After the Lantern Festival, Xu Sui Nian returned to the capital, and along with him, Tao Zhi also ended her long New Year holiday and started getting busy again.
She co-organized a new photography exhibition with Xu Sui Nian.
Before this, Tao Zhi had always worked alone in her darkroom playing with her photos. This was her first time organizing such a large exhibition. Everything was unfamiliar, yet every process felt novel and exciting. Each day she would run around with Xu Sui Nian, being introduced to many award-winning photographers whose trophies filled their home display cabinets. She seemed even busier than Jiang Qi Huai.
The two of them maintained a frequency of meeting two or three times a week. Jiang Qi Huai would pick her up after work, then they would have dinner together. After returning home, they were basically each busy with their own things, with little communication between them.
On weekends, Tao Zhi would bring Jiang Qi Huai home to accompany Tao Xiu Ping for meals. Tao Zhi and Ji Fan would still bicker back and forth like children, while Jiang Qi Huai would play chess with Tao Xiu Ping.
Every day seemed to pass without any dramatic events, just ordinary and simple.
But it felt comfortable and warm.
It was as if he really had gained a family, and finally didn’t need to rent houses everywhere, move around, work part-time jobs and study. He could finally have the qualification to enjoy this kind of life called “living.”
At the end of March, the temperature rose noticeably faster. The snow that had blanketed the city melted away in large patches. The weather warmed up, and spring began to show its first signs.
One day while Tao Zhi was selecting photos with Xu Sui Nian, she received a call from Li Shuang Jiang.
Li Shuang Jiang was still full of energy with his loud voice: “Boss! Are you busy?”
“Yes,” Tao Zhi said while flipping through the photos in front of her.
“Everyone’s busy after the New Year, spare a few minutes,” Li Shuang Jiang said casually. “I just got back from a business trip, landed yesterday. Are you free this weekend? Let’s meet up for a meal.”
“What time?”
“The usual time,” Li Shuang Jiang said. “By the way, pass the message to Huai ge too.”
He clicked his tongue and said: “When you come, you both need to explain yourselves. How did our high school singles’ alliance suddenly produce two traitors? And they paired up with each other too.”
“Why don’t you tell him yourself?” Tao Zhi said with amusement. “Why do I need to pass the message?”
“If I could contact him, would I need you to pass the message?” Li Shuang Jiang complained. “I’ve sent him several WeChat messages, but he hasn’t replied to any of them.”
Tao Zhi agreed, and after hanging up the phone, she pushed the things in front of her forward a bit, laid on the table with her phone, and sent a message to Jiang Qi Huai.
[Little Branch Branch]: Director Jiang!
Jiang Qi Huai instantly replied: [?]
Tao Zhi couldn’t help but curl her lips into a smile.
She continued typing: [Li Shuang Jiang said he sent you many WeChat messages, but you didn’t reply to any of them.]
Jiang Qi Huai: [Too busy, forgot.]
Tao Zhi, who was getting preferential treatment with instant replies, happily sent a voice message: “Then reply to him, he has something to tell you.”
She sent a voice message, and Jiang Qi Huai also replied with a voice message: “Mm.”
Tao Zhi put down her phone and continued with her work.
As the main initiator of most post-graduation activities, Li Shuang Jiang’s choice of restaurants was quite predictable, rotating between just a few places. Everyone could guess where he wanted to eat next time even with their eyes closed, using the process of elimination.
Zhao Ming Qi was the first to protest, suggesting that everyone go for hotpot today, which received enthusiastic support.
When Jiang Qi Huai came to pick up Tao Zhi, she had just finished her work. They were still the last ones to arrive at the hotpot restaurant.
When they pushed open the private room door, everyone inside was ordering food. Jiang Zheng Xun waved at them: “Our perpetually late couple has arrived.”
Jiang Qi Huai followed behind Tao Zhi as they walked in, reaching back to close the door.
The private room went quiet for a moment, everyone’s gazes moving from Tao Zhi to Jiang Qi Huai, then back to Tao Zhi again.
Li Shuang Jiang dragged out his voice: “Oh—”
Fu Xi Ling dryly joined in: “Oh—”
Zhao Ming Qi: “Oh oh oh oh oh—!”
