Moving Ears
I possess the divine skill of moving ears.
Actors always have a sharper sensitivity to emotions than ordinary people.
The surprise in Jian Qing’s eyes lasted less than three seconds before she regained her composure.
Like the surface of a lake that remains calm without ripples, all the turbulent waves were hidden beneath the water.
She lowered her head, tore off a piece of band-aid, and applied it to the small cut on Lu Yinxi’s index finger, calmly saying, “Don’t touch water.”
She did not respond to Lu Yinxi’s words.
Lu Yinxi did not get upset. She just looked at her gently and said softly, “I want to touch your eyelashes. You are not smiling, so let me touch your eyelashes, and I won’t get angry… No charging fees allowed.”
Jian Qing looked up at her, her gaze as gentle as water. She then turned her head away, hesitated for a moment, and closed her eyes, allowing her to touch.
Lu Yinxi smiled slightly, reached out, and with the index finger of her left hand, lightly tapped her long, curled eyelashes.
As she wished, she touched her eyelashes.
They felt like little hand-held fans (referring to traditional Chinese folding fans), gently brushing against her fingertip, tickling and soothing at the same time.
As Lu Yinxi continued to touch, her palm rested against her cheek, and the pad of her finger gently brushed over her eyebrow.
The skin in her palm was cool and delicate, and Lu Yinxi’s eyes were filled with love and pity.
She wished that she could live more happily, without always being so repressed.
When? When could she live more freely?
Who was it, after all, that made her so sorrowful?
“You didn’t say you were going to touch my face.” Jian Qing opened her eyes, her pitch-black pupils staring fixedly at Lu Yinxi.
Being looked at like this, the air instantly became stifling.
Lu Yinxi awkwardly withdrew her hand, not daring to look at Jian Qing again. She clasped her right index finger with her left thumb, gently scraping the bandage on her index finger with her thumbnail.
Jian Qing averted her gaze, suddenly tucked her hair behind her ear, revealing two pristine white ears, and said expressionlessly, “I can perform the ‘Ear Kung Fu’ (a playful way to describe the ability to move one’s ears at will).”
As she spoke, her ears twitched rhythmically, like a little elf.
“Still angry?” she asked.
Lu Yinxi touched her earlobe, chuckled softly, and shook her head.
Not angry, not even a bit.
When she woke up in the morning, fully conscious but with her eyes still closed, she thought to herself about what tone and expression to use to say good morning to the person beside her. She felt a bit shy, yet a bit excited. But when she opened her eyes, the space beside her was empty.
She glanced at the time, 10 o’clock.
She knew that Jian Qing had a habit of waking up early, so she obediently finished her morning routine. Then she searched the house but couldn’t find the familiar figure. Instead, she found some New Year’s money and a small note.
Although she felt a bit disappointed, she didn’t say anything when she saw the breakfast prepared for her. She ate, then went out to buy dumpling wrappers, pork belly, green onions, and shiitake mushrooms, planning to make dumplings herself.
While cutting the green onions, she accidentally cut her index finger. She went out to buy iodine, and on her way, she passed by a cat café. Through the glass, she saw Jian Qing by the window.
Across from Jian Qing sat a mature and sophisticated beautiful woman, who was holding a cat in her arms and smiling as she talked to Jian Qing.
The midday sun was quite intense, and as she stood under it, she suddenly felt dizzy and lightheaded. A dense, prickling pain spread through her internal organs, both sharp and dull. She didn’t know what expression to put on, so she hurriedly left, feeling as if she were fleeing in panic.
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She returned home and thought about their relationship. She guessed that it might just be two ordinary friends having coffee and chatting, nothing significant. Then she realized that what troubled her the most wasn’t that scene, but the ambiguous and unclear relationship she had with Jian Qing.
Neither quite friends, nor quite lovers.
She didn’t even have the right to drink vinegar and make accusations. (In Chinese, “drinking vinegar” metaphorically means feeling jealous.)
Feelings of grievance and disappointment, along with an indescribable discomfort, mixed with all sorts of emotions—sour, sweet, bitter, and spicy—flooded her heart. Her psychological distress affected her physically, churning her stomach with waves of discomfort.
Until Jian Qing returned and appeared before her, her eyes no longer bright, filled with fatigue and sorrow. She pulled her hand, looked at her wound, and asked what had happened.
All those feelings of grievance, disappointment, and distress dissipated like smoke in the wind.
She just wanted to hear Jian Qing’s explanation, and she also wanted to hug her and ask why she was so sad.
How could such a proud person show such a sorrowful expression?
Jian Qing gently ruffled Lu Yinxi’s hair: “Don’t be mad anymore. Let’s make dumplings together.”
