The biggest event that happened at the end of that year was that Dou Si Yuan got into a fight.
It was a stroke of bad luck. Just as the year-end holiday was approaching, he was detained without a word. Zhang Qi told Shao Xue about it, and Shao Xue told Yu Dong Ge, which instantly alerted the two elders.
“Why does this kid always get into trouble? It’s nearly the end of the year—won’t he come home?”
Since his parents lived far away and Yu Dong Ge was close to him, it naturally fell to her to be his emergency contact. She greeted Qi Ming Yang at the police station and then turned around to see Dou Si Yuan, slumped and dejected, squatting on the floor.
“What happened to you? What could possibly be worth getting into a fight over? During the holidays, no less. Isn’t this embarrassing?”
Dou Si Yuan’s face was bruised and swollen, and he lifted his eyelids, saying, “It’s because that guy wouldn’t leave Qiao Mu alone.”
“Which guy?”
“The one from the art academy, her senior, the one who keeps bringing her flowers.”
“Why did you have to hit him?”
“He’s been harassing Qiao Mu for half a month. After work today, I asked Qiao Mu to clear things up with him, and before they could say a few words, he started getting handsy.”
“Oh, well, in that case, you did the right thing.”
“Exactly.”
Yu Dong Ge stormed off in anger but halfway through, she turned back. “Ming Yang, will he be able to go home for the holidays?”
“He’ll be released before the New Year,” Qi Ming Yang said. “But with tickets so hard to come by, he probably won’t make it home.”
“Can I go home and bring him something to eat?”
“Aunt Yu, you can leave now. He’ll be sent to the detention center. It’s just a few days; he won’t suffer too much.”
Though they said he wouldn’t suffer, when Dou Si Yuan came out, he had lost a lot of weight. He returned to his rented apartment, unlocked the door, and collapsed on the bed, sleeping for several hours until the phone ringing woke him up.
His caller ID was broken, and he thought it might be his parents calling, so he picked up and hung up again.
He had to come up with a good excuse for not going home this year.
The phone rang again, aggravating his already irritable mood, so he yanked the cord out of the wall. He went to the bathroom, turned on the faucet, and after a few clunks from the gas heater, a rush of scalding hot water came out.
Then, only cold water followed.
Frustrated, Dou Si Yuan cursed, splashed cold water on his face, and went back to bed.
Outside, the sky darkened and brightened again. He drifted in and out of sleep, half-awake, when he heard someone knocking at the door. Dou Si Yuan kicked off the blanket, shuffled to the door in his slippers, feeling a wave of pent-up anger about to burst out.
Whoever it was, he didn’t care—he was going to yell at them.
But when he opened the door, it was Fu Qiao Mu.
A blast of cold air hit him, snapping him awake. Fu Qiao Mu was wearing a light pink down jacket, her face flushed from the cold. She glanced at Dou Si Yuan’s unshaven face without saying a word and squeezed into the apartment.
“Look at how messy your place is.”
“Oh,” Dou Si Yuan quickly shuffled over, “I just got back, didn’t have time to clean.”
“It was already this messy before you left.”
He had nothing to say to that and took the plastic bag from Fu Qiao Mu’s hands.
“I brought you some food. Eat quickly, and I’ll help you tidy up. Then you’re coming with me.”
“Where to?”
“To my place.”
He was stunned, not comprehending.
“Why your place?”
Fu Qiao Mu looked at him with a mix of exasperation and amusement. “My mom’s here to visit me. She made New Year’s dinner, and she’s invited you over to eat.”
The wind blew the door shut, and the room gradually warmed up. A wave of warmth spread through Dou Si Yuan’s limbs. Outside, the lights of the city twinkled, forming lines, forming patches. A child ran by, holding a sparkler.
It was New Year's Eve—the time to go home.
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