Tao Zhi felt both embarrassed and amused by their teasing: “Lighting fixture, can you stop acting like a monkey?” Her eyes darted to Ji Fan, “And you, stop rolling your eyes over there, you think I can’t see?”
Fu Xi Ling turned her head and saw Ji Fan rolling his eyes so hard that his pupils were barely visible.
She discreetly stomped on his foot under the table.
Ji Fan let out a muffled groan, hunching over in pain as he turned his head away.
“Mind your facial expressions,” Fu Xi Ling said seriously.
Ji Fan didn’t dare make a sound, silently reining in his exaggerated expressions.
Tao Zhi secretly enjoyed seeing Ji Fan’s discomfort and sat down in the empty seat that had been left for her. Everyone had almost finished ordering, and when the menu was passed to her, she added two plates of meat before letting the server take it away.
The large copper hotpot bubbled away. Everyone hadn’t seen each other for several months since their previous Japanese meal together, and now that they were gathered again, it seemed like they had endless gossip and complaints to share.
Although they rarely chatted on WeChat normally, and even after graduating from high school and going their separate ways, they were so busy that they couldn’t meet for months or half a year at a time, but every time they got together, that familiar sense of intimacy had never cooled down.
After finishing the lively hotpot meal, it was still early. Since the next day was weekend and they didn’t need to work, Zhao Ming Qi suggested continuing with karaoke.
Tao Zhi followed them out and turned her head to say quietly: “Do you have to work overtime tomorrow? If you don’t want to go, just let them know.”
Jiang Qi Huai raised an eyebrow: “Do I look that antisocial?”
Tao Zhi looked at him with a complicated expression: “Are you seriously asking that?”
Jiang Qi Huai: “…”
The hotpot restaurant happened to be in the commercial district, with several KTV places nearby. Zhao Ming Qi called to book a room, about a ten-minute walk away.
The weather was cool and comfortable. Everyone chatted while walking there, with Tao Zhi and Jiang Qi Huai walking at the back, and everyone else tactfully keeping some distance from them.
Walking past an intersection, Tao Zhi suddenly turned her head.
Jiang Qi Huai’s features were outlined in the brilliant lights, his facial features appearing even more defined. Cars and people passed by on the street, creating an atmosphere that was both lively and quiet.
He noticed her gaze and turned his head: “What is it?”
“Nothing,” Tao Zhi smiled at him. “Jiang Qi Huai, let’s take walks after dinner from now on.”
Jiang Qi Huai didn’t know why she suddenly had this idea, but still said: “Mm, okay.”
“And let’s get a cat, or a dog,” Tao Zhi continued. “We can take walks every night, walk the dog.”
Jiang Qi Huai nodded: “Watch the elderly people do square dancing, water the plants — you’re entering retirement early.”
“…”
This person could be really annoying when he was being sarcastic.
Tao Zhi pouted, hearing him ask slowly beside her: “What kind of dog do you want to get?”
Tao Zhi thought for a moment: “An Alaskan Malamute?”
“Bigger than you.”
“Then a poodle?”
“Too noisy.”
“How about a Husky?”
“Will destroy the house.”
“Why are you so picky about everything,” Tao Zhi complained. “Is a Corgi okay? They’re cute.”
“Legs are a bit short,” Jiang Qi Huai said reluctantly, “but fine.”
Tao Zhi didn’t want to talk to him anymore and walked a few steps ahead.
Jiang Qi Huai lowered his head with a curved smile, pulled her wrist to bring her back, and then tucked her hand into his coat pocket, holding her hand as they walked forward.
He couldn’t help thinking about the scene she had described.
They would have a house, with some flowers, a dog. They would take walks together, watch her eyes squint in satisfaction like a cat when she ate something she liked, see her excitedly pulling his hand and smiling at him when she saw something interesting.
He would finally be able to open his eyes every day and see her peaceful sleeping face.
Jiang Qi Huai actually didn’t have any grand ambitions. He just wanted to become strong enough one day to be the glass wall that could shelter his rose from wind and rain.
Then just pass each ordinary day like this, accompanying her, growing old together.
After Li Shuang Jiang and Zhao Ming Qi picked up the microphones, they became completely uninhibited. Ji Fan brought over a bunch of dice cups and opened several bottles of alcohol.
