That evening, as usual, Song Ge carefully checked the doors and windows before lying down on the sofa.
The moon shone bright.
Song Ge listened to the other soft, steady breathing in the room and gazed up at the moon, round as a jade disk. If Fan Mingyuan weren’t here, Tong Xiangyu really could stay and wait for rescue.
But the bespectacled guy wasn’t any better.
The young lady was far too beautiful. In ordinary times, that might earn her a few special favors. But in the middle of a riot or some other disaster, with no way to protect herself, that beauty would only bring trouble.
She’d known Tong Xiangyu was trouble from the moment they climbed over the wall.
With that thought, Song Ge soon fell asleep.
Early the next morning, Song Ge took Tong Xiangyu up to the rooftop.
Yes, she took Tong Xiangyu with her.
Song Ge had kept an eye on the monsters’ movements ever since she’d moved in, but only checking at lunchtime and in the evening wasn’t nearly enough.
If they were going to leave, she needed to gather more useful information.
That meant Song Ge couldn’t stay in the room all day.
The room had been safe before, but the situation had changed. If Song Ge spent too long away, Tong Xiangyu would be left alone to deal with Fan Mingyuan’s repeated attempts to harass her.
That was another kind of being left alone.
It was better to keep Tong Xiangyu by her side.
Even if Fan Mingyuan had ulterior motives, he wouldn’t dare cross a line in front of everyone.
Song Ge had chosen the rooftop because opening the first-floor door to look outside was not only risky but offered a limited view. If anyone caught her doing it, they might object or try to stop her.
The rooftop was the best option: safe, with a much wider view.
The sky was already bright.
Song Ge stood by the rooftop railing.
A few monsters with twisted limbs wandered aimlessly along the street.
Half a month had passed, but the monsters didn’t seem to have changed much in size. Either they were remarkably resistant to hunger, or they didn’t need to eat at all.
They bit people. Maybe instinct drove them to spread the virus.
So far, they didn’t seem to die naturally, either.
This part of Kecheng was around the fourth or fifth ring. The population wasn’t as dense here, and most of the people were students. As for downtown Kecheng… things there had to be bad.
But they were going to the neighboring city, not downtown.
Song Ge followed the routes with her eyes, working her way farther out. She studied them carefully, and gradually realized that every street lined up with the map Tong Xiangyu had drawn based on what the landlord had told her.
Song Ge raised an eyebrow in surprise. No wonder she’s a top student. The young lady really has a knack for this.
She turned around to look.
The top student with the knack was playing cat’s cradle with two girls who couldn’t have been ten yet. Her hair was tied in a high bun, showing off her lovely pale face. When she smiled, her eyes curved and her red lips and white teeth gleamed.
The Jiang couple were preparing breakfast nearby.
Mother Jiang was surprised, too. The beautiful girl, who looked so well-off, was actually so easygoing. There were plenty of girls among the students who ate with them, but none of them liked dealing with children. Her own daughters didn’t usually take to them, either.
“Senior Yuyu, it’s your turn,” the younger sister said.
Tong Xiangyu asked, “I hook my little finger here first, right?”
“That’s right. Hook it here,” the older sister said.
Tong Xiangyu hooked her finger into the string, then noticed someone watching her. She looked up and met Song Ge’s openly fixed gaze.
For a moment, Tong Xiangyu’s little finger curled around the string on its own, and she felt inexplicably nervous.
She hadn’t washed her hair since the water stopped running. Grandma Tian had bottled water, but water was precious. Tong Xiangyu used a little each morning to brush her teeth and wash her face, and saved the rest for drinking. It was uncomfortable, but she could put up with it under the circumstances. Still, in this light, her hair was probably starting to look greasy…
Song Ge had no idea what Tong Xiangyu was thinking. She looked at the young lady and found her gaze clear, obedient, and just a little vulnerable. It seemed as if Tong Xiangyu would get up and come over the moment Song Ge beckoned.
Song Ge suppressed the odd, mischievous impulse stirring inside her, looked away, and went back to studying the streets and the monsters.
