Forty-two

In the afternoon, the two returned to school, and on the road something occurred that left Astragalus feeling rather unsettled.

Though it had nothing to do with her, she witnessed an incident outside a shop under renovation. A worker, covered in lime and paint, walked out with his head down and accidentally collided with a woman who was engrossed in her phone while walking. Some paint smeared onto her expensive coat. The woman demanded a thousand yuan in compensation; the worker, feeling he wasn’t entirely at fault and that the sum was excessive, refused to pay. The woman exploded, hurling insults at him, unleashing a barrage of personal attacks and sweeping generalizations. The commotion drew other workers from the shop, who came out, indignant, to argue with her.

Astragalus couldn’t bear to listen, especially annoyed that such a minor, inadvertent mishap could lead to the woman berating all laborers indiscriminately. She stepped forward to testify in favor of the worker, stating it was the woman’s distraction with her phone that had caused the collision. Yet, her intervention only resulted in her being scolded as well.

The quarrel grew loud, attracting a crowd of onlookers. Sha Zhouyin pulled Astragalus away from the throng. “There’s no way to reason through this. It’s just a contest of who’s more aggressive. Don’t get involved.”

Astragalus retorted angrily, “So the one who shouts the loudest is always right?”

“Not everything is resolved by reason. Let’s go. Today is supposed to be a happy day—don’t let trivial things ruin your mood.”

Sha Zhouyin draped an arm around her as they pressed onward. Astragalus muttered, “I just can’t stand her looking down on laborers, calling them uncivilized and tarnishing the city’s image. Without them, would this city be so prosperous and beautiful?”

Sha Zhouyin asked, “Astragalus, do you actually mind being associated with a laborer’s identity?”

“No, that’s not it,” she replied gloomily. “I mind that so many people discriminate against laborers.”

“There’s plenty of unreasonable discrimination in the world. Some people discriminate against the Chinese, against women, or against folks from certain regions. If you take all that to heart, isn’t life too exhausting?”

“That’s different!” she protested, but couldn’t quite articulate how.

They walked a bit further, drawing nearer to the campus. Stalls began lining the roadside, selling phone charms, cases, T-shirts, socks, hats, belts, and such. A girl squatted with her boyfriend, picking out matching phone charms. The boyfriend fancied a pair with silver star pendants, but the girl scoffed, “What’s wrong with your taste? So tacky! And the workmanship is awful! Even laborers wouldn’t use something so cheap and gaudy!”

She said it lightly, without malice; in her mind, “laborer” simply meant something rough, vulgar, and unfashionable. This notion was deeply ingrained, and Astragalus wondered if, without Xiaoying, she too might harbor such subconscious bias.

Perhaps she did care, just a little—which made her sensitive to even the smallest details. Sensitivity often stems from insecurity. Xiaoying, unburdened by such feelings, could take things in stride.

They walked slowly back to campus, and at the dormitory entrance they ran into Tian Yujia. She held two empty hot water bottles in one hand, a bag hanging from her arm, and waved from afar when she saw Astragalus. “Astragalus! Glad you’re back! I just showered in the water room and used up all the hot water in our dorm. I need to head out urgently—can you fetch some for me? If not, the others will complain when they return and find no hot water.”

The bottles were large; most girls struggled with two at a time, and the water room was far away in the old dorm sector—a round trip took over twenty minutes. Astragalus asked, “You need all four filled? I can’t carry that much either.”

Tian Yujia replied, “But your boyfriend’s here, isn’t he? He’s got plenty of strength for that sort of thing, way more robust than the bookish types at our school. Might as well make use of him! Please—I'll treat you to spicy hotpot next time!” She dropped the bottles and darted off.

Her words, already irksome to Astragalus, soured her mood further. Yet, thinking it over, Tian Yujia and Yunlei’s boyfriend had also helped fetch water before; perhaps she was just being overly sensitive.

The two carried the four bottles to the water room, Sha Zhouyin holding two in each hand with ease. Astragalus said, “Let me carry two for you.”

“No need, it’s not heavy. Four bottles weigh just over thirty pounds—I could carry a hundred pounds of cement without blinking. There’s no reason your girlfriend should split such tasks fifty-fifty with a man.”

His remark made Astragalus feel even worse. “Then at least let me carry one.”

Sha Zhouyin chuckled, “How am I supposed to carry three? It’ll throw off the balance. It’s enough to know you’re gentle, considerate, and caring—but you really don’t need to compete with men over physical labor.”

Astragalus, flustered by his praise, obediently followed him empty-handed.

At the dorm entrance, Sha Zhouyin asked, “Your dorm’s on the sixth floor, right? May I carry these up for you? Climbing so many flights with heavy bottles is quite taxing.”

The new dorm had automatic access control and no gatekeeper, so it wasn’t unusual for boys to enter the girls’ building. Yunlei and Tian Yujia had often brought their boyfriends up. Astragalus said, “It’s fine—everyone else is out, and our room’s right by the stairs, so it won’t bother anyone. Come on up with me.”

The first floor was a garage; the sixth floor was effectively the seventh. Even Sha Zhouyin, fit as he was, was a bit breathless after carrying thirty pounds up in one go.

