Tu Ming sat in the emergency room. His injuries were not severe, with a mild concussion. The person responsible for the accident sat across from him, slightly more injured than Tu Ming. The two exchanged glances, and the other party felt a bit embarrassed and apologized again: “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. My feet just slipped today.”

“You really need to be careful in the future. Watch the distance between your car and the cars in front and behind in snowy weather, and don’t suddenly accelerate.”

“Yes, yes, yes.” The man’s arm was in a sling, looking quite comical. His family arrived and, seeing him, burst into tears: “You’ve been driving for so many years without any problems. Why did you crash today? Wasn’t it because the car in front suddenly braked?”

The responsible party quickly pulled his family back: “Don’t make a scene, it wasn’t like that!”

Tu Ming ignored them. Only now did he have the chance to take out his phone and see the messages of concern from his colleagues:

“Will, are you okay?”

“Is it serious?”

“We’re so worried.”

He replied to each of them. When he got to Lumi’s message, he saw her asking: “Which hospital are you at?”

“It’s all taken care of, I’m fine.”

She immediately called him: “Which hospital are you at?”

Tu Ming couldn’t refuse her, so he told her the name of the hospital. Others only asked if he was okay, but she asked: “Which hospital are you at?”

Lumi hung up the phone, put on her down jacket, and went out. When she arrived at the hospital, it was already past ten o’clock. She found Tu Ming in the emergency department, sitting there with an X-ray film, his forehead wrapped in medical gauze, not as clean and refreshing as usual, and even a bit disheveled.

When she appeared in front of Tu Ming, the snow on her hair had melted, and a few wet strands of hair were stuck to her forehead. She wasn’t in great shape either. Seeing that Tu Ming was fine and not seriously injured, she grinned at him and took out her phone to take a picture: “Come on, look at the camera. Let’s take a souvenir photo.” She leaned over to him and made a peace sign, taking photos from multiple angles, as if they were visiting some famous historical site.

The slight emotional stir Tu Ming felt was suppressed by her antics, at least for the moment. Now he just wanted to avoid Lumi’s phone. He turned away, but Lumi followed. He turned again, and she followed again. Tu Ming had no choice but to stop and let her have her fun.

After Lumi was done playing around, she put her phone in her pocket and asked him: “Have the X-rays come out? How are they?”

“No big issues.”

“That’s good. How did you crash?”

Tu Ming glanced at the crying family of the responsible party and said: “The road was slippery in the snow, it’s inevitable.”

“Your driving skills aren’t up to par!” Lumi teased him. She was just joking, but the family of the responsible party thought Lumi was talking about them and suddenly flared up: “What are you saying? Who’s not up to par?”

…

Lumi was taken aback by their words and turned to ask Tu Ming: “Who’s the responsible party?”

“Everyone’s in a bad mood after a car accident.”

“Who the hell is in a good mood!” Lumi stood up and walked over to the person, gritting her teeth: “Does our conversation bother you? Are you looking for money or insults? Aren’t you the responsible party?” Seeing that the man with the sling was obviously at a loss, she turned back to Tu Ming: “Who’s paying for your medical expenses?”

Tu Ming always knew Lumi was tough, but he didn’t expect her to be this tough. He tried to dissuade her: “It’s not much money.”

“Every penny counts!” She picked up the bill from the chair, took out her phone, and quickly calculated. Then she walked up to the responsible party: “2120, transfer the money!”

“Why should I transfer it? We have to listen to the traffic police. The police haven’t finished their investigation yet.”

Lumi didn’t want to cause a scene in the hospital, so she beckoned to the person: “I’ll tell you, come outside with me now, let’s talk properly.”

When she was angry, her face was stern, and she didn’t need to say anything, but her expression was very intimidating, clearly stating: “I’m not someone you want to mess with.”

The other party could see that. The responsible party didn’t want to make things worse, so he quickly took out his phone: “What’s your account number? I’ll transfer it now.”

