Chapter 109: Today Is a Good Day

The little match girl prayed in the winter night for someone to buy her matches.

The cold wind scraped her face, her stiff features reflected in the shop window.
And so the matches burned into illusion.

The young Cheng Ye lit five cigarettes under a wild pear tree, thinking he had caught a butterfly.

Little did he know, the butterfly had come for him.

…

The winter in Xiliu Village in February was too cold, a cold that seeped into the bones, so cold that it froze even Jiang Shi’s soul.

He came out of the noodle shop and walked back the way he came. After a short distance, he pulled his hood over his head, shoved his hands in his pockets, and turned back.

The streetlight flickered on and off. A tall young man emerged from the pharmacy, carrying a basket on his back and smelling of cilantro. He brushed past Jiang Shi, who had his face covered.

Jiang Shi entered the pharmacy. The doctor was yawning, preparing to close up, and was startled to see someone standing at the door.

Jiang Shi pulled back his hood, revealing his delicate face.

“Give me some more sleeping pills. I can’t sleep.”

The doctor recognized him. He cleared the leftover water cup from the table.

“Sleeping pills? Where would a small place like ours have something like sleeping pills?”

Hearing there were none, Jiang Shi put his hood back on, ready to leave.
Just as he turned, the doctor asked him, “Whose kid are you? I don’t think I’ve seen you around.”

Jiang Shi said sullenly, “Jiang Xue’s.”

“No wonder. I heard Jiang Xue brought her biological son back. The news has spread all over. I didn’t expect you to be her son. It’s so late, why aren’t you going back? Be careful not to worry your mom.”

Jiang Shi took two steps, and the doctor pulled back the curtain to chase after him. “Hey… I heard there’s a stray dog on the road back to your place. That dog loves to scare people. If you see it, don’t run, or it will definitely chase you.”

Jiang Shi gave a dry “Oh.”

The doctor added, “There’s something else I need to tell you. Someone just came here and bought a bottle of pesticide. That kid is from your village. I know about his situation. His mom ran away, and his dad is gone. His dad only died a few days ago, and he comes here to buy pesticide, saying there are rats at home, but…”

The doctor sighed. “Maybe I’m overthinking it. Anyway, you’re from the same place and going the same way. Help me keep an eye on him. Don’t let him do anything foolish.”

Jiang Shi walked back, stepping on the shattered light of the streetlamps. He thought of the tall figure in the noodle shop, and then of the figure he had brushed past at the pharmacy entrance.

What did other people’s life or death have to do with him…
He thought.

But he still went. He didn’t take the main road but climbed up the path that had just been trodden, reaching the three-way intersection.

The light from his phone’s flashlight wasn’t very strong. He shone it on the grassy slope nearby, which had obvious signs of being stepped on. Fresh footprints were there, stopping under a wild pear tree.

Jiang Shi shone his phone upwards.
Cold rain hit his face. The branches of the pear tree were bare, casting heavy, dark shadows. The tree trunk was as silent as a tombstone.

Under the tombstone, a cigarette butt glowed red, like a seared heart.

Jiang Shi brought his gaze back. He seemed to be lost, staring blankly at the three-way intersection.
The smell of smoke drifted to his nose. The cold made him sneeze.

What kind of savior was he? His own life was a mess. It was a question whether he himself could even survive, so how could he care about whether others lived or died?

His black down jacket enveloped his thin frame. He stood at the intersection holding his phone, his eyes turning red. Biting his lip, he finally spoke.

He rambled on, like someone complaining about being lost, or like he was speaking to a specific person. In the end, he just threw caution to thewind.

“Someone help me. As long as you can get me out of here, I’ll do anything.”

No one answered him. The smell of smoke thickened and then dissipated, dissipated and then thickened again.
The rain grew heavier, like weeping, like burying, until all traces were gone.
Jiang Shi called out a few more times, but still, no one paid him any mind.

He thought, what does it matter to an outsider like me? What does it have to do with me if someone is determined to die?
He chose a path and left.

His phone’s battery was getting lower and lower. He looked back behind him. The shadows were heavy, and he couldn’t see anything, not even the wild pear tree.
He heard the sound of panting next to his ear. Jiang Shi knew he had encountered the wild dog.

He didn’t know he had actually taken the wrong path. He just kept walking forward, the heavy panting sound following him.

He was getting farther and farther from the tree. Even the smell of smoke that had clung to his shoulders disappeared.

Jiang Shi stood in place, his phone illuminating the wild dog’s eyes.

He looked at the pair of faint green lights hidden in the grass.

He suddenly remembered the fleeting glance at the clinic entrance. The boy also had a pair of eyes, faint and gloomy, like a wolf’s.

…

He cursed under his breath and suddenly ran back, clutching his phone.
The taste of blood welled up in his mouth. His heart was being pulled by a thread. Something seemed to be following him, but he couldn’t hear it or see it. His eyes were fixed only on that pear tree.

A dazzling light suddenly flared up. He was momentarily blinded, and then…
Thump!
An excruciating pain shot up from his ankle. The flashlight shone on Jiang Shi’s face. He squinted and saw a pair of wolf-like eyes.

His eyes instantly turned red. He slapped the flashlight away. “No, are you crazy?!”
Why give up on life for no good reason?

