Every year when April arrived, the rains in Qingling would increase. It had rained for a full week, the air damp and sodden, saturated with countless water droplets.
He Qingshi did not like rainy days. Not only was the ground wet, but it also affected one’s mood.
With the arrival of spring, influenza cases rose. He had caught a chill the past couple of days and come down with a cold directly.
His nose was stuffy, his tonsils were inflamed, and he felt very uncomfortable. His whole energy and spirit were not good either.
A cold combined with a rainy day made his mood increasingly irritable.
The car drove smoothly into the garage. He Qingshi got out of the car and opened a black umbrella.
The rain was sparse, but the drops hitting his face felt exceptionally cold and biting.
The car in the opposite parking space also happened to turn off its engine at that moment.
“Good morning, Teacher He!” Department Head Duan Wenbin greeted He Qingshi head-on.
“Good morning, Director Duan.” He Qingshi held a computer bag in one hand and the umbrella in the other, his voice hoarse.
The two men walked side by side towards the Main Teaching Building.
“Judging by your voice, Teacher He, have you caught a cold?”
“Yes, I caught a chill a couple of days ago.”
“The weather has been fluctuating between hot and cold lately, Teacher He needs to take more care!”
“It’s just a minor cold, it’s not a problem. Thank you for your concern, Director Duan.” He Qingshi said politely.
“Teacher He is very dedicated, coming to school so early in the morning.” Duan Wenbin was in his early forties, tall and thin, wearing a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, looking scholarly.
He Qingshi: “I have a class this morning.”
Duan Wenbin raised a hand to adjust his glasses, “Which class?”
“Grade 14, Chinese Language Class 3.”
“Class 3, ah. The Study Committee Member for Class 3, Jiang Nuan, that girl is very good.”
He Qingshi was somewhat surprised and lifted his chin slightly, “Director Duan knows Jiang Nuan?”
Duan Wenbin laughed, “That girl has excellent academic results, she’s diligent and hardworking. She’s been on the department’s annual list of outstanding students every year. Many teachers have an impression of her.”
“Student Jiang Nuan is indeed very good.” The two reached the first floor of the Main Teaching Building. He Qingshi said to Duan Wenbin, “Director Duan, I’ll go to my class now.”
——
At 8:25 AM sharp, He Qingshi appeared in the classroom.
After connecting his computer to the projector, he cleared his throat and spoke, “I have a bit of a cold. Could the Study Committee Member please take attendance for me?”
As he spoke, he reached into his computer bag for the attendance roster.
Before he could fish out the roster, he heard a female student from below say, “Teacher He, Jiang Nuan has asked for leave.”
His hand paused. He looked up slightly and saw that the seat in the first row where Jiang Nuan usually sat was empty.
“What’s wrong with her?” He couldn’t help but ask about a student who had never missed a class before suddenly taking leave.
A girl from the same dormitory clattered up to the podium and told him, “Jiang Nuan isn’t feeling well. She’s already asked for sick leave from the counselor. Here’s the leave slip.”
He glanced down at it, didn’t pay it much mind, and casually set it aside.
He Qingshi cleared his throat again and said, “Then the Class Monitor will take attendance.”
“Yes!” The Class Monitor of Class 3 efficiently took the attendance roster from his hand and began reading names one by one.
After the morning class ended, He Qingshi didn’t rest for a moment and headed straight for the high-speed rail station. He had booked a train to Wangchuan for noon.
At 11:23, the train departed Qingling Station on time.
He Qingshi sat by the window. The scenery outside flew past, so fast it left only a vague, fleeting silhouette.
A book lay flat in his bag.
He took it out and opened it gently. On the title page was a string of characters in wild cursive script, flowing and vigorous.
‘A thousand sails pass by the side of the sunken ship; ten thousand saplings spring up ahead of the sick tree.’
How could he not understand Huo Chuxue’s hint.
It was just a pity that he had been desolate for too long. It was like a small wooden cabin long abandoned in the wilderness; wanting to light up again was a wish beyond his strength.
Spring’s vitality was destined not to belong to someone like him, who had been silent for an eternity in the river of time.
