Handsome

By the time they had finished moving in and unpacking, it was almost noon.

Their new rental was on the sixth floor of an old apartment complex in Futian District, with no elevator.

It had one bedroom and a living room and came fully furnished. Everything was old, but all the essentials were there: a bed, a wardrobe, a sofa, a coffee table, a TV stand, and even a gas stove and range hood in the kitchen.

Zhang Xiu'e put everything in its place, made a circuit of the living room, then planted her hands on her hips and let out a long breath.

"There. We're finally settled."

She was smiling, with beads of sweat still clinging to her forehead.

"I'll go buy groceries in a bit, and we'll celebrate tonight. What do you feel like eating? I'll make it for you."

Chen Yuan sat on the sofa, folded the last piece of clothing, and set it beside him.

"Anything's fine. Whatever you make, Sister Ezi, I'll eat."

Zhang Xiu'e smiled. She was about to say something when the phone in her bag rang.

She took it out and checked. It was an unfamiliar number, but it was from Deep City. After a moment's hesitation, she answered.

"Hello?... Oh, yes, that's me... Right, right... Huh? This afternoon?... What time?... Oh, okay. All right, then... Yes, I know the address. I can get there myself... Okay, okay. Thanks, Sister Wang... All right, bye."

After hanging up, she stood there with a complicated expression.

Chen Yuan looked up at Sister Ezi. "What's wrong?"

"That Sister Wang I mentioned, my old coworker. She's a supervisor over there now."

Zhang Xiu'e stuffed her phone back into her bag and sighed.

"She said things are quiet at the company this afternoon, so the department's throwing a welcome party for the new staff. She wants me to come over and meet everyone."

"Then go," Chen Yuan said. "That's a good thing!"

"But we said we'd cook lunch and celebrate." Zhang Xiu'e felt a little guilty. "We've only just moved in, and I'm already leaving you here by yourself."

Chen Yuan smiled.

"Sister Ezi, I'm not a kid. Go ahead. Don't worry about me. I'll find somewhere to grab lunch, and we can have something nice when you get back tonight."

Zhang Xiu'e thought it over, nodded, and bent down to pick up her bag.

"Then don't just make do for lunch. Find somewhere clean. Don't eat anything that'll give you the runs."

"Got it."

"I'll try to get back early. I'll make you braised fish tonight."

"Okay."

Zhang Xiu'e changed her shoes, opened the door, then glanced back at him.

"I'll definitely make it up to you tonight."

The door closed. Her footsteps faded down the corridor, then fell silent.

Chen Yuan sat alone on the sofa and looked around their new home.

One bedroom and a living room. It wasn't big, but it was much cleaner than their old place, and quieter too.

Zhou Min's closed door, all those unsavory men, all that shouting and noise—they had left it all behind in that urban village.

He felt much more at ease.

He sat a little longer, until his stomach growled. Then he got up, took his phone and keys, and went out.

There were places to eat right near the building.

Small eateries lined both sides of a little street, selling clay-pot congee, rice noodle rolls, and roast goose rice. Their signs stood side by side, and the mingled smells of cooking grease drifted all along the street.

Chen Yuan picked one that looked reasonably clean, went in, and ordered stir-fried rice noodles for twelve yuan. The portion was generous. There wasn't much shredded pork, but the noodles were nicely fried, neither soggy nor greasy.

Sitting on a plastic stool, he slowly finished his meal, drank some of the complimentary soup, paid, and left.

The sun was directly overhead, its heat softening the asphalt. Chen Yuan didn't feel like going back for a nap. He wanted to wander around, learn the streets, and get a look at the new neighborhood.

This was an old part of the city, a little different from the urban village where they had lived before.

The buildings were older and not very tall, packed tightly together. Their walls were faded, iron bars were welded over the windows, and outdoor air-conditioning units covered the walls. Water dripped from them, leaving the ground wet.

Narrow alleys squeezed between the buildings, barely wide enough for two people to walk side by side. Overhead wires stretched like spiderwebs, with clothes hanging from them and fluttering whenever the wind blew.

Chen Yuan turned into an alley and wandered along, looking around.

The alley was dim. The tall buildings on either side blocked the sun, leaving only a narrow slit overhead for a little light to filter through.

The ground was wet, whether from the air conditioners or something else, he couldn't tell. His soles felt a little sticky as he walked.

An indescribable smell hung in the air—the fragrance of laundry detergent mixed with the foul smell of drains and a faint trace of mold.

He had only gone a few steps when he spotted a woman standing at the side of the alley ahead.

She was in her thirties, wearing a tight pink slip dress so short it barely covered the tops of her thighs. Her bare legs were pale, and she wore high-heeled sandals, her toenails painted red.

Her hair had been permed into large curls that fell loose over her shoulders. She wore heavy makeup, with lipstick so dark a red it was almost purple and deep blue-black eye shadow.

She leaned against the wall with a cigarette between her fingers, its tip glowing and dimming.

Chen Yuan glanced at her, thought nothing of it, and kept walking.

"Hey, handsome!"

The woman's voice was soft and cloying, with a slight rasp, as though her throat was sore and she was deliberately putting on a voice.

Chen Yuan kept walking, but turned his head toward her.

She blew smoke at him, the corners of her mouth curling up.

"All by yourself? Want to have some fun?"

Chen Yuan paused, not quite understanding.

"What?"

The woman smiled and walked toward him, holding the cigarette between her fingers.

Her heels clicked against the concrete. She swayed her hips, her short skirt swinging with every step.

"Why act so innocent?"

She came up to Chen Yuan and ran a hand over his chest.

"A hundred yuan for the full service. There's a room next door."

Now Chen Yuan understood.

His face flushed instantly, the heat spreading from the base of his neck to the tips of his ears and up to his forehead.

He stepped back to avoid her hand and stammered out a few words.

"N-no, thanks."

Seeing him blush, the woman smiled even more broadly. She moved another step closer and tapped his shoulder with a finger.

"What are you scared of? I'm very good at this. I guarantee you'll come looking for me again."

Chen Yuan backed up another step and almost landed in the drainage ditch beside the alley.

He lowered his head, not daring to look at her, then turned and hurried away. His strides were long and rushed, as though someone were chasing him.

Her voice followed him, still soft and cloying, with laughter in it.

"Why are you running? Handsome! Can't even spare a hundred yuan?"

Chen Yuan walked even faster!

The alley bent. He turned the corner, then took another turn before her voice finally faded out of earshot.

Chen Yuan stopped and leaned against the wall, breathing hard. His face was still red, and his heart was pounding.

After standing there for a while, he reached up and touched his face. It was burning.

He swore, took out his phone, and glanced at it, pretending to reply to a message when there was actually nothing on the screen.

The alley was quiet except for the hum of the air-conditioning units overhead. Chen Yuan took a deep breath, slipped his phone back into his pocket, and hurried toward the exit with his head down.