On the wedding day, everyone was busy except for the bride and groom. The whole scene was lively and joyful. Ruan Mian learned from Meng Xinglan that in addition to Chen Yi and Shen Yu, the groomsmen Liang Yiran had finally decided on also included Jiang Rang, who had returned home temporarily.
“He also just arrived last night,” Meng Xinglan said as she sat there while the makeup artist did her hair. “Luckily we had saved a set of groomsmen outfits for him beforehand.”
After saying this, she lamented, “The six of us have finally gotten together for once, it really wasn’t easy.”
Ruan Mian smiled. “Yes.”
Later when it was about time, Liang Yiran came with people to fetch the bride. It seemed everyone had tacitly agreed to not make things too difficult for him and the groomsmen, only making them go through a bit more trouble to find the wedding shoes1.
With laughter and cheers all around, Ruan Mian turned her head and saw Chen Yi standing not far away. Today he was unusually well-dressed in a suit and tie, with distinguished brows and eyes, and an expression that contained some laughter. He looked composed and steady.
He must have noticed something because he tilted his head and looked over. Ruan Mian quickly averted her gaze, and in the blink of an eye saw Jiang Rang standing to the side.
He and Chen Yi were dressed alike, and the years had smoothed away the wild and unrestrained edges of the youth he used to be, becoming the gentle and composed man he was today.
Ruan Mian thought of many things from the past and sighed softly with lowered eyes.
Soon, Shen Yu found the wedding shoes in a space above the ceiling. The groom carried his bride away, and the group walked out with them.
The wedding banquet was arranged at Lincang Pavilion. According to custom, they had to first go to the groom’s house to serve tea to his parents before heading over. Liang Yiran carried Meng Xinglan and walked in front, with the groomsmen and bridesmaids and close friends following behind.
Ruan Mian and Fu Guangsheng walked among the crowd and were suddenly patted on the shoulder by Shen Yu. “Ruan Mian, later when we get downstairs, go with the captain in our car.”
She turned her head and agreed. Just then, Chen Yi and Jiang Rang came out of the room. Seeing this, both men stopped talking and looked over.
Their gazes inevitably collided, and for a moment each was lost in their own thoughts and no one spoke. The clueless Fu Guangsheng was the first to break the silence by asking about their recent happenings.
The atmosphere instantly returned to the harmony and ease of old friends reuniting. When the elevator arrived, Shen Yu urged them to get in.
Later, until they arrived at the wedding venue, Ruan Mian still hadn’t spoken with Jiang Rang. It wasn’t until after the wedding ceremony officially began that she was pushed by the people scrambling to catch the bouquet and ended up next to Jiang Rang.
With noisy chatter all around, the two of them stood silently for a while. Jiang Rang lowered his head to look at the balloons on the ground and said softly, “How have you been these past few years?”
“Pretty good,” Ruan Mian smiled. “What about you, how’s it been abroad?”
“About the same for me, just been a bit busy.” Jiang Rang looked at the lively scene before them, and after a long pause finally spoke again, “You and Chen Yi…how are things between you two now?”
Ruan Mian hesitated, unsure for a moment what to say.
Jiang Rang looked up at her. “Last night when I had dinner with Liang Yiran and the others, I heard Meng Xinglan mention something about you two.”
Ruan Mian met his gaze. All these years, the wrongs she owed him made her feel increasingly guilty and at a loss for words.
However, Jiang Rang seemed to see through her inner thoughts and smiled ruefully. “This is good too. Between you and me, at least one of us should get what we wished for. If possible, I hope that person is you.”
The wedding ceremony didn’t end until 7pm. The bride and groom and both sets of parents saw the guests off at the door. All three groomsmen were drunk and passed out on the tables.
Later, after sending all the guests away, Meng Xinglan arranged for drivers to take Ruan Mian and Fu Guangsheng back home. She went downstairs with them.
Liang Yiran found several servers to take Chen Yi and the other two up to the rooms on the upper floor. He had booked the presidential suite, with enough room to fit several people in one unit.
After getting them to the room, he saw the servers out and gave them tips at the door. In just that brief time, noises of things falling came from inside the room.
Liang Yiran felt a headache coming on. He closed the door and went in to see the floor lamp in the living room fallen over on the coffee table. From the bathroom came the sound of running water.
He walked over and saw Chen Yi bent over gripping the edge of the sink, the bright lights above illuminating everything clearly.
Including his flushed eyes and pensive expression.
Liang Yiran went over to wash his hands and turned off the faucet along the way. He grabbed some tissue to dry his hands. “What’s wrong, not feeling well?”
“It’s nothing.” Chen Yi straightened up, droplets of water sliding down his temple. Looking up at Liang Yiran, he said, “Go on, you should head back. I’ll keep an eye on things here.”
Liang Yiran was a little worried. “You sure you’re okay?”
He smiled. “What could happen, I just drank too much and feel a bit sick.”
“Alright, I’ll have the front desk send up some honey water for you guys.” Liang Yiran threw the tissues in the trash can. “I’m heading back first, call me if anything comes up.”
Chen Yi murmured in agreement.
Liang Yiran soon left the room. Chen Yi came out of the bathroom to see the doors of the two adjoining bedrooms left wide open. Jiang Rang was sleeping in the one on the left.
He stood in the living room for a while, seeming to be lost in thought. After quite some time, he finally headed towards the room on the left.
From the living room to bedroom was only a dozen or so meters. In his daze, Chen Yi was brought back to the wedding scene again. Among the crowds he saw Ruan Mian and Jiang Rang standing together. He circled around to approach them, but just as he was about to get close, he overheard their conversation.
