“You pig,” said Big Sis. I wasn’t the only one thinking that.
Si Liang laughed and steered the conversation back: “There’s a Shanghai job fair during the May Day holiday. Rong Rong, are you going?”
“Why do you ask? Of course, I am.” Rong Rong set down her chopsticks gracefully. “Shanghai has more opportunities and room for development. I’ve been sending resumes there all along.”
Si Liang winked: “We didn’t say anything about you. Why are you so quick to explain yourself?”
I finally stuffed that thoroughly abused piece of braised pork into my mouth, suddenly feeling this meal was both boring and endless, perhaps because I’d eaten too much earlier. My eyes unconsciously drifted to Zhuang Xu, who was turned sideways talking to Si Liang’s boyfriend, Zhuo Hui, seemingly oblivious to the girls’ conversation.
A full hour later, everyone finally emerged from the private room, satisfied with food and wine. Zhuang Xu went to the front desk to pay, and I deliberately lagged, keeping my distance from everyone because I’d started hiccupping.
When leaving the restaurant, we had to pass by the front desk where Zhuang Xu was paying. Just as I tried to hurry past with my hand over my mouth, my throat chose that extremely inopportune moment to let out two loud, powerful hiccups.
I froze, staring at Zhuang Xu’s tall, straight-back.
Please don’t hear it, please don’t turn around…
But heaven wasn’t on my side. Zhuang Xu, in the middle of paying, turned his head. Seeing it was me, he turned back just as indifferently.
I hurried outside, utterly mortified.
Once outside, Big Sis and Xiao Feng mercilessly teased me, doubling my depression. Si Liang and the others were discussing where to go next when Zhuang Xu came out. Usually, the epitome of “silence is golden,” this time he suggested: “Let’s go sing karaoke.”
“Wow, Zhuang Xu, you’re being so generous today. Karaoke is expensive at this hour.”
“Yeah, weren’t we planning to play cards at the water bar or go to the night market?”
“Just felt like it,” Zhuang Xu said, suddenly glancing at me, his eyes deep as a pool, the corners of his mouth holding a trace of an ambiguous smile.
I was stunned.
Everyone enthusiastically agreed except Xiao Feng. “No way, Watermelon’s too full and keeps hiccupping. How can she sing?”
True, in my current state, would I hiccup after every line? The thought alone was ridiculous.
Zhuang Xu knew this, so… was it deliberate? This thought made me uncomfortable, and I could feel my face starting to burn.
But maybe he just hadn’t thought it through. I shouldn’t overthink it; he had no reason to do that. But then, what was that look about?
Hearing Xiao Feng’s comment, everyone looked deflated. Big Sis pinched me: “You’re always the problem. Stop hiccupping.”
“Well, I won’t go. You all have fun,” I said.
“What will you do alone?” Si Liang asked.
“I…” Just as I was about to make an excuse, my phone rang. I quickly stepped away to answer.
It was Uncle.
“Xiguang, your mom said you’re back in Nanjing. Why didn’t you call your uncle?”
“I just arrived and met up with classmates.”
“Done with the gathering? Come stay at uncle’s tonight, I’ve had someone prepare everything.”
“Oh… I was just heading there.”
After chatting with Uncle for a bit more, I turned back. The others had resumed their cheerful conversation, the atmosphere natural and harmonious. Thinking about the earlier atmosphere, maybe it was better if I didn’t go.
Maybe I shouldn’t have moved back to the dorm six months ago.
“I won’t go,” I announced. “I’m visiting relatives.”
I couldn’t help looking at Zhuang Xu, thinking this might make him feel relieved, but saw him turn away, showing no particular emotion, his earlier smile long gone.
“Can’t you go later?” Si Liang tried to persuade me.
“Nah, I’m exhausted from the trip, no energy to play,” I waved. “I’m off, bye.”
After saying goodbye, I slowly walked to the bus stop. Bus after bus came, but never the 12X I was waiting for. Nanjing buses sometimes bunch up—none for ages, then several at once.
