A mature male voice cut through the movie characters’ dialogue, coming clearly from the phone’s speaker. Xie An’yu’s fingers, resting on the phone, twitched slightly. After a brief silence, he lowered his voice and said, “No…”
“So you thought I was a girl all this time?”
Xie An’yu’s fingers unconsciously traced the edge of the phone. He replied slowly, “At first, I did think you were a girl. But later, it didn’t seem quite right…”
The main reason was the nickname ‘Xiao Zhou Sails Away’, which sounded rather literary. Xiao Zhou’s profile picture also lacked obvious male characteristics. The small thumbnail was blurry; only when clicked did it reveal a train speeding into the distance against a deep blue background, its silhouette indistinct, almost blending into the background.
“Now you know,” Yu Feng said, taking a drag from his cigarette before stubbing it out in the ashtray.
Xie An’yu hummed in response, his fingers idly scraping at the faded phone case.
Yu Feng paused the movie, walked to the window, and opened it.
The information conveyed by this misunderstanding was obvious—Xiao Dao wasn’t gay. At least, he didn’t like men, otherwise he wouldn’t have subconsciously assumed his first customer was female.
“Not gay, but forced to work?” Yu Feng asked.
“Mm?” Xie An’yu was stunned. “…No, not forced to work. I just didn’t realize it at first.”
Yu Feng didn’t press the matter. Whether the other party was gay or not was irrelevant to him.
“Let’s continue watching the movie,” Yu Feng said.
***
Xie An’yu didn’t know when he had fallen asleep. He suspected he lacked artistic sensibilities; halfway through the film, his mind began to wander, and he grew drowsy. And since Xiao Zhou remained silent throughout the viewing, with no one talking to him, Xie An’yu quickly closed his eyes, his head lolling to the side as he drifted off to sleep.
When he woke up the next morning, his phone only had six percent battery left. After unlocking the phone, he found that the screen was still on the movie-watching app interface. Xie An’yu immediately sent Xiao Zhou a message.
Xiao Dao: 【Sorry, I accidentally fell asleep yesterday】
To his surprise, the other party actually replied very quickly.
Xiao Zhou Sails Away: 【No wonder I heard snoring】
He had been snoring?
Xie An’yu felt a little embarrassed.
Xiao Dao: 【Was it loud?】
Yu Feng picked up his coffee cup from the coffee machine, a smile playing on his lips as he glanced at his phone.
Xiao Zhou Sails Away: 【You believe everything people say】
Xiao Zhou Sails Away: 【Just kidding】
Yu Feng had indeed heard some sounds through the phone, but it was just Xie An’yu’s steady breathing.
For some inexplicable reason, Xie An’yu suddenly burst into laughter.
Perhaps he rarely encountered someone who would joke with him like this in his daily life.
Xiao Dao: 【How old are you?】
Xiao Dao: 【So childish】
This was the first time Student Xiao Dao had spoken to Yu Feng in such a tone, and Yu Feng found it a bit novel.
Xiao Zhou Sails Away: 【Quite old】
Xiao Zhou Sails Away: 【But sometimes adults can be even more unreliable than children】
Xiao Dao: 【Are you one of those unreliable adults?】
Xiao Zhou Sails Away: 【I’m not. I’m very reliable】
Xie An’yu chuckled aloud. It had been a long time since he had laughed so freely and genuinely.
Xiao Dao: 【We didn’t get to enjoy the movie properly yesterday. I’ll make it up to you for free later】
Xiao Zhou Sails Away: 【So sincere】
Xiao Dao: 【It’s only right】
Xiao Zhou Sails Away: 【Alright】
Xiao Dao: 【You’re up this early too?】
Xiao Zhou Sails Away: 【Mm, gotta work to survive as a corporate slave】
This was the first time Xie An’yu had chatted with Xiao Zhou at this hour. It felt different, as if he were talking to a genuine online friend he’d never met, rather than a client whose communication depended on monetary transactions.
One bright spot of the day was the arrival of the sleeping bag Yue Lai had ordered online for Xie An’yu. After getting off work in the evening, Xie An’yu rode home with Yue Lai on his electric scooter.
Yue Lai’s home was in a narrow alleyway where the houses looked quite old. A short streetlamp stood every ten meters or so, casting a dim glow that revealed the dilapidated state of the buildings lining the alley.