They had already drunk quite a bit during the hotpot meal to build a base, and now after several rounds of dice games, everyone was starting to feel the effects. Zhao Ming Qi, who was originally bold, now felt like the whole world had become his domain.
During a break from singing, he pointed forward with the microphone stand: “What’s the point of just drinking! Let’s play something old school!”
He jumped down from the stage.
The game was called “King”, with simple rules. Rolling five dice, whoever got the most of the same number would be the king and could make a request, but couldn’t name specific people. They had to state conditions, and whoever met those conditions had to follow the request.
Li Shuang Jiang won first, rolling five ones right away.
His eyes flickered between Jiang Qi Huai and Tao Zhi for a while, then he grinned mischievously and said: “Those who are currently dating, tell a secret that others don’t know.”
Tao Zhi sighed, feeling that Jiang Qi Huai wouldn’t say anything, and just as she was wracking her brains thinking about what harmless secret she could share, she heard his cool voice saying unhurriedly beside her: “I dated in high school.”
Tao Zhi: “…”
That’s allowed?
She quickly followed up: “I’ve had a secret love affair.”
“…”
Jiang Qi Huai turned his head expressionlessly to look at her questioningly.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Tao Zhi mumbled. “You had one too, and even got hidden in a wardrobe.”
Everyone reluctantly let them off.
Next was Jiang Zheng Xun’s turn.
Jiang Zheng Xun was usually quiet but always scheming. Hugging a bottle of alcohol, he said: “Those who are still with their first love, just kiss.”
After he finished speaking, everyone looked at Fu Xi Ling.
Almost everyone had dated in university. Even Zhao Ming Qi had a brief one-week romance with the beauty from the neighboring Music Department, but only Fu Xi Ling had always been single.
“Besides Fu Xi Ling, there shouldn’t be anyone else, right?” Li Shuang Jiang asked.
Just as he finished speaking, he saw Ji Fan lazily stand up beside him.
Tao Zhi: “…”
He really would do anything to take advantage of a situation, even throwing away his dignity.
Li Shuang Jiang was shocked: “Brother Fan, you fly around like a butterfly all day every day, and you’re saying you’ve never dated? Do you even believe yourself?”
“What the hell?” Ji Fan was also shocked. He angrily said, “What butterfly? I’ve been very pure, okay!”
Li Shuang Jiang hesitantly looked at Fu Xi Ling again: “Then…”
Just as Tao Zhi was considering whether to help her dear brother push things along or help her best friend smooth things over, Fu Xi Ling, who was sitting on the sofa, had already stood up gracefully.
Ji Fan turned his head to look at her, couldn’t help but purse his lips, and started to say: “How about we…”
Before he could finish speaking.
Fu Xi Ling suddenly stood on her tiptoes, tilted her head up, and quickly kissed his cheek.
Ji Fan: “…”
There was complete silence. Ji Fan stood in front of the sofa like an idiot, his eyes unfocused.
Zhao Ming Qi managed to push his nearly fallen jaw back into place and cleared his throat: “Let’s continue, continue.”
Even until they dispersed, Ji Fan was still in a daze.
He walked out of the KTV like a lost soul with the crowd, robotically walked to the road, then stood at the roadside and suddenly lifted his head to look at the sky.
He didn’t look quite normal anymore.
Li Shuang Jiang and Zhao Ming Qi put their heads together: “Is Brother Fan okay?”
“Could it be that this was Brother Fan’s first time being kissed by a girl?”
“I understand, I understand,” Zhao Ming Qi said knowingly. “That feeling is really like being in heaven.”
Li Shuang Jiang turned to look at him: “You only dated for a week, what experienced person are you pretending to be?”
Zhao Ming Qi: “…”
When early spring had just arrived, all preparations for the photography exhibition were complete.
The studio had rented the entire third floor of the West District Art Gallery, with funding support from several seniors in the industry, mainly to encourage new-generation photographers in the circle and give them a platform to showcase more of themselves.
Every circle is like this — many people soar to great heights, but more remain unknown, forever obscure.
When Jiang Qi Huai arrived, Tao Zhi was talking to someone on the side. He didn’t call out to her, but walked straight past the snow-white display boards.
Tao Zhi had been to many places over these years.
