The villa Liang He had purchased was located in the very center of the estate, facing south and overlooking the lake. Qiu Yun had helped him choose this location on the day of selection. She knew that in the future, such a property would be priceless; while the price difference wasn't huge now, in thirty years, the gap would be hundreds of thousands or even millions. She wanted to choose the one with the highest potential value. Of course, the layouts of this era couldn't compare to those thirty years later, but a villa wasn't a basic necessity—it was spacious, with plenty of room to move, much like the villas from the Republican era that remained elegant even by modern standards. The villas in this estate were all two stories: the first floor for living areas and the second for bedrooms, with a yard in both the front and back. Although it was still just a bare concrete shell, the moment they stepped inside, Liang He took on the air of the master of the house, enthusiastically showing Qiu Yun around. This would be the foyer, where a row of cabinets would go; here was the living room, facing south with a great view of the lake; there was the dining room, where he’d bring in a large rosewood round table from a relative’s woodworking factory; and here... this wall was perfect for hanging the copies of the *Diamond Sutra* they would write together every year...
He suddenly stopped mid-sentence because he realized the "lady of the house" wasn't keeping up with him. Qiu Yun didn't look excited at all. On the contrary, she was unexpectedly calm, staring blankly at the shimmering surface of the lake outside the window.
"Xiao Yun? Xiao Yun?" Liang He called her twice.
"What?" Qiu Yun snapped back to reality and turned around to find Liang He standing just a step away.
"What's wrong?" Liang He asked.
"Nothing."
"Weren't you listening to me?"
"I was. I just..." Qiu Yun slowly scanned her surroundings, from the floor to the walls to the ceiling. She searched for an excuse. "I’m just a bit stunned. I’ve never lived in a villa before, and I didn't expect all this... to be so wonderful..."
Liang He smiled and stepped forward, naturally drawing her into his arms. "I didn't expect it to be this wonderful either."
Liang He’s embrace came so naturally that Qiu Yun’s subconscious command was simply to accept it. She forgot that she should have pushed him away immediately. By the time she reacted, Liang He had already rested his chin gently on the top of her head. His scent, carrying the warmth of late autumn sunshine, enveloped her. She felt the resonance in his chest as he asked with a smile, "What kind of interior style do you want, my lady?"
Liang He waited for a moment, but no answer came. He pulled back slightly, only to see that Qiu Yun’s eyes were bloodshot, and tears she hadn't been able to wipe away were silently soaking into her mask.
"I... it’s just like this... when I can't sneeze because of the cold, my eyes just won't stop watering..." Qiu Yun explained in a muffled voice, hurriedly pulling a handkerchief from her pocket to wipe the tears. "The decor... you decide. Anything is fine with me."
Liang He studied her for two seconds, half-scrutinizing and half-joking. "Why do I feel like you’re actually crying? You aren't moved to tears by me, are you?"
Qiu Yun turned her back to him and sniffled, pretending to deny it. "No way." She added, "What’s the second floor like? Let’s go see."
Liang He knew when to stop teasing and took her hand, leading her upstairs. There were three rooms facing south: a sitting room, a master bedroom, and a guest room. Facing north, there was a study and another guest room.
"This room would make a good studio," Liang He said, standing at the door of one of the rooms. "We can paint here."
It was a north-facing room, square and spacious, with large, bright windows.
Qiu Yun nodded obediently. Liang He led her out again to the south-facing master bedroom. It had floor-to-ceiling French doors that led directly onto an outdoor terrace.
The sunlight today was perfectly bright. The scene easily brought to mind a terrace filled with flowers and plants, a sun umbrella standing to one side, and the owner lounging lazily in a chair, leisurely reading a book.
In the distance was the sparkling artificial lake.
"Beautiful," Liang He couldn't help but praise.
Qiu Yun looked at him from the side. His hairstyle was a common, sporty cut, and his hairline perfectly revealed his smooth, full forehead. His brow bone was high, his long eyebrows thick and well-defined. His nose had a graceful, sturdy bridge, and his eyelashes were long and straight, giving him a striking look. Standing in the sun, his eyes slightly squinted, his pupils were a rich amber. Looking out at the vast landscape, he had the aura of a monarch surveying his domain.
Qiu Yun stared at him for a long time.
"We can get a dog later," Liang He said, his tone light and cheerful, as if warmed by the sun. "My family had a dog when I was a kid. I loved it, but back then dogs were just left to roam, and someone ended up poisoning it. I was devastated for a long time. Do you like dogs?" He turned to ask her.
"I do," Qiu Yun nodded submissively.
"We could get a Golden Retriever or an Alaskan Malamute."
"...Mm."
At that moment, Qiu Yun almost gave up on the difficult resolve she had maintained over the past few days.
"Let's go back inside," Liang He said, having enjoyed the view enough. He touched Qiu Yun’s forehead; it felt normal. "Don't let your cold get any worse."
Qiu Yun withdrew her gaze and looked at him tenderly, letting him lead her back indoors.
"Have you finished packing your things?" Qiu Yun asked suddenly.
"Hmm?" Liang He blinked, then realized what she meant. "Yes, all packed."
"The flight is the day after tomorrow?"
"Yes."
"What time?"
"One in the morning. A red-eye flight."
"I'll see you off."
"No. It's too late. It's not safe," Liang He refused. "And the airport is far."
"I could just sleep at the airport for the night."
"No," Liang He said firmly. He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead and coaxed her in a low voice, "Be good."
Qiu Yun’s psychological defenses crumbled at that kiss. She suddenly threw her arms around Liang He, burying her face deep in his chest. Finally showing her reluctance to let go, she asked, "Liang He, will you wait for me?"
Liang He lifted her chin and asked with a smile, "Shouldn't I be the one asking you that? Will you wait for me?"
