Sima Qiuyun didn’t know much about Professor Liang’s wife. Most of what she knew came from faculty gossip and Wu Liu’s chatter; she had never met the woman in person. It wasn't until the night of the memorial service that she finally "met" her—if a funeral portrait counted. Her name was He Ying. She looked young and elegant. They had no children. She appeared well-maintained, perhaps in her mid-thirties, and seemed a perfect match for Liang He. Word was she had worked in investment rather than the arts. Unfortunately, she had passed away in her prime from cervical cancer.
Upon arriving, Qiuyun realized that beyond the group organized by their class monitor, Liu Shan, there were student representatives from the university, both current and those who had graduated years ago. Liang He had always been highly regarded at the school. The vast memorial hall was unexpectedly packed.
Liang He stood at the entrance receiving guests, dressed entirely in black. His hair had grown out; Qiuyun remembered him having a buzz cut, but now it reached below his ears, parted casually to one side. He wore black-rimmed glasses, his eyes betraying a hint of exhaustion. He bowed to everyone who arrived, expressing his gratitude.
After the service ended, Wu Liu insisted on dragging Sima Qiuyun over to say a few words to him.
"Professor Liang, please accept our condolences," Wu Liu said, her eyes fixed on him.
"Thank you for coming," Liang He replied politely.
"Professor Liang, please don't be too sad. The dead cannot return to life. You have to look forward. By your side..."
"Professor Liang!" Qiuyun suddenly interrupted, tugging at Wu Liu’s hand. "You should take care of your own health as well."
Liang He looked at the two of them and said, "Thank you. You two as well. Don't think that being young means you can take your health for granted."
"We understand."
As Qiuyun was about to pull Wu Liu away, Liang He spoke again. "How is your work at the museum? Is everything going well?"
Qiuyun blinked, realizing he was addressing her. Oh, right. He had helped her out a bit when she was first getting that job.
"It’s alright. Just a typical job," Qiuyun said with a faint smile. If he hadn't mentioned it, she would have almost forgotten that period around graduation. In truth, she wanted to say it was more than just typical—it was downright tedious.
"For someone in fine arts, it might be a bit..." Liang He’s lips seemed to quirk up slightly, though Qiuyun couldn't be sure. He continued, "But it’s also very meaningful. After all, you’re dealing with treasures left behind by those who came before us. They’re worth studying deeply."
While waiting outside for Lin Shaohua to pick her up, Wu Liu couldn't help but start her usual rambling. This had been Wu Liu’s habit since university; every time she saw Liang He, she had an endless stream of thoughts to share with Qiuyun. At first, Qiuyun had found it novel—gossip, after all—but after a while, it became tiresome. It was always "Liang He," "Liang He," "Liang He," or "Professor Liang," "Professor Liang," "Professor Liang," on and on until it was grating.
"Do you think Professor Liang and his wife had a good relationship when she was alive?" Wu Liu asked.
"How should I know?"
"I think it was just average. I didn't feel like Professor Liang was very sad today. I didn't see him cry, and his eyes weren't even red."
"Please..." Qiuyun glanced at her sideways. "Today was the memorial service. Wouldn't it be a loss of composure if he acted like that?"
"So what? If you really love someone, you’d be devastated. It’s only natural for emotions to be uncontrollable."
"..." Qiuyun didn't bother responding.
"I think the fact that Professor Liang stayed a DINK all this time is also a sign of a problem. Was his wife unable to conceive? Or did they just have a bad relationship?"
"...You're worrying about way too much."
Wu Liu fell silent.
After a moment, Wu Liu asked, "If I confessed to Liang He again now, do you think he’d say yes?"
Qiuyun turned to look at her in shock. "Are you crazy? You still haven't let him go?!"
Qiuyun had thought that after leaving university, Wu Liu had moved on. Recently, she had been set up with a senior named He Qingyong; they had already met each other's parents and were headed straight for marriage. Those old university stories were supposed to be nothing more than youthful, foolish interludes. She hadn't expected that seeing him today would reignite Wu Liu’s old flame.
Wu Liu didn't speak, her gaze fixed on the memorial hall.
"You have He Qingyong now. What are you thinking?" Qiuyun’s eyes widened. "Besides, Professor Liang’s wife just passed away."
"It’s exactly because I’ve left campus and his wife is gone that I’m saying this," Wu Liu said with a serious face. "Now she is dead and he is single. What’s impossible about it?"
"But..." Qiuyun felt it was too sudden and instinctively tried to stop her. "But... but he’s so much older than us. He’s of our father’s generation..."
"Oh, stop it, Qiuyun," Wu Liu said dismissively. "You told me the same thing back in sophomore year. Look at Professor Liang—does he look like someone from our father’s generation? Do you think age even matters in today’s society?"
"..." Qiuyun was left speechless, but she still felt it was wrong. She emphasized, "You have He Qingyong."