When breakfast was ready, the Jiang couple invited them both to eat.
They’d made dumplings. They’d rolled the dough by hand and filled it with pork and greens. A big jar of chili sauce sat nearby. It seemed they’d left the chili out of the filling because they worried the two girls might not be able to eat spicy food.
Song Ge split open a dumpling, left the meat aside, and put the wrapper in Tong Xiangyu’s bowl so she could eat it with the soup.
The Jiang couple stared.
Tong Xiangyu blinked at Song Ge.
“What are you looking at?” Song Ge said. “You should be grateful I gave you some dumpling skin and soup.”
Tong Xiangyu had been in a difficult spot. There was meat in the filling, and she really didn’t want to eat it, but she hadn’t wanted to refuse the Jiang couple’s kindness, either. Song Ge’s little maneuver gave her the perfect excuse, and she looked at Song Ge gratefully.
Not that Song Ge had stopped being blunt…
Mother Jiang suddenly remembered that the pretty, pampered student had a sensitive stomach. The meat they’d used in the dumplings wasn’t very fresh, and she felt embarrassed. She hurried to her feet. “I’ll make you a bowl of noodles instead.”
Tong Xiangyu picked up her chopsticks. “No need to trouble yourself, Auntie. I can eat these. I’m trying to lose weight, anyway. I don’t want meat.”
Father Jiang, who hadn’t caught on, said, “You’re already so thin. Why are you dieting?”
Tong Xiangyu smiled. “What girl doesn’t want to be thin?”
“Me,” said Song Ge.
Tong Xiangyu stared at her.
She shot Song Ge a look that said, I get it, you’re great at ruining the moment. Don’t say anything!
Song Ge’s own observations only went so far.
No one knew the monsters’ movements better than the Jiang couple, who had been living on the rooftop for some time.
Tong Xiangyu was good with people and knew how to talk. Without revealing that they planned to leave, she quickly drew out all the information she wanted.
Tong Xiangyu asked the questions. Song Ge listened and memorized the answers.
Song Ge had a good memory. She just didn’t like using it for school.
After breakfast, Song Ge went back to the railing. She studied the routes and shops, matching them one by one with the map in her head. Then she used the distances and proportions to work out the layout of the streets she couldn’t see.
Little by little, she pieced together a complete map of a large part of Kecheng.
Nearby, the two sisters eagerly showed Tong Xiangyu the vegetables their mother had planted. Prices here weren’t as high as downtown, but the Jiang couple were used to growing their own produce in foam boxes. Grandma Tian grew flowers, so there was plenty of soil. Vegetables like cabbage, tomatoes, scallions, and sweet potato leaves were all easy to grow.
Tong Xiangyu listened attentively.
Then the older sister said, “Senior Yuyu, that quiet sister is looking at you.”
Tong Xiangyu gave a soft cough. “Don’t lie.”
“This time I’m telling the truth,” the older sister said. “The quiet sister has something to say to you, doesn’t she?”
Tong Xiangyu couldn’t help looking back. Song Ge was still by the railing, gazing into the distance. She stood tall and straight, like a pine tree beneath the blazing sun.
Tong Xiangyu turned back to the girl, who was grinning triumphantly. “Dandan, you’re lying again.”
“Hee-hee. You haven’t looked at her once since you came over here.”
Tong Xiangyu lowered her head and plucked two little weeds from a potted plant. “Why would I look at her?”
“I don’t know. You used to look at her all the time,” Dandan said. Children were naturally perceptive about things like this. She propped her chin in her hands, then tilted her head. “Senior Yuyu, are you sick? Is that why the quiet sister brings you food every day?”
“Yes,” Tong Xiangyu said. “I was sick before.”
“Don’t get sick, Senior Yuyu. Oh, I have medicine! Take one and you’ll feel better!” Dandan jumped up and scampered into the room. A moment later, she scampered back out and shoved a box of medicine into Tong Xiangyu’s hands.
