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8:00 AM (1)
After exchanging coins with Xia Xia, Xu Muzi carried her pile of damp clothes to the laundry room.
The laundry room was on the second floor.
With light gray flooring, two sets of white washing machines and stacked dryers were lined up against the wall.
Next to them, several buckets of different brands of laundry detergent were stored in a cabinet, while the empty shelf space was filled with a few pots of green pothos, their leaves lush and nearly drooping over the dryers.
On the windowsill was a row of succulent plants, plump and standing in the soil.
Everything exuded warmth.
As the guesthouse reviews mentioned, the owner was indeed “very attentive.”
The breakfast of morel mushroom and pork rib soup was delicious, and the bread rolls were soft and tasty.
Yet, Xu Muzi always felt something in her stomach was hard to digest, a nagging discomfort that made her restless.
She stuffed the clothes haphazardly into the washing machine and pressed the quick wash button, pacing back and forth in the laundry room.
There was an unread message on her phone.
It was a new message from Xu Muzi’s mother, asking if she would be home for dinner today.
Xu Muzi replied that she would return home tomorrow afternoon.
She always had a feeling that her mother’s contact wasn’t just about wanting to know if she would come home for dinner.
In life, Xu Muzi’s parents were like two children who hadn’t grown up.
They had a lot of bad habits, stayed up late every day, and both struggled to get up in the morning. The mornings were always chaotic, and it was even worse now that there was no longer a maid to help.
At that moment, her home was surely a flurry of hurried clothing changes, washing up, and breakfast chaos, so not replying for ten minutes was normal.
While waiting for a response, Xu Muzi casually cleaned up her contact list in the chat app.
She had already deleted the violinist a long time ago.
The two boys she had added at her family’s suggestion hadn’t contacted her at all, and since no relatives had asked about them recently, they could be considered irrelevant and could be deleted as well.
Over the past few years, Xu Muzi had noticed a clear change in her parents’ attitudes toward her romantic issues—
Before the family business ran into trouble, Xu Muzi was under twenty.
At that time, her parents were still immersed in a somewhat luxurious lifestyle; apart from making money, their greatest joy was competing with Deng Yun’s family.
They had never even thought about such matters.
Later, when the family faced an economic crisis, they had to mortgage their house and car.
They stopped talking about her love life altogether, and even their words subtly revealed their concerns.
They worried she might lower her standards and end up dating a mediocre man because of their problems.
Xu Muzi’s father had once said after drinking too much, “Muzi, you must believe in your father. One day, I will make a comeback; you must believe me.”
During this phase, both of Xu Muzi’s parents didn’t want her to date.
They feared she would suffer because of their issues.
It was only at the end of last year that they began asking Xu Muzi about her feelings.
By then, Xu Muzi could sense that the family business was on the mend.
The most evident sign was that her parents were spending money generously again, even increasing her allowance.
Even though Xu Muzi repeatedly refused the extra allowance, insisting that she was working part-time as a hotel pianist and already earned enough, her parents insisted on transferring the money to her account, telling her not to shortchange herself.
—-
After the New Year, as the family’s economic crisis eased, discussions about Xu Muzi’s romantic life started coming up frequently at the dinner table.
Her parents expressed excitement several times about looking forward to a good son-in-law who deserved her.
Her parents were her support.
But with a twenty-plus-year age gap, it was hard for Xu Muzi and them to truly “understand each other.”
Especially on certain issues, both sides found it difficult to reach a consensus.
Just like the message her mother sent now—
“Okay, I’ll wait for you.”
“It’s going to be cold today and tomorrow. When you come back, let’s make hotpot.”
“I have some good news to tell you tomorrow.”
Without thinking, she knew the “good news” was the one her cousin had leaked to her about “meeting someone new.”
Another blind date introduction was coming.
What was meant to happen would always happen.
The washing machine beeped to indicate the cycle was complete. Xu Muzi sighed, put away her phone, and reluctantly thought:
“Don’t tell me that guy is going to show up at the dinner table for hotpot tomorrow? No way!”
This “good news” really messed with her mindset. As she threw her freshly washed clothes into the dryer with annoyance, someone suddenly called out to her from behind.
“Xu Muzi.”
Xing Pengjie walked into the laundry room happily. “The beer has been delivered.”
Xu Muzi closed the dryer door and said she was almost done with the washing.
“The guy who brought the beer just said, ‘You’re still young, starting to drink so early in the morning,’ haha…”
The guy with the messy hair, whom she had encountered before, followed behind Xing Pengjie. “We can pretend we’re on New York time.”
Xing Pengjie immediately agreed, “That’s a good idea, bro.”
“Aren’t we supposed to go to the third floor? What are we doing in the laundry room?”
