EIP Extra 3

Compared to Zhou Jun, whose ten fingers never seemed to touch any real housework, Yong Jin quickly mastered the basics of cooking. Zhou Jun, sitting in the living room, watched Yong Jin moving around the cramped kitchen. Next to him, little Ah Yun looked almost like a daughter. Zhou Jun picked up his camera and snapped a shot of the two. It was a secondhand camera he had found while out and about. He had already used up the roll of film that came with it.

Zhou Jun still did not know much about how Yong Jin had lived abroad or how he managed to come back and find him. Yong Jin had mentioned they had missed each other several times, but he never really explained what had happened during his time overseas. Since Yong Jin did not want to talk about it, Zhou Jun saw no need to press him. The two of them were reunited now, and that was enough.

One day, Zhou Jun went out and, downstairs, ran into Xin Wanjun, looking haggard. She held a child in her right arm and was tugging a suitcase along, glancing around in confusion. A heavy feeling settled over him. He approached, and when her unfocused gaze finally landed on him, she gave a faint smile. Yet her expression seemed drained, her eyes sunken.

In the next second, tears started streaming down her face and would not stop. Zhou Jun hurried forward. Xin Wanjun trembled as she sobbed, and the baby, sensing its mother’s distress, began to cry as well. There were neighbors hanging around downstairs after dinner, and they certainly did not miss this scene.

Seeing a woman holding a baby and crying in front of a man, everyone’s imagination ran wild. In no time, people in the building would likely be gossiping that Zhou Jun was a modern-day Chen Shimei, a heartless betrayer.

Ah Yun was bringing out the fish that Yong Jin had cooked when she heard the sound of a key turning in the lock. Wiping her hands on her apron, she started to smile and say, “You’re back,” and saw Zhou Jun enter with a woman.

The woman had a striking presence, her slender figure draped in a dark qipao. Though her hair was somewhat messy, she still looked elegant. Most importantly, she was holding a child in her arms. Ah Yun nearly panicked and immediately glanced toward the kitchen. A minute later, Yong Jin came out of the kitchen, taking in the sight of the woman and her baby.

His expression clearly showed his surprise. He raised his brows at Zhou Jun, then looked at Xin Wanjun. Sensing the tense atmosphere, Zhou Jun spoke up to break the silence. “She’s my friend.” Yong Jin set the dish he was carrying onto the table, then nodded to Xin Wanjun: “Hello.”

Xin Wanjun clearly recognized Yong Jin. After all, the person Zhou Jun had once searched for was the very man in front of them. She had not expected that they would actually be reunited one day. Holding her child, she glanced from one man to the other and said with genuine emotion, “You’re finally back together. That’s wonderful.”

Ah Yun immediately realized that this woman might really be a friend of Mr. Zhou’s. She carried the dishes out from the kitchen, and they had barely sat down at the dining table when the baby started crying. Holding her child, Xin Wanjun awkwardly asked Zhou Jun for a corner to nurse, somewhere more private. Zhou Jun opened the bedroom door and ushered the mother and child inside.

After the meal, Ah Yun washed the dishes and took her leave. Zhou Jun opened the window and leaned against it, smoking, looking as though his mind was weighed down with worries. Yong Jin walked over and pulled him into an embrace, then lightly bit the flesh of Zhou Jun’s earlobe, speaking in a low voice. “Who is she?”

Zhou Jun squinted through the smoke, glancing back with a slight challenge in his smile. “You don’t know who she is? I assumed you’d have looked into everyone around me by now.” Yong Jin felt no guilt. He was indeed the controlling type. Back in the day, whenever he was able, he would dig into everyone in Zhou Jun’s circle, and that was still true now.

He already knew about Xin Wanjun, Zhou Jun’s former “woman.” He had not kicked up a fuss because he trusted Zhou Jun enough. Or, to put it another way, he knew that if Xin Wanjun or her child were connected to Zhou Jun, Zhou Jun would never have brought them in so openly, allowing Yong Jin to discover them.

Because the apartment was not large, with only one bedroom, one bathroom, and one living area, Zhou Jun planned to book a hotel room for Xin Wanjun. She could have stayed here, but she had a child and could not simply sleep in the living room. A peculiar possessiveness rose up in him. He did not want anyone else sleeping in the space where Yong Jin slept. He could not really explain that feeling.

So he knocked on the bedroom door. After Xin Wanjun responded, he brought in a few dishes that were still warm and told her about his plan. Xin Wanjun was nursing the baby and had not come out to eat dinner. Perhaps she was embarrassed, or uneasy about being in someone else’s home. Hearing that Zhou Jun wanted to take her to a hotel only made her more anxious.

