If I Wait Thirty Years | Chapter 13 | A Midnight Tumble | Novela.app

“Hahahaha! So you actually fell into a manhole?” Wang Chen’s eyes were wide as she struggled to suppress her laughter. Qiu Yun shot her a dirty look with her left eye. “Hahahaha! How can you be so unlucky!” Chang Huan laughed so hard she started pounding the table. Qiu Yun shot her a dirty look with her right eye. “Hahahaha! Who was the person with the flashlight? What happened after you fell?” Liu Yujin asked, picking up the relay after Wang Chen and Chang Huan finished their laughing fits. “After that...” Qiu Yun looked at her group of mischievous friends and let out a long sigh. This is what happened. The path Qiu Yun had taken that night was a secluded shortcut. A pipe was recently being repaired, and the manhole cover had been left off. There was supposed to be a guardrail, but for some reason, it had been moved. It was pitch black at night, so she hadn't seen it. When that beam of intense light hit her, she lost her footing and tumbled right in. Fortunately, the shaft wasn't deep, and there was plenty of silt at the bottom. When she landed, her upper body was still sticking out. Still reeling from the shock, she saw a dark figure approaching from ahead. The beam of light wavered, making it impossible to see who it was. Stricken with fear, she barked out, “Who... who are you!” “It’s me,” the person said. “Who... who is 'me'? State your name.” Qiu Yun thought the voice sounded familiar, but she couldn't quite place it. The person turned the flashlight directly onto their own face. In the middle of the ink-black night, a face appeared that was so pale it was eerie. Qiu Yun let out a blood-curdling scream that pierced the night sky: “Ghost! Help! A ghost!” “Hey, hey, it’s me,” the person said, stepping forward quickly and crouching down so Qiu Yun could see his face clearly. “I’m Liang—” *Slap!* Qiu Yun’s hand flew out in a backhand, delivering a resounding smack across his face. “...I’m Liang He.” The flashlight dropped to the ground. A young, handsome, but utterly expressionless face appeared before her. *** “What?! You actually slapped Teacher Liang?” the three roommates asked in unison. “I did.” “Wow... Xiao Yun... you really are something...” The expressions on their faces were a colorful mix of shock and awe. “You guys have no idea how terrifying it is when someone shines a flashlight up at their face like that. I don't care if it's Huang Jingyu or Cai Xukun, they all look like ghosts,” Qiu Yun explained. “If I’d had a brick in my hand, I definitely would have thrown it.” Wang Chen was speechless. Chang Huan gave her a thumbs-up. “Who’s Huang Jingyu? And who’s Cai Xukun?” Liu Yujin suddenly asked. Qiu Yun froze for a second before saying, “Uh... classmates from elementary school. It doesn't matter. The point is, it was terrifying.” “Okay, so what happened next?” Chang Huan continued to dig for gossip. “Next...” *** Liang He had used every ounce of his strength to pull Qiu Yun out. “What is a female student like you doing on such a remote path in the middle of the night?” Liang He asked, his brow furrowed. “Teacher Liang, first of all, it’s ten o’clock, not the middle of the night. Secondly, is it illegal for me to walk on this path?” Qiu Yun snapped back. “As for you, of all things to pretend to be, you chose a ghost. Don't you know that spirits aren't allowed to attain enlightenment after the founding of the Republic?” “I’m on duty today. I was doing a routine patrol of the campus.” Liang He pointed to his left arm, where a red armband was indeed visible. Qiu Yun didn't know whether to laugh or cry. What era was this, still wearing red armbands? She could even imagine that when Liang He said those words, the red of the armband must have glowed even brighter with his sense of duty. “You always have an excuse,” Qiu Yun said, not at all intimidated by the red armband. Her heart was still racing from the scare, and she complained, “You scared me right into that hole. Don't you know that people can be scared to death? If something had happened to me, would you have been able to walk away? Anyway, I accidentally... 'hit' you just now, so we're even. Neither of us owes the other anything.” Liang He’s face darkened further. In all his years, he had never been slapped. Tonight was a first. His lips twitched, but he didn't say a word. “Does it hurt? Are you okay?” Qiu Yun asked, observing his expression. After all, that slap had been quite loud. “I didn't hit you that hard. I didn't leave a handprint.” Liang He ignored her with a cold face, only to hear Qiu Yun add, “If it swells up, just rub some soy sauce on it. It’ll be fine.” He looked at her, his gaze shifting. “What are you looking at me for?” Liang He asked slowly, “Are you joking with me?” “I’m not,” Qiu Yun said earnestly. “My grandfather told me that. It’s a folk remedy. When I fell as a kid, he’d always rub soy sauce on me. It stops bleeding and reduces swelling.” Qiu Yun was telling the truth. She had been a restless