He Luo said, “Your father is second only to the commander. You have seen so many big stages, such a small stage you also have the face to show me?”
“I’m not interested.”
“Didn’t you have a crush on that rebound king from high school?” A woman’s mind was truly fickle.
“So flippant! Whatever words coming from your mouth sounds twisted,” He Luo snickered.
“Why should I tell you?”
“So, have you?” Tian Xin continued to persuade.
“Tell the truth!”
“I don’t believe it!”
“Y-You two pieces of wood! I thought you’d at least have a hot kiss when you’re saying goodbye! At the time I regretted leaving earlier than you and missing the show.”
There was no chance to embrace at all.
Thinking about this, He Luo felt a little sorrowful. “Why don’t you catch that handsome guy first? It’s useless to check now. If I encourage you now but the guy doesn’t have feelings for you, how upset would you be?”
He Luo reluctantly agreed. “Alright, alright. What day is it?”
“Saturday… Ah!” He Luo thought of something. “I can’t, I have a Department activity!”
“A ball with the School of Economics.”
“Go ahead. The last time I called, he told me he’s also having a ball. He even said he’s very excited for it.” He Luo laughed. “Your heart is so twisted, even your thoughts are crooked.”
Having said that, however, when it came to the ball, He Luo still found a corner to sit down.
“It’s just that we have fewer girls.” Ye Zhi pointed at the available girls; there were less than ten. “And they’re all attached.” She pointed at He Luo. “Hey, why are you hiding all the way there?”
“It’s just dancing, not asking you to jump!” Zhou Xing Yan held onto her. “What are you scared of?”
“Then I’ll lead you.” He Luo walked over to her and, in the manner of an instructor, held out her right arm.
“These potatoes here tonight is beneath her,” Zhou Xing Yan retorted, joining them. “Little Luo Luo has her handsome Yuan Yuan at home.”
“What a waste of resources!” Their classmate Shen Lie shouted. “We now have two fewer girls.” He walked over in front of the two girls and stretched his hand in front of He Luo. “You’re here to make trouble, aren’t you?”
“Did you hurt anything!?”
“Then take a break and later partner with me!” Shen Lie pulled a chair for her to rest on.
“Didn’t you say you were okay?” Shen Lie stooped to look at her.
“You’re exaggerating.” He Luo toyed with her sandals. “But good thing Jia Ying didn’t wear stilettos.”
Tango was too seductive, Beijing dance was too tacky; she only liked waltz.
Originally Zhang Yuan had planned to visit her on National Day. But at the end of the month, he called to apologise that the tickets had sold out. “I overestimated the railroad’s ability.” He said he went to the station at 8 in the morning and found the entire place packed with humans. Most of them had been queuing since midnight.
“When I asked you if you have any plans, you said that someone was coming!” Li Yun Wei said. “Why don’t you come camping with us?”
The three girls in her dorm shook their heads. Tong Jia Ying was going to Tianjin to visit a classmate, Ye Zhi who was usually lazy continued to be lazy. “I want to catch up on my sleep… I’ll watch the ceremony in my dream.”
A helpless He Luo had no choice but to apply bitterly on her own. The school bus was leaving at 3 in the morning. The first night meant she would be getting no sleep. So she lit a candle to read her diary and Zhang Yuan’s letters again in the dark. A sleepy Ye Zhi saw the projection of her shadow and nagged, “You keep on using the candle, one day you’ll burn the whole dorm down.”
On the school bus, it so happened Shen Lie was also there. A surprised He Luo asked, “Eh, aren’t you also from Beijing?” Zhou Xing Yan retorted, “All these Beijing kids, you all were dragged to go see the flag-raising ceremony from kindergarten age.”
He Luo smiled and clapped lightly. Monitor Zhang Yuan, are you also doing your responsibility dutifully, guiding your class in touring the city? The more she thought about it, the more sorrowful she felt. There were three and a half more months to the end of the final exams. More than 100 days.
Before it even hit 4 in the morning, the entire square was packed. Shen Lie patted his chest and promised he knew a lesser-known place that will give them a good view of the flag-raising. “You can watch the national flag rise against a backdrop of the sunrise! The distance will be close, it’s the absolute best!” He was leading the crowd, never forgetting those following further behind.
