TSMLI Chapter 24

At that time Lin Chu was eating hot pot. Shi Tingting had set up a table in the living room, which was now only the size of a passageway. She had pulled a power strip from her bedroom and plugged in two electric fans, sending the heat and smell of the hot pot swirling in every direction.

Sang Feiyan picked up a chicken wing still stained with blood, threw it back into the pot, and continued talking. “My boyfriend and I have been in a long-distance relationship for two years. Looking back now, those two years actually went by pretty fast. Who says long-distance relationships are destined to end? We’re doing just fine!”

Shi Tingting took three cans of drinks from the refrigerator and said, “Don’t be so naive. The man has been out there alone for two years, and you only see each other once a month. Can he stand it? Doesn’t he want it? He can’t always solve it by himself. Who knows if he asked someone else for help!”

Lin Chu had just put a meatball in her mouth when she accidentally bit her tongue. She winced in pain, her face turning red.

Shi Tingting and Sang Feiyan never held back when they chatted. They thought Lin Chu was easy to get along with, so they hid nothing from her. After talking about some slightly suggestive topics for a while, Shi Tingting asked Lin Chu, “Don’t you have a boyfriend? I didn’t see anyone else come to see you when you injured your leg.”

Lin Chu nodded. “I’m single.”

Shi Tingting laughed. “Then you must have high standards. With your looks you’re bound to have many suitors!”

Just as Lin Chu was about to offer a few modest words, a knock sounded at the door. Sang Feiyan, who was closer, said while chewing on enoki mushrooms, “I’ll get it, I’ll get it!” She put down her chopsticks and ran to open the door. After a creak she muttered, “I’ll go!”

Sang Feiyan tucked the hair behind her ear, revealing her most exquisite profile, and said with a smile, “You are…”

The man answered in a low voice, “Hello, I’m looking for Lin Chu.”

The hot pot was bubbling away, the sound carrying into the room yet remaining muffled and indistinct. Shi Tingting called out loudly, “Sang Sang, who is that?”

Sang Feiyan rushed back and pointed at Lin Chu. “Go, a handsome guy is looking for you!” The building had a rule that men were not allowed inside, so even the most handsome man could only be kept outside the door.

Lin Chu chewed on some seaweed, her tongue still a little sore. With her cheeks puffed out she mumbled, “Looking for me?” She pushed back her stool and walked toward the door, glancing outside with a puzzled look. Startled to see Shen Zhongxun blocking most of the light in the hallway, she stammered, “How come you…”

Shen Zhongxun smelled the aroma drifting from inside and saw Lin Chu’s bright red lips, knowing they were eating hot pot. He said, “I called your cell phone but no one answered, so I came upstairs to find you.” The screen door of room 1101 across the hall was closed, and an elderly person was walking back and forth inside. Shen Zhongxun had easily found room 1102.

Lin Chu’s phone was in the bedroom, and she had not heard it ring. She calmed her panic and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Shen Zhongxun glanced into the room. The cement floor and partitioned spaces were clearly visible, showing that Lin Chu’s living conditions were rather poor. He frowned and simply said, “Shall we talk at the door?”

Lin Chu was considering whether to turn him away and go back to her hot pot when Shen Zhongxun turned around, walked to the elevator, pressed the button, and looked back at her. “Let’s go. Let’s go downstairs and talk.”

Lin Chu could not help but sigh. Her repeated refusals had been useless, and instead she had ended up doing that with him in the car. While hating him she was also angry with herself. There was no way to escape now. She needed a resolution eventually.

Although the weather was muggy, a breeze stirred at night, carrying a slight warmth that eased the heat somewhat.

It was the hour for after-dinner strolls, and small groups of people had gathered in every direction of the neighborhood. Children on roller skates, their red and blue lights flashing, darted around in front of their friends, laughing and playing. One child, oblivious to the road ahead, bumped headfirst into Shen Zhongxun’s leg. His bare head throbbed with pain and he fell to the ground. Shen Zhongxun grabbed him by the collar, lifted him up, and patted his head gently, trying to sound kind. “Does it hurt? Be careful when you skate!”

