After the four men had eaten and drunk their fill, they began cleaning up and started playing mahjong. Jiang Mu moved a small stool to sit next to Jin Chao, casually snacking on sunflower seeds while watching the Spring Festival Gala. Whenever a funny skit came on, she would cover her mouth and giggle to herself. Jin Chao, still focused on his mahjong tiles, caught a glimpse of her out of the corner of his eye.
Though in previous years he had spent New Year’s with his brothers playing mahjong, this year felt different with the little tail following around him. The empty corner in his heart seemed to have been filled with something, and his expression softened in a rare moment of ease.
At midnight, Jiang Mu’s phone rang. She set down her snacks and pulled out her phone, surprised to see that Jin Chao had sent her a red envelope. She looked up at him in astonishment, but he was still focused on his mahjong, his profile showing a rare, content expression. He casually threw a tile onto the table.
Jiang Mu suppressed a smile and lowered her head. As the sound of the red envelope being opened filled the air, the men at the table all looked up. It was San Lai who reacted first, glancing at the time on the TV and saying, “It’s New Year now.”
He then sent her a red envelope and said, “Little Mu Mu, here’s your New Year’s gift.”
Tie Gongji and Jin Fengzi also sent her red envelopes. Jiang Mu felt a little embarrassed to accept them and couldn’t help but glance at Jin Chao. San Lai teased her, saying, “It’s our New Year’s gift for you. Why are you looking at him?”
Jin Fengzi added, “Here, it’s the rule that anyone without a job can get New Year’s money.”
Jiang Mu hesitated and tugged at Jin Chao’s sleeve, unsure of what to do. He lowered his head, took her phone, clicked on the red envelopes, and then handed it back to her.
Jiang Mu’s face lit up with a radiant smile as she obediently wished her “big brothers” a happy New Year.
In previous years, they would have likely played mahjong through the night, but because this year Jin Chao had a little tail following him around, they wrapped up the game right after midnight and each returned to their respective homes.
As soon as Jin Chao stood up, Jiang Mu moved closer to him and quietly asked, “Can I not go back tonight? After all,… Dad isn’t home.”
Jin Chao said seriously, “You need to break this habit of staying out all night.”
Jiang Mu grinned playfully, “Its not like I’m hanging out with bad people.”
Jin Chao turned to walk out and replied, “How do you know I’m not a bad person?”
“As long as you don’t do bad things to me, you’re a good person.”
Jin Chao opened the door, glanced back at her, and didn’t say anything as he stepped outside. Jiang Mu followed him next door. Jin Chao turned and looked at her again, “Key.”
Jiang Mu took the key from her pocket, then removed the “Longing Day and Night” keychain and handed it back to him.
Jin Chao took the key and raised his eyes to stare at the keychain in her hand. Jiang Mu waved it at him and said, “You can give this to me. You probably don’t need it anymore.”
Jin Chao squatted down to open the roll-up door and replied, “Oh, how did you know?”
Jiang Mu smiled and said, “I know. Now that I’m here, why would you need ‘Longing Day and Night’ anymore?”
Jin Chao paused for a moment, then stood up, his eyes gleaming as he stared at her. Jiang Mu smiled slightly as she stepped into the car shop. Jin Chao pulled the roll-up door closed and watched her lively figure, the light in his eyes growing deeper.
Jiang Mu walked directly into the break room, and Jin Chao followed her in. He turned on the heater and pushed a chair toward her. After Jiang Mu sat down, Jin Zhao brought another chair over and sat down facing her. With the crowd gone, he finally asked, “Weren’t you supposed to go back? Did you have a fight with your mom?”
Jiang Mu lowered her eyes, and fiddled with her fingernails, muttering with a sullen face, “My mom said… she’s going back to sell the house.”
Jin Chao didn’t speak immediately, his brow furrowing slightly. Jiang Mu continued, “Before, she said she was going to live in Australia with some foreign old man, and I thought it was unreliable. But this time, after going there, she came back and directly decided to sell the house. It’s like she’s been brainwashed. I’m just worried she might get deceived. They’re not even in the same country, and if she does get cheated, it’ll be hard to seek justice. What do you think?”
Jin Chao paused for a moment, then said, “I can’t make a judgment, since I haven’t met the person. But have you ever thought of something?”
Jiang Mu raised her eyes, looking at him.
