Andrei didn’t look much better—utterly disheveled, with a tear in the left leg of his pants and a yellow hardhat perched on his head.
A closer look revealed the background: people bustling about, medics hauling stretchers through the rubble.
Behind them loomed the Great Iron Mine, belching plumes of white smoke.
Song Yu immediately connected it to the mining accident Pei Zhi had mentioned earlier.
“You looked so young back then,” she said with a sigh she couldn’t hold back.
Pei Zhi hitched the little one higher in his arms—she’d been wriggling downward—and shot her a faint glance.
“Mm. Now I’m old. Not even good enough to team up with you youngsters in games anymore.”
Song Yu blinked in surprise, realizing he meant ages ago, not long after the Snowfield Ship had set out, when Wu Yue had roped her into playing games together.
She hadn’t realized Pei Zhi had paid any attention back then, let alone held onto it this long.
Still, remembering his aloof attitude at the time didn’t sit well with her. She lifted her chin and let out a soft huff.
Clanging and chopping echoed sporadically from the kitchen, punctuated by the crash of bowls hitting the floor.
A faint burnt smell began to drift through the air.
Worried, Song Yu asked, “Does he need any help?”
Pei Zhi flicked a glance toward the kitchen, his tone flat. “No. Leave him be.”
He gave the house a once-over, spotted some firewood stacked in the small garden adjoining the living room, then headed out into the snow to gather dry branches and leaves. Soon, he had the fireplace crackling to life.
Flames roared hungrily in the hearth, blasting out waves of heat that quickly warmed the entire room.
From the outside, the house appeared dilapidated, littered with trash on the floors, but everything inside was meticulously maintained. The rack above the fireplace gleamed spotless, and not a speck of dust marred the photo frames.
Given Song Yu’s first impression of Andrei, she figured the credit went mostly to the woman of the house.
Mia sat cross-legged on the rug, playing with her blocks. The firelight played across the little one’s chubby cheeks, giving them a rosy glow. She looked up with a grin, revealing teeth like tiny grains of rice, and giggled before saying “Thank you” to Pei Zhi. She looked utterly adorable.
The little one was trying to build a tiny house for her stuffed rabbit out of the blocks. Each attempt ended the same way: as soon as she stacked them a little higher, they tumbled down in a clattering heap.
Pei Zhi had sunk into the sofa with a throw pillow, sprawled out lazily and watching with idle interest, making no move to assist.
Song Yu itched to help, but with the language barrier, she had no idea what to say. In the end, she just observed.
Mia showed no discouragement at the repeated failures. Each collapse prompted her to start over, as if she had an endless well of patience.
After a dozen or more tries, she finally eased her rabbit into the completed block house with the utmost care.
Only once she’d succeeded did Song Yu turn her attention elsewhere, gazing out the floor-to-ceiling windows that dominated one wall of the living room. The yard lay blanketed in deep snow, marked only by Pei Zhi’s footprints from gathering the branches. In the distance, mountain ranges rolled in endless white.
Everywhere around the Arctic Circle looked the same—bleak and boundless.
In surroundings like these, a somber mood settled in naturally, perfect for unhurried conversation.
Song Yu suddenly remembered their exchange at the door. “Why did Andrei say you don’t have an English name either? Isn’t Pating one?”
Pei Zhi murmured an acknowledgment and explained, “Pating’s the Native American name my grandmother gave me. I only use it back in the tribe.”
Song Yu turned to study his profile, her eyes drifting to his left ear. His earlobe was slim and well-defined, pierced with a tiny hole that had nearly healed over from disuse, reduced to a faint mark.
“Where’s your earring? Why aren’t you wearing it? Not appropriate out here?” With Pei Zhi’s current style and look, the six-pointed star earring would clash badly—unlike in the rainforest, where everyone’s rough attire made it blend in. Here, it’d draw too much attention.
At her words, Pei Zhi lifted his gaze and shot back, “Didn’t you say you lost it?”
