That bout of rain caused Lin Jiang’s recently recovered cold to pay her another visit.
When she dragged herself out of bed the next morning for her early vocal exercises, her eyelids felt hot and heavy, and her throat felt as if it were coated in ash, making every word an effort.
Because the National Day holiday began next Thursday, the school had scheduled makeup classes for the weekend. This meant ten consecutive days of school. Coupled with the fact that exams were looming right after the break, teachers of every subject were seizing evening self-study periods for their own lessons. The intensity of their studies skyrocketed, leaving Lin Jiang in a state of utter exhaustion.
Consequently, He Lai took it upon herself to help Lin Jiang deliver her English homework a couple of times over those few days. Each time she returned, she grumbled in disappointment, "How come I never run into Jiang Weifeng when I'm turning in the assignments?"
Lin Jiang spread her hands helplessly. "I told you before that I never see him, but you didn't believe me. Am I finally 'exonerated' now?"
He Lai puffed out her cheeks in a huff, lost in thought for a moment before asking, "Is 'exonerated' really the right word to use there?"
Lin Jiang playfully tossed a pen at her, and the two of them burst into laughter.
The National Day holiday arrived quickly. This year marked the 60th anniversary of the founding of the PRC, and before the break, the whole class was buzzing with talk about the grand military parade.
Beyond that, Lin Jiang had another reason to look forward to the holiday—October 5th was her seventeenth birthday.
On the afternoon before the break, He Lai and the others gave Lin Jiang her gifts.
Li Na bought her an adorable mug. When she handed it over, Li Kai happened to see and scratched his head sheepishly, saying he hadn't known it was Lin Jiang’s birthday and promising to treat her to a meal later to make up for it. Li Na kept shooting him dirty looks, accusing him of being insincere.
Lin Jiang didn't really mind; she just stuck out her tongue and thanked them.
Last year, He Lai had given Lin Jiang a kraft paper journal. This year, she gave her a book: *Letter from an Unknown Woman*. Lin Jiang had seen this book on her family’s bookshelf before, and Xu Mingjuan had given her a general summary of the plot. She hadn't expected He Lai to give her a book with such intense, burning emotions.
He Lai explained with great solemnity, "This book made me cry! I guarantee you'll love it!" At the end, she commanded Lin Jiang to finish it quickly so they could discuss their thoughts.
Lin Jiang wanted to read it right away, but unfortunately, this holiday was shaping up to be busier than a regular school week. The broadcasting classes were the easy part; the school had distributed a "National Day Gift Pack"—forty-two exam papers stapled together. Forget doing them; just looking at the stack felt like a death sentence.
As soon as the holiday began, her grandparents called, saying they missed her. On the noon of her birthday, Lin Jiang took her schoolbag to their house. While doing her homework, she purposely showed the "National Day Gift Pack" to her grandfather, acting spoiled and complaining that the school was mistreating minors. This made the old man both amused and distressed, and he hurriedly told her grandmother to add extra chicken drumsticks to the meal.
Before she could finish the "Gift Pack," Wang Jiaqian called in the afternoon to invite her out, claiming she had a "grand gift" for her.
Inside KFC, Wang Jiaqian was all smiles, acting mysterious. "Guess what I got you?"
Lin Jiang said, "Give me a hint?"
Wang Jiaqian cleared her throat and recited, "In everyone's youth, there will be two boys: one who amazes the time, and one who softens the years."
Lin Jiang blurted out the answer: "Han Geng and Kim Heechul."
"How did you know the right answer?!"
"Don't you always say that quote comes from Geng-Chul fanfiction?" Lin Jiang added that Wang Jiaqian usually hated how much teen fiction overused that line. "You're not going to give me another lyrics notebook, stickers, or posters, are you?"
At the thought, Lin Jiang’s face paled with mock horror.
Wang Jiaqian was a hardcore fangirl with a long list of "oppas" she adored. Every time she gave Lin Jiang these fan-related gifts, she would follow up with a forced recommendation session.
Lin Jiang still remembered back in middle school when Wang Jiaqian was obsessed with Super Junior. She had gone through all thirteen members without missing a single one, talking about them for days on end. Afterward, she demanded to know which one Lin Jiang liked best. Lin Jiang could only remember that the chubby one was Shindong; she couldn't tell the others apart, so she just pointed at one randomly. It turned out she hadn't picked Wang Jiaqian’s favorites, Han Geng or Heechul, so she was forced to endure a second round of recommendations... By the end, Lin Jiang had felt like dying.