"So what?" Wu Liu suddenly smiled happily at someone behind Qiuyun and waved. "Shaohua, you're here."
—"Don't you have Lin Shaohua too?"
Lin Shaohua was Sima Qiuyun’s fifth blind date.
As soon as she graduated, Chen Liping had been tirelessly arranging matches for Qiuyun, terrified that her daughter would become an "old yellowed pearl" and never get married. In truth, since high school, suitors had been calling Qiuyun’s name from beneath her window. By university, Qiuyun had blossomed into a graceful beauty, and her constant involvement with the arts only enhanced her temperament. The line of people who liked her could have stretched out the door. Yet, Qiuyun had remained single for all four years. Chen Liping was baffled, even suspecting at one point that Qiuyun’s sexual orientation was the issue. After Qiuyun repeatedly denied this, Chen Liping took action, introducing her to one blind date after another.
"A girl’s youth only lasts a few years. You have to seize the moment, or you’ll regret it for the rest of your life..."
"Freshman girls are green apples—good to look at but not to eat. Sophomores are red apples—both good to look at and good to eat. Juniors are bananas—good to eat but not to look at. Seniors are tomatoes—they still think they’re fruit... You’ve graduated now; you’re barely even a vegetable anymore..."
"Don't be too picky. With our family's situation, if you don't marry yourself off during your best years, you'll suffer for it later..."
...
At first, Qiuyun resisted, but she soon found that the more she fought, the more aggressive the onslaught became. Chen Liping approached the task with the same fervor her generation had shown when being sent "down to the countryside," refusing to rest until she had conquered the mountain that was Qiuyun.
Finally, she brought out her trump card—Qiuyun’s father, Sima Feng.
So, Qiuyun switched to passive resistance: She went to the dates; she added them on WeChat; she gave them her number; she went to the dinners... Her attitude was lukewarm, dragging things out until the other party said goodbye.
It had worked on several of them, until she met Lin Shaohua.
"What are you thinking about?" Once they were in the car, Lin Shaohua noticed Sima Qiuyun seemed distracted.
"Oh, nothing," Qiuyun rubbed her temples. "Just a bit tired."
"In a bad mood?"
"No," Qiuyun propped her right hand against the car window. "I just feel that life is unpredictable."
Lin Shaohua smiled and turned on the car radio.
"What was that teacher's name?" he asked.
"Professor Liang. Liang He."
"Were you two close?"
"Yes. He’s very approachable and has a young mindset. He gets along well with the students. A lot of his former students showed up today."
"What does he teach?"
"He taught us oil painting in our second year. He has a deep interest in Buddhist studies; the graduate students he supervises usually focus on that direction..." Qiuyun gave a self-deprecating laugh. "But I didn't continue my studies, so I don't know much about it."
"Then he should be able to take things in stride... People who study Buddhism are said to be able to see through life and death," Lin Shaohua said. "But seeing how young he looks, his children probably aren't very old. It’s a bit unfair to the kids..."
"He’s actually in his fifties..." Qiuyun couldn't help but say.
"What?" Lin Shaohua was surprised. He turned his head to look at her. "But he looks like he’s in his thirties... maybe thirty-five? I really couldn't tell. He has a bit of a..." He searched for the word. "A bit of a Takeshi Kaneshiro vibe..."
"Maybe he just takes good care of himself," Qiuyun wasn't at all surprised by Lin Shaohua’s reaction; she had gaped in shock herself when she first found out. "Actually, we all thought so privately. And I should tell you, he doesn't have any children. He’s been a DINK his whole life."
Lin Shaohua looked back again, nearly running a red light. He slammed on the brakes and, after a long pause, asked, "Really?"
"Yes." Sima Qiuyun was amused by his expression.
"Then..." Lin Shaohua slowly processed the news. "Then this teacher of yours is... quite different..."
"He is. He’s considered a legend in our academy. People in the arts are usually a bit different, but he’s 'different' even by those standards."
"Indeed..." The light turned green and the car started moving. Lin Shaohua said, "I bet a lot of girls in the school liked him, didn't they?"
"Of course," Qiuyun looked out the window. It was late autumn, and maple leaves were spiraling to the ground. "And not just the girls."
Lin Shaohua didn't get it at first, but he laughed a couple of seconds later.
"Don't tell me you were one of them?" he teased.
"How could I be?" Qiuyun said indifferently, her eyes still fixed on the view outside.
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 何英 | He Ying | Liang He's late wife. |
| 丁克 | DINK | Double Income, No Kids; choosing not to have children. |
| 刘姗 | Liu Shan | The class monitor. |
| 何庆勇 | He Qingyong | Wu Liu's fiancé/boyfriend. |
| 司马峰 | Sima Feng | Qiuyun's father. |
| 金城武 | Takeshi Kaneshiro | A famous actor known for his enduring good looks. |
| 上山下乡 | Down to the Countryside | Refers to the movement in China where urban youth were sent to rural areas. |