“She hasn’t been with anyone for so many years after splitting with Jin Qiang. Do you think she would just settle for anyone? If she’s made this decision, there must be a reason behind it. You’ll have your own home one day, and it’s not easy to find someone compatible. She can’t be alone forever.”
Jiang Mu blurted out, “I thought about it before. I don’t mind not getting married and just living with Mom. And even if I did get married, I could bring her along.”
Jin Chao chuckled, and Jiang Mu’s face flushed under his gaze. She realized her words had sounded a bit childish. The decision of whether to marry or not wasn’t something she could judge impulsively at this point.
The air grew quieter for a moment, and Jin Chao, suppressing his smile, glanced at her and asked, “So, you really don’t plan to get married?”
Jiang Mu’s eyes wandered toward the repair area, feeling a slight flutter in her heart, like being tickled by feathers. Her face reddened as she answered, “I… how would I know…”
Jin Chao asked her, “Have you tried talking to her about it?”
Jiang Mu nodded. “I don’t know how many times I’ve said it. We fought a lot before the college entrance exam because of this.”
Jin Chao crossed his hands over his knees, watching her intently. “Since that’s the case, and you can’t change anything, if I were you, instead of worrying pointlessly, I’d focus on taking care of my own matters. If she lives well, you’ll be at ease. And if she doesn’t, at least you’ll have the ability to help her live a peaceful life.”
Under the yellow light of the break room, Jin Chao’s calm and reliable demeanor seemed to make his words even more reassuring. The worries that had been troubling Jiang Mu for most of the year seemed to start shifting with Jin Chao’s perspective. She had indeed been worried that the foreign man wouldn’t be able to give her mother a stable life. She feared that her mother might face issues and unhappiness living with Chris abroad, which is why she had tried several times to stop her mom. But she had never considered that her mom also needed a partner—someone to rely on during her vulnerable moments, someone to be there when she felt lonely, and someone to spend time with when she was bored.
It was as if, since her father left, her mom had naturally become her responsibility. She had focused only on worrying about her mom’s safety, without thinking about her needs. Jiang Yinghan was a mother, but she was also a woman herself.
Jiang Mu really couldn’t do much. If she had been able to intervene in her mother’s decision, they wouldn’t have reached this point. But she still felt a bit down as she said, “But if Mom sells the house, I won’t even have a place to stay if I go back to Suzhou..”
After saying this, she looked up at Jin Zhao. In the dim light, she gazed at him and muttered, “What if I end up homeless?”
Her voice was soft and sticky, reminding Jin Zhao of a kind of steamed cake he had eaten in the South as a child. He listened without saying a word, just smiling faintly. Jiang Mu puffed out her cheeks. “What’s so funny?”
Jin Chao straightened up and leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed on her. Jiang Mu felt that perhaps it was because he had drunk quite a bit, but his eyes were so captivating, making her feel more and more uneasy. She turned her gaze toward the ceiling, and her voice, almost like a mosquito’s hum, squeezed out from her throat, “Dad doesn’t care, Mom doesn’t want me, and my brother doesn’t love me…”
Jin Zhao’s smile spread to the corners of his eyes, a soft light breaking through his gaze. His voice was relaxed, carrying a hint of tipsiness, and he asked, “How do you want me to love you?”
Jiang Mu’s heart raced. She never expected that a single sentence from Jin Chao could make her chest tingle. She didn’t know what this feeling was, and though she hadn’t drunk any alcohol, she felt slightly intoxicated.
Jin Chao looked at her flushed face and didn’t say anything more. He got up, poured a glass of water for her, and placed it beside her before returning to his chair.
Although Jiang Mu had been acting a bit spoiled earlier, now that Jin Zhao had asked her directly, she couldn’t bring herself to say anything.
After holding back for a long time, she finally managed to squeeze out a sentence, “I won’t push you anymore, but you can’t joke about your own safety. You have to promise me, no matter what, that you’ll stay safe. Can you promise me that?”
Jin Chao raised his eyebrows, staring at her. Her eyes were clear and bright, and her expression was so serious that it was easy to see the concern deep in her gaze. It was genuine and pure.
Seeing that he didn’t respond, Jiang Mu leaned forward slightly, testing the waters, and asked, “Is it a lot of money? Civil compensation?”
Jin Chao’s relaxed expression gradually tightened. “Where did you hear that from?”