While waiting, my phone rang again, this time my cousin.
“Sis, you haven’t gotten on the bus yet, right?”
“No.”
“Don’t forget my MP3 player, how many times have you forgotten?”
“Ah…” Right, I’d borrowed his MP3 player ages ago and kept forgetting to return it. But it was in the dorm—did I have to make a special trip back?
“Can I bring it next time?” I negotiated.
“No way.” My cousin’s tone was firm. “You have middle-aged forgetfulness syndrome. There’ll always be a next time. I don’t trust you.”
Middle-aged forgetfulness syndrome…
At my age, it should at least be young girl forgetfulness syndrome, right? Such an ill-mannered kid.
Resignedly, I walked back to the dorm. Fortunately, it wasn’t too far from the bus stop, just four floors to climb.
My bed was the top bunk by the window, like all other beds, curtained off into a private space. Originally there weren’t curtains, but everyone had them, and not having them would have made me the odd one out.
While climbing up and searching for the MP3 player, the dorm door opened again. I heard Si Liang’s voice: “After all that, we’re just going shopping.”
“The karaoke place had no free rooms, even though it’s not weekend. No wonder Zhuang Xu kept frowning.” This was Xiao Feng’s voice. Strange, why were they back?
“Hurry, change your shoes. They’re waiting downstairs.”
“Wait, let me get a light jacket from my bed. It’ll be cold later.”
“You’re so fussy.”
Through the bed curtain’s gap, I saw Si Liang and Rong Rong sitting on their beds changing into sneakers, while Xiao Feng was climbing to her bed.
I was about to call out to them when I heard Si Liang ask: “Rong Rong, what’s up with you and Zhuang Xu today? You didn’t say a word to each other.”
My heart inexplicably skipped a beat, and I closed my mouth.
Rong Rong laughed softly: “What relationship do we have? Who says we must talk?”
“What relationship?! You’re A University Business School’s acknowledged golden couple! Rong Rong, I don’t understand what you’re doing. You both clearly like each other but neither will say it. If you’d just been clear earlier, Watermelon wouldn’t have…” Xiao Feng stopped abruptly, letting out a light snort.
Si Liang’s tone was much gentler: “What are you two planning to do? Just stay in this standoff? We’re about to graduate. Rong Rong, you’re both too proud. Sometimes taking a step back doesn’t mean losing.”
After a while, Rong Rong’s voice came with a hint of self-mockery: “Today’s Ye Rong is still the same Ye Rong, but do you think today’s Zhuang Xu is still that Zhuang Xu?”
Xiao Feng asked, puzzled: “What do you mean? You think Zhuang Xu will look down on you because of his eight-thousand-yuan salary?”
But Si Liang seemed to understand: “Rong Rong, you regret it, don’t you?”
Rong Rong stood up: “Xiao Feng, got your jacket? Let’s go.”
After they left, I searched a bit longer before finding the MP3 player, then left the dorm. Instead of taking the bus, I walked slowly toward Uncle’s house.
Uncle’s place wasn’t far—a fifteen-minute bus ride from A University. While A University’s area wasn’t particularly prosperous, Uncle’s neighborhood, just fifteen minutes away by bus, was undeniably a wealthy district.
I’d lived there for three years, from freshman to junior year.
Uncle and Aunt were business people, constantly flying around the country. Though they had a housekeeper to look after my cousin, they worried about him going astray. So when they heard I got into A University, my Uncle immediately invited me to live with them.
I only stayed in the school dorms during freshman military training and the first month, then promptly moved to my Uncle’s house with its washing machine and housekeeper.
I only moved back to the dorm at the start of senior year, telling Uncle it was to facilitate job hunting and thesis writing in the library. But my cousin privately mocked that my intentions lay elsewhere.
This was the first time my cousin, who had never passed a Chinese exam, used an idiom so aptly.
Back then, during the summer break of junior year, I had just met Zhuang Xu, who was tutoring my cousin, and learned he was also a student at A University’s Business School.