Love For You - Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Expecting Me to Raise You? Not a Chance

The man ran off, and Miao Jing was stopped by Chen Yi and Bo Zai.

At that time, Chen Yi’s methods were still too immature, and his heart was still too soft. Afraid that Wei Mingzhen would abscond with the money, he secretly had someone shadow the mother and daughter. He didn't care about Wei Mingzhen, no matter how much trouble she caused, as long as he kept a close eye on Miao Jing. She was at school all day, surrounded by so many pairs of eyes; once she made a wrong move, it would be all too easy to catch her.

Wei Mingzhen had taken a circuitous route to the train station, but Chen Yi realized something was wrong and immediately rushed to the school. He arrived just in time to see the man who had come to pick Miao Jing up fleeing for his life. Chen Yi put on a mask of innocence, kindly draped an arm around Miao Jing’s shoulders, and dealt with the school security guards while suppressing his temper. Knowing Miao Jing’s class, student ID, grades, homeroom teacher, home address, and family situation by heart, he simply led the dazed and distracted Miao Jing away.

He pulled a black heavy motorcycle out of nowhere and, with an ashen face, forced Miao Jing onto it. Miao Jing was terrified and trembling, staring blankly at his extremely somber face, unsure of where he was taking her.

The helmet knocked into her head, causing her to wince in pain.

"Behave yourself! Let's go!"

Miao Jing was held hostage as she climbed onto the bike. The motorcycle roared off, and she gripped his shirt with trembling hands, her eardrums ringing. She felt as though the bike was speeding recklessly, finally stopping at the train station. Chen Yi took her there to find Wei Mingzhen and chase after that man, dragging Miao Jing by her school uniform, searching back and forth through the ticket hall, waiting rooms, and platforms, all while calling Wei Mingzhen.

Her daughter was in his hands.

The phone was turned off, and there was no trace of them anywhere. Perhaps, just as the man had said, Wei Mingzhen had already taken the earliest train, and the man was gone too. Chen Yi’s expression grew increasingly cold and cruel, and the tone he used when speaking to her became more and more fierce: "Where is your mother? Where did she go?"

"I don't know..."

"You don't know where she went?!" His eyes were violent, and he gripped her frail shoulders to roar at her. "If you don't know, how did she come to pick you up? Speak! Where did she go?"

No matter how Chen Yi intimidated or threatened her, Miao Jing could only shake her head and say she didn't know. Her palm-sized face was as pale as paper, her lips withered and dry, and her dark, dim eyes were filled with helplessness. She stumbled after him, feeling a sense of bewilderment on top of her fear.

She really didn't know.

With no one found at the station, the two returned home. Chen Yi hauled her upstairs with iron-like hands, and Miao Jing collapsed onto the sofa. Trembling, she watched Chen Yi, who was as irritable as an angry lion. His face was so icy and cold that it was hard to look at, as if in the next instant, he would pounce and take a vicious bite out of her throat.

With a cold face and gritted teeth, Chen Yi continued to grill Miao Jing over and over—

Exactly how much money had Wei Mingzhen made off with?

What had that man done?

How did the mother and daughter discuss it? How did they contact and coordinate with each other?

Miao Jing’s face was numb. She curled into a ball, her lips trembling, but she only had four words: I don't know.

"If you say 'I don't know' one more time, damn it!" Chen Yi’s eyes were bloodshot, the veins in his temples bulging. He swung his clenched fist. Miao Jing screamed, her shoulders tightening, and she squeezed her eyes shut. Her long, dark lashes fluttered against her cheeks, looking pitiful and fragile.

"You don't know?" He sneered, baring his teeth, and hurled the phone at her. "Call your mother back. If she doesn't come back, you..."

Chen Yi leaned in abruptly, his sharp features magnified before her. His eyes were like blades, radiating a bloodthirsty chill, and his tone was gloomy and sharp: "I'll kill you!"

She bit her lip, trembling, her head bowed. Tears welled up in her eyes but refused to fall.

Chen Yi kept watch nearby like a tiger. Miao Jing didn't dare defy him and dialed dozens of calls, but Wei Mingzhen’s phone remained off. Chen Yi made her send text messages until her fingers ached, but there was still no sound or response.