Jiang Mu bit her lip but didn’t say the name “Jiang Yinghan.” She was afraid it would remind him of the past.
But Jin Chao spoke for her, “From your mom?”
Jiang Mu lowered her eyelids, her voice soft as she said, “Mom said she would save some money after selling the house for me. I’ll talk to her and have her give me a portion of it first.”
Jin Chao didn’t respond. The air in the room gradually grew colder, and Jiang Mu carefully lifted her eyes to look at him. His expression was cold, and his eyes were veiled with an icy frost, as though pushing her away from a thousand miles.
She just didn’t want Jin Chao to do those dangerous things. She wanted to help him solve the debt as soon as possible. However, she realized that Jin Chao would never accept money from Jiang Yinghan. Back then, her mom had been indifferent, and with his strong pride, there was no way he would let her ask her mom for help now.
Jiang Mu’s eyes reddened in a flash, feeling anxious. “I won’t say it anymore.”
Jin Chao sighed and bent down slightly to speak to her, “It’s not about the money.”
Jiang Mu looked at him, confused. “Then what is it?”
Jin Chao just raised his hand and rubbed her head gently, saying, “It’s almost two in the morning. Aren’t you going to sleep?”
“To be honest, I slept until the afternoon, so I’m not tired at all. Are you tired? I’ll… keep you company while you sleep?”
As soon as the words left her mouth, both of them froze for a moment. She suddenly stood up to explain, “No, no, I mean, you sleep, and I’ll just… sit next here.”
Jin Chao raised his eyelids. “Sit?”
Jiang Mu, embarrassed, pressed herself against the edge of the table. Jin Chao slowly stood up and said to her, “Then you can sit. I’m going to take a shower.”
After saying that, Jin Chao walked into the room. Soon, Jiang Mu could hear the sound of water. She touched her face, which felt a bit warm. Without looking at her phone, she sat there for over ten minutes, doing nothing.
The sound of water stopped, and Jin Chao’s footsteps could be heard in the room. Jiang Mu stood up, lifted the curtain, and stood at the doorway. The room was very warm, and Jin Chao was only wearing a short-sleeve T-shirt. With his back to her, he raised his hand to grab the hairdryer from the shelf, and the T-shirt lifted slightly, exposing his firm waist. Jiang Mu’s eyes were glued to the strong, masculine lines of his body, and she instantly felt her entire body tense up.
Previously, San Lai had told her that when Jin Chao was in high school cleaning windows, many girls would sneak glances at his waist. At that time, she couldn’t understand what was so special about a waist. Even now, she still didn’t know what was so captivating about it, but she just couldn’t look away.
Jin Chao picked up the hairdryer and plugged it in, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. Seeing her standing dumbly in the doorway, he used the hot air to blow toward her, then lowered his head to dry his hair and asked, “What are you looking at?”
Of course, Jiang Mu wouldn’t tell him she was staring at his waist, so her gaze shifted to the shelf and she said, “I’m looking at the books you usually read.”
“Interested?”
“…Not really.”
“…”
After Jin Chao finished drying his hair, he turned to look at her, feeling like they couldn’t just keep staring at each other in this tiny space. After a moment of silence, he said, “I’ll take you home.”
Jin Chao put his jacket back on, grabbed the car keys, and Jiang Mu had no choice but to follow him to the shed. That black car seemed to be one he only drove out at night, it usually stayed parked during the day. Jiang Mu didn’t know much about cars, but she had seen the speed of this one before and knew it was a powerful tool that Jin Chao had earned through hard work, which was why he had been so cautious before.
Once they were in the car, Jiang Mu asked, “The rules for that race the other day, was it that whoever got the bag first won?”
Jin Chao drove down the quiet street, replying with a short “Hmm.”
Jiang Mu continued asking, “Who usually provides the money for that?”
“Whoever organizes it pays.”
“Do you guys have a big organization for that?”
Jin Chao didn’t answer.
Jiang Mu pressed on, “Do you always play like this?”
“Not always. These kinds of casual races aren’t common. Sometimes, some rich second-generation kids get bored and organize one or two.”
Jiang Mu was shocked, “Casual? What happens when it’s not casual? How do you usually make contact with each other?”
Jin Zhao shot her a glance and then looked back at the road. “You really dare to ask.”
