Ling Xiao showed up for training the next day right on schedule, though he made a pointed effort to avoid us during meals and while changing. But that didn't bother me—I was more than capable of playing the waiting game.
Once the morning session ended, I sent Old Seven and Big Fatty off to lunch while I staked out the locker room. I ended up waiting for a full hour, my stomach practically growling against my spine, before I finally heard footsteps. The door creaked open, and Ling Xiao walked in, still clad in his white fencing whites, sword in hand. He was tugging at his collar, face slick with sweat, his breathing and footsteps both heavy. God knows where he’d been hiding for the last hour; probably practicing alone...
This guy. He’d actually held out this long just to avoid me. He was really committed.
"Got a minute?"
I popped out from behind the lockers so abruptly that he actually dropped his jacket in surprise.
"No." He bent down to retrieve the garment, refusing to even glance my way.
"Oh, not right now? Well, I wasn't asking about right now," I said, stepping forward. I considered pinning him against the lockers for a classic 'wall-slam,' but decided against it. His back looked stiff enough to snap. "Tonight at seven-thirty. I’ll be waiting for you on the hill behind the base. I have something important to tell you."
I turned and walked away, acting as cool as humanly possible. Ling Xiao glanced sideways, looking like he was caught between wanting to watch me leave and wanting to ignore me entirely. I didn't give him the satisfaction of looking back. What, did he think I was going to grab him by the shoulders like a mad dog and demand to know why he’d bitten me? Heh. This time, I was taking the high road.
I was halfway out the door when I realized the hill was huge—how would he know where to find me? I had to awkwardly double back. Standing in the doorway, I gave a forced cough. "Uh, by the way... the big cherry blossom tree at the summit. I'll be there."
Meeting under a cherry blossom tree was so cheesy it was practically criminal. If only there had been a gazebo or something... I gave a quick wave and hurried off, face burning, only to hear Ling Xiao’s voice behind me: "I won't be there. I have plans."
With Li Xin?
I didn't care who he had plans with!
"That’s fine. I’ll wait until the eleven o'clock lights-out," I called back.
***
I didn't know if he actually had plans or if he was off playing mentor to Li Xin, but if he wanted to come back by seven-thirty, he could. After dinner, I slung my guitar case over my shoulder and headed for the back hill. It was more of a slope, really, lined with wild cherry trees. In the spring, the summit was ringed in pink; Old Seven and Big Fatty called it "Gaudy Pink Hill." I couldn't find a better spot for a confession—it was romantic enough, yet close enough to the dorms to make it back before curfew. Granny Zhao was the one who told me about it, though he probably didn't expect me to be bringing a boy there.
A very repressed, moody boy.
I reached the hill and checked my phone: 6:40 PM. Since I had time, I took out the guitar and practiced a bit. As I plucked the strings, the notes drifted into the wind, feeling entirely different from how they sounded in the bathroom. It felt like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon, fluttering around me.
I knew the lyrics by heart, so I sang without thinking. Every so often, I’d break into a senseless grin. Good lord, I, Qiao Mai, had never been this sentimental in my entire life. I wondered if I looked ridiculous holding the guitar. Without a mirror, I had no way of knowing if Ling Xiao would just think I was an idiot.
By seven, the horizon was a wash of fiery clouds. Ling Xiao hadn't arrived, but since he’d said he wouldn't, I was mentally prepared. Still, I believed he would come.
At seven-thirty, the sky turned a grand, dreamlike purple.
At eight, it was a deep, oceanic sapphire.
By eight-thirty, it was pitch black. The dense forest of the Zishan Base had become a dark void beneath my feet, while the distant city lights sparkled. Standing on the summit, I felt as though I were floating above a sea of stars.
This hour was supposed to be the highlight—the moment when the sea of lights was at its most brilliant. Too bad he was late.
I spent that hour in solitude. Just after nine-thirty, a cold wind began to howl through the trees, and soon, rain began to fall. The droplets sent me scrambling for cover, but there was nowhere to hide. The cherry tree was bare, offering about as much protection as standing under a waterfall. I thought about running for a denser cluster of trees, but they were too far away. I was afraid that if I left, Ling Xiao might show up and we’d miss each other.
