Lao Shen and I spent the whole afternoon at the internet cafe. We were both free anyway—we’d just come to check on Long Ge. Seeing everything was fine with her, we settled in to play without worry.

Lao Shen was seriously skilled at this game. Except for that first match, where she got instantly wiped out by some god-tier player’s trick shot, she mowed down everyone in her path afterward. Plus, she wasn’t the reckless type. If the game leaned late-stage, she’d skip unnecessary fights—knowing when to play it safe and prioritize getting into the zone first.

We played about five matches that afternoon and secured the chicken dinner three times. The one loss? Lao Shen took a risk—driving me straight through the bombing zone. A perfectly timed airstrike wiped us out, car and all. Damn it… true child of misfortune…

We’d arrived around one p.m. Since it’d been ages since we hung out, we played until nearly nine.

We could do this because post-graduation life was wide open. Both of us planned to apply for college, but hadn’t finalized anything. Some schools had already closed admissions; the latest deadline was June. My grades used to be excellent, but from sophomore to senior year, I barely studied—dropping from top-tier to solidly average.

Truth be told, I wanted college, but didn’t care about prestige. Worst case? Apply somewhere less competitive and just start.

Lao Shen hadn’t submitted apps either, but her family was well-off—basically a second-gen rich kid. Not as flashy as Young Master Feng, but even if she coasted through life, she’d still be set.

Honestly, I’d even considered working here—if they were hiring. I had nothing to do at home, and being nearby would let me keep an eye on Long Ge. But they only hired women. Lao Shen had zero interest anyway; she preferred gaming at home.

Around nine, we wrapped up. Lao Shen had plans and left first. Before heading out, I grabbed Long Ge a bowl of youpo noodles from a nearby eatery—her evening shift was light: just logging customers in or serving drinks, no cleaning.

She was devouring the noodles at the counter. Watching her, a pang of unease hit me. “How’s the job? Tiring?”

Long Ge mumbled through a mouthful, “Not tired.”

Xiao Hua bent over sweeping the aisle. I watched Long Ge eat a moment, then said casually, “If it’s not tiring, stick with it. If it gets too much… my place is always open.”

Long Ge glanced up. The noodles were spicy—she looked away, blew gently on them, wiped her mouth with a tissue. After a pause, eyes fixed on the counter computer: “It’s fine. Not tiring… Just visit when you’re free. We close at eleven; night shift takes over.”

I sighed.

I fished the leftover seventy-some yuan from my pocket and handed it all to her. “If you get hungry, grab something… Damn, remember to treat me when you get paid!”

Long Ge chuckled, didn’t hesitate—folded the cash neatly and tucked it away. “Find me on payday. I’ll treat you to lobster!”

Hearing that bold “I’ll,” I grinned at her for a good while.

Outside, I realized I’d given her all my cash—no taxi fare left. The pedestrian street wasn’t far; I walked thirty minutes, treating it as a stroll.

Home by ten. At the door, I fumbled for keys, kicked my shoes off haphazardly by the entrance. Exhausted, I was about to head in—then froze.

The living room light was on.

My heart tightened.

Damn… a burglar?

I patted my pockets—phone was safe. Stood still a moment, then slowly stepped inside.

A girl sat upright on the sofa, clacking away on her laptop. She wore a slightly worn shirt, long black hair cascading to her waist. Sensing me, she looked up. Her dark eyes were like black holes—no light reflected. Blank-faced, she glanced once, then lowered her head and resumed typing.

I froze. It was Ming Hai.

Where had she been three days? Hands on hips, I stood speechless. Then slowly sat beside her, watching.

Her glasses glinted with screen light, hiding her eyes. Silent. English code scrolled rapidly. I shifted my gaze—and spotted books beside her. I tilted my head.

Damn. Shouldn’t have looked. Titles screamed elite: *The C Programming Language*, *Code Complete*, *Programming Pearls*, *Refactoring*, *Advanced Programming in the UNIX Environment*…

Awkward silence hung thick.

I racked my brain for an opener. *Hey… where’d you vanish to?*

Finally, I asked softly, “Where’ve you been? If you went out, why not say anything?”

Ming Hai’s fingers never paused. Glasses flashing white light, she murmured, “Job hunting.”

Silence again.

I sat there, biting back words—*What job? Something… questionable?*

She sighed suddenly. Keyboard clacks stopped.

Slowly straightening her back, a faint series of pops cracked from her spine—who knew how long she’d been hunched. She removed her glasses, rubbed her eyes. Dark circles shadowed her sockets; her face was pale.

How many sleepless nights caused bags that deep…

I watched her. “Hungry?”

I’d already started standing—but she waved a hand, rubbing her temples. “No… just had instant noodles. Do you have sugar?”

I stood frozen. No kids at home—why would we have candy? After a beat: “Honey water okay?”

She nodded wearily.

I went to the kitchen, poured a third-cup of honey, mixed hot and cold water at the dispenser, stirred, and carried it to the living room. Handed it to Lao Chu.

She took it without looking up, drank it all in one go, sighed in relief, and leaned back into the sofa.