Qiu Yun’s legs gave way, and she slumped directly into the chair behind her.
Dad... that was Dad!
In 1988, Sima Feng was only twenty-three years old, still a university student!
But this... this was her father in his youth. That build, that face, those eyes—it was undeniably him!
Noticing her strange behavior, Liang He leaned in and asked anxiously, "Xiaoyun, what’s wrong?"
Qiu Yun took a deep breath, struggling to keep her voice steady. "No... it’s nothing. I need to... go to the restroom..."
With that, she bolted for the washroom. She ducked into the furthest stall, covered her face, and began to weep silently.
Longing, excitement, shock, confusion... a whirlwind of complex emotions surged within her. She didn't even know exactly why she was crying, but in that moment, the tears simply wouldn't stop.
She had been in this era for nearly a year. She had experienced joy, sadness, and homesickness, but she had never lost control like this.
She had dreamed of Sima Feng countless times—dreamed of being with him as a child, dreamed of visiting him in prison during her college years, and even dreamed of a terrifying version of him that faded into nothingness. But she had never imagined that one day, in this era, she would encounter a real, tangible, youthful version of her father.
She hadn't even dared to dream of such a thing.
Yet today, she had seen him.
Dad... why was he... here?
He was... Wang Chen’s boyfriend? Wang Chen... was his girlfriend?
As the realization hit her, Qiu Yun felt a cold sweat break out. *Heavens, you can’t play with people like this...*
Hospitals were always overcrowded, and soon there was a knock on the door, someone urging her to hurry up.
Qiu Yun hurriedly wiped the tear tracks from her face, calmed her mind, adjusted her breathing, and opened the door to walk out.
By the time she returned to the consultation room, Wang Chen was mostly finished and ready to leave.
"Are you alright?" Liang He asked her.
Sima Feng had his back to her, helping Wang Chen practice walking with her crutches.
"I’m fine." Qiu Yun forced a small smile at Liang He. "The restroom was too crowded; there was a long line."
Liang He wanted to ask more, but Sima Feng turned around. Seeing Qiu Yun, he said, "Student Qiu is back. Shall we head out then?"
Qiu Yun gave him a slight nod. "Yes, let’s go."
***
Liang He felt that Qiu Xiaoyun was acting very strangely.
For instance, when they were getting onto the tractor to head back, Sima Feng hopped up first to help Wang Chen, then Liang He climbed up and reached out to pull Qiu Xiaoyun. After she got on, her first instinct was to sit in the empty spot next to Sima Feng, but then she seemed to hesitate, as if remembering something, and sat next to Wang Chen instead.
Furthermore, on the way back to Yunma Village, Qiu Xiaoyun spent the entire trip trying to chat with Sima Feng. She asked where he was from, where he went to university, what his current situation was, how long he would be staying... Even Wang Chen couldn't help but laughingly interrupt, asking if she was a police officer conducting a background check.
And then there was—well, it wasn't even a "for instance" anymore, it was glaringly obvious—ever since Sima Feng arrived, Qiu Xiaoyun’s eyes were constantly glued to him. Sometimes she would just stare blankly, and other times her gaze was filled with a deep, probing intensity.
He asked her if she knew Sima Feng. She shook her head, but the moment she finished shaking it, her eyes would drift back to him unconsciously.
The weather had been sweltering lately, with dark clouds hanging low in the distance. Liang He felt a tightness in his chest.
He wasn't the only one; Qiu Yun felt it too.
She knew about the relationship between Wang Chen and Sima Feng. Even before meeting him, she knew they were deeply committed, their love as vast as the sea. She had even sighed to Wang Chen in envy, saying such a pure and sincere bond was enough to make anyone jealous. Now that she had seen them together, their every look and gesture confirmed their deep affection. But that was exactly what troubled her—
If those two stayed together, what would happen to her biological mother?
And where would that leave her, Sima Qiu Yun?
Could it be that Wang Chen was just an ex-girlfriend and they didn't end up getting married?
Then why did they break up?
Thinking of Wang Chen’s profound devotion to Sima Feng, Qiu Yun couldn't bear to imagine the pain of a breakup...
But watching them flaunt their affection so shamelessly in front of her every day was also more than she could take.
She decided to get some answers from Sima Feng.
After arriving at Yunma Village, Sima Feng stayed with Liang He in the village committee courtyard. Liang He wasn't particularly happy about the arrangement, but given the limited conditions in the village, he couldn't say much. That evening, after dinner, Sima Feng finished settling Wang Chen in and turned to head back. Qiu Yun chased after him, saying, "Let me walk you back."
Sima Feng didn't think much of it. He had always found Wang Chen’s little classmate, Qiu Xiaoyun, to be quite lively—talkative, sociable, and polite. Wang Chen had whispered to him that Qiu Xiaoyun and Liang He were dating. Sima Feng had been a bit surprised, remarking that Qiu Xiaoyun was so young and wondering if Liang He was "robbing the cradle." Wang Chen had giggled, saying she did treat Qiu Xiaoyun like a younger sister, but sometimes felt the girl possessed a maturity far beyond her years.
So, when Qiu Yun offered to walk him back, he smiled and nodded, assuming she was simply heading over to see Liang He.
