What right did he have to appear before her, and what right did he have to explain that “he’d always been alone.”

None of her business.

Did she care?

Lin Shuang’s expression turned cold.

“There’s no problem at all.” Li Xiaoyi said despondently. “I hope you meet someone worth entrusting yourself to, and live a happy, fulfilling life.”

Lin Shuang crossed her arms over her chest, her brow cold and striking: “No need to trouble yourself over me. These years I’ve done just fine, and I’ve never lacked for company.”

“That’s good then.” He replied softly, as if letting out a long breath. “That puts my mind at ease.”

Li Xiaoyi reached into his pocket, unable to resist touching his cigarette pack, pinching out a cigarette. Lowering his sharply defined brow, he took a deep drag.

Lin Shuang could smell the faint scent of tobacco on him.

She frowned slightly, the tip of her boot grinding against the ground: “If there’s nothing else, I’ll go.”

The man exhaled a smoke ring, his face blurred in her eyes, his tone heavy as he apologized to her: “Shuangshuang, I’m sorry.”

Lin Shuang paused her steps.

He unconsciously pressed his forehead, his expression bitter: “All these years, I’ve wanted to say sorry to you, but didn’t dare, and didn’t know how to face you. Back then I was truly… too cowardly and incompetent. Clearly knowing you needed me, yet choosing to run from myself. Afterward, thinking back on it countless times, even if I’d just explained one sentence to you, that would have been better than letting my parents step in and handle it for me.”

“I don’t know what they said to you, whether it hurt you, but none of that was my intention. I’ve never hated myself for it…”

Back then he too had been a child raised pampered and spoiled, never having suffered hardship, panicking at the slightest trouble, hiding behind others, not daring to raise his head.

“Your parents spoke politely enough.” She lifted her chin, saying flatly. “I went to your house twice. Your parents didn’t say much, just said to have less contact going forward, that your studies were important. Later your mother sent me a text message, saying you were sometimes unavailable abroad and it wasn’t convenient to stay in touch, wanting to break up. I said that was fine, thanks for the care these years.”

She understood—she completely understood their choice. The warmth and coldness of human relationships was just like that. She held no resentment, she simply no longer believed.

He nodded: “I did receive that text of yours. Actually… afterward I tried to contact you online, but I’d already been deleted and blocked.”

“Did you think I’d wait around bitterly, or chase after you relentlessly?” She said calmly. “In the blink of an eye I forgot, quickly got a new boyfriend. All that past with you, I’d already thrown in the trash long ago, not worth mentioning at all.”

The tip of Li Xiaoyi’s cigarette trembled, suddenly falling to the ground. He frowned, lifted his foot to grind it out hard, bent down to pick it up, threw it in the trash can, and reached for a third cigarette.

Lin Shuang couldn’t help but frown.

“Sorry, habit of never being without a cigarette.” He noticed her expression and withdrew his hand. “After coming back to the country, I partnered with some friends to open an information technology company. Work’s pretty busy, spend most of the time on business trips, often rely on smoking to stay up late adjusting to time zones.”

Lin Shuang gave him a cold look.

“Really didn’t expect to meet you here in Beiquan. This time I’m also taking time off to come back—first to sweep my father’s grave, second to spend New Year’s with my mother.” Li Xiaoyi looked at Beiquan High School before them. “Haven’t been back to Beiquan in so many years. Stepping outside, it already feels unfamiliar, but I still remember the school—the gate hasn’t changed, the basketball court hasn’t changed, the field hasn’t changed either. Your milk tea shop… I remember it used to be a small convenience store.”

Some things had changed, some hadn’t. The changes of time crept in silently, imperceptibly.

“This time coming home, tidying up my old room, it’s still arranged the way it was in high school, do you remember? Posters stuck on the wall, a basketball stuffed under the bed.” His tone lightened slightly, chatting with her like an old friend. “Also found a lot of old things—your magazines and textbooks, gifts you gave me, our photos together, even the graduation memory book from your class, all kept at my place… So much, so much, still left exactly where it was.”

Three years of high school, every day sweet with young love. Back then the two of them had plenty of pocket money, ate and played together, exchanged countless gifts, wrote couple’s diaries, secretly went on trips, bought a camera themselves and took photo albums together…

Back then, she’d thought these things were the tangible existence of love.

She’d of course also owned many items from him, but with the disappearance of her family home and deliberate discarding, they’d completely vanished from around her.

“Back then… you also said that in the future you’d have a big house, one that could hold both of our memories.”

Lin Shuang pressed her lips tight, cutting off his words: “There’s no need to chat idly. If there’s nothing else, then let’s end it here.”

She didn’t want to stay one more minute, turning around to leave.

“Shuangshuang… I still love you, I’m sorry…”

Behind her, the man’s soft whisper rose, like the gentle breeze of early spring, faint and indistinct.

Lin Shuang’s chest tightened, her steps faltering, but she didn’t turn back.

Li Xiaoyi, his back to her, lit another cigarette. The lighter was Lin Shuang’s—shining silver, sleek and slender, carved with intricate patterns on both sides, like a girl’s slim lipstick tube, exquisite and alluring.

He slowly stroked it, tucked the lighter into his pocket, silently finished the cigarette, and then left, his figure solitary.

Zhou Zheng knew that Li Xiaoyi had gone to find Lin Shuang—not from Lin Shuang herself, as she hadn’t mentioned it at all, but because people around the milk tea shop had seen it and gossiped quietly, which Zhang Fan overheard.

“Pretty tall, pretty handsome, standing there smoking with the boss lady, quite eye-catching.” Zhang Fan teased. “Who is he? Don’t tell me he’s your competition?”

Zhou Zheng frowned and said nothing.

