After returning from Hong Kong, Lin Qile’s mood remained afloat, like a feather carried by the wind. Away from Jiang Qiaoxi, she drifted, waiting and hoping for the next time she could be by his side.
As she left home for the station, Lin Qile began to adjust to parting from her parents. Standing at the end of the queue, she told her father, “I’ll work hard during my internship and find a kindergarten with a good salary!”
Her mother advised, “Visit your aunt on a weekend. You didn’t even call her during New Year’s. She asked about you. Help out when you’re there, ask about your uncle’s health, and find out when your cousin is getting married.”
Her parents accompanied her into the hall, watching from behind the glass wall. Lin Qile waved at them from inside, “Go home now!”
Her father smiled, knowing someone had to leave first. He took her mother’s hand and turned towards the parking lot.
Lin Qile realized her parents weren’t as tall as she remembered them being.
Tears suddenly fell. She watched them, unable to pinpoint the source of her sadness. She bent down, picked up her suitcase, and walked towards security.
Lin Qile felt she must be an adult now. She went to school and then found a good job. She also wanted to learn to drive and get a license, so there would be a second driver in the family besides her father. This way, they could avoid situations like during the winter break when both her father and Uncle Yu had drunk too much, and they had to ask Yu Qiao and his classmate to drive both families’ cars back from the hotel.
On the high-speed train, Lin Qile leaned against the window, listening to songs by Khalil Fong and Yoga Lin, recommended by Du Shang. Lin Qile realized Du Shang always knew what she liked to listen to; they often became obsessed with the same cassette tapes as children. Lin Qile mentioned in the group chat that this was the advantage of growing up together. However, Cai Fangyuan pointed out that nowadays, music websites can recommend new songs based on your favorite old ones. With rapid technological advancements, perhaps in the future, people won’t need friends anymore.
Lin Qile flipped open a women’s magazine, looking at the relationship advice column. She used to love reading these, but now she found she could try answering these questions from a columnist’s perspective. She no longer needed to peer through a fog of mystery to guess at the truths of “emotion” and “love”.
So she turned the page, studying beauty and fashion like Qin Yeyun. Lin Qile stared at Nozomi Sasaki in the magazine, imagining herself becoming as beautiful as a model, to catch Jiang Qiaoxi’s eye and make him unable to look at anything else.
Back at school, Lin Qile resumed her routine of classes and studies. Soon after the semester started, it was March. Late one night, Lin Qile was still in the corridor making a phone call.
Jiang Qiaoxi had just returned from his internship and was working overtime in his small rented room, revising Cai Fangyuan’s business plan. He put on his headphones to answer the call.
“Jiang Qiaoxi, happy birthday,” Lin Qile said, crouching in the corridor in Beijing, watching her watch second by second. Many in the dormitory were already asleep, so she kept her voice down. “You’re twenty-one now!”
Jiang Qiaoxi abruptly looked up from the printed paper filled with revision comments, noticing the time in the bottom right corner of his computer screen.
March 5, 2011, 00:00:04
Indeed, there was no time difference between Hong Kong and Beijing. Jiang Qiaoxi picked up his coffee cup and turned his head to see the withered daffodil on the windowsill. Though the coffee cups came in pairs, only one was in Jiang Qiaoxi’s hand; the other was carefully stored in the cabinet. Jiang Qiaoxi said, “Yingtao, what kind of flower do you think we should buy for the house?”
In the second semester of their junior year, Jiang Qiaoxi was busy with his internship, and earning money, while Lin Qile was occupied with classes and certifications. There were so many certificates they could get – infant care, child care, meal planning, psychological counseling… Their classmates had several each. Lin Qile planned to get a dance teacher qualification and take the Chinese dance level eight exam for future job applications.
During her free time, like meal times, Lin Qile occasionally thought about Jiang Qiaoxi’s suggestion in Hong Kong for her to study for TOEFL and get an AMI certificate.