Wang Jiaqian pressed a hand to her forehead. "Look at that look of disgust on your face! You guessed wrong this time!"
Without waiting for Lin Jiang to react, she pulled something out and slammed it onto the table.
Lin Jiang looked down—one *Wang Houxiong* and one *Xue Jinxing* test prep book.
"We're through!"
Lin Jiang’s face went dark, and she made a move to leave. Wang Jiaqian was laughing so hard she couldn't even stop her. In a fit of pique, Lin Jiang actually picked up her bag to walk away.
As she turned, she was still looking back to see Wang Jiaqian’s reaction, and she unexpectedly collided head-on with someone.
Lin Jiang’s body jolted; the air seemed to freeze.
"Whoa," Gu Xiang grinned, baring his teeth. "Lin Jiang, you don't look like you have much meat on your bones, but you sure pack a punch when you run into someone."
The corner of Lin Jiang’s mouth twitched.
"Hubby, what are you doing here?" As soon as Wang Jiaqian saw Gu Xiang, she threw herself at him with sickening sweetness.
"Feng and I saw the two of you eating here from across the street, so we thought we'd come say hi."
"Coming to settle the bill?" Wang Jiaqian teased.
"Yes, yes, whatever you say." Gu Xiang was helpless against her, his eyes full of doting affection.
Lin Jiang stood to the side, her fingers twisting her clothes, taking a long moment to steady her breathing.
Behind Gu Xiang stood a boy wearing a black crew-neck long-sleeved shirt that perfectly framed his collarbones. His hair seemed a bit shorter than before, revealing a pair of lazy eyes that flickered over her with an air of indifference, a faint smile playing on his lips.
Lin Jiang felt as if a small fawn were crashing about wildly inside her, its antlers poking her until it hurt.
Her heart was in her throat. After thinking it over, she decided to speak first, feigning a casual air. "Hi."
He nodded, nonchalant. "I haven't thanked you for last time."
She blinked, then realized what he meant and smiled. "No need."
But she didn't dare meet his eyes.
"Who says there's no need?"
Wang Jiaqian stopped her flirting with Gu Xiang and grinned at Jiang Weifeng. "It's Lin Jiang’s birthday today. Isn't Brother Feng going to show some appreciation?"
Jiang Weifeng’s eyes flickered. He asked Lin Jiang, "It's your birthday?"
She could only nod.
Hearing this, Gu Xiang clapped his hands. "Feng and I just finished a gathering and were saying we didn't want to go home yet. How about I call a few brothers over to celebrate for you? KTV or a restaurant, your choice."
Wang Jiaqian agreed enthusiastically, then turned to ask Lin Jiang where she wanted to go.
Lin Jiang’s face flushed with heat. Feeling quite embarrassed, she said, "There's no need." She explained, "I always spend my birthdays at home with my parents."
Jiang Weifeng nodded and said nothing more.
Wang Jiaqian and Gu Xiang didn't push it further.
Before they left, Wang Jiaqian shoved the *Wang Houxiong* and *Xue Jinxing* books into Lin Jiang’s arms, instructing her, "There's something inside, don't let it fall out."
Only then did Lin Jiang notice the books were slightly bulging. She didn't ask what it was, just smiled and said goodbye.
It wasn't until she stepped out of the KFC that the fawn in Lin Jiang’s heart finally settled down. She let out a long breath toward the sky and then, for some inexplicable reason, started to smile.
The three of them watched Lin Jiang leave.
Jiang Weifeng looked at the couple standing arm-in-arm beside him, his eyes darkening. "You two go on your date. I'm leaving."
Gu Xiang asked, "Where to?"
"None of your business."
Jiang Weifeng laughed and turned away without looking back.
In truth, Jiang Weifeng didn't know where he was going either. A bus happened to stop nearby, so he hopped on without a second thought, found a seat in the back by the window, and logged onto QQ.
There was a string of unread messages. He clicked on the most recent one. Shitou asked: *Bro, you free to come to Guangming Square and teach me some skating?*
He replied: *Sure.*
Just as he sent the message, an unknown number called. He answered, but as soon as the person on the other end said "Hello," he hung up immediately.
He felt a bit weary.
"Is Zhao Siyi still haunting you?" Shitou sat on the curb, the sound of skateboards hitting the pavement echoing around them.
Jiang Weifeng lazily kicked his board, smoking in silence.
Shitou asked again, "Back then, everyone said you transferred schools for Zhao Siyi."
Jiang Weifeng didn't even lift his eyelids. "You believe that too?"
Shitou was choked for words, then asked, "What are you thinking? Do you still love her?"
