On July 4th, Jiang Weifeng spent the morning at the station reviewing the final cut with the director before catching a 3:00 PM flight from Beijing back to Qingcheng.
The plane landed at five, but Lin Jiang had arrived at the airport an hour early to wait. To make herself more visible, she had specifically chosen a wine-red dress.
Jiang Weifeng did not let her efforts go to waste. While she was still scanning the crowd for him, he had already spotted her. From the moment his eyes landed on her, they never strayed.
He walked straight toward her and stood before her, quietly watching the look in the girl's eyes shift from uncertainty to recognition, then to pleasant surprise, and finally to a touch of bashfulness.
This subtle transformation clearly pleased him. Jiang Weifeng curled his lips into a smile and asked, "Dressed so beautifully?"
Lin Jiang pursed her lips and looked up at him. Instead of smiling, she replied shyly, "To match you, of course."
"Oh ho! I saw this splash of red from a mile away and wondered which great beauty it was. Turns out it’s Lin Jiang." Gu Xiang, standing nearby, couldn't hold his tongue any longer. He stepped up to Jiang Weifeng and pointed at Lin Jiang with a mischievous grin. "Everyone, the beauty you see before you is Brother Feng’s wife—your sister-in-law!"
As he finished, the young men behind him burst into laughter and chorused, "Hello, Sister-in-law!"
"So Sister-in-law is this pretty!" The only woman in the team stepped boldly to the front, staring at Lin Jiang with a playful smile.
Lin Jiang found herself staring at the blue stud in the girl's earlobe. It looked exactly like the one she had seen in Jiang Weifeng’s car. She immediately realized that this person was likely Lillian.
Feeling self-conscious, Lin Jiang smoothed her hair and offered a smile.
"Seen enough?" Jiang Weifeng said, coming to Lin Jiang’s rescue. He looked at Gu Xiang. "Don't you need to get back to the office?"
Gu Xiang spat out a "Look at you," then turned back to Lin Jiang with a broad smile. "Well, I won't disturb you two. We’ll head back first to drop off the equipment."
Lin Jiang smiled. "Thanks for your hard work. Goodbye."
Jiang Weifeng’s car was in the parking lot. Before heading over, he mentioned he was hungry, so Lin Jiang went to Pizza Hut to pick up burgers and pizza. But when he returned, he noticed that in addition to the food, she was holding an ice cream.
As Jiang Weifeng drove toward the riverbank near the airport, his eyes remained dark. Even when Lin Jiang tried to feed him popcorn chicken, he maintained a cold, brooding expression, as if he were throwing a tantrum.
Five minutes later, the car came to a smooth stop in the shade of a tree by the river, facing the setting sun.
Lin Jiang seemed to realize something. She looked at the ice cream, then at Jiang Weifeng. Finally, she gritted her teeth and said, "Fine, I won't eat it."
Hearing this, Jiang Weifeng turned his head to look at her. "It’s sweet."
"Are you telling me to eat it or not?" Lin Jiang was confused.
"Is *that* over yet?" Jiang Weifeng asked.
Lin Jiang’s face flushed, and she gave a light cough. "Not yet."
"Then there you go. Does your stomach not hurt anymore? Have you forgotten the pain already?" Jiang Weifeng fired off a trio of questions that left Lin Jiang utterly mortified.
"You're so mean," Lin Jiang muttered, puffing out her cheeks and looking down, refusing to meet his eyes.
Seeing her like this—silly and pitiful—Jiang Weifeng felt an indescribable surge of emotion. He asked, "Do you really want it?"
Lin Jiang shot him a quick glance and grumbled, "I'm not eating it!"
"I have a way," Jiang Weifeng said. Lin Jiang looked up at him in disbelief, only to see him smiling faintly. "I'll warm the ice cream up before giving it to you."
"Warm it up?" Lin Jiang felt like a child listening to a fairy tale; his words sounded magical. "Wouldn't it all melt then?"
Jiang Weifeng looked deep into her eyes and said softly, "It won't."
Then, Lin Jiang watched with wide eyes as he took a bite of the melting ice cream.
Her first thought was that she had been played. She hadn't expected him to be such a food-snatcher; she was about to call him a "liar."
But in the next second, someone blocked her voice.
He leaned in and kissed her.
The scent of vanilla, carrying a refreshing chill and sweetness, traveled from the root of his tongue to the tip of hers. A bit of cream landed on the corner of her lips, only to be unobtrusively licked away by him.