“Just the tuition is over ten thousand US dollars,” she complained to Jiang Qiaoxi on the phone, having researched and asked senior Meng Lijun, who was doing her PhD in the US. “Plus living expenses, rent… How long would it take to break even?”
Jiang Qiaoxi said, “I’ll pay for you.”
Lin Qile scolded him, “Stop acting like you’re rich!”
Jiang Qiaoxi laughed on the other end.
On the weekend, some former roommates came to visit Lin Qile at Beijing Normal University for a meal. The girl from bed number two was now working as a children’s book editor at a publishing house, while the one from bed three was at a cultural company, designing creative toys for children. Among them, only the girl from bed one had gone to work at an elite kindergarten and was already leading a class.
It was precisely because she had become a preschool teacher that she was too busy even to join them for a meal.
“Lele, you’re so pretty. If I were you, I’d apply to be a children’s TV show host, like that old show, ‘Big Windmill’!” said the girl from bed three.
“‘Little Dragon Club’!”
Lin Qile said, “Don’t you need to study broadcasting to do that?”
“It’s not that strict,” the girl from bed five explained. “After college, it’s all about your abilities.”
As they ate, the seniors chatted with Meng Lijun on the other side of the ocean via their phones. Suddenly, Meng Lijun sent a message that made all the seniors huddle together.
“Lele!”
“Huh?” Lin Qile looked up.
“Did you find that American guy you were crushing on?” the seniors asked.
Lin Qile blinked and nodded solemnly to her seniors.
The girl from bed two slapped the table and talked about how she was editing children’s books by day and researching on the Jinjiang Literature Network at night, planning to apply as a contracted author: “Nine times out of ten, you’ll end up being a full-time wife to a returned overseas CEO!”
“No way!” Lin Qile denied it without hesitation. “He loves spending money recklessly. I might end up having to support him.”
“Well, that’s not good,” said the girl from bed two, then thought for a moment. “No worries, we still have that handsome guy from Beihang University!”
Lin Qile quickly tried to stop her, “No, no, no, no, no – don’t bring that up again!”
Lin Qile’s birthday was in early April. She now had fewer friends in Beijing and wasn’t very close to her new roommates, rarely interacting with them. The seniors said that since the 9th was a Saturday, they would come over again to celebrate her birthday with her.
Lin Qile saw them off at the bus stop, intending to accompany them to the Jishuitan subway station, but they insisted she go back, saying it was too far. Lin Qile stood by the roadside, watching the 345 bus drive away.
On the 9th, Lin Qile spent the entire day in the dance studio. In April, Beijing’s temperature had risen, feeling a bit like Hong Kong during the winter break. Lin Qile sat on the floor drinking water and checking her dance shoes. She redid her hair, wiped the sweat from her cheeks, and continued practicing.
For a few minutes, Lin Qile looked out the studio window and saw boys from other schools waiting outside for their girlfriends who were practicing dance. It was Saturday, and students were out on dates. Sweat trickled down Lin Qile’s neck, and she couldn’t help but feel envious.
She had arranged to meet her seniors at 5 PM. They waited for her at the dormitory entrance. Lin Qile went back to change clothes before they all went for Japanese food.
Before leaving the dance studio, just as Lin Qile bent down to turn off the stereo, she received a call from her senior from bed three.
“Lele, there’s a guy from Tsinghua’s Math Department standing outside your dorm! He says he wants to confess to you!” the senior said excitedly. “We told him you already have an American crush and a handsome guy from Beihang, but he still won’t leave-“
In the evening, Beijing Normal University’s campus was filled with students heading out for dinner.
The senior from bed two stood with her arms crossed, her gaze determined yet tinged with nervousness, as she stared at the unfamiliar handsome guy over 1.8 meters tall holding a small bouquet of roses.
“You say you’re… from Tsinghua’s Math Department?” she asked, blushing involuntarily.
Learning that these seniors were Lin Qile’s former roommates, the handsome stranger nodded lightly, “Mm-hmm.”
