Chapter 8

“Mingzi, go buy a couple of outfits!” Ye Chen said as he threw his wallet towards Mingzi. Mingzi silently glanced at the wallet, but didn’t pick it up. Instead, he turned around and walked out of the room.

“Cough, cough, cough…”

“Yixuan? Yixuan? You’re awake…”

“Zina, how’s Zina?”

Yixuan’s eyes were full of a pleading look as she gazed at Cai Erman. Cai Erman was silent, then he looked over to the sofa. Yixuan followed his gaze.

“Zina… help me up.”

Cai Erman helped Yixuan to her feet. Yixuan looked at Zina in Ye Chen’s arms, her eyes already brimming with tears. Seeing Yixuan in pain, Ye Chen felt a sharp pang in his heart.

“Sister! Wahh…”

“Zina, don’t cry, don’t cry…”

Ye Chen stepped aside to make room for Yixuan, who sat down and held Zina. Zina embraced Yixuan, and the two of them cried openly and freely together.

“Damn it!” Ye Chen cursed, slapping himself hard. The guilt inside him was indescribable. If he hadn’t agreed to let Zina and Yixuan come here yesterday, perhaps this tragedy wouldn’t have happened!

“Okay.” Mingzi said softly, standing beside Zina with several bags in hand.

“Brother…”

“It’s alright now. Come on… change into these clothes.” Mingzi turned his head, choked with emotion.

“Let’s go outside.” Cai Erman said. Only then did Mingzi and Ye Chen come to their senses, grasping the burly man’s arms and dragging him starkly out of the room!

“You little bastards!…”

“Say that again, I dare you!” Mingzi roared, kicking the man repeatedly in the stomach until he cried out in pain and dared not speak again.

“Zina, quickly change your clothes.” Yixuan said, wiping tears from Zina’s face, her voice filled with sobs.

“Okay.” Zina nodded at Yixuan. It was truly moving-though they had only known each other for a day, their bond was as strong as if it had been a decade.

Once Zina had changed, she and Yixuan leaned on each other as they walked out of that sinister room. The man’s vile smile, his devilish hands… all of it would be indelible scars in Zina’s heart.

“Ready?”

“Yeah.”

“Let’s go.”

“Yeah.”

Ye Chen asked and Zina nodded gently, her head lowered, not daring to look at him, her voice barely above a whisper.

“You… you brats! Wait till I get my hands on you… oww…” the burly man raged alone after Ye Chen and the others left the corridor.

Zina, now dressed in the clothes Mingzi bought, looked presentable. A red top paired with purple jeans, it should have been a lively outfit. Yet, on Zina, it seemed even the clothes felt her sadness, gently trembling over her weary body. If the clothes could be so empathetic, one could only imagine the state of mind of the three men walking ahead.

“Um… I’ll go get our money back.” Cai Erman muttered.

“Go ahead.” Ye Chen replied despondently.

Cai Erman went to the Human Resources Department at Yutian Business KTV, while Mingzi and Ye Chen took Yixuan and Zina downstairs.

“Mr. Sun, can we settle the payment for the three of us today?” Cai Erman forced a grin, addressing a bald middle-aged man sitting across the table.

“Not a chance! Where did you run off to earlier? Because of you kids, the program was delayed by five minutes! You want money? It’s already good that we’re not holding you responsible!” the middle-aged man stood up, yelling with justification.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Sun. We actually had an emergency earlier. It’s not easy for us working like this. Could you be lenient?” Cai Erman bowed and scraped, but inside he was furious. If the man across him didn’t agree soon, Cai Erman felt he might end up pulling out the few strands of hair the man still had!

“Sigh… I’ll deduct half your pay. Otherwise, I can’t explain it to the higher-ups.” The bald middle-aged man said with a falsely concerned sigh.

“Mr. Sun, it’s really tough on us. Look, it’s just 1500 yuan…”

“What’s going on? What happened?” Just as Cai Erman was speaking through gritted teeth, a sharp female voice suddenly came from outside the door.

“Oh, Ms. Fu, he’s here to collect his pay, but they skipped out on work earlier…” The middle-aged man quickly stood up and said.

“It’s not easy for youngsters working like this, just give them their money,” the woman said, standing next to Cai Erman, addressing the middle-aged man.

This woman seemed to be in her twenties but spoke with a sense of maturity. She was dressed in a black suit with her hair in a bun, which gave her an older appearance. She wore a pair of shiny heart-shaped earrings and a gold necklace with a butterfly-shaped pendant. Her face was clean and fair, and though not particularly glamorous or sexy, it exuded a comfortable warmth that was approachable. It would be hard for anyone to guess that she was Fu Yashan, the general manager of Yutian Business KTV! On her left cheek was a slight “J”-shaped scar, which did not detract from her dignified appearance.

“Aren’t you going to thank Ms. Fu!”

“…Thank you! Thank you, Ms. Fu!” Cai Erman was already stunned by the woman in front of him. What puzzled him most was how such a beautiful woman had a scar on her face, as if someone had slashed her…

Mr. Sun wrote him a slip, instructing him to collect the money at the finance office. As Cai Erman left the Human Resources Department, he glanced back at the woman, his gaze filled with gratitude, and perhaps a hint of something else… though even he wasn’t quite sure what kind of feeling it was.

After Cai Erman collected the money, he rushed to catch up with Ye Chen and the others. However, by the time he reached the entrance of Yutian Business KTV, they were nowhere to be seen.