Chen Yi ransacked the house, carefully turning out everything in Wei Mingzhen’s room. All the family’s savings books, bank cards, and documents were gone, and all of Wei Mingzhen’s personal identification was missing, leaving Chen Yi with only a pile of useless scraps of paper regarding Chen Libin.

A departure without warning, a premeditated preparation. He didn't know if it was Wei Mingzhen’s own idea or if someone had guided her.

He sat in a chair and let out a long breath, bending deeply over his knees. He buried his hands in his hair, numbly pulling at his messy locks. Miao Jing sat in the living room, watching vacantly. The tears in her eyes had dried up, leaving only a shallow glint that caught the last of the sunset, casting a faint light that eventually faded into a dark, hopeless gloom.

Wei Mingzhen didn't return messages or answer calls. The next day, Chen Yi got Miao Jing a new phone and used a strange number to call Wei Mingzhen, but the phone was still off. Miao Jing sent Wei Mingzhen texts, saying who she was, really her, mentioning things from their hometown during her childhood, begging Wei Mingzhen to answer.

Finally... a landline number lit up on the phone.

After waiting for so long, the frozen gazes of both Miao Jing and Chen Yi shifted. He signaled her to answer and put it on speaker.

It was Wei Mingzhen, calling from a public payphone.

"Mom." Miao Jing’s voice was suppressed, on the verge of sobbing.

"Why didn't you want to come along?" Whether due to nerves or something else, Wei Mingzhen didn't notice Miao Jing’s state and sounded very irritable and uneasy. "I already called and told you beforehand, why didn't you just follow the man? Why didn't you get in the taxi? You even said you were going to call 110 for the police. Miao Jing, what is wrong with you? Do you want to stay in Tengcheng? You’re all alone, how can you stay there?"

Miao Jing didn't know how that man had explained it to Wei Mingzhen.

Miao Jing was stunned. Chen Yi stared directly at her, making a throat-slitting gesture with his hand while silently mouthing for her to play along.

"Mom, I... I didn't..." Her voice was as thin as a mosquito’s buzz. "Mom, where are you?"

"Where are you?" Wei Mingzhen asked, her tone cautious. "Are you at school or somewhere else? Chen Yi—has Chen Yi made things difficult for you?"

"I’m at home. Chen Yi, he’s out... he went to buy something. I’m all alone at home... he hasn't made things difficult for me... we have a good relationship... Mom, where are you? When are you coming back to get me?"

Wei Mingzhen only said she wasn't in Tengcheng.

"Mom... please come back. Hurry back. Chen Yi isn't bothering me. Please come home soon..." Miao Jing cautiously watched the person in front of her and quickly added, "My brother is very good to me. Don't worry about me..."

Chen Yi suddenly frowned.

"I have some business to take care of. Once it's finished, I'll be back. Miao Jing, take good care of yourself first, go to school for your classes. I’ll think about it... I’ll contact you in a couple of days."

The call came suddenly, and hung up just as suddenly.

Miao Jing was lost in a daze. Chen Yi’s face was taut; he seemed to want to say something, but finally, he just spread his limbs on the sofa and closed his eyes, his eyeballs moving slowly beneath his thin lids.

After recovering at home for two days, both of them accepted the reality—Wei Mingzhen was gone, and no one knew when she would be back.

Neither of them left the house. Chen Yi smoked and played games at home without restraint. They lived on takeout, mostly eaten by Chen Yi, who threw a little to Miao Jing just to keep her from starving. Aside from the bathroom, he didn't allow her to move outside his line of sight. Miao Jing could only sleep on the sofa. After a few nights, whether from the heavy smell of smoke or the sheer exhaustion of fear and trauma, she came down with a fever.

She had always been healthy since she was a child and rarely got sick. This fever came on suddenly. Her whole body was burning hot, and she lay languidly in her sleep, too weak to move. When Chen Yi ate, she remained motionless, curled up on the sofa with her back to him. Occasionally she would get up to drink a little water, then lie back down to sleep. That was how she endured it. Chen Yi would glance at her occasionally, seeing her curled up and hidden in the sofa, her black hair messy and her eye sockets sunken. It didn't look like an act; she was truly unwell. But Miao Jing didn't utter a word, and Chen Yi, who was in a foul mood, ignored her and only focused on his own food and fun.