Lin Yao had gotten into a relationship and booked a private room at Xizi Renjia, treating her department colleagues to a meal.
Qiao Shengxi was on her day off at home and didn’t go. Huo Chuxue went alone with the colleagues from the department.
As luck would have it, it was the same private room booked for the previous high school reunion.
A large group ate, drank, and played, making a lively ruckus for a long time, the atmosphere very boisterous.
Midway through, Huo Chuxue went to the restroom.
This time she had learned her lesson and carefully checked the room number.
Last time she had walked into the wrong room because she mistook a 6 for a 9.
Huo Chuxue had performed three surgeries that day. Having stood at the operating table for so long, she was now extremely tired. She didn’t have the energy to continue fooling around with her colleagues.
Moreover, with Qiao Shengxi not there, she found it rather boring. She found an excuse, said goodbye to Lin Yao, and left first.
After leaving the restaurant, the rain grew heavier. Raindrops pattered noisily on the ground, raising circles of splashes.
As her car passed by that previous Japanese restaurant, its gilded sign glowed softly in the cold, desolate night.
Seeing that sign from afar, a thought suddenly occurred to Huo Chuxue. She then pulled over and parked by the curb.
She decided to go sit in the restaurant by herself for a while.
Folding her umbrella, she pushed the door open and entered.
The inside was warmer than outside, cozy and warm. Perhaps because of the rainy day, there weren’t many customers in the restaurant, just a few scattered at various tables.
She glanced around the room. At a seat by the window, a familiar face suddenly entered her view.
He Qingshi was sitting alone, listlessly looking out the window. It was impossible to tell what he was actually looking at.
Across the way was the bustling, lively food street. Shops on both sides were brightly lit, their signs glowing. The main road was filled with flowing traffic and pedestrians. Street lamps illuminated a corner of the city. Under the play of light and shadow, the rain was thick.
She walked over quietly, her skirt swaying, her steps light.
Standing opposite He Qingshi, she didn’t make a sound, just raised her hand and tapped on the tabletop.
A few delicate dishes were on the table, untouched.
He Qingshi was pulled back to reality, giving a slight start. He turned his head to see Huo Chuxue standing gracefully before him. The red long dress cinched her waist, making it look slender and fragile.
“What is Mr. He looking at?” She smiled brightly.
“Nothing.” He composed his expression and hurriedly stood up, his voice low and muffled, with a strong nasal tone, “What a coincidence, Doctor Huo.”
Huo Chuxue smoothed her skirt and sat down opposite him. Her gaze fell on the porcelain-white wine cup. “Is Mr. He here to drown his sorrows?”
“No.” Unwilling to let others see his dejection, He Qingshi flatly denied it, “I had nothing to do, just came here to sit by myself.”
She noted the man’s evasive, dodging look in his eyes.
The restaurant was very warm, the air pressure low. He Qingshi felt a heaviness in his chest, somewhat breathless.
He raised a hand and undid the buttons of his shirt.
First one, then another.
Huo Chuxue noticed this action of his. She stared at the exposed section of his pale collarbone for several seconds.
Hmm, very sexy!
After a moment, she stood up directly. “I’ll take you somewhere.”
“Where to?”
“To a good place.”
Huo Chuxue drove. The car left the city center, entered the elevated highway, twisted and turned, and it was impossible to tell exactly where she was heading.
He Qingshi leaned back in the passenger seat, keeping his eyes closed to rest, not asking Huo Chuxue where exactly she was taking him.
Water and sky merged into a single line. Lights flashed by, faintly reflecting a corner of an ancient town in the distance. Within the rain and mist, it transformed into a floating, ethereal silhouette.
Only then did He Qingshi realize Huo Chuxue had taken him to a water town in the countryside.
“Tangshui Town?” His voice was raspy, and he looked very weary.
“Have you been here before?”
“I came here before when I brought students for an ancient culture research project.”
“It’s my hometown.” Huo Chuxue turned off the engine and unbuckled her seatbelt. “Let’s go, I’ll show you around.”
At ten in the evening, the small town was still lively. Many shops hadn’t closed yet, their lights bright.
Each holding their own umbrella, the two walked slowly along the riverbank.
