Point to Point: The Fencer’s Heart | Chapter 57 | The Brightest Star | Novela.app

The Concubine called from across the ocean to congratulate me, though he mostly just mocked me for "drinking my own tears" while standing on the podium. He had watched the match in a bar; Zheng Jun had been so worked up that he bought a round for the entire establishment. I was surprised to hear Zheng Jun was there. The Concubine finally admitted bashfully, "I haven't told you yet, but he and I are together now." I was a bit shocked, yet it didn't feel entirely unexpected. People always yearn for a love that lasts from beginning to end, but to be able to throw oneself wholeheartedly into a new relationship after the end of an unworthy one—I was truly happy for him. After the press conference that day, the team held a celebration. I didn't sleep until four in the morning. My phone was flooded with calls and messages, only falling silent as dawn approached. I scrolled through the messages over and over, but the one I was waiting for—a single word from Ling Xiao—never came. In truth, I hadn't been able to contact him since the day he left the base. For a man like him to say those eight words—"Think it over carefully, plan for the long term"—he must have had a lot to sort out. I figured as long as I won the gold, he’d be watching. Given his "stuffy" personality, he’d surely follow my progress and, the moment I won, send a reserved message saying, "Congratulations." Then I could cockily reply: "Wasn't I incredibly handsome? I win Olympic golds like it's nothing. We’re clearly a match made in heaven. You should stop being so repressed; once this village is passed, this stalk of Wheat will be gone!" But this time, it seemed he was all "stuffy" and no "romance." *** The Olympic fever lingered for a while before life returned to its usual rhythm. I, Qiao Mai, returned to my hometown in a blaze of glory, carrying my individual gold medal and the silver we won in the team event. The night before we flew back, the guys tossed Lao Hu into the air. He was as happy as a child, pleading for mercy. Who would have thought that as soon as we boarded the plane, Lao Hu would reclaim his lost authority? Seeing me listening to music, scrolling through Weibo, and chewing gum, he started lecturing me again. He said I looked far too pleased with myself, that the Olympic gold was just a stroke of luck, and that I shouldn't even dream of a World Championship gold. Once Ling Xiao returned, he claimed, I’d be back to eating his dust. I quickly pulled off my headphones and asked, "Can he really come back?" Ling Xiao’s involvement in underground matches was still a major hurdle. Lao Hu sighed, saying that no matter what, he had to try. He felt he hadn't been a good enough leader and owed Ling Xiao a medal. Once home, I adopted "Ling Xiao-er" and the big ginger cat, serving these two every day. One day, while I was weighing the ginger cat, my mom came back from the market and said there was a letter for me. I dropped the cat—who promptly scurried under the bed—and froze when I took the envelope. It was a plain kraft paper envelope, but the handwriting on it was unmistakably Ling Xiao’s! My mom went to cook, and amidst the vigorous sounds of stir-frying, I excitedly tore the letter open. *To my family,* *I hope this finds you well.* *You won beautifully against Conner. As your "family," I am deeply proud. I should have congratulated you in person, but I have some matters to handle at the moment.* *That day, you told me that as long as I am there, anywhere is the highest arena. I’m sorry I never gave you a clear answer. It’s because my arena alone is far from enough for you. I wanted to see you standing in the true highest arena, just as you have now achieved.* *Qiao Mai, you belong in an arena like that. Don't say having me is enough. Don't settle for less for my sake; no one is worth that kind of compromise. Before I come to see you, I will resolve all my problems. This may take a long time, and I might be unable to contact you. If you don't hear from me for a while, please have faith in me.* *That is the first thing I wanted to tell you. The second is that I might not be the person you imagine me to be. I’m not just solitary or afraid of love; I have countless flaws and a dark side. There is likely no "worst," only "worse." On the day I return, I will confess all my secrets to you. At that time, please reconsider whether you still want me as your "family." If the answer is YES, we will be together and won't waste another day. If the answer is NO, then this time, it will be my turn to chase you.* *I hope you understand why I am doing all this. Because when that day comes, you can do whatever you want. If you want to be a world champion, you’ll be one. If you want to come out, I’ll be by your side. If you want to get married, we’ll go to the Netherlands. If you want to call me "husband," I’ll call you "wife." We can spend a lifetime in love and a lifetime fencing, never having to choose between them again.* *Wait for me.* *The letter is a bit short. I tried my best to make it sound mushy; you’re not allowed to dislike it.* *Finally, Seal with a kiss. (I remember you like their songs. Let’s go listen to them together sometime.)