Xing Pengjie’s face turned red, and he stubbornly replied, “Isn’t the stairwell just this way?”
Xu Muzi was busy studying the dryer’s various settings and didn’t pay attention to their conversation.
With just a few items, it would take four hours to dry them.
She pressed each control button one by one, easily recognizing the different options by sound. Playing the piano was her habitual action, so she absentmindedly pressed the button for “Sunny Day,” singing “do re mi do sol” softly.
Suddenly, the laundry room went quiet, and the two boys looked over at Xu Muzi in surprise.
At that moment, Xia Xia walked in, her face full of confusion, wondering, “What’s going on with you guys?” She handed Xu Muzi a thick bathrobe.
After getting the coins from Xia Xia, Xu Muzi took the pile of damp clothes to the laundry room.
The laundry room was on the second floor.
With a light gray floor, two sets of white washing machines and stacked dryers were placed against the wall.
Next to them, several buckets of different brands of laundry detergent were stored in a cabinet, while the empty spaces were filled with pots of green pothos, their lush leaves almost drooping over the dryers.
On the windowsill, there was a row of succulent plants, plump and standing upright in the soil.
Everything exuded warmth.
Just as the reviews of the inn said, the owner was indeed “very attentive.”
The breakfast of morel mushroom and pork rib soup was delicious, and the bread rolls were soft and tasty.
Yet, Xu Muzi felt like there was something in her stomach that was hard to digest, a restlessness that made her uneasy.
She stuffed the clothes haphazardly into the washing machine, pressed the quick wash button, and began to pace around the laundry room.
A message popped up on her phone.
It was a new message from her mother, asking if Xu Muzi would come home for dinner today.
Xu Muzi replied that she would return home tomorrow afternoon.
There was always a feeling that when her mother reached out, it was not just to ask if she was coming home for dinner.
In their lives, Xu Muzi’s parents felt like two children who hadn’t grown up.
They had countless bad habits, stayed up late every night, and both struggled with getting up early. The time right after they woke up was always chaotic; it used to be better with a helper around, but now it was even worse.
At that moment, her house must be in a flurry of hasty dressing, washing up, and eating breakfast—so it was normal not to receive a reply for over ten minutes.
While waiting for a response, Xu Muzi casually cleaned up her contacts in the messaging app.
The guy who played the violin had long been deleted.
The two boys she added at her family’s suggestion had barely contacted her, and since no elders had inquired about them recently, they could be deleted as well.
In fact, over the past few years, Xu Muzi could clearly feel her parents’ changing attitude toward her romantic issues—
Before the family business encountered problems, Xu Muzi was not yet twenty.
At that time, her parents were still immersed in a somewhat luxurious lifestyle. Aside from making money, their biggest enjoyment was competing with the Deng family for prestige.
They hadn’t considered such issues at all.
Later, when the family faced an economic crisis, they had to mortgage their house and car.
They stopped discussing her love life, and even their words hinted at their concerns.
They worried that she might lower her standards and date an overly mediocre man due to their situation.
Her father had once said after drinking too much, “Muzi, Muzi, you must believe me, Dad will rise again one day, you must believe in me.”
During that period, her parents didn’t want her to date.
They were afraid she would suffer because of their troubles.
They started to inquire about her romantic life at the end of last year.
By then, Xu Muzi had already sensed a turn in the family business.
The most obvious sign was that her parents had become generous with spending again, even increasing her living allowance.
Even when Xu Muzi repeatedly refused the extra allowance, stating she was working part-time as a hotel pianist and had enough income, her parents insisted on transferring the money to her account, urging her not to shortchange herself.
After the new year, with the resolution of the family’s economic crisis, topics about Xu Muzi’s love life frequently came up at the dinner table.
Her parents expressed their excitement about a suitable son-in-law for her on multiple occasions.
Her parents were her support.
But with a gap of over twenty years in age, Xu Muzi found it difficult to connect with them on every issue.
Especially on certain matters, they struggled to reach a consensus.
Just like her mother’s current message—
“Okay, I’ll wait for you.”
“The temperature will drop tomorrow and the day after, you can come home and we can have hot pot.”
“I have great news to tell you tomorrow.”
Without needing to think, Xu Muzi already knew that the “great news” was the cousin who had hinted to her about a “meeting that wouldn’t hurt.”
They were going to introduce her to someone again.
What’s meant to come will always come.
The washing machine chimed to signal the end of the wash cycle, and Xu Muzi sighed, putting away her phone, feeling resistant and negative as she thought:
Could it be that the guy would appear at the table to have hot pot with them tomorrow? No way!
