1
Four months quickly passed. Early summer had arrived, and the weather was steadily warming up.
On a warm day, June 3, 1996, Rui Xiaodan worked until nightfall before leaving the office. Instead of heading straight home, she took a minibus to the Nancun Residential Area. Earlier in the day, the landlord had called to remind her that Ding Yuanying's lease was set to expire in five days. If he planned to renew it, the rent would need to be paid soon.
It suddenly occurred to Rui Xiaodan that Ding Yuanying had already been in the ancient city for a year. His temporary residence permit was also about to expire. She had handled the rental paperwork herself, so the landlord had never dealt directly with Ding Yuanying.
As she reached the fourth floor, the faint sound of music reached her ears. By the time she got to the fifth floor, the music was much clearer. She knocked on the door and waited for a moment. The door opened, and the music continued to play in the background. Ding Yuanying stood there, dressed in an oversized white tank top and blue trousers, holding a remote control.
"Oh, Miss Rui. Please come in," he said, greeting her as he used the remote to turn off the CD player.
The summer sun had baked the rooftop all day, leaving the room stiflingly hot. Rui Xiaodan immediately felt the stuffy heat upon entering. It was a familiar sensation, one she remembered from last year during this same season. Although Ding Yuanying had been living here for a year, this was her first time stepping inside. She noticed there was no air conditioning in the room.
She knew the landlord's requirement for installing air conditioning: tenants had to install a premium brand-name floor-standing unit, which cost over 8,000 yuan. Half of that amount could be deducted from the next year's rent. The condition was a bit harsh, but for someone like Ding Yuanying, it shouldn't have been an issue. She wondered: Was he being overly frugal, or was there some deeper reason?
With a concerned tone, she said, "The weather's getting hotter. If you have any difficulties, Mr. Ding, please don't hesitate to let me know."
Ding Yuanying picked up on the subtle undertone of her words but responded politely, "Everything's fine, thank you. The really hot days don't last long, and I can manage. Please, have a seat."
Rui Xiaodan didn't sit immediately. Instead, she looked around the room, finding herself captivated by a sense of simplicity.
In the bedroom, a large bed was covered with clean, neatly tucked white sheets, and the quilt was folded perfectly square. In the east room, there was a massive stone coffee table and an oversized dark blue fabric sofa that was as large as a single bed. The living room featured a set of audio equipment, a similarly large double sofa, and a matching coffee table. However, the items on the coffee tables were different: the one in the east room held two laptops, while the one in the living room displayed an elegant kung fu tea set rarely seen in ordinary homes. A giant bamboo tea tray almost covered the entire table.
The one thing that stood out for its abundance was the audio system in the living room. A pair of bookshelf speakers was connected to an impressive array of 13 components, each in luxurious gold and meticulously crafted.
There were no decorations, no clutter, and nothing superfluous in the room. Amid this minimalist aesthetic, the dark green floor-to-ceiling curtains, white gauzy window drapes, and navy-blue sofa created clean blocks of color that evoked a sense of serenity rather than heaviness or oppression.
Rui Xiaodan thought to herself: This man carries too much in his mind; his thoughts are far too complex. From a psychological perspective, simpler minds tend to seek adornments and distractions, while more complex ones have a unique need for simplicity.
The living room had no extra chairs, so Rui Xiaodan sat on the same sofa as Ding Yuanying. She said, "The landlord called about the rent. Your temporary residence permit is also up for renewal, so I came to check in."
Ding Yuanying immediately went to the bedroom and returned with money, his ID card, and a photocopy of the ID, placing them in front of her. "I've prepared everything. Rent, utilities, heating, and deposit come to 7,200 yuan. Please count it."
Instead of counting, Rui Xiaodan put the money and documents directly into her bag, saying, "Here's what I'll do: I'll pay one month's rent for now and look for a more suitable place at the same price. If I find one, you can move. If not, it doesn't matter since you already have a place to stay."
The "more suitable place" clearly referred to a house with air conditioning. Ding Yuanying said, "No need. That's too much trouble for you."
Rui Xiaodan replied, "It's no trouble at all. Moving isn't a big deal. I'll handle it. Just don't be upset if it doesn't work out."
Ding Yuanying said, "Not at all. Thank you."
To change the topic, Rui Xiaodan said, "Can I experience your sound system? I heard it from the hallway earlier."
Ding Yuanying asked, "What kind of music do you like?"
"Something lyrical. You can recommend something," she replied.
Ding Yuanying thought for a moment, then went to the bedroom to retrieve a gold-edition test CD and loaded it into the player.
"Can I smoke?" Rui Xiaodan asked.
Ding Yuanying froze for a second and turned around, saying, "Sorry, I didn't know you smoked. There are cigarettes on the table. Help yourself."
Rui Xiaodan took out her own cigarette and lit it. "You seemed surprised just now," she said.
