That night, Lin Jiang returned home with the faint scent of alcohol clinging to her.
The moment she stepped through the door, she sensed something was wrong. Usually, at this hour, Xu Mingjuan would be curled up on the sofa watching television, but the house was silent.
She called out twice, but no one answered. After checking the bedroom and finding it empty, she began changing her clothes while dialing her mother’s number on speakerphone.
The call was picked up instantly. Before she could speak, Xu Mingjuan’s tearful voice rushed through the line.
"Lin Jiang, come to the Municipal Hospital. Something happened to your grandmother."
Lin Jiang’s world went dark. She practically bolted out the door. By the time she reached the hospital, her legs were weak and her teeth were chattering.
In the elevator lobby, she saw Lin Wei sitting with his arm around her grandfather. Xu Mingjuan stood behind them, her hand resting on Lin Wei’s shoulder. All three were red-eyed and weeping.
"How is she?" Lin Jiang’s voice was painfully hoarse.
Xu Mingjuan stepped forward to support her. She didn't speak, only shook her head as she fought back fresh tears.
Lin Jiang’s tears fell like rain.
Later, Lin Jiang learned from her mother that her grandmother had accidentally fallen into the water and drowned.
Not long after Lin Jiang had left for university, her grandmother had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. The family had been incredibly careful, but in a single moment of lapsed supervision, she had wandered out and never returned.
During that National Day holiday, Qingcheng was damp and shrouded in constant rain. On the day of the funeral, the drizzle remained, lingering and ceaseless.
Lin Wei worried that his father wouldn't be able to bear the grief, but the old man, though pale, turned to comfort his son instead. Father and son gripped each other’s hands for support, seeing the memorial through to the end.
Naturally, Lin Jiang’s birthday was a somber affair.
On the night of October 5th, while Shen Yan was in her room offering words of comfort, Xu Mingjuan brought in a bowl of noodles. "Your dad asked me to make this for you," she said.
Lin Jiang’s eyes were rimmed with red. She waited for her mother to leave before letting her tears fall, finishing the noodles as they mixed with her salt.
Shen Yan watched her eat. He hadn't originally planned to come home for the break, but upon hearing the news, he had rushed back specifically for the funeral.
Once Lin Jiang finished the noodles, he took the bowl out. When he returned, he was holding a box.
"For you. A birthday present," Shen Yan said.
Shen Yan’s tall shadow loomed over her, making it hard to see his expression in the dim light. She took the gift and opened it to find a dark green wristwatch.
"It’s beautiful." Lin Jiang sniffled and managed a small smile.
Seeing that she liked it, Shen Yan gave a heartfelt grin. "As long as you like it. I bought this with the money from my part-time job—my first real paycheck."
Touched, Lin Jiang took the watch out and fastened it to her wrist. She held her hand out to admire it for a few seconds before asking, "But why a watch?"
"I knew you’d ask." Shen Yan stepped forward and sat beside her. "And no, it’s not some 'sending you to your end' pun."
Lin Jiang laughed. "Oh, I know that."
"Well..." Shen Yan gave a soft, shallow laugh. "There’s nothing too special about it. A watch, of course, represents time."
Lin Jiang sat perfectly still, listening to him.
"Have you heard that quote by Sanmao? 'The beauty of time lies in its inevitable passing.' The old will pass away, and children will be born; it’s the law of nature. Regarding your grandmother... I hope you remember her, but don't be too consumed by sorrow. Since time waits for no one, we might as well cherish the present."
The room and the world outside were quiet. Shen Yan spoke for a long time, and Lin Jiang listened silently, as if hearing a story of modest length.
"A future lawyer really is different. You’re quite the orator, aren't you?" Lin Jiang discreetly wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and looked at him with a smile.
Shen Yan looked quite pleased with the compliment. "I thank the eldest Miss Lin for her praise."
Lin Jiang was usually shy about showing vulnerability, but she had shown plenty in front of him lately. Feeling a bit awkward, she blinked and whispered, "Thanks."
Shen Yan looked at her, noticing the mist still in her eyes. Fearing she might cry again, he teased her. "Don't thank me. That’s just who I am. Can’t help it—I’m just a good man."
As he spoke, he playfully arched an eyebrow, making Lin Jiang burst into a laugh. "Yes, yes, yes, you’re the 'good man.' You’re Zeng Xiaoxian, alright?"
Shen Yan was baffled. "Where did that come from? Who’s Zeng Xiaoxian?"
Lin Jiang pressed a hand to her forehead, mimicking Wang Jiaqian’s complaining tone. "You’re so out of touch. How do you not know the famous radio host?" Laughing, she pushed him out of her bedroom.
