It had been three days since Lin Yingtao arrived in Hong Kong, and she only ventured out occasionally for meals.
Most of the time, she stayed in Jiang Qiaoxi’s tiny 50-square-foot rental room.
This was nothing like what she had told her mother before coming. Back then, she had said spending New Year’s in Hong Kong would be wonderful, that it was like spring there, with pleasant breezes, comfortable climate, and beautiful scenery.
In reality, Lin Yingtao spent every day curled up in the dim light behind drawn curtains, in the circulating air conditioning, tightly embracing the person she loved.
Lin Yingtao didn’t know if other newly united lovers were also like this.
Before crossing that line, she had thought this matter was just a ceremony, a step, like a goodnight kiss before bed—a touch and it would be over. But once it happened, she discovered it was far more than that.
When she was with Jiang Qiaoxi, Lin Yingtao worried on the one hand that it was a bit excessive, but on the other hand, she thought about why she had come to Hong Kong. It wasn’t for the gentle spring breeze or the pleasant harbor scenery, but only for him. Whenever the former thought surfaced, Lin Yingtao would quickly soften in the scent of Jiang Qiaoxi’s sweat.
Jiang Qiaoxi probably thought the same way.
He hadn’t gone to the hospital or to work these past few days, only going to school once for a class while Lin Yingtao was sound asleep. Jiang Qiaoxi said that classes at HKU were quite flexible, with only a few courses strictly checking attendance. If there was something really important, it was okay not to go.
Since coming to Hong Kong, Jiang Qiaoxi has slowly started to change from before, no longer under such strict constraints. Though he still maintained a regular schedule, it didn’t change how they spent their days together.
They both wanted to make up for lost time, not just the four months apart, but also the three years of separation.
The years they hadn’t been in love were simply too long.
Jiang Qiaoxi’s broad shoulders blocked the window by the bed, shielding the moonlight outside.
Lin Yingtao opened her eyes. She lay in his shadow, in the space created by his supporting arms. The bed creaked rhythmically, and she always felt as if there was a pothos plant sitting on the windowsill.
“Jiang Qiaoxi…” she said.
Jiang Qiaoxi breathed softly, his deep black eyes, washed by sweat, gazing down at her from above.
“Kiss me again…” she looked at him.
So Jiang Qiaoxi lowered his elbows to her sides, bending his neck to capture her soft lips, parched from heavy breathing.
Lin Yingtao said, “I feel like you’ve wanted this for a long time.”
Jiang Qiaoxi asked, “Wanted what?”
Lin Yingtao’s flushed cheeks gently rubbed against her damp hair as she said, “This.”
Jiang Qiaoxi lowered his head to kiss her, his eyes unfathomable beneath his lashes. “The first time I saw you at school,” he suddenly recalled, “your hair was tied up, exposing a bit of your neck. You were wearing the school uniform, getting water outside…”
Lin Yingtao was taken aback.
Jiang Qiaoxi then lowered his head, capturing her lips again.
Lin Yingtao closed her eyes, her hands resting on his shoulders.
Jiang Qiaoxi breathed softly, “But you were angry then, you didn’t want to talk to me.”
Her slender shoulders tensed.
The headboard knocked rhythmically, the mattress springs compressing violently.
Jiang Qiaoxi said, “I originally thought we’d have to wait until after marriage.”
Lin Yingtao was like an innocent little rabbit, jumping into Jiang Qiaoxi’s hands of her own accord, nestling in his palms. She rubbed her obedient long ears against Jiang Qiaoxi’s cold hands, waiting for him to melt like ice. Once he did, she was caught in his grasp.
Lin Yingtao always found her true happiness amidst tears.
“Cherry,” Jiang Qiaoxi’s voice was full of love, yet tinged with despair. He said, “Cherry, I love you. I believe you know that.”
Lin Yingtao suddenly woke up in the middle of the night.
She sat up in bed, peering through the gap in the curtains with sleepy eyes at the street illuminated by streetlights outside.
She had little experience and had been living in a daze these past few days, her days and nights reversed. She lowered her eyes, placing a hand on her lower abdomen, still worried about what would happen if Jiang Chunlu came.
Remembering that they had to visit his cousin at the hospital tomorrow, she lay back down. She nestled in Jiang Chunlu’s father’s arms, holding his hand, and closed her eyes.