She held the child, lowering her gaze in guilt. She had come straight to Zhou Jun for help, without considering whether he was really willing. Zhou Jun took one look at her and understood what she was thinking. He quickly tried to reassure her. “Don’t worry too much. You and Mr. Shi helped me a lot back then. If it weren’t for you two, I wouldn’t be where I am now. It’s just that our place is really small, and you and the child both need a good night’s sleep. You can stay at a hotel for a few days, and once I speak to the landlord about renting the adjacent unit, it won’t be too late for you to move in.”

He did not ask her why she had come or why Mr. Shi was not with her. He simply explained his difficulties, trusting that Xin Wanjun would understand. She seemed more at ease, though her expression turned stiff whenever Zhou Jun mentioned Mr. Shi. Since it was awkward for her to eat while holding the baby, she let Zhou Jun hold him.

He had held a baby before, his little niece. He wondered how his niece was doing now, whether she could walk or talk. Holding this child in his arms made him nostalgic. He studied the baby’s faint eyebrows and said with a smile, “I still don’t know if you’re a little girl or a little boy.” Xin Wanjun, clearly starving, ate in hurried bites. Upon hearing Zhou Jun’s question, she softened. “It’s a boy.”

After she finished her meal, Zhou Jun called over to Yong Jin, who was sitting in a chair with a coffee cup, reading a book. Hearing that Zhou Jun was taking Xin Wanjun out, Yong Jin barely lifted his head. He responded with a noncommittal “hmm,” seeming unconcerned.

Zhou Jun carried her luggage downstairs. Because of Yong Jin’s leg, getting around was inconvenient, so Zhou Jun had bought a car when he first arrived in Hong Kong. It was easier to travel that way. He placed the luggage in the back seat and opened the front passenger door for Xin Wanjun. She laughed softly at his gentlemanly gesture. “You haven’t changed.”

Inside the car, she finally seemed to relax. Perhaps Zhou Jun’s presence felt familiar, and she was no longer as tense as before. She had, in fact, run away to find him. The word “run” alone made Zhou Jun’s heart tighten, for he was now working closely with Mr. Shi. He needed him, and their relationship was mutually beneficial.

Offending Mr. Shi at a critical time like this would not be ideal. When Xin Wanjun described her experiences, Zhou Jun felt even more pity for her. It turned out her film had not yet finished production when Mr. Shi suddenly pulled the plug. Since Mr. Shi had invested in the movie, no one dared question his decision to shut it down halfway.

She was placed in one of Mr. Shi’s properties, where several servant were hired to take care of her, or rather, to keep an eye on her. Mr. Shi had long known about her pregnancy, and his only stance was to have the child. Once she realized he did not plan to abandon the baby, her nerves eased.

Nobody expected that when she was eight months pregnant, Mr. Shi’s legal wife suddenly showed up at the door. In truth, Xin Wanjun had always suspected he had a wife. After all, he wore a ring on his left ring finger that he never took off. Most of the time, she simply did not dwell on it. Even if she did, then what? She could not bear the thought of giving up the baby.

At the same time, she had no wish to become Mr. Shi’s second or third wife. Her personality did not suit that role at all. As it turned out, Mr. Shi had never intended that either. She had simply been overthinking. She only understood his true attitude when his legal wife appeared and spoke with her, and only then did she realize her actual place in the situation.

She was not even someone he kept “outside.” She had merely been fortunate enough to get pregnant. The real reason Mr. Shi valued this child so much was that his wife’s health was poor and she could not carry a pregnancy to term. Xin Wanjun was being kept around solely to bear the child and then hand it over to his wife legally.

They say motherhood gives a woman tremendous strength. Xin Wanjun cared more for the baby inside her than anyone else. That child belonged to her alone, not to Mr. Shi, and certainly not to Mr. Shi’s wife.

If she had to hand the child over to the legal wife, she would rather give up everything she had now. In the past, at her request, Mr. Shi had taken care of her parents and older brother. Later, after she became a movie star, she earned enough for them to live in comfort for a few years. Back then, she could not bring herself to leave them behind. But now, she had something far more important.

Before departing, she went home for a visit. The household looked better than ever, with servants, electric lamps, everything brightly lit. Her parents wore lavish new clothes and were lying around in the main hall, the oil lamp for smoking opium charred black. Their faces were dark, thin, and shriveled, like two corpses wrapped in fancy fabric.

