Atlas Studios

  Atlas Studios

  The bowl of noodles was placed in front of Lin Nuan. The hot steam was still rising, the red tomato and sunny-side-up covered the noodles, and the soup was clear.

  Lin Nuan tied her long hair behind her into a low ponytail. A few stray locks fell, and she hooked them behind her ears as she held the bowl up to take a sip of the soup, which tasted even better than what Lin Nuan made.

  “You like eating noodles with tomatoes and eggs?”


  Fu Huai’an sat at the right of Lin Nuan. He asked the question out of the desire to understand Lin Nuan’s likes and dislikes of foods, curious to know more about her.

  Lin Nuan paused, lowering her long and curly eyelashes as her clear eyes reflected the colorful bowl of noodles.

  “It’s not so much as like, it’s probably just because this is the only dish I have ever eaten in my entire life that is made by my birth mother. I have tried to recreate the taste many times afterward, and even though I have never been successful, I’ve tried so many times that It’s almost a habit. So every time I want to make something to eat, the first thing that comes to mind is noodles with tomatoes and eggs.”


  That was Lin Nuan’s first time telling any personal story about herself to Fu Huai’an honestly, without any cover-up.

  The dish held a special meaning to Lin Nuan.

  She remembered that it was the first day of July on a morning after a huge storm; the sky had been extremely blue, and the golden rays of sunshine were blinding.

  After Lin Nuan dragged her luggage out of the Lin family’s house, she went to FuRong Alley on JieFang Street.

  The alleyway was narrow and full of mud.

  A crazy woman covered in dirt was grabbing a young girl walking by, begging with tears, saying, “Ranran! Ranran, Mama won’t be crazy anymore, Mama won’t be crazy anymore. Come home with Mama! Come home with Mama!”


  The young girl screamed in fear, and the neighbor who was asked to take care of the lunatic dragged the woman by her arm and shouted, “Do you have a death wish, causing trouble when I take my eyes off you for just one second! She isn’t Ranran! You’re frightening this young lady, hurry up and let go of her!”


  After the young girl managed to get out of the woman’s grasp, she immediately escaped in a panicked manner.

  Lin Nuan stood at the entrance of the alley in a white dress while carrying a pale yellow shoulder bag. She looked beautiful, clearly not fitting in with the dirty alleyway.

  In the alley, a few kids fooled around and copied the woman, shouting “Ranran” continuously even as adults chid them.

  The bright rays of light seemed to be too blinding, and Lin Nuan’s eyes reddened.

  She watched as the crazy woman sat on a stool by the entrance with the neighbor, mumbling to herself, saying, “Where’s my Ranran? Where’s my Ranran…”


  Lin Nuan’s eyes were filled with tears as she walked towards the woman before stopping a few steps away.

  “Ranran… Ranran!”


  Seeing the young lady in a white dress, the crazy woman charged forward once more. The neighbor was unable to stop her in time and could only watch as the woman’s filthy hands grabbed onto the lady’s fair and slender arm tightly.

  “Ranran! Mama will no longer be crazy! Come home with Mama! Mama will no longer dare to be crazy. Is that good enough? Please?”


  Lin Nuan bit down on her lip and tried to force back her tears.

  The crazy lady used her dirty hands to caress Lin Nuan’s hair and arms anxiously, trying to see if she got hurt, saying, “You hadn’t returned for a few days, did anyone bully you? Did you sleep well and eat well? Eat… Yes… Eat well! Ranran, are you hungry, Mama will cook your favorite noodles with tomatoes and eggs, ok? Come home with Mama! Mama will make it for you!”


  The woman’s grip was strong as she dragged Lin Nuan towards the rundown apartment. She grabbed Lin Nuan’s arm with her other hand as she freed her hand to open the door, as though she was afraid that once she completely let go, she would lose Lin Nuan.