As soon as the cousin’s wife saw Lin Yingtao, she showered her with concern, repeatedly asking if her fever had subsided and if she had rested well. Although Lin Yingtao didn’t understand what had happened, the cousin’s wife immediately began scolding Jiang Qiaoxi for not taking good care of her and failing in his responsibilities as a boyfriend.
There were other visitors in the hospital room. The cousin’s wife said to Jiang Qiaoxi, “These are your brother’s former colleagues and classmates. Go in and let them see you. You’re almost ready for your internship.”
In the hospital room, a group of old acquaintances were chatting, all dressed in suits. Hong Kong locals were speaking broken Mandarin and mainland visitors with Beijing accents. From a distance, Lin Yingtao heard them talking about someone they all knew, apparently a boss who had also gotten into trouble in 2008.
“…After the stroke, his three children divided up all the houses, cars, and shares under his name. Now he’s still in a nursing home.”
Lin Yingtao couldn’t help but smile, finding the accent endearing.
As soon as Jiang Qiaoxi entered the room, he was surrounded by the adults. Lin Yingtao heard their enthusiastic tones, mentioning things like “HKU” and “Morgan Stanley,” presumably praising Jiang Qiaoxi.
The cousin’s wife said to Lin Yingtao, “His colleagues and old friends all know about Qiaoxi, how he’s been taking care of his brother in Hong Kong for three years. Where can you find such a devoted brother nowadays? What a fine young man.”
Lin Yingtao suddenly noticed that the cousin’s wife had put on makeup that day.
After the old friends left, Lin Yingtao finally entered the hospital room with the cousin’s wife. The last time they came, Jiang Qiaoxi’s cousin was lying in bed, unable to move or speak, only able to open his eyes and shed tears.
This time, as Lin Yingtao was led to the bedside by Jiang Qiaoxi’s arm around her shoulder, she said softly, “Hello, Cousin. I’m Lin Qile. I’ve come again for the winter break!”
The cousin was propped up against the raised bed head. He had fewer tubes attached to him than before, and his hair had been carefully combed. His complexion looked less pale, and his cheeks were fuller, no longer skin and bones like before. He raised his eyes to look at Lin Yingtao.
His hand, which had been resting by his side, suddenly lifted a little. His fingers trembled, hovering above the bedsheet as if he couldn’t muster much strength. Lin Yingtao immediately grasped his hand.
“Jiang Qiaoxi, ten years old, came to Hong Kong for summer vacation…” the cousin suddenly said. His voice was weak and hoarse, speaking in fragments. “He said, in Qunshan, he met a little girl named Lin Qile.”
Lin Yingtao suddenly felt nervous. This was the first time she had heard Jiang Qiaoxi’s cousin speak to her.
“He never told me about… his other classmates, did he?” The cousin suddenly turned his head to look at his wife by the bed.
His wife lowered her head, smiling as she peeled an apple.
The cousin said to Lin Yingtao, “He talked about you for so long.”
Lin Yingtao looked back and saw Jiang Qiaoxi pacing aimlessly by the hospital room window with his hands in his pockets as if he knew his cousin was bound to tease him.
Lin Yingtao sat down and ate the sweet apple the cousin’s wife had peeled for her.
She talked about the construction site in Qunshan, then about her current university and the major she was studying.
“Good major,” the cousin agreed.
Lin Yingtao smiled shyly, “But the salary might be relatively low in the future.”
The cousin’s reactions were still somewhat slow in all aspects. “Not low,” he looked at her, affirming again, “Very good.”
Lin Yingtao didn’t continue on this topic. The cousin was a patient who had lived in Hong Kong for a long time and didn’t understand the situation in mainland China. Moreover, most people weren’t very clear about the current state of the early childhood education profession. Lin Yingtao stood up because the cousin’s wife suddenly gestured for her to follow her outside the room.
The cousin’s wife’s Mandarin had a slight accent, but she tried her best to enunciate clearly. She glanced into the hospital room—Jiang Qiaoxi hadn’t come out—and lowered her voice, saying, “Yingtao, you know Qiaoxi’s father, right?”
Lin Yingtao stood in the hospital corridor, startled. “Uncle Jiang Zheng?”
Only Jiang Qiaoxi and his cousin remained in the hospital room.
Jiang Qiaoxi walked to his cousin’s bedside and sat down in the chair Lin Yingtao had just occupied. He lowered his head and remained silent for a moment.
