Chen Yi didn’t go back to the hotel that night. He walked alone for a long time along Pingjiang West Alley. On a summer night, the sky was like a vast chessboard dotted with stars.
At the end of the alley was No. 8 Middle School. At this time, only the high school buildings still had lights on. Chen Yi didn’t have his ID card, and the places they used to sneak over the wall to skip class were all now blocked off with barbed wire fences. He couldn’t get inside.
Later, around 11pm, the high schoolers got out of class wearing their blue and white uniforms. Chen Yi stood across the street watching for a long time.
He tried to recall memories related to Ruan Mian – every conversation, every encounter, even Ruan Mian’s expressions and reactions at the time.
But time was cruel. No matter how hard Chen Yi tried, there were still many things that had been erased and forgotten by the torrent of years.
Soon, the campus emptied. Chen Yi headed back the way he came, teens on bicycles whizzing by his side.
He got to the mouth of the alley.
After so many years, the dilapidated street lamps had long been replaced with new lighting. The stone and gravel road surface had also been patched and smoothed over. Many of the old alley residents had moved away. The aluminum and plastic shingles of those mom-and-pop shops and fruit stalls had been changed again and again.
Chen Yi went in, turning left and right following memory, quickly arriving at the entrance of that small internet café. As if transported back to that sultry summer night.
He stood where Ruan Mian had lingered, belatedly realizing perhaps it hadn’t been his imagination back then.
She really had been looking at him, only like so many times after, she had hidden it well.
There was an alley that went straight from the internet cafe to Pingjiang Mansion. By the time Chen Yi got home, it was late into the night and the house was silent.
He returned to his room. After showering, he rummaged through the bookshelf which held his high school texts and materials.
Between his English and Chinese books, he found his senior yearbook that Shen Yu had insisted on buying when they went out to eat before the gaokao, saying he wanted to compare who got the most confessions in the end.
Chen Yi had already received his acceptance from UC Berkeley then and rarely went to school anymore. The yearbook was brought back by Jiang Rang at the time and later given to Chen Yi.
He had always cared little for such things and didn’t look through it carefully after getting it. After so long, the pages had yellowed somewhat and some of the writing had become blurry.
He flipped to Ruan Mian’s page quickly. She had only written her name and well wishes – the penmanship as bold and flowing as ever.
“Wish you the best on the gaokao and top of the list.”
Ruan Mian.
2010530.
Chen Yi removed Ruan Mian’s page from the plastic sleeve and held it in his hand, staring for a long time.
He regretted not having properly said goodbye when they parted, even that last brief meeting.
Chen Yi clutched the paper tightly. Bowing his head, he swallowed hard, feeling sorrowful.
Outside, the moonlit starry sky stretched endless.
The next morning, Ruan Mian, who had also been up all night, was woken by several calls from her mother in succession. Day had already broken outside, sunlight squeezing in through the cracks.
Fang Ruqing didn’t say much, only asking when she’d come over.
Ruan Mian sat up groggily, voice hoarse. “Later, I’m not even up yet.”
“Alright, we won’t wait for you for breakfast then.”
Fang Ruqing said, “Shutang is back too, and he brought a friend home. Get ready and come quickly.”
“Mm.”
After hanging up, Ruan Mian sat collecting herself for a bit before getting up to wash up and get ready. As she did, she pondered those words “brought a friend home,” guessing it likely wasn’t just a simple friend.
Recalling Fang Ruqing’s previous remarks, she sighed with a headache.
After having breakfast at home, Ruan Mian accompanied Zhou Xiujun to take a stroll around the residential compound, then took a taxi to go to Pingjiang West Alley.
In the past few years, Pingcheng has developed very quickly, but Pingjiang West Alley has been designated as a preservation zone by the government. Other than routine maintenance, there are no plans to demolish and rebuild.
After arriving, Ruan Mian was pushed by Fang Ruqing to go greet Duan Ying. Ever since his stroke, Duan Ying’s attitude towards his family has improved a lot.
After greeting and coming out, Ruan Mian was pulled aside by Fang Ruqing to the living room downstairs, inevitably to talk about matchmaking.
Fang Ruqing said, “Even Shutang has brought a boyfriend home, yet you still don’t have a partner at this point. You don’t even go to the blind dates I arrange for you.”
Ruan Mian pursed her lips without speaking.
“Like last year when I told you about Liu Jingyi’s son, you didn’t want to go, and now this year they even have a child, being born this October.”
Ruan Mian: “His speed is quite fast.”
Fang Ruqing didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, “Child, is this what I said so much just to hear you say that?”
Ruan Mian stroked her nose. Just then, there was an incoming phone call at home. She grabbed the lifeline and ran out when she saw the chance.