He hadn’t intended to eavesdrop, but in the instant he turned to leave, he heard Jiang Rang mention his own name. He didn’t know why in that moment he was suddenly overcome with the urge to stay and keep listening. By the time he came back to his senses, all that was left ringing in his ears were Jiang Rang’s words.
“This is good too. Between you and me, at least one of us should get what we wished for. If possible, I hope that person is you.”
Get what one wished for. Chen Yi prided himself on not losing out to many in language skills, yet hearing these five words, he suddenly lost the ability to comprehend.
He couldn’t even figure out why Jiang Rang would say something like this to Ruan Mian. What kind of situation would call for using the phrase “get what one wished for”.
The notion he didn’t even dare entertain nearly defeated him.
Chen Yi arrived at Jiang Rang’s door and in those silent seconds, he suddenly recalled the hesitation Jiang Rang had shown towards him during their farewell dinner in 12th grade.
He stopped in his tracks, his heart stuffed with cotton. There was an oppressive discomfort, like he couldn’t breathe. He stood there thinking for a long time before finally, lightly closing the door again and returning to the living room.
The room was deathly still.
Chen Yi walked to the floor-to-ceiling windows. In the smooth, spotless glass he saw his own reflection. After a while, as if recalling something, he took out his phone and made a call.
The other end picked up quickly. His voice sounded through the room.
“Are you in Pingcheng?”
“Okay, I’ll come find you.”
“There’s something I want to get clear.”
Having said this, he hung up and left the room.
On the other side of the city, Li Zhi hung up this inexplicable phone call and went back into the darkroom to process photos. After graduating from university, he didn’t pursue a career in his major, but instead switched to become a photographer. In recent years, he had successfully made a name for himself in the industry with his unique niche style. After finishing up a batch of owed photos, Li Zhi came out from the darkroom, picked up the cigarettes and lighter left on the windowsill, and stood on the steps smoking. Before he even finished one cigarette, he heard knocking on the door. Li Zhi went over and opened the door. A gust of wind blew in, carrying with it a strong smell of alcohol. He put out the cigarette butt, tossing it into the flowerbed in the yard, then turned his head with a faint smile, “You didn’t drink and drive, did you?”
He moved to the side to let the person in, then followed along to sit at the small table in the yard. His tone was leisurely as he asked, “What are you looking for me for?”
Chen Yi stood there silently without saying anything. The yard before his eyes was the same as it had been for the past ten years – broken roof tiles piled in the corner, clotheslines stretched taut, and a crooked watermelon vine off to the side. Everything in this yard had borne witness to almost his and Li Zhi’s entire youth. He thought of that girl who would always get nervous whenever she ran into him. All those things he hadn’t paid attention to back then were now unraveling before his eyes bit by bit.
Chen Yi closed his eyes for a moment as all sorts of complicated emotions churned within him, like countless needles pricking down, an airtight pain. He lightly rolled his adam’s apple, his voice somewhat low and hoarse, “Li Zhi.”
“Hmm?”
“Back then, Ruan Mian…” Chen Yi had some trouble speaking, pausing for a good while before finally saying, “Did she like me before?”
There was no more noise from behind. Chen Yi turned his head to look over. Li Zhi was sitting there, his expression still showing some surprise, but after a few seconds it was hidden again behind a smile. “Why are you suddenly asking about this?”
Chen Yi shifted and sat down at the table, looking up to meet his gaze steadily. “I’m not wrong, am I?”
After holding each other’s gaze for a moment, it was as if Li Zhi conceded. “Chen Yi, I don’t know if I should say you’re too oblivious, or you just didn’t care enough.”
He pursed his lips without saying anything.
“Ruan Mian did like you before, but that was a very long time ago.” Li Zhi looked at him. “How did you find out?”
“I overheard it by accident.”
“So what? You rushed over here so anxiously to confirm this with me, what for?” Li Zhi understood Chen Yi. His eyes flickered as he spoke righteously, “Chen Yi, Ruan Mian liking you in the past is her business. I don’t want you to try making up for anything to her now out of guilt. For her, that would be hurt rather than compensation.”
Chen Yi made a noise of acknowledgement, his gaze falling elsewhere. “We met up before when I was in the disaster area.”
“I know.” A few days ago, Ruan Mian had posted a friend circle, and Li Zhi had seen the group photo she took with Chen Yi.
Thinking of this, he also thought of Chen Yi’s unusual reaction tonight, and suddenly had an epiphany. “Could it be…?”
At this point, Chen Yi finally smiled a little, although his eyes were still red. But his tone sounded much more relaxed than before. “You’re right, it’s just as you imagined.”
“Damn.” Li Zhi swore.
Chen Yi looked at him, as if recalling something. He called Li Zhi’s name with particular solemnity. “Li Zhi.”
“What?”
“Thank you.” Chen Yi’s heart ached. He lightly exhaled before saying, “Thank you for being by her side back then.”
Li Zhi didn’t really want to discuss Ruan Mian’s past with Chen Yi. The two chatted for a bit about inconsequential things before Li Zhi got a phone call saying he had to head out.
Chen Yi also stood up. “I’ll get going first since you’re busy.”
“Alright.” Li Zhi saw him to the alley entrance. Right before they parted, he suddenly said to Chen Yi, “People who get a second chance to meet must cherish each other well. Many in this world aren’t as fortunate as you two.”
He was clearly lecturing Chen Yi, yet Chen Yi felt that Li Zhi was also speaking about himself. He was silent for a moment before nodding and saying, “I know.”
- In Chinese weddings, friends may playfully hide the groom’s shoes before the ceremony and ask for red envelopes in exchange for telling him the location. ↩︎
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