On the way back to school, Liang He’s face remained slightly flushed. Even when speaking to Qiu Yun, he did his best to avoid her gaze.
Qiu Yun was secretly amused. It turned out to be such a massive misunderstanding: she had offhandedly mentioned that she hadn't had her period in four months, and Liang He had assumed she was pregnant. For a moment, she had feared he’d discovered her secret. But thinking about it, if a girl hasn't had a period for four months, anyone with a bit of physiological common sense would naturally assume pregnancy. Anyone who jumped straight to "time travel" would probably be considered insane.
The two left the courtyard and walked toward the bus station. As they walked, Qiu Yun’s steps grew unconsciously light. Even the fine drizzle overhead seemed softer and more beautiful. Recalling Liang He’s reaction, a quiet happiness blossomed in her heart. Clearly, something was wrong with her body and she should have been worried, but it didn't seem that important—certainly not as important as the joy she felt right now.
Walking to her right, Liang He noticed the persistent smile on the corner of her lips and her buoyant, almost flying gait. Contrasting this with his own recent emotional roller coaster, he couldn't help but clear his throat twice.
"What is it?" Qiu Yun looked back.
"That... Qiu Xiaoyun, you should go to the hospital on Monday for a check-up." Liang He cleared his throat again.
"Check what?" Qiu Yun asked, then realized. "Oh, it’s not a big deal. It’s just a normal part of adolescent development. I don't necessarily need a hospital. I reckon," she said, patting her lower abdomen, "it should be coming any day now. I actually have a rough idea why; I probably didn't avoid cold food enough during the winter."
Liang He followed her movement. Today, she was wearing a deep blue Dacron shirt, its long hem concealing her flat stomach. *So that’s where it is,* he thought. When she finished speaking and looked up at him, he quickly averted his eyes.
"It’s still better to go, just to be sa—just to be sure." His face reddened as he added, "Or, I can ask the sophomore counselor, Ms. Chen, to take you. She’s a woman." A female teacher would be more convenient, though he didn't say that part out loud.
Seeing his expression, Qiu Yun wanted to laugh again. She nodded in agreement. "Alright then. I bet they’ll just prescribe me a bunch of Chinese herbal medicine to drink."
"You said you didn't avoid 'raw and cold' food in the winter?" Liang He asked with the bluntness of a straight-laced man. "What does that mean?"
"It means... a girl’s body is more sensitive during this time. You have to cut back on raw, cold, and spicy things." Qiu Yun suppressed a smile.
"Is there anything else?"
"Anything else? Well, getting enough rest, avoiding strenuous exercise... there might be some mood swings, but that’s all normal."
"Oh." Liang He thought of the winter break when Qiu Yun had stayed at the school alone, living in such simple and lonely conditions.
"Why are you asking all this?"
"Just supplementing my physiological knowledge," Liang He said, looking perfectly calm and composed. "To avoid making a fool of myself next time."
Unaware of what was truly on his mind, Qiu Yun burst into laughter. "Teacher Liang, don't be so stiff. If you want to laugh, just laugh."
Unable to withstand her teasing, the corners of Liang He’s mouth twitched, and he finally smiled.
With that smile, the awkwardness between them dissolved.
"Teacher Liang," Qiu Yun said, tilting her head as a thought occurred to her. "What if that thing just now had been true? What would happen?"
"What do you mean, true or false?"
"I mean, a student getting pregnant."
"Since I started working at this school, I’ve never heard of such a thing."
"Just as a hypothesis. If a female student came to you crying and said she was pregnant, what would you do?"
"Can't you think about something positive?" Liang He gave her a sidelong glance. "In a situation like that, on one hand, I’d have to clarify the circumstances and find her guardian; on the other hand, I’d report it to the school. Besides, our school’s discipline has always been strict, and the students are sensible and obedient. Such a thing is basically impossible."
"So official," Qiu Yun hummed. What Liang He said was logical, but lacked "heart." Looking at his deadpan face, she deliberately asked, "And what about you?"
"What about me?"
"If that girl were me, what would you do?"
