The Warm Love Story
“Is there no more Unshaken Milk?” Yin Yin asked urgently. The cashier smiled brightly, “I’m sorry, miss, it’s sold out.” Yin Yin bit her lip in disappointment, “Could you please check again?” “Miss, would you like another brand of milk?” “No, Shu only likes Unshaken Milk,” Yin Yin emphasized.
Shu—the sound of the name felt like a cut to Mo Yan’s heart, a tearing pain.
Mo Yan looked down at the five boxes of Unshaken Milk she was holding and turned around, “Hi, how many boxes do you need?” Mo Yan asked softly.
Yin Yin looked up and saw an elegant woman. For a moment, Yin Yin was stunned. It was the first time she saw someone who combined liveliness and calmness so perfectly—black long skirt, serene smile. Mo Yan found it amusing to see Yin Yin dazed, waved her hand,
“How many boxes of Unshaken Milk do you need?”
Yin Yin came back to her senses, felt embarrassed by Mo Yan’s playful smile, and said, “One box is enough.” Mo Yan smiled, took out a box of milk, and handed it to Yin Yin, “Here you go.”
Turning to leave, she had only taken a few steps when she heard a clear shout from behind, “Sister, wait, here’s the money.”
Mo Yan stopped and turned back to see Yin Yin running over with a 5-yuan note in her hand. Mo Yan couldn’t help but laugh.
With a thud, Yin Yin, running too fast, fell to the ground. Mo Yan walked over to help her up. Yin Yin blushed with embarrassment but still handed Mo Yan the money.
The street was still wet from the recent rain. Yin Yin stood up awkwardly, covered in mud and water. “What a troublemaker,” Mo Yan murmured, “My home is nearby, you can change your clothes there.”
Yin Yin nodded, her eyes full of gratitude, and held Mo Yan’s hand, “Sister, you’re my benefactor.”
Mo Yan and Yin Yin became good friends because of a box of Unshaken Milk. Yin Yin said, “Mo Yan sister, I liked you the first time I saw you.” Mo Yan smiled lightly, teasing, “Did you fall on purpose to get my attention?”
Chu Shu stood outside the kitchen, watching Yin Yin make porridge. Yin Yin’s silhouette was hazily reflected on the glass, 25 grams of white fungus, 15 grams of goji berries, simmered over a gentle heat with rock sugar. Yin Yin gently stirred the rice porridge with a spoon, a strand of hair falling by her ear, so gentle.
Chu Shu lit a cigarette and asked softly, “Yin Yin, when are you going back?” Yin Yin paused, “I’ll go back when school starts. Are you tired of me?” “Not at all,” Chu Shu replied lightly. “I’m taking out the trash,” Chu Shu picked up the plastic bag full of garbage. “Wait,” Yin Yin came out of the study with an empty milk carton and put it into the garbage bag.
Chu Shu glanced at it, “Unshaken Milk?” Her heart tightened, “Yin Yin, do you like drinking Unshaken Milk too?” Yin Yin smiled but didn’t answer.
Chu Shu took a deep drag on her cigarette, picked up the garbage bag, and went out. The air outside was nice, and she thought of her. She thought of that night, “Let go of me, because you no longer have the right to touch me,” she said word by word, her expression sorrowful.
Chu Shu watched her resolutely turn and leave, her proud back. The burning sensation from the cigarette on Chu Shu’s fingers brought her back to reality. The cigarette had burned out.
She couldn’t remember how many times she’d burned her hand thinking of her. Chu Shu smiled bitterly.
She wondered if she was doing well. She took out her phone and dialed the familiar number, “Are you okay? It’s getting cold, put on more clothes,” Chu Shu said softly, “I miss you, really.” Chu Shu’s eyes reddened.
The voice on the other end was still cold, “The number you have dialed is not in service, please check the number and dial again.”
Yin Yin stood on the balcony, quietly watching Chu Shu under the shade of the trees, the sun casting a reddish glow over Shu’s figure. In the distance, the sunset was like blood.
“Mo Yan sister, are you going to Japan?” “Yes.”
Yin Yin reluctantly held Mo Yan’s hand, “Isn’t it good here?” Mo Yan patted Yin Yin’s head, “Little one, I am destined to wander. I used to be reluctant to leave, couldn’t let go of him in this city. Now I can finally let go.” “Will you come back?”
Mo Yan looked up and smiled gently, “Maybe I will, maybe I won’t.”
