January 2023

By Rob Darnell

Traffic flowed on the Third Ring Road, a river of headlights going north in one lane and south in the other.  Chen Jianzhu watched the traffic from the balcony of his sixty-third-floor apartment.  The rain continued to fall, but not a drop touched him because the balcony above served as a roof.  He glanced at his cell phone again, but of course there was no incoming call or text message.

If Liyun did not call in five minutes, Jianzhu was going to swallow his pride and call her.  She told him to wait for her call, promising she would call no later than eight.  Well, it was eight forty-five now and she hadn't called.  Jianzhu was sure Liyun would have an excuse ready.  Liyun had never been the reliable sort and Jianzhu was a fool for loving her.

He paced from one end of the balcony to the other, still watching the traffic on the Third Ring.  He wondered about the people in the thousands of vehicles going by.  How many of them were men confused about the women they were involved with?  How many were women who confused their men?  Still, and he was sure of this, there had to be some men and women down there who had relationships that were free of frustration and confusion.

Jianzhu’s phone chirped.  Not the ring he had been expecting.  He looked at the screen and sure enough there was a text from Liyun.  Jianzhu read the text slowly, savoring every word, though it was short and sweet.  Liyun texted him to let him know she was on her way and she was bringing him a cookie.  She also told him she loved him.

Jianzhu wrote back just as sweetly.

Jianzhu put both hands on the rail of the balcony and leaned forward.  Putting his head out, he let the rain soak his hair.  With one text message, Liyun had changed his mood.  Jianzhu no longer cared that Liyun was late.  She was on her way.

Jianzhu pulled his head back in and shook the water out of his hair.  Maybe he could talk Liyun into sticking her head out into the rain when she arrived.  It was a hot night and the rain had not been too cold.

He looked out across Beijing a moment longer, and then turned away from the rail.  Stepping back into the apartment, Jianzhu closed the door behind him and crossed the living room to the kitchen.  He reached into the cupboard beside the refrigerator and pulled out a tall bottle of wine and two long stemmed wine glasses.  He took the bottle and glasses to the counter that separated the kitchen from the living room.

Jianzhu walked around the counter and crossed the living room to the balcony door.  He stood at the door looking out through its window.  The rain was still falling and the wind had kicked up.  Jianzhu listened to the tapping, enjoying the sound of the rain and the view of Beijing.  The buildings across the way had lights on in the windows.

His cell phone chirped.  Jianzhu dug the phone from his pocket and looked at the screen.  Another text from Liyun.

Jian, the text read.  I just got a call from a friend.  His car broke down and he's been stranded for three hours.  No tow truck will come at night and he can't get in touch with anyone else.  I have to help him.  I will call you in a half hour.

Jianzhu's mood darkened as he read the text.  He quickly typed his reply, asking Liyun if she could come get him first and they could ride together to rescue her friend.

Jianzhu sent the message and waited.  He waited several minutes, but no reply came.  Walking back to the counter, he put the cell phone down in front of him and sat on one of the stools.  He looked at the wine bottle and glasses so perfectly in place.  He had been planning for this night all week.

When Jianzhu’s cell phone chirped again, he snatched it up and looked at the screen.  The message was from Liyun and Jianzhu was not surprised by what it said.  No, he doesn't know you.  Besides it would take too long to get you and then turn around to get him.

Jianzhu didn't know what bothered him more, that Liyun's friend was more important than him or that she didn't want him along because her friend didn't know him.  Jianzhu had tried to keep an open mind and be accepting of Liyun’s male friends.  But, Liyun had a lot of male friends and Jianzhu didn't know a single one of them.  Liyun never wanted to introduce him to them.  It was hard not to feel jealous.

#

Liyun did not call him a half hour later.  She did not call him an hour later or an hour and a half later.  Jianzhu looked to the clock.  It was nearing midnight.

He sat on the couch in the living room.  The TV was on, but Jianzhu wasn’t paying attention to it.  Several times, he typed a text message or selected Liyun's number from his contact list, but then canceled.

Jianzhu picked up the wine bottle from the coffee table in front of him and filled his glass again.  Drinking seemed like a thing to do while he waited for Liyun.

Jianzhu drank the wine and tried to focus on the TV.  It was a show that's sole purpose was to shock and awe its viewers, but Jainzhu wasn't interested.  His mood was dark.  No matter how funny the people on TV thought they were, Jianzhu wasn't buying it.

He looked at the clock again.  Five minutes till midnight.

Jianzhu grabbed the remote control and clicked the TV off.  Rising to his feet, he switched off the lamp beside the couch.  He crossed the room and made his way along the hallway to the back of the apartment.

The bedroom was dark, but Jianzhu found the bed and got in under the covers without undressing.

His cell phone rang in the living room.

Jianzhu sat up in bed.  He was about to throw the covers off himself, but reconsidered and laid back down.  The phone rang a few more times, and then the voice message system picked up.

A minute passed, and then the cell phone rang again.

Jianzhu did not get up to answer the phone.  After a few rings, the voice message system picked up.  Once the voice message system ran its course, the phone started ringing again.

Liyun seemed desperate.  Jianzhu thought she would have given up after the second attempt.  He covered his head and ears with the pillow so he wouldn’t hear the phone ringing.

#

Jianzhu opened his eyes.  He had fallen asleep.  He lay on his stomach, his head turned to the side and one cheek against the mattress.  The pillow had slid off his head at some point.  He could see the clock on the bedside table.  The yellowish numbers were bright in the surrounding darkness.

It was forty-five minutes past midnight.  He had slept for almost an hour.  The apartment was silent, for a moment, and then his cell phone began ringing.