Lumi took his phone, entered her account number, and handed it back to him. After hearing the notification sound, she turned back and sat down on the chair.

Lumi was really quite straightforward. If you couldn’t talk things out nicely, she would take action without fear. She was also upset with Tu Ming and couldn’t stop scolding him: “You’re quite generous, getting hit and paying for your own checkup. Why don’t you donate that money instead? There’s a family in my alley who’s having a tough time. I’ll spend that money on them for you!”

“There are, don’t think that everyone will appreciate your generosity. There are plenty of ungrateful people out there! Isn’t your mindset just nonsense?”

“Do you think it’s enough to hold yourself to a standard of being a good person? A foolish good person is no better than a stupid bad one.”

Tu Yanjing arrived just in time to hear Lumi’s words and looked at her seriously. He had some impression of Lumi, Tu Ming’s subordinate. It was a bit unusual for a subordinate to speak to Tu Ming in such a tone.

“Dad, why are you here?”

“Your mother was worried. I remember this colleague.” Tu Yanjing smiled at Lumi: “Thank you for coming.”

“Hey! I’m here representing my colleagues since I live nearby. Uncle, please sit down. I should be heading back.”

Lumi smiled at Tu Yanjing, turned, and walked towards the exit. Tu Ming told Tu Yanjing: “I’ll go see her off.” Despite the slight dizziness, he caught up with her and thanked her: “Thank you for coming.”

“Don’t mention it. You’ll need to rest for a few days. If you need anything, just call me.”

Tu Ming remembered the serial pictures in his car and felt that today wasn’t the right time to mention them. Someone like Lumi, if she knew he had gotten into an accident because he was picking up the serial pictures, would feel indebted to him and try to find ways to repay him. Tu Ming didn’t want that.

He watched as she walked away, her hands in her down jacket pockets, her snow boots scuffing the ground, like a mischievous child.

Tu Ming was exhausted by the night’s events, and Tu Yanjing directly took him back to the school: “Stay at home for the next few days. You need to rest for a while.”

“Alright.”

When they entered, Yi Wanqiu was still awake, leaning on the sofa reading. Seeing Tu Ming come in, she put down her book and stood up to look at his injuries. Tu Ming dodged her hand: “It’s fine, not serious.”

“Xing Yun was so worried. She said that if she hadn’t called you to pick up the things, you probably wouldn’t have had an accident.” Yi Wanqiu sighed: “Weren’t you upset about selling the house? It would have been better to talk about it. It’s better than getting into a car accident.” It seemed to Yi Wanqiu that Tu Ming had gotten into the accident because of Xing Yun selling the house.

“Mom, can I talk to you for a moment? Dad can listen too.”

Tu Ming sat across from the sofa, looking at his parents. The old couple’s hair had turned white.

“My decision to divorce Xing Yun was made after careful consideration, even though I know you actually hoped I would remarry her, but I won’t.”

“Today, when I went out, the snow was heavy and the road was slippery. The car behind me suddenly accelerated and lost control. I’m not the responsible party. There’s no way I was distracted by Xing Yun selling the house and caused the accident.”

“I really won’t remarry her. I’m serious.”

“Don’t hold onto any fantasies. For now, I’m really enjoying my single life.”

“I just think it’s too coincidental.” Yi Wanqiu said.

“There are too many coincidences in the world, but that’s all it is—a coincidence.” Tu Ming smiled at Yi Wanqiu, then leaned back on the sofa: “It turns out that even a mild concussion is quite uncomfortable.”

“Go to bed quickly!”

“Alright.”

Tu Ming quickly washed up and lay in bed, thinking about Lumi braving the snow to see him and fiercely telling that person: “Come outside with me!” Her readiness to confront the situation surprised Tu Ming.

Lumi’s toughness was like a bright light in this harmonious society, forcibly splitting everything in two, including the etiquette and humility that Tu Ming had always adhered to.

People like Lumi were hard to be universally accepted, but her kindness to others was genuine and didn’t need any embellishment.