"I was," Ding Yuanying admitted. "Still not used to it."
Rui Xiaodan chuckled. "No, you disapprove. Your eyes are more honest than you are."
Ding Yuanying used the remote to select a track and started the music.
A pure, unblemished female voice poured down like a divine blessing, as if a pair of heavenly eyes were compassionately watching over humanity. With just one note, Rui Xiaodan felt as if a door to her soul had been flung open. She felt weightless, drawn by a mysterious force into a realm beyond time, where neither the present nor the future existed.
What kind of voice was this? At times, it was like the whisper of dew; at others, the surge of magma. Sometimes, it transported her to an ancient starlit sky, listening to celestial chants. Other times, it swept her up in majestic tides, allowing her to feel the grandeur of life and the essence of masculinity, inspiring dreams of heroic living.
Rui Xiaodan was utterly captivated, marveling to herself: Is this how life can be lived? Is this how the soul can be nourished?
After the song ended, Ding Yuanying turned down the volume.
Rui Xiaodan, still savoring the experience, said, "That was amazing. What was it? Can I borrow it?"
"It's called Daughter of Heaven," Ding Yuanying replied, handing her the disc.
After examining the audio equipment for a moment, Rui Xiaodan asked, "This setup must be expensive?"
Ding Yuanying placed the CD back in its case and handed it to her. "It's decent."
"How much is 'decent'?" she pressed.
"Around a few tens of thousands," Ding Yuanying replied.
Rui Xiaodan stubbed out her cigarette, put the CD in her bag, and stood up. "That's all I needed. I'll bring you the updated rental documents and permit once they're done."
Ding Yuanying walked her to the door and politely bid her farewell.
Leaving the Nancun Residential Area, Rui Xiaodan took a taxi home.
2
Rui Xiaodan lived in Villa No. 12, Area A of the Rose Garden Community, a property owned by her mother. Purchased in 1987, it was part of a compensated relocation due to urban redevelopment. In addition to the relocation payment, her mother had added 510,000 yuan to buy this villa, intending it as a peaceful retreat for her later years. The house was a standalone, two-story building with a total area of 266 square meters. The roof featured a balcony with surrounding railings, while the front yard included a private garage and a small garden of over 20 square meters.
The entire community was designed with a cream-white color scheme, and all the buildings adopted an entirely European architectural style. Each villa was surrounded by spacious open areas, with stone-paved paths weaving through flowerbeds, creating a distinctly modern ambiance—a snapshot of middle-class life.
The villa's interior was beautifully decorated, though sparsely furnished. The living room had a fabric sectional sofa, a square coffee table, and a television. The bedroom held a large bed, while the study had a computer and a few books. Several rooms were completely empty, with only floral-patterned floor-length curtains and cosmetics in the bathrooms offering a faint sense of feminine presence.
Rui Xiaodan took two slices of bread from the refrigerator, spread some jam on them, and poured herself a glass of warm water. She then entered the study, turned on her computer, and began her daily ritual: writing a 500-word diary in both Chinese and German.
This was a rule she had set for herself to improve her writing skills in preparation for transitioning to a legal career and to reinforce her German for future studies in Germany, where she hoped to pursue a law degree. Even during the intense preparation for her bar exam, she never skipped this habit. In her letters and phone calls to her mother, she also insisted on using German. Only one situation excused her from this routine: being away on assignment for investigations or arrests.
She started by writing the diary in Chinese, then translated it into German, saving both versions in separate computer files. The process took her over an hour.
After completing her diary, she took out the Daughter of Heaven CD and played it on her computer. However, the sound from the computer speakers was worlds apart from the sound produced by Ding Yuanying's audio system. It was so unbearable that she could hardly listen. Heaven was no longer heaven, and the Daughter of Heaven was no longer the same ethereal voice she had heard before.
Frustrated, she turned off the computer and moved to the living room sofa. The villa, being a standalone building, was free from noise from neighboring units, leaving the house enveloped in an exceptional quiet.
She lit a cigarette and sat in silence, her gaze fixed on the spot where the TV stood. In her reverie, she seemed to hear that pure and intoxicating voice again. Her mind wandered, envisioning herself on a quiet night, sitting alone on the sofa in total darkness. There was nothing to see, nothing but the soft glow of the small lights on the audio system—like a lone firefly in a vast, dark sea, stirring her heart with hope and boundless imagination.
In this vision, music flowed down from the heavens, ethereal, dreamlike, and pure, like tales of a distant paradise...
Once again, she marveled: Is this really how life can be lived?
The idea of buying an audio system suddenly crossed her mind. However, just as quickly as the thought appeared, another thought unsettled her resolve.
She knew that deciding to buy an audio system was, in a way, symbolic. It was a statement—first of one's financial capability, and second of one's taste in life. After all, this was a cultural indulgence, not a necessity for survival.
She asked herself: Am I the kind of person who fits this type of consumption?