Song Yu froze, drawing a blank. “When did I say that?”
“That day in the river.” His dark eyes were deep and unreadable. “Need a reminder?”
Song Yu’s face stiffened. That was no memory worth revisiting properly.
She came clean. “I was fibbing. I gave the earring to Kasi. Didn’t she give it back?”
Pei Zhi shook his head with a helpless sigh. “That girl.”
He seemed to remember something. “No wonder she mentioned having something to trade me for. I brushed her off.”
Song Yu: “…”
Kasi already chafed at Pei Zhi’s standoffish nature. Fat chance she’d return it now.
“Whatever. It’s not a big deal,” Pei Zhi said offhandedly. “I gave it to you, so it’s yours. Lost is lost.”
With that, he casually tossed the blame right back her way.
Song Yu wasn’t sure whether to be annoyed at Kasi or him. Truth be told, she’d grown fond of that six-pointed star earring herself. If they hadn’t been on the outs back then, she never would’ve handed it over.
Just then, Andrei emerged from the kitchen. “Dinner’s ready.”
One hand balanced a baking tray while the other clutched a fresh beer, which he chugged noisily.
Andrei plunked the tray on the dining table. “Drink?”
Without waiting for an answer, he pivoted back to the fridge and started pulling out bottles.
Pei Zhi frowned. “We’re good.”
Andrei shrugged and kept at it. “More for me, then.”
The three adults and one child gathered at the table.
The tray held potatoes, carrots, and bell peppers in uneven chunks, with beef roasted well past tender—the edges charred dark brown.
Song Yu chewed and chewed without managing to swallow, settling for picking at the roasted vegetables.
Andrei hoisted his beer can. “Pei, by your Chinese customs, let me toast you.”
“If you hadn’t gotten us out of that mine, I wouldn’t be here today.” Buoyed by the alcohol, Andrei grew more animated, punctuating his words with burps as his eyes reddened. “You’re the one person I’ll always be grateful to.”
Put like that, Pei Zhi couldn’t very well stay seated dry. He cracked open a can and clinked it against Andrei’s.
Song Yu slowly lowered her fork upon hearing his words.
Earlier, whenever Pei Zhi had brought up Andrei, he’d framed it as a simple act of charity on his part, never once mentioning what he’d actually done.
Pei Zhi took a shallow sip, then said indifferently, “Water under the bridge.”
Mia had fully adapted to adult food by now. She sat in her high chair, took a few bites, then stopped eating. Instead, she swung her legs and played with the food on her plate using her hands, making a mess everywhere.
“Mia.” Andrei spoke up, gesturing for her to stop fooling around.
Mia looked into his angry gray eyes and pouted. In a small voice, she said, “I want Mommy.”
“Your mommy isn’t coming back.” Andrei’s expression was grave. He spoke in Swedish, enunciating each word deliberately.
Though Song Yu couldn’t understand the words, she could feel the tension crackling in the air.
“Andrei.” Pei Zhi lifted his eyelids, his voice low and steady, reminding him to watch his words.
Mia’s big innocent eyes blinked, tears gradually welling up until they plopped one by one into her plate.
“I want Mommy!” she protested louder, grabbing a piece of potato and hurling it at Andrei.
The potato dirtied Andrei’s clothes, leaving a greasy stain on his chest.
Under the influence of alcohol, his anger flared up in an instant. He didn’t even consider the guests in the house.
Andrei flung the beer bottle from his hand, smashing it against the floor. The glass shattered with a sharp, chilling crack.
He bellowed, “I said Alice isn’t coming back!”
Mia burst into full-throated sobs, crying and shouting all the while.
“Mommy, I want Mommy! Daddy’s a bad guy!”
Andrei found her words particularly grating. He pointed at his own nose. “I’m the bad guy? Why don’t you ask what Alice did?”
He reached out, about to strike Mia.
