to make Ming You call her that?
An image appeared in Yan Ningxi’s mind of two kindergarten kids bickering—one a miniaturized Qi Xuexin, the other a miniaturized Ming You.
The two little ones not only stood with hands on hips hurling words, but also tugged at each other’s hair.
Yan Ningxi’s face showed no change in expression, but her inner thoughts were wonderfully vivid. Both were “strangely cute.”
Ming You said, “The immature one is me.”
Going to a bar for a one-night stand—immature. Causing a scene at the wedding—immature. Using her pursuit of Yan Ningxi to get revenge on He Huan—immature. Knowing full well that Yan Ningxi’s compromises and concessions were just one of the storylines she had written in her script as the author, yet she still got immersed in the play. Controlling the heavens, the earth, and other people’s flower-receiving—immature.
One thing after another, every single one brought out her immaturity to the fullest.
Seeing the girl’s dejected appearance, Yan Ningxi pulled a milk-flavored candy from her pocket like a magician. “You didn’t say anything wrong. She is immature. But an adult’s immaturity should be measured and controlled, something she can rein in at will. And…”
The girl’s gaze finally turned to Yan Ningxi, gaining a bit of sparkle.
“Adults don’t act immature toward just anyone. An adult’s immaturity is usually only shown to those they are close to and trust.” Yan Ningxi took the girl’s left hand from her knee, opened her palm, and placed the candy in it.
“You still have time this afternoon. Think some more.” Yan Ningxi’s voice was less like an autumn breeze and more like autumn sun—cool yet warm. “But don’t think about Qi Xuexin. Think about yourself. Think about what specific aspects showed this so-called immaturity you discovered? Then work backward: Why did you realize you were immature? And why were you immature in the first place?”
“Ming You, everyone is an independent individual. Everyone’s life has its bitters and sweets. The bitters and sweets of life are randomly distributed, like opening blind boxes—we have no choice. But with candy, we can choose to only eat the sweet ones.”
Ming You stared at the candy in her palm. Milk-flavored, so under that red wrapper, it must be milk-white.
“I have something this afternoon. If it’s early, I’ll be back by five-thirty at the latest by six. For dinner, let me know if there’s anything you want to eat. I can pick it up from the shop or buy ingredients on the way back. Send me a message when you’ve decided.”
As Yan Ningxi spoke, she stood up and also ruffled the girl’s hair. “The boiled water—let it cool or mix it with mineral water before drinking. And the skincare and makeup products in the room—test for allergies before using.”
She didn’t have a huge number of skincare or makeup products, but they were all high-value big-brand items that Qi Xuexin had carefully selected for her skin type—enough for daily use.
The door opened and closed. Ming You was the only one left in the apartment, head buried in her knees.
She could clearly feel an restless demon inside her going berserk, roaring and wildly tearing at her body. Good and evil were separated by a single thought.
In those few minutes just now, if anyone else had given her that “preachy” speech, she would have exploded and lost all reason.
Yan Ningxi might just be the nemesis of the demon inside her?
…
On this early autumn day with fickle weather, the morning had thick dark clouds, but the afternoon saw the sun again.
The gentle sunlight shone into the balcony, quietly leaping into the living room, and grandly arriving beside the girl, generously enveloping her.
The thin red wrapper was torn open, and the milk-white candy was popped into her mouth. The milky fragrance overflowed.
Very sweet.
Sweeter than the honey water Yan Ningxi had given her.
At four, Ming You took down the hoodie and jeans drying on the balcony.
The clothes and pants weren’t completely dry, but they carried the long-missed scent of sunlight, as well as the same jasmine freshness as the clothes Yan Ningxi wore.
After changing, Ming You neatly folded the pajamas and placed them by the bed where she had slept. They were just pajamas—Yan Ningxi could machine-wash them anytime. But as her gaze lingered, she suddenly recalled that the color of these pajamas seemed familiar.
Dark green—not at all Yan Ningxi’s color.
Dark green was her color.
Ming You was particular about outfits but had no preferences for colors. With her fair skin, she could pull off many colors—as long as it didn’t look bad on her, she wore it.
There was also an element of deliberate choice in it. Deliberately avoiding favoritism toward any color, deliberately not letting others discern her preferences.
She had hidden her heart away.
At four-thirty, she left the apartment. First, she went to property management to rent a parking spot for a month, paid the fee, and parked the car in an inconspicuous corner on the negative first floor. Then she took a cab to the train station.
There were now three photos in her album with the bottle and flowers.
She had posted the second one on Space last night, and today she posted the third. Caption: 【Candy is sweet, and so are the flowers.】
Yan Ningxi received Ming You’s message right on time, at exactly five.