As the door closed, Lin Jiang looked at the faint, dark green glint of the watch and slowly pulled her lips into a smile.
***
Before university, teachers used to say, "Don't think about playing now; you’ll have plenty of time for that in college." Others said the lives of arts and sports students were much more colorful than those of ordinary students.
If Lin Jiang could travel back in time, she would scream at her naive self: *Don't believe them!*
As a student in the Broadcasting Department, waking up early for vocal drills was a form of torture, and her daily schedule was packed with classes. There was no time for "play."
During the summer break of her sophomore year, Lin Jiang attended a high school reunion. When the topic of college life came up, everyone asked her things like, "Are there a lot of handsome guys and pretty girls at an arts school?" or "Is your school really relaxed?"
These questions gave Lin Jiang a headache. In reality, studying this field required even more grit and endurance.
Many of her classmates worked just as hard as they had for the college entrance exams. By their second or third year, some were already finding ways to intern at television stations.
By the first semester of her senior year, Lin Jiang returned to school to find the atmosphere had completely shifted. People were hunting for internships, attending autumn recruitment fairs, or cramming for grad school entrance exams.
In her entire dorm, only she and Zhou Wan were the "idle" ones.
Lin Jiang had interned at a TV station for over two months during the winter break of her senior year. By coincidence, she had run into Cheng Yunchuan there. Cheng had attended a vocational media college for broadcasting and had started her internship a year earlier, using connections to host a late-night program.
However, Lin Jiang had quit before even receiving her internship certificate. After returning for the spring semester, she didn't have a clear plan.
Her roommate, Zhou Wan, was also aimless. Zhou Wan had joined the Public Relations Department in her freshman year and had been driven mad by the hectic pace of the Student Union. Now that she finally had some free time, she spent all day in the dorm binge-watching dramas.
At the time, a Korean drama called *The Heirs* was incredibly popular. Zhou Wan had plastered the dorm with posters of Lee Min-ho, calling him "Oppa" every day.
Lin Jiang teased her. "You’re just like a friend of mine. You’d give your life for your idols."
Zhou Wan bit into an apple and gave a gossipy grin. "Who? Not your handsome cousin, Shen Yan, right?"
Lin Jiang threw a throw pillow at her. "Not the handsome cousin, the beautiful best friend. I’ve told you about her—Wang Jiaqian."
Zhou Wan frowned as she recalled. "Oh, right! The girl next door, Wang."
Lin Jiang shook her head. "I really have to let you two meet one day."
That promise wasn't fulfilled until May of the following year.
During that period, Lin Jiang was busy with her graduation performance by day and writing her thesis by night. She was working herself to the bone.
It was then that Wang Jiaqian came to Z-Comm to find Lin Jiang.
Lin Jiang had a sudden inspiration and sent Wang Jiaqian a photo. "What do you think of my roommate?"
"She’s great. Once I’m done with my work here, I want to meet her."
By the time Wang Jiaqian finished her errands, it was already May. Her visit was rushed; she arrived at noon and had to leave by the afternoon, all just to meet Zhou Wan.
Zhou Wan wasn't a traditional beauty, but she had the "it" look of the moment. Besides modeling, she was skilled in photography and post-production.
The two hit it off immediately and agreed to collaborate on the spot.
The afternoon flew by. It felt like they had barely spoken a few words before Wang Jiaqian had to rush to catch her train.
In truth, the fleeting nature of time wasn't just felt in that single afternoon.
Graduation arrived abruptly. From the end of the graduation performance to the final thesis defense, everyone had grumbled at some point, "I can't wait to graduate." But when the moment actually came, they realized no one was ready.
On the eve of graduation, the roommates had a final gathering. After dinner, the six girls bought snacks and drinks and lay on the athletic field chatting. They talked about the hardships of the last two months and the changes of the past four years.
Song Yating, who slept diagonally across from Lin Jiang, planned to get engaged to her boyfriend right after graduation. Everyone was discussing her plans when, somehow, the conversation shifted to Lin Jiang.
"Lin Jiang, in four years, you’re the only one in this dorm who hasn't even had a 'situationship.' You ignore everyone who confesses to you. Are you hiding someone in your heart?" Yating lay there, twirling a strand of Lin Jiang’s long hair around her finger.
Lin Jiang was speechless. She lay flat on her back, looking at the stars, and a boy’s face flickered in her mind.
The dorm monitor laughed. "Is it that guy who came to see you at school last year?"
"You mean Shen Yan?" Zhou Wan opened a can of soda and took a sip, curling her lip. "Shen Yan is Lin Jiang’s biological cousin. Didn't you guys know?"
"Huh? For real?" the monitor asked.
