Chapter 20: The Funeral

Her eyes were dry and aching. She stared at the screen for a long time, and only when she was certain that Jiang Wei would not call back did she put her phone away.

She then hurried to the vanity, splashing cold water on her face.

Looking at herself in the mirror, she saw a face devoid of makeup, yet her eyes glowed with a faint, dark radiance. She examined her reflection closely; even draped in his loose, oversized white shirt, her graceful figure was unmistakable. She was breathtaking without the need for heavy adornment.

She lowered her gaze and let out a soft laugh, reflecting on that dream of hers—absurd, yet carrying a strange sense of logic.

Mu Anyan returned that evening.

But the house was dark, and the girl was nowhere to be seen.

She had left without saying a word.

He carried the fresh produce and meat he had just bought from the market, his brow furrowing slightly, before finally placing everything into the refrigerator.

While showering that night, he spotted the little black dress the girl had left behind.

His pupils deepened. Almost instinctively, he recalled an incident from two years ago.

In truth, he had seen her at the bar more than just those two times. Once, as he stepped out of his office and crossed the street, he saw her standing on the sidewalk, wrapped in the arms of a man. Her youthful face was painted with sophisticated, alluring makeup. Despite the biting winter chill, she wore only a dress with a small vest over it, leaning into the man’s embrace with tender, liquid affection.

She held a lit match between her lips, then, wrapping her arms around the man’s neck, she offered the light to him.

The man held a cigarette between his teeth, and as it touched the burning match in her mouth, it caught fire.

They both giggled, as if the world consisted only of the two of them.

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