“Ah? There wasn’t such a block when I last came here!”
“I don’t quite remember anymore. I just remember wearing a red scarf.” He raised his hands. “I remember waving excitedly and yelling, ‘Flag, flag, your corner is here!’”
“Okay, I’ll go and ask.” He Luo just wanted to go back and sleep. Ye Zhi indeed was wise.
“Not here!” Ye Zhi yelled.
“Ah, you’re back!” Ye Zhi jumped up.
A succession of “here!” was heard.
“Shen Lie asked me to ask if any of the girls want to visit Summer Palace, but how can I be so fast!” He Luo placed her toiletries down. “But it’s not early either. It is 9 in the morning.”
“Yes, yes, you can even have your lunch at 2.” He Luo smiled and gently closed the door behind her.
“Aren’t you the one who called me?” she asked, confused.
“Ah, then…”
The morning sun was peeking from the upper left corner of the gate, stretching her shadow endlessly. Slowly, another shadow blocked the light. A tall figure stepped in, sending the little micro dust flying in the light.
Turning around, facing the backlight was really him.
Truly it was him. It was just like a wonderful dream.
He Luo’s heart felt like a sponge, absorbing all the happiness in the world. But it quickly became heavy, so much that her chest hurt.
She was so happy she could cry. She pressed her lips into a line and tried to hold his hand. But the moment her slender fingers touched Zhang Yuan’s tanned arm, she couldn’t control herself and embraced him instead.
“If I don’t surprise you, do you think you’ll take initiative to hug me?” Zhang Yuan hugged her tightly.
“ It’s okay even if you’re not here. I’ll just wait here. There are so many beauties in your building.”
Shen Lie wavered between staying and leaving; both options seemed wrong. He turned a few times in the hall, before clearing his throat loudly.
“High school classmates?” Shen Lie asked.
“En?”
“I have relatives living nearby. When I asked where he is in Beijing, he said northwest corner. I figured since your university is also in northwest, it shouldn’t be too far,” Zhang Yuan said. “But the taxi ended up taking half an hour to get from northwest Beijing to northwest Beijing.”
“Lend me, not you,” Zhang Yuan corrected.
“Your dark circles have gotten worse. So ugly. Panda.”
“Ay, I’ll just lend it to you,” Shen Lie said. “If you two keep on going, I wouldn’t be able to go home until tomorrow.” He scratched his head. “I have the bed and pillow but the sheets, quilt, and cover… I’m bringing home to wash them.”
“I’m tossing both sets to my mom!”
He Luo chuckled. “I know you’re just the same. You still dare say it. Just take mine then!”
“What’s wrong?” Ye Zhi jumped. “Is it a rat? Did you see a rat?”
“Ah? Really?” Ye Zhi didn’t return to her sleep. “Hurry up and show me the idol that sent you four letters in a day!”
“Yes, yes!” Ye Zhi was getting excited. “But I still want to sneak a look at him. You bring him in front of the building, I’ll peek from the curtains. Hey, what are you looking for?”
“Ahhhh!” This time it was Ye Zhi screaming. “This is too, too, too… too ambiguous! What a fantasy!”
“You’re giving people chance to imagine!” Ye Zhi held her pillow and sat cross-legged on the top bunk. “Using a quilt He Luo had used before, full with a girl’s delicate fragrance…” She sat there dreamily, thinking.
“I’m afraid someone won’t think that way.” Ye Zhi cackled.
The three of them walked to the boys’ dorms together. Outside the door, He Luo pretended that the things she losing grip on the things she was carrying. “It’s falling, the pillow is falling!” When she remembered there was a pair of thieving eyes behind the curtains, she couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Her? She’s just a muddle-head.” Zhang Yuan reached out to take the things from He Luo, holding them beside him against his waist. “What are you smiling about? Is this the first time you are seeing a runway?”
“Forget it. You better carry the quilt. This is too heavy for you.”
“Which girl said that she wants to see the ending of [the comic book] Red River but isn’t sure where to find in Beijing and end up forcing me to get it?”
“Since I’m coming anyway, I decided to bring it with me. Don’t you want to read it early?”
“You’re acting more and more like my style.” Zhang Yuan smiled proudly.
[artwork by Henn Kim]