This was the third time Liang He had suffered a nosebleed in the past month. The first time was at the guesthouse in Datong, the second was after he returned from swimming in the Shili River, and the third was today. Such frequent nosebleeds were a surprise even to him.
Qiu Yun pulled out a handkerchief for him to hold against his nose, then led him to the riverbank, using the cool water to pat his neck and forehead.
"It’s nothing," Liang He said, tilting his head back to comfort her. "The summer heat is just too much; I probably have too much internal heat."
"Did you used to get nosebleeds like this before?" Qiu Yun asked. She remembered him bleeding back at the guesthouse in Datong as well.
"Not really," Liang He replied. "I suppose it’s because I hadn’t met you yet."
Qiu Yun pursed her lips into a smile. "Still being cheeky even with a nosebleed. Are you feeling better?"
Liang He remained quiet for a moment before saying, "I need another minute."
Qiu Yun asked, "Could you be anemic?"
Liang He laughed. "Do I look like it?"
"If your platelet count is too low, your blood won't clot well. Have you ever had it checked?"
Liang He’s smile deepened. "Look at how serious you are. It’s not a big deal. I’ll be fine once I go back and eat some watermelon. Don't be so nervous."
"Have you been eating too few vegetables lately? A vitamin deficiency can also affect your body's ability to stop bleeding," Qiu Yun fretted.
"I’ll keep that in mind. There’s a physical exam at the start of the semester; I’ll pay attention then. It’s just a pity about this seal—I just got it and now it’s stained."
Liang He was still holding the seal Qiu Yun had given him. The bloodstain remained, looking somewhat macabre. He was about to use the hem of his T-shirt as a rag to wipe it, but Qiu Yun beat him to it. She took the seal, crouched down, and washed it in the river.
"See? Much better."
The surface blood was gone, but some had seeped into the natural fissures of the stone and could not be washed away.
"The ink paste will be red anyway, so it won't affect how it's used." Qiu Yun wiped the water off and handed it back to Liang He. "If it really bothers you, I’ll carve another one for you."
"That won't be necessary." Liang He took the seal and held it up to the light. From that angle, the crimson threads within the stone became even more apparent. He wasn't a superstitious man, yet at this moment, those blood-red veins felt exceptionally piercing to the eye.
Still, he maintained a casual tone. "This is the first seal you’ve ever given me."
***
The wonderful, free summer vacation finally came to an end.
After returning from Datong, Liu Yujin and Chang Huan had gone straight to their respective homes. When the four roommates reunited at the start of the term, they were exceptionally affectionate after their long separation. Qiu Yun gave a vivid account of how Sima Feng had traveled all the way to Datong to care for Wang Chen, leaving the other two green with envy. Wang Chen threatened Qiu Yun, telling her to quit while she was ahead, or else—but before she could finish, Qiu Yun stuffed a White Rabbit creamy candy, brought by Chang Huan, into Wang Chen’s mouth. The four of them dissolved into a boisterous, happy mess.
Wang Chen’s leg injury hadn't fully healed yet, so she needed crutches to get to class. When she wasn't in class, she mostly stayed in the dorm, and the other three took turns bringing her meals. Doing laundry was difficult for her, so Qiu Yun helped her with it. Wang Chen felt embarrassed, insisting she could do it herself or take it home over the weekend, but Qiu Yun wouldn't hear of it. She picked up the basin and headed for the washroom, her voice drifting back from a distance, saying it was only right for her to do it.
Wang Chen was a bit puzzled. *Only right?*
The university had scheduled physical exams, with the graduate students going first. Qiu Yun was still worried about Liang He’s nosebleeds and asked him about his results. He told her that all his indicators were normal and that he was in perfect health, which allowed her to relax slightly. Two weeks later, it was the sophomores' turn. Qiu Yun’s results were also perfectly healthy, but this "health" struck her as incredibly strange. Qiu Zhenghong had said that Qiu Xiaoyun had a brain tumor. Yet, no matter how she looked at it, something was wrong. Not only was her body capable of eating and drinking heartily with a rosy complexion, and not only did she almost never feel any headaches, but even the hospital’s diagnostic indicators showed her to be a perfectly healthy young woman. She couldn't help but doubt Qiu Zhenghong’s claims. Had she misheard him? Had he been mistaken? Or were they both right—but things had changed?
Filled with doubt, Qiu Yun secretly went to the hospital, claiming she had been hit in the head by a soccer ball a year ago and suffered from intermittent headaches, requesting a brain CT scan. In this era, few people thought to proactively ask for a CT scan. The doctor looked the glowing, healthy girl up and down, then glanced at the string of normal results in his hand. He suggested she might just be exhausted from studying; a soccer ball hit from a year ago wouldn't start causing pain now. He advised her to go home and rest. Qiu Yun refused to leave, clutching her head on the spot and crying out, "It hurts so much! Oh, what’s that sound? I can even receive alien radio waves!" Startled, the doctor immediately performed the CT. When the results came out, it was a perfectly normal brain with nothing out of the ordinary. Qiu Yun didn't believe it, asking repeatedly, "Are you sure? There’s no brain tumor or anything?" The doctor gave her a meaningful look and suggested, "Maybe you should try a different department? Like psychiatry?"
Qiu Yun laughed awkwardly and slipped away with her results.
There was truly nothing. No disease, no brain tumor.
Was Qiu Xiaoyun’s previous illness a misdiagnosis? Perhaps she had never been sick at all? Was this whole soul-transmigration scheme of Qiu Zhenghong’s just one big blunder?
Did that mean Qiu Xiaoyun wouldn't die of brain cancer six years later in 1994, but would instead live on, healthy and vibrant?
At this thought, Qiu Yun felt as though the road ahead had suddenly cleared, and the future looked incredibly bright.
The most urgent matter now was to wait for Qiu Zhenghong to return and confirm this with him.
But where on earth had Qiu Zhenghong gone?
***
Qiu Zhenghong had gone to the future.
He had visited many futures, even the futures of those futures. He refused to give up. If he simply had Sima Qiu Yun and Qiu Xiaoyun switch back, his granddaughter would still die of brain cancer. After seeing Qiu Xiaoyun’s body while it was inhabited by Qiu Yun, he discovered it was much healthier than before. It was this realization that reignited his hope of finding a cure. If they swapped back and his granddaughter’s constitution was no longer so frail, would there be hope?
There were too many mysteries and profound secrets involved, but he was determined to find the key to this lock.
And so, he traveled back and forth, again and again.
He finally managed to grasp a rule of the game in this parallel space, but he paid a devastating price for it.
When the golden days of October arrived, Sima Qiu Yun finally saw Qiu Zhenghong at the courtyard house. The sight of him was enough to make her jaw drop in shock.
His once handsome, youthful face was now covered in deep wrinkles. His once upright and vigorous frame was hunched forward, and his once spirited eyes had grown cloudy. Qiu Yun almost didn't recognize him.
"You... what happened to you?" She froze in place, afraid to step forward.
Qiu Zhenghong sighed and waved her off, indicating it was a long story and telling her to sit down first.
He told her that over the past few months, he had been traveling between various parallel spaces, trying to find a way to have her and Qiu Xiaoyun switch back, and then have Qiu Xiaoyun undergo another displacement—this time a total displacement of body and soul—to the future to cure her illness.
But before he could finish, Qiu Yun interrupted him impatiently.
"I have two things to tell you solemnly," she said with a grave expression. "First, I went for a checkup, and there is no brain tumor in this head. Second, I don't want to go back."
The room fell silent.
After a long while, Qiu Zhenghong suddenly slapped the table and burst into laughter. As he laughed, he began to weep bitterly.
Eventually, he wiped the tears and snot from his face and asked, "I have two questions for you as well. First, you say you don't want to go back?"
"Yes."
"But you’ve already drunk the well water."
"Yes. But what does that matter? Haven't you come and gone many times?"
"True. If you go back, you can come back here again. Setting aside the price of doing so, if you intend to stay here, do you plan to let my granddaughter remain trapped in that hospital forever? What about your family on that side? What about your father?"
This hit Qiu Yun’s weak spot. She whispered, "I... I’ve already made up my mind."
"We will discuss that later. Now, you also said that the tumor in Xiaoyun’s brain is gone?"
"I think it must have been a misdiagnosis."
"It wasn't." Qiu Zhenghong shook his head. "Xiaoyun only went for the exam because her headaches were unbearable. I can tell you with absolute certainty: it was not a misdiagnosis."
"Then what happened?" Qiu Yun saw that he didn't seem to be lying.
"That leads to my second question. Regarding what I’m about to tell you... are you prepared?"
***
Wang Chen thought Qiu Xiaoyun was acting very strangely. She had been living in the dorm just fine, but suddenly she insisted on moving back home and becoming a commuter student. Her reason was that her grandfather had returned and she needed to care for him. Wang Chen asked, "What about your young, strong senior brother?" Qiu Yun replied that since the grandfather was back, the senior brother had gone off on a journey. Wang Chen just said "oh" and didn't think much of it, though she worried that the hour-long commute each way would be too exhausting and suggested she tell Teacher Liang. Upon hearing this, Qiu Yun jumped as if her tail had been stepped on, shouting, "Don't tell him! Oh, I mean, I’ll tell him myself." Wang Chen wanted to say more, but Qiu Yun had already packed her things in record time and left with a large bundle.
