Embedded Files
Psst! We're moving!
Shang Zhitao trudged through the snow to Luan Nian, her body wrapped tightly in layers of clothing, leaving only her eyes exposed. The sight was somewhat comical.
“The weather is too cold for a casual stroll,” she said, stomping her feet as her teeth chattered and her body shivered uncontrollably. She lightly kicked at the snow, making soft crunching sounds beneath her boots.
“Are you short on money for a thick down coat?”
“Yeah.”
“Go back inside.”
“Aren’t you going to talk to me?”
“How can we talk when you’re freezing like this?”
...
Luan Nian turned and began walking toward his lodging. Shang Zhitao followed behind, studying him curiously. It was strange—he wasn’t wearing much either, so why didn’t he seem cold?
The two trudged through the deep snow, one step at a time, until they finally reached Luan Nian’s house. But he didn’t stop. Shang Zhitao reminded him, “You’re here.”
“I’ll keep walking.”
“Oh.”
Shang Zhitao didn’t want to walk anymore. Her hormones were already out of balance, and being out in the cold any longer would surely do her in. She stopped in front of her own heated room and told Luan Nian, “I’m going in.”
“Mm.”
Luan Nian hummed an acknowledgment and continued walking. Shang Zhitao had already pushed open the door when Luan Nian suddenly turned around and came back, standing opposite her.
“Still cold?” he asked.
“A bit better. But the heat in my room is almost gone.” Shang Zhitao looked into Luan Nian’s eyes. In the past, she had always been afraid to meet his gaze because it would pull her in. There were moments in dimly lit rooms when their intimacy consumed her, and before he kissed her, his eyes would lock onto hers. “Let me make this clear, Luan Nian. If you’re going to ask me why I sold those bags, I can answer you now—I don’t like luxury goods, and I never liked those bags. They made me feel like I was selling myself. If you’re going to ask me why I left without saying goodbye, it’s because I didn’t want to be entangled anymore.” Shang Zhitao watched Luan Nian’s expression carefully. She had always known he wasn’t a bad person—just proud, cold, and often unable to understand her emotions. Whether it was because he looked down on her or simply because that was who he was, it had caused her pain.
“I knew that if I said goodbye properly, you’d say something hurtful. I didn’t want to hear it anymore.”
Her hand rested on the doorknob. “Is there anything else you want to talk about? If selling those bags and leaving without a word hurt your pride, then I apologize.”
“I just think that after six years of being entangled with each other, we don’t need to be anymore. Life is long, and there are still so many people worth loving and so many things worth doing. That’s all.”
“Thank you for everything you did for me during those six years—I’m deeply grateful. My blessings for you are in my last message: I wish you all the best.”
Shang Zhitao spoke these words without hesitation. She had rehearsed them countless times in her mind when she first returned to Ice City. Back then, she regretted selling those bags and leaving the way she did, especially after agreeing to talk to him. She had wandered the streets of Ice City, wanting to call him so many times. She felt she owed him an explanation because, during their years together—whether good or bad—Luan Nian had always been straightforward.
Now that she had said everything, she felt an immense sense of relief. They were even now—they owed each other nothing.
“Lastly, I haven’t touched a single penny from selling those bags. If you want it back, give me your bank account number—I’ll transfer it to you. It’s 913,500 yuan in total. If you don’t want it, I’ll donate it at the right time.”
“Do you want it?”
“Keep it.”
With that, Luan Nian turned and walked away. Shang Zhitao said nothing more, gently closing the door behind her.
She returned to her heated bed and snuggled under the covers. A while later, she got up to drink some water and noticed Luan Nian still pacing outside in circles. She had never understood him—not fully—and she didn’t know what he had wanted to talk about. But she no longer cared to figure him out.
It wasn’t just her who saw Luan Nian walking; Lumi noticed too. She sent Shang Zhitao a message: “Look, Luke is taking a stroll in the icy wilderness!”
A moment later, she added, “He’s drinking iced Americanos again and wandering around in this freezing weather. This guy really doesn’t care about his prostate.”
“...Why are you so worried about his prostate?” Shang Zhitao asked her.
“I’ve got nothing better to do,” Lumi replied.
“Do you want to come sleep over?” Shang Zhitao invited. “I’ve got lots of snacks.”
“Of course!”
Lumi was staying next door, so she bundled up in her down coat and came over. The two sat cross-legged on the heated bed, each with a small bottle of baijiu. Shang Zhitao arranged the snacks, and they began eating and drinking.
After speaking her mind earlier, Shang Zhitao truly felt the weight of time passing. She drank her bottle, then Lumi’s, finishing a total of six liang of baijiu. She was slightly tipsy.
Leaning her cheek on her hand, she said to Lumi, “Lumi, I feel guilty. I’ve lied to you all these years.”
“If you’re talking about you and Luke, don’t bother—I already knew.” Lumi pinched her cheek. “When you first graduated, you were so innocent. You’d blush just standing in front of him. How many times did you ‘accidentally’ bump into him in the elevator? You thought I didn’t notice you sneaking glances at each other? Please, don’t think I’m blind!”
Lumi giggled. “I was just concerned about whether he could perform well! Many men look strong but aren’t actually that great in bed. Let me tell you, when I dated this guy in college, I thought he was Optimus Prime. But when he took off his pants...” Lumi pinched her fingers together. “I panicked. I asked him, ‘Did you forget your equipment at home?’”
“Guess what he said?”
“He said, ‘But lots of girls say mine is impressive!’”
They both burst into laughter.
