Feng Ning walked over. After staring at him for two seconds, she couldn’t help but laugh softly, “You’re quite self-aware.”
Jiang Wen didn’t react immediately, only gazing at Feng Ning quietly.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Had some drinks, feeling a bit dizzy.”
“Should I drive today then?”
Jiang Wen bent down, his bangs falling forward. He leaned closer, looking straight into her eyes, “I want to take a ride.”
Feng Ning seemed to sense something, “I don’t have any change on me.”
Xi Gaoyuan drove over with Zhao Binlin in the passenger seat. They immediately spotted the two walking side by side. They honked to get their attention, slowed down, and rolled down their windows, cheerfully greeting them: “Hey, where are you headed?”
Feng Ning smiled: “Just taking a walk to digest.”
Xi Gaoyuan offered: “Want a ride?”
Jiang Wen replied lazily: “No need, you guys go ahead.”
Soon, the car started moving, leaving the two figures behind, gradually becoming small dots in the distance. Xi Gaoyuan shifted his gaze from the rearview mirror, “It’s still Feng Ning.”
Though seemingly random, Zhao Binlin understood: “Yeah, it’s her again.”
Xi Gaoyuan wondered: “Honestly, I never thought Jiang Wen was stubborn before, but with Feng Ning, why can’t he just move on?”
Looking at people around them, it didn’t seem like anyone particularly liked anyone else that much. At most, they’d confess, if it worked out they’d be happy together, if not they’d just say an awkward goodbye and move on, everyone living freely. Unlike Jiang Wen, who seemed obsessed, unable to get over this hurdle for most of his life.
Hearing this, Zhao Binlin rolled down the window, letting the wind in. He fumbled for his lighter and shared some stories.
The two men couldn’t stop gossiping once they started.
Xi Gaoyuan listened in surprise, then seemed amused, “Really?”
“Yeah,” Zhao Binlin lit a cigarette, casually saying: “When Feng Ning went to Shanghai after finishing her master’s degree, his sister was taking college entrance exams that year. All of Jiang Wen’s college choices were in Shanghai.”
After a moment of silence, Xi Gaoyuan cursed, “So that was his plan. I thought they were long over.”
“I thought so too.” Zhao Binlin suddenly remembered something else, “But last year when Jiang Wen just came back, I had drinks with him.”
“Oh? Did you talk about Feng Ning?”
“Of course. He told me he hugged her for a few minutes. I found it funny and asked him how it felt. You know what he told me?”
Xi Gaoyuan was curious: “What did he say?”
“—Didn’t want to let go, but had to.”
“……”
After processing for a few seconds, Xi Gaoyuan hissed, feeling the ache.
Half a cigarette later, Zhao Binlin squinted, “That’s when I knew, they weren’t over.”
Night fell, and darkness covered everything. As the first lights came on, South City’s night scenery remained brilliant, with traffic flowing at intersections. They walked along the street, crossing overpasses, roads, and past dessert shops. When tired, they stopped at a bus stop.
The 425 night bus swayed as it approached from afar. Following the crowd, Feng Ning held Jiang Wen’s hand as they boarded, paid the fare, and found seats in the back.
Familiar scenes and fragments of memories. Things they thought were forgotten easily came back in certain moments.
Even the details were crystal clear.
The gently swaying dark bus cabin, small TV in front playing advertisements. Large patches of neon lights along the way, mixing with moonlight, shining through the windows.
She remembered her time with Jiang Wen, how everything seemed different, yet nothing had changed.
Leaning against the seat, Feng Ning turned to look at him.
Jiang Wen’s features were sharp, especially striking in the interplay of light and shadow.
She asked: “How do you feel?”
Jiang Wen turned to look at her, “Don’t know.”
One year, two years… Some things happened long ago, yet felt like yesterday. Feng Ning hadn’t taken the bus for a long time. After breaking up with Jiang Wen, when back in South City, she basically didn’t dare to.
Sometimes the city felt so small, small enough that walking anywhere, meeting someone, passing by a store could easily trigger memories she dared not touch. Sometimes it felt so big, eerily empty, without laughter. Everything related to him seemed frozen in time.
He held her hand.
Jiang Wen tilted his head, lifting her wrist. He touched her ring finger where the ring sat, then let go, lowering his voice, “When will you meet my grandfather?”
“Hm?”
Jiang Wen said calmly: “To discuss our marriage.”
“……”
She hesitated, “I’m not ready yet, give me some time?”
Jiang Wen’s eyes suddenly darkened, his breathing controlled.
Feng Ning secretly glanced at Jiang Wen, promising: “Won’t be too long.”
She tactfully changed the subject, starting to talk about high school.
In high school, Feng Ning was bold and imaginative, often doing unexpected things. Once during a sports meet, she skipped two days to go fishing at nearby Han River with Shuang Yao. After fishing, they went swimming at the pool. She was like Doraemon with a magic pocket full of treasures, taking out something occasionally to make every day interesting and lively.
As Feng Ning vividly described this, Jiang Wen watched her intently: “Back then, you were the person who annoyed me the most.”