Qiu Yun turned her head slightly and buried it back in his chest, her voice thick with emotion. "I don't want to go."
Liang He stroked her hair, feeling a strange sense of happiness. "So you really are reluctant to leave me. I’ve felt like something was off with you lately."
"Off how?" Qiu Yun paused.
"I can't quite say," Liang He held her tighter. "I just had this feeling that once I left this time, I’d never see you again."
"..." Qiu Yun said nothing.
Liang He sensed something was wrong; the person in his arms seemed to be trembling slightly. He lifted her face, only to see her eyelashes drenched in tears. She was weeping silently and uncontrollably, the upper edge of her mask completely soaked.
"What's wrong..." Liang He hurriedly pulled back a bit. "I was just talking nonsense, don't listen to me."
Qiu Yun avoided his gaze, saying nothing, only shaking her head slightly.
"I shouldn't have said that. I take it back... I’m going to miss you so much too... I’ll write to you. Every week. No, every day. I’ll try to come back once in the middle of the year. One year... it’ll go by fast."
"No, don't come back in the middle." Hearing his last sentence, Qiu Yun interrupted him quickly. After a second, she added, "It’s a rare opportunity; you should focus on your studies there. A round-trip ticket is expensive, and the travel is exhausting..."
"But I’ll miss you."
"..." *I’ll miss you too. So, so much. The kind of longing that is etched into my very bones.*
Tears fell abruptly again. A lot of salty tears were trapped inside Qiu Yun’s mask, and the skin beneath her cheeks felt a burning sting. This pain traveled along her nerves to her heart, amplified ten thousand times along the way, until her heart practically trembled with agony.
She wondered if Qiu Zheng宏 was lying to her. She wondered if she should take a gamble.
"Liang He," Qiu Yun looked up again, gazing deep into his eyes. This look lasted a long time, longer than any they had shared before, filled with emotions and words she had never expressed. Liang He waited for her to speak, but before she could open her mouth, he felt a sudden heat at his nose. A streak of red flowed down his philtrum and onto his lip.
Qiu Yun instantly broke away from his embrace.
In the frantic rush as she tried to stop the bleeding, he heard her say, "I'm sorry."
December 1st, 1988. Qiu Yun remembered it clearly: it was the Year of the Dragon, the Month of the Pig, the Day of the Tiger. The weather was clear, with a low of 3 degrees Celsius and a high of 13.
On this day, Liang He embarked on his journey to the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, France, for a year of study. The plane would first fly to Shenzhen, then to Hong Kong for a three-hour layover before transferring to France. On this day, Liang He didn't let Qiu Yun see him off, nor did he let He Chengyan. He took the airport shuttle bus to the outskirts of the city alone and checked in. Just as he was about to board the shuttle to the plane, he thought he heard a faint "Liang He" in the cold December wind. He turned to look, but it was late, and the brightly lit terminal was sparsely populated; there were no familiar faces. He decided he must be hallucinating. He moved his bag from his left hand to his right. As he switched hands, he saw the watch on his wrist: it was 12:20 AM.
By now, Xiao Yun must be fast asleep.
He turned and boarded the shuttle.
Two days later, Wang Chen received a letter from Qiu Yun. The letter said that the mother who had abandoned her nearly twenty years ago had suddenly had a change of heart and intended to take both Qiu Yun and her grandfather, Qiu Zheng宏, to the UK. Qiu Yun had already completed the withdrawal procedures during her previous visits to the school. By the time Wang Chen received the letter, Qiu Yun was already in a far-off foreign land. She apologized for not being able to say goodbye in person, explaining that she couldn't bear the thought of leaving and feared she would lose control of her emotions. she also expressed how much she cherished the time spent with Wang Chen and their roommates, calling it the luckiest experience of her life. She thanked Wang Chen for her meticulous care, which had made her feel the warmth of home. She wished for Wang Chen and Sima Feng to love each other forever and have a happy marriage.
*With deepest blessings,* Qiu Yun wrote at the end.
Wang Chen stared at the letter for a long time, unable to process it. She couldn't believe Qiu Yun had simply vanished into thin air. They were such good friends, yet she had left without a single word of warning. Wang Chen ran to the school’s academic affairs office to check the truth, only to be told that Qiu Yun, a sophomore in the oil painting class, had indeed processed her withdrawal. She then went to No. 89 Phoenix Street, but the gate to the courtyard was locked tight. An auntie passing by with groceries asked if she was looking for the family. Wang Chen said yes. The auntie spoke with a mix of disdain and envy, saying that after suffering for half a lifetime, they had finally made it out and were taken away to a capitalist country.
The desk was empty, the wardrobe was empty, and the toiletries in the washroom were gone. Qiu Yun had disappeared cleanly and completely. Only the empty, dust-free bedboard of the upper bunk where she had slept served as a reminder that someone had been there not long ago.
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 东湖郦苑 | East Lake Estates | The name of the luxury villa complex. |
| 金刚经 | Diamond Sutra | A significant Buddhist scripture. |
| 桑塔纳 | Santana | A popular car model in China during the 1980s. |
| 奔驰 | Mercedes-Benz | Luxury car brand. |
| 巴黎美术学院 | École des Beaux-Arts | The prestigious art school in Paris. |
| 戊辰龙年 | Year of the Dragon (Wuchen) | Traditional Chinese calendar designation for 1988. |
| 癸亥月 | Month of the Pig (Guihai) | Traditional Chinese calendar designation for the month. |
| 庚寅日 | Day of the Tiger (Gengyin) | Traditional Chinese calendar designation for the day. |
| 凤凰街 | Phoenix Street | The street where Qiu Yun lived. |
| 何成燕 | He Chengyan | A character mentioned as someone who might have seen Liang He off. |