【Ming You: Clothes are dry. I’m heading back to school.】
【Ming You: See you next time, Sister Yan.】
【Yan Ningxi: Good luck with the competition.】
With no one waiting at home, she lost the mood to buy groceries and cook. From finishing work to opening her phone, she had been wondering whether the girl would pick a dish from a restaurant or one she cooked.
She had thought the girl would “stick around” and not leave.
The dark green pajamas hung on the balcony, with a small puddle of undried water beneath them.
The hot water bottle lay on the sofa next to the lemon pillow, one pink and one yellow. Yan Ningxi poured the still-warm water into the bathroom sink and dazedly wondered whether the girl had hand-washed the clothes with cold or hot water.
She hadn’t even asked today if her stomach still hurt.
October’s evening breeze was quite refreshing. Twilight shrouded the increasingly autumnal earth, adding a touch of desolation—and also a touch of parting sorrow.
【Qi Xuexin: How’d it go, Yan Huahua? It’s been a whole day and night—have you coaxed your little one yet?】
Receiving the “check-in” from her friend, Yan Ningxi replied with just two words.
【Yan Ningxi: Immature.】
【Qi Xuexin: You’re hopeless, Yan Huahua!】
They had been friends for years, and Yan Ningxi had never “cursed” her like this before. Since the word “immature” came from little Youyou’s mouth and things had progressed this far, it must mean she had successfully coaxed her.
…
On Thursday afternoon, Yan Ningxi agreed to He Huan’s shopping invitation. She had no evening self-study, and with no afternoon classes, she could have gone home early. But He Huan, as the homeroom teacher, usually stayed at school in the evenings and sometimes checked dorms.
Squeezing out a few hours after classes to shop was no problem.
The two weaved through the bustling crowds on various floors of the mall. After more than an hour, seeing Yan Ningxi carrying an unprecedented five or six bags big and small, He Huan was a bit surprised.
“Yan Yan, this is the most you’ve bought while out shopping with me.”
“Is it?” Reminded by He Huan, she realized she had bought all this miscellaneous stuff. “It’s change-of-season time. Some home essentials needed replacing too.”
“You’re right.”
At dinnertime, He Huan received a call from Jiang Bin, who said he had already reserved a spot at the restaurant.
“Yan Yan, Jiang Bin and I got married with a lot of your help, and we still haven’t treated you to a meal. No time like the present—it’s dinnertime anyway.”
“It was no trouble at all, Teacher He. No need to stand on ceremony with me. In the two years I’ve been at the school, I’ve benefited from your guidance.” Yan Ningxi wasn’t close to Jiang Bin, but since the couple was just politely expressing thanks—something Jiang Bin had mentioned at the wedding—a meal was nothing, so she went along with it.
Entering the restaurant, Jiang Bin stood to greet them. Sitting next to him was another man—the best man from the wedding.
Yan Ningxi looked puzzled at He Huan, as if asking for an explanation.
He Huan reassuringly patted Yan Ningxi’s arm. “Jiang Bin and Xu Qiao met up with old army buddies at noon. I called him over tonight to be our driver—might as well grab a casual meal. You two already met last time, right?”
Jiang Bin and Xu Qiao had served in the same unit—comrades in arms. Xu Qiao was two years younger than Jiang Bin and had just turned twenty-nine.
He wasn’t as tall or sturdy as Jiang Bin, just around one-seventy-five, with regular, upright features.
Xu Qiao had developed feelings for Yan Ningxi at the wedding and mentioned it to Jiang Bin, who had nagged He Huan several times to play matchmaker.
He Huan had immediately decided Xu Qiao wasn’t good enough for Yan Ningxi and was unwilling to risk her friendship over someone she didn’t even approve of. However, worn down by Jiang Bin’s persistence and clouded by quietly growing jealousy, she relented and agreed to this setup.
Xu Qiao gentlemanly pulled out a chair for Yan Ningxi. “Teacher Yan, we meet again. You missed the wedding after-party—you have no idea how wild they got.”
“A lively wedding is the most celebratory.” Yan Ningxi’s thoughts were a jumble.
Halfway through dinner, Jiang Bin coordinated with Xu Qiao to take the initiative and get to the point. The dinner conversation thus mainly revolved around what an upright and good man Xu Qiao was, and what requirements Teacher Yan had for a partner.
He Huan didn’t chime in much and had no real intention of fanning the flames. Yan Ningxi responded sporadically with brief answers.
Ding.
The green light at the top of the screen flashed.
Xu Qiao glanced and saw Yan Ningxi opening a chat app, so he picked up his phone too. “Teacher Yan, do you mind adding me as a friend?”