For no apparent reason, she was overcome with nausea. A fit of retching rose in her throat, and it took her a while to force it back down.

She pulled a servant aside to ask where her brother was. The servant replied that her brother had become infatuated with a prostitute named Yanzhi at the Chunxiang Tower and had already moved in there to live with her.

Xin Wanjun took out a small handkerchief from her clothes. After hesitating for a moment, she returned to her parents’ room. The air inside did not smell pleasant. Wrapped inside the handkerchief was a large sum of cash and a few pieces of jewelry. She could not give them more, because her child would be born soon and both she and her child needed to survive.

Her mother propped herself up, accepted the money, and grasped Xin Wanjun’s hand. Her cloudy eyes finally recognized the person before her. She said, “My girl, when did you come home? Why didn’t the servants say anything? Have you eaten? You look so thin.”

Her mother carefully counted the money before locking it away in a large trunk under the main hall. She slipped the key into a small purse at her waist, then let her skirt fall layer by layer, protecting it securely.

Xin Wanjun silently watched all this. At last, tears welled up in her eyes, and in a hoarse, trembling voice, she told them she would be leaving for a while. Unable to say more through her sobs, she finally managed, “Take good care of yourselves.”

Her mother gave a strange smile. Her murky eyes suddenly lit up, and she said, “Mr. Shi is a good man. You should do your best to please him, pay him plenty of attention. If you serve him well, he won’t leave you. I recently got hold of a remedy that’s supposed to be wonderful for a woman’s body…”

Xin Wanjun abruptly pulled her hand free and hurriedly left. She planned to have the baby first, then find her chance to escape. After someone informed Mr. Shi that she had given birth to a son, she slipped away to a small courtyard with a friend’s help. She had not even completed her postpartum recovery before hastily packing a suitcase and boarding a ship to Hong Kong.

The political situation had become unstable, and war was breaking out everywhere. People fled from one city to another. Mr. Shi had gone to Germany, so this was her chance to leave.

She settled into the hotel Zhou Jun arranged. The moment her head hit the pillow, she finally felt some relief. Eventually, someone knocked on the door. After checking carefully through the peephole, she felt safe enough to open it.

Zhou Jun was still wearing the same shirt and trousers he’d had on when he brought her to the hotel, looking a bit like a student. After walking around the lobby, he turned to Xin Wanjun and asked in a gentle voice, “Are you comfortable here?”

Xin Wanjun lowered her eyes. She went over to pick up her child, then knelt down before him. Shocked, Zhou Jun hurried to help the mother and child to their feet. But Xin Wanjun, caring about nothing else, pleaded, “Please, Zhou Jun, I beg you, don’t tell Mr. Shi that I’m here.”

Zhou Jun frowned and, despite his conflict, insisted that she get up. Otherwise, they could not continue the conversation. If she refused to stand, he would leave at once and speak with her again only after she had calmed down.

She sighed, stood up, and looked at him with such sorrow that he could hardly bear it. Finally, he said, “Please don’t look at me like that. You know I’ve always been grateful to you. But Mr. Shi has also helped me a lot, and right now, we’re doing business together…”

Through him, Mr. shi had broken into the German market. Even arms deals, after all, were still business, and highly profitable. Zhou Jun earned Mr. Shi a great deal of money, so maybe helping Xin Wanjun wouldn’t cause too much trouble for him afterward.

Noticing that she only seemed more distressed, Zhou Jun added, “But please don’t worry. I won’t breathe a word about you being here. It’s just…”

Her heart clenched, and Zhou Jun tried to persuade her further. “What Mr. Shi’s wife wants might not be what Mr. Shi himself wants. Have you spoken with him?”

Xin Wanjun’s expression dimmed, and she lowered her gaze. Where would she find the chance to speak with him? Mr. Shi was not even willing to see her. He had merely given orders for others to care for her, all for the baby’s sake. She knew he had grown tired of her. She had once hoped for more, but she could no longer afford to think that way. All she wanted was to give birth to the child in peace.

Seeing that she said nothing, Zhou Jun asked what her future plans were. The world was in chaos now, and it would be dangerous for a woman on her own. Of course she understood, but she had her own ideas. There had once been an American guest who was willing to help her go to the United States. She had a decent grasp of English, so she thought life there might not be too hard.

She felt her earlier life had already been too foolish. It could hardly get any worse. Besides, that American had shown genuine interest in her, helping her in various ways and even talking about marriage. Although she did not really believe those words, she was set on leaving, no matter what.