Astragalus poured him a glass of water. “Sit and rest for a bit—no one’s here anyway. It’s past four; after a break, we can head to the cafeteria for dinner. It’s better than wandering outside all day—I’m sore from so much walking.”

Of course, these were excuses. The truth was that Astragalus, for once, had the rare opportunity to be alone with her beloved, hoping to linger together—and perhaps, take advantage of the moment.

Sunday afternoon found the dormitory quiet, the corridors hushed, no sounds from next door—only Xiaoying’s slight breaths and the sound of him drinking, which, to Astragalus’s ears, seemed inexplicably tantalizing. She closed the windows, locked the door to the shared lounge, making things convenient.

Her beloved had no inkling she’d already fallen into his clutches. “Are you cold? Shall I shut the window?”

Astragalus blushed and returned to the topic. “Xiaoying, do you remember last time you said you’d give me a gift but weren’t sure what, so you owed me one?”

Her beloved asked innocently, “Didn’t I already give you something today? You insisted on the necklace. If you think it’s too trivial, I’ll give you another.”

“That was a birthday gift—what you owed me was for Women’s Day.”

“Oh,” he replied, dutifully, “the one you said you really wanted? Name it—if I can afford it, I’ll get it for you.”

Astragalus lowered her gaze. “No need to buy anything.”

“No need to buy? Should I make it myself…” Sha Zhouyin recalled her words from before. Suddenly, he seemed to realize something and sprang to his feet. The dorm furniture had beds atop desks; the bed boards were taller than him, and his head banged loudly against the wood.

Astragalus hurried over to rub his head. “Careful! Does it hurt?”

“It’s fine, really,” he said, rubbing his own head, shrinking under the bed’s shadow. The dim light below made his eyes shine especially bright, his cheeks flushed. “Astragalus, what… what do you want?”

Now that the moment had come, Astragalus’s heart pounded wildly. She glanced at Xiaoying, his gaze subduing her own bravado. “Close your eyes, and I’ll tell you.”

Obediently, cheeks red, her beloved shut his eyes, a picture of surrender, inviting her to do as she pleased. Astragalus’s inner beast stirred. She leaned in to test the angle—found it awkward, even on tiptoe she was a bit short and unsteady. “Sit down—and don’t open your eyes!”

Sha Zhouyin, eyes half-open, quickly closed them again, feeling his way back to the chair and tilting his head in cooperation.

Astragalus towered over him as he sat, his head barely reaching her chin. So this is how it feels to bend down and kiss someone—she quite liked it. Now, just avoid bumping into his glasses, nose, or teeth…

She gripped the bed frame, bent low, and, imitating what she’d seen on TV, tilted her head and slowly approached her target—

Suddenly, footsteps and voices echoed from the stairs next door. Astragalus paused; people came and went on the stairs all the time—ignore it.

She moved closer—

The sounds from the stairs shifted to the corridor, then quickly reached the door. A key turned in the lock, and she heard their voices—Yunlei complaining to Feng Xidi.

Feeling like a thief caught red-handed, Astragalus sprang up, this time banging her own head harder against the bed, shaking the whole frame.

Tian Yujia opened the door, followed by Yunlei and Feng Xidi. “What’s all that noise? Are you demolishing the place?”

Astragalus rubbed her swelling head, Xiaoying already standing and helping to massage it.

Such a golden opportunity! Why did she hesitate just now? Why wasn’t she quicker? And these three nuisances—of all times, why did they have to come back now?

Clutching her newly formed bump, Astragalus was plunged into gloom, full of dark energy, wishing she could toss the trio out the window like sandbags.

Yunlei, evidently in a foul mood, tossed her bag and keys onto the table. “Your boyfriend’s here too? You should at least let us know before bringing a guy into the dorm—girls’ rooms aren’t convenient! Haven’t you seen the school rules prohibiting men in the women’s dorm?”

Astragalus, her mood equally ruined by the interrupted moment, wanted to retort, but Yunlei had already grabbed a towel and headed to the water room to wash her face.

Feng Xidi glanced at Tian Yujia. “What’s gotten into her? She’s like a hedgehog, prickly to everyone. I didn’t do anything, but she still snapped at me.”

Tian Yujia whispered, “She fought with Ye Shao—looks like a breakup. She’s upset, so just let it slide, and especially avoid mentioning anything romantic.” Then, to Astragalus, “You brought your boyfriend back and hit a sore spot—no wonder.”

There was nothing sweet about it—the sweetness hadn’t even happened before they ruined it… Astragalus murmured, “He was just helping me fetch water, so he brought it up and sat for a bit.”

Sha Zhouyin, seeing the swelling on her head had subsided, said, “Now that your roommates are back, we should go. It’s not good for a guy to linger in the girls’ dorm.”

Astragalus said, “Wait a moment, I have some library books due soon—let me grab them and return them with you.”

She had many books, so she bent over the shelves to search. Yunlei came back from washing her face, applying skincare as she rummaged through her things. Her mood had been foul for days, and now, unable to find what she was looking for, she began sifting through everything, tossing items aside impatiently. “Where’s my necklace? Did anyone see my necklace?”