Lu Yinxi nodded and led Jian Qing to the kitchen, giving her instructions: “You need to chop the meat filling first. My hand’s injured, so I can’t do it. It’s up to you now.”
Jian Qing glanced down at the band-aid on her index finger: “You call this tiny cut an injury?”
Her tone carried a hint of subtle mockery.
Lu Yinxi blew on her index finger: “It hurts a lot, so it’s an injury. The kind that means I can’t do any work.”
Jian Qing’s ears twitched slightly, but she said nothing. She tied on an apron, washed her hands, and began chopping the dumpling filling.
Lu Yinxi put down her index finger and smiled. It was as if she had just eaten a piece of sweet and soft cotton candy; the entire world seemed to brighten up.
She wasn’t idle either. Taking out a few exquisite small bowls, she bustled around the kitchen, experimenting with various peculiar sauces to dip the dumplings in later.
On the dining table, there were pan-fried dumplings, steamed dumplings, and boiled dumplings. Lu Yinxi ate until her stomach was full, prompting Jian Qing to remind her: “Don’t overindulge.”
Ignoring Lu Yinxi’s reluctant gaze, she cleared the dishes and utensils, not allowing her to continue eating.
From the first to the third day of the Lunar New Year, they had a three-day holiday. In the afternoon, Jian Qing took Lu Yinxi to visit a countryside villa.
Most of their vacation days were spent in the countryside.
The villa is situated halfway up the mountain, a standalone property with a vast area, offering an expansive view. The decor is minimalist, and the layout is straightforward. Only at a considerable distance can one see other residents. The property management usually comes by for cleaning and ventilation.
Jian Qing doesn’t like going out. Indoors, there’s a gym, and outdoors, there’s a plum garden. She maintains a very regular routine, going to bed at eleven at night and waking up at six in the morning. During the day, she feeds stray cats, writes her thesis, and takes walks in the plum garden.
She only went out alone once, on the morning of the second day of the Lunar New Year.
When she returned, Lu Yinxi, with her keen sense of smell, detected the scent of incense on Jian Qing.
Did she go to a temple? Or did she go to pay respects to someone?
Lu Yinxi didn’t ask further questions.
Her intuition told her that Jian Qing wouldn’t say anything.
She could only blame her past self for skimming through the novel, remembering the plot in a disjointed manner. The clearest parts were the beginning and the end; she knew nothing about the process and reasons, having to rely on speculation.
In the original novel, this villa was the place where Jian Qing would imprison her in the future.
When Lu Yinxi had nothing to do, she walked around the villa inside and out several times, familiarizing herself with every exit.
The current Jian Qing doesn’t seem like someone who would imprison her, but since the plot hasn’t reached that point yet, she couldn’t be certain about what might happen in the future.
She also thought about taking a walk up the mountain, but her activities were limited to the plum garden around the villa. If she wanted to go any further, Jian Qing wouldn’t let her go alone, saying, “There are wild dogs in the mountains that bite people.”
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Lu Yinxi was half-convinced by what she heard.
Jian Qing added, “They have bitten people to death before. One person’s stomach was torn open, and their intestines spilled all over the ground. I was the one who called the police and 120 (120 is the emergency number for medical services in China).”
With a tone devoid of emotion and inflection, Jian Qing’s words startled Lu Yinxi, causing her to freeze in place as the horrifying image repeatedly surfaced in her mind.
Jian Qing lowered her head and flipped through a book, then said, “As long as you stay here with me, you’ll be very safe.”
Lu Yinxi looked at her and silently thought to herself: Not safe at all, you are the most dangerous character in the entire novel.
Yet, the current Jian Qing did not show the slightest hint of danger. When she lowered her head to read books and documents, she appeared cold, refined, and quiet.
Lu Yinxi vaguely felt that this block of ice was very different from the person she had initially read about in the book.
Specifically how they were different, she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.
Maybe it’s because she entered the world of the novel, saw real people, had genuine interactions, and even felt her attentiveness and thoughtfulness, that she began to like her.
Of course, maybe it’s just because she is so good-looking that she doesn’t seem as creepy.
Lu Yinxi spread the book open and covered her face with it, feeling self-disgusted.
— Such a “yan gou” (顏狗, literally “face dog”, a slang term referring to someone who is overly attracted to physical appearance).
On the evening of the third day of the Lunar New Year, the two of them returned to Jiangzhou City.
In the evening, Lu Yinxi lay on the sofa, not wanting to go to the hospital with Jian Qing the next day, and playfully protested while hugging a stuffed toy: “In our line of work, we don’t start until the seventh day of the Lunar New Year. You can’t drag me along tomorrow; I still need to sleep.”
Jian Qing let her be and allowed her to sleep in the next day without waking her, going to work at the hospital by herself.
