Chapter 11
These words fell like a heavy blow, causing a high wave of reactions. Ji Ting scrolled through her friends’ circle and immediately saw the latest post: Shu Xiao shared a group photo. She wore a white T-shirt and slim light-colored jeans, linking arms with a young man. He had black hair and dark eyes, with a middle-parted fringe and double eyelids, smiling gently.
Shu Xiao also posted a sentence: “My boyfriend.”
—My Boyfriend.
She had been abroad for many years, and posted quite a bit on her friends’ circle, including some ambiguous male friends and some photos together, sometimes even with videos where a male voice laughed. But she had never clearly indicated who these people were to her. This time was different. She clearly stated who this person was, facing the camera.
Friends in her WeChat contacts, who were also classmates, were all stirred up.
Long Kong was the first to say: “Is this real?”
Zhong Yu: “You’re really dating? Congratulations!”
Feng Yingying: “Xiaoxiao, congratulations!”
Meng Jia: “Oh.”
Shu Xiao replied to Zhong Yu: “Thank you.”
However, she didn’t reply to Feng Yingying, Long Kong, or Meng Jia. Zhong Yu was her desk mate in high school, so it was natural for her to respond to Zhong Yu more frequently than to the others.
Considering it, everyone else could be considered on Tan Yucheng’s side, including Ji Ting who could be counted as well.
Despite her high-profile announcement, the classmates’ group was surprisingly quiet. There was no discussion here. Everyone ran off to the group where they were discussing whether Meng Jia’s pursuit of Tan Yucheng would succeed. The group was full of exclamations like “Oh my!”
[Shu Xiao is dating, Meng Jia’s chances just got bigger.]
[Hope Meng Jia works hard and secures Tan Yucheng soon, then announces it on her circle too.]
[Really want to cheer for Meng Jia, but unfortunately she’s not in the group.]
[I wonder how Tan Yucheng feels right now.]
Finally, someone considered another person’s feelings. Ji Ting hesitated for a moment, clicked into the list, and selected the black profile picture. WeChat doesn’t indicate online status like QQ does, so there was no way to know whether he knew about it or not. But with all this excitement now, he probably knew.
Yu Xi sent a message to Ji Ting: [I’m a bit shocked. Even though I’m pursuing Meng Jia, I always felt that Tan Yucheng and Shu Xiao would definitely get back together.]
Yu Xi: [Now, it seems that reconciliation is hopeless.]
Yu Xi: [Tingting, do you think he still remembers Shu Xiao?]
Ji Ting’s fingers paused on the keypad, unsure how to respond.
But
How could he possibly forget.
Yu Xi: [It’s really sigh-worthy.]
Ji Ting: [Hmm.]
A waiter brought a small cake over. Lu Hai pushed the cake towards Ji Ting, who suddenly came to her senses. She looked up and met Lu Hai’s gaze. Lu Hai softly asked, “Is everything okay?”
Ji Ting hesitated for a moment, then said, “It’s nothing.”
“Well, try this cake. I heard it’s quite good,” Lu Hai suggested to Ji Ting. She turned the plate and picked up a fork, trying a bite. Lu Hai let out a small sigh. He hadn’t finished what he wanted to say earlier, and now he didn’t have the courage. Maybe next time.
As Ji Ting ate a few bites, the alcohol’s effects began to fade away.
She had something on her mind, so she didn’t sit and chat with Lu Hai any longer. Finding a reason, she returned to her apartment. Lu Hai knew that although she said it was nothing, she had been staring at her phone for so long, so there must be something bothering her, and he didn’t insist on keeping her.
Once inside.
Ji Ting threw herself onto the sofa and stared blankly at the ceiling.
Ji Ting and Shu Xiao lived quite close in Nan’an’s houses, right next door. There was a time when both of them woke up late and left together, arriving at school after it had already closed. At that time, Ji Ting and Shu Xiao weren’t very familiar. Shu Xiao had transferred in during her freshman year, unlike Ji Ting’s classmates from Nan’an No. 1 Middle School and their junior high. Ji Ting had always hung out with Yu Xi and a few others she had known since junior high.
After Shu Xiao transferred, she started hanging out with Zhong Yu, her desk mate. During that late arrival incident, the two of them stood facing each other at the school gate. Ji Ting suddenly looked at the wall of the neighboring Nan’an No. 2 Middle School and came up with an idea. She called out to Shu Xiao, and the two of them then turned towards the alley between Nan’an No. 1 and No. 2 Middle Schools. The wall of No. 1 Middle School wasn’t particularly high.