Tour boats passed by from time to time. Oars stirred the water surface, creating ripples, the sound of flowing water rising and falling.
Rain fell on the stone-paved road, wet and glistening with tiny water droplets.
Shoe soles stepped over them, carrying wind and wrapping rain, a body clad in the chilly, clear cold.
Huo Chuxue’s skirt was too long. Muddy water splashed onto the hem, leaving stains.
But she seemed not to care at all, her steps light and quick.
“Your skirt.” He Qingshi reminded her.
She didn’t mind in the slightest. “It’s fine, I’ll change when I get back.”
Having known her until now, he also knew this girl had a casual, unrestrained personality who acted on impulse. So he didn’t remind her again.
After slowly walking a loop, Huo Chuxue asked, “How’s the scenery?”
The collar of his shirt was open. Wind crept in, making the area around his neck feel slightly cool. He Qingshi thought about buttoning it up, but then remembered Huo Chuxue might find it uncomfortable to watch, so he gave up.
He fished a cigarette from his pants pocket and lit it himself. Faint blue smoke rose, scattered by the wind, the smell of tobacco drifting everywhere.
He took a drag from the filter and said slowly, “Quite beautiful.”
The man’s smoking movements were a pleasure to watch. Huo Chuxue couldn’t control her eyes and took a couple more glances.
The night wind filled his trouser legs. The man was lean, his demeanor aloof and independent from the world, like an immortal from beyond the heavens.
She said leisurely, “In earlier years, the town hadn’t been developed yet. Back then, the ancient architecture was preserved very completely, the original character was much stronger, and it was much more beautiful than it is now. It had a kind of rustic beauty, the kind tempered by the passage of time. I liked it very much. Every time I was in a bad mood, I would come back and wander around. Walking a loop along the river, crossing bridge after bridge, and by the time I went back, my mood would have improved. My mom says I’ve known how to self-regulate since I was little, that I wouldn’t be troubled by bad emotions.”
Her words seemed spoken naturally, just offhand remarks. But in fact, every sentence was meant for He Qingshi’s ears. Clever as he was, with a transparent and bright mind, how could he not understand.
It seemed this girl had long seen that he was in a bad mood, yet she said nothing and asked nothing, directly bringing him here.
His mood had been terrible after returning from Wangchuan in the afternoon, on the verge of losing control. But now, with small bridges, flowing water, and homes, walking and stopping, the bad mood had been swept away, overcast turning to partly cloudy.
In his memory, it seemed like a very, very long time since anyone had cared about his emotions.
“Thank you.” He Qingshi stubbed out his cigarette.
Huo Chuxue gave a light, cheerful laugh but said nothing, her long hair flowing.
The two walked onto an arched bridge. That bridge was old, tempered by time, its marks obvious.
The lights from shops on both sides shone from afar. The three traditional Chinese characters for “Mingyuan Bridge” entered their view.
Huo Chuxue stood at the head of the bridge and said, “Our Tangshui Town has a total of one hundred and thirty-five ancient stone bridges. The one you’re standing on is the oldest, already over three hundred years old.”
She faced the wind. The wind lifted her skirt, her figure slender and soft. Under the dim, murky light, her eyes were very bright, sparkling, as if fireflies were dancing within them.
She led him to the center of the bridge. “The view here is excellent, isn’t it beautiful?”
The very center of the arched bridge was the highest point. Standing there, the view was expansive, the features of more than half the small town laid out before one’s eyes. Beautiful, and intoxicating.
“What is that building ahead?” He Qingshi’s eyes caught sight of an ancient building. It was very tall, probably the highest structure in the entire town.
He had slight myopia. It was nighttime and raining, so he couldn’t see very clearly, only vaguely making out a few blurry large characters. “Is that ‘Tangshui Renjia’?”
“Yes, Tangshui Renjia, our Tangshui Town’s internet-famous restaurant. It has an 8.9 rating on Dianping, very popular.” She spoke with a sense of pride, a light shining in the corners of her eyes. “Mention my name and you can get a twenty percent discount!”
“Oh?” He raised an eyebrow and smiled, his mood greatly improved.
If Huo Chuxue remembered correctly, this was probably the first time she had seen He Qingshi smile.