Lumi leaned closer and asked, “So, how was he? Even though I haven’t slept with him, you should at least give me a review so I can understand.”
Shang Zhitao pursed her lips, covering her mouth with her fingers. Suddenly, memories of her time with Luan Nian flooded back. He had always been dominant, always in control—but she had been genuinely happy.
“How was it?” Lumi pressed.
Shang Zhitao nodded, her face flushed: “Mm, it was really good. Really, really good.”
“Damn!” Lumi clapped her hands. “I knew it!”
“What about Will?” Shang Zhitao asked Lumi. “You two have been together for years—why aren’t you planning to get married?”
“Will is too old-fashioned. His whole family is like that. And he doesn’t like me.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m from a demolished household!”
“Don’t be ridiculous!”
Shang Zhitao slammed the table and stood up indignantly: “What’s wrong with being from a demolished household?!”
Lumi pushed her back down: “Whoa, you’re really something now—I can’t mess with you.”
The alcohol hit Shang Zhitao hard, and she fell asleep on the warm kang bed. The next morning, she gathered the clients at the meeting point—all were safe and accounted for. There was no seat for Luan Nian on the bus, so she tossed the car keys to Fu Dong: “Make sure Mr. Luan gets safely back to Ice City. I’ll lead the group back.”
And just like that, she left.
She remembered what she had said the night before. If she were to ride back with him in the same car again, it would feel too awkward. This way was better—she would return to Ice City and continue her life, while he would go back to Beijing or possibly America. They would never see each other again.
Life was just one farewell after another. She had already experienced the most painful losses, so this time, she felt nothing.
When she returned to Ice City, she first went to her parents’ house to pick up Luke.
Luke was now a middle-aged dog and no longer as energetic as before. Shang Zhitao wasn’t worried about him charging forward when she took him for walks.
After bringing Luke home, she began brewing herbal medicine. The doctor had prescribed it to be taken daily for twenty-one consecutive days. Fearing premature aging, Shang Zhitao obediently followed the doctor’s instructions and decided not to take on any more work before the Lunar New Year. Her health came first.
Her phone buzzed. Opening it, she saw a bank notification: 2,000 yuan received. The sender was Luan Nian, with the note “Car collision.”
Shang Zhitao sent him a message: “Thank you.”
Luan Nian didn’t reply.
A little while later, another notification came in. As she sipped her medicine, she picked up her phone. It was another transfer from Luan Nian—20,000 yuan, with the note “Bar expenses.” He had promised to cover the drinks for all the clients, but Lumi had misunderstood and let Shang Zhitao pay upfront.
“I’ve received it. Thank you. I checked the bill—it’s over 10,000 yuan. I’ll refund the extra amount,” Shang Zhitao promptly transferred the excess back to him.
A short while later, another transfer arrived: 2,000 yuan, with the note “Ride there.”
Then another: 3,000 yuan, with the note “Return trip.”
Shang Zhitao felt this was getting out of hand and called him: “Luan Nian, stop sending me money. Driving you didn’t cost nearly that much, and I don’t want your money.”
“Then what do you want?”
“I don’t want anything. I just want us to settle this once and for all and move on.”
“Mm.”
Shang Zhitao hung up, but Luan Nian called back immediately. She answered, hearing him say: “Shang Zhitao, are you still hung up on the bags I gave you? Do you think it was like selling yourself?”
“You left without saying goodbye because you thought I’d say hurtful things?”
“You’re overthinking it. I didn’t have anything hurtful to say. Moving on feels as good to me as it does to you. I also wish you all the best.”
Luan Nian ended the call.
It was probably during his last trip to America when Dr. Liang had told him: “Flora is long gone. If you can move forward, do so. If not, maybe you should try纠缠一下 (to persistently pursue). When your father chased me back in the day, he didn’t hold back—he was relentless.”
At the time, Luan Nian didn’t want to纠缠 (persistently pursue) Shang Zhitao. He thought there was nothing left to纠缠 about; the past was the past.
But when he passed by the break room and overheard Lumi talking to a colleague, she said: “Thank goodness Flora had my back, otherwise I’d have been fired.”
His heart ached just a little.
And so he came.
And now he was preparing to leave again, without even seeing Luke.
After his red arowana fish died, Luan Nian considered getting another pet. He even thought about adopting a dog. Those puppies were adorable, but whenever he reached out, he remembered Luke at two months old, as round as a snowball, rubbing against his pant legs. He remembered Luke marking his territory in the house, peeing everywhere, biting his sofa to shreds, and pooping all over the floor.
He also remembered Luke sitting in front of him, barking as if arguing.
In the end, he didn’t get another dog. Because he believed that if Luke ever saw him with another dog, he would die of anger.
Putting on his coat, Luan Nian left the hotel and wandered aimlessly along the streets of Ice City. Unconsciously, he found himself in front of the tavern. Standing outside for a moment, he saw how busy and lively it was inside.
After watching for a while, he pushed the door open and walked in.
Da Zhai still remembered him and came over to greet him: “Ah, it’s Flora’s former boss! Sit here! What would you like to eat? Auntie will treat you.”
“Just a couple of small dishes.”
“Alright, wait a bit.”
Da Zhai instructed the kitchen to prepare the dishes and brought over some peanuts. Sitting across from him, she asked: “What’s your surname, sir?”
“I’m surnamed Luan.”
Da Zhai paused briefly while rinsing the wine glasses, then asked: “And your name?”
“Luan Nian.”
Google Sites
Report abuse