“Damn, his voice is pretty nice,” the girl from bed three whispered to the one from bed five. “Where did Lele meet a guy like this? I can’t believe it. Are there guys like this in math?”
“What- what proof do you have?” the girl from bed two asked. “Can you solve a calculus problem for us right now?”
The handsome stranger frowned slightly and smiled, “What?”
The girl from bed three said, “Ask him to solve a difficult one!”
“I can’t even remember any!” the girl from bed two turned back, lowering her voice.
Who the hell remembers how to solve calculus after graduation?
Lin Qile was running on the road, panting heavily. She wore a thin sports jacket over her tight dance practice tank top. Standing at the intersection, she saw a figure in the distance appear at the bottom of their dormitory building, surrounded by her seniors.
“Jiang Qiaoxi…” Lin Qile’s eyes widened as she called out excitedly.
Jiang Qiaoxi turned around. He wore a shirt with the collar unbuttoned, covered by a dark blue sweater. He walked a few steps forward, then suddenly bent down to catch the flying Lin Yingtao in his arms.
Passersby were startled and looked their way.
The seniors were even more dumbfounded, watching the usually shy Lin Qile cling to the “Tsinghua” hottie like a koala, hugging his neck and crying loudly in public, “How did you get here?!”
At the dinner table, the seniors asked Lin Qile in unison.
“He’s your American crush??”
Jiang Qiaoxi had finished half a can of beer. He wanted to be serious, but the seniors were exceptionally enthusiastic towards him. He kept smiling, occasionally looking down at Lin Yingtao. Lin Yingtao was already mortified, sitting next to him with a face as red as a tomato, lowering her head to eat arctic clams.
“You know, Mr. Crush,” the senior from bed two sat across from them, gesturing towards Lin Qile with open hands, “Even though you weren’t in the scene, there have always been legends about you from elementary school, middle school, and high school!”
Lin Yingtao cried, “Sis… please stop…”
Suddenly, Meng Lijun sent a QQ message to Lin Yingtao from across the ocean: “Your American crush is handsome!!”
Lin Yingtao had just put on her shoes and come out of the Japanese restaurant.
One of the seniors must have sent Meng Lijun a photo taken during dinner.
Meng Lijun said, “I originally thought it might just be love goggles. Lele, the three-year wait was worth it!!!”
The seniors left by subway. Lin Yingtao leaned against Jiang Qiaoxi, waving goodbye to them.
“They all think you’re very handsome,” Lin Yingtao turned around and mumbled softly.
Jiang Qiaoxi also said quietly, “How else could I be your crush?”
Lin Yingtao pushed him.
On the streets of Beijing, Jiang Qiaoxi suddenly pulled her close, ruffling her hair and hugging her for a while.
It seemed like they hadn’t embraced like this for a long time, even though they had only been apart for two months, with each day feeling like a year. Lin Yingtao buried her face in his shirt, inhaling his scent, leaning against him, listening to his breathing and heartbeat. She closed her eyes.
“How did you get here…” she mumbled again.
“I was on a business trip in Shanghai,” Jiang Qiaoxi said, lowering his head. “I came to Beijing for tonight and will rush back tomorrow morning.”
“Why are you on a business trip to Shanghai?” Lin Yingtao looked up at him.
Jiang Qiaoxi’s eyes crinkled with a smile. In the past, Lin Yingtao often saw this expression when Jiang Qiaoxi was explaining math problems to her. Back then, he always seemed invincible, as if nothing could stump him.
“Cai Fangyuan’s case,” Jiang Qiaoxi suddenly said, “It might be successful.”
Lin Yingtao exclaimed in surprise, “Successful?”
Jiang Qiaoxi nodded and said helplessly, “Cai Fangyuan and my landlord get along exceptionally well. Who could have imagined it would go so smoothly?”
Lin Yingtao’s hand was clasped by Jiang Qiaoxi as they lingered by the roadside, indulging in each other’s company. Jiang Qiaoxi kissed her cheek, cupped her face, and planted a kiss on her earlobe. Without saying a word, he looked down at her, then led her along the street, passing by shops one after another.