“Brother,” he looked up, “I think I still need to go back to the mainland.”
Lin Yingtao took the cousin’s wife’s phone and held it to her ear.
“Hello? Is this Yingtao?” Jiang Zheng’s voice came through, pleasantly surprised.
For some reason, perhaps fearing Jiang Qiaoxi might hear, Lin Yingtao lowered her voice and said cheerfully, “Uncle Jiang, it’s me!”
Jiang Qiaoxi seemed to feel somewhat guilty as he explained to his cousin.
“Yingtao… isn’t used to living in Hong Kong,” Jiang Qiaoxi said. “Her parents are both on the mainland, and she’s their only daughter. Plus, she’s very attached to her family—”
The cousin looked at the younger brother before him and said, “You should go back.”
Jiang Qiaoxi raised his eyes, glancing again at his cousin’s legs lying motionless under the blanket.
“You should go back!” the cousin urged him.
Lin Yingtao asked, “Sudan… project department… where is that?”
Jiang Zheng laughed tiredly, “Sudan, in Africa. It’s an aid project to Africa.”
Lin Yingtao asked worriedly, “Uncle, why are you in such a faraway place?”
Jiang Zheng said, “To make money… How are your parents? Are they still in good health?”
“They’re doing well,” Lin Yingtao said. “How are you, Uncle?”
In the hospital room, Jiang Qiaoxi said helplessly to his cousin, “I haven’t even finished university yet. Even if you tell me to go back now, I can’t.”
The cousin said, “Then leave after you graduate.”
Jiang Qiaoxi became reluctant, “If I don’t stay at Morgan Stanley for a few years, how will I have money to start a family?”
Outside the room, Lin Yingtao heard the phone go quiet.
It seemed Uncle Jiang Zheng wanted to say something to her but couldn’t find the words.
Lin Yingtao asked, “Uncle Jiang, will you be spending New Year’s in Sudan this year?”
“Yes,” Jiang Zheng immediately replied. “Yingtao, this year… are you spending it at Jiang Qiaoxi’s cousin’s house?”
Lin Yingtao suddenly felt a bit embarrassed.
“Yes!” she answered with a smile.
Jiang Zheng also laughed, “Then, shall I give you a video call at that time?”
Lin Yingtao suddenly understood.
“Sure!”
While Jiang Qiaoxi was still talking with his cousin in the hospital room, Lin Yingtao used the cousin’s wife’s phone to send her phone number to Uncle Jiang Zheng. She also added her QQ number, adding, “International calls are too expensive. Uncle, do you have QQ?”
As she was editing the message, Lin Yingtao caught a glimpse of the previous message Jiang Zheng had sent to the cousin’s wife: “Transferring $40,000 on the 29th, Standard Chartered Bank. If Jiang Qiaoxi doesn’t want a gift, forget it. Will call again if Ruocheng’s surgery is successful.”
On the bus ride home, Lin Yingtao placed her hand in Jiang Qiaoxi’s palm and asked, “Did you know that Uncle Jiang has been sending money to your cousin’s family?”
Lin Yingtao was anxious, afraid that Jiang Qiaoxi might be upset.
Jiang Qiaoxi lowered his head, gently squeezing her hand. “I knew.”
Lin Yingtao looked at him.
Jiang Qiaoxi said, “When Jiang Mengchu was studying, my uncle also lent them a lot of money.”
Lin Yingtao heard this and said, “Oh.”
“What’s wrong?” Jiang Qiaoxi lowered his eyes to look at her.
“Nothing,” Lin Yingtao thought for a moment, then said, “If Uncle Jiang has been sending money all along, why do you still need to work part-time jobs and be so tired all the time?”
Jiang Qiaoxi chuckled softly, “My cousin’s family has big troubles. How could that little money be enough?”
Jiang Qiaoxi always seemed to speak in grand terms. Forty thousand US dollars, over two hundred thousand RMB, Lin Yingtao thought, how could this be called “little money”?
But at the same time, Jiang Qiaoxi was practical, willing to earn money bit by bit himself. Perhaps for Jiang Qiaoxi, being able to earn a little more, to pay off one more hospital bill for his cousin, was worthwhile.
“How much money does your cousin need in total?” Lin Yingtao asked.