Lin Jiang nodded, smiling inwardly. When Zhou Wan had been gossiping before, that was indeed how she had explained it.
The girls chattered on. Zhou Wan even added, "How much younger is your cousin than you? Introduce him to me later, okay?"
Lin Jiang looked at the stars, her mood inexplicably good. "We’ll see."
Zhou Wan made a move to tickle Lin Jiang, coaxing her with "Come on, will you?"
Lin Jiang was incredibly ticklish. She rolled around, laughing and dodging, when suddenly someone called out: "Lin Jiang."
She froze, and Zhou Wan stopped too.
The two of them sat up disheveled. By the light of the lamps, they saw it was Li Huaike from the photography class.
The dorm monitor teased Lin Jiang, "The debt collector is here."
Yating couldn't help but let out a muffled giggle.
Li Huaike spoke. "Lin Jiang, I have something to say to you. Could you come over here for a moment?"
The roommates all shot Lin Jiang suggestive looks. Lin Jiang hesitated. "If there’s something to say, just say it here."
Li Huaike insisted again, but Lin Jiang still refused.
He clenched his fists as if making a monumental decision. "Lin Jiang, I’m going to Qingcheng after graduation too."
Lin Jiang was startled, then smiled. "That’s great. Qingcheng might not be Beijing or Shanghai, but it’s still a major city."
Li Huaike bit his lip. "So... are you willing to be with me?"
As soon as the words were out, the girls nearby giggled and intentionally coughed at Lin Jiang.
Lin Jiang didn't hesitate. She smiled. "I’m not willing."
"I’ll treat you well," Li Huaike said, his fists clenching tighter.
Lin Jiang looked him directly in the eye and said calmly, "I don't like you."
"I’ll work hard to make you like me," Li Huaike said, undeterred.
"Some things can't be achieved through hard work alone." Lin Jiang’s lips curved into a faint smile. Her voice was gentle, but her aura was one that kept people a thousand miles away.
Seeing the awkwardness of the situation, Zhou Wan knew she had to provide an out. She stood up and gave a couple of dry laughs. "Um, Li Huaike, I’m also going to Qingcheng to work. I’ll hit you up once we’re there, okay?"
The boy didn't move. Zhou Wan swallowed and pushed on. "Um, I’ll bring Lin Jiang along when I hit you up, okay?"
The boy still stood his ground.
Lin Jiang rubbed her right arm with her left hand, looked around, and then met Li Huaike’s eyes again. She said nothing.
Li Huaike smiled. "There’s someone in your heart?"
Though it was a question, his tone was certain.
The surroundings fell silent. Even the sound from the nearby speakers felt like it was coming from a dream.
Lin Jiang smiled but said nothing, maintaining her distant composure.
Li Huaike laughed. "I understand. Take care."
Lin Jiang said, "You too," and watched him walk away.
The moment Li Huaike was gone, the girls surrounded her like they were conducting an interrogation.
"What do you mean 'someone in your heart'?" Yating asked.
"Who is it? Is he as handsome as Shen Yan?" Zhou Wan chimed in.
"..."
"I made it up," Lin Jiang answered them all.
Ignoring their teasing, she closed her eyes and lay back down on the field.
The summer heat rolled in waves, feeling a bit stifling. For some reason, Lin Jiang’s heart was beating a little fast.
Perhaps it was because the last thing she had said was a lie.
Lin Jiang touched her nose and then raised her hand to look at the dark green watch on her wrist. This time tomorrow, she would likely be eating dinner at home in Qingcheng.
This final night with her roommates was exceptionally precious. The next day, one bed after another was cleared out. She and Zhou Wan were the last to leave. They locked the door, registered with the dorm matron to hand in their keys, and stepped out with their luggage into the scorching sunlight.
She whispered in her heart:
*Goodbye.*
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
--- | --- | ---
死别 | Final Farewells / Parting by Death | The chapter title, referring to the permanent separation caused by death.
老年痴呆 | Alzheimer's / Dementia | The condition Lin Jiang's grandmother suffered from.
三毛 | Sanmao | A famous Taiwanese writer (Echo Chan).
曾小贤 | Zeng Xiaoxian | A character from the Chinese sitcom *iPartment*, known for his catchphrase "A good man is me, and I am Zeng Xiaoxian."
播音系 | Broadcasting Department | Lin Jiang's major in university.
早功 | Morning drills / Vocal exercises | Daily practice for broadcasting/acting students.
Z传 | Z-Comm / Z-University of Communications | Abbreviation for the university Lin Jiang attends.
李怀克 | Li Huaike | A student from the photography class who confesses to Lin Jiang.
秋招 | Autumn Recruitment | The major job-hunting season for graduating students in China.
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