In another half month, that American guy would arrive in Hong Kong to take her away. Meeting Zhou Jun was purely by chance. As long as he kept quiet, she could stay in Hong Kong for that half month and then leave.

She did not stay in the hotel for long before moving into an apartment building.

Time passed quickly, and the baby was very well behaved, hardly ever crying. He had a pair of dark eyes, calm and steady, more like an adult. His quiet nature was nothing like hers. She had given him a nickname, “Xin’er.” When nothing else was going on and Xin’er was sleeping, she would make little outfits for him together with the neighbors.

Having finally rested, her natural grace began to show again. One day, when Zhou Jun came to visit her, he happened to see a mild-mannered man with glasses bringing her some pork.

Her smooth black hair was tied into a long braid hanging over her chest, making her look gentle and refined. Next to them was an auntie who teased that this college professor, though not wealthy, was kind and did not mind that she had a child. He was a good husband material.

When Zhou Jun approached, the auntie stopped talking and carried her washed beans back home. Holding the pork, Xin Wanjun turned to him and said, “Why did you come? Do you want to stay for dinner?”

Zhou Jun handed her the desserts he had bought. “He’s looking for you.”

Her expression changed, showing real fear. Zhou Jun thought that Mr. Shi truly did not know how to handle his own woman. He had frightened her so badly that this lovely person seemed to fear him more than a tiger.

After briefly checking on Xin Wanjun, Zhou Jun took his leave. When he drove back home and parked from some distance away, he could see insects fluttering around the streetlamp, and underneath the light stood a figure, back ramrod straight, leaning on a cane.

Zhou Jun hastily parked the car. At first, he was walking in large strides, but then he broke into a jog. He ran up to Yong Jin, speaking in a surprisingly soft tone, sounding both like a complaint and a playful whine. “Why are you waiting for me downstairs? How long have you been here?”

Yong Jin reached out to take his hand and replied calmly, “Not too long.”

Zhou Jun could not help smiling at him. He curled his fingers in Yong Jin’s palm, one by one. “You’re jealous again? Were you counting the minutes I’ve been gone, waiting like this on purpose so I’d feel guilty? Isn’t that forcing me never to go out?”

Yong Jin’s palm closed around Zhou Jun’s restless fingers. “So do you feel guilty about it?”

Zhou Jun stepped forward, wrapped his arms around Yong Jin’s waist, and held him tight.

Guilty? Of course he felt guilty. He felt guilty about making Yong Jin jealous, guilty about letting him stand out here for so long, and guilty about his leg. This man knew exactly how to catch him at his weakest point. Zhou Jun said, “Next time, I won’t go see her. Mr. Shi arrives tomorrow, and we’ll leave the day after.”

He would not tell Mr. Shi where to find Xin Wanjun, but neither would he warn Xin Wanjun that Mr. Shi was coming. In other words, he hasn’t betrayed anyone.

Zhou Jun added, “You get jealous too easily.” He sounded as if he were complaining, but inside he felt pleased. If anyone was prone to jealousy, he was no better. Once, when he had taken Yong Jin out, he noticed how girls and even some men kept giving Yong Jin flirtatious looks. Zhou Jun burned with envy the entire day, and that night he tied Yong Jin to the bed with his garter-belt straps, tormenting him slowly, grinding into him until the veins on Yong Jin’s forehead bulged.

In the end, Yong Jin broke free of his restraints and flipped Zhou Jun over, pinning him down on the bed, the force of it nearly shaking the headboard apart. It sounded like an earthquake.

Later, Zhou Jun ended up leaving together with both Yong Jin and Mr. Shi. On Mr. Shi’s airplane, he was surprised to see Xin Wanjun there as well.

Unlike before, Xin Wanjun no longer looked as if she were being forced. She only seemed a little unhappy. Zhou Jun occasionally overheard her squatting beside Mr. Shi’s legs, begging him to leave her and the baby alone. She did not want to go with him or get married. All she wanted was to go to America.

All Mr. Shi had to say was, “What would you do in America? Where do you think you’re going with my son?” Xin Wanjun was left with nothing to say.

They all went to Germany together. Some time later, Zhou Jun was invited to attend Xin’er’s hundred-day banquet. Standing by Mr. Shi’s side was Xin Wanjun, who no longer looked worn out but had instead blossomed like a well-tended flower.

He did not know how things would ultimately end up between Xin Wanju and her Mr. Shi, but there was one thing he was sure of. Yong Jin would always be by his side. Throughout his long life, he and Yong Jin would be holding hands, together for the long haul.

-THE END-