The nightfall in the city was never entirely windless black. Lights from all directions resembled the mist hovering over the river in winter, rising with clamor, and with the thick clouds obscuring the gravelly stars and casting a dark red color.
In early spring, there was a dry grassy smell in the night breeze. It was subtle as the colorful bubbles just blown out by a child, which disappeared without a trace after a gentle touch.
Dispelling the fragrance of the grass was the heavy, lingering smell of smoke and dust.
An empty Bus No. 112 stopped at the Qiaoxi Road station, and three young people boarded through the front door, while five others exited through the back door.
Hua Chong was the last one.
The driver glanced at the rear-view mirror, let out a yawn, closed the door, and left.
Like an old man, Bus No.112 spewed out a hook of exhaust, swaying and disappearing into the distance.
The springtime in Luocheng was fleeting. Before Hua Chong could take a deep breath of the unique fragrance of grass on spring nights, he was forced to take a mouthful of choking exhaust fumes
“Fuck.” He let out a low curse. He wrinkled his nose in discomfort, but not displaying any real signs of anger.
At this moment, another bus pulled up, and an elderly woman on crutches hobbled to the front door. He caught up with her in a few steps, helped the old lady onto the bus, and smiled kindly as he said: “Take your time. It’s late. Get home early.”
The old lady smiled with wrinkles all over her face: “Young man, thank you.”
He stood outside the bus door, and raised the index and middle fingers of his right hand, and cheerfully waved them upward.
In his early thirties, the gesture seemed a bit playful. However, with the clear and refined eyebrows, and eyes that sparkled like the stars in the sky above the plateau, every movement exuded a lively charm, making it impossible for anyone to accurately guess his age.
Some people would believe that he was a handsome young man in his twenties.
The driver was very perceptive, only starting the bus after the old lady had settled into her seat, slowly driving out from the station.
•
Hua Chong sneezed amidst the exhaust. He took out a wet wipe to clean his mouth and nose before walking to the subway station that was not far away.
He had a car, but he rarely used it for commuting to work. During rush hours, the roads were often congested and were not as convenient as the subway. Also, for fieldwork, there were official vehicles available, and occasionally, he could catch a ride with Old Chen in his luxury car. In any case, he seldom had the need to use his own car.
The only inconvenience was that there was no direct route from the Municipal Bureau to Huajing Phase 2. He had to transfer from the Qiaoxi Road bus to the subway. In the middle, he had to rely on burning fat to get to Bus No.11.
Even though his body fat percentage was very low and there was almost no fat to burn.
•
Qiaoxi Road used to be quite remote, with only a half-dead department store nearby.
Nowadays, the old department stores had no way to survive; either they were replaced by planned pedestrian streets or acquired by emerging commercial real estate for constructing large shopping centers. This particular department store found a good buyer, and the contract was just signed at the end of last year. Now, it was in the process of being demolished and rebuilt.
Hua Chong was in no hurry to go home, he took another look at the construction site.
In the night, the department store, which had been brilliant for decades, resembled an elderly patient. A chunk was cut off from the east and several floors were demolished from the west. Perhaps, in a little while, all traces of its existence would be completely erased.
Like many people who left, with the past.
•
Hua Chong’s eyelids drooped slightly. He was about to continue walking towards the subway station when suddenly he heard a crisp ‘click’ sound.
The next moment, he reflexively turned around, his arm muscles tensing involuntarily. He saw a young person in a hooded sweatshirt and jeans holding a phone, staring absentmindedly at the construction site.
The young man had a tall and slender figure, and the muscles of his wrists exposed outside his sleeves were slightly protruding, displaying a bold yet restrained sense of strength.
Perhaps noticing the eyes falling on him, the young man half-turned, his handsome features bathed in a soft glow from the streetlamp. With a slight tilt, the faint surprise between his eyebrows turned into a smile. He politely nodded and said: “Hello.”
•
Hua Chong didn’t know this person, but it was just a professional habit. When he heard the sound of the shutter, he was instinctively alert and followed the sound. He smiled at this moment and asked, “Taking photos of the construction site?”
The young man looked at his cell phone and understood: “En, just arrived in Luocheng, I heard this used to be an old department store.”
“It’s pretty much demolished.” Hua Chong, who was used to striking up conversations with strangers, said nonchalantly: “In a year and a half, a new shopping center will be built.”
“The time of construction is the most tantalizing time.” The young man sighed in admiration.
Hua Chong didn’t know what it meant, but looked the young man up and down, guessing that he was probably quite artistic.
However, except for his name, which was somewhat related to literature, he himself had nothing to do with literature and art inside and out. Realizing that he could not find a common topic, he laughed and said: “Take your time to enjoy it.”
I won’t accompany you to stand by the construction site and engage in performance art.
•
“You don’t think so?” The young man, however, hooked up one side of his lips, his eyes dropping slightly.
It was clear that he had a somewhat sinister expression, yet in the young man’s eyes, there was a hint of solemnity.
Hua Chong curiously said, “How is it tantalizing?”
A shabby construction site in the darkness of the night was enticing – it was the first time he had ever heard such an expression.
“It’s like a string of code.” The young man said. “The most perfect moment is always when it is about to be completed.”
Hua Chong thought for a while: “Are you a programmer?”
So it was not about performance art?
The young man smiled: “What about you?”
“Me?” Hua Chong made up on the spot, “I’m into performance art.”
The young man displayed a curious expression, seemingly not entirely convinced.
Hua Chong casually waved his hand. “Gotta go.”
•
The road was bustling with traffic. Hua Chong stepped on the escalator of the subway station in a good mood. A sweet female voice came over the intercom: “The subway is about to arrive. Please line up in order, stand outside the yellow lines on both sides, let passengers alight before boarding, and avoid crowding…”
Outside the subway station, the moon emerged from behind thick clouds, its faint glow instantly swallowed by the city’s night lights. Under the vast sky, almost no one noticed the effort it took for the moon to struggle out, as if it had used the strength of nine bulls and two tigers.1九牛二虎之力: used metaphorically to describe tremendous effort or great strength, implying that a task requires an extraordinary amount of energy or force to accomplish.
The young man withdrew his gaze from the subway station and stared blankly at the dark and dreary buildings on the construction site. After a moment, he finally lifted his head, catching sight of the poor moon.
The traffic was like water, the noise was like a tidal wave.
The young man walked to the roadside and got on a motorcycle. The smile in the eyes under the helmet gradually faded, becoming cold and silent.
•
That night, in the west corner of the city, a young and beautiful girl looked up at the bleak moonlight for the last time with her bloodshot ‘eyes’ open.
T/N: Hiii, I’m back with a new project. I picked up another project and this time it’s a crime novel haha Anyway, this is from the same author as Madness of the Heart and Mint-Stained Shirt. This is the first book in their Criminal Investigation Series (the second book is Madness of the Heart and the third book with the same MC and ML as this book). Sooo, don’t forget to buy and support the author on changpei if you can!