Confused but compliant, Lin Yingtao followed. She thought to herself, “We’re not returning to school tonight.”
Jiang Qiaoxi stopped in front of a tattoo parlor that was still open late at night. After glancing at the services listed on the sign, he pulled Lin Yingtao inside.
Lin Yingtao was startled.
“Hello, handsome,” the tattoo shop owner, a long-haired woman with a galaxy and spaceship tattoo on her arm, looked up from her computer. Noticing Lin Yingtao behind Jiang Qiaoxi, she asked, “Do you two have an appointment?”
Lin Yingtao found herself seated, her heart racing. She had initially thought Jiang Qiaoxi was bringing her for a tattoo. The owner bent down, wiped Lin Yingtao’s earlobe with an alcohol swab, and marked two dots. Lin Yingtao closed her eyes tightly, nervous, while Jiang Qiaoxi gently held her hand.
“Don’t be afraid,” the owner reassured her. “It’s just an ear piercing, very ordinary. It won’t hurt at all.”
“Really?” Lin Yingtao asked.
The owner straightened up and set down the piercing gun. “All done.”
Lin Yingtao looked in the mirror, tucking her hair behind her ear. Two small holes with studs now adorned her earlobe, causing only a slight ache.
Jiang Qiaoxi paid and bought iodine and erythromycin, which were packed in a paper bag. The shop owner glanced at Jiang Qiaoxi’s face, unable to resist. He was handsome and clean-cut, yet he didn’t seem like someone who strictly followed rules. “Handsome,” she smiled, “don’t you want a tattoo?”
Jiang Qiaoxi looked up at the many tattoo photos on the wall. “Maybe next time,” he replied.
Lin Yingtao and Jiang Qiaoxi boarded the subway together—Line 4, which hadn’t been operational in 2007. As the wind whistled, Jiang Qiaoxi said to Lin Yingtao, “If we weren’t in such a hurry, I could have shown you around Beijing tomorrow.”
Lin Yingtao hugged his waist, her gaze catching the “Peking University East Gate” station sign above the door.
“Why did you lie to my senior, saying you were from Tsinghua?” Lin Yingtao mumbled.
“If I had said I was from Pok Fu Lam Vocational Institute, she might have looked down on me,” Jiang Qiaoxi replied softly, looking down at her.
Lin Yingtao laughed.
“We from Jishui Tan Normal College are very polite and generally don’t look down on people.”
Four years later, Lin Yingtao found herself back at the same hotel, once again accompanied by Jiang Qiaoxi.
The mirror outside the elevator reflected Lin Yingtao’s current face and the side profile of Jiang Qiaoxi hurriedly leading her by the hand.
Lin Yingtao, wearing white sneakers, entered the suite. Faintly, she recalled the past—it seemed to be the same room. She saw Jiang Qiaoxi’s travel bag on the sofa where they had once shared dinner.
During her first visit, Lin Yingtao had been filled with wonder. Inexperienced in the ways of the world, every new experience had been introduced to her by Jiang Qiaoxi.
Now, revisiting this place, Lin Yingtao’s thoughts were different: Jiang Qiaoxi lived in a tiny 5-square-meter room in Hong Kong, yet he was so extravagant in Beijing. She had just criticized him for wasteful spending, and here he was, splurging again.
Jiang Qiaoxi changed into slippers and urged Lin Yingtao to do the same. He walked to the sofa, rummaged through his travel bag, and pulled out a small champagne-colored box. Taking Lin Yingtao’s hand, he skipped all unnecessary steps and led her directly to the bedroom, seating her on the bed.
Having just gotten her ears pierced, Lin Yingtao still had silver studs in her slightly reddened earlobes. Jiang Qiaoxi leaned in close to her face, observing for a moment—a distance perfect for kissing. He seemed a bit regretful.
“I guess you can’t wear them right away,” he sighed.
