Chapter 7

Yan Shi finished washing the dishes in the kitchen. After a moment of thought, he went to the back mountain to draw water for boiling, and while he was at it, topped off the water vat. Once finished, he gathered the soiled bedsheets and Li Mianyu’s outer robe and headed to the stream behind the mountain to wash them.

The young man squatted by the rocks near the stream, head bowed, and began to scrub Li Mianyu’s outer robe. But no sooner had he begun than the fabric tore, leaving a large, ragged hole.

Yan Shi was momentarily stunned. He stared down at the shredded garment in his hands, motionless for a long time.

After a while, he set the robe aside on a rock and scrubbed the bedsheet with the same amount of pressure; the sheet did not sustain a single tear.

He looked back at the ruined robe, then at his own hands, his eyelashes fluttering as he let out a soft, hollow sigh.

By the time Yan Shi returned from the back mountain, the sky had already darkened. He went to the clothesline behind the dormitory and hung up the clean sheets and clothing.

The room was strangely quiet. He walked to the doorway; the lights were off, and Li Mianyu was still sitting at the table, head bowed, though he could not tell what she was doing.

Yan Shi stepped down with a bit more force to make his presence known.

Li Mianyu had been lost in her own thoughts. Hearing Yan Shi return, she looked up nervously. Her face was not tear-stained, but it was bright red, and she was biting her lip, clutching her stomach.

Yan Shi walked in without a word, turning first to fetch a candle and light it.

"Yan Shi..." the young girl’s voice was faint, sounding almost like she was on the verge of death.

The candlelight illuminated the dim room, and Yan Shi turned to look at Li