The Broken Lock

The mobile phone shop no longer had the girl with shoulder-length hair. Instead, a bald, potbellied man in a tank top greeted Ye Shuang and his companion with enthusiasm as they walked in.

"Looking to buy something?"

"A smartphone, please. Something affordable," Ye Shuang replied.

Seeing the middle-aged man's eager expression, Ye Shuang finally felt like this was what a proper phone shop owner should be like. If the shop had kept operating with the attitude of the girl from this morning, it would’ve gone out of business sooner or later.

"Of course! Take a look at these iPhones—durable, great signal, fast charging," the owner cheerfully introduced the row of Apple devices. "And they’ve all been used by girls for less than a month, so the prices are very reasonable."

"This one’s only 5,999."

Ye Shuang fell silent, recalling the girl’s earlier remark about the phones being "full of issues, just pick one that works."

"Let’s go with an Android instead," he said.

"Sure thing, hold on." The owner rummaged around and pulled out the exact same model the girl had sold Ye Shuang that morning.

"This is the latest model, very popular. Brand new, just 1,800."

Ye Shuang blinked. "That expensive?"

"Ah, come on, it’s not expensive at all. Prices have been like this for years," the owner retorted, his enthusiasm waning when he realized Ye Shuang couldn’t even scrape together a thousand.

"Budget phones like these barely make a profit as it is. Don’t talk if you don’t know what you’re saying."

Ye Shuang: "…"

Suddenly, the girl from the morning didn’t seem so bad. Sure, she had a sharp tongue, but at least she was an honest seller. This guy, on the other hand, was all smiles and friendly service, but clearly itching to rip him off.

"Let’s check somewhere else," Ye Shuang said, taking Bai Yuyou’s hand as they quickly left the shop.

Maybe online shopping was the way to go. With the local delivery speed, the phone would probably arrive the next day.

"Waste of my damn time," the owner spat as he watched them walk away without hesitation. He put the phone back, then paused. After a few seconds, he frowned and checked his inventory again.

"Strange… feels like one’s missing."

"Eh, probably sold by the wife."

…

Outside, Ye Shuang turned to the girl beside him. "Remember, when buying things, you have to figure out if someone’s trying to cheat you—especially when prices aren’t clearly marked."

Bai Yuyou seemed to half-understand before suddenly asking, "Is being a sugar daddy also a kind of buying?"

"Uh… sort of?" Caught off guard, Ye Shuang wasn’t sure how to respond.

"Then how much would it cost to buy you?" Bai Yuyou inquired curiously.

Ye Shuang sighed. Why was this girl so fixated on claiming him as her own?

Well, she was young. Probably didn’t know better.

"People can’t be bought or sold," he said, leading her back home.

"But… my mom once said she wanted to sell me," Bai Yuyou murmured calmly, stopping Ye Shuang in his tracks.

He stared at her for a long moment before forcing a smile. "She was just joking. Trying to scare you."

"Really?" Bai Yuyou’s gaze drifted, as if lost in thought.

"Yeah. So, anything you feel like eating tonight?"

"Instant noodles…" she answered reflexively.

"No."

"Why?"

"No reason. Just remember what I say." Ye Shuang insisted. Instant noodles were fine occasionally, but relying on them meant missing out on proper nutrition.

Though she didn’t fully grasp why, Bai Yuyou obediently nodded, thinking of the delicious meals Ye Shuang cooked.

Just then, her attention was drawn to a mother and daughter passing by—the young mother holding her child’s hand as they strolled, both laughing happily.

A bond that would never fade with time. Yet to Bai Yuyou, it felt utterly unfamiliar.

She stood there, watching, as if separated from the bustling crowd around her—cold and solitary, the sunlight on her skin turning to moonlight.

Only after they had gone did Bai Yuyou slowly turn back to Ye Shuang and whisper, "Can I hold your hand?"

Ye Shuang had noticed her reaction. Without a word, he took her pale, slightly cold hand in his, sharing a bit of warmth from his palm.

"So, what do you want for dinner?"

"Instant noodles."

"I said no."

"Oh…"

Amid the crowd, the two walked close, neither burdened by complicated emotions—just two people sharing warmth on an afternoon that wasn’t too cold.

…

After stopping for groceries, they returned home. Ye Shuang pulled out his keys to unlock the door, but the lock clicked stubbornly, still as difficult as ever. Worse, when he withdrew the key, it was damp, coated in some strange liquid.

Frowning, Ye Shuang glanced around before ushering Bai Yuyou inside.

Before cooking, he called a locksmith on his phone. Within half an hour, a middle-aged man arrived.

"Your lock’s already open, though?" the locksmith said, setting his toolbag down.

"Could you remove this one? I want to replace it," Ye Shuang replied, offering him a cigarette.

The locksmith took it, tucking it behind his ear with a grin. "Changing the lock, huh? Hold on, I’ll grab one from my van."

Soon, he returned and got to work, expertly prying the old lock loose.

"Damn, this thing’s rusted," the locksmith remarked. "Feels wet, too."

Ye Shuang lit a cigarette for himself, first shooing Bai Yuyou—who had peeked out curiously—back inside before continuing.

"Think someone tampered with it?"

"The core’s still fine, but the rest is completely rusted," the locksmith showed him. The core, made of copper, was untouched, but the lower half of the lock was corroded beyond normal wear.

Lowering his voice, he asked, "Kid, you piss off a neighbor or something?"

"Don’t think so," Ye Shuang muttered, thinking of Bai Yuyou’s quiet demeanor. "So this was done on purpose?"

The locksmith shrugged. "Most likely. Locks don’t rust this bad naturally. Someone probably poured something in here."

"Seen locks in decades-old apartments that weren’t this bad."

"Just get the new one installed."

"Lock’s 150, labor’s 50."

"Fine."

While the locksmith worked, Ye Shuang picked up the rusted lock.

[Item: Rusted Door Lock

Appears to have been chemically corroded. Still barely functional.]

Just as he thought.

Taking a slow drag, Ye Shuang exhaled smoke, his eyes narrowing slightly behind the haze.