A Peach Wood Comb

With a loud bang, the dormitory door opened, and Xiang Qing, sitting on the lower bunk trimming her toenails, looked up with a flicker of panic in her eyes as Lai Hui stormed in. Lai Hui stood by the door for a moment before stepping forward, dropping her backpack from her shoulder, and swinging it towards Xiang Qing. She wasn’t cruel enough to aim for Xiang Qing’s face, so she adjusted her aim, and the backpack hit the bedpost, making a series of clatters as it slid to the floor, the gray canvas bag looking like a puddle of mud. “What do you call your uncle? I almost got killed because of you. What were you thinking? Does he even exist? He’s just an old pervert!” Lai Hui panted, cursing. She actually wanted to scratch Xiang Qing’s face but knew she didn’t have the guts. She felt wronged, insulted, and humiliated, treated like a prostitute when she was a scholarship student with a good boyfriend. Xiang Qing, however, was calm. She jumped off the bed, magazines under her feet dragging to the ground, scattering red nail clippings that looked like drops of red juice on the gray cement floor. She feigned surprise and concern, “What happened? Your face? Oh my! Who hit you? I was just about to call and check on you.” Lai Hui sneered, “Who hit me? Your dad’s good friend, the one who almost took advantage of me today if I hadn’t managed to get away.” Xiang Qing’s face turned ashen, she stuttered, “You… you mean…?” “Say what? You don’t know? Do I need to spell it out?” Lai Hui angrily recounted the events. Xiang Qing covered her mouth, her eyes full of innocence and shock, “Lai Hui, I didn’t know…” She spoke incoherently on purpose. “How could my dad know someone like that? I’m sorry, wait for me, I’ll call my dad and ask him clearly. How could there be such a person…” She put on an act of innocence, quickly picking up the phone to dial. Lai Hui listened to her speak in dialect, half-guessing what was being said. “He almost harmed my classmate… Dad, luckily nothing happened, what if something did? How would we explain?” After hanging up, Xiang Qing’s face was filled with what looked like genuine remorse. She grabbed Lai Hui’s hand, gritting her teeth, “I just talked to my dad. He said that man was supposed to deliver living expenses and new clothes from my mom. Dad didn’t know he was like that; we won’t see him anymore. Lai Hui, I’m really sorry. I should have gone myself; I shouldn’t have put you in danger.” As she spoke, tears fell, her performance was so convincing it was hard to tell if she was genuinely remorseful. Lai Hui softened, realizing Xiang Qing was also unaware of the situation. She patted Xiang Qing’s shoulder, her tone softening, “Forget it, it’s good I went instead of you; your delicate frame would have been in real trouble!” Xiang Qing smeared her tears and snot on Lai Hui’s clothes, crying pitifully. Lai Hui thought she was just feeling too guilty to press further, but had she been more careful and redialed Xiang Qing’s number, she would have realized it was a fake number. But how could innocent university students understand the dangers of the world, where the filth of society seemed to exist in a separate, distant space? After considering for three days, Lai Hui took over Zhou Yuqian’s job. At this time, she was not short of money; the income Xie Jiayi earned was already enough for both of them to live on. She just wanted to prove a point, to show Zhou Yuqian that she was an outstanding, proud, and ambitious student. She wouldn’t allow anyone to misunderstand her, even if that person would have no further connection with her after turning away. Even so, she wanted people to remember her as excellent, not as a vulgar woman who traded her body for money. Therefore, she worked very hard, handling tasks efficiently and sorting documents meticulously with annotations for clarity. Zhou Yuqian rarely praised her, but occasionally, he would mutter to himself, “Not bad!” That single “Not bad” was enough for her. Lai Hui was secretly delighted and worked even harder, imagining a day when her boss would praise her in front of all the staff at the office. She was striving towards that goal, even though at that time, Zhou Yuqian’s office in City B only had three or four employees. This short-term job was considered by Lai Hui as an internship, the only one in her life. Years later, when recalling the intensity with which she worked, Lai Hui felt that if not for the misfortune that befell her family, she would have been a rare talent. Her performance back then was so outstanding that everyone in the office praised her. She found a sense of validation that she couldn’t get from Jiayi because Jiayi was more outstanding than she was. She was proud of him but did not necessarily want to rely on him; she needed her own space to shine. She had mentioned to Jiayi about working, omitting how she met Zhou Yuqian, simply saying it was through someone’s introduction. Jiayi was displeased but didn’t dare to openly express it. This was shortly after Lai Hui had an abortion, and he was extremely cautious in his words and actions. At his most displeased, he would only pretend