Miao Jing hadn't eaten all day. As Chen Yi passed through the living room, he saw she had shifted her sleeping position. Her slender hands and feet were splayed out, hanging over the edge of the sofa, her cheek pressed against the cushions, her pretty features tightly knitted in pain.

He walked over to look for a moment, and seeing no movement, he walked away, making some noise on the coffee table. Miao Jing didn't respond at all, only exhaled slightly and unconsciously curled her arms to shield her burning face. Chen Yi impatiently reached out a hand and touched her forehead, then hesitatingly pulled it back.

"Miao Jing."

Miao Jing opened her eyes, looked at him groggily, curled her body into a ball, and squeezed into the corner of the sofa, closing her eyes to sleep again.

Her thin shoulders rose and fell gently, her weak breathing heavy and rapid, inconsistent and shallow.

"What a damn nuisance." Chen Yi frowned in disgust. He went to a nearby pharmacy, bought some fever medicine, tossed it onto the coffee table, and kicked the sofa: "Miao Jing."

Miao Jing gave a weak groan. Her cracked lips were stuck together, and though she tried to move, she couldn't even part them.

He stood with his hands on his hips. Seeing no response, he roughly pulled Miao Jing up from the sofa: "Get up! Are you a mute? Can't you speak?"

She was dizzy and hazy as he hauled her up. Her fingers were soft and cold, but her cheeks were burning like fire. Miao Jing was limp, without a shred of strength. She knitted her thin brows, half-opening her eyes but staying silent, letting him push and toss her back onto the sofa. Chen Yi handed her a bottle of mineral water and a handful of pills, his face gloomy: "Take the medicine. Don't pretend to be dead."

She swallowed all the pills and gulped down more than half the bottle of water. Her lips regained a bit of color, and her pale, weak face showed a hint of spirit. Chen Yi watched her and let out a cold sneer: "What are you pretending to be pitiful for? Is playing the victim useful? If Wei Mingzhen doesn't come back, no one will care if you die."

Miao Jing’s eye sockets were burned red by her body heat, her eyes bloodshot. She blinked dully.

As the medicine took effect, she slept again. When she woke up, she felt a bit better, though she still lay on the sofa half-dead. Chen Yi walked over with a dark face and threw a box of takeout porridge in front of her, saying something out of the blue, his voice cold: "Consider us even."

He was referring to several years ago, when he was beaten by Chen Libin and confined to his bed, and Miao Jing had brought him that cup of water and bowl of egg custard in the middle of the night. Today... they were even.

The two stayed home for a full week. Wei Mingzhen’s phone didn't just stay off—it became completely unreachable, the number disconnected. No one else contacted Miao Jing—Chen Yi had made calls in front of her to all sorts of thug-like friends, searching the whole city for Wei Mingzhen and that man.

That man used to do business, later earning some fast money through crooked paths. This time, he had truly run away. All the family’s assets had been sold off, and when they questioned his parents and relatives, none of them had any contact information.

They had made a plan long ago to run off with that money from Chen Libin.

Hearing the news, Miao Jing’s face was already numb and stiff. She didn't have a single tear or a sound of crying.

She didn't think about anything; she only wanted to return to school. She was in her third year of middle school, and her coursework was intense. She didn't want to stay home and watch Chen Yi’s vicious, gloomy gaze roll over her again and again.

Chen Yi mocked: "Back to school? What are you dreaming about?"

Miao Jing hugged her knees, watching him with quiet, serene eyes, and softly spat out a few words: "Teacher Li, my math teacher, he even mentioned you..."

The homeroom teacher for his three years of junior high, Teacher Li, who had cleaned up after his fair share of messes, was still teaching the third-year class. That year, he also happened to be Miao Jing’s math teacher. Miao Jing had heard him mention Chen Yi on the podium, saying he once taught an incredibly brilliant student, whose one day of study was worth a week of theirs, but unfortunately, due to family reasons, he hadn't ended up on the right path.

Chen Yi’s pupils contracted violently, and he remained stunned for a long time. Finally, he stood before her with stiff shoulders and a cold expression, telling her to get lost.

He specifically had people watch her at school. He didn't believe Wei Mingzhen would just dump Miao Jing like that. Every weekend, he would drag Miao Jing out to interrogate her for news about Wei Mingzhen. For an entire month, Miao Jing stayed at school, not stepping an inch away. She hadn't looked for anyone, no one had approached her, and there had been no news at all.