child, always getting bumped and bruised, and her grandfather would mix a little water with soy sauce and apply it to her. She didn't know where the remedy came from or if it actually worked, but her grandfather insisted it was an ancestral secret. After a second of cold silence, Liang He asked, “Do I need to add salt?” “No need...” Qiu Yun started to say, before suddenly realizing he thought she was talking nonsense. “Don't believe me? Fine, don't use it then.” “If you have an injury when you get back, will you rub soy sauce on it too?” Liang He asked, his eyes narrowing slightly. “If there’s an injury, I’ll rub it.” “Student Qiu Yun, you are a university student now,” Liang He said. He had been a bit angry, but hearing her words, he almost couldn't hold back a laugh. “According to your logic, if a patient is hemorrhaging on the operating table, the doctor should just keep rubbing soy sauce on them?” “It can't cure a hemorrhage.” Liang He finally smiled, though he didn't make a sound, and Qiu Yun didn't notice in the darkness. Qiu Yun pulled a long face. “If there’s nothing else, I’m going back.” “Wait a moment. Come back with me to make a record of this,” Liang He said. “A record?” Qiu Yun thought she had misheard. “What kind of record?” “The girls' dormitory closes at ten. You...” Before he could finish, Qiu Yun felt a surge of nameless fury rush to her head. Ignoring the fact that she was covered in mud, she stood up and started walking. “The only reason I’m late is because you scared me into a hole! Look at me—I’m covered in filth, and it’s all thanks to you! If you want a record, write it yourself. This lady isn't sticking around for it.” Before Liang He could speak, she turned back, snatched the flashlight out of his hand, and said fiercely, “I’ll give it back tomorrow.” Then she limped away. *** The three roommates were looking at Qiu Yun with eyes full of heroic admiration, as if saying, *“I respect you as a true warrior.”* If Qiu Yun said one more word, they would probably start a slow clap. “I was just... driven mad with anger...” Qiu Yun felt a bit embarrassed now. “Think about it. I was scared half to death, covered in filth, and then I was supposed to go back and get a demerit...” The three of them paused, trying to process her logic. “But... you didn't get back until almost midnight...?” Chang Huan asked. “Why were you so late?” “Because...” Qiu Yun’s momentum weakened slightly. “Because... you can't shower in the dorm...” It was true. In the dorms of the late eighties, there were no private bathrooms. There was only one public restroom per floor. Showers were taken in a communal bathhouse, and in the summer, the hot water was unstable—sometimes it was there, sometimes it wasn't. Fortunately, the weather was hot and the students were young, so no one really cared. The dorms had standard bunk beds and were meant for eight people, but because Qiu Yun’s room faced north and was exceptionally small, it only held two bunks, so only four people lived there. Don't think that having only four people was a luxury; the room was so cramped that besides the two beds, they could barely squeeze in a single desk by the window. This served as their communal table, piled high with four people’s cups, notebooks, pens, toothbrushes, and toothpaste. Other than that, there was nowhere else to put anything. However, in this era, people had few clothes and even fewer cosmetics. An occasional tin of Pechoin was a rare treasure. Over time, Qiu Yun hadn't found it so bad. But tonight, Qiu Yun felt like she was about to lose it. She had walked to the dormitory entrance with the flashlight, seen the cold iron gate, and realized she couldn't shower. The bathhouse was already closed. She could smell the scent of mud mixed with some mysterious, sour stench clinging to her. She was wearing sandals, and there was wet, soft silt between her toes, possibly harboring unknown organisms. She felt a sudden urge to just give up on life. She took three deep breaths where she stood, then turned back the way she had come. The moment she swung the flashlight around, she saw Liang He standing ten meters away, expressionless and still. A word immediately popped into her mind: *Setup.* Qiu Yun turned off the flashlight and stood her ground, staring at him without saying a word. The cicadas of October were few and far between now. A night breeze blew past, ruffling the hair near her ears. Liang He’s features looked both sharp and blurred in the dim light. Qiu Yun felt like they were in a tug-of-war; whoever spoke first would lose. Finally, Liang He spoke from a distance. “Follow me.” Then, without checking to see if she was following, he turned and walked away. Qiu Yun looked at his back and smiled faintly. They walked one after the other, separated by two or three paces. Qiu Yun used the flashlight to light the path ahead, but when they reached the well-lit main campus road, she turned it off. After saying those words, Liang He never looked back, as if he didn't care if she