* *Ling Xiao* *20XX, Month X, Day X* I read the letter over and over until I had it memorized. I never knew Ling Xiao could write such a good love letter; I almost suspected he’d hired a ghostwriter! I wanted to tell him right then: I know what you want to say to me. I know you’re as "bad" as can be, and the answer is YES! YES! YES! Important things must be said three times! I changed all my social media bios to "YES!" and, as if that wasn't enough, I even painted a "YES" on my window, as if he could see it from there. Sigh. Luckily I’m handsome. If I weren't, doing these stupid things would eventually turn me into "The Concubine No. 2." But once I calmed down, I couldn't help but wonder where he was. Why could he only contact me via regular mail, and why was there no return address? Recalling his powerful, cold, and tyrannical father, all sorts of hair-raising guesses flashed through my mind. I wondered if he had actually come out to his family and was now under house arrest, or if his father had sent him to the Nansha Islands to guard the border... I asked Lao Hu for Ling Xiao’s address, but Lao Hu said the address on his ID was still his old university. Lao Qi advised me, "Stop looking. You won't find him. Even if you did, it’s bound to be a military residential area. You think it’s like the Zishan Base where you can just hop the fence?" There was truly nothing I could do. I could only believe that the Captain was peerlessly handsome and invincible, and count the days as they passed. Before I knew it, half a year had gone by. There was still no word from Ling Xiao. Every morning I checked the mailbox, only to find it stuffed with flyers. I never received another note from him. By the end of the year, Auntie returned from America. For the longest time, aside from a congratulatory call during the Olympics, she had seemingly vanished from the face of the earth. Seeing the handsome foreign guy beside her at the airport, I thought to myself: *Hah, she really did choose romance over her nephew!* Auntie lied to me, saying his name was Anke Depp and told me to just call him Anke. I was stupid enough to call him "Uncle" for several days... This Depp guy was just as sly as Auntie, and he doted on her so much that he actually let me keep calling him "Uncle" as if he were of the older generation! On Christmas Eve, Auntie asked me out for a private catch-up at a charming little bar. I asked why she didn't bring Uncle Depp, and she said he’d be unhappy because she was only there for the bar’s singer. The singer was quite handsome and was performing an English song. Everyone spoke in low voices; I was the only one in the bar drinking orange juice. Auntie chatted with me for a while about the romantic way Uncle Depp had pursued her, then suddenly remembered something. "Oh, right. I ran into Ling Xiao at a fencing club in New York last year." I was stunned. "Why didn't you tell me something so important?" "It was a long time ago, you were still in closed training," Auntie said, clutching her chest. "He actually took the initiative to invite me for tea! I was so scared I thought he was trying to hit on me! Turns out he just wanted to talk. He asked me a lot about your childhood. It seems he really wanted to understand you~" I had an ominous feeling. "What did you tell him?" "Everything, of course! I told him about the first time you learned fencing at the Children's Palace and how I beat you until you were black and blue. I lied and said I was in the beginner class just like you, which depressed you for days. Later, you decided to be a 'man who knows when to yield' and begged me to be your master. That’s when I made you start calling me Auntie, hahaha..." Auntie rested her chin on her hand, her face full of nostalgia. "I didn't expect you to be an Olympic champion now. But no matter, I’m still your Auntie~" I was frustrated. "Couldn't you have said something nice!" "I did! I said that when I went to Zishan to see you, I knew you liked him. I said you used to be a muddled gay guy who never 'awakened' because you only hung out with straight people. I said since it was your first time liking someone, you must have made a fool of yourself plenty of times. I told him to be understanding, since you’re the type of person who’d throw away your dignity to get what you want!" Was Auntie doing this on purpose?! "I also said you used to be incredibly lazy. You were late for school every day, so you ended up doing all the classroom cleaning. It was the same when you were learning the sword; if the coach wasn't watching, you’d slack off. But after meeting Ling Xiao, you actually started morning runs and extra practice. I thanked Ling Xiao on your behalf for saving a wayward youth." I couldn't listen anymore. Where were my strengths? Could she not mention even one?! "Strengths? Your elementary school teacher praised you for never wasting food—does finishing every grain in your bowl count?" "..." Just then, the handsome male singer finished a song. He looked down at a request slip, nodded to the pianist, and picked up an acoustic guitar. The guitar chords plucked one by one, and that familiar intro suddenly set my heart thumping. *Brightest star in the night sky,* *Can you hear clearly?* *The loneliness and sighs* *Of the one gazing up from below.* *Brightest star in the night sky,* *Can you remember?* *The figure that once walked with me,* *Now 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,* *Brightest star in the night sky,* *Please guide me closer to you.* Listening to this song now felt like a lifetime ago, as if I had returned to the mountain behind the Zishan Base. Back then, I was just like I am now—full of anticipation, waiting for the person I didn't know when I would see again. "This is a good request," I said. "Tasteful." Auntie sipped her cocktail and said, "I’m the one who requested it. That day Ling Xiao invited me for tea, a Chinese boy with a guitar came over and asked if we wanted to request a song. Ling Xiao requested this one. Your idol picked it, so I’m letting you hear it too... Hey, nephew..." I turned my face into the shadows. "It’s nothing. I just choked." "I see," Auntie said gently. "Orange juice is quite the irritant." *** Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation --- | --- | --- 家属 | Family / Better Half | Literally "family member" or "dependent." Used here as an intimate pet name between the couple. 闷骚 | Stuffy / Closet romantic | Describes someone who is outwardly reserved or cold but inwardly passionate or "naughty." 夜空中最亮的星 | The Brightest Star in the Night Sky | A famous song by the Chinese rock band Escape Plan (逃跑计划). 姨太太 | The Concubine | A playful, mocking nickname for one of Qiao Mai's male friends/teammates. 田阿姨 | Auntie (Tian-ayi) | Qiao Mai's aunt and former fencing mentor. 凌霄儿 | Ling Xiao-er | The name Qiao Mai gave to the cat Ling Xiao left behind. 大黄猫 | Big Ginger Cat | Qiao Mai's other pet cat. 紫山基地 | Zishan Base | The national fencing training base mentioned in previous chapters.