Thousand Autumns Clear Waters

At 11 p.m., the woman next door left work early again. I am certain that she did not come back alone.
Why did I say 'again'?
My name is Zhang Lu. Not long ago, in order to better prepare for the university entrance exam, I moved out of my school hostel. After I moved into this rented place, I realized that this building is actually the "hostel" of the ladies who work in the nightclub next door. Lin Xiaoya, my neighbor, usually gets off work at around 1 or 2 a.m. Therefore, every time she comes home early, it means that she has found herself a customer.
The man moans, "Quickly, babe. I can't wait."  
Lin Xiaoya replies, "There's no need to rush. I am not the only one living here."
Usually, I would put on my headphones and pretend that I can't hear a thing. However, today, I subconsciously move towards the wall. Behind the poster left behind by the previous tenant, there is a tiny hole through which I can see the other side. I approach the hole and see Lin Xiaoya next door suddenly turn her head around and smile at me enchantingly.  

All Those Years

"Teacher Chen, I... I can leave now, right?" I did not want to talk too much with him, so I asked carefully.

"Thank you for your hard work. Go back and have a good rest." Perhaps because I listened to him, Chen Hanwei treated me exceptionally amiably. "I'll look for you tomorrow. By the way, where did you buy that mask? I want to get one as well. Let me have a look."

'How difficult could it be to buy a mask?' I thought to myself as I took it out and handed it to him.

"It's quite good quality. Give it to me. I'll go and buy one later. I'll return it to you after I buy it," Chen Hanwei said with a smile.

"Alright, you must return it to me." I could not help but remind him.

I bought this mask from a small shop outside the back gate of the school. It cost me three yuan. Although it was not much, I was poor, and I had to save even one yuan. Naturally, I could not bear to part with it.

Threats