This “great news” was truly irritating; as she moodily tossed the washed clothes into the dryer, someone suddenly called her from behind.
“Xu Muzi.”
Xing Pengjie walked cheerfully into the laundry room: “The beer has arrived.”
Xu Muzi closed the dryer door and indicated that she was almost done washing.
“The guy who brought the beer just said that young people start drinking early in the morning, haha…”
The guy with the chicken nest hairstyle, whom she had encountered before, followed Xing Pengjie: “We can treat this as if we’re living on New York time!”
Xing Pengjie immediately agreed: “This idea is good, bro.”
“Weren’t we supposed to go to the third floor? Why are we in the laundry room?”
Xing Pengjie’s face flushed, and he stubbornly replied, “Isn’t the staircase just right this way?”
Xu Muzi was studying the different modes of the dryer and didn’t pay attention to their conversation.
Just a few pieces of clothing, it would take four hours to dry them.
She pressed each touch button in sequence, easily distinguishing the sounds of different options; playing the piano was her habitual action, and in her absent-mindedness, she casually pressed a note that resembled “The Sun Is Shining Bright” with “do re mi do sol.”
The laundry room suddenly fell silent, and the two boys looked over in surprise.
Xia Xia stepped in at that moment, a puzzled expression on her face, as if asking, “What’s wrong with you all?” She handed Xu Muzi a thick bathrobe.
Xia Xia said the two dryers at the inn took a long time, worried Xu Muzi would feel cold.
“Thank you.”
Xia Xia looked a bit embarrassed, her face turning red as she waved her hands and backed away towards the laundry room exit: “No need to be polite. Then… I won’t disturb you all from having fun.”
Xing Pengjie and the chicken nest guy were particularly enthusiastic: “Xia Xia, do you want to join us for a drink?”
Xia Xia said she still had work to do. Like a worried mother, she reminded them not to disturb other guests’ rest, and if they needed anything, they could call the front desk or find her downstairs before leaving.
“It’s almost eight-thirty; let’s go upstairs too.”
Xu Muzi followed them up the stairs.
The hallway wasn’t very spacious, and Xing Pengjie walked slightly ahead, constantly turning his head back to find topics to chat about.
He praised Xu Muzi for being amazing, saying even the dryer buttons could be used for playing.
In fact, it wasn’t unusual; many of Xu Muzi’s classmates could do it too.
Just like how some people could only hear a “duang” sound when pressing multiple piano keys simultaneously, Xu Muzi and her classmates could distinguish which notes were played after hearing them.
The chirping of birds on campus was a low ti, the honking of cars on the road was a fifth chord with sol and si, and the elevator arrival chime was la and fa…
The chicken nest guy said, “I know this; I’ve seen it on TV. What’s it called… I can’t remember.”
“Absolute pitch.”
“Right, right, that’s it!”
Xing Pengjie, being a science guy, envied such little skills that art students had: “Do boys in your class often use this to flirt?”
“It seems not; the girls in my class are also very impressive.”
Including Xu Muzi, the students mostly played around in their own circles. Everyone could do it, so it wasn’t something to show off; doing so would be a bit too conceited.
But…
Xu Muzi suddenly remembered that she had shown off before, specifically to Deng Yun.
Of course, it was when they had been drinking.
One sweet low-alcohol cocktail, one sip of whiskey on the rocks—alcohol made people excited yet confused.
No matter how much Xu Muzi reflected on it afterward, she couldn’t figure out why she had voluntarily gone on stage to challenge the band during their impromptu performance at the bar.
It was utterly embarrassing.
At that time, the lead singer stood on stage and said it was getting late, and the band was about to go back to rest. But if any guest could perform something, they might be willing to stay and sing a few more songs.
Xu Muzi raised her hand.
She practiced classical piano pieces and had a limited repertoire of pop songs. Sitting beside the electronic piano, she confidently challenged, saying that as long as the guitarist played a piece, she could follow along.
She won two songs with that little display.
When she jumped down from the small stage, many people around cheered, whistled, and applauded for her.
The alcohol washed away all her shyness and tension, and she faced Deng Yun’s smiling gaze, high-fived strangers, and then returned to his side.
Xu Muzi’s face was particularly red, and Deng Yun poked her forehead with his finger, asking if she wanted to go back.
She raised two fingers in a “peace” sign: “I just won two songs; let’s listen to the end before leaving.”
“Xu Muzi.”
“Hmm?”
“You’re drunk.”
“You’re the one who’s drunk.”
Deng Yun wanted to say something else, but the singer on stage had already started, “These two songs are dedicated to that impressive young lady just now…”
Xu Muzi was especially happy; to hear the singer clearly, she lifted her hand to cover Deng Yun’s mouth.
Soft and warm.