to accidentally drop a book to vent his frustration. Those days were busy yet fulfilling, a satisfaction students could not understand. Lai Hui worked intensely for days, returning to her dormitory or Jiayi’s rental with a proud sense of fatigue, chattering about work, what her colleagues said, what her boss treated them to, what they ate, what they discussed, in minute detail. These new experiences made her feel like she was showing off treasures that others couldn’t appreciate, and over time, they grew tired of hearing about it. Lai Hui didn’t mind; she believed others listened to her stories with one emotion—envy. There was one person, however, who was seething with jealousy. Due to the incident Lai Hui caused, Zhou Yuqian learned about Old Jiang’s character and canceled their cooperation. Old Jiang lost a large contract because of this, and he was certain it was Lai Hui who had spoken ill of him to Zhou Yuqian. He also blamed Xiang Qing for not being tamed before being sent over, leading to his own misstep. While Lai Hui worked under Zhou Yuqian, Old Jiang dared not touch her but vented his anger on Xiang Qing. The night Zhou Yuqian officially refused cooperation, Old Jiang took off his belt and brutally beat Xiang Qing, leaving her with horrific injuries. She couldn’t go to school, took sick leave, and hid in a small hospital to recover. Lai Hui greatly admired her boss, seeing in Zhou Yuqian a future reflection of Jiayi. She believed one day Jiayi would also sit in a private office, listening to his secretary’s reports, with bodyguards accompanying him outside, his mere glance or gesture making employees freeze in fear. He would possess an innate aura of intimidation, a king above all, with the masses as mere ants beneath him. As Zhou Yuqian’s work in City B was nearing its end, and he was about to return to City A, Lai Hui distinctly noticed that her boss had started paying attention to her. During her employment, a desk was set up in Zhou Yuqian’s office for Lai Hui. Previously, Zhou Yuqian would not even glance at her when entering or leaving. Now, she would occasionally look up and meet Zhou Yuqian’s gaze, which was one of exploration and assessment, mixed with contradictions and occasional struggles. Lai Hui interpreted this gaze as a sign that her temporary job was ending, and her boss was considering hiring her permanently. After all, a good boss would not let go of true talent. She was pleased that her boss had finally recognized her worth. In reality, Zhou Yuqian’s struggle stemmed from a visit by Xiang Qing. After recovering, Xiang Qing wanted to compensate for her ordeal or rather, have Lai Hui compensate her. Thus, she got Zhou Yuqian’s phone number from Old Jiang. Zhou Yuqian met with her out of curiosity about how far a girl could go in her cunning. Xiang Qing did not disappoint; she tried to make a deal with him: “If you want Lai Hui, I can help.” Zhou Yuqian, amused by her confidence, calmly asked, “Why would I need your help? If I want her, can’t I get her on my own?” Xiang Qing shook her head with a smile: “Others might, but Lai Hui has a boyfriend, a distinguished student from University B. She’s devoted to him. Without my help, you’d find it hard to win her over.” Zhou Yuqian found her “help” amusing, thinking she actually intended to sabotage their relationship. He took out his checkbook and asked, “How much do you want?” Xiang Qing, excited by his straightforwardness, tripled her initial demand: “Three hundred thousand.” Indeed, she was a cunning, greedy, and deceitful woman. Zhou Yuqian, feeling he had played enough, put away his checkbook, called the waiter to pay for his coffee, and told Xiang Qing, “Not worth it! Pay for your own coffee.” He wouldn’t pay for someone like that, nor would he allow Xiang Qing to meddle in someone else’s relationship. However, her words lingered in his mind, and he almost involuntarily started to notice Lai Hui, this woman he had previously ignored. People are strange; like a product in a store window you’ve ignored during numerous shopping trips, once someone mentions it, you might go in to take a look, and the more you look, the more you like it, and you might decide to buy it. Zhou Yuqian was a man faithful to marriage, but his three-year marriage was like a dust-covered statue of the Virgin Mary, desecrated yet still placed on high, to be worshipped daily, despite having lost respect and loyalty in his heart, bound by obligations. As he found himself unconsciously noticing Lai Hui, he was often startled by sudden, intrusive thoughts. He was filled with regret for indulging his curiosity, which only brought him unnecessary trouble, yet he couldn’t help but think that if Lai Hui had chosen to be with him, she definitely wouldn’t have caused him any trouble. Then he reconsidered, she would never have followed him; he could see her pride and sincerity. She was a good girl. His thoughts oscillated, barely forming before being dismissed. If fate hadn’t played such tricks, this fleeting thought would have been left behind in City A, soon forgotten in the debris of his broken marriage or perhaps, in the next encounter.