He handed the box to Lin Yingtao.
She looked up at him, their faces close.
Opening the lid, she found a pair of red fan-shaped earrings that resembled tiny red dresses at first glance.
Lin Yingtao was starting to get used to Jiang Qiaoxi giving her gifts.
“How much did these cost?” she asked softly.
“An amount I can afford,” Jiang Qiaoxi replied.
“They must be very expensive…” Lin Yingtao mused.
Jiang Qiaoxi reached out, careful not to touch her earlobe, and tucked her hair behind her ear, looking regretful.
Lin Yingtao looked up again, her eyes reflecting Jiang Qiaoxi’s expression.
“I haven’t been able to celebrate your birthday with you for three years,” Jiang Qiaoxi said. Remembering how Lin Yingtao had tried to help him save money in the Hong Kong supermarket, he smiled sheepishly. “Trust me, I can afford it.”
Although it was generally advised not to shower or get water on newly pierced ears, Lin Yingtao didn’t care. She covered her ears with a shower cap, washed her body, and then carefully rinsed her hair after removing the cap. After securing her bathrobe, she stood in front of the bathroom mirror. With trembling hands, she removed the studs from her earlobes and, gathering her courage, put on the earrings Jiang Qiaoxi had given her.
It hurt a little, causing Lin Yingtao to furrow her brow, but she quickly adjusted. Wrapping herself in the bathrobe, she left the bathroom, tucking the earring box into her pocket. “We have an early flight tomorrow,” she urged Jiang Qiaoxi. “Hurry up and take your shower…”
Jiang Qiaoxi, still working on the sofa, looked up at her. He immediately closed his laptop and stood up.
Nestled in bed, Lin Yingtao used her phone to search for information about the brand on the packaging. She realized that Jiang Qiaoxi’s consumer philosophy was consistent: he didn’t buy unnecessary things, but when he needed something, he always bought expensive items. He rarely seemed to consider the question of “value for money.”
Lin Yingtao wondered if this mindset was innate. Shopping with Jiang Qiaoxi in Hong Kong supermarkets, she noticed he rarely put effort into selection—when she was present, he always chose the more expensive options, but when she wasn’t around, he’d grab the cheapest items. His rental apartment was stocked with many unused, inexpensive products. If it weren’t for his sister-in-law, Lin Yingtao didn’t know how he’d manage on his own. Jiang Qiaoxi didn’t seem to prioritize himself much, and he probably thought Lin Yingtao hadn’t noticed.
It’s really expensive… Lin Yingtao closed the web page on her phone.
She wasn’t sure if it was right, but holding the costly gift from Jiang Qiaoxi made her feel truly cherished. It was just money, something that could be exchanged to satisfy a woman’s vanity, but with the same amount, he always managed to buy things that touched Lin Yingtao’s heart.
Perhaps the price of the gift was paying for this moment of excitement. Jiang Qiaoxi was willing to spend four or five months’ worth of rent to create this thrilling moment on Lin Yingtao’s birthday, and possibly for countless moments of reminiscence in their long future together.
Her first lipstick, too precious to use, had expired unused. Her first pair of high heels, too special to wear, remained in their box. In Lin Yingtao’s heart, they always existed for that single moment—whether sitting with Jiang Qiaoxi among mountains, curiously applying lipstick, or teetering on high heels outside her home, caught in his embrace.
Lin Yingtao was already worrying about how to replace the earrings if she lost them, given how valuable they were.
Friends sent birthday messages, which she replied to one by one. Cai Fangyuan asked, “Is Jiang Qiaoxi asleep?”
Hearing Jiang Qiaoxi shaving in the bathroom, she replied, “Not yet.”
“He brought investors to meet me in Shanghai, then he left, and I had to sing karaoke with the investors all night!” Cai Fangyuan fumed. “He said in the afternoon that it was your birthday and just left. Tell him to go to bed early tonight so he’s not late tomorrow. I’m waiting for our meeting!”