Song Yu was closer to Mia. She shielded the girl, pulling her into her arms and putting some distance between them and Andrei.
The little one was soft and tiny, incredibly light and fragile. She clung to Song Yu’s shoulder, sobbing heartbrokenly with hiccuping gasps.
Andrei’s hand froze in midair. He glanced at Song Yu, looking somewhat embarrassed, then turned to scold Mia even more harshly. “Stop crying right now!”
Song Yu couldn’t follow the argument between Mia and Andrei, but the violent atmosphere set her nerves on edge.
She raised her voice too, snapping in fury, “What’s wrong with you? If you’re in a bad mood, why take it out on a child?”
Andrei was completely beside himself by now, his neck and face flushed bright red. “I’m disciplining my own child. What business is it of yours?”
Seeing Andrei snap at Song Yu like that, Pei Zhi’s face darkened instantly.
“You can’t even talk properly when disciplining a child? Besides ignoring her and hitting her, what else can you do? What makes you qualified to be a father?” Song Yu tilted her chin up, showing no fear of the hulking man before her. Her eyes burned with stubborn resolve as she hurled one sharp question after another.
Andrei hadn’t expected this seemingly delicate woman to dress him down. Unable to save face, his embarrassment fueled boundless rage.
“Hand Mia over to me.”
Song Yu stared him down and took a step back to show her refusal.
“Enough.” Pei Zhi rose from beside the table, positioning himself between Song Yu and Andrei. “You and Alice need to sort out your own problems. Mia shouldn’t be caught in the middle.”
Andrei fell silent, and the atmosphere grew taut with deadlock.
Pei Zhi patted his arm. “Let’s step outside and talk.” He turned to Song Yu. “You keep feeding Mia her dinner.”
Song Yu looked into the man’s pitch-black eyes, as if drawing comfort from them, and gradually calmed down.
She returned to her seat, settling Mia on her lap and feeding her bit by bit.
Andrei trailed after Pei Zhi toward the balcony off the living room, but he couldn’t resist glancing back.
Mia’s round eyes were watching him too. She stuck out her tongue and pulled a triumphant grimace, as if emboldened by knowing she had someone in her corner.
Andrei’s anger, which had just begun to subside, reignited at the sight. He whipped around and strode back with purpose.
Song Yu never saw it coming. He lunged forward, grabbing for Mia’s arm to wrench her away.
She reacted on instinct, clutching Mia tight. “What are you doing!”
Andrei’s strength was overwhelming. Afraid of hurting Mia, Song Yu didn’t dare resist too hard. In the end, Mia ended up in Andrei’s arms.
The little one started wailing loudly once more.
Song Yu’s mind blazed with fury. She shoved back her chair, ready to wrestle Mia away from him again.
Andrei struggled to control the wriggling, shrieking child in his grasp while fending off Song Yu. He grew increasingly irritable.
Without measuring his strength, he shoved Song Yu away.
Caught off guard, she stumbled back two steps. Her waist slammed into the edge of the table, and her whole body pitched backward.
She reached desperately for the table, but instead knocked over dishes and utensils that crashed to the floor.
Pei Zhi, who had hurried back, narrowed his eyes sharply. He planted a foot on the back of the sofa chair and vaulted over it cleanly, bypassing Andrei to land behind Song Yu.
The fall happened in a split second. Song Yu had no time to react. There was no pain as expected, though—her back was cushioned by something soft.
She blinked, able to see only the white ceiling above.
The man’s arms were strong and solid, wrapped firmly around her waist. Through the thin fabric of her clothes, his warmth felt steady and reassuring.
Amid the chaos, she suddenly felt a moment of blank calm, as if she could hand everything over to him.
Andrei hadn’t meant to push her down with that casual shove. He panicked for a moment, set Mia down on the sofa without a thought, and bent to help Song Yu up.
“Don’t touch her.” Pei Zhi’s voice was low, laced with clear anger.