“2017.09.05 Weather Clear”
If life had to have a wish, before sixteen my wish was health and safety. After sixteen, my wish became seeing you.
Dear Y, I wish you eternal happiness, eternal freedom, eternal high spirits. And I would forever carry the secret of liking you, secretly gazing at you.
—Excerpt from Tao Shuran’s Diary
A sudden downpour arrived like a fierce farewell to the height of summer.
The frenzied atmosphere on the sports field could not be stopped. All the emotions suppressed under the grind of studying evaporated, resounding heavily with the rumbling thunder.
The homeroom teacher held an umbrella and drove the crowd back to their classrooms for self-study. On the podium, the homeroom teacher of Flight Class 1 lifted a foot and pretended to kick Liang Yuanjing from behind.
“You brat, causing trouble for me again, huh.”
Liang Yuanjing chuckled lowly. “You’re blaming me for the rain too?”
“Blame you for having a face that attracts girls.”
The teacher said, “Just in time for the downpour. Your instructor notified a sudden rain training session. Get ready. Train once the field clears.”
Liang Yuanjing agreed with a “Got it” and stood on the high podium. He propped his hands on the railing and looked down lazily.
Out of habit, his gaze instinctively fell on Arts Class 1 in the center.
He did not see Fu Changpei but spotted two girls standing foolishly in the rain.
……
The downpour came abruptly. At first, Tao Shuran and Fang Qingyi panicked a little.
The scene turned chaotic. Students crowded everywhere without even a gap to shelter from the rain.
At that moment, Tao Shuran decisively took off her jacket and held it over both their heads.
Fang Qingyi’s eyes sparkled. She suddenly pulled out a Polaroid photo she had secretly taken from her school uniform pocket.
Each frame that flashed by captured Fu Changpei on the podium giving his speech.
Tao Shuran’s eyes widened slightly. “Didn’t Teacher Zhou ban electronic devices in school? How did you bring it in?”
And she dared to take so many photos in public?
“I snuck it in my jacket pocket. Come on, tell me—isn’t Fu Changpei handsome in these?”
Fang Qingyi hid nothing. She shoved over a dozen photos into her hands.
Tao Shuran was mildly surprised. “Little Yi, this is…”
“Yeah, I like Fu Changpei.”
Fang Qingyi said bluntly, “You’re my good friend, so I won’t hide it. I’ve liked him since first year of high school, from the first day he walked into Class 1. He’s my ideal type.”
“Do you get that subtle feeling of love at first sight?”
Tao Shuran paused, then nodded slightly.
Of course she understood love at first sight—that hazy sensation struck by hormones in an instant. Perhaps only faint feelings flowed through the heart at the time, but the thrill of infatuation would entwine a person second by second in the years to come.
It was sweet yet melancholic. Two incompatible emotions of water and fire tossed a person high then dropped them low. Feelings rode a high-speed roller coaster every moment.
Fang Qingyi was swept away by sweetness right then. Even without speaking to the one she liked, just seeing his photos made her happy.
She shared her thoughts one by one while taking the photos. Tao Shuran listened quietly.
Suddenly, she exclaimed, “Why is this one blurry?”
“Why did someone else get in the frