So, when Liang He intercepted Qiu Xiaoyun at the school gate this time, he intended to get to the bottom of things. But before he could utter a single word, Xiaoyun extended her arm to block his path. "Stop right there! Stay at least five meters away from me."
Liang He ignored her and took a step forward. Xiaoyun immediately scrambled back two steps, glaring at him. "Stay back!"
"I’ve had chickenpox before, I’m not afraid—" Liang He tried to move closer again, but Xiaoyun looked ready to bolt. He had no choice but to surrender, raising an imaginary white flag. "Fine, fine, I won't move. How is your recovery going? Are you well enough to return to classes?"
"No, no," Xiaoyun shook her head like a wound-up toy. "It’s a very, very severe case this time. It won't be better anytime soon. The doctor said I need a long period of recuperation."
"A long period?" Liang He found it strange. It was just chickenpox; why would it require such a long recovery? He asked, "How long is 'long'?"
"Probably... until it's completely healed."
"Maybe you should see a different doctor," Liang He suggested, thinking the current one sounded unreliable. "How about I take you to my uncle’s workplace this afternoon? We can have another doctor take a look..."
Xiaoyun shook her head frantically. "No need. Chickenpox isn't some rare, incurable disease; there's no need to make it so complicated. Besides... besides, the fact that I can come to school at all shows I'm much better."
She was firm in her refusal, so Liang He didn't push further. Instead, he asked, "Then what are you doing at school today?"
"I..." Xiaoyun looked down, fidgeting for a moment before saying, "I came to pick up my assignments. I can't afford to miss too many classes..."
Liang He smiled. He wanted to pat the head of this diligent student, but fearing she would run away, he kept his hands tucked in his pockets. "I never noticed you being this studious before. Next time, I can bring them to your house. You don't need to keep running back and forth."
"No, no, no," Xiaoyun countered immediately. "That... that’s not necessary. My things are a mess; only I know how to organize them. Oh, right, is everything settled for your trip abroad?"
"The process is moving along. My English scores came out yesterday—I barely passed." Liang He let out a rare sigh. "If only you weren't sick, maybe you could have helped me tutor a bit."
He meant it as a joke, but Xiaoyun’s eyes instantly turned red. She murmured, "It’s all my fault."
Liang He panicked. He wanted to step forward to comfort her, but before he could move, Xiaoyun took another step back and asked, "Is the date confirmed?"
"You asked me this last time. December."
"The specific date?"
"I believe it’s December 1st."
"Oh."
Silence fell between them. Xiaoyun stared blankly at the tips of her shoes.
"The program is for one year. I'll see if I can make a trip back halfway through," Liang He said, trying to keep the conversation light.
"Ha," Xiaoyun snapped out of it and laughed. "There's no need to be so sentimental. This is a good thing. A year will pass by very quickly."
"Do you really think so? You don't feel...?" *You don't feel awkward, or reluctant to see me go, or even a little angry?*
"I think it’s wonderful," Xiaoyun said magnanimously. "Who wouldn't want such a great opportunity? I need to learn from you and strive for a chance to go out and see the world myself in the future."
Seeing her so happy, Liang He didn't know whether to feel relieved or disappointed. "I thought you kept asking about my departure date because you couldn't wait for me to leave."
"Not at all," Xiaoyun forced a laugh. "I’m just concerned. Do more research on the place before you go."
"I will."
"You might not be used to the food there. Learn to cook for yourself."
"I won't starve."
"If you run low on money, find some side work. The state subsidy might not be enough."
"I know."
"Take good care of yourself."
"I’ll write to you... Wait, Student Qiu Xiaoyun, why does this conversation feel wrong? I still have over a month before I leave, but this sounds like a final farewell."
"Oh..." Xiaoyun didn't know how to respond. "I’m feeling a bit cold. I need to go back. Goodbye, Liang He."
She turned hurriedly and ran toward a bus that had arrived just in time. Liang He reached out into the empty air, as if her warmth still lingered there.
***
"Did you see him?"
The moment Sima Xiaoyun entered the house, Qiu Zhenghong asked.
Xiaoyun didn't speak. She silently walked to the table, took off her hat, mask, and coat, and hung them on the rack.
"Did you ask about the time?" Qiu Zhenghong asked again.
Xiaoyun’s voice was as faint as a mosquito’s buzz as she turned to enter her room. "December 1st."
Qiu Zhenghong looked at the closed door and let out a long, heavy sigh.
By the time November arrived, City A was hit by the winter's first cold snap. People swapped their clothes for sweaters, overcoats, and trousers. Even the hardiest students traded their sandals for sneakers. Wang Chen’s foot was completely healed, and she no longer needed crutches, but Qiu Xiaoyun’s health didn't seem to improve.
She no longer lived in the dormitory, and her course schedule didn't align with Wang Chen and the others. Aside from mandatory lectures, they hardly ever saw her. Even then, she didn't attend every class. When they did manage to see her, she carried an air of "do not disturb," rushing off as soon as class ended and refusing to eat with them.
Even Liang He rarely saw her at school.
What made Liang He both laugh and cry was that while Xiaoyun refused to see him in person, she would write him a letter every few days. Even though they were in the same city and the same school, it felt like a long-distance relationship. The letters were filled with mundane updates: she said her chickenpox hadn't faded and was spreading to her face; she said the spots were so itchy she had scratched several open, and they would surely leave scars; she said her grandfather, Qiu Zhenghong, was in poor health with a severe cold and asked him not to visit for the time being.
Liang He was busy with his departure preparations. Besides his regular classes, he was inundated with training sessions, many of which clashed with Xiaoyun’s major lectures. To make matters worse, perhaps due to the change in seasons, his mother, He Chengyan, had also come down with a severe flu and spent several days on an IV drip at the hospital. He wished there were twenty-five hours in a day, so that extra hour could be spent quietly seeing her or just thinking about her.
But Xiaoyun seemed to know what he was thinking. In her letters, she comforted him, telling him to focus on his studies abroad. *A great man’s ambitions lie in the four corners of the world; do not be bogged down by petty romantic sentiments,* she wrote.
During the days Xiaoyun missed class, Wang Chen, Chang Huan, and Liu Yujin went to her home to visit. The first time, Qiu Zhenghong said her chickenpox was severe and she feared infecting her classmates, so she declined visitors. The second time, her condition had improved, but their timing was unfortunate—she had just taken her medicine and fallen asleep. Wang Chen decided not to disturb her. She peeked through the door and saw Xiaoyun lying peacefully on her back, as if in the middle of a beautiful dream. They politely said their goodbyes.
Xiaoyun heard the front gate close, and it sounded like the shattering of a dream. A single tear silently overflowed from the corner of her eye.
***
At the end of November, the units at East Lake Liyuan were ready for handover.
As the first commercial housing project in City A, it naturally attracted significant media attention. On the day of the handover, Liang He waited at the entrance of the alley early in the morning. He had written to Xiaoyun days ago, asking about her illness and if she was free to go see their new home together. She hadn't replied, and fearing the local mailman had been lazy, he had made a special trip to the courtyard the day before. Qiu Zhenghong said Xiaoyun was napping but that her condition was much better and it should be fine. Liang He breathed a sigh of relief and happily announced he would pick her up at ten the next morning.
Liang He actually had a class the next morning. He had braced himself to ask Professor Chen for a leave of absence, hoping to reschedule. Chen Jingtao had looked at him meaningfully for two seconds, smiled leisurely, and granted permission without even asking for a reason.
The next day.
Liang He leaned against his vintage 28-inch bicycle, waiting at the entrance of the courtyard. The morning sun was pleasant. He closed his eyes slightly, letting the light cover his eyelids with warmth. When the light moved from his eyelids to his brow bone, Xiaoyun emerged from the courtyard. However, she was wearing a large mask, and the sound of her coughing preceded her arrival.
"What’s wrong, Xiaoyun? A cold?" Liang He hopped off his bike and reached for her hand, but Xiaoyun used that moment to adjust her hair.
Liang He’s hand caught only air.
"Cough, cough," Xiaoyun gave a dry cough and said in a low voice, "I caught it from my grandfather. It’s a pretty bad cold. Stay away from me."
Liang He froze. Standing in the shadow of the wall, he suddenly felt the morning air was quite chilly where the sun didn't reach. Ever since Xiaoyun caught chickenpox, they hadn't spent any proper time together face-to-face. The words she said to him most often were "stay away from me."
He pursed his lips, wanting to touch her forehead to check for a fever. But she turned her head away. Liang He could only ask, "Is it very bad? Maybe we shouldn't go today."
"How could we not?" Xiaoyun looked up immediately. Their eyes met for a split second before she quickly shifted her gaze. "Today is such an important day; we have to go. A cold won't kill me. I’ll just stay bundled up."
But in that brief moment of eye contact, Liang He saw that Xiaoyun’s eyes were swollen and red, with bloodshot corners.
"What’s wrong with your eyes?"
"Huh? Oh," Xiaoyun pulled her mask up even higher, though she knew it couldn't hide her eyes. "I can't seem to sneeze the cold out, so my eyes just keep watering. It’s so annoying."
Liang He wanted to say more, but Xiaoyun hopped onto the back of the bicycle. "Don't dawdle, hurry up. Let's go and come back quickly. The cold medicine makes me drowsy."
"...Alright."
Liang He reached out to tighten the collar of Xiaoyun’s coat. She tried to resist, but Liang He shot her a look that said, *Try dodging me again and see what happens.* Xiaoyun awkwardly let him finish, and then the two of them headed toward East Lake Liyuan.
At this time, the area surrounding East Lake Liyuan was still desolate, without even a bus stop. At the entrance of the complex, besides parked bicycles, there were a few rare Santana sedans. It seemed the people buying these homes were quite wealthy.
Liang He asked Xiaoyun to wait at the reception area while he handled the handover paperwork. When he returned, he found her staring blankly at the Santanas.
"What, feeling envious?" he teased. "I’m afraid you’re stuck with a bicycle for now."
"No," Xiaoyun said. " I was just curious... actually, they’re nothing special."
"Listen to you, talking big now that you're a homeowner."
"You’ll be driving a Mercedes in the future," Xiaoyun said seriously. Her gaze couldn't have been more sincere.
Liang He burst out laughing, but then said unexpectedly, "I’m relieved now."
"Relieved about what?"
"For a while there, I thought you were acting strange. You wouldn't see me, and when you did, you kept your distance. I even suspected you were avoiding me on purpose. But I’m relieved now, because in that serious expression just now, I saw the person I know."
Xiaoyun knew Liang He had taken her words as a joke again, but his comment served as a reminder. She turned her face slightly toward the lawn outside and asked, "Is the paperwork done? Where is the house?"
"It’s done. Let’s go."
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
---|---|---
东湖郦苑 | East Lake Liyuan | The name of the new residential complex.
二八自行车 | 28-inch bicycle | A classic, heavy-duty black bicycle common in 20th-century China.
商品房 | Commercial housing | Privately owned housing sold on the open market, a new concept in the early reform era.
桑塔纳 | Santana | Volkswagen Santana, a status symbol car in China during the 80s and 90s.
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