Feng Ning immediately responded, very certain: “But I was also the one you liked most.”
Jiang Wen fell silent for a moment.
When no answer came, Feng Ning nudged him with her elbow: “Right?”
Jiang Wen answered, “Yes.”
“Why did I annoy you?”
After asking, she realized it was obvious. In her youth, she just liked playing pranks on others. From the moment she entered Jiang Wen’s world, he never had peace.
Jiang Wen concentrated on watching the scenery pass by outside, saying briefly, “You never cared about me, never really looked at me.”
“……”
Feng Ning: “If I hadn’t sheltered from rain at Guojin that day. If I hadn’t gone to Class 9 in first year. If you had fallen for someone else, would we both be better off now?”
“No.”
“Hm?”
Something indescribable showed in Jiang Wen’s eyes, “I like you.”
The bus stopped at a station, people got on and off. The people in front were talking loudly, in the noise, Feng Ning couldn’t hear him speak, so she leaned closer to listen.
“I’ve never liked anyone else, only you.”
Feng Ning froze. After a moment of silence, she said, “Me too.”
“What do you mean?”
“Before, after, it’s only been you.” Feng Ning pulled down his neck, speaking seriously into his ear: “Jiang Wen is Feng Ning’s only one.”
They reached the terminal station again.
They only got off when the driver urged them. Feng Ning got off first, jumping in place and breathing out white mist.
There was a winter plum tree nearby, she ran over excitedly. White flower buds, with unmelted snow still on the branches.
Feng Ning, wrapped in a warm scarf, turned back to smile at him, “Jiang Wen, come quickly!”
Jiang Wen stood at a distance, quietly watching her.
Still with the gentleness from their youth.
Time had passed, they were no longer carefree youngsters.
But whenever she looked at him one more time, time seemed to start over.
After Spring Festival, they returned to Shanghai from South City. As days passed, Feng Ning occasionally had sleep problems, she started getting medication regularly from the hospital and doing psychological therapy.
Life gradually got back on track.
In May, Feng Ning and Jiang Wen went to see Ashin’s concert.
The final song was “Tenderness”, everyone sang along, this is my tenderness, my tenderness, cold fireworks burst from both sides of the stage, light sticks and glow sticks waved throughout the venue, brilliant lights changed, countless colorful balloons floated toward the sky.
Until after eleven, when the concert ended, Feng Ning pulled Jiang Wen out of the stadium.
It had started drizzling at some point.
Jiang Wen drove onto the elevated highway.
Feng Ning put in a CD, gentle female vocals filled the car. She hugged her knees, curled up in the passenger seat, turned to Jiang Wen and said: “Let’s not go home tonight, just drive around all night, how about it?”
Jiang Wen: “Okay.”
They drove aimlessly around the outer ring road. By midnight, the rain got heavier.
Passing a gas station, they stopped to rest. Feng Ning took a sip of water, saying: “Let me drive next, I’ll take you somewhere.”
Jiang Wen: “Where?”
She said mischievously: “You’ll know soon.”
Feng Ning input the destination, drove for about half an hour.
Jiang Wen rested his elbow on the window sill, supporting his head, resting his eyes. Sensing the car stop, he opened his eyes.
Feng Ning pulled out the key and opened the door.
Jiang Wen froze, watching helplessly as she walked straight into the rain, instantly getting soaked. She came around from the front of the car, knocked on his window, “Get out.”
This was a commercial street, at three in the morning, with heavy rain, the entire street empty except for these two people without umbrellas.
Jiang Wen’s vision was blurry, raindrops washing down his eyelashes, “What are you doing?”
Feng Ning held his hand as they walked forward, “Taking you to get soaked in the rain with me, how’s that, romantic?”
Jiang Wen: “……”
Early summer, the night temperature had dropped significantly. Both were completely soaked from head to toe, hair and clothes drenched, within ten minutes they were both shivering.
Not knowing what to do, they walked around the block. After a while, she stopped at a street corner.
A huge LED screen nearby was playing advertisements.
Feng Ning suddenly moved behind Jiang Wen.
She stood on tiptoes, covered his eyes with both hands, unable to contain her excitement, like sharing a secret: “I have something to show you.”
He stayed still, “What?”
The rain was still heavy, her voice mixed with the rain sounds, “Before you look, I have something to say.”
“Okay.”
Her chin rested on his shoulder, “I’ve always worried, I’m afraid we won’t have a good ending, what should we do?”
“I’m more afraid than you.” Jiang Wen seemed to sense something, raised his hand to grab her wrist, wanting to pull her hands away from his eyes, “And I want a good ending more than you do.”
“Is that so.”
Feng Ning let her hands drop.
Still facing the pouring rain, empty street, nothing else.
Feng Ning said from behind him: “Then turn around.”
Jiang Wen turned, frozen in place.
The LED screen that was showing advertisements had changed. Instead, there was a small peacock wearing a crown, next to a crying beauty with noodle-like tears, holding a ring, kneeling above a line of English text.
—will the little prince and i get married?
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