"What do you mean, what would I do?" Liang He frowned. "I say, Student Qiu Xiaoyun, is this the kind of thing you should be hypothesizing? For a female college student, this would be a massive blow to her physical health, mental state, and reputation. That misunderstanding just now was a joke, and it’s over. Why are you still dwelling on it with such relish? What would I do... am I the one who should be asked 'what to do'? And what would you want me to do? Catch the man, beat him half to death, make him kneel before you, and then stab him?"
Liang He was usually a very steady person who spoke with great propriety. She hadn't expected those last few sentences to sound so uncharacteristically childish. Recalling his expression from earlier and combining it with these words, Qiu Yun knew it wasn't real, yet she couldn't help but feel happy. When one is happy, one tends to push their luck.
"But what if he and I were truly in love?"
At these words, Liang He was struck dumb, seemingly too angry to speak. He froze for a full three seconds, looking at her as if he didn't recognize her. Finally, he spat out a sentence: "Then I wish you a long life together and many children!"
Qiu Yun blinked, wanting to laugh but not daring to; Liang He might actually be angry. Just then, the bus arrived, and she quickly changed the subject. "Oh, the bus is here, the bus is here! Let’s get on."
Liang He, however, turned and walked away from the crowd, tossing back a stiff sentence: "You go ahead. I’m walking back."
***
Once the rainy season passed, summer arrived.
Frogs were already croaking in the pond by the East Gate of the Academy of Fine Arts. The emerald lotus leaves slowly unfurled their forms, and the flower buds looked like the tips of calligraphy brushes dipped in peach-pink ink, standing tall and swaying in the breeze.
Since that day, Qiu Yun went back to Phoenix Street every weekend to visit her "Senior Brother." Qiu Yun had asked: if she drank the well water and her soul went back, how would the original Qiu Xiaoyun return if she didn't drink it? Qiu Zhenghong explained that the exchange between parallel dimensions was somewhat like a displacement reaction in chemistry—the active replaces the inactive, the strong energy replaces the weak. Currently, Qiu Yun’s energy was stronger than Qiu Xiaoyun’s, just as Qiu Xiaoyun’s had been stronger than Qiu Yun’s in the beginning. It was the same principle.
Qiu Yun asked if she would really be a "vegetable" once she returned. Qiu Zhenghong said not necessarily, because her physical vitals were normal; it was just that her brain was in a deep sleep. Once she returned, she would naturally wake up.
Qiu Yun then asked how long it took for the well water to take effect after drinking so much of it last time. Qiu Zhenghong replied that it took about three months for him, and about six months for Qiu Xiaoyun. Qiu Yun counted the days; it had been one month and fifteen days so far—not yet close to the expected time.
Qiu Zhenghong comforted her, saying this couldn't be rushed. Instead of counting the days, she should cherish her final moments in 1988.
*Cherish the final moments in 1988.*
Qiu Yun couldn't help but look out the window. The new trees were lush with leaves, the breeze was gentle, and the sky was so blue. After she went back, would she ever see a sky this blue again?
She wasn't exactly a sentimental soul, but the thought of leaving had replaced her initial joy with a strange, lingering emotion. Before, she had been desperate to know the truth and desperate to go back. But now that things were clear and certain, she felt like the man who claimed to love dragons but was terrified when a real one appeared—she was reluctant to bring it up.
As for her health, whether it was a coincidence or the medicine, Qiu Yun had gone to the hospital about her missed periods. They prescribed three doses of herbal medicine. After the first dose, her "monthly visitor" arrived as scheduled. Other than that, there were no other abnormalities.
Her roommates, however, had been catching colds one after another since the start of the rainy season. First, Chang Huan had a cold for a week, and before she recovered, she passed it to Liu Yujin. Liu Yujin coughed for over half a month, and then Wang Chen fell ill. Logically, Qiu Yun’s constitution should have been the weakest among them, but she had somehow escaped unscathed, without even a single sneeze.
This was where the difference between being single and being in a relationship became apparent. When Chang Huan and Liu Yujin were sick, they looked after each other as roommates. But when Wang Chen got sick, her "Brother Feng" increased his letters from once a week to four or five times a week. Yesterday he asked if she was better; today he asked again. If the university weren't so strict, he would have skipped class to come back and see her.
Beyond emotional support, there was material support. In this era, material conditions and transportation weren't very developed, but this Brother Feng somehow found ways to have people hand-deliver plenty of treats to Wang Chen. Of course, since Wang Chen was sick and had little appetite, these treats ended up becoming a feast for the other three in the dorm.