Her breath fell into her palm.
Deng Yun raised an eyebrow, looking at her. Xu Muzi blinked and withdrew her hand.
She truly felt she wasn’t drunk at all; she just couldn’t control herself and kept wanting to talk.
Just after covering his mouth, she couldn’t help but lean closer and whispered, “Deng Yun, you’ve been drinking; you can’t drive. How do we get back?”
“Call for a ride.”
Xu Muzi pressed down on his hand as he reached for his phone, shaking her head vigorously. She hadn’t had enough fun and, after two songs, reluctantly dragged Deng Yun outside to stroll around.
Outside, snowflakes were falling; she bundled up in a hat, scarf, and gloves, singing a few lines from the newly learned pop song and chasing a few snowflakes with a wobbly figure: “Deng Yun, it’s snowing!”
Deng Yun, with long legs, caught up with her in two or three steps, pulling her back and steadying her.
Xu Muzi still wouldn’t behave, bouncing around, trying to dash onto the empty road like a bouncy ball.
A few minutes later, joy turned to sorrow, and she began to feel unwell.
Her heart raced, and her breathing became rapid.
Xu Muzi tightly grasped Deng Yun’s arm in the dim morning light at five o’clock: “I can’t breathe.”
That day, Deng Yun called a taxi and took Xu Muzi to the nearest hospital emergency room.
When she got out of the car, she was already too uncomfortable to walk, and he carried her into the hospital.
After a round of examinations and getting the results, the doctor said it was respiratory alkalosis.
As for the cause, it was triggered by excessive emotions…
She couldn’t help but feel embarrassed!
Xing Pengjie and the chicken nest guy pushed open the door to the screening room. Xu Muzi suddenly frowned, raised her hand to pat her forehead, and felt the past was hard to revisit.
The screening room was lively—
This little drinking party was quite interesting. The weather was cold, and most of the guests in the inn hadn’t prepared enough warm clothes. They gathered together in the inn’s bathrobes, like a bathrobe party.
Everyone at the gathering was around the same age.
There were Xing Pengjie and the couple wanting to watch the sunrise, still in college; and then there were the chicken nest guy and Xu Muzi, who had just graduated from college.
Everyone wasn’t very familiar with each other, casually catching any topic and chatting about all sorts of things.
Many people in the room were better at chatting than Xu Muzi, and Xing Pengjie didn’t stick to her the whole time. Once he started drinking, he ran off to play with others, causing a ruckus.
The projector played a movie, a comedy.
Those who weren’t very good at drinking games were chatting on the sofa while watching, occasionally bursting into laughter.
The beer sent by a small shop at the foot of the mountain was a local brand that Xu Muzi had never heard of.
Having had an embarrassing experience of being drunk for the first time, she rarely touched alcohol, and when she did, it was only a little.
Today, she didn’t drink much either.
But this local green bottle beer felt stronger than the beers she had had before. By the time she got to her fourth glass, Xu Muzi suddenly realized she had drunk too much.
The reason for this awareness was:
She had been quietly watching the movie, her smile the standard “showing eight teeth” that a photographer had taught her when she was a child, but suddenly felt the urge to chime in.
Someone next to her was complaining that their boyfriend didn’t understand romance, and as a single person, she almost interjected.
She only took two sips from her fourth glass of beer and didn’t want to embarrass herself in public, so she said goodbye to Xing Pengjie and the others and left first.
The hallway was quiet; Xu Muzi leaned against the wall, then the windowsill, and finally the stair railing, making her way step by step.
When someone came up from downstairs, she paused on the staircase, sluggishly staring at them.
It was Deng Yun.
He stood about ten steps away from her, looking at her for a few seconds: “Drunk?”
Xu Muzi responded to the question: “Are you here to drink too?”
“No.”
“Then what are you doing upstairs?”
“I don’t know.”
“You’re so strange; how could you not know what you’re going to do?”
Deng Yun seemed a bit helpless: “I didn’t think it through.”
As he said this, he walked up the stairs.
Xu Muzi was also walking, but very slowly, sidling along with both hands on the railing, inching down a step like a crab.
She was trying hard to maintain her balance when, in a daze, she heard a helpless sigh and suddenly got angry, pointing at him: “Deng Yun, you’re here to watch me make a fool of myself, aren’t you?”
After saying that, she swayed unsteadily.
This alcohol was so annoying.
She had only had three cups, yet she couldn’t even stand properly when pointing at someone?
Xu Muzi had one foot on the edge of the stairs, always feeling like she would trip and fall.
Deng Yun had a complicated expression. As he passed by Xu Muzi, he suddenly stretched out his arm and pulled her into his embrace: “No, I came to get you.”