Ultimately, I just held the guitar case over my head. The rain blurred the distant city lights until they melted into glowing smudges of color. Standing under that tree, my mind wandered, wondering which smudge of light Ling Xiao was currently dissolved in.
My arms were aching when my phone suddenly buzzed.
It was a WeChat message from Ling Xiao.
*—I’m not coming. Stop waiting.*
Rain splattered onto the screen. I laughed at the message, thinking that even this guy lost his cool sometimes. If you aren't coming, why go out of your way to text me?
"Fake ice mountain. Tsk. You’re a hopeless fraud, you know that?"
I didn't reply. I knew he would come.
The rain fell intermittently for an hour before finally tapering off. Though I was starting to feel restless, I maintained my faith.
Wasn't he even curious about what I had to say? If it were me, I’d be dying to know!
However, eleven o'clock arrived exactly on time. I stood on the summit, gazing into the distance, but there wasn't a soul in sight. I’d said I would wait until eleven. He really was heartless.
I called Old Seven.
He sounded like he still had a toothbrush in his mouth, his voice muffled and slurred. "I said, it's almost lights-out! Where the hell are you fooling around?"
"Is Old Hu back at the base yet?" I asked.
"Not yet."
"Good," I said. "I probably won't make it back tonight. Cover for me if anything happens. Call me the second Old Hu gets back!"
I didn't want to go back. I was too frustrated. Even if Ling Xiao was dead set on not coming, I was going to wait for the morning sun. I’d wait until my hair and clothes were dry, then head back facing the dawn. I refused to slink back now like a loser.
The one thing I couldn't stand in this life was being a loser. If someone made me lose, I’d remember it forever. I wouldn't be able to die in peace until I won.
***
When I woke up, the sky was just beginning to pale.
I had found a dry patch under the tree the night before, cushioned myself with my jacket, and spent the night in a half-awake daze. The morning chill finally jolted me fully awake. I checked my phone: five minutes to six. No one would see me at this hour, looking like a dejected mess with a guitar on my back. I could sneak back, shower, change, and still make it in time for the morning run.
Perfect. It would be as if nothing had happened.
I picked up the guitar case and started down the path, only to stop halfway.
Ling Xiao was standing on the mountain path, shrouded in the morning mist.
I smiled. In the end, I won. I’ve always been a winner.
"You're quite late, aren't you?" I said, looking at him with a grin.
He walked up. "Let's go. Weren't you going to take me to the cherry blossom tree?"
The tree had no blossoms, but it was still a genuine cherry tree. With a little imagination, you could still appreciate its beauty.
I sneezed twice. My throat felt a bit itchy; I just hoped it wouldn't ruin my performance.
Without a word, Ling Xiao took off his jacket. I quickly spread my own jacket on the grass. "Sit here. This one's already dirty anyway."
Ling Xiao looked at me, then sat down in silence. Just as I was about to sit beside him, he reached out and handed me the jacket he’d just taken off.
So cold. He wouldn't even let us sit on the same cloth? I shrugged internally and took it. "Well, thanks. I'll take it to the dry cleaners for you later." I carefully folded his jacket and laid it on the grass. When I looked up, Ling Xiao had an unreadable, strange expression on his face.
"What?" I asked.
Ling Xiao took a deep breath and looked at the guitar case on my lap. "You brought accompaniment for whatever you have to tell me?"
I gave a cheeky grin and took out the guitar. I scooted a bit closer to him, gave the strings a soulful strum, and said, "Listen close. I spent a long time learning this."
"If you're tone-deaf, don't bother. I don't want to be nauseous all day."
Could you not say one nice thing? Do I look like someone who's tone-deaf?
I lowered my head, harboring both extreme annoyance and a contradictory, overwhelming affection for this person. With total sincerity, I plucked the opening notes I had practiced countless times.
The music drifted under the tree, sounding beautiful—so beautiful I could hardly believe I was the one playing. I felt like a warrior blessed by Eros and the Muses. I had to win this battle.
