Lingering Warmth

[Print edition now available on major platforms, with 6,000 new words in the published bonus chapter] Jiang Shuang still remembered that night. A makeshift shade covered the bare incandescent bulb, which hung from a pillar riddled with holes from insects and ants. When the wind blew, the shade swayed, making the light flicker. Fu Ye emerged from the darkness, his shoulder blades sharp and gaunt, his body covered in wounds. Blood still streaked his face, and his eyes were grim and sinister. He looked like a vicious, solitary stray dog. He came to the window of the little shop. Jiang Shuang caught the scent of blood as he pulled a handful of crumpled, scattered bills from his pocket. He pointed behind her and bought a pack of cigarettes. She knew who he was. Ever since a serious illness at the age of ten had robbed Fu Ye of his hearing, he had been abandoned by his divorced parents and left with his grandmother, who lived alone. When he lost his temper, he didn't care whether he lived or died. Everyone nearby knew it, and no one dared provoke him. Her aunt told her to stay away from people like him. People like that were capable of anything. * Later, again at night, he took a hearing aid from his pocket and put it on. He tapped beside his ear, gesturing for her to come closer. Jiang Shuang braced herself on one arm and leaned forward with some difficulty. The young man's jawline was sharp as a blade. She pressed a hand to her racing heart and whispered. Fu Ye turned his head to meet her gaze, curled his lips, and smiled in silence. For the first time in ten years, he heard a voice. It was Jiang Shuang's. She called him A Ye. The new novel next door, Hidden Moon, is now underway. After her parents divorced, Qin Zhi was sent to live with Grandpa Chen. The night her father brought her there, it was raining. She ran through the mud, soaked to the skin, and knocked timidly on the Chen family's door. She never expected Chen Yannan to answer. Chen Yannan was the darling of everyone, a born star. With him around, first place was never anyone else's. He had an exceptionally handsome build, with deep-set, cool eyes. Countless girls liked him. Qin Zhi was no exception. She just didn't dare say it or even admit it to herself. The young man was dazzling, someone she could never hope to have. When his gaze fell on her, all she could do was shuffle awkwardly in her soaked shoes, trying to hide how disheveled she looked. Grandpa Chen came out and introduced Qin Zhi as a year younger than Chen Yannan, his little sister. Chen Yannan's face was expressionless. “What kind of sister is she?” * By the time Qin Zhi graduated from high school, she was quiet and reserved. At the graduation dinner, a boy confessed his feelings for her. He had been drinking, and his youthful face was flushed red as he asked if she would be his girlfriend. Before Qin Zhi could answer, a cold, low voice cut in: “She can't.” She saw Chen Yannan step out of the shadows, his expression dark. The boy frowned and asked who he was and what gave him the right to answer for her. Chen Yannan's gaze turned gloomy. He gritted his teeth, losing his composure in a way he rarely did. “I'm her brother. Is that good enough?” Late one night, the room was pitch-black. Qin Zhi retreated step by step until she reached the desk. He came closer, his breath burning hot. Half-drunk and half-awake, he said her name. “You've never called me ‘brother.’” * Later, the rift between them proved impossible to mend. Qin Zhi moved out of the Chen family home and became a photographer who wandered all over the world. She never thought she would see Chen Yannan again. The gusting wind whipped his coat as he strode toward her and pulled her into his arms. His heartbeat thundered in his chest. He asked if she had ever thought about him. Qin Zhi didn't answer. She heard Chen Yannan murmur hoarsely: “I thought about you.” “Every day, every second.” “Like I was going mad.” Theme: Look ahead and keep moving forward