The child was polite and said loudly, “Thank you, Uncle!” He then turned and called to his friends to follow him before darting away like an eel into the distance.

Shen Zhongxun led Lin Chu toward the pavilion, where only two streetlights were lit, leaving the space dim. Several cars were parked around it, forming a natural barrier, and few people would look in that direction.

Shen Zhongxun cut to the chase. “Is there a new man in your department?”

Lin Chu was taken aback and asked, puzzled, “Yes, what’s wrong?”

Shen Zhongxun stared at her expression. “Did you leave work with him today?”

Lin Chu’s heart pounded. Her first thought was that Shen Zhongxun had sent someone to follow her, but then she decided she was being silly. It was clearly a fantasy, just a plot from a novel. Little did she know that this plot would actually happen in the future. At this moment she only said, “Wait a minute. Why are you asking this? What do you want from me?”

Shen Zhongxun felt she still had not figured things out. He had originally planned to give her two days to process everything, yet he had not been able to resist rushing over. He looked at her intently and asked thoughtfully, “Lin Chu, what do you think our relationship is right now?”

Before she could answer he continued, “Do you think our relationship hasn’t changed after yesterday? Lin Chu, I’m not that kind of person. We’re boyfriend and girlfriend now, and I hope you realize that and keep a certain distance from other male colleagues.”

Lin Chu was dumbfounded. Her gaze shifted and she regarded him as an outsider. She blurted out, “Manager Shen, aren’t you being too arrogant!”

Shen Zhongxun nodded slightly. “Perhaps, but what I think is also the truth. I kissed you.” He tore away Lin Chu’s pretense and said bluntly, “You didn’t completely resist either.”

Lin Chu blushed and immediately denied it. “What nonsense are you talking about? I won’t hold yesterday’s matter against you. Please don’t bring it up again!”

Worried that she would grow angry, Shen Zhongxun simply returned to the original question. “Okay, I won’t mention it. What’s going on between you and that male colleague?”

Lin Chu glared at him, clearly angry. Shen Zhongxun took a step closer. “Let me analyze this for you from the beginning. Your mother is forcing you to go on blind dates, and you’ve never liked any of them. My conditions are much better than those of your blind dates, and I like you too. I’m the most suitable candidate, and our relationship has already progressed further. You have to admit that. Now, even if you don’t like me, I don’t want you to have any relationship with other men. As far as I know, all your colleagues in the department are female except for your director. This male colleague is probably new and hasn’t been there long. You can completely keep your distance from him. I’ve been going to the city a lot lately. If you need someone to pick you up after work, I can do it. You don’t need him!”

Lin Chu was stunned, half amused and half exasperated. She found Shen Zhongxun’s self-absorbed manner truly unbelievable. Her chest heaving, she said, “You’re overthinking it. You’re really overthinking it, Manager Shen. It’s none of your business who I’m with or who picks me up from work. We just kissed. I’ll just consider it as being taken advantage of. Let me tell you…” She immediately fell silent, covered her mouth, and took a step back, only to touch the stone pillar of the pavilion. Her nose felt hot as his lips briefly brushed against hers before pulling away.

The dim yellow light concealed the slight blush on her face, which was flushed with anxiety. Shen Zhongxun said in a low voice, “Don’t say things out of anger. I heard that you left work with a male colleague today, and I felt a little uncomfortable. I didn’t contact you all day because I was afraid you were still angry. I wanted to give you some time. Lin Chu, how about I pick you up from work tomorrow?”

Under the dark night sky his voice was low and deep, almost hypnotic. Lin Chu’s heart pounded like a drum. She suppressed the urge to hit him, her face flushed, and leaned back. She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth. “I don’t like you. Don’t come looking for me!” But she did not feel relieved after saying it. Instead she felt even more suffocated.