Two months later, Chen Yi’s patience was exhausted.

Money was certainly a good thing, and being able to squander Chen Libin’s money was naturally satisfying, but since Chen Libin wasn't dead, he hadn't expected any of this anyway. If it was gone, it was gone. In this lifetime, he would never have anything to do with Chen Libin again.

"You really met a good mother, didn't you? Just dumping you like this? Without even asking a single question?" Chen Yi looked at the increasingly thin and desolate Miao Jing, a cruel smile on his face. "A burden, tossed around wherever she likes. Well, that’s true; nothing is more important than money. How refreshing it must be to run off with a wild man... You’d better remember clearly, it was Wei Mingzhen who didn't want you; it has nothing to do with me, Chen Yi."

Miao Jing pressed her lips tightly together, turned her head to avoid looking at him, her eyes wide, dark, and deep.

"Get lost. From now on, go wherever you want, do whatever you want." Chen Yi shrugged, the matter settled. "You and I, we don't know each other."

He didn't care anymore. This mother and daughter had absolutely nothing to do with him.

With Chen Yi no longer caring about Miao Jing, the people watching her at school also disappeared. Miao Jing secretly called Wei Mingzhen, but the phone was indeed disconnected. She couldn't contact her at all. She didn't know where Wei Mingzhen was or what her situation was now.

Fortunately, when school started, Wei Mingzhen had left an extra 3,000 yuan for Miao Jing. Back then, Wei Mingzhen had left the money just in case, thinking Miao Jing might need to spend it one day.

Relying on this money, Miao Jing handled all the school fees and covered her own food and living expenses. The days dragged on until December, and there wasn't much left in her hands.

Wei Mingzhen finally contacted her once, through Miao Jing’s homeroom teacher, leaving a landline number for Miao Jing to call back.

Miao Jing got through on that phone, and when she heard Wei Mingzhen’s voice, tears rolled down from her eyes.

"Mom... why haven't you looked for me?"

"I’ve had some things to deal with here, too busy to get away." Wei Mingzhen’s voice was indistinct. "And you have money in your hands, you can take care of yourself, and Chen Yi won't do anything to you, so I’ve been at ease..."

Wei Mingzhen felt that the relationship between Miao Jing and Chen Yi wouldn't be too bad. They had shared a room since they were young and had never had any major conflicts. She also remembered that year when Miao Jing asked for living expenses for Chen Yi; even though Chen Yi didn't speak in front of Miao Jing, his attitude hadn't been too bad. Besides, Miao Jing’s temperament was so gentle and timid, she knew nothing and had committed no wrong.

She never once considered how a fourteen or fifteen-year-old girl would handle such a situation—perhaps she had thought of it, but these worries were subconsciously ignored, diluted, just like Miao Jing’s living situation all these years: understated and drifting with the tide.

Miao Jing swallowed hard, biting her lip to suppress the tears at the corners of her eyes.

Wei Mingzhen asked Miao Jing how things were on Chen Yi’s end. She had been terrified for these past few months, fearing that Chen Yi would retaliate or call the police, so she had hidden her tracks very well and hadn't dared to let anything slip. Miao Jing told her everything she knew—that she had been staying at school, and later, she hadn't seen Chen Yi again or heard a single word about him. Wei Mingzhen finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Do you still have money?"

"Still have 800 yuan..."

Wei Mingzhen gave the name of a small coastal city, saying she and the man were doing business in a small town there, and told Miao Jing to buy a train ticket and come over on a certain train.

"Then what about my schooling? Can I still go to school? Mom... I have half a year left until the high school entrance exams." Miao Jing’s voice was faint. "Is there a place for me to study?"

This actually stumped Wei Mingzhen. She was located in an industrial town filled only with small workshops and factories; the residents were mainly migrant workers. There didn't seem to be a middle school in the town, and she hadn't bothered to ask how to transfer to a local school.

"There’s no school here. Why don't you just come over first?" Wei Mingzhen frowned. After thinking for a moment, she changed her mind. "Or go back to your hometown to study? Isn't there a middle school in the town? You can stay at your aunt’s place. I remember your uncle has a relative who is a teacher. Schooling definitely won't be a problem. I’ll say a word to your aunt..."

Having been in Tengcheng for so many years, the mother and daughter had never gone back to their hometown town. Wei Mingzhen occasionally called back to touch base with relatives.