Jianzhu sat up.  He had not thought Liyun would be so desperate.  If she needed to reach him that bad, why didn't she just come to his apartment?  She had a key and could let herself in anytime she wanted.

The cell phone rang a couple more times, and then the voice message system picked up.  Silence followed, but a moment later the cell phone rang again.

Jianzhu climbed out of bed and exited the bedroom.  He followed the hallway back to the living room and crossed to the coffee table.  The cell phone was on the table, still ringing.  Jianzhu picked the phone up.

But he didn’t answer it.  Instead he let the voice message system pick up again.  He looked at the screen.  There were several text messages waiting for him.

Jian, I need your help, the first message said.  Answer your phone.

Jianzhu read the next message.  I'm stranded out here, it said.  Please answer your phone.

Please Jian, said the third message.  I'm scared.

Jianzhu read several more text messages.  They were all from Liyun.  She begged him to answer the phone and apologized for missing their date.  One message gave her current location.

The phone rang in his hand.

The caller ID confirmed that it was Liyun.

Jianzhu tapped the screen to accept the call.

"Jian?"  Liyun said.  "Are you there?  Please talk to me."

"I'm here," Jianzhu said.  He hoped Liyun registered his tone.  He wanted her to know how unhappy he was with her.

"I have been trying to call you for an hour, where were you?"

"I was sleeping," Jianzhu said.

"I'm sorry about tonight," Liyun said.  "Please come and get me?"

Jianzhu sighed.  "I don't know," he said.  "I waited hours for you to get here."

"I'm sorry," Liyun said.  "I'm hiding in a garage on Hu Linh Street."

"Why are you on Hu Linh Street?"

"The friend I went to help," Liyun explained, "he had other friends with him and they tried to kidnap me."

"Is there a reason you can't call someone else?"

"Please, Jian!"

"No, answer me.  Why can't you call someone else?"

Liyun’s voice was breaking.  "If I tell you, will you come and get me?"

"Maybe."

"No, not maybe.  Will you or will you not?"

Jianzhu scoffed.  "I don't even know if I want to see you again."

Liyun was silent a moment.  "If you come and get me," she said.  "I'll tell you everything you want to know, and then you can decide if you want to see me again."

"Did you change your mind about telling me now?"

"Jian," Liyun said, her voice raised almost to a shriek.  "Get me out of here, please."

"All right,” Jianzhu said.  “Where are you?"

"I’m on Hu Linh Street, just south of Hongwei Avenue.  Drive slow and I'll come out when I see you."

“Okay," Jianzhu said and grabbed his keys off the coffee table.  "I'm coming."

#

The rain was still falling when Jianzhu emerged from the building.  He hustled across the parking lot to a five-year-old Kia and pressed the button on his keychain to unlock the door.  He got in behind the wheel and started the vehicle.

Jianzhu drove across the parking lot and sped out onto the road.  He drove north, and then made a right turn.  He turned onto Hu Linh Street twenty minutes later.  He dug his cell phone from his coat pocket and selected Liyun's number.

Liyun answered on the first ring.

"Jian?" she said.  "Where are you?"

"I just turned onto Hu Linh," Jianzhu said.  "Where are you?"

"Are you south of Hongwei Avenue?"

"Yes."  Both sides of Hu Linh Street were lined with rundown buildings.  Jianzhu slowed the Kia to a crawl.

"I see you," Liyun said.  "I'm coming out."

Jianzhu looked to both sides of the road, but he did not see anyone coming toward him from the buildings.

"Jian!" Liyun shrieked.  "Help me!"

Jianzhu pressed his foot down on the gas pedal and increased speed.  He raced along Hu Linh Street until he saw a yellow car parked in the middle of the road.  There was a group of people in front of the car.

Jianzhu looked into the backseat and saw his wooden baseball bat in the footwell.  He’d participated in a baseball game with friends a few days ago and had left the bat in the Kia.  He grabbed the bat, opened his door and climbed out.

There were four men and they were forcing Liyun toward the yellow car.  Jianzhu stepped between them and the car.

Three of the men let go of Liyun and stepped toward Jianzhu.

"Do you know anything about your girlfriend?" one of the men asked.  "She's a prostitute.  That's why she came here."

Jianzhu looked at Liyun.  She had a cloth stuffed in her mouth and held in place with duct tape.  All she could manage was a muffled sound that didn't make sense.

"Just let her go," Jianzhu said.

"No," the man said.  "We want to take her home with us."

One of the men rushed forward.

Jianzhu stepped aside and drove his foot up into the man's stomach.  The man doubled over.  Jianzhu swung the bat down and hit the man in the back.  The man fell to the road and lay moaning.

When Jianzhu turned on the other two men, they backed away.

"Let her go, Hinsing," said the man who had done the talking since Jianzhu arrived.

Hinsing released Liyun and backed away with his friends.

"Get in my car," Jianzhu told Liyun.

Liyun did as he said.  When Jianzhu heard the passenger door of the Kia close, he backed away from the four men, but kept his eyes on them.  The men didn't make a move toward him.

Jianzhu reached the driver’s door of the Kia and got in behind the wheel.  He dropped the gear lever to Drive, drove around the yellow car and sped away.

"You can get your car later," he said to Liyun.  "I'm taking you to your apartment.  After that, I don't want to see you again."

"Jian, I'm sorry."  Liyun tried to touch his face, but he jerked his head away from her hand.

"We're through," Jianzhu said.  “I don’t want to see you anymore.”

The rain fell as they drove along.  The road was slick and shiny.  Jianzhu heard Liyun crying softly beside him, but he kept his eyes on the road and avoided looking at her.