Many boys liked to climb over it from time to time, especially students from No. 2 Middle School. This place was their best escape route for skipping classes, and the disciplinary director often squatted here to catch them one by one.
Ji Ting and Shu Xiao locked eyes. Both diligent students had rarely done such things before, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t. They quickly discussed and decided. Ji Ting would go up first and pull Shu Xiao up onto the wall.
Shu Xiao nodded.
She used Ji Ting for leverage. Ji Ting was naturally tall and soon climbed to the top of the wall. With her dance training making her body agile, she leaned over and pulled Shu Xiao up. They exchanged a smile on top. When they turned their heads to look inside the wall, they saw a tall, thin boy leaning against a tree, holding a blade of grass, staring at them.
The boy looked carefree, a hint of a smile on his lips.
He had outstanding facial features, recognized by both of them as Tan Yucheng, one of the prominent figures at Nan’an No. 1 Middle School.
Shu Xiao panicked and almost slipped, but Ji Ting quickly grabbed her. Then, leaning on her backpack, she approached Tan Yucheng and asked, “Can you help us out?”
Tan Yucheng raised an eyebrow, glanced at his wristwatch, and asked, “What’s in it for me if I help you?”
Ji Ting replied, “I’ll treat you to bubble tea later.”
Tan Yucheng tilted his head and locked eyes with her for a few seconds, then shifted his gaze to Shu Xiao’s face. Shu Xiao, holding her backpack, her cheeks possibly reddened by the wind, Tan Yucheng smiled gently and didn’t make things difficult for them. He stepped forward and gestured, “One by one, I can’t catch too many at once.”
At that moment, Ji Ting hadn’t thought much about it, but her ears turned slightly red.
She glanced at Shu Xiao.
Shu Xiao blinked, clutching her backpack tightly. Ji Ting whispered, “I’ll go down first, and then I’ll help him catch you below.”
“Thank you.”
After Ji Ting finished speaking, she leaned down. Tan Yucheng was tall, effortlessly catching Ji Ting as she descended. A faint scent of soap emanated from him as their cheeks brushed lightly. Before she could react, she was already safely lowered down. Ji Ting’s backpack slid off her shoulder. She adjusted it and turned around to offer assistance.
Tan Yucheng had already caught Shu Xiao. Shu Xiao, startled like a cat, met his eyes in that instant.
At that same moment, Ji Ting heard the sound of the wind.
Softly whispering…
How sweet summer candies are.
Later, seating arrangements changed in their class. Ji Ting and Tan Yucheng became desk mates, with Shu Xiao sitting in front of them. At some point, Tan Yucheng would twirl Shu Xiao’s hair while she slept, her arm resting on her head. Shu Xiao would sneakily reach back and take his test paper from under his arm, and he would lift his arm to let her take it.
That kind of silent intimacy.
Something Ji Ting knew could never happen in the two years she was his desk mate.
Shu Xiao’s parents’ marriage had become a mere facade by the time she reached senior year. Stepping into the shadow of their impending divorce, she was unsure of where to turn. During parent-teacher meetings, her mother arrived arrogantly, wearing sunglasses and an air that discouraged others from approaching.
No one dared to get close to her.
On the contrary, Tan Yucheng’s mother, Xiao Xi, struck up a conversation with Ji Ting’s mother, Qiu Dan. Both were accountants by profession, and once they started talking, they couldn’t stop. Soon, the two families began to interact more.
Ji Ting would occasionally be invited to Tan’s home.
After finishing the college entrance exam and waiting for acceptance letters, Shu Xiao was rarely seen in Nan’an. She didn’t appear among any classmates either. The last time she was seen was one early morning.
Ji Ting woke up groggily from her sleep, hearing the rain outside pouring heavily on the windowsill. She knelt on the bed to look outside, intending to watch the rain, but instead saw Tan Yucheng standing in the rain under a black umbrella. He wore a black sports jacket, holding Shu Xiao’s wrist. Shu Xiao was in a light blue dress.
In the rain, they locked eyes.
From a distance, Ji Ting couldn’t hear their conversation over the rain pouring around her. She watched as Shu Xiao shook off Tan Yucheng’s hand, and he reached for her again, only to be rejected once more.