Miao Jing’s gaze was hollow, completely settled into a state of calm—a burden is just a burden, she was one as a child, and she remained one after growing up.

Where to go?

To a completely strange place to live with two adults who ran off with money? Or return to her hometown and endure the life of living under someone else’s roof again?

She could have easily attended the best high school in Tengcheng. She only wanted to live the life of a normal middle school student, instead of being all alone at school, making up various excuses to avoid the inquiries of classmates and teachers.

"I know." Miao Jing said calmly to the receiver. "Wait until the end of the term, the final exams are coming up..."

When the semester ended, the school closed its campus for the winter break, and everyone had to leave. Miao Jing hadn't decided where to go, and truly had nowhere to go. After wandering outside the school for several days, she spent the night in an internet café for the first time, trembling with fear.

The internet café manager saw her sitting in a corner, clutching a schoolbag and looking quiet and well-behaved. She didn't look like a rebellious student, but rather a "good girl" who had run away from home. He came over to ask several times what was going on and told her to go home early. Miao Jing walked aimlessly down the street with her schoolbag, and finally, in the pitch-black night, she returned home—she had always had the key to the house.

She stood downstairs, tilting her head to look for a very long time. The window was dark, there was no one at home. She climbed the stairs in silence, opened the door, and there was not a sound. Miao Jing pressed the light switch—the house was a complete mess. The odds and ends from Wei Mingzhen and Chen Libin’s room were piled in the corner of the living room, the dining table was covered in a layer of dust, and the freezer was still filled with the meat and vegetables Wei Mingzhen had bought before leaving. The coffee table in the living room was covered in cigarette butts, half-finished mineral water bottles, the blanket on the sofa... Chen Yi didn't know how long it had been since he had come home.

Miao Jing returned to her room. It hadn't been emptied out by Chen Yi; she didn't know if it was because Chen Yi hadn't gotten around to it or if he just couldn't be bothered.

There were still rice, flour, and various seasonings in the kitchen, all left by Wei Mingzhen before she left. Regardless of whether they were expired, Miao Jing wiped everything clean and set it all in order—she had lived a very frugal life at school this semester, spending every penny only where it was absolutely necessary. She hadn't eaten a decent meal in a very long time.

Miao Jing lived in the house in fearful silence for four or five days. Chen Yi never returned.

Chen Yi rarely came home. Sometimes he was at school, sometimes out playing with friends, sometimes playing games at an internet café. The one rare time he returned, he happened to run into Miao Jing while she was sweeping the floor.

Hearing the movement behind her, she stiffened, clutching the broom, not daring to make a move. Chen Yi stared at that thin, frail back, thinking his eyes were playing tricks on him.

"You, turn your face around."

Miao Jing slowly turned her body, her panic-stricken gaze meeting Chen Yi’s truly unbelievable, "what the hell" look of pure shock.

"Why the hell are you here?" He roared at her with his hands on his hips, his anger burning. "Damn it all to hell, are you crazy?"

Miao Jing gripped the broom tightly, making herself look as small as possible, biting her lips without a word. Chen Yi stepped over in a rage, grabbed her sleeve, and flung her outside the door: "Get lost, get as far away as you can."

Tears welled up in her dark, deep eyes, her eyelids flushed with red. She looked at him with stubbornness and fragility. Chen Yi’s face was livid, and with a thunderous "bang," he slammed the door shut.

The iron door closed heavily right before her. Dust from the doorframe rained down on Miao Jing, landing on her long, curled lashes and blowing into her eyes with the air current. She suppressed the itch, bit her lip hard, and large, bean-sized tears dripped down—vanishing into her clothes, splashing onto the back of her hands. The first touch was scorching hot, but then it grew cold, like the temperature of winter.

Miao Jing sat outside the door for the entire night, her hands and feet numb from the cold, her whole body ice-cold.

The next day, when Chen Yi went out and saw that person sitting on the steps, his mind buzzed, his vision went black, and he flew into a rage, his voice hoarse: "Why the hell haven't you left yet? Why are you here? Does this place have anything to do with you? The people are gone, the money is gone, do you have the face to come back?"

She had been tossed out by him. She was still wearing slippers and had nothing on her. Where could she go?