followed or was certain that she would. Although she was walking behind him, Qiu Yun felt a victor’s joy. She let her gaze wander shamelessly over Liang He’s back. He was dressed quite casually today—a white short-sleeved T-shirt that was a bit washed out, with the collar starting to curl like a lotus leaf. His pants were dark shorts that reached his knees, loose and baggy. On his feet, he wore a pair of flip-flops. Aside from that red armband on his left arm, he looked like he was just out for a casual stroll—maybe he *was* just out for a stroll and doing his patrol on the side. His hair was very short, a clean-cut buzz cut. They say this is the hairstyle that most tests the shape of one's head, and Liang He had clearly passed the test perfectly. Qiu Yun remembered the Liang He of the future; when he taught them in her sophomore year, his hair had been longer, almost reaching his ears. When she saw him again after graduation, he’d cut it again, though it was still longer than it was now. But no matter the hairstyle, Liang He could pull it off perfectly. Perhaps it proved that aesthetic truth—it all comes down to the face. Liang He led her to the faculty housing area. “I say—” Qiu Yun asked slowly, “Teacher Liang, why did you bring me here?” Liang He glanced at her but didn't rush to speak. He went into the guardhouse to register a name. Qiu Yun looked over and saw three words written in a flamboyant hand: “Lu Xialan.” *Eh...?* Qiu Yun felt the atmosphere of gossip explode around her. “Lu Xialan...?” Qiu Yun put on a look of innocent curiosity, playing dumb. “Who is that?” Liang He didn't answer. “A friend?” Qiu Yun looked innocent. “It looks like a girl’s name. Is she a teacher? Why did you write her name?” Liang He lifted his eyelids to look at Qiu Yun and asked unhurriedly, “Do you want to shower?” Qiu Yun was suspicious. “I can shower here?” Liang He: “You have to register to shower.” This was the dormitory for the school’s young staff. It was a wooden structure with a sloped roof, only three stories high, with rooms divided like offices. The stairwells were on either side of the building. On the first floor, the space under the stairs had been turned into a small shower room, considered a faculty benefit. However, there was no central hot water; you had to bring your own thermos and basin. Qiu Yun craned her neck to peek at the registry. Sure enough, there were names and departments registered, but they were all teachers' names. The bottom line was the one Liang He had just written, the ink still wet. The name “Lu Xialan” was a bit of an eyesore, but strangely, something soft brushed against Qiu Yun’s heart. Liang He appeared from somewhere with a thermos of hot water and a silver metal basin. “Do you live here?” Qiu Yun asked curiously. She remembered Liang He telling her once that he lived in the graduate men’s dormitory. “No, I live in the dorms,” he said, as expected. “Then how can you come in here?” “I’m borrowing it.” “Then this basin, thermos, and towel... are they Lu Xialan’s?” “No. A friend’s.” “Male or female?” Liang He gave her a flat look. “Male.” Qiu Yun instinctively felt the rim of the basin. Good, good—it didn't feel greasy or slimy. “Who is Lu Xialan? Is she a teacher at our school? Does she live here too?” Qiu Yun seized the previous topic and started gossiping again. Liang He just focused on leading Qiu Yun forward. “Tell me...” Before Qiu Yun could finish, Liang He cut her off. “I’ll wait for you outside. Five minutes.” “Five minutes?” Qiu Yun cried out. “How is five minutes possible? Have you ever seen a girl who only takes five minutes to shower?” “I haven't seen a girl shower,” Liang He said matter-of-factly. “I only need three minutes.” “Big brother...” Qiu Yun was speechless. She couldn't explain the difference between men’s and women’s showers to a thick-headed, straight-laced man, nor could she explain exactly how dirty she was today. The softness in her heart was instantly swept away by a crude broom. She held up two fingers. “Twenty minutes. Wait for me on the bench in the hallway.” Liang He looked down at the thermos. He didn't argue, merely stated a fact: “You only have one thermos of hot water.” Qiu Yun: “...” “I’ll wait outside.” With that, Liang He turned and left. Qiu Yun, unable to contain her annoyance, slammed the door shut. The vibration knocked a gecko off the door. *** Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation --- | --- | --- 红袖章 | Red armband | Worn by people on duty or in positions of authority/patrol. 百雀羚 | Pechoin | A classic Chinese skincare brand famous for its moisturizing cream in blue tins. 陆夏兰 | Lu Xialan | A name Liang He uses to register for the shower. 建国后不允许成精 | No spirits allowed to attain enlightenment after the founding of the Republic | A modern Chinese internet meme/joke about censorship rules regarding the supernatural, used anachronistically by the protagonist. 黄景瑜 | Huang Jingyu | Johnny Huang, a famous Chinese actor. 蔡徐坤 | Cai Xukun | A famous Chinese singer/idol.