Lin Shuang never lacked for people trying to chat her up—having experienced this often enough, he’d actually grown fairly indifferent to it.

But this… was different.

These past few days, the two of them had actually been quite quiet. The new semester had just begun, and it was also the graduating class’s final year, so Zhou Zheng was busy at school preparing lessons and various activities—whether it was because he hadn’t found the time, or was subconsciously avoiding it, he and Lin Shuang hadn’t talked about the matter of Li Xiaoyi.

This topic, neither of them dared to touch, not knowing where to even begin.

Then, Zhou Zheng received a call from Li Xiaoyi.

“Zhou Zheng?” A hearty laugh came from the other end of the line. “Got some free time? Let’s meet up.”

What had to come would come looking for him eventually.

“Sure.” Zhou Zheng asked in a low voice. “Where should we meet?”

“Haven’t played ball in a long time.” Li Xiaoyi’s tone was relaxed. “School basketball court, how about a game together?”

He’d been Beiquan High School’s basketball team captain before, best at slam dunks, his playing style extremely dashing—every time on the court, screams would erupt, captivating a large portion of the school’s girls.

Zhou Zheng was no match for him.

“Of course. Though I’m not as skilled, I can only accompany you for a warm-up.”

“Just for fun, no need to take it seriously.”

Zhou Zheng didn’t tell Lin Shuang about meeting Li Xiaoyi. That morning he brought his athletic wear and basketball shoes out the door. Lin Shuang had just gotten up, standing on the balcony smoking, asking lazily: “School’s this busy and they’ve organized a ball game too?”

“Mm, just some casual exercise.”

He walked over, wanting to kiss her. Lin Shuang blocked his lips with her hand.

“Don’t kiss me.”

She’d just gotten up, still a bit drowsy, hadn’t brushed her teeth, and had been smoking more lately too—the taste in her mouth wasn’t very pleasant.

Zhou Zheng’s smile slowly dimmed, gazing at her, ruffling her hair, kissing her forehead.

“Shuangshuang, I love you.”

He was becoming increasingly practiced at expressing his affection.

“I know.” Lin Shuang smiled languidly.

Zhou Zheng and Li Xiaoyi met at the school. The two of them first went to the convenience store to buy water, then took the basketball to the sports field, where there happened to be students having a P.E. class. The girls, seeing the two of them, went “wow”: “There are handsome guys.”

Zhou Zheng looked decent, though Li Xiaoyi was clearly even more radiant. The moment the first ball hit the rim, a crowd of students had already quietly gathered around the net.

The one getting crushed was, of course, Zhou Zheng—the score was quite ugly. Zhang Fan, hearing the cheers from outside while in the office, came out to take a look, letting out an “oh.”

After a game of ball, the two of them rested in the stands.

Li Xiaoyi raked a hand through his sweaty hair, gulping down half a bottle of water.

Zhou Zheng’s face was flushed, breathing heavily, gripping his water bottle as he leaned against the seat.

“Seems like we never played ball together before.” Li Xiaoyi laughed. “Back then you seemed to like studying quite a bit, didn’t seem into sports much.”

“Mm.” Zhou Zheng took a sip of water.

“I remember we got close after the class split in sophomore year—we sat front and back, right? I was your tutoring partner, and before every exam you’d help me go over problems, mark out the exam scope. That year my grades improved a lot, really thankful to you for that.”

“No need to thank me. Classmates helping each other out, it’s what should be done.”

Li Xiaoyi reached into his pocket for his cigarette pack: “Smoke?”

Zhou Zheng glanced over, saying flatly: “No thanks. Can’t smoke on school grounds.”

“Ah, never mind then.” Li Xiaoyi tucked the pack back, fiddling with the lighter in his hand.

Zhou Zheng’s gaze fixed on it between his fingers, his expression shifting slightly—that was Lin Shuang’s lighter, the one she used most often.

Li Xiaoyi flashed a mouthful of white teeth, smiling: “She’s never changed, still likes these pretty, delicate things. I still have a lot of gifts at home that she gave me, all so cute.”

Zhou Zheng’s gaze suddenly sharpened.

“She’s changed quite a bit.” Zhou Zheng said in a low voice. “She used to like too many things, most of which she didn’t really need. Later, the things that didn’t matter, she threw them all away. What’s left is what she truly needs.”

Li Xiaoyi’s eyes dimmed.

“I remember your college entrance exam scores were great, and you went to college in Linjiang—that’s a first-tier city. How’d you end up back in Beiquan teaching?”

“Personal interest.”

“Actually staying in the country’s pretty good. I spent so many years in America, but still decided to come back. Last year I opened a small company in Linjiang, planning to settle down there.”

“Is that so? That’s great.”

The two of them casually chatted about the customs and character of Linjiang. Zhou Zheng had graduated from college five or six years ago and hadn’t been back since.

Li Xiaoyi patted his shoulder: “Next time if you come to Linjiang, I’ll show you around, we’ll go explore the city together. Big cities change every day, definitely won’t be the same as when you were in college.”

Zhou Zheng’s expression turned indifferent as he replied: “I’ve got a meeting to attend in a bit, let me walk you out.”

“Sure thing.” Li Xiaoyi raised an eyebrow. “We’ll chat more next time. Rare chance to be back home, I’ll stay a few more days, maybe organize a classmates’ reunion or something.”

The two of them walked out of the basketball court side by side, heading toward the school gate.

A slender figure stood at the school entrance.

Lin Shuang had seen the photo Zhang Fan sent and had come over to take a look. Seeing the two of them, she lifted her eyelids, asking flatly: “Done with your game already?”

Li Xiaoyi held the ball in one hand, the other resting on Zhou Zheng’s shoulder: “Just having a friendly match with an old classmate.”

He courteously bid the two of them farewell.