“Thank you again for coming to the hospital today, and for arguing that fight for me.” Tu Ming said to Lumi.

“Don’t mention it. I love a good fight. That argument made me feel refreshed. I’m still buzzing with energy, really happy!” Lumi, like a fighting cock, even felt a bit regretful as she left the hospital, thinking she should have dragged that guy out and given him a beating.

“I’ll try that next time.”

“Try what?”

“Not holding back and just cursing when I’m unhappy.”

“Forget it, you’re not that kind of person.”

“Thank you again.”

“Really, don’t mention it. Anyone else would have done the same. Go to sleep!”

Lumi picked up the book by her pillow to read. Wang Jiexing sent her a message: “Our company is working on next year’s budget. Do you want to know how much Ling Mei allocated?”

“Don’t tell me, I’m not interested. Even if you allocate a hundred billion, it won’t end up in my pocket.”

“That’s no fun! Just tell me how much. I’m curious! Then I can tell my colleagues and publicly announce our deep and praiseworthy friendship, and my status in the company will go up?”

“Pfft! Does my status depend on that? Then I’m really not doing well.”

“Alright. What are you doing? It’s snowing. Want to go to the usual place to eat?”

“I’m tired, not going.”

“Tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow works. Bring Shang Zhi Tao and Lu Qing. Lu Qing was talking about it the other day!”

“Alright.”

Because she had plans for the evening, the workday seemed to pass especially quickly for Lumi, especially since Tu Ming was suddenly on leave. A minute before the end of the workday, she stood up from her workstation and, as she reached the door, the clock struck, signaling the end of the workday. The feeling of leaving on time was incredibly refreshing.

For Lumi, leaving work on time meant not staying a minute or a second longer.

Tang Wuyi followed closely behind her as they left the company: “I’m going to Qingdao tomorrow. I’ll bring you some good food when I come back.”

“Get that squid jerky, the kind that looks really thick and chewy, I love it. Bring a lot!” Lumi ordered.

“Alright.”

Lumi and Tang Wuyi headed straight for their usual spot, an old house in the hutong, with only three tables set up inside. The owner, who ran the place like a hobby, would definitely be there on a snowy day.

They had been eating there for over twenty years.

Today, all the customers were familiar faces. On a snowy day, everyone had a tacit understanding to come here for a bite of hand-sliced mutton cooked in a charcoal copper pot. The order was simple: a 4-ounce bottle of baijiu for each person, four plates of hand-sliced meat, a plate of cabbage, and two rolls of vermicelli. With the window open, no one complained about the cold. They wrapped themselves in their clothes and enjoyed the snowy scenery while eating, which was particularly satisfying.

The other two tables were also occupied by familiar faces, and everyone chatted without any reservations. Lumi asked the older gentleman at one table: “Uncle Fang, did you come all the way from Shun?”

“Indeed!” Uncle Fang, who had built a small villa in Shun after his house was demolished, had been teased by everyone for a while. According to the owner of the restaurant: “He can’t live well even with a villa!”

They greeted each other and chatted about various topics.

Lu Qing’s complexion was better than before. She occasionally took out her phone to reply to messages while eating.

“You’re not eating properly. Who are you talking to?” Wang Jiexing stood up to take a peek: “It’s a man’s profile picture!”

“Yao Luan.” Lu Qing replied openly: “He’s invited me to Turkey for the New Year.”

“Are you going?”

“Yes, I am.” Lu Qing learned to shrug from Lumi: “I’ll leave on the first day of the New Year after the 30th. The flower shop will be closed during the holiday.”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk, so you’ve developed feelings from chatting?” Lumi asked her.

“Didn’t you advise me to be reckless?” Lu Qing retorted.

“Oh, right, please be reckless to the end.”

Lumi was genuinely happy for Lu Qing. It was only now that she truly felt Lu Qing had moved on from the pain of her divorce. They clinked glasses in celebration.