He went into a Semir store on Puhua Street and bought a white top that a girl had once pointed at and said, “When I have money, I’m definitely going to wear you on my body!” The shirt was very thin and light, with exquisite craftsmanship. It almost resembled a delicate shawl, and its pure white color imparted a gentle comfort that was hard to resist.

Cai Erman spent 328 yuan, more than half of his wages, but he laughed like a silly kid. After buying the shirt, he headed to a nearby fruit store and bought a few grams of apples.

As he walked out of the fruit store, Cai Erman took out his phone and dialed Ye Chen’s number.

“Hello?”

“Cai Erman, we’re waiting for you at the entrance of Puhua Street. Hurry up,” Ye Chen replied.

“Oh, okay, I…”

“Screech!” A sudden, fierce sound of braking filled the air, carrying a sense of arrogant recklessness and desolation!

“Are you blind? Get out of the way!” A head stuck out from a black Audi sports car, cursing at Cai Erman. The person wore sunglasses and had a thick gold chain around his neck, resembling a newborn viper.

The bumper was barely half a foot from Cai Erman’s knees! He stood there for a moment, stunned, before moving away from the car’s path. As he passed the side of the car, the person inside spat at him!

“Damn it, move!” the man cursed, retracting his head and driving off smugly. Cai Erman turned around, standing still, while a puff of exhaust laughed mockingly at him before dissipating. His eyes reddened with anger as he stared at the license plate “Ling H99999.” He swore that one day he would make the person inside kneel before him and call him “father”!

These wealthy yet uncivilized people are so arrogant, making society filthy and devoid of warmth! It’s utterly infuriating! Who will stand up for justice and teach these uncouth rich people a lesson? Unless you’re richer, more powerful, and tougher than they are!

Cai Erman sighed and headed towards the entrance of Puhua Street, his silhouette looking so frail and powerless…

“They settled the wages without deductions. Each of you gets 500!” Cai Erman said, forcing a cheerful tone despite his inner gloom, melancholy, and frustration.

“Zina, look!” He lifted the bag containing the shirt and waved it in front of her.

“What is it?” Zina gently took it, the wind blowing her hair, her eyes red and surrounded by tear stains.

“This shirt from Semir!” She looked at it, her eyes lighting up with joy before turning gloomy and heavy, until tears rolled down her cheeks. The pure white color and gentle texture reminded Zina that she no longer felt worthy of wearing it…

“Don’t cry, Zina, don’t cry,” Zina leaned against Yixuan’s shoulder, who comforted her with gentle pats. Cai Erman was about to hand her an apple from another bag, but seeing her tears, he withdrew his hand.

“Everyone must be hungry. Come on, I’m buying dinner for everyone today,” Ye Chen said, trying to lift everyone’s spirits.

At that moment, everyone was afraid their words might hurt Zina. Unsure of what to say or do, all they could do was feebly try to please her, hoping to make her a bit more comfortable, to cry a little less, and to forget a little of what had just happened…

They entered a restaurant called “Ordinary People’s Home” and ordered twelve dishes and a soup. The five of them sat around the table. Yixuan sat to the right of Zina, close enough that there was only a fist’s distance between them. Cai Erman sat to the right of Yixuan, with Mingzi to his right, and Ye Chen to Mingzi’s right.

All twelve dishes were sweet because Zina loved sweets. The soup was a rib soup because Zina once mentioned that drinking rib soup was good for your health.

Looking at the table full of dishes, Zina’s eyes welled up with tears again. However, she didn’t want everyone to worry about her or see her crying. So she smiled-a mix of tears and laughter-and said, “Let’s eat. Who knows how many years it will be before I can swindle a meal out of you guys again.” She lowered her head and gently wiped her tears with her sleeve.

“The boss has spoken, so let’s dig in!” Ye Chen chimed in.

And with that, they all began to eat without much appetite, finishing each plate until it was empty and draining the soup until only the bones remained. Throughout the meal, Mingzi’s right hand trembled as he gripped his chopsticks tightly, harboring a heavy heart.

Leaving “Ordinary People’s Home,” Ye Chen and Mingzi walked ahead, with Cai Erman, Yixuan, and Zina following behind.

Mingzi and Ye Chen were about the same height and weight, 178 cm and 175 cm, 70 kg and 66 kg respectively, with Mingzi being slightly taller and heavier. Perhaps having them in the lead provided some sense of security. The group walked quietly from Puhua Street, crossed Municipal Road 670, entered Shengze Mainstream Language and Literature College, treaded on the bluestone-paved roads, took the elevator to the 13th floor, and went into dormitory 1301, all in silence without exchanging a word.

Their hands rested gently; their souls had been mortgaged, and if the wind had feelings, it would blow their sorrows everywhere.

The tears in their eyes lightly dampened their fair necks, and the pure white shirt was tightly held in someone’s hands.

The girl who once loved to laugh, love to cry, and was playful;

From today on, would you forget those beautiful past moments and become a different person inside?

Maybe, maybe you’re like ripples on the water, blown by the wind, growing up so quickly that your heart races through your mind…

A season’s worth of memories can’t stand up to a single moment’s reflection; those devilish spirals-that trace-disperse but remain so vivid.

If it were all a dream, after an illusory flutter of the heart, life would still mean going to bed early and waking up late.