The boy was silent. The smell of smoke still lingered on him, and the late winter chill rested on his shoulders. When he spoke, his voice was low.
“I’m sorry.”

Tears slid from Jiang Shi’s eyes.
He leaned on Cheng Ye’s back. The lights of the people searching for him lit up the area, and calls for “Jiang Shi” echoed across the hillside. Not a single call was for Cheng Ye.
But Cheng Ye clearly didn’t care.

In the end, the two returned to the three-way intersection. The wild pear tree was still silent, its branches spread out, with buds swelling at the tips, waiting only for a warm wind and rain.
They looked up at the tree. Jiang Xue’s figure came running from the distance.
At that moment, nothing was said, yet it felt like everything had been said.

…

Huo Ji had asked, why wasn’t Jiang Shi afraid of Cheng Ye?
Because he was the little dog he had personally rescued from under the tree.

---

When Jiang Shi woke up, he was still a bit dazed. The ceiling above him was snow-white, as if pear blossoms were in bloom.
The moment his hand moved, another hand grabbed it.
“Jiang Shi…”

Jiang Shi turned his head. A stubble-faced Cheng Ye sat by the bed, wearing only a wrinkled shirt stained with mud, as if it had been soaked through and then dried by his body heat.

Perhaps because of the sudden light, Jiang Shi squinted uncomfortably.
Cheng Ye reached out and touched the corner of his eye, then gently brushed the adhesive bandage on his face. “Does it still hurt? Are you uncomfortable anywhere?”

It was fine until he mentioned it. Now that he did, Jiang Shi felt pain everywhere. His hands hurt, his feet hurt, and especially his back—it hurt with every movement.
His voice was also a bit hoarse when he spoke. “I feel like I’m going to die…”

The moment he said “die,” Cheng Ye’s expression changed instantly. “You won’t die. I won’t let you die…”
Jiang Shi didn’t notice Cheng Ye’s expression, only his own fragile state. “What happened to my back?”

Cheng Ye carefully helped him sit up, propping him with a pillow, and poured him a glass of water.

“When you jumped out the window, you scraped it on a half-broken wooden plank. You have a cut on your back.”
He brought the water to Jiang Shi’s lips. Jiang Shi subconsciously reached for it and saw his gauze-wrapped palm.

“…”

Well, then.

He sighed inwardly and drank half a glass of water from Cheng Ye’s hand. After drinking, he suddenly remembered something and grabbed Cheng Ye’s hand. “I hit Huo Ji over the head with a brick. He bled a lot. He’s not dead, is he?”

“He’s not dead.” Cheng Ye’s eyes were icy. “A worthless life like his won’t die that easily.”

Only then did Jiang Shi see Cheng Ye’s disheveled state.

“How long was I out?”
“Two days.”

In other words, Cheng Ye had sat by his bedside looking like this for a full two days.
Jiang Shi hooked his gauze-wrapped fingertips around Cheng Ye’s. “I’m sorry for making you worry.”

Cheng Ye held his hand in return. He wanted to touch him but was afraid of hurting him. In the end, he only lowered his head and gently nuzzled him with the tip of his nose.

“I should be the one saying sorry. I didn’t protect you well. Even when you were in trouble, I couldn’t find you right away.”
He buried his head in Jiang Shi’s palm. Jiang Shi couldn’t see his face, only felt something warm seeping through the gauze, scalding his wound.

He raised his other hand and stroked Cheng Ye’s hair. “It has nothing to do with you. I was careless and fell into his trap. You’re already amazing for finding me so quickly. If you hadn’t caught me, falling from such a high, dark place, wouldn’t I be covered in bruises?”

Cheng Ye remained silent.
Jiang Shi leaned back against the bed and slowly stroked his hair.
His back wound hurt, but his heart felt light.

“Actually, I’m very happy, Cheng Ye.”

“Back then, when they trapped me by the pool, I could have resisted, but my hands and feet felt like they were filled with lead, unable to move. To be honest, I really hate the cowardly me from back then. I was always hoping someone would come and save me, but I forgot that you are your own savior.”

“But this time was different. This time, I finally got out on my own. I broke free not only from the current predicament but also from the one before.”
“You should be happy for me.”

Cheng Ye looked up, his eyes red.
Jiang Shi said, “And I have to thank CEO Cheng for the support payment. Without it, I really wouldn’t have been able to escape.”

That card had always been kept close by Cheng Ye. At Jiang Shi’s mention, he pulled it out of his pocket.

The prestigious black card, after much abuse, had lost its low-key luxury. The card was bent, its hard edges were worn and chipped, the gilded numbers had lost their shine, and it lay twisted in the overbearing CEO’s hand.

Jiang Shi took the card, held it up to the light, and then beckoned to Cheng Ye.
Cheng Ye didn’t understand, but he obediently leaned closer.
A dewy kiss landed on his brow. The young man had just woken up, his voice soft and weak.

“This is the reward for my sponsor.”

“Stop frowning. It’s all in the past. Be happy.”

The sorrow that had clouded Cheng Ye’s brow dissipated with that kiss. A hint of a smile finally appeared in his dark eyes.

He got up and pulled open the curtains.

The rain, which had been falling for nearly a week, had finally stopped. The weather had cleared, and the sky was as blue as if it had been washed.

Today is a good day.
Tomorrow will be too.
And so will the days after.

【End of Main Text】