In the struggle, Shu Xiao knocked away Tan Yucheng’s umbrella.
Rain instantly drenched them both. Shu Xiao looked up and said something, while Tan Yucheng squinted, appearing somewhat cold in the alley. Then, from the neighboring yard, Shu Xiao’s mother emerged, holding an umbrella and calling out to Shu Xiao.
The rain was relentless.
Ji Ting felt as if she could sense the tone of Shu Xiao’s mother’s voice calling out to her. Shu Xiao turned and ran towards the yard, glancing back at Tan Yucheng at the gate. Through the rain, Ji Ting faintly heard what she said:
“You go. I’m not coming back.”
Rainwater soaked the back of Tan Yucheng’s hand as he gripped the umbrella handle, his veins standing out clearly, showing his youth and tension. He eventually walked away, and the neighboring door closed behind him.
He took the black umbrella with him, even though he never opened it.
Later on…
Ji Ting went to Beijing first. Tan Yucheng was late in reporting to school, and Ji Ting learned from Long Kong’s mouth that Shu Xiao did not take the college entrance exam; she lied to Tan Yucheng.
Soon after, Shu Xiao went abroad, leaving Tan Yucheng behind.
It wasn’t until the start of classes that Tan Yucheng finally arrived late with Fu Yan at Beijing University.
After starting university, Ji Ting learned more details from Long Kong about things she had never paid attention to before, including the assumption among their circle of friends that Shu Xiao and Tan Yucheng were a couple.
The pair, often teased about, didn’t end up attending the same university as they had hoped. Instead, they were separated geographically and lost contact.
It was a long time.
Nine years passed.
Ji Ting snapped out of her thoughts.
The pendant light reflected light, with the arcs of broken diamonds. She sat up straight, walked to pour a glass of water, and remembered the Japanese cuisine she had for dinner, with the final cheese shrimp being too salty and greasy.
She stood in front of the table, tapping her phone screen, and opened Tan Yucheng’s social media profile.
Still, there was only a link announcing a new store opening, with a black profile picture and a black-themed Moments cover.
“The light boat has passed ten thousand mountains.”
This phrase lingered.
Previously, Yu Xi had speculated about the meaning of this phrase. Perhaps it conveyed the idea that after waiting long enough and enduring several years, it was time to start a new chapter.
It seemed to imply that.
Yet, at the same time, it didn’t.
Ji Ting stared at his profile picture for a moment.
For some reason, she had a premonition. Setting down her phone and glass, she turned into the restroom to wash her hands and touch up her makeup. Afterward, she left, having drunk sake in the evening and unable to drive, so she had to call a ride-hailing service.
Before long, the ride-hailing car stopped at the entrance of a club.
Ji Ting took the elevator and arrived at a private bar on the third floor. Pushing open the door, soft music played inside. Ji Ting navigated through the crowd and spotted a tall figure at the obsidian bar counter.
She walked over and approached his side, pulling a high stool to sit down beside him.
Tan Yucheng was dressed in all black, with a slightly open collar on his shirt and tailored trousers. He held a glass of liquor, preparing to drink. Upon hearing movement, he turned his head slightly to see Ji Ting looking at him. Their eyes met.
“You’re drinking without inviting me,” Ji Ting said, raising her eyebrows.
Tan Yucheng held his glass, his joints defined, and looked at her steadily for a few seconds. His eyebrow raised slightly. “You don’t usually like drinking.”
Ji Ting smiled and tapped her finger on the table. The waiter approached, asking what she wanted.
Ji Ting ordered a “Lost Island Iced Tea” cocktail, similar to what Tan Yucheng was drinking.
The high stool was a bit tall for Ji Ting, forcing her to find a place for her feet. She wore high heels and a light green skirt, part of today’s work uniform at the store. Her blouse was apricot-colored, made of soft fabric that was quite comfortable. As she lifted her glass, her sleeve slipped down, revealing her fair wrist. Ji Ting clinked her glass with Tan Yucheng’s.
Tan Yucheng was sitting upright initially, but when she arrived, he leaned to the side slightly, casually touching glasses with her and taking a sip of his drink.
Ji Ting observed him in this position, watching his expression.
After Tan Yucheng swallowed a sip of his drink, he glanced at her. “What are you looking at?”
Ji Ting also leaned forward, facing him directly. “Nothing, just looking.”
Tan Yucheng clicked his tongue lightly. “Worried about me?”