Lin Jiang was stunned.
She closed her eyes, not daring to move, only because the little deer in her heart had started butting her with its antlers again, making her heart thud as if it were about to leap out of her chest.
A phrase came to her mind: *Sharing the same breath.*
The golden evening sun filtered through the glass, bathing them in light. His kiss left her feeling as soft as water.
"What are you thinking about?" Jiang Weifeng released her. Seeing her eyes still closed, he laughed. "There's still a lot left. Aren't you going to finish it?"
Lin Jiang opened her eyes and glared at him, whispering a single word: "Rogue!"
Her mild scolding felt like a tickle to Jiang Weifeng’s heart, making him chuckle low.
Then, Jiang Weifeng stopped teasing. They sat in the car watching the sunset and the rippling river, eating their burgers and pizza while chatting idly.
"Back then, when I was at a buffet in Toronto, they had these Haagen-Dazs scoops that looked so good. But everyone had to take a small paper cup, and you could only take one at a time." As Jiang Weifeng finished the last bite of ice cream, Lin Jiang turned her face toward him.
Jiang Weifeng asked, "I haven't asked you yet—why did you stay away for so many years without coming back?"
Lin Jiang had just pulled out her phone to take a picture of the scenery outside when he asked. Her hand shook, and the photo came out a blurry mess.
She put her phone away and licked her lips. "I was just... having too much fun playing around."
Jiang Weifeng turned his head, trying to catch her gaze. "You aren't the type to just 'play around.'"
Lin Jiang looked at him and smiled. "Why can't I be someone who likes to play?"
Jiang Weifeng reached out and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "Lin Jiang."
He simply called her name, and she looked up, meeting his eyes.
"These past few years are a blank space between us. There are too many things I'll never know if you don't tell me. To be honest, I don't like this sense of a double gap in space and time," he said, his voice steady. "I'll wait for you to tell me those things. Whenever you're ready, it's fine."
Hearing this, the string in Lin Jiang’s heart nearly snapped.
She looked at the quiet river outside, dyed the color of rouge by the setting sun, looking as if it were drunk.
In that moment, she felt she had been wrong. Jiang Weifeng wasn't like some ethereal, shimmering light on the water. He was the water that drowns, the fire that moths must fly into, the wind that sweeps through everything.
"Hey," Lin Jiang called out to him softly, with an unconscious hint of grievance.
"Hmm?" He was about to drive away, his hands on the steering wheel.
"I think..." She paused, then summoned her courage. "I think I need to ask you seriously once: why exactly do you like me?"
Jiang Weifeng rubbed his chin and smiled. "That’s a hard question."
Lin Jiang grabbed his arm. "Well... tell me?"
"Then why do you like me?" Jiang Weifeng thought for a moment, then leaned closer to her, turning the tables.
Lin Jiang pressed her lips together, her expression neutral, but Jiang Weifeng could sense her tension; her hand on his arm was tightening slightly.
"Actually..." Lin Jiang glanced at him, then quickly lowered her head, looking away. When she spoke again, her pace was fast, as if she were forcing herself to be decisive. "I am 38.6 degrees."
The smile on Jiang Weifeng’s face froze instantly. Something stirred in his heart, a surge of inexplicable emotion.
He looked at her. Past the top of her head, he could see distant birds flapping their wings across the sky, leaving no trace behind.
The woman beside him remained very quiet.
Then he took her face in his hands and kissed her fiercely.
First, their lips and tongues met, then he moved from the corners of her eyes to her brows, from her cheeks to the corners of her mouth, transferring his scent to her bit by bit.
*When the Golden Wind and Jade Dew meet, they surpass all the countless encounters in the mortal world.*
After an unknown amount of time, he let her go, and their eyes met.
Lin Jiang was the first to look away, feeling incredibly shy. "Don't you have anything you want to ask me?"
To her surprise, he smiled faintly. "I already know."
Now it was Lin Jiang’s turn to be stunned. "You already know?" she asked blankly.
He tilted his head to look at her, his thumb brushing against the corner of her mouth. "Otherwise, why would I have been so shamelessly persistent in staying by your side after you came back?"
Lin Jiang stared foolishly at his profile. Suddenly, she laughed. As she laughed, tears silently fell, which she wiped away secretly so he wouldn't notice.