Lu Yinxi slept until nine o’clock, then went to the kitchen to tinker around. After finishing, she sent a message to Jian Qing—
【I’m bringing you lunch this afternoon. Don’t go to the cafeteria. I want you to experience the wonderful feeling of having someone deliver your meal.】
Half an hour later, just as Lu Yinxi was leaving the house, Jian Qing saw the message and replied to her—
【I order takeout every week.】
The implication being that she experiences the wonderful feeling of having someone deliver her meal every week.
Lu Yinxi was so infuriated that she almost decided not to bring her lunch.
The next second, she received another message:
【Come to the North District cafeteria, private room 301. Someone’s treating.】
Lu Yinxi reluctantly went.
Yan Miaomiao was treating Jian Qing to lunch. Upon seeing Lu Yinxi arrive, she exuberantly threw an arm around her shoulder and pressed her down into a seat, pinching her cheek, “Isn’t this our hospital’s latest rising star? Bringing food to your sister, huh?”
“Don’t tease her, she’s shy around strangers,” Jian Qing blatantly lied, opening the lunch Lu Yinxi had brought her: braised spare ribs, steamed eggplant, stir-fried lotus root, and setting them on the table one by one.
Lu Yinxi then genuinely put on the face of a shy, timid girl-next-door, smiling with pursed lips and greeting them hesitantly.
Yan Miaomiao, who naturally had the gentle appearance of a Jiangnan (a region in southeastern China, often associated with delicate and graceful women) woman, let out a hearty laugh reminiscent of a Liangshan hero (referring to the heroes from the classic Chinese novel “Water Margin” known for their boldness and camaraderie), “She didn’t look shy at all on TV.” However, her grip lightened, and she gently patted Lu Yinxi’s shoulder, “Relax, little sister, I’m treating today. Order whatever you want to eat.”
Jian Qing said, “There’s no need to order too much; the three of us won’t be able to finish it all.”
Yan Miaomiao then ordered a large dish of spicy boiled beef and a serving of fish soup, “I have a break this afternoon, and the old man at home squeezed in a blind date for me. It’s making me not want to go home. Let’s fill up here first.”
Jian Qing picked up her chopsticks and tasted the steamed eggplant that Lu Yinxi had brought, “Your stomach isn’t great, so you should eat something light.”
“I ordered it for your little sister anyway. A few greens are enough for me,” Yan Miaomiao pinched Lu Yinxi’s cheek again, “Young people have such good skin, smooth as tofu.”
Jian Qing’s face turned cold as she looked at Lu Yinxi, “Come sit over here.”
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Lu Yinxi continued to play the role of the obedient younger sister, moving her position and obediently sitting beside Jian Qing.
Yan Miaomiao rolled her eyes, “Seriously! I’m not a man, can I possibly lure her away?”
To prevent Jian Qing from continuing to look cold, Lu Yinxi quickly changed the subject with a few words, asking Yan Miaomiao about her work in the emergency department.
As expected, Yan Miaomiao, a workaholic, started talking non-stop like pouring beans out of a sack when it came to the emergency department: “Oh, isn’t it the Spring Festival (referring to Chinese New Year) recently? In the past few days, we’ve had ten or so patients with acute pancreatitis sent in. Yesterday, we couldn’t save one, and they passed away. It’s all caused by binge eating and drinking during the holiday celebrations…”
Some diseases have seasonal characteristics, with peak periods distributed across different seasons. Others have a high incidence associated with holidays, commonly referred to as “holiday diseases”.
During every holiday, there is always a peak period for acute pancreatitis.
The pancreas, one of the body’s digestive organs, is hidden behind the stomach and to the right of the spleen, resembling a small sweet potato. Its location is relatively obscure and not well-known to the general public. As a result, when people experience inflammation and pain in the pancreas, they often mistakenly think it’s stomach pain, undergo gastroscopy, and take a few stomach medicine pills to deal with it.
During holidays, some people binge eat and drink without restraint, consuming large quantities of meat and alcohol. The massive accumulation of food prompts the pancreas to secrete a large amount of pancreatic juice to help digest the food. However, if too much pancreatic juice is secreted, it can reflux and cause the pancreas to begin digesting itself, leading to a tragic situation.
As Yan Miaomiao talked non-stop about those pancreatitis patients, pouring out her words like beans from a sack, Lu Yinxi listened attentively. Suddenly, Jian Qing spoke up, “Miaomiao, do you want to get an abdominal ultrasound?”
The author has something to say:
Jian Qing (expressionless, inwardly pleased): I can perform ear magic (ears twitching).
Lu Yinxi (with the eyes of an adoring fan): So cute, so cute!