Miao Jing opened her swollen, red eyes and raised a hand to wipe the tear tracks from her face, her throat choking up so she couldn't speak. Chen Yi’s expression was gloomy. He stepped down the stairs and reached out to haul her up and throw her out again. He heard Miao Jing let out a shrill scream, stumbling as she clung to Chen Yi’s hem, finally bumping weakly against the steps.

"My leg... it’s numb." Her voice was dry and hoarse, and she panted while lying on the steps, "It hurts so much."

Chen Yi frowned tightly and hoisted her up. She was light, without a shred of weight. He spoke in cold, biting words: "You didn't leave after sitting there all night? Are you damn well asking for this?" He returned to the house, threw her schoolbag out, and spoke viciously, "Get lost. You should know I’m being generous to you."

Miao Jing buried her head in her chest, hugging her schoolbag. She put on her canvas shoes and limped down the stairs, clinging to the rusty, filthy iron railing. Her slender, fair hands were covered in black grime and cobwebs. The only part of her face that could be seen—her cheeks—were waxy, yellow, and withered. Only that thin, swan-like neck revealed a hint of a young girl’s innocent stillness.

Chen Yi stared coldly at her as she walked downstairs, eventually only being able to see that hand stubbornly gripping the railing through the gaps in the stairs—after finishing a cigarette, he finally walked downstairs, grabbed hold of that solitary, slender figure, and seeing the glistening tear-light in her panicked eyes, he swore a vulgar, hateful oath through gritted teeth, and finally tossed her onto the motorcycle and took her to the train station.

Miao Jing clutched the hem of his shirt, which was flapping in the cold wind.

"Do you have money on you?" Chen Yi shoved five hundred yuan into her dirty hands and coldly barked at her, "Go back to your hometown, find your mother, and go."

She stood there, dazed, watching him turn and leave. He put on his helmet, threw a long leg over the bike, and started the engine. His black figure and the motorcycle merged into one—sharp-edged and wind-whipped.

Miao Jing lingered at the train station for a long time. News and weather reports from all over the country scrolled across the television screen, informing travelers of the travel conditions. She stood there, head tilted, seeing that it was snowing again in her hometown. A cold front was moving south, bringing days of low-temperature rain and snow. Icicles were forming on the trees. It was very, very cold. She thought of her aunt’s family, whom she hadn't seen for a long time, and the scattered but deep memories from her childhood. She turned away from the big screen and went to a nearby convenience store to call Wei Mingzhen. She dialed the number over and over, not knowing why it wouldn't go through. She waited at the station for a long time, dialing the number every few hours, waiting from today until tomorrow, but still, no one picked up the receiver.

She left the train station and took a bus to tour the city. Tengcheng—the new city she had followed her mother to at age eight, heart filled with trepidation, wearing a beautiful dress and carrying expectations for a bright future. She had thought everything would be different; she could grow up in a new way. But in the end, it was still a silent, bitter, and soundless endurance.

Miao Jing got off at a stop, went to a food market to buy some ingredients, and carried them into an old residential complex. She went up to the second floor and knocked on the door. After knocking three times, someone came to open it with a cigarette lazily dangling from their mouth. Seeing her, their dark pupils contracted. Their expression was one of surprise and annoyance, as if they had seen a ghost.

"Brother." Before he could speak, she circled the ingredients in her hands. Her clear, pretty eyes met his boldly, her voice soft. "It’s almost noon. I’ll cook for you, okay?"

Chen Yi was completely, unusually stunned. He didn't know what to make of it; he didn't know if he was angered to the point of laughing or amused by her. He blocked the doorframe, not letting her in. Miao Jing shrunken her frame and slid in like a fish under his arm, hugging the items and heading to the kitchen.

"Miao Jing." He turned his head and followed her. "Are you damn well crazy?"

"I have nowhere else to go. I’ll leave when school starts." She moved efficiently to tidy up the kitchen, her weak yet resilient back turned toward him. "Wait until I finish junior high—there are only a few months left. After I finish junior high, I’ll get out. I can help you wash clothes, cook, and clean."

He leaned against the kitchen doorway, finding her both pitiful and laughable. Did he need a burden to do these chores?

Miao Jing went about washing vegetables and cooking. Chen Yi stared at her, and his desire to drive her away suddenly faded. He said coldly: "I won't look after you. Expecting me to raise you? Not a chance."