She had photographed the Danxia landforms in Zhangye, unnamed small villages in Yunnan, night moons and sea of clouds at Tianzi Peak, and melting glaciers in the polar regions.
This place was full of worlds her eyes had seen that he didn’t know about, footprints she had left when she was alone without him.
Whether there were others around her or not, her life was always colorful and full, bright and clear, just like her whole person — brilliant to the extreme, magnificent and glorious.
Jiang Qi Huai walked all the way to the last photo wall.
The photos on this wall weren’t her works; the signature only had two words: Anonymous.
They were old photos, carefully preserved and laminated. These photos were all too familiar to Jiang Qi Huai — they had once quietly accompanied him through many days and nights on the wall of his small bedroom.
A cat curled up in a street corner, walls gray and peeling to expose cement, a worn children’s puzzle placed on an old parquet floor.
And under a sky full of fireworks, a girl’s silhouette hazily reflected in the Ferris wheel window.
Jiang Qi Huai lowered his gaze slightly to the snow-white wall beside the photos, where lead-black oil print in familiar bold handwriting had written a small line.
— My beginning, and my end.
Jiang Qi Huai stood for a long time before those photos. At some moment, he suddenly turned his head.
Tao Zhi was standing not far away. She must have just seen him, her expression somewhat surprised, quickly breaking into a smile, her beautiful eyes and brows curved as she looked at him.
She said a few words to the person beside her, then walked towards him, stepping through the broken and mottled sunlight on the ground.
Tao Zhi was actually surprised that Jiang Qi Huai came here.
She had mentioned this to him the day before, but Jiang Qi Huai had responded coldly, showing no interest at all, telling her he had to work.
This was her first proper exhibition. Although she was somewhat disappointed, Tao Zhi hadn’t shown it, and hadn’t expected him to come.
Running up to him, she looked up: “Why did you come?”
She had run a bit hurriedly, wisps of hair falling across her cheeks. Jiang Qi Huai raised his hand, his fingertips catching her hair and tucking it behind her ear: “How could I not come.”
“Didn’t you have to work?”
“Took time off.”
Tao Zhi smiled and made an “oh” sound, pulling him in front of those photos to look at them one by one.
She told him about interesting people she had met and things that had happened in each place.
“Have you been to Russia? You don’t know how cold Russia is,” Tao Zhi chattered on. “The winter snow we get here is like a light rain in Russia, barely noticeable. Especially in Pevek, at Russia’s northernmost point, inside the Arctic Circle.”
She kept talking while Jiang Qi Huai listened quietly, only speaking when she finally tired herself out.
“Want some water?” Jiang Qi Huai looked at her.
Tao Zhi shook her head, then narrowed her eyes: “Are you hinting that I talk too much?”
Jiang Qi Huai said helplessly: “Don’t be so unreasonable.”
Tao Zhi pouted.
There weren’t as many people now. She looked around and saw Xu Sui Nian standing by the window. She waved at him, then pointed to the stairway.
Xu Sui Nian gave her an OK gesture from afar.
Tao Zhi pulled Jiang Qi Huai towards the exit: “Let’s go, we’re leaving early.”
Jiang Qi Huai’s lips quirked: “You can leave early?”
“It’s fine with Xu Sui Nian watching things here,” Tao Zhi said while going down the stairs. “You rarely get time off, let’s go walk around. Besides, it’s almost noon, perfect timing for lunch.”
Jiang Qi Huai followed her downstairs.
Though she said she wanted to go walk around, Tao Zhi had no particular place in mind. Jiang Qi Huai didn’t say anything, just got in the driver’s seat and drove forward.
Until the scenery became increasingly familiar, he stopped the car in front of First Experimental High School.
Tao Zhi looked out the window and made a surprised sound: “Why suddenly come to school?”
Jiang Qi Huai unbuckled his seatbelt and turned off the engine: “Suddenly wanted to take a look.”
Tao Zhi got out with him, greeted the security guard, and walked into campus.
They arrived just as the last morning class was ending. The playground was lively, students in First High uniforms rushing in crowds towards the cafeteria, some sitting in twos and threes chatting and laughing by the school store, boys on the basketball court with bright smiles as their orange basketballs cut through the blue sky into the hoop.