For several days straight, Qiu Xiaoyun took sick leave and didn't show up for class.
When Wang Chen finally saw her again, she was wrapped up like a zongzi. Even though it was only just past the October holiday and students who weren't afraid of the cold were still wearing sandals, Qiu Xiaoyun was in long sleeves and trousers. She wore a dark hat with a very low brim, and even more exaggeratedly, a massive surgical mask that covered her entire face except for her eyes. She claimed she had a severe case of hives combined with chickenpox and insisted that anyone speaking to her stay at least five meters away.
Wang Chen wanted to show some concern, but Qiu Yun just blurted out "I'm fine" and fled.
Wang Chen, on her crutches, couldn't keep up. She could only watch the retreating figure and frown.
***
Liang He intercepted Qiu Yun at the school gate.
He knew she had taken leave for chickenpox. He also knew it was highly contagious, but even so, he had gone to No. 89 Phoenix Street to see her. However, he was received by her grandfather, Qiu Zhenghong. The old man said she was in her bedroom and it wasn't convenient. Liang He sat distractedly for a while, and every time he tried to see her, Qiu Zhenghong blocked him with various excuses, making him suspect she was being held under house arrest. Finally, he said, "Fine, I hope she gets well soon. I’ll take my leave." As Qiu Zhenghong escorted him to the courtyard gate, Liang He suddenly turned and ran to Qiu Yun’s wing of the house. He pounded on the door and shouted, "Xiaoyun, are you in there? Are you okay?"
The curtains in the room were drawn back, and Qiu Xiaoyun appeared at the window. Perhaps because of the sores on her face, she was wearing a large mask.
Liang He’s heart settled slightly. He asked, "Xiaoyun, how are you? Are you feeling better?"
Qiu Yun nodded and said, "I’m much better, don't worry. Stay back, I don't want to give it to you."
With the mask on, her voice was muffled and low.
"I have a strong constitution, I won't catch it," Liang He said. "Besides, there’s a window between us. Open the door and let me come in to see you."
But instead of opening the door, Qiu Yun turned and walked to the other side of the room. From a distance, she held up a piece of paper against the glass with words written on it: *I’m fine, please go.*
Liang He tapped on the window again. "I had chickenpox as a child; I’m immune."
Qiu Yun ignored him. She sat far away and wrote in large characters for him to see: *Is your study trip to Europe finalized?*
Chen Jingtao had helped him arrange it; there was an opportunity for graduate students to study abroad for six months to a year. Liang He leaned against the window and said, "I’ve contacted two schools: the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and the Florence Academy of Fine Arts. There’s an English exam next week. My materials are almost ready."
Qiu Yun’s eyes crinkled, showing her joy. Both were world-class art institutions; she was truly happy for him.
She wrote again: *When do you leave?*
"Once the application is approved, it’ll be soon," Liang He said. "Probably December."
Qiu Yun nodded to show she understood. He thought her eyes looked a bit red, but the words she wrote next made him think it was just his imagination. She wrote: *Then my illness should be gone by December.*
"Of course," Liang He said. "Chickenpox only lasts about two weeks."
Qiu Yun wrote: *Focus on your preparations for going abroad. You don't need to keep coming to see me.*
Liang He felt a bit dejected. "Can you just open the door so I can talk to you properly? And don't wear the mask; it’s not good for the recovery of the sores."
Qiu Yun wrote one large word in response: *Ugly.*
Liang He was speechless. She refused to open the door. Qiu Zhenghong patted him on the shoulder from the side. "My granddaughter is vain and self-conscious. Don't force her."
Liang He looked back into the room one last time. Qiu Yun sat poised at the far end. Through the mist on the glass, she seemed to be giving him a helpless yet playful smile.
He had no choice but to head back.
***
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
--- | --- | ---
青田石 | Qingtian stone | A type of soapstone from Qingtian County, prized for seal carving.
大白兔奶糖 | White Rabbit creamy candy | A famous brand of milk candy in China.
巴黎美术学院 | École des Beaux-Arts | Renowned art school in Paris.
佛罗伦萨美术学院 | Florence Academy of Fine Arts | Renowned art school in Florence, Italy.
荨麻疹 | Hives / Urticaria | A skin rash triggered by a reaction.
水痘 | Chickenpox | A highly contagious viral infection.
粽子 | Zongzi | A traditional Chinese rice dish; used here metaphorically to describe someone wrapped in many layers of clothing.
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