"Bullshit." Hearing the word 'love,' Jiang Weifeng laughed. "I don't even know how to spell 'love'."
Shitou gave a dismissive snort. "Still, they say Zhao Siyi’s family is really strict. It's understandable that she was scared."
Jiang Weifeng flicked his ash, his voice devoid of warmth. "Nothing to do with me."
Seeing that Jiang Weifeng really didn't want to talk about it anymore, Shitou quickly changed the subject. "True. With a face like yours, you're a magnet for girls. One says bye, the next one's even better."
Jiang Weifeng laughed and cursed at him to get lost.
Shitou got excited. "Doesn't our school have someone who has a crush on you and requests songs for you? And hey, do you think Lin Jiang has her eye on you too? Why else would she be so loyal and help you lie to the teacher?"
The image of the girl’s face appeared in Jiang Weifeng’s mind—a clean, simple little white flower. She was from a completely different world than his.
Jiang Weifeng narrowed his eyes and took a deep drag of his cigarette. "Don't overthink it."
But Shitou acted as if he hadn't heard. Suddenly agitated, he grabbed Jiang Weifeng’s arm, his face full of surprise and delight. "Holy crap! Do you see that girl in the red dress to your right?"
Jiang Weifeng squinted to look. Sure enough, there was a girl in a red dress, practicing flatland tricks on a Boiling Point board. As soon as their eyes met, she jerked her gaze away, only to look back boldly a second later.
Shitou clicked his tongue. "I saw her at the pool hall before, and at Green Island too. Now I've seen her twice while skating. It's definitely not a coincidence—she's totally into you! See that? As soon as you looked at her, she got shy."
Jiang Weifeng had no memory of her, but after processing Shitou’s words, he licked his teeth and grinned. "You see her everywhere you go?"
Shitou nodded. "Yeah."
Jiang Weifeng stood up, used his toe to hook and flip his longboard into his hand, his smile deepening. "Damn, she’s the one with a crush on *you*, isn't she?"
Shitou froze on the spot.
***
Lin Jiang listened to music all the way home.
When she walked in, she found Auntie Jing was there too, sitting on the sofa with Xu Mingjuan watching *iPartment*. It happened to be a funny scene, and both women were leaning back, laughing out loud.
Lin Wei was busy in the kitchen, while Shen Yan was leaning against the kitchen door, munching on a cucumber and chatting with him. He was the first to notice her return and came over with a grin. "Happy birthday!"
Lin Jiang, clutching the two thick books Wang Jiaqian had given her, asked, "Where's my gift?"
"I wouldn't forget. It's on the table over there," Shen Yan said, exasperated.
This drew another round of laughter from the two women on the sofa.
Lin Jiang was in high spirits today. As soon as she got the gift, she couldn't wait to open it. It was a silver bracelet with a single moon charm. Lin Jiang loved it. She gave Shen Yan a playful wink and thanked him.
Shen Yan pretended to be struck by her "electric eye," clutching his chest and faking a faint. Lin Jiang laughed and ran back to her room in a great mood.
Her mind was filled with the "amazed time and softened years" Wang Jiaqian had mentioned. She flipped open the *Wang Houxiong* book. Inside was an envelope. When she opened it, it was full of sticker photos of the two of them and a long letter. Lin Jiang’s eyes turned a fierce shade of red.
That night, Lin Jiang felt incredibly fulfilled and happy.
When it came time to make her wishes, she spoke two aloud: one for her parents, and one for the Gaokao. The third one, the one she kept silent, was for Jiang Weifeng.
What should she wish for him? After a moment's thought, she settled on a phrase that was cliché but sincere:
*May everything go even better than you hope.*
***
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
--- | --- | ---
石头 | Shitou | Literally "Stone"; a nickname for Jiang Weifeng's friend.
沈宴 | Shen Yan | A male friend or relative of Lin Jiang's family.
林伟 | Lin Wei | Lin Jiang's father.
静姨 | Jing Yi | Auntie Jing; likely Shen Yan's mother and a friend of Lin Jiang's mother.
王后雄 | Wang Houxiong | A famous brand of Chinese academic test prep books.
薛金星 | Xue Jinxing | Another famous brand of Chinese academic test prep books.
一个陌生女人的来信 | Letter from an Unknown Woman | A novella by Stefan Zweig.
万事胜意 | Wan Shi Sheng Yi | A blessing meaning "may everything go better than expected" or "all things go as you wish."
爱情公寓 | iPartment | A popular Chinese sitcom.
沸点 | Boiling Point | A well-known Chinese skateboard brand.