*The brightest star in the night sky*
*Can you hear clearly*
*The loneliness and sighs*
*In the heart of the one looking up?*
*The brightest star in the night sky*
*Can you remember*
*The figure that once walked with me*
*But vanished into the wind?*
*I pray for a transparent soul*
*And eyes that can shed tears*
*Give me the courage to believe again*
*To cross through lies and embrace you.*
*Whenever I can't find the meaning of existence*
*Whenever I am lost in the dark of night*
*The brightest star in the night sky*
*Please guide me closer to you...*
My fingers left the strings, beginning to tremble slightly. I had sung well. For that performance, I gave myself a perfect score.
When I finished, Ling Xiao said nothing.
I teased him, "Nauseous yet?"
Ling Xiao replied, "It wasn't bad. Your pitch was mostly accurate, but your breathing was unstable. You cracked on the high notes, the low notes were inaudible, you missed the beat in a few places, and you got one line of the lyrics wrong."
If I weren't currently confessing my love, I would have smashed the guitar over his head!
"What?" he had the nerve to ask. "Overall, it was a decent effort."
Utterly deflated, I slumped my shoulders and rested my forehead in my hands. Finally, I looked up. "Do you know why I sang that for you?"
Ling Xiao sat with one knee pulled up, staring at the horizon. "Because I listen to music often. You probably thought I had good taste in music."
"I like you."
The confession wasn't pretty. After a night in the rain and pouring my soul into the song, my voice was raspy. Ling Xiao frowned as he watched the city below wake up. Aside from a momentary loss of focus in his eyes, he had no reaction for a long time.
This reaction was infuriating. "Did you hear what I just said?"
"You weren't exactly quiet," he said. He turned to look at me and actually smiled—the kind of smile an older brother might give a younger one who was throwing a tantrum. I suddenly wondered if Ling Xiao’s brother used to smile at him like that.
With that brotherly smile, Ling Xiao said, "Qiao Mai, you really want to chase me?"
I set the guitar down and looked him in the eye. "I don't just 'want' to. I *am* chasing you."
I'm for real, man!
"I think I'm a pretty good catch. Look, we share the same goals. There aren't many people in this world who can beat you at fencing. Even if there were, their age, height, weight, or nationality might not be a match. We're the same age, our height and weight are compatible, and there's no language barrier. It’s a perfect coincidence."
He gazed at the morning glow, listening to me quietly.
"And! If you're with me, we can go to the Olympics together. We could even stand on the podium together. If it makes you happy, I'll let you take first place! You can have the first gold medal, and I'll take the next one. We can take turns and crush all the foreign competition!"
The more I thought about it, the sweeter it seemed. I was already dreaming of that future—embracing on the podium in front of the whole world, showing off our love... God, please let me claim this heartless, soulless AI! Don't let him go off and ruin anyone else!
"Qiao Mai," Ling Xiao suddenly spoke.
"Yeah! What is it, hubby?"
"...Don't call me that."
"Oh, you want to be the 'wifey' instead? That works too. I thought you'd like being called hubby, I didn't realize you were so—"
"Qiao Mai, I won't accept you."
I stared at him, stunned.
Wait, your expression clearly doesn't match what you're saying...
"You're not going to tell me you're straight, are you?" I said. "I don't like that joke, and I don't believe it for a second."
"It has nothing to do with being straight or gay. I am committed to being single. From now on, we are just teammates. Don't say things like this again."
He stood up to leave. I was completely dumbfounded. I didn't understand, I wasn't satisfied, and I was about to explode. I shouted at his retreating back:
"Then what did the night before last mean?! That was my first kiss! You even used tongue—are you really going to refuse to take responsibility?!"
Ling Xiao stopped. "...I was drunk."
"Liar! You didn't drink a drop!"
"Fine. I wasn't drunk. I'm just sick." He turned back to look at me. "Qiao Mai, being liked by someone is a happy thing, especially when that person is as good as you are. But you don't know me. There’s a reason people have hated me since I was a kid. If you stay with me, you’ll only ever feel this sense of grievance, confusion, and pain... You are a good person, but we really aren't a match."
I watched him walk down the mountain. I picked up my guitar, wanting to smash it to pieces! Who asked for a 'good person' card?! We haven't even dated—how do you know we aren't a match?!
***
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Point to Point: The Fencer’s Heart | Chapter 46 | The Brightest Star | Novela.app | Novela.app