Tao Zhi walked forward until they reached the second-year teaching building.
She walked into the building and stood in the first-floor lobby to look around.
The honor display cases on both sides had changed countless times, now full of young, unfamiliar faces. The photo of a boy took up the largest space at the front, with even a banner below it.
— Warmly congratulating Class 1 Grade 2 student Xu Bai Sen on being selected for the National Olympic Mathematics Competition team.
Tao Zhi turned to smile at Jiang Qi Huai: “Your Highness, you have a successor now.”
She leaned in to look at the boy more closely, clicking her tongue: “I have to say, this kid is pretty handsome.”
Jiang Qi Huai clicked his tongue and expressionlessly grabbed her head to turn it back, not letting her look: “You even know he’s just a kid.”
Tao Zhi reluctantly let him push her head forward. They went upstairs to Class 1 Grade 2’s door.
Class had just ended, students streaming out, curiously glancing at them as they passed.
They stood at the classroom door waiting for a while. Tao Zhi couldn’t help but sigh: “This isn’t our classroom anymore. Wouldn’t going in be like breaking and entering?”
Jiang Qi Huai didn’t say anything and walked straight in.
The classroom was almost empty, with just two curious students remaining.
This year’s Class 1 Grade 2 seemed to have fewer students, with the last two desks by the wall empty.
Tao Zhi pulled out the chair by the wall and sat down. The girl sitting in her old seat happened to still be there and turned around.
Tao Zhi smiled: “Hi, we’re graduates from Class 1, just came back to look around. Sorry to disturb you.”
“Oh, no problem, hello seniors.” The girl said quietly and turned back around.
Tao Zhi leaned forward onto the desk, propping her chin up. She looked at the blackboard that hadn’t been erased yet, and suddenly sighed: “Jiang Qi Huai.”
Jiang Qi Huai stood beside her and made a sound of acknowledgment.
“I suddenly really miss high school,” she said wistfully.
Jiang Qi Huai looked at her and laughed.
“Then let’s go back,” he said softly.
Tao Zhi blinked.
Jiang Qi Huai walked forward two steps to beside the girl’s desk and lowered his head: “Hello.”
The girl hurriedly looked up, somewhat flustered.
Jiang Qi Huai pointed at the notepad on her desk: “Could I borrow paper and pen?”
The girl nodded and handed him her notepad, then took out a pen for him.
Jiang Qi Huai took them, said thank you, walked to beside Tao Zhi and pulled out a chair to sit down.
He tore off a page from the notepad, then held the pen and lowered his head to write.
Tao Zhi stretched her head over curiously to look.
He had his head lowered, writing very slowly, each stroke careful and serious. His handwriting was bold and sharp, four characters falling neatly onto the light yellow note paper.
— With my carriage I come.
He deliberately wrote “my” instead of “your”.
I come with my carriage to marry you.
Tao Zhi’s eyelashes lifted slightly.
As if in an instant, all those past times were pulled back by an invisible hand, inch by inch, back to that familiar classroom, back to her youth, back to the day she met him.
Back to that morning when she first wrote this dictation, when the cool breeze stirred the light blue curtains, and thin sunlight fell slanting across the desk in large patches.
The youth with clear eyes spoke to her in a cool, flat voice.
At that time.
The youthful love was kneaded into the cicada songs and sunlight of late summer. After the coldness and awkwardness were spun away like silk from a cocoon, what remained was all tenderness.
Tao Zhi stayed quiet for a long while before slowly pulling the pen from between his fingers and continuing to write after those four characters.
— With my dowry I move.
Since that’s the case.
I’ll bring my dowry and marry you then.
As the last stroke fell, Tao Zhi wrinkled her tingling nose and looked up.
Jiang Qi Huai was watching her.
His gaze was very still, never moving away, carrying a hint of soft smile.
“Then it’s settled,” he said.
The school’s broadcast station was playing a song heavy with ancient Chinese style, a gentle male voice slowly telling stories of an unknown jianghu world, and those strange lives that were either spectacular or plain and unremarkable.
…
He said the story ends here, with no wine left.
The bright moon in the sky has fallen behind the hills.
After experiencing everything at last, it seemed all could finally settle like dust.
From now on, I’ll be your path here, and also your path of no return.
— END —
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