It was just an ordinary meal, but it was particularly enjoyable. After dinner, they strolled through the hutong, the sound of their footsteps in the snow louder than outside, and the cooing of pigeons. In the narrow parts, if someone was coming from the opposite direction, you had to step aside, but none of this diminished their love for the place.

There had been talk for years that the remaining part of the hutong would be demolished, and everyone was upset for a while, saying: “Don’t demolish it! If you do, we won’t recognize this city we grew up in!” Fortunately, it was preserved, and everyone cherished it even more. There were rumors of renovations and that residents would have to contribute financially. Grandma even took out her savings book: “Let’s pay up! Quickly!” But in the end, it wasn’t necessary.

It was not easy for the hutong to remain.

As they wandered through the hutong, Wang Jiexing teased them: “No wonder they call us ‘hutong kids’!”

They didn’t take offense to the teasing and laughed heartily.

Lumi particularly enjoyed this lively life. She felt that her inherent love for comfort and dislike for hard work couldn’t be changed, but so what? Everyone had their own way of living, and no one should interfere with anyone else.

When she got home, she was in a particularly good mood. She saw in the work group that everyone was asking about Tu Ming’s well-being. Lumi directly replied: “If you’re so worried, why not go see him in person? What’s the point of talking in the group?”

After her message was sent, the group suddenly fell silent. Serena sent her a private message: “Where’s your emotional intelligence? No wonder Will doesn’t like you. I’m worried for you.”

“So what if he doesn’t like me?”

Wumeng came out in the group to ease the awkwardness: “I heard he needs to rest quietly. Let’s go together when he’s feeling better!”

Tu Ming didn’t see everyone’s messages of concern and Lumi’s provocative performance until before he went to bed. He replied: “Sorry, I just saw this. Everyone, there’s no need to come see me. I’m fine, and I’ll be back at work next week.”

Tu Ming was in good physical shape, and resting at his parents’ house was very peaceful. By the second night, he was already feeling much better, with almost no symptoms left.

This unexpected break came suddenly, so suddenly that Tu Yanjing brought back a cricket in a transparent bottle.

“You’re raising crickets too?” Tu Ming was a bit surprised.

“Teacher Wu gave it to me. He caught two at Panjiayuan and said this cricket sounds really nice. It’s not much trouble to raise it.” Tu Yanjing used to say that some people wasted their lives on trivial pursuits. He particularly disliked people who carried cages with birds, but as he aged, his temperament changed, and he actually started raising crickets.

The two old people studied the cricket for the entire afternoon, and their conclusion was: “This thing is actually quite fun.”

Tu Ming lay in his room and heard the cricket chirping outside.

He went out and saw the old people standing there in their coats, looking at each other with some difficulty: “It won’t chirp all night, will it?”

“Put it in the kitchen, leave a crack in the window, and turn off the light. It won’t chirp then.” Tu Ming told them.

“You know how to raise crickets?” They looked at him.

Tu Ming didn’t speak. He had been tricked by a cricket once and had vowed to study it thoroughly, understanding everything about it.

====

The work group was particularly lively because the secretary announced this year’s team-building destination: hot springs in Hokkaido.

Everyone was suddenly very excited: “The company is really generous this year! We only have to pay a small portion?!”

“Because the boss subsidized each person 1500 yuan.” the secretary said.

“Either play to the fullest or don’t play at all. That’s my principle.” Tu Ming said.

He usually appeared gentle and wasn’t known for spending money so generously, but this gesture suddenly brought him closer to everyone.

Daisy asked Wumeng: “Has Will always been like this? I’m not surprised to see you.”

“Yes, Will has always been like this.”

The girls, who loved beauty, didn’t think about visas when they heard the news. Instead, they went online to look at hot spring swimsuits. Lumi moved quickly and sent a photo of a nearly sheer swimsuit: “This is the standard! Wearing more is not allowed!”

“Isn’t there mixed bathing?”

“Friends, no matter how you bathe, stay away from my Jack! I’m afraid you won’t be able to resist touching him!” Lumi joked.