When I arrived at the hospital entrance, I said: "It's not far from here, I'm going back. You also go home and sleep early, we can talk about anything tomorrow."

  She remained silent, hesitating.

  "What's wrong?"

  She said: "Why don't you come to my place? There's no one taking care of you at that store either. It's noisy, and when the sun comes up, you'll be caught working again, right? My house is just next door, you can sleep in the guest room. We can also discuss the case conveniently anytime. Now is a critical moment, let's still be vigilant and not separate."

  She said, let's not be apart anymore. Although it was just an unintentional remark, my heart felt as if it had been lightly struck by something.

  I was speechless for a moment. She saw this and laughed: "Then let's go."

  A certain subtle emotion suddenly surged up in my heart. I also smiled and said, "Don't worry about it, I'm fine at the store. If anything happens, you can call me anytime."

  She said: "No way."

  I gazed at her without saying a word.

  "There's something else, I didn't dare to say. Remember last time when a mysterious person sneaked into my house and left me a note? With all these things happening now, I'm actually quite scared. Can you go home with me?"

  The night was still very dark, with thick clouds covering the stars. Above our heads were clear streetlights. I gazed into her eyes, where a lake of water sparkled, black and warm, with gentle ripples.

  "I said: 'Good.'"

  She suddenly laughed. What she was laughing at, I couldn't figure out and didn't want to think about it either.

  Her home is roughly what I imagined. A warm and clean two-bedroom apartment, a bit messy but okay. There are mostly books and snacks around. She took out a pair of men's slippers from the shoe cabinet and said: "These were my dad's, you can wear them first. He and my mom used to live here for a while. You can sleep in his clothes at night, is that okay?"

  I certainly agree.

  "Is there still some of the green plum wine your mother brewed?" I asked.

  She smiled and said: "You want to drink? But the green plum wine can't stay in my hands for a few days. Next time she makes it, I'll bring some for you."

  I agreed again.

  The decor in the guest room was simple, with only a bed and a dresser. A few books were scattered on the windowsill. She hung her father's clothes at the head of the bed and said: "Your taste is similar to my dad's, he also likes to wear sleeveless shirts in summer, yeah."

  I picked up the soft cotton vest and said, "You mean I'm dressed like an old man?"

  She said: "But I've seen few young people wearing vests."

  I said: "That's for it to be cooler when working."

  She said: "I know." After a pause, she said: "When I first saw you in the store, you were wearing a vest."

  She spoke carelessly, but as I looked at her, I found that under the night light, every detail of her outline was particularly delicate.

  "Do I remember it so clearly?" I heard myself say.

  She turned her head and looked elsewhere, saying nonchalantly: "I was just kidding. You go take a bath quickly."

  Following her instructions, I stood in the small bathtub at her house, holding the showerhead and washing off the blood and dirt from my body, trying not to touch the wound on my head. The hot water washed away my fatigue, bringing warmth and calmness. Afterwards, I soaked in the bathtub for a while, covering my face with a hot towel.

  She was right. It turned out that I hadn't had such a relaxing and comfortable bath in the past year. Later, I almost fell asleep in the bathtub until she knocked on the door outside: "Wu Yu, I forgot to tell you, the towels are in the cabinet under the sink. The blue one is clean."

  "I said: 'Good.'"

  Suddenly, an idea surged from the depths of my heart. This was once the life I yearned for. It was what I thought would be mine after graduation, a life where I'd follow the routine and have a stable job. A decent house, a woman worth treasuring.

  She would prepare clean clothes for me, make my bed, and remind me what to do and what not to. She would even have a bath towel ready for me after I took a shower. And I would take good care of her for the rest of her life. We lived a happy and peaceful life together. She was also kind to my mother and Wu Miao. In the past, I had shouldered all the responsibilities for my family; in the future, I would add her to that list as well.

  ……

  I took out a towel from the closet and covered myself with it. My heart was as still as dead water with a slight ripple.