Shen Zhongxun patted her head. “Never mind. You go back first and wait for my call.”

Lin Chu shook off his hand, feeling as though she were talking to a brick wall. She was furious and wanted to say more, but Shen Zhongxun raised his wrist to check the time, said, “I’m in a hurry, I’ll go first,” and walked out of the pavilion. He turned the corner, got into the car, and left without another word.

Lin Chu stood there stunned for a long time, unable to figure out Shen Zhongxun’s personality, and felt so frustrated she wanted to go crazy.

For the first time Shen Zhongxun learned to avoid conflict. Lin Chu’s repeated rejections had been a blow. He hoped she was only saying one thing while meaning another, rather than being truly unmoved. If he stayed any longer she probably would not say anything kind, and rather than risk another falling out he decided to leave first and give each other some space.

Lin Chu lost her appetite and did not answer Sang Feiyan and Shi Tingting’s repeated questions. She gave a few perfunctory replies, washed up, and went to bed. She did not feel sleepy until the early hours of the morning and finally drifted off.

The next day Lin Chu went to work and ate as usual, trying her best not to overthink things. Yet when she saw Xue Quan she could not help feeling confused, wondering how Shen Zhongxun knew of his existence. As she walked out of the cafeteria she ran into Yang Chunbei, who had arrived late. Yang Chunbei stopped her and asked, “Do you have time tonight? I’ve made plans with Jiang Jin. Let’s have dinner together?”

Lin Chu naturally refused, and Yang Chunbei did not press the matter, happily letting her leave.

Shen Zhongxun overestimated his free time and, despite rushing, could not reach Lin Chu’s workplace by four o’clock. He was extremely busy at the company and only breathed a sigh of relief at half past three. While speeding toward the city he dialed Lin Chu’s cell phone, wanting her to wait a little longer, but halfway there a colleague called to say that a document had been lost.

Shen Zhongxun pulled the car over to the side of the road and asked his colleague to search everywhere. The colleague said in a panic, “No, still no. What should we do? We need it at half past four!”

Time was of the essence, and Shen Zhongxun did not have time to lecture the other person for being forgetful. He hurriedly returned home, remembering that he had taken a photocopy home to study and wondering where it was. Lin Chu’s phone went unanswered for a long time, so he had no choice but to send a text message.

After returning home he ran into the study and searched for a while, then went back to the bedroom to look further.

Since moving here he had spent most of his time in the study and kitchen, rarely opening the cabinets in his bedroom. The old-fashioned furniture had all been handcrafted by carpenters, finished with a glossy, reflective lilac lacquer. The carvings and styles had been the most popular in the 1990s, yet they were not as exquisite and refined as modern cabinets. The wooden boards inside always had some rough edges, and the gaps in the drawers were a bit wide, so things could easily fall to the bottom if one was not careful.

Shen Zhongxun opened the drawer of the bedside table and found a stack of photocopies inside, along with some other papers, cigarette cases, and a lighter.

He pulled out the photocopy, and something seemed stuck in the exposed edge, mostly obscuring it and leaving only a triangular corner visible. Upon closer inspection he realized it was the material of a photograph. He gently pulled at it, but the photo was firmly stuck and would not budge.

He opened the lower cabinet door, reached directly to the bottom of the drawer, and easily tore the photo free. When he looked at it his brows furrowed.

The photo was yellowish and old, with some fading at the edges. The background seemed to be this residential building from many years ago, and the exterior walls were not as they were now, showing peeling paint and dirty spots.

In the photo Lin Chu still looked very young, her hair tied in a ponytail and wearing a down jacket. In the snow one hand was tucked into the pocket of the person beside her, while the other was held near that person’s mouth, as if being warmed by breath. The two of them smiled at the camera, their faces as bright as spring.

Shen Zhongxun suddenly remembered that Lin Chu had said the owner of this house had been very good to her, and the man in the photo seemed to be in his twenties and looked as though he had truly treated her well.