Through the bus window, they happened to see an ice cream truck parked by the roadside. Jiang Qiaoxi held her hand as they got off the bus because Lin Yingtao had eaten it the last time she came to Hong Kong and had wanted to eat it again.
Jiang Qiaoxi said, “As long as my cousin wakes up and gradually recovers, everything will be fine. He has many friends, he’s always been a very capable person.”
As Lin Yingtao ate her milk ice cream, she wondered, if the cousin was such a capable person, why didn’t these old friends come to help him before he woke up and recovered? Why did they let his family suffer so much?
Lin Yingtao still had many adult matters to slowly understand.
At the pedestrian crossing, the light ahead was red. Lin Yingtao finished her milk ice cream.
Jiang Qiaoxi lowered his eyes in the sunlight, looking at the small spot of milk on Lin Yingtao’s slightly upturned red lips.
Since childhood, Lin Yingtao has always eaten small milk ice creams like this.
The green light came on, with the rapid tapping of the wooden fish sound. But Lin Yingtao kept stepping back, her head tilted high. Jiang Qiaoxi, who had refused to eat the milk ice cream earlier, now had milk on his lips too.
Jiang Qiaoxi’s landlord came to invite him for a hotpot, carrying a pot full of meatballs and vegetables. He even brought the pot, making it hard for Jiang Qiaoxi to turn him away. The landlord said from outside the door, “Jun Ji-Hyun is here, and you won’t even eat with me?”
Jiang Qiaoxi opened the door to let him in.
Lin Yingtao was sitting on a cushion on the floor, using Jiang Qiaoxi’s laptop to play a farm game. She looked up when she saw him.
For a moment, Lin Yingtao thought she was seeing Wei Yong.
“Is she Jun Ji-Hyun?” the landlord, with dyed blonde hair and black roots showing, asked Jiang Qiaoxi while holding the pot.
Jiang Qiaoxi said, “Got a problem with that?”
The landlord looked for a place to put the pot and said, “What a beautiful girl!”
Lin Yingtao hugged the laptop to her knees. She had already eaten dinner, so she continued playing on the computer while Jiang Qiaoxi and the landlord ate and chatted, seemingly trying to finish the meal quickly.
Not yet in a big investment bank and having never led his project, Jiang Qiaoxi was already having to get used to the feeling of dining with clients.
“My dad wants to invest in mainland China,” the landlord said, looking up at him while eating a fish ball. “I wanted to ask if you have any opinions.”
Jiang Qiaoxi drank his beer, “I haven’t been to the mainland in three years.”
The landlord said, “Just say something, anything.”
Jiang Qiaoxi casually replied, “Houses, buy houses.”
The landlord heard this and said, “We’ve bought a lot already.”
Jiang Qiaoxi raised his eyes to look at him.
The landlord asked, “Anything else?”
Jiang Qiaoxi said, “I’m still a student, why are you asking me?”
The landlord put down his chopsticks, “Wow, I haven’t seen another brother with a 4.0 GPA in the whole of HKU. I felt sorry for you when they changed the full score to 4.3 last year. If you had come a few years later, you might have gotten a 4.3.”
Jiang Qiaoxi said, “What’s the use of just looking at GPA?”
The landlord said, “Then what’s useful?”
Jiang Qiaoxi narrowed his eyes and said, “A rich father is useful.”
The landlord suddenly burst into laughter, amused by this usually serious and humorless academic god. “You make a very good point!”
Lin Yingtao was randomly clicking the mouse nearby, but she doubted if she had heard correctly.
Then she heard Jiang Qiaoxi ask, “What ideas does your dad have?”
The landlord said, “My dad, wants to invest in internet companies in mainland China—”
Lin Yingtao clicked around on Jiang Qiaoxi’s computer, half-listening to Jiang Qiaoxi and the landlord’s increasingly involved conversation, pretending to be busy. Lin Yingtao suddenly realized that in his three years in Hong Kong, Jiang Qiaoxi had already developed his own set of methods for dealing with people and situations. The experiences he had gone through had made him far more worldly and mature than Lin Yingtao had imagined.
It’s just that he rarely, if ever, showed this side in front of Lin Yingtao.
Lin Yingtao accidentally clicked open the recycle bin on Jiang Qiaoxi’s computer.
“2010 University of Hong Kong – UC Berkeley Exchange Program Application Form.doc”
Jiang Qiaoxi finished his can of beer, his expression smiling, “Do you know that financial advisors always take a commission?”