The alleys were narrow and complex, and Ruan Mian had only ever gotten lost once in all these years, and that one time, she met Chen Yi there.
He was like a rose blooming in her barren life. Even with thorns, she wanted to get close. Even if she was covered in cuts and bruises, she never regretted it.
Ruan Mian wandered around the alley aimlessly again, like when she first arrived. Sunlight filtered through the overhead crisscrossing antennas in streaks.
Soon she was near the internet cafe again. There was a steady flow of people going in and out. A few boys in T-shirts stood on the stairs, cigarettes in hand.
Very different from the boy in her memories.
She remembered he didn’t smoke.
Ruan Mian didn’t keep walking forward. Just as she was about to turn back, she froze.
At the other end of the alley, Chen Yi held a white convenience store bag in one hand and looked at his phone in the other, walking this way.
On a sunny day, the two met unexpectedly in a narrow alley. The moment their eyes met, Ruan Mian saw surprise on his face.
“What a coincidence.”
She smiled.
Chen Yi put away his phone and walked over. “You’re alone?”
“Ah, yes.”
Ruan Mian said, “It was a bit stifling at home, so I went out for a walk. What are you up to?”
“Sending something to Li Zhi.”
Chen Yi came over, blocking the sun in front of her. “Want to come over together?”
“Sure. When did he come back? I remember a few days ago his moments were still in Yunnan.”
Although Ruan Mian had kept in touch with Li Zhi all these years, it wasn’t frequent.
“He came back the day before yesterday.”
“Oh.”
Chen Yi glanced at her, as if he had something to say.
“What is it?”
Ruan Mian noticed his gaze, thinking there was something on her face, and reflexively raised her hand to check.
“Nothing.”
He smiled. “Just remembered some things from the past these days.”
“Ah?”
He caught her off guard. “Our first meeting was here, right?”
Her heart suddenly beat faster. She equivocated, “Was it? I don’t remember. It probably was.”
Chen Yi looked at her meaningfully. “I remember it was.”
Ruan Mian: “…”
Grandpa Li had passed away a few years ago. His shop was solely run by his father now. When they arrived, Li Zhi was unloading goods at the door.
He still looked the same as high school, wearing an oversized T-shirt and black pants, with medium length hair – no change at all.
He rolled up his shirt to wipe sweat. Looking up and seeing Ruan Mian and Chen Yi, he smiled and said, “Hey, how did you two come together?”
Chen Yi: “Just happened to run into each other.”
Li Zhi raised his brows. “What a coincidence. Come in and sit for a bit.”
The three of them went inside one after the other. Li Zhi called for his father to take inventory while he brought them to the backyard.
“How long are you back for this time?”
Li Zhi poured Ruan Mian a cup of tea and asked.
“Four days. Arrived yesterday. Leaving the day after tomorrow.”
“Then that’s perfect. I’m going to City B in a few days. I’ll contact you then.”
Li Zhi set down the teapot. “Are you planning to stay and develop in City B for the long term?”
“That’s the plan for now.”
Ruan Mian drank some tea. It was sweet. “All considering, I’ve only just graduated. Still want to stay in a big city and learn more.”
“Makes sense.”
The two chatted casually. Chen Yi sat silently the whole time without speaking. After a while, Ruan Mian got a call from Fang Ruqing saying Zhao Shutang had returned.
“Okay, I know. I’ll head back now.”
After hanging up, she said, “Someone’s home so I have to go back first.”
Li Zhi: “Alright, go on back. Let me know when you’re free.”
Chen Yi also got up to leave. “I should go too. Remember to put the zongzi (T/N: glutinous rice dumpling) in the fridge.”
“Got it. Help me thank your grandma.”
“Already did.”
Chen Yi and Ruan Mian left the shop together. It wasn’t exactly on the way for either of them, but no one said anything about leaving first, so they simply retraced their steps from earlier.
When they reached the intersection from before, Chen Yi asked, “What time are you leaving today?”
“Probably after dinner.”
He nodded. “Let me know before you go. I’ll send you.”
She froze.
Chen Yi smiled. “What is it?”
Ruan Mian was a bit flustered, avoiding his gaze. “I’m going back first.”
Her back seemed to flee in panic. Chen Yi found it amusing. Feeling mischievous, he called out to stop her again. “Ruan Mian.”
The woman before him halted and turned back, an inexplicably endearing expression on her face.
He stood there, smiling wider and wider. “See you later.”
Ruan Mian uttered an “oh”, then continued walking forward. After quite some distance, she looked back and saw his figure disappear around the bend.
She brought her gaze back and smiled too.
Leave a Reply