EIP 35

The car drove away, its exhaust puffed out a few smoke rings, leaving behind a trail on the concrete road. Zhou Jun waited until the vehicle had gone quite a distance before slowly squatting down. He didn’t cry, and there was no look of confusion or sorrow on his face. Instead, he pondered how he felt nothing inside, as if everything he had gone through recently was just a disjointed play.

He pulled out a cigarette case from his pocket, his hands trembling as he tried to grab one. A few fell to the ground, and after wasting four or five, he finally gave up on lighting one. Standing up, he walked aimlessly forward, and by the time he regained his senses, he found himself swaying on a rickshaw, even unsure of what he had said to the driver.

Zhou Jun furrowed his brows but didn’t dare to ask. He simply wanted to wait for an answer that would unravel a mystery. As he took in the view, he saw the Yong residence in the distance. When he was still a street away, he called for the rickshaw to stop. Instead of heading back to the Zhou family home, he directed the driver to his apartment.

The rickshaw puller was sweating profusely, and when he got off, he raised the fare. After all, he had traveled quite a distance between the two locations, one to the south and the other to the north. Zhou Jun didn’t say much; he just rummaged through his pockets and pulled out all the loose bills he had, stuffing them into the driver’s hand without counting.

Just now, while he was digging for money, an object fell from Zhou Jun’s hand and landed at his feet, getting covered in the dust that he hated so much. The rickshaw puller had never seen such a generous customer, but being an honest man, he wouldn’t ask for more than he deserved. He grabbed a few of the bills and handed the rest back to Zhou Jun. However, Zhou Jun was too preoccupied with picking up the item to respond.

The driver looked down, wondering if the customer had dropped something valuable and was feeling regret. It seemed he couldn’t even get up from his spot, squatting there with his head bowed and shoulders slightly hunched, clutching a black glove tightly in his hand. What a strange person, he thought. He looked wealthy, yet was he really so upset over a single glove? With a shake of his head, the driver left the money on the ground in front of Zhou Jun and pulled the rickshaw away.

Zhou Jun didn’t look at the money. He simply held onto the glove and stood up, heading home. The pain was still there, just dulled. It wasn’t until he caught sight of Yong Jin’s belongings that the heartache fully set in. He walked slowly, tossing the glove aside as he reached the elevator. The elevator roared upward, floor by floor, light and shadow flickering past. The pattern on the gate cast shifting shadows over him, like a net he couldn’t escape.

At that moment, he thought of Yong Jin again, that discomfort settling in like a fine, intricate net, making it hard to breathe. He recalled the last time Yong Jin foolishly ran up to the fifth floor to deliver the tickets, but he never got to see the movie. What was that film about? Now, thinking back, Yong Jin’s invitations felt like those of a suitor. They did things like watching movies and dancing together, even sharing the most intimate moments.

When he said that Yong Jin would eventually get married, he had meant it with complete certainty. But now he began to wonder—could he really accept it if Yong Jin got married? He thought of the young ladies and married women he had known in the past; their marital status had never affected how he felt about them. He had even attended the weddings of lovers, bringing lavish gifts for the brides he once admired.

He pictured the girl wearing a veil, exchanging rings with another man. At the banquet, he would surely get drunk to nurse his heartache. A week of drunkenness followed by some outings would help him heal. But if Yong Jin got married, would he react the same way? Zhou Jun finally confronted a question he had never considered: he realized he might not just quietly drink at the wedding; he could lose control and cause a scene, making headlines for disrupting the event.

It was as if a weight had been lifted, and a warm sunbeam filled the stuffy room. He quickened his pace home, heading straight for the cabinet where he kept his belongings. He pulled on the brass ring and opened the drawer, finding items his mother had stored away—washed stockings and a qipao. All the things from the other women had been thrown out by Yong Jin, leaving only the things he had given to him.

He picked up the ring and the gun, then pulled out his pocket watch to check the time. He didn’t know what he was going to do—he just wanted to see Yong Jin. There was nothing in particular he planned to say. He only wanted to look at his face, and maybe then the words would come. After pacing around the room for a while, he came across the two movie tickets and thought he might tell Yong Jin, “We still owe each other a movie.”

At least it was a topic to discuss. Although Yong Jin was still angry, he thought it should be easy to calm him down. Just like last time when he smoked some weed, all it took was one compliment to make him happy again. Just as he was about to leave, he remembered something and changed into a different outfit, even putting on a bit of cologne. He wanted to leave in style, and only when he was satisfied did he put on Yong Jin’s ring.

Like Yong Jin, he wore a pair of gloves, with a deep red gem clasped on the outside. Zhou Jun spun in front of the mirror a few times, like a peacock trying to attract a mate, his outfit’s hem fluttering like delicate feathers. He felt lively again, as if he had forgotten what defeat felt like, and he was determined to go after that cold, aloof flower once more.

Although Major Yong couldn’t be called a flower, he was more like a gun or a blade, dangerous if not handled properly. Zhou Jun mustered his courage, pocketing the movie tickets along with his eager heart. When he reached downstairs, he picked up the glove he had left by the elevator and patted it dry. After a moment’s thought, he decided to tuck it into the inside pocket of his suit, close to his heart. He wasn’t the type to dwell on things for long, and when he acted impulsively, he often lost his sense of reason.

The concerns and cares he once had were cast aside. He was now intoxicated by love, just as he had been when he confessed directly to Zhou Yan, acting on impulse without considering the consequences. Perhaps he had long wanted to do this and was already determined to entangle himself with Yong Jin, which is why he had been so honest with his brother. He knew this behavior was cowardly and rebellious, but he had always been reckless; if he could control himself, he wouldn’t have ended up in bed with Yong Jin.

A smile played on Zhou Jun’s lips as he thought about taking a rickshaw. However, dark clouds suddenly rolled in, and the rain began to pour, threatening to ruin his carefully styled hair. Without an umbrella and conscious of his appearance, he had no choice but to seek shelter under the awning of a nearby shop, waiting for the rain to pass or for a ride to come.

The rain fell suddenly, and as the streets grew emptier, it became increasingly difficult to find a rickshaw. Just when Zhou Jun thought he could wait out the downpour, danger struck without warning. As he stepped out from under the awning, the rain hit him hard, making it nearly impossible to see. Out of nowhere, a group of armed men closed in on him. The leader called out, “Young Master Zhou, my boss would like to invite you for a chat.”

These weren’t the same thugs armed with clubs from before; this time, they had guns. Who could be behind these repeated attempts to confront him? Zhou Jun slowly raised his hands and said, “Your boss certainly has a unique way of hosting guests.” The men didn’t respond, instead shoving him into a car that had suddenly appeared. Zhou Jun furrowed his brows, momentarily distracted by the thought of the two movie tickets in his pocket, fearing they might get ruined in the rain. At that moment, he truly had no idea what film he would be missing out on.