Yin Yin knew that the man Mo Yan liked was also named Shu, but she didn’t know why they weren’t together. When Yin Yin asked, Mo Yan wouldn’t answer, only saying it was not meant to be.
Mo Yan said, “Eternal love is a kind of pain, actually two people can be happy without being together, as long as you know the other person is happy.” Yin Yin saw deep sadness in Mo Yan’s eyes. Mo Yan only liked drinking Unshaken Milk.
Every time she drank it, her eyes would drift far away, and Yin Yin would become quiet, knowing that Mo Yan was reminiscing. Mo Yan said Unshaken Milk held her memories with him, and if one day she couldn’t drink it, the memories would fade too.
Yin Yin insisted on having Mo Yan over for a meal, saying she wanted to cook to send Mo Yan off. Unable to refuse, Mo Yan agreed. Chu Shu never expected to see Mo Yan in her own home one day.
Yin Yin introduced Mo Yan to Chu Shu, “Shu, this is Mo Yan sister, my good friend.” Mo Yan smiled lightly, shrugging off Chu Shu’s lingering gaze, and elegantly extended her hand, “Shu, how have you been recently?” That night, Chu Shu got drunk, murmuring Mo Yan’s name.
Yin Yin looked at Mo Yan, stood up, “Mo Yan sister, you take Shu to rest, I’ll clean the kitchen.” Mo Yan opened her mouth but ultimately said nothing and helped Chu Shu into the bedroom.
Chu Shu slept uneasily, her face covered in fine sweat. Mo Yan wrung out a damp towel and gently wiped Chu Shu’s face, holding her hand, “Shu, it’s okay, I’m here.”
Tears flowed from Mo Yan’s eyes, dripping onto Shu’s face. Noticing the burn marks on Shu’s hand, Mo Yan’s tears fell even more fiercely. She gently kissed the burns, “Shu, you fool, if you love me, why didn’t you come to find me? Why endure this pain of longing alone?”
Yin Yin mechanically washed the dishes, her tears merging into the water, drop by drop.
“Is Shu asleep?” Yin Yin asked, seeing Mo Yan come out of the room.
“Yes,” Mo Yan nodded lightly.
“Yin Yin.” “Mo Yan sister.” They spoke at the same time, looking at each other, their eyes complex.
“You first.” “You first.” Again, at the same time.
Mo Yan looked at Yin Yin and said, “Our usual way, let’s write it down.”
On the white paper, the graceful handwriting expressed the same deep affection.
“Take good care of Shu for me.”
Chu Shu opened the door, feeling something was off. She entered the house but couldn’t figure out what was wrong until she saw Yin Yin’s letter on the computer desk. Then she realized Yin Yin was gone.
“Shu, by the time you read this letter, I will be on the train. Mo Yan sister is flying to Tokyo tonight at 9 PM. I’ve already bought your ticket, it’s in the envelope next to this letter. Wishing you peace.”
Chu Shu looked at the envelope beside the letter, dazed. After a long time, she threw the envelope into the drawer.
She returned to the bedroom, collapsed onto the bed, thinking of Mo Yan and Yin Yin, and fell asleep.
Days passed peacefully, and Chu Shu continued her routine of going to work and coming home.
At 9 PM, Chu Shu looked at the clock. The convenience stores outside were all closed. She was starving.
Chu Shu went to the kitchen to find something to eat and saw that the loose rice had grown bugs.
She rinsed the rice and lit the fire, vaguely remembering the imitation bird’s nest porridge that Yin Yin made. When it was done, it was already midnight. Chu Shu served herself a bowl and ate it in big gulps. As she ate, tears began to fall.
“Hello?” Yin Yin answered the phone, groggy with sleep.
“Yin Yin, it’s Shu.”
“Shu?” Yin Yin’s voice suddenly cleared, “Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine. Yin Yin, why can’t I make the porridge taste the same as yours?”
Yin Yin laughed on the other end of the phone, “Because I always add a box of Unshaken Milk when I make porridge. I know you actually like Unshaken Milk, so every time I made porridge, I added it.”
Silence. For a moment, Chu Shu didn’t know what to say. She fumbled for words, “Yin Yin, why haven’t you turned off your phone so late?”
“I don’t want you to be unable to find me,” Yin Yin said softly, her voice especially clear in the quiet night.
Holding the phone, Chu Shu wept, choking, “Will you come back, Yin Yin?”
The phone emitted
a low battery warning and automatically shut off.
Thank you for reading! ” Sitestorys “