Lin Yingtao replied, “Why don’t you tell him yourself? Why tell me?”
Cai Fangyuan retorted, “Doesn’t his bedtime depend on you?”
Lin Yingtao held her phone.
She sent a flurry of Ultraman beating-up monster GIFs, to which Cai Fangyuan responded with a flirtatious Tuzki sticker.
The red chalcedony “little red dress” earrings refracted different lights in the bedside lamp’s glow. Lin Yingtao lowered her head, repeatedly tucking her fallen hair behind her ear, revealing the swaying earrings.
Jiang Qiaoxi leaned against the headboard, pulling her close and tenderly kissing her cheek, then brushing back her long hair. “Does it hurt?” he asked.
Cherry shook her head, focused solely on kissing him, thinking of nothing else.
After finishing the meetings in Shanghai and before returning to Hong Kong, Jiang Qiaoxi and Cai Fangyuan arranged a private dinner.
Du Shang was also called over midway through the meal. Jiang Qiaoxi was smoking at the table; Shanghai’s smoking ban wasn’t as strict as Hong Kong’s yet, but it likely would be in the future.
Upon seeing Du Shang, Jiang Qiaoxi nodded in greeting. Having not met for four years, Du Shang was surprised by the former cold-faced Jiang Qiaoxi’s friendliness. Awkwardly, he said, “It’s… it’s been so long, Jiang Qiaoxi. You… you’re not going back to the provincial capital for a visit after returning from Hong Kong? You don’t even go back for Chinese New Year.”
Jiang Qiaoxi replied, “I’ll go after graduation.”
Du Shang sat down and took the menu, thinking to himself: Yeah, always making Yingtao come to you, how shameless.
Cai Fangyuan continued discussing the house his father had chosen in the eastern mountain area of the provincial capital, praising its scenery.
Du Shang asked, “Are you buying a mansion?”
Cai Fangyuan smiled diplomatically, tapping the table. “It’s still in the planning stages, just to make the old man happy.”
He turned to Jiang Qiaoxi, “What about you? After graduation, are you planning to stay in Beijing, return to the provincial capital, or go somewhere else?”
Jiang Qiaoxi tapped his cigarette on the ashtray, “That’s for our little leader at home to decide.”
Standing by the roadside, Du Shang waited until Jiang Qiaoxi had gotten into his car and left before turning to Cai Fangyuan, “What… what’s that about? Yingtao hasn’t even married him yet, and look how smug he is, calling her ‘leader’ already!”
Cai Fangyuan, hands in his pockets, gave him a long look.
As the next taxi arrived, Cai Fangyuan sat in front. Just as Du Shang settled into the back seat, his phone rang. He answered, “Hey! Honey! I’m at the International Hotel— Do you want butterfly pastries? Okay, okay, wait for me, I’ll buy them for you— Driver, please stop the car quickly!”
Our Generation – Chapter Notes:
- Fang Daton: A male singer from Hong Kong, born on July 14, 1983.
- Yoga Lin: A male singer from Taiwan, born on July 1, 1987.
- Nozomi Sasaki: A Japanese model, born on February 8, 1988.
- Jinjiang Literature City: Founded on August 1, 2003, it originated from a small BBS created by Jinjiang Telecom. It is a famous women’s literature website in mainland China.
- Pok Fu Lam Vocational and Technical Institute: Jiang Qiaoxi’s alma mater, the University of Hong Kong, is located on Pok Fu Lam Road on Hong Kong Island.
- Jishuitan Normal College: Lin Qile’s alma mater, Beijing Normal University, is located in the Jishuitan area of Beijing.
- In this text, unless explicitly mentioned, brands are mostly fictional, appropriately modified from their prototypes due to period considerations. The jewelry prototype in this Our Generation – Chapter is the Bvlgari red chalcedony earrings.
- I had originally planned to stop writing Our Generation – Chapter notes after 2011, but since readers asked in the comments, I’ll continue writing them for the entire text.