Yue Lai gently pushed open the wooden gate, pressed a finger to his lips to signal Xie An’yu to keep his voice down, and wheeled his electric scooter inside. He tugged on the red rope beside the gate, lighting up the courtyard. He turned and waved, motioning for Xie An’yu to follow.
The courtyard was small, with two modest single-story houses facing each other.
Yue Lai led Xie An’yu inside, offered him a wooden stool, and poured him a glass of water.
This room appeared slightly larger than the one next door, separated by a wall and a door. The outer area served as a dining space, with a table and a stove, while the inner room likely served as the bedroom.
When Yue Lai emerged from the inner room, he dragged out a rather large package. He picked up his phone and began typing.
【My grandpa is already asleep. He sleeps next door. He helped me receive this package. You can open it and take a look】
Xie An’yu made the ‘thank you’ gesture.
【I’ll check it when I get back. Don’t wake your grandpa. Thanks for helping me with the delivery. I’ll head out now, you get some rest】
【I’ll give you a ride back on my electric scooter】
【No need. I know the way. It’s too dangerous for you to ride back alone so late. Just get some sleep】
Before heading home, Xie An’yu went to scout out the bridge underpass he’d been eyeing. There were streetlights nearby, so it wasn’t completely dark. He planned to make do here for a few nights until he received this month’s wages, then he would rent a cheap room.
His phone vibrated. Xie An’yu took it out and saw it was a call from his boss.
“Hello, Brother Lu?”
“Where are you?”
“I’m…”
“Don’t tell me you’re at home right now.”
“I’m not at home.”
“Outside? Under the bridge?”
Xie An’yu instinctively turned around and saw Lu Yang standing on the distant bank, holding his phone and watching him.
Xie An’yu’s brows furrowed. “You…” He swallowed the word ‘following’ back down.
Lu Yang, however, finished the sentence for him: “That’s right, I’m following you.”
Lu Yang said nonchalantly, “I wanted to see what you and Yue Lai were secretly up to after work. Turns out you came to visit a bridge underpass.”
Xie An’yu pressed his lips together, saying nothing. A surge of anger flared within him, but he controlled his emotions and replied calmly, “I was just picking up my package from his place.”
“Sorry, don’t take offense at me interfering too much, but I just don’t like my employees getting too close,” Lu Yang said. “Xie An’yu, listen, I don’t like you and Yue Lai getting too close.”
Xie An’yu didn’t respond. Lu Yang then said, “Come over here. Don’t waste phone credit.”
Xie An’yu hung up the phone and walked towards Lu Yang, carrying his package. His expression was grim, but he maintained a composed demeanor.
“Didn’t you say the problem was resolved?” Lu Yang asked, a cigarette dangling from his lips and an ambiguous smile on his face. “So, your solution is to sleep under a bridge? I’m guessing right, aren’t I? You’re planning to sleep here, aren’t you? Xie An’yu, I wouldn’t put it past you.”
Xie An’yu, wanting to avoid provoking him, neither argued nor explained. He simply letting out a soft hum.
“You’re really going to sleep here? Xie An’yu, why are you so ridiculous?”
There were so many shortcuts he could have taken, yet he insisted on choosing the most ridiculous path. Sometimes, Lu Yang wondered if his intentions were too subtle, preventing Xie An’yu from noticing his ulterior motives.
No.
It’s Xie An’yu who’s too stupid.
“I won’t be sleeping here forever. I’ll rent a place later.”
“You think you can afford that?”
Xie An’yu looked up at him.
“What do you take Beicheng for? Your meager salary is barely enough for daily life, and you want to rent a place? Xie An’yu, why are you so brainless?”
Xie An’yu’s Adam’s apple bobbed slightly.
Perhaps this was the price of survival—to swallow every insult, justified or not.
“I’m going home now, Brother Lu,” Xie An’yu said calmly.
Lu Yang froze, a sudden tightness gripping his chest, the air trapped between his lungs. He hated dealing with people like this—too dense to understand subtlety, yet quick to anger when things were spelled out. Lu Yang angrily threw his cigarette butt to the ground and stomped on it hard. “Get out, get out, just go.”
Xie An’yu was extremely frustrated now.