Jiang Weifeng drove toward the city center.
The distant glow of the sunset slowly sank, and the streetlights suddenly flickered to life. When he parked, Jiang Weifeng lit a cigarette with one hand, the orange tip matching the glow of the streetlamps.
Lin Jiang quietly gathered the wrappers from the food they had just finished and set the bag aside. Then, gripping her seatbelt with both hands, she spoke to him in an even softer voice: "Shall we go?"
Jiang Weifeng was in no hurry. He looked deeply at her right hand. "Actually, there's one more thing I haven't told you."
Lin Jiang met his gaze, looking puzzled.
He gave a leisurely smile. "The seatbelt... it wasn't actually broken. Like this—it unfastens in an instant." As he spoke, he lifted the buckle slightly to the left and upward, then pressed the release button. Sure enough, it unfastened immediately.
Lin Jiang’s mouth hung open for a long time, unable to find words. Finally, she admitted defeat, saying only, "I hate you."
She pushed the car door open and got out in a huff.
Though she meant the words literally, to Jiang Weifeng’s ears, they sounded like a spoiled pout. He smiled and followed her out of the car.
The parking lot lights were bright, and his shadow fell at her feet.
The two of them walked slowly toward home.
The summer wind blew quietly; life felt vivid and bustling.
Since his return, perhaps because certain things had been brought into the open, the distance between them had closed.
Jiang Weifeng became even more blatant about not going to his own home, preferring to hang around Lin Jiang’s place. At first, she felt a bit self-conscious, but seeing that he behaved himself, she tacitly allowed it.
Lin Jiang had nothing to do in the afternoons, so she mostly stayed in her bedroom writing drafts and recording. Jiang Weifeng usually returned from outside in the evening, often bringing something delicious. Today, he had bought the famous fried chicken and beer from Hong Kong Street.
After returning, Jiang Weifeng went to shower first. Lin Jiang sat on the sofa, looking for a movie on the projector. Sometimes he would finish his shower before she had made a choice, so they would usually settle for a good old movie.
This time, Lin Jiang put on *Mr. & Mrs. Smith*.
Her favorite part was the beginning, where the Smiths fall in love. There was a scene where they were dancing and drinking. After the excitement died down and the music faded, it started to rain. The woman sat on the man’s lap, and they shared a bottle of wine.
In Lin Jiang’s mind, that scene was a masterpiece of aesthetics, both photographically and emotionally—the falling rain, wet hair, the slightly messy setting, the hazy night, the suggestive wine... even without watching what came next, one knew they were destined to make love.
Jiang Weifeng came out, drying his hair, just as that scene was playing.
Standing behind the sofa, he crossed his arms and watched the screen, his expression unreadable. Lin Jiang felt a burning gaze from behind and turned around to see him smiling playfully.
"Are you flirting with me?"
"I am not." Lin Jiang turned back, ignoring him.
Jiang Weifeng walked forward a couple of steps, but then his phone vibrated on the kitchen counter. He went back to grab it.
He sat down next to Lin Jiang, typing away. One arm was draped over her shoulder while the other hand continued to type. He seemed quite busy and didn't try any other mischief. Realizing this, Lin Jiang rewarded him with a small piece of fried chicken.
Half an hour into the movie, Mr. Smith discovered Mrs. Smith’s true identity. Simultaneously, Mrs. Smith was staring sharply at the man on her computer screen. The music was tense. Just before the man on screen turned his face, Jiang Weifeng finally put his phone away.
"He lost," he said, staring at the screen for a moment.
"Why?" Lin Jiang asked.
"I'm not telling you." He kept her in suspense.
Lin Jiang sighed and ignored him.
A moment later, Jiang Weifeng got another call. He went to the balcony to talk and came back inside two minutes later. "Lin Jiang, I have to go out again tomorrow."
"Another shooting schedule?"
"Yeah." He walked over and sat beside her again. "Can't bear to see me go?"
Lin Jiang shifted her sitting position, her hair falling down to hide her face. "No."
He raised an eyebrow and brushed her hair aside, smiling. "That’s the wrong answer. Want to try another one?"
She reached out to push his hand away, but he caught hers instead. Lin Jiang surrendered completely. She silently nudged closer to him and leaned against him. Only after settling in did she slowly speak: "...The opposite of 'no'."
