MY - 39

Sunlight couldn’t penetrate the alley; the air was cool and dim.

Jiang Xi’s fingers were frozen pale, somewhat stiff. The first time she swiped the screen, the call didn’t connect.

The second time, it connected smoothly. She put her phone to her ear: “Hello.”

She hadn’t spoken much since waking up. Jiang Xi only realized her voice was slightly hoarse when she spoke.

Lu Nandu noticed the abnormality in her voice: “What’s wrong?”

Jiang Xi’s voice had already returned to normal, warmth permeating the air: “Nothing.”

She changed the subject, asking, “Why did you call me?”

Lu Nandu answered without answering, asking her, “Do you still remember that changfen shop you liked to eat at in college?”

It had been five or six years since college, but her memories of the changfen were clear.

Jiang Xi was from the south and liked to eat this kind of food, which was less common in the north.

At that time, there was an authentic changfen shop with an excellent reputation. The only drawback was that it was a bit far from the school, but Jiang Xi would still take a considerably long drive to go there if she craved it.

At that time, Jiang Xi hadn’t broken up with Lu Nandu yet; they lived together. One day, Jiang Xi particularly craved changfen. Early in the morning, she dragged Lu Nandu, who was still asleep in bed, out of the house. For a long time after that, Lu Nandu would accompany her there early in the morning.

Now that Jiang Xi had settled in Beijing, she had never gone to eat there again.

She hummed: “I remember, why?”

Lu Nandu said, “I bought some. Will you come downstairs to get it? It’s still warm.”

Jiang Xi was taken aback.

She hadn’t expected Lu Nandu to specifically make a trip early in the morning to bring it to her, and the line at this shop wasn’t easy; there would always be a long queue early in the morning.

As she fell silent, Lu Nandu thought she was unwilling to come down and said, “I won’t come up. You just come downstairs to get it, and I’ll leave.”

He just wanted to bring her something delicious.

However, Jiang Xi wasn’t unwilling to go downstairs. After another few seconds of silence, she said, “I’m not home.”

It sounded very much like a refusal. She could already anticipate Lu Nandu’s disappointment, even though he didn’t speak.

She added, “I’m in Yucheng.”

Now it was Lu Nandu’s turn to be stunned. He asked, “Why are you back there?”

“Something came up.”

Lu Nandu was silent; he didn’t know Jiang Xi was in Yucheng.

After a brief silence, Lu Nandu’s voice was a bit despondent, “You didn’t tell me.”

He brought it to her with great joy, but in the end, he found out she wasn’t even waiting for him.

Although he had been busy these past few days and they hadn’t met, Lu Nandu would call and message Jiang Xi. Jiang Xi could have told him anytime she had returned to Yucheng, but she hadn’t.

Hearing his not-so-enthusiastic tone, Jiang Xi, for some reason, spoke: “I won’t stay long. I’ll be back soon.”

________________________________________

Hearing the comforting implication in her words, Lu Nandu’s low mood vanished instantly.

He was really easy to appease.

He was clearly cheered up immediately. He asked Jiang Xi, “Then when are you coming back?”

Jiang Xi’s gaze fell on the rusty iron gate in front of her, and she didn’t answer directly: “I’ll go back when things are done.”

In reality, she wasn’t sure when she’d go back. Let alone whether the Su family would be willing to stand up and help her clarify, she didn’t even know where they were now.

Coming here today was just a shot in the dark; she still held a glimmer of hope.

But now, looking at this abandoned house, that faint, trembling hope vanished. A sense of powerlessness swept over her, completely lost.

Jiang Xi didn’t know what to say. She lowered her head slightly. Under her boots were weeds poking through cracks in the ground. She nudged them with her toe.

Lu Nandu was silent at first, then suddenly asked her, “Are you looking for someone?”

Jiang Xi’s foot paused.

Before she could say anything, Lu Nandu spoke again, “Is it a family named Su?”

Jiang Xi was surprised, forgetting that she hadn’t originally intended to tell Lu Nandu about these troubling matters: “How do you know?”

Lu Nandu didn’t answer her directly, only saying, “By chance.”