Xie An’yu knew he could no longer sleep in that bridge arch. Who knew when Lu Yang might suddenly appear?
He felt his boss had been growing increasingly hostile toward him lately. Previously, he had simply thought Lu Yang had a bad temper—though his words were sometimes unpleasant, he rarely made things difficult for his employees.
But recently, Xie An’yu had clearly sensed Lu Yang’s deliberate targeting of him.
Perhaps Lu Yang genuinely disliked his employees getting too close to each other.
Xie An’yu’s legs felt as heavy as if filled with lead; every step felt arduous.
Hope, like a flickering candle flame, was suddenly blown out.
He had lost only a place to sleep outdoors, yet it felt as if he had lost everything, even the strength in his body.
His phone buzzed. Xie An’yu couldn’t help but frown, thinking it was another call from his boss. But when he pulled out his phone to check, he saw it was Guo Tianyang calling.
“Hello?”
“An’yu, you’re not asleep yet, are you? I have good news for you. You asked me to help you inquire about renting a place, remember? I found something, and I even found someone who wants to share a place.”
Xie An’yu’s face lit up. “Really?”
“Really! He’s a Senior Brother of my girlfriend’s, already graduated for almost a year now. He didn’t go back to his hometown after graduating but stayed in Beicheng to work. He’s currently living alone in a two-bedroom apartment—not huge, but there’s an empty room available,” Guo Tianyang said in a brisk tone. “He’s already taken the master bedroom. If you’re interested in sharing, you can have the second bedroom. The whole apartment rents for 1200[mfn]T/N: Around 167 USD. 700 CNY is around 97 USD, and 500 CNY is around 70 USD.[/mfn], the master bedroom is 700 a month, and the second bedroom is 500 a month.”
“The location isn’t ideal—it’s a bit far from the city center. But it’s close to the subway, so even though the location is a bit remote, the transportation is still pretty convenient.”
The 500 yuan rent still gave Xie An’yu pause, but he didn’t have any better options at the moment.
Xie An’yu said, “I don’t have that much cash on hand right now. Could you ask your girlfriend’s Senior Brother if I can pay the rent a few days late? I won’t get my paycheck until a few days from now.”
“You don’t have to worry about that. I’ve already clarified everything—he’s already paid this quarter’s rent. If you’re willing to share with him, you can start paying rent next month and just make up for this month’s rent then,” Guo Tianyang explained. “Anyway, there are only a few days left in the month. If you think it works, I can go with you to see the apartment this Saturday?”
Xie An’yu couldn’t wait until Saturday. He said, “I want to move in tomorrow. Is that okay?”
“That urgent? Don’t you want to see the place first?”
“It’s fine. I just need a place to sleep.”
“Then how about I ask the senior to take a couple of photos of the room and I’ll send them to you on WeChat?”
“Okay.”
***
The next afternoon, during his break, Xie An’yu went home to pack his belongings. Guo Tianyang had already informed the senior, arranging for Xie An’yu to move his things over that afternoon and moved in at night.
Xie An’yu didn’t have much luggage—just a black tote bag and a backpack, which he carried with him to work every day. Now, in addition to these two possessions, he had a sleeping bag. He initially thought about asking Yue Lai if he could return it but then decided to keep it, thinking he might need it someday.
Xie An’yu found paper and a pen in Wu Meng’s desk and wrote a letter to his aunt. He kept two hundred yuan for himself and wrapped all his remaining cash, along with the 400 yuan he’d withdrawn from the bank earlier, in the letter. He placed this, along with the old second-hand Android phone, on the living room coffee table.
Just as Xie An’yu finished packing and was about to leave, Wu Jie walked in through the door, carrying a bowl of rice noodles[mfn]米線 (mǐ xiàn): Rice noodles.
[/mfn]. She froze at the entrance, seeing Xie An’yu holding the same black tote bag he had brought on his first day, looking as though he was about to pack up and leave.
Xie An’yu hadn’t expected Wu Jie to be back at this time; usually, she would have finished lunch and gone to the library by now.
Wu Jie’s brows furrowed slightly. “You’re leaving?”
Xie An’yu hummed in affirmation.
Wu Jie stepped inside, her gaze sweeping over the phone and letter on the coffee table. She set the rice noodles on the dining table and approached Xie An’yu, asking, “Where are you going? Did you find a place to stay?”