The two walked together along the dim village path, the frogs in the grass croaking loudly. This was the first time Qiu Yun had been alone with him since his arrival. She was reminded of summer nights in her childhood when Sima Feng would take her camping. Back then, the frogs had been just as loud. Sima Feng had told her it was the language of frogs, that they were singing the unique songs of their kind.
As she drifted into her memories, she heard Sima Feng ask, "Are you from City A as well?"
"Yes, I am," Qiu Yun replied.
"I’ve heard Xiaochen talk about you," Sima Feng said. "She mentions you often in her letters, saying you’re her best friend. I’m truly grateful to you for staying behind for her sake."
"Is that so..." Qiu Yun said. "Wang Chen... often mentioned you in the dorm too. All of us were very curious about you, but because of the distance, we never got to meet you." At this point, Qiu Yun felt a pang of regret. When Wang Chen was writing back to Sima Feng, she had been right there giving her advice, telling her to be bolder, more explicit, and more mushy. Thinking back on it now, she wanted to bang her head against a wall. She also cursed her stomach flu during the Lunar New Year; if not for that, she would have known "Brother Feng" was Sima Feng back then. Perhaps things would be different now...
"I was quite troubled by the distance too. Fortunately, I’ll be graduating soon, and it will be much more convenient once I’m back in City A. We can all go out together then—bring your other roommates along, and I’ll treat you all to something delicious," Sima Feng said brightly.
Qiu Yun sighed inwardly. This was her father; he had always been this generous and cheerful. When he used to pick her up from school, he would not only bring treats for her but also for the other children, telling her that good things should be shared.
"Oh..." Qiu Yun responded. "Thanks. Um..." Seeing that they were almost at the village committee office, she quickly asked, "Have you and Wang Chen... known each other for a long time?"
"Yes, we met at the factory," Sima Feng answered. "Didn't she tell you? we were at the same Radio Equipment Factory. We’ve known each other for three years and four months. It’s actually quite a coincidence," Sima Feng recalled something and smiled. "She and I might have even met when we were kids. I was raised by my grandmother near Cuishan Street, and the place where she lived as a child was just across the river from my maternal grandmother’s house."
"Cuishan Street..." The name stirred more memories for Qiu Yun. Yes, her paternal grandparents used to live there; she had spent her years before kindergarten in that neighborhood.
"Do you know the place?"
"Oh," Qiu Yun snapped back to reality with a forced smile. "I know it. There are a lot of bamboo groves around there."
"That’s right. Wang Chen and I used to walk in the bamboo groves often."
"Do you love her very much?" Qiu Yun asked without thinking.
Sima Feng was stunned. He hadn't expected Wang Chen’s best friend to ask such a direct question. In this era, saying the word "love" so bluntly required courage.
He looked at Qiu Yun’s serious, earnest face under the moonlight. His smile faded, and he replied with equal gravity, "Of course I do."
"Will you marry her?"
Sima Feng became even more solemn. "I have always been serious about her."
"But *will* you?"
"I will!" Sima Feng said firmly, as if making a vow.
*It’s over, it’s all over...* Qiu Yun screamed internally. *Dad, you can’t marry her! You have my mom!*
"You can't..." In her panic, the words slipped out. "That won't do! I mean... you’ve only known each other for three years. Life is so long; you... this is too rash!"
"Rash?" Sima Feng frowned. Wasn't Qiu Xiaoyun supposed to be Wang Chen’s best friend, here to test his resolve? Why was she saying such strange things?
He explained patiently, "We’ve known each other for three years, and it will be another three years until she graduates. By the time we marry, we’ll have been together long enough."
"No, no, no..." Hearing him talk about marriage again, Qiu Yun desperately tried to hint otherwise. "You’re... speaking too soon. How do you know you won't meet someone better later? Maybe..."
"Someone better?" Sima Feng’s brow furrowed into a deep knot. "What do you mean by that?"
"I mean..." Before Qiu Yun could finish, they had reached his door.
Sima Feng interrupted her. "I’m here. You should head back."
Qiu Yun walked away dejectedly. Just as she stepped out of the courtyard, she bumped into Liang He.
He looked like he had just come back from a swim. Ever since the last time she had run into him while he was shirtless, he always threw on a basketball jersey after swimming.
Qiu Yun greeted him. "You... you weren't in your room..."
"Mm." He didn't move.
"Went for a swim?" she asked.
Liang He’s expression was unreadable in the dark. He asked coolly, "What are you doing here?"
"...Ah, I... I had something to talk to you about, and I walked Sima Feng back while I was at it."
"Walked Sima Feng back?" Liang He’s gaze shifted past her to the room in the courtyard where the light had just been switched on. He suppressed his irritation, pausing before asking, "Did you need something from me?"
Qiu Yun hadn't actually been looking for Liang He, and after hearing Sima Feng’s vow of devotion, her mind was in a mess. She said, "It’s nothing important. It’s getting late; I’m going back to sleep."
Liang He opened his mouth as if to say something but stopped.
Qiu Yun took a few steps away when she heard him say, "I’ll walk you back."
Qiu Yun waved him off irritably.
Liang He pressed his lips together, watching her silhouette slowly vanish into the moonlight.
***
