Old Shadows and New Traces
On September 4, 2010, Xiaofeng presided over the ceremony, preparing several of Mom's favorite dishes and hosting a "Five-Evening Dinner." Uncle Zhou also hired someone to perform a ritual all night long to break the gates of hell.
After getting through the night, Xiaofeng collapsed on the bed and sent a message to Xiaoqi, "I'm not going to the store today."
"I'm not going to the store today either. I'll come see you at 1pm to have dinner and go shopping."
Xiaofeng was awakened from his confusion when the phone rang for the third time at noon.
"Hello," Xiaofeng's voice was lazy and a little dry, as if he had not yet woken up.
"Xiaofeng, do you want me to pick you up today?" Brother Zhou Yang's deliberately low voice came from the other end of the phone.
"Brother Zhou Yang, I didn't go to my part-time job today. I was too tired."
"Did I wake you?"
"It's okay. What time is it?"
"It's 12 o'clock. I thought you were having lunch or taking a break."
"I have to get up too. Xiaoqi, come over at 1 o'clock and we'll go eat and go shopping."
"What about tonight? What are your plans?"
"Come back before dinner. I have homework to do."
"Then I'll drive to pick you up."
"No, it's more convenient for me to take the subway."
"Then I'll come over and cook, and wait for you to go home and eat together."
"That's fine, thank you."
"No, see you tonight!"
"Well, bye, Brother Zhou Yang."
After Xiaofeng hung up the phone, she recalled the rising tone of Zhou Yang's words "See you tonight". It was like the chocolate handed to her when she was a child, so sweet that it made her eyes sore.
Xiaofeng stared at the photo of herself and her mother on her phone's screensaver. She buried her face in the still-warm pillow, her hands unconsciously clutching the corners of the quilt. The fabric crumpled in her palms, just like her shrunken heart.
At one o'clock in the afternoon, Xiaofeng got into the back seat of the car, "Hello, Uncle Ming!" The crisp laughter was like chocolate dissolving in hot milk.
"Xiaofeng, what do you want to eat later?"
"It doesn't matter, let's eat while walking around." Xiaofeng winked at Xiaoqi.
"Um..." Ming Hanmin's fingers suddenly tightened around the steering wheel, causing the leather to creak slightly. "After last week, um... Mr. Jiang, has he contacted you?"
"No, I gave him my phone number that day, but there was no call or message."
Xiao Qi asked doubtfully, "Did you enter the wrong number?"
Xiaofeng seemed to be thinking about something, "It's really possible." After that, she leaned on Xiaoqi's shoulder and gestured with her hands, "I was so nervous that my hands were shaking and I couldn't control them at all..." Laughter poured out.
"Sister Fang said that he went to the store in the morning." Ming Hanmin suddenly turned the direction of the air outlet of the air conditioner, and the cold wind blew directly onto Xiaofeng's neck.
"He didn't find you at the store, and he didn't call you either. So he should be there again next week," Xiao Qi said logically, adding, "He's quite persistent. Is he interested in you and wants to pursue you?"
Xiao Feng stared at Xiao Qi blankly, "Isn't this a joke?"
"Honestly, he's a really good candidate. Look at him, he's got good looks and a great figure, right? And wealth, Dad, isn't this entire shopping mall his family's property?"
Ming Hanmin didn't reply, only noticing Rao Xiaofeng's surprised expression through the rearview mirror. After a few seconds, Xiaofeng recovered, her eyes sparkling. "A story about a prince and Cinderella?!"
"I think..."
"So you, little girls who are new to the world, have naive ideas." Ming Hanmin's interruption made Xiaoqi's voice stuck in her throat, turning into a series of bubbling sounds.
Ming Hanmin's voice sounded like it had been soaked in ice water. Xiao Qi instantly lost his temper. He pouted, leaned back in his chair, and sighed deeply.
"Those in higher positions only exploit those in lower positions." Ming Hanmin's words made the silence in the carriage deafening.
"Also, think about it, why did he go to the maternity and baby store?" Another thought-provoking question.