“I did.”
Wu Jie was momentarily speechless. There were so many questions she wanted to ask, yet she felt they had nothing to do with her. After a long silence, she finally spoke: “You’re just leaving like this? Not going to tell my mom?”
“Auntie might not let me go,” Xie An’yu said. “And I’m afraid she’ll ask too many questions.”
Wu Jie secretly agreed that Xie An’yu leaving quietly on his own was the best approach. Given her mother’s stubborn nature, as long as their house remained standing, she would never relent and let Xie An’yu go, even if the sky fell—unless she personally witnessed him having a new home.
If another argument erupted with her father, it would inevitably lead to another bloody conflict. Her parents had been arguing almost daily and nightly these past few days.
“Did you really find a place to stay?” Wu Jie confirmed again.
“Yes, I did.”
“Good. That’s all that matters.” Wu Jie picked up the items from the coffee table. “Keep these things for yourself. Don’t you use the phone? What’s this? Money?”
“I have another phone I can use. The money is for Auntie.”
Wu Jie sighed. “She won’t take it. Take it back and keep it for yourself.”
“I still have money on me. This is for Auntie.”
Wu Jie didn’t argue further. She knew that no matter what she said, Xie An’yu wouldn’t take the money and phone back. The people of the Old Xie Family were all stubborn as mules.
Wu Jie picked up the phone, removed the SIM card, and pressed it into Xie An’yu’s hand. “You don’t have to take the phone, but you should keep the SIM card.”
Xie An’yu’s face showed confusion.
“Your WeChat account is linked to this phone number. Without this SIM card, your previous WeChat account will be useless. Didn’t you register an account on that mini-program? Keep it; you’ll need it.”
Xie An’yu lowered his head, looking at the SIM card in his hand. “I’ve caused you a lot of trouble this past month.”
Wu Jie’s heart was a mix of emotions. As a highly rational person, she couldn’t bring herself to say any sappy, sentimental words to Xie An’yu as he prepared to leave. “Call me if you need anything. Don’t contact my mother—she’s too soft-hearted and tends to overthink things.”
Xie An’yu had no intention of ever bothering his aunt again. This place had never been his safe haven.
The author has something to say:
A bit late today. Thank you all for waiting patiently.
There are probably three or four more chapters until they meet. This isn’t an online romance novel; the mini-program is just an introduction. The overall tone of the story leans towards realism.
Maybe I’ll write a purely sweet online romance story if there’s an opportunity in the future. These two taciturn person[mfn]悶葫蘆 (mèn hú lu): lit. closed gourd; (figuratively) enigma; complete mystery; taciturn person; riddle; puzzle; conundrum; dumb gourd. 悶葫蘆 (mèn hú lu) had two metaphorical meanings: one refers to a puzzle that is difficult to understand or something that is puzzling, and the other refers to a person who speaks little.[/mfn] just aren’t suited for online relationships.
Taciturn person No. 1 & Taciturn person No. 0: Who are you talking about?
[dropdown title=”List of Idiom in Chapter 13″]
莫名其妙 (mò míng qí miào): lit. to be impossible to describe what the profundity is; (idiom) baffling; inexplicable; puzzling; indescribable.輕手輕腳 (qīng shǒu qīng jiǎo): (to move or do sth) softly and quietly (idiom); move cautiously/gently/quietly/softly; steal past; make one’s way carefully; hands and feet move very lightly so that there is no sound.
偷偷摸摸 (tōu tōu mō mō): surreptitious; furtive; sneaky; covertly; slinkingly; to do things secretly without letting others know.
腥風血雨 (xīng fēng xuè yǔ): lit. a foul wind and a rain of blood—reactionary reign of terror; foul wind and bloody rain (idiom); (figuratively) reign of terror; carnage of war; bloody storm; the wind carries a fishy smell and the raindrops carry blood. Describe the sinister atmosphere or environment of crazy killings.
胡思亂想 (hú sī luàn xiǎng): to indulge in flights of fancy (idiom); to let one’s imagination run wild; to daydream; to give way to foolish fancies; to go off into flights of fancy.
[/dropdown]Check out my completed & current project at my carrd. If you like my translation, you can buy me coffee at Ko-fi~ Thank you.