Jiang Weifeng stiffened for a moment before slowly reaching out to pull her shoulder close, gently stroking her arm.
His eyes were tender, as was his voice. "Lin Jiang."
He called her name, and she gave a soft "Mm?" with a rising intonation.
"Let's kiss," he said.
At that moment, the movie reached a pivotal point. The man asked the woman, "What did you think when we first met?"
The woman replied, "You first."
The man smiled and said, "I thought you looked like Christmas morning."
Lin Jiang silently repeated the line in her head: *I thought you looked like Christmas morning.*
She nodded, but instead of saying "okay," she boldly hooked her arms around his neck and kissed him first.
Jiang Weifeng was taken aback for a split second, then deepened the kiss.
The next morning, before the sun was up, Jiang Weifeng left for an early flight. Lin Jiang was fast asleep then, and he didn't even dare to lean down and kiss her before leaving.
This trip to Beijing was for a magazine spread, promoting a certain product. The schedule wasn't long—just a day’s work. Thinking it too much trouble to bring a large crew, he only took Lillian and another recent graduate. When they arrived at the shoot location, the model was still at a nearby hotel getting her hair and makeup done.
Jiang Weifeng waited. After a while, the model’s assistant came over with a forced smile. "Teacher Jiang, what a coincidence! Siyi’s first variety show was shot by you, and now her first magazine spread is also being shot by you. What kind of fate is this?"
Jiang Weifeng’s brow furrowed slightly.
In the next second, a person stepped out from behind the assistant and greeted him with a smile. "Hello, Teacher Jiang. I'm Zhao Siyi. You remember me, right?"
Jiang Weifeng looked at the woman before him without expression.
Then, he said flatly, "Let's start the shoot."
As he walked past her, a gust of wind followed him, lifting Zhao Siyi’s hair. She curled the corner of her mouth in a barely perceptible smile.
Back home, Lin Jiang didn't wake up until 10:00 AM.
Clutching her pillow, she looked around the bedroom with bleary eyes. For some reason, her heart felt empty. It wasn't until she went into the bathroom to wash her face and saw the gray toothbrush on the vanity that she realized what had changed.
She packed up quickly and headed home. Along the way, the taxi driver was playing "Absolute Devotion" on loop, as if he were suffering from some heartbreak.
When Lin Jiang mentioned this to Xu Mingjuan back home, her mother was using a spoon to dish out pork rib porridge from a thermal container. Xu Mingjuan laughed. "That reminds me of a song."
Lin Jiang asked, "Which one?"
Xu Mingjuan glanced at her and smiled. "*White Moonlight*."
*Everyone has a piece of sadness they want to hide, but the more they try, the more it shows.*
Lin Jiang asked quickly, "Does Mom have a story too?"
Xu Mingjuan curled her lips but said nothing. She set the bowl down and went to call the grandfather. The old man was huddled in his bedroom on a video call with the maternal grandfather. When the maternal grandfather saw Xu Mingjuan enter the frame, he hurriedly called out, "Come over and say hello to your mother."
Xu Mingjuan walked closer and saw a brand-new pocket watch hanging around the old man's neck. When he opened it, it held a yellowed photo of her late mother.
She choked up for a moment, but her expression remained normal. "Play, play, play—all you know is how to play all day. If my mother knew you were causing such a fuss, she’d have to scold me in my dreams tonight. Alright, it’s midday, don't stay out in the sun. Get back inside and stay safe!" With that, she hung up the call.
"One of these days, when my health is fully recovered, I'm going out to have some fun too," the grandfather muttered as he came out of the bedroom.
Xu Mingjuan placed the bowl in front of him and said, "Eat first."
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
--- | --- | ---
38度6 | 38.6 Degrees | A romantic metaphor; 38.6°C is often cited in pop culture as the body temperature when one falls in love at first sight.
金风玉露一相逢，便胜却人间无数 | When the Golden Wind and Jade Dew meet, they surpass all the countless encounters in the mortal world | A famous line from a poem by Qin Guan (Song Dynasty) about the meeting of the Cowherd and Weaver Girl.
赵思意 | Zhao Siyi | A model/actress who previously worked with Jiang Weifeng.
《痴心绝对》 | "Absolute Devotion" | A popular Mandopop ballad by Sam Lee about unrequited love.
《白月光》 | "White Moonlight" | A song by Jeff Chang; also a metaphor for an idealized, unattainable past love.