Tong Xiangyu turned the box over. It read: digestive tablets.
“Mom said your stomach was bad,” Dandan said. “This medicine’s good for your stomach. Look, these are the two characters. I know them.”
“Wow, you’re so clever.” Tong Xiangyu smiled and handed the medicine back. In a gentle voice, she said, “Thank you, but Senior Yuyu is feeling better now. I don’t need medicine. You and your sister can keep it.”
“I don’t take these now, either, because my tummy doesn’t hurt.”
Tong Xiangyu thought, That’s because things aren’t exactly giving you a chance to overeat right now…
At last, Tong Xiangyu joined everyone for lunch.
When Wu Senjun saw her, it was as if the whole world had suddenly brightened. If Liu Qian hadn’t been holding him back, he would have rushed right over to talk to her.
Song Ge saw that all the students had gathered except Fan Mingyuan, who was missing again.
Remembering what Tong Xiangyu had told her the night before, Song Ge guessed that he was probably standing outside their room on the first floor, pouring his heart out to thin air. She clicked her tongue in disdain.
They were having rice for lunch. As usual, meat took center stage, with a few vegetables on the side.
With the power out, the meat had been impossible to preserve. Even salted, it wouldn’t keep; the rancid smell only grew stronger. They had to eat it as soon as possible.
There were vegetables, but they didn’t grow fast. No one knew when the rescue teams would arrive, so the little they had needed to last.
With so many dishes on the table, Tong Xiangyu hardly knew where to start. Luckily, she didn’t have much of an appetite. She ate half a bowl of rice and a little sweet-and-sour tomato and egg, then stopped.
At the table, Wu Senjun repeatedly tried to put food in Tong Xiangyu’s bowl. Each time, Liu Qian held her own bowl out and caught it instead, leaving Wu Senjun looking none too pleased.
Liu Qian ignored his expression and asked Tong Xiangyu how she was feeling. Tong Xiangyu smiled and said, “Thank you, Sister. I’m feeling much better.”
Lunch went pleasantly enough.
Watching Tong Xiangyu, Zhu Lulu felt a quiet thrill at sharing a table with her role model. She was also worried she wouldn’t know how to start a conversation.
Only after lunch, when she saw Tong Xiangyu hadn’t left right away, did Zhu Lulu finally find the courage to approach her.
“S-Senior Tong.”
Tong Xiangyu looked at her, surprised. “Hello?”
“M-My name is Zhu Lulu. I go to Kecheng High School, too.” Zhu Lulu clenched her fists, trying hard to stay calm. “Senior, I’ve always looked up to you. You’re so beautiful, but you still study so hard. You’re so good at everything.”
Tong Xiangyu’s eyes curved into a smile, and her voice was gentle and soft. “But what does being pretty have to do with studying?”
“It does!” Zhu Lulu said. “Kecheng’s a top high school, but a lot of the girls in my class who are even a little pretty start dating boys, and then their grades suffer.”
Tong Xiangyu smiled softly.
Seeing her smile made Zhu Lulu blush even more. By the end, she could barely look at her. “Senior Tong, you’re so pretty, and you’re such a good person. You’re kind, gentle, and easy to talk to.”
“By your logic, does that mean pretty girls aren’t kind?”
“N-No, not exactly,” Zhu Lulu said. “But they act like they’re better than everyone else. They make us ordinary girls feel inferior. I keep thinking about how you’re so beautiful, you’re top of the year, and your family’s so well-off, but you never act superior. So what gives them the right to behave that way? It’s kind of unfair.”
“Why are you sticking up for me?” Tong Xiangyu said gently. “I don’t think I’m that pretty. Beauty is a very personal, subjective thing. You might think someone’s beautiful and another person might not. Someone else might be beautiful to them, but not to you. So don’t worry too much about it. And who says you’re ordinary? I think your round face is adorable.”
Zhu Lulu looked at her, nervous and overwhelmed by the compliment.