Jiang Mu turned her head to look at him as she heard him continue, “The reason I said you were my girlfriend that day was because it made the most sense. They all know my younger sister is only in second grade, so if a sister that much older suddenly appeared, it would raise suspicions about your identity. This alliance has been in place for quite some time; they have their own way of managing risks. If an outsider appears, they can easily be monitored. So, at that moment, I could only say that to make them believe you were mine, to dispel their doubts. As for everything else, the less you know, the better.”
Jiang Mu suddenly felt a chill run down her spine. She remembered the app on Jin Chao’s phone. They hadn’t communicated through WeChat or other apps, so that app seemed suspicious. Perhaps it was one of the ways Jin Chao used to avoid risks, as he had mentioned.
When Lightning had the incident, Big Guang had said that Jin Chao had offended the interests of the alliance. Was this so-called “alliance” part of this underground organization? What exactly had Jin Chao gotten himself involved in?
Everything felt like a dense web of danger and fear in Jiang Mu’s eyes. Seeing her serious expression, Jin Chao chuckled, “I’m just going there to make money, then leave. Its not like I’m going to kill anyone. Why are you so nervous?”
But Jiang Mu was still worried. “Will this continue? Or is it just until the debt is paid off?”
“At most, six months.”
“Will the debt be paid off in six months?”
Jin Chao seemed nonchalant, “More or less.”
This was the first time since their argument about this matter that Jin Chao had given her a direct answer. With a six months deadline, Jiang Mu felt a little relieved.
Jin Chao noticed from the corner of his eye the look of relief on Jiang Mu’s face, his gaze deepened, but he didn’t say anything further.
Jiang Mu had never seen a snowy scene at dawn before. The streets were completely empty, and Jin Chao wasn’t driving fast. She took out her phone and snapped a few pictures.
It snowed in Suzhou too, but not every year. Even when it did, by the next morning, the snow on the streets would already be cleared, and by the afternoon, it would mostly have melted.
So whenever it snowed, Jiang Mu always felt excited, especially about the snow in Tonggang, which was thick enough that she couldn’t resist the urge to step in it.
She remembered that when they were kids, whenever it snowed, she and Jin Chao would make sure to get up early to find untouched snowfields to stomp in. If they went out too late, other kids would already ruin the clean snow downstairs, and Jiang Mu would always feel disappointed.
The car stopped in front of an empty square. Looking around, the whole place was covered in a vast expanse of white snow. In the past, finding such a snow-covered field was something precious to them. Jiang Mu looked at it eagerly, then turned to Jin Chao and asked, “Can we stop? I want to go play for a bit.”
Jin Chao slowly pulled the car over to the side of the road and reminded her, “It’s cold outside.”
“Just for a little while.”
Seeing how eager she was, Jin Chao knew exactly what she wanted to do and got out of the car to accompany her.
The snow reached up to Jiang Mu’s ankles, and as soon as she stepped out of the car, she ran toward the open snowfield. Jin Chao called out after her from behind, “Don’t run, haven’t you fallen enough already?”
Jiang Mu didn’t pay attention to his warnings. She turned around and said to Jin Chao, “Wait for me for a bit. I want to stomp out a shape, and then you can help me take a picture to record the first day of the new year.”
Jin Chao didn’t understand why girls was so obsessed with taking pictures, but he could only stand by and wait for her.
So, as Jiang Mu worked hard to stomp out the snow, Jin Chao stood under the streetlamp at the edge of the square and lit a cigarette. Having lived in Tonggang for so many years, he’d seen heavy snow every winter, sometimes lasting for days. He had long since lost the novelty of snow and the youthful excitement of playing in it. But still, he stood in the cold, watching the girl’s excited figure, enduring the freezing cold to stay with her.
Jiang Mu slowly stomped out the shape of a heart in the snow. Standing on the tip of the heart, she looked up at Jin Chao. His figure was haloed by the streetlight, his shadow stretching long across the ground. Wisps of smoke curled from the cigarette between his fingers, the ember glowing faintly. It felt like a dream, a scene from the past—flowers that weren’t flowers, mist that wasn’t mist, but the person was still the same person.
The smile on Jiang Mu’s face was so bright in the vast, snowy world that it seemed to shine, impossible to ignore. She raised both hands above her head and made a heart shape with her fingers, then called out to Jin Chao, “I’ve struck the pose, take the picture!”
He slowly relaxed his grip on the cigarette in his fingers.