When they arrived at the shopping mall, Ming Hanmin simply said, "Call me if you encounter any problems."
Xiao Qi took Xiao Feng's arm and went to the food court opposite the maternity and baby supermarket to buy some snacks. Then they went to a women's clothing store. Xiao Qi's hands fiddled back and forth between the hangers. Finally, she picked out a few dresses and walked to the fitting room.
The spotlight in the dressing room cast a diamond-like spot of light on Xiaoqi's collarbone. Xiaoqi turned left and right in front of the dressing mirror. The curve of her skirt flared as she spun, making Xiaofeng envious.
I saw Xiaoqi suddenly turning around and then bending down. She frowned and then smiled.
"Wow, the evening gown and the small dress, both are so beautiful," Xiaofeng said with an ambiguous look in his eyes. "The flesh on your body is so 'sensible', it grows in the right places." After saying that, the two of them laughed with red faces.
After paying, Xiao Qi put the shopping bag back to the maternity and baby store, and then took Xiao Feng to buy two cups of milk tea, ready to drink while shopping. However, Xiao Feng's milk tea was not opened in one go, and the milk tea slowly overflowed from the small hole, staining her clothes. Xiao Qi took the milk tea and asked Xiao Feng to go to the bathroom to clean up.
When Xiaofeng came out of the bathroom, Xiaoqi had already thrown away the cup of milk tea, saying that she had tried it herself and it was difficult to make.
So, the two of them simply went into a cafe. Xiaofeng ordered a vanilla latte, and they each ordered a cake. It would be better to sit down and chat peacefully.
Xiao Qi poked the strawberries on the cake and suddenly said, "Hey, don't mind what my dad said just now."
Xiao Feng shook his phone and asked, "What do you mind?"
"What do you mean by 'lower-ranking' and 'superior-ranking'..."
"No, this is the truth. Like you said, in terms of looks, wealth, status, no matter which aspect, there is a huge gap between him and me."
"Don't underestimate yourself. You still have...your...brother Zhou Yang." Xiao Qi's words made Xiao Feng's ears instantly hot. She blushed, lowered her head, and responded.
"Dad doesn't know that your guardian is Zhou Xiao, and your Uncle Zhou is also a very powerful person."
"I know what Uncle Ming means."
"The biggest issue might really be having a family, but the information posted on the website doesn't mention marital status."
Xiao Feng suddenly lowered his voice and asked fiercely, "Are you still investigating him?"
Xiao Qi held a straw in his mouth and said, "He's a public figure, connected to many companies. This information is public online."
"I don't think he has any ill intentions and doesn't seem like a bad person."
"I'm afraid you'll be deceived by a 'bad uncle'."
"Ah... I think Jiang Wenqing wants to pursue you, look at you..." As he spoke, Xiaofeng gestured at Xiaoqi's chest from a distance.
"I don't like men." Xiao Qi blurted out.
"Do you like women?" Xiaofeng asked casually.
"yes."
Hearing this, Xiaofeng felt as if someone had triggered his anger. He stood there in a daze, and suddenly stopped stirring the coffee with his head down.
"I don't like your figure." Xiao Qi tried to break the silence.
Xiao Feng smiled awkwardly, "Yeah, if I were a man, I wouldn't like this kind of figure either."
"Your brother Zhou Yang is unique." After saying that, Xiao Qi burst into laughter.
Xiaofeng had a bitter smile on her face. She stirred the coffee unconsciously. In the vortex of the broken latte art, she seemed to see the figure of Brother Zhou Yang.
After saying goodbye to Ming Xiaoqi, Xiaofeng prepared to take the subway home. While waiting for the elevator, she received a message from Zhou Yangge, "Today's M9, so beautiful. What would you like to eat with it?"
Xiao Feng's mouth corners unconsciously rose, holding the phone in both hands, replying to the message, "Asparagus, potato macaroni salad, is it okay?"
After sending the message, she tiptoed into the elevator. The moment she turned around, the familiar figure followed her in. Xiaofeng retreated to the corner of the elevator car, pulled the canvas bag in front of her, and clutched it tightly.