Next, without waiting for her to speak, he said, “Actually... I have something else I wanted to tell you today.”

Jiang Xi wasn’t stupid; she even had a premonition of what he was about to say.

“The Su family doesn’t live in Yucheng anymore; you don’t need to look for them there,” Lu Nandu said.

Jiang Xi understood that Lu Nandu probably already knew everything and no longer intended to hide it: “I know.”

She knew there was no need to look for them in Yucheng. The Su family had moved away many years ago. This city held unpleasant memories; how could they possibly return?

But she just wanted to try her luck, holding onto a faint possibility.

She looked at the overgrown courtyard again.

Although the facts proved otherwise.

She looked away, no longer lingering, and walked out.

Being cursed, being personally attacked, being disliked without reason—she didn’t care.

She only cared about her work being trampled underfoot. She wanted to reclaim the integrity of her work, which belonged only to her.

But in this world, clarification isn’t that easy. Spreading rumors only takes a baseless word, and people swarm to believe it. But when evidence is presented for refutation, people don’t even look, convinced it’s false.

What’s more, she had no evidence at all.

But even if all hope was lost, Jiang Xi would continue searching until one day the truth came to light.

She asked Lu Nandu, “Do you think it’s possible that I’ll never be able to clear my name in this life?”

The wind picked up, blowing through the alley.

Jiang Xi unexpectedly heard Lu Nandu deny it: “Who said that?”

“No one could say that. If I say it can be clarified, it can be clarified.”

Jiang Xi was amused by him, laughing for a rare time today, calling him: “Rogue.”

“How am I a rogue?” Lu Nandu said, “What I say is guaranteed, didn’t I get you the number?”

He spoke casually, as if making a light joke.

Jiang Xi’s footsteps halted.

No matter how calmly Lu Nandu spoke, Jiang Xi could discern the truth from the falsehood in his words.

She stood rooted to the spot, only realizing after an unknown amount of time: “What number?”

Seeing her reaction, Lu Nandu chuckled: “What other number could it be? Of course, it’s the one you’re looking for.”

Even someone as usually calm as Jiang Xi was stunned upon hearing this.

A moment ago, she was trapped in powerlessness, unsure what to do, but now, the situation suddenly brightened.

“We can’t even find the people right now,” Jiang Xi said. “Lu Nandu, don’t joke.”

Lu Nandu, however, was exceptionally cocky, laughing as he teased her: “No joke, who am I? Is there anything I can’t find?”

Perhaps wanting to help Jiang Xi relax a bit, he added, “I’ll find Ren Shenghai another day too.”

He coaxed her, “Let him kneel and apologize to you, okay?”

In the depths of winter, perhaps the wind was too cold, a chill spread across Jiang Xi’s back. She couldn’t tell the truth from the falsehood in his words.

It seemed like a joke, yet also like the truth.

But these thoughts were quickly forgotten by Jiang Xi. Her attention was still on Lu Nandu’s previous words. She asked, “The number you mentioned...”

Lu Nandu hummed: “I’ll send you the number in a bit.”

He paused, then asked, “Or should I contact them directly for you?”

Jiang Xi quickly said, “No need.”

Since the incident happened, she had never thought of asking Lu Nandu for help. Subconsciously, she was used to handling everything herself and had never treated Lu Nandu as a means to an end.

Lu Nandu had already helped her enough.

Lu Nandu knew Jiang Xi well enough to know she’d want to handle these things herself, so he didn’t take it upon himself to make arrangements for her, because Jiang Xi wouldn’t like it.

“Okay, then I’ll send you the number.”

Jiang Xi hummed.

Lu Nandu knew Jiang Xi didn’t rely on him; she wouldn’t even tell him when she went to Yucheng to find someone. But he didn’t dare complain, only tentatively said, “Jiejie, you could have found me from the beginning.”

In fact, Jiang Xi also understood that these things, which were as difficult as ascending to heaven for her, were effortless for Lu Nandu.

But she hadn’t thought of Lu Nandu at first, hadn’t thought of gaining any benefit from him.