“What, you don’t believe me?” Tong Xiangyu thought for a moment, then decided to give her an example. She turned toward Song Ge, who was busy with something else, and pointed discreetly. “What do you think of Song Ge?”
Zhu Lulu looked over. She was a little torn. She knew the two of them seemed close, so she didn’t want to say anything unkind. In the end, she could only stammer, “Senior Song is a little cold. She doesn’t seem very approachable. I guess she’s the kind of person who’s hard to get along with.”
“What about her looks?” Tong Xiangyu asked. “Do you think she’s pretty?”
Zhu Lulu looked again.
Bright sunlight fell across Song Ge. She was tall and slender, with well-proportioned features. Short hair might not be every girl’s preference, but when Zhu Lulu looked closely at her face, she saw that Song Ge had lovely double eyelids and a straight nose, high but not too high. Her upper lip was thin and her lower lip fuller. Put together, her features were far prettier than those of ordinary girls like them—even if her skin wasn’t as pale as theirs.
After considering it carefully, Zhu Lulu answered, “She’s pretty.”
Tong Xiangyu was instantly stumped. She’d assumed Zhu Lulu would say Song Ge wasn’t that pretty. She’d already prepared a whole string of compliments to use as an example and drive home her point that beauty was subjective.
But Zhu Lulu had said Song Ge was pretty.
Tong Xiangyu hesitated, wondering if she should quietly say the opposite. Before she could, Song Ge seemed to sense them looking and glanced over.
Tong Xiangyu felt as if she’d been caught doing something behind Song Ge’s back. Her heart began to pound, and she guiltily looked away. She took Zhu Lulu farther off and whispered, “Let’s use someone else as an example. How about Fan Mingyuan? You know him, right? What do you think of his looks?”
“He’s so handsome!” Zhu Lulu answered without hesitation. Her eyes lit up as she looked at Tong Xiangyu. “Senior Fan is the school hunk, and he’s your admirer, isn’t he, Senior Tong?”
“No.” This time Tong Xiangyu was completely firm. “He’s not my type at all. I don’t feel a thing for him.”
Zhu Lulu was stunned. “You think Senior Fan is just average-looking? Then what is your type?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t met anyone I like yet, so I don’t know what my type is.”
“Then do you think Senior Song is pretty?”
Tong Xiangyu propped her chin on her hand and turned to look at Song Ge, who was no longer paying them any attention. Her gaze lingered on Song Ge for two seconds before she looked away. In a soft but certain voice, she said, “I think she’s beautiful.”
Zhu Lulu’s eyes lit up again. “So our tastes aren’t completely different!”
“Right.” Tong Xiangyu smiled, her eyes curving. “That’s the strange thing about beauty.”
That evening, Song Ge asked Tong Xiangyu what she and the younger student had talked about all afternoon. Tong Xiangyu said they’d been discussing the philosophy of life and Song Ge definitely wouldn’t be interested.
Song Ge said, “I see. I could never understand the world of top students.”
Tong Xiangyu hurried to explain. “That’s not what I meant. Don’t twist my words.”
Song Ge smiled.
Tong Xiangyu looked at her and suddenly said, “You should smile more, Song Ge. You look prettier when you smile.”
Song Ge stopped smiling at once and raised an eyebrow. “Oh.”
“…” Tong Xiangyu said, “Song Ge, you’re so rebellious. How old are you? Have you turned three yet?”
“I don’t know. Probably almost.”
“Wow, you actually played along.”
Song Ge stopped humoring the young lady with this nonsense and said, “You fit in fast. One day, and you’ve charmed everyone from the kids to the grown-ups.”
“Not at all,” Tong Xiangyu said. “Uncle and Auntie Jiang are just nice people. Dandan and Yingying are little kids. They’re nice to everyone. Zhu Lulu is my junior, and she said she looks up to me. The doctor is naturally friendly, too.”
“What about the girls from No. 2 High? They’re arts students. Did you have anything in common with them?”
“They joined me in trash-talking Fan Mingyuan.”
“…” Song Ge had no idea what to make of the strange friendships between girls.