Suddenly, the beeping of her phone broke the suffocating atmosphere. Xiaofeng didn't dare move. She waited until the elevator reached the basement level, then huddled out of the corner and quickened her pace toward the subway station.
That gentle voice sounded behind him, "Xiao Feng."
Xiaofeng froze in place, not daring to look back or run. She pulled her handbag to her chest and hugged it. Jiang Wenqing's tall figure came to Xiaofeng's side and said, "I'll take you home."
"Okay!" The syllable was so light that it almost disappeared among the crowd coming and going.
Instead, Jiang Wenqing was stunned when he heard the words, and then reached out to pull Xiaofeng's hand, "Come with me."
The parking sensor lights in the basement lit up one after another, and Jiang Wenqing kept holding Xiaofeng's hand. He stopped in front of his car and opened the passenger door. As Xiaofeng lowered her head and got in, her hair brushed against the front of Jiang Wenqing's suit, bringing with it a whiff of cedar and mint perfume.
In the blue light of the car screen, Jiang Wenqing's fingers that were entering the navigation address suddenly paused. "Your address..." As Xiaofeng spoke, he quickly finished entering it. Just as the car started, Xiaofeng's phone beeped again.
"Don't you want to check your phone?" Jiang Wenqing broke the silence first.
Xiaofeng opened the handbag on her chest and searched for her phone. But the canvas bag was too big and had no small pockets to separate it. She searched for her wallet, ID bag, power bank, data cable, keys, headphones, tissues...
Oh my god, where did I lose my phone?
Xiaofeng put the canvas bag aside and searched his shirt pocket. It turned out that after replying to Zhou Yang's message, he casually put his cell phone in his pocket.
It was a message from Brother Zhou Yang, "I bought pomegranate seeds and added them to the salad", "I want to eat Daifuku, I picked your favorite tiramisu flavor"... Xiaofeng imagined the table full of delicious food and couldn't help laughing.
She put the phone back into her handbag and straightened herself up. "Thank you, Mr. Jiang!"
"You're welcome! Will you be working part-time at the store next Sunday?"
"I should go."
"What time do you get off work? I want to pick you up from get off work and treat you to dinner."
Jiang Wenqing mentioned eating again. Xiaofeng's pupils contracted slightly, and she bit her lower lip unconsciously. She said, "Mr. Jiang, thank you very much for inviting me! But I'm very busy now. I only have Sundays off. After my part-time job is over, I have to go home and do homework. I really don't have time."
"What about the statutory holidays next month? Will the break be longer?"
"I don't know yet."
"Can I call you before the holiday?"
The last "hmm" was as light as a feather falling to the ground, but it stirred up a thousand waves in Xiaofeng's chest.
While waiting for the red light, Jiang Wenqing took out a gift bag from the central armrest box and handed it to Rao Xiaofeng, "This is for you, open it and take a look."
As Xiaofeng's fingertips touched the ribbon of the box, she felt a slight shiver, as if she had received an electric shock. The rustling of the wrapping paper became especially clear. Her breath hitched when she saw the bone china coffee cup in its true form—a milky white like fresh snow, shimmering with a soft glaze, its walls so thin that the outline of her fingers could be seen through.
A hand-painted sunflower was in full bloom at the bend of the cup's base, its golden stamen dotted with three three-dimensional dewdrops. Xiaofeng's thumb unconsciously brushed the petals. As she turned to the other side of the cup's handle, the gilded English name "Helena" suddenly caught her eye. Each letter's ending was adorned with tiny glittering glitters, which, at certain angles, would suddenly flicker like a firefly in the dark night.
She suddenly pressed the cup tightly against her chest, the porcelain feeling cool through the fabric of her clothes. The rim of the cup bore the marks of fingerprints deliberately left when it was painted, and this discovery brought warmth to her eyes—as if someone were trying to tell Helena, "You are a sunflower in the palm of my hand that will never fade."
"Do you like it?"
"Mr. Jiang, thank you! I'll treat you to coffee next time. I really like this gift."