As if knowing what she was thinking, Lu Nandu said, “You don’t need to feel burdened.”

Jiang Xi had already walked to the roadside, joking, “Well, it’s your own choice.”

Lu Nandu smiled.

Despite saying that, Jiang Xi still told him, “Thank you.”

Lu Nandu chuckled on the other end, saying, “How about you owe me another favor?”

Jiang Xi chuckled: “I already do.” She still hadn’t treated him to the meal she owed him last time.

She asked: “What do you want this time?”

Lu Nandu wasn’t stupid; he wouldn’t say what he wanted at this moment: “I haven’t thought about it yet. I’ll tell you when I do.”

Jiang Xi hailed a taxi, looked down, then looked up again.

“Okay.”

Jiang Xi was out for about two hours, returning home around 8 AM.

Xia Xingming had just finished breakfast and left for work. Xia Xinyan was tidying the dining table.

The sound of a car parking came from outside the courtyard. Xia Xinyan turned her head to look out the window.

When she saw Jiang Xi getting out of the taxi, Xia Xinyan paused. She put down the rag in her hand and walked outside.

Seeing Jiang Xi enter through the courtyard gate, Xia Xinyan said, “Did you go out?”

Jiang Xi had left too early. Xia Xinyan had no idea she had gone out: “I thought you were still sleeping.”

Jiang Xi: “No.”

The two entered the house together. Xia Xinyan asked, “What were you doing out so early in the morning?”

“Nothing,” Jiang Xi said, “Just out for a stroll.”

Xia Xinyan saw she didn’t want to say much, so she didn’t press further.

“I’ll go warm some porridge for you in the kitchen,” she said, holding Jiang Xi’s cold hands. “Look how cold your hands are. Hurry inside and have something warm to drink to warm yourself up.”

Jiang Xi had woken up early and felt sleepy right after finishing a bowl of hot porridge.

Xia Xinyan noticed her fatigue and told her to go home and rest quickly.

Jiang Xi had developed a habit at some point; she would always shower after going out.

Half an hour later, she emerged from the bathroom after showering, bringing a room full of steam with her.

As she was drying her hair and walking out of the bathroom, the phone screen on the bed lit up.

Jiang Xi looked up, then walked over.

The screen had already dimmed. Jiang Xi knelt on the bed, grabbed her phone, and leaned back against the headboard.

She hadn’t looked at her phone after getting into the taxi, she couldn’t say why.

She was eager to get that number, but at the same time, she didn’t have the courage to dial it.

Jiang Xi still clearly remembered the hatred the firefighter’s mother harbored for their family back then. This call might cause them trouble and disturb their lives.

On the screen was a phone number Lu Nandu had sent an hour ago.

Perhaps because she hadn’t replied, Lu Nandu had just sent another text message asking if she had received it.

Jiang Xi tapped the screen, replying that she had received it.

She looked at the number on her phone for a long time without moving. After an unknown period, Jiang Xi threw her phone aside and reached for the cigarette box on the bedside table.

She leaned against the headboard and lit a cigarette.

Occasionally, sunlight streamed in through the bay window, casting dappled shadows.

After about a cigarette’s worth of time, Jiang Xi stubbed out the cigarette butt in the ashtray.

She picked up the phone from the side. The phone was cool from the air, and Jiang Xi’s fingertips were icy.

She dialed the number.

The sound of the call connecting quickly came through the receiver.

Time seemed to pass slowly; no one answered on the other end.

Just as Jiang Xi thought the call was about to end automatically, someone on the other end answered.

“Hello.”

It was an unexpected young woman’s voice.

Jiang Xi: “Hello.”

“You’re looking for Su An, right?” the woman’s voice was pleasant. “I’m sorry, he’s not in the house right now. I’ll go call him. Please wait a moment.”

When Jiang Xi heard the name Su An, her head buzzed.

Su An, that beautiful little boy from back then, who was also the anti-drug police officer who died.

He was still alive?

During Jiang Xi’s stunned pause, the phone seemed to have been handed over.

A low, detached male voice came through.

“Hello.”