"Sorry to impose…"
We ducked out of the rain and into our small townhouse. A tiny hallway led into our living room, which also doubled as our dining room. A tired kitchen was connected to it.
It was late—muqin had already begun making dinner. Chopped veggies along with whipped eggs and sliced beef were all lined up neatly on the kitchen counter, along with a pot of water that was already hissing, popping, and boiling away.
I shuffled forward, tugging off my shoes. So warm…
Muqin quickly waved us in, gesturing to a shoe rack next to our door. "Please, shoes off. What's your name?" She glanced at Yue.
"Yue, a yi." Yue bowed politely.
"Moon[1]. I see…" Muqin smiled. "That's a good name. So pretty." She slipped off her coat, hanging it around a chair. "Ah, you're all wet… you must be cold. Why don't you take a shower?"
"No, no, I couldn't—" Yue tried.
"Nonsense," Muqin said. "Xiao Yun, drop your bags off in the study and show her the shower." Muqin looked Yue up and down before turning back to me. "Grab her a change of my clothes—they should fit her well enough."
- - -
Yue followed me up the stairs to our bathroom.
"I'll be back with a change of clothes. Feel free to take a towel from off the rack."
"Wait." I was about to leave, but turned back. Yue's eyes gleamed cherry-red as her face softened slightly. "Is this okay?"
I blinked.
"You know, with another girl showering in your house…" Yue trailed off.
Ah.
I smiled. It felt stiff. Of course it wasn't okay. No, it was… No, it wasn't… I needed to get over Guiying anyways. Actually, did Yue figure out Guiying from that one encounter? She was so smart…
"Of course. Why wouldn't it be? It's not like I'd get weirded out by something like that."
"Right." Yue didn't seem like she bought it.
"I'll leave the change of clothes just by the door. I'll be helping muqin with dinner. Come join us downstairs when you're done."
"I—"
"It's best to listen to muqin." I tried to smile, more genuinely this time. "She can get upset when you don't listen."
…Of course, I would know. Muqin had been so tired ever since fuqin[2] had left, and she'd been rough at times. But she was still the kindest person I knew, and I knew it must have been rough for her too…
Yue finally relented. "...Okay," she said softly. Then, she glanced to the floor in embarrassment. "Uhm… this might sound weird but… I've never used this type of shower knob before. How does it work again?"
…What?
Pfft~
That was unexpected. I smiled and shook my head. I just couldn't figure out this girl…
- - -
Splish, splash, splash…
Refreshingly cold water rolled over my hands in beads as I washed away at bok choy leaves. Muqin slid a couple of potatoes over the cutting board.
I gently flicked the little green stems to get rid of the water droplets before dropping them into a small basket. Taking a knife from the drawer and picking up a potato, I began to peel and chop it into thin strips.
Chop, chop, chop.
Muqin hummed a tune as she broke a head of broccoli into smaller chunks before turning her attention to beef slices, which she tossed onto a pan with a dash of garlic powder and soy sauce. Soon, the room was filled with the aroma of frying meat, and I could hear the oil sizzle.
Muqin seemed to be in a good mood today.
I finished with the potatoes and placed them into another small basket.
"How are things at school?" Muqin asked.
"...Fine."
Click.
Muqin flicked off the stove and rinsed her hands, shaking them dry. "What about Guiying? Is she doing okay?"
"...Yes." I managed. I forced the thoughts from my mind and replied flatly.
"Speaking of Guiying, I saw her with a boy today on the way home. They seemed close." Muqin smiled.
I was reaching for a stalk of spring onion and froze. Cold began to creep into my chest, and I felt a tiny icicle pinch itself right behind my heart.
She has a boyfriend now.
I…
Muqin glanced at me. "I know you girlfriends were close, but she was bound to get a boyfriend sometime. Her family is well off, she's pretty, she's smart, and she's well-mannered."
*CLANG!*
My knife slipped from my hand, falling harmlessly into the wash basin. It quivered and rattled with a strident clatter before coming to a stop.
"Xiao Yun, please be careful—"
"...What?" I whispered. I glanced around before moving to pick back up the knife. My reflection looked back at me, distorted by water and steel.
"Mm. I just mean," Muqin started again after pausing. She was hesitant, but not unkind. "You girls were close, yes—but that's normal at your age. You relied on her a lot." She glanced at me, then away. "Guiying always struck me as very… independent. Ambitious. She knows what she wants."
The words pressed down on me, gentle and heavy all at once. I swallowed. My mouth tasted tart and bitter. What was muqin saying? The world seemed to weigh in on me. I looked at the knife again. I thought she—
Just then, something clattered upstairs. Bare feet slapped against tiles as the bathroom door creaked open upstairs, followed by a hurried shuffle, then the soft thud of something being knocked into a wall.
"—Sorry!"
Yue appeared at the top of the stairs, her long, midnight hair still damp and loose around her shoulders. A borrowed shirt was half-slipped on, the v-neck not even covering her collarbone, rumpled like she'd pulled it on in a rush. A towel was clutched awkwardly at her side.
Her cherry-red eyes snapped to me. Yue's gaze flicked briefly to the sink and to the knife. I might've been imagining things, but I swore her ears flattened somehow for just a heartbeat.
"I—I heard a noise," she said quickly, already sliding down the stairs. "Are you—"
She stopped halfway down.
The room was too quiet. Even the oil had stopped sizzling.
Muqin turned around. "Ah—Yue. You're done already?"
Yue didn't answer right away and was looking at me like she'd found me standing too close to the edge of a cliff or something.
"…Are you hurt?" Yue asked softly.
I opened my mouth and thought about what muqin had said.
"I…"
[1] 月 (CN) - For context, Yue's name in chinese translates to moon. The full word is Yueliang, or 月亮, but Yue on it's own is used commonly too.
[2] 父亲 (CN) - Father