The faint smile on Jiang Wenqing's face deepened a little. "Call me 'Wenqing', don't be so polite."
"Okay, Mr. Jiang." Xiaofeng turned his head and frowned, cursing himself in his heart, "Silly, Rao Xiaofeng."
The car stopped in front of the courtyard gate. The moment Xiaofeng took the handbag, Jiang Wenqing's fingertips lingered on her palm for an extra 0.3 seconds. This slight infraction suddenly made the evening breeze thicker. "I'll call you on Saturday night."
Xiaofeng nodded shyly.
As Jiang Wenqing's hands stretched out like wings towards Xiaofeng, the door opened from the inside. The two people standing in the yard came back to their senses. The moment she turned around, a smile spread across her face, and she called out crisply, "Brother Zhou Yang."
Xiaofeng's movement of holding Zhou Yang's arm was smooth and flowing, but it made Zhou Yang's muscles tense instantly - he clearly saw the haze that flashed in Jiang Wenqing's eyes.
"Brother Zhou Yang, this is Jiang Wenqing. Mr. Jiang brought me back."
Zhou Yang extended his hand, "Mr. Jiang, thank you! Please come in and have a seat."
Jiang Wenqing politely extended his hand and shook Zhou Yang's. "You're welcome, Mr. Zhou. My mission will be accomplished if I can get Xiaofeng here safely."
He lowered his head slightly, his eyes full of tenderness, and said goodbye to Xiaofeng, "Xiaofeng, I'm leaving. It's Saturday." As he spoke, he made a phone call gesture with his hand.
"Okay, bye!"
After Brother Zhou Yang returned to the room, Xiao Feng became excited, "What's that smell, Brother Zhou Yang?" She walked to the stove and when she got close to the steak, her hanging hair almost got stained with the sauce. Zhou Yang subconsciously reached out to stop him, but when he touched her shoulder, he pulled back as if he had been electrocuted.
Zhou Yang said calmly, "The avocado oil we used today has a fruity scent."
"I'm so looking forward to it!" Xiaofeng put his hands in a praying gesture and rubbed against Zhou Yang with squinted eyes.
Zhou Yang ruffled Xiao Feng's hair and said, "Let's go to the dining table. It will be ready soon."
Xiao Feng grabbed Zhou Yang's arm and shook it gently, "Thank you, Brother Zhou Yang!"
Zhou Yang gently placed the salad in front of Xiao Feng and finally asked the question in his heart, "How did you two know each other?"
Xiao Feng's mind was completely focused on the red wine. "Brother Zhou Yang, do you have any lemons?"
"Yes, you want to drink?"
"Yeah, just a little drink."
"I bought some lemons today. I'll go cut a slice for you." When Zhou Yang returned to the dining table and sat down again, Xiao Feng shook the wine glass, then took a small sip, letting the wine touch every part of his mouth, feeling the balance of acidity, sweetness and tannins, as well as the special aroma of lemon.
"We met while working part-time at a maternity and baby store."
Zhou Yang stroked the stem of the red wine glass with his fingertips, silently expressing his inner anxiety.
"Xiaofeng, people who go to maternity and baby stores are probably people with families..."
"I know. Uncle Ming told me that he's the legal representative of Ninghai Shopping Center. What could a guy like him possibly get from me?"
"You don't understand men."
"Brother Zhou Yang, I don't understand men. But I know I won't destroy other people's families."
"Well, I'll have Dad go find out about him. You keep your distance from him for now, okay?"
The knife and fork hovered above the steak, the condensed fat from the steak reflecting the halo of the chandelier. Their eyes darted between the plates, their movements like puppets repeating a programmed routine...
On the way home, Jiang Wenqing made the call, "Is there any result in the relationship between Zhou Xiao and Rao Xiaofeng?"
"I'm sorry, Mr. Jiang, there's no news. The only information Miss Rao's father could find dates back to 1999, and that's the only missing person report."
After a moment's silence, the other party added cautiously, "We tried our best."
"Thank you!"
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