"I don't need you to." Miao Jing’s voice was muffled.

That was how she settled into the house.

With Miao Jing there, the house was naturally clean and tidy, but Chen Yi didn't come home much. He was usually out, occasionally returning to stay for a couple of days. Since things had reached such an impasse, the two had nothing to say to each other. Miao Jing usually read books or did homework in her room. On New Year’s Eve, Chen Yi did come home early, and the two had a reunion dinner. Chen Yi then went out to play cards and didn't come back until the third day of the New Year.

Since Chen Yi said he wouldn't look after her, he truly didn't. After the New Year, school started. Miao Jing went to register and paid the fees. She only had 280 yuan left, not even enough for room and board—Miao Jing chose to be a day student, moved all her dorm things home, and commuted to school every day. There were still some rice, flour, and daily necessities at home. She used them very sparingly, enough to last for a period of time.

After school started, Chen Yi came home even less. He didn't like staying home. It was good if he could come home once a month. With Miao Jing at home, he came back even less. Why come back? Wouldn't it be even more aggravating to see that stubborn, troublesome thing?

They held on for two or three months. She didn't know how Miao Jing managed to hold on. Everything edible in the house was finished; the fridge was completely empty. Miao Jing began to turn her attention to the house, sending everything Wei Mingzhen had left behind to a scrap yard, selling her old schoolbooks and the empty bottles and jars in the house, and eating boiled noodles in water every day.

Later, one time, as Chen Yi was coming out of an internet café, he caught a glimpse of a silhouette on the side of the road. She was wearing loose, baggy clothes, her hat pulled low, carrying a large schoolbag. As she walked along the road, she would casually pick up the mineral water bottles she found, crush them, and throw them into the schoolbag. It was an entertainment street with plenty of people eating, drinking, and having fun, and plenty of old men and women collecting mineral water bottles.

He stared at the person, took a big stride forward, and lifted her hat. Sure enough, he saw Miao Jing’s sweat-dampened, surprised face. That face was barely larger than his palm. Seeing Chen Yi suddenly, Miao Jing was so embarrassed she didn't know what to do; her face turned from a faint red to a deep crimson. She snatched the hat from his hand, turned around, and walked away quickly.

At that time, smartphones weren't yet popularized, and computers existed only in internet cafés and a few homes. Miao Jing hadn't learned any other way to make money. She was quiet and thin-skinned, and at school, she was an "ice-cold beauty" admired by boys; she truly couldn't bring herself to talk about her situation. Sometimes, she would wholesale pretty hair clips and stationery and sell them to girls in her class under the guise of helping out. In her spare time, she would save up mineral water bottles and send them to the scrap yard. A bottle was worth one jiao (a tenth of a yuan); she could earn several yuan a day—this was the easiest, most effortless way to make money.

Chen Yi followed her footsteps back home. Once there, he saw that the kitchen and fridge were empty, save for a bag of bulk noodles and a few green vegetables. A half-burned candle was propped on the table. He frowned and pressed the wall switch.

"Where’s the electricity?"

"There’s no electricity." Miao Jing’s voice was as thin as a mosquito’s. "It’s been cut off."

Having no money for electricity, she had only paid the water bill.

"Is this the life of a primitive person?" Chen Yi looked at her mockingly. "Where’s your mother? She ran off with hundreds of thousands, didn't she give you any money?"

Miao Jing pressed her lips together and shook her head slowly. She didn't know what was wrong with that phone number, but it wouldn't go through. She and Wei Mingzhen had completely lost contact.

Chen Yi let out a long, scoffing laugh.

She was dangerously thin; there wasn't even a shred of meat left on her, and her skin was dull and lusterless. Chen Yi looked at her frail form and, arms crossed, asked her: "Relying on picking up mineral water bottles to make money? Are you hungry?"

Miao Jing hid her head into her collar. All he could see was one snow-white ear amidst her messy hair, the earlobe round and red as if dripping blood.

"Life alone isn't easy, is it? Waiting for a handout? Don't count on me; I don't care if you starve to death."

"I’m not." She bit her lip.

Chen Yi’s gaze, a mix of amusement and indifference, swept over her again and again. Finally, he exhaled slowly and tugged at her sleeve: "Come on. I’ll teach you how to make money."