"Da Chen," Chang Huan said, unwrapping a White Rabbit Creamy Candy and popping it into her mouth, speaking indistinctly, "this candy is so good. I love the milky flavor. When is Brother Feng sending more stuff? Do you know what it’ll be?"
"Can we put in a request?" Liu Yujin also unceremoniously tossed a candy into her mouth. "I want those cookies they sell at the department store. My mom bought some for me over New Year’s, but I only got a few before my younger siblings divided them up."
"You two really don't treat yourselves like outsiders, do you?" Wang Chen said while pouring water.
"Of course not. We’re your sisters, which makes us Brother Feng’s sisters-in-law. Why be so formal? Speaking of which," Liu Yujin leaned in with a mischievous look, "it’s been so long and we still haven't met this Brother Feng. When are you going to bring him out for us to see? When I look for a boyfriend later, I’m going to find one just like him."
Wang Chen laughed. "That’s enough from you two. Even good food can't shut your mouths. It’s not that I’m shy, it’s just the circumstances—he’s not even in City A, how can I introduce you? When he came back during winter break, you were all gone. Only Xiao Yun was here, so didn't I invite her along?"
"Really?" Chang Huan asked immediately. "Xiao Yun, you went? Did you see him? What does he look like?"
Qiu Yun shrugged and popped a candy into her own mouth. "She took me along, but halfway there, I suddenly felt I couldn't bear to disturb their private time, so I turned back."
"Ah..." Chang Huan and Liu Yujin both sighed in disappointment. Chang Huan said, "How could you retreat at the critical moment?"
"Give me a break," Wang Chen said, patting Qiu Yun’s head. "What 'couldn't bear to disturb'? You had an upset stomach halfway there and ran off to find a restroom. Brother Feng and I had agreed to meet at the park and go to a movie in the afternoon. But because you never showed up, we waited so long we missed the movie and spent the whole afternoon blowing in the cold wind at the park for nothing."
That day was indeed as she described. Qiu Yun had eaten a cold steamed bun in the morning and got an upset stomach on the way. She had ducked into a McDonald's to find a toilet and unexpectedly ran into Liang He and Lu Xialan. She only now realized she had caused Wang Chen and Brother Feng to miss their movie.
She quickly turned and hugged Wang Chen around the waist, rubbing her head against her stomach and acting spoiled. "I wasn't feeling well then and didn't think it through. I didn't know you two missed the movie because of me. Tell you what, next time I’ll treat you to a movie."
Wang Chen, unable to break free from the hug, poked her forehead. "Who wants to go with you?"
"Exactly," Chang Huan chimed in. "Who wants to go with you?"
"She wants to go with Brother Feng," Liu Yujin added.
"Is that so?" Qiu Yun said piteously. "So my warm face is meeting a cold shoulder."
The three of them teasing in unison made Wang Chen embarrassed. She had to put on her "big sister" act. "Go ahead and laugh at me. I’m going to the library to study. It’s the end of the term; you’d better seize what time is left."
Liu Yujin flopped onto her bed and said lazily, "Today is Sunday. I’ll go tomorrow."
Wang Chen stacked her books on the desk and said, "Tomorrow after tomorrow, how many tomorrows are there?"
Wang Chen had said it casually. Chang Huan ignored it, and Liu Yujin didn't respond. But Qiu Yun truly took it to heart.
Yesterday, Qiu Zhenghong had told her to cherish her final moments in 1988.
Today, Wang Chen said: *Tomorrow after tomorrow, how many tomorrows are there?*
But for her, how many "tomorrows" were left here?
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
--- | --- | ---
的确良 | Dacron / Polyester | A popular synthetic fabric in China during the 70s and 80s.
大白兔奶糖 | White Rabbit Creamy Candy | A famous brand of milk candy in China.
置换反应 | Displacement reaction | A chemical reaction in which one element replaces another in a compound.
明日复明日，明日何其多 | Tomorrow after tomorrow, how many tomorrows are there? | A famous line from the "Song of Tomorrow" (明日歌) by Ming Dynasty poet Qian Fu, emphasizing the value of time.
