Translator: Alfredo Poutine Soup Editor: DesTheSloth
‘When we meet again, what am I like and what are you like? What will I be like, and what will you be like?’
After graduating from high school, it took Xue Shao a whole summer to think about this question— even if he knew he wouldn’t get the answer.
Because the first girl in his life vanished from his life totally… no contact information or which country she was headed for
Later, he stopped thinking about her gradually, because life was busy, days were long, and no there was no contact.
Time would wash off everything.
At university, Xue Shao heard that women would grow up faster than men when facing similar issues.
When girls cried, boys were happily relaxing with friends.
When girls started to accept new lives, boys began to be sad and lose sleep.
‘Then… what would I be like?’
‘When I meet you again.’
Xue Shao stood still, but his look moved followed the woman… he never saw the woman glance at him; but saw her walked by pulling a luggage bag, to the hotel front desk.
‘It seems she’s checking in.’
‘It seems… she didn’t remember?’
He became scared.
Xue Shao took out his cellphone and turned on the front camera to look at himself and asked himself… ‘Did I change a lot?’
‘Face got older… with a different hairstyle… fatter than before? It turned out I changed a lot, then if she didn’t remember me…’
He found an excuse in his body for her not recognizing him and release himself.
The driver came back with the papers. He passed the room card to him before leaving hurriedly, saying it was late and his wife and kids were waiting for him.
Xue Shao didn’t see the driver leave, but gazed at the figure at the front desk, hesitating if he should go inquire actively. Such behavior reminded him of the past.
The class president said, when he had a major crush on the girl, he always avoided her gaze, or found it hard to make conversation— he would think for a long time to say a sentence, but the content never to the point.
Xue Shao knew that due it was to his bashfulness, but didn’t imagine he hadn’t changed after 11 years.
Though they went through the last semester of Class 9 together.
But he was still too shy to walk to her. He didn’t follow her until she finished her check-in procedures and walked towards the lift.
They walked to the lift, standing side by side… Xue Shao felt his heart beat and time passed slowly.
Then, she arrived at her floor and left for her own room. Xue Shao went after her automatically as if he was possessed.
Nothing happened until she arrived at her doorway and turned around, “I thought you will speak to me first, but you, are still like a little boy.”
Xue Shao gave a start and realized that she had recognized him from her smile.
“It’s been a while.”
“It’s been a while.”
Without staying back or talking, Xue Shao ended the conversation with the girl with an ‘It’s been a while’, after 10 years.
She smiled, pointing to her room number; then pushed open the door.
Xue Shao glanced at it. He remembered the number, then went back to his and slept.
It was a very good sleep. When she went downstairs to have breakfast, he kept gazing at the entrance, but got nothing; so he hurriedly ran to the meeting room for the press conference.
It was located on some floor of the hotel.
“Next is the newest product our company developed. First, let me introduce the difference between it and the former ones…”
He slept a whole night, and forgot to prepare before the news conference. But he was capable enough to handle it— and it garnered him some good reputation.
Many officials praised him, but Xue Shao was shy, and said that was all because of the good preparation by other staff.
There was a lot of work for Xue Shao later— Unless something unexpected, he should have a few follow-ups by the clients interested in the product during the next three days.
These were activities were included in business trips.
Xue Shao called Wan Zishan at 8 in the evening. She said it was rainy there and confirmed the menus for their wedding today.
Listening to those little events, Xue Shao would usually not feel agitated.
But this time, he wanted to finish the phone call earlier, and felt agitated… not about the call, but about himself.
Xue Shao decided to head to the swimming pool to calm himself down.
He didn’t imagine that the second place he met with Xu Jiayi after 11 years was the indoor swimming pool of the hotel.
She had come here for a while now.
Swimming in the water like a mermaid, she was not young anymore, but mature and attractive.
Xue Shao swam after the mermaid along the edge, and knew they would meet at the destination. The woman emerged out and brought a wave splash.
She wiped off her hair and the water, opening her eyes and looking at Xue Shao; she said, “Come down, it’s not cold.”
Again, the woman opened the conversation.
She was always proactive as usual.
Xue Shao gazed at the waving water, he seemed to go back to the winter vacation 11 years ago. The girl leaned against a tree at the roadside and looked at the door of—a bakery.
She said to him, “Xue Shao, would you like to buy a cake for me?”
Right, under that wishing tree, he bought a piece of cake for her.
They started without noticing.
Splash—!
A splash and the feeling of inhaling water. When Xue Shao came to himself, he was dragged into the pool. He swam strongly and finally came out of the water, feeling as if he almost died.
The woman laughed at him.
“You still like pranks!”
“I don’t know why but when I meet you, I’d like to make fun of you.”
“Suddenly leaving without anything, is because of this reason too?” Xue Shao asked suddenly… he finally braved himself.
The woman didn’t answer, but relaxed her body and floated on the surface, letting the wave send her away.
“Xu Jiayi! Tell me that!!” he swam after her and queried out loud.
She tilted her head, looking at Xue Shao with a serious look and asking, “Are you free tomorrow, the whole day.”
Xue Shao gave a start and nodded.
‘Tomorrow…’
Xue Shao thought of tomorrow and went back to his room—he didn’t continue the conversation, which was stopped by her smile.
He thought that he must be crazy, even delaying the appointments for this woman… he said to the clients that he didn’t feel so good and needed a rest.
Xue Shao pushed open the door and was shocked— there was a stranger here.
It could be considered not a stranger, because he met him before— the boss of that shop.
The boss pulled open the curtain, and looked at a far place… He seemed to have waited for him for a long time.
Xue Shao swallowed his saliva, putting his hands on the wall and walked close carefully, “How… how did you sneak in?”
“Customer, we’ve sent what you want.” The boss turned about, “Are you satisfied with that?”
Xue Shao gave a start in surprised, “You’ve arranged everything? Even the business trip?”
Boss Luo nodded, “You don’t want to influence the wedding… I felt that if you two at the original place, there would be some traces left behind. But here, you won’t, because nobody knows you two, right?”
“How… how did you do that?” Xue Shao asked.
“I have some methods.” Luo Qiu said indifferently.
Xue Shao frowned, “You… came here to get my necklace?”
Luo Qiu shook his head, “Not now, you can come back later and pass it to me. I just came to ask if you are satisfied with the product. Now from your expression, it was a good result, then…”
Boss Luo made a bow, “…please enjoy the trip.”
The boss disappeared from the room.
Xue Shao collapsed out of fright… he thought it may be a trick… like he thought on the plane. However, he had to admit that this was all true now.