Chen Yi took Miao Jing to a small supermarket, pushed her inside brazenly, and shoved her in front of a food shelf, his tall frame looming behind her: "Which one do you like to eat? Go ahead and take it."

She looked up in surprise.

A wide, wicked grin broke out on his face. He leaned close to her ear: "I’ll block the surveillance for you. Be light on your feet, hide it in your clothes, and when someone is checking out at the counter, just walk out bold as you please. Learn this trick, and you’ll never go hungry in your life."

A package of cookies appeared from somewhere. The boy’s voice was mischievously wicked: "Cream-filled sandwich cookies. You’d need to pick up at least a hundred mineral water bottles for those. Don't you want to eat them?"

The cookies were silently shoved into her waistband from below. Miao Jing’s heart thumped wildly, sweat breaking out on her forehead, her eyes flushed with shame. With stiff hands, she pushed the cookies away, then walked out, shaking and rigid, her hands and feet cold as she walked under the scorching sun.

Footsteps chased after her from behind: "So much pride—you won't even eat if you’re starving?"

"I won't eat even if I starve!" She gritted her teeth, her voice calm. "I won't steal things even if I starve to death."

He threw his head back and laughed loudly, draping his strong arm over her shoulder and teasing her lazily: "Alright then, that’s great. I’ll just watch you starve to death, then, and see how many days you can hold on."

He then hauled her to another place, an area of neon lights and flashy signs. Chen Yi pointed with his hand: "See that? That’s a bar. Inside, there are lots of beer girls. If you go in there and sell a single cup of beer, it’ll be enough for you to have food and drink, and buy pretty clothes."

Miao Jing threw off his hand, bit her lip, turned around, and ran.

"Miao Jing, Miao Jing."

Her two thin legs ran quickly. She wanted to stay far away from him, far away from this bastard.

There was movement behind her. Chen Yi caught up in big strides, three steps for every two. He scooped her up, his sturdy arm blocking her waist as he dragged her backward. Miao Jing felt a jolt through her whole body. She screamed and pinched his hand, crying bitterly: "I won't go, I won't go, I would rather die than go!"

"What are you crying for? It’s not your time to cry yet, is it?" He wore a wicked grin, dragging her along. "Come on, I’m taking you to a good place, my secret base."

Chen Yi straddled her onto his motorcycle, held her before him, and took her to a very desolate place—a defunct factory.

A desolate and dilapidated factory, weeds growing wild beneath the tall chimney. Chen Yi gripped Miao Jing’s fragile wrists, hoisted her up onto a high platform, and climbed up himself. He led her through the empty, abandoned, and dust-heavy factory floor, finally diving into a hidden, broken hole. A tall, vertical iron ladder led into an unknown darkness.

"Climb up." Chen Yi urged her.

Miao Jing shivered, her face devoid of color, and she turned her head away.

"Don't worry, I can’t hurt you." He teased and laughed playfully. "If you don't go up, I’ll just hold you and go up myself."

"I’m scared..."

"What’s there to be afraid of? Climb slowly." Chen Yi clattered against the ladder. The crisp metallic sound echoed in the empty, dim space. "I’m right behind you. If you fall, you’ll just fall on my face."

Forced by him, Miao Jing climbed upward, using both hands and feet. Finally, dizzy and lightheaded, she reached the top—another empty factory floor, with messy machinery whose original colors were long gone piled on the ground.

Chen Yi followed her up. Facing the empty factory grounds, he let out a howl—the echo drifted to the distance, then slowly drifted back to their ears.

"Happy?" He was all excitement. "Haven't been here in a few years."

Miao Jing’s expression was wooden; she had no idea what this was supposed to mean.

"What’s the point of picking up mineral water bottles?" He dragged the cables on the ground. "Things here are worth money. They’re all scrapped machines. The factory went bankrupt, no one cares about them anymore. Someone already took a batch, but there’s still a little left in this place... these big iron balls, plus the copper wire and aluminum alloy that’s been dismantled—if you can move them, you can sell them for a hundred yuan..."

Her heart pounded. Her forehead was covered in cold sweat and black grime. With a wooden face, she asked him: "You brought me here to steal this?"

"This is picking. Picking up trash." Chen Yi corrected her righteously. "Isn't it better than those mineral water bottles of yours?"

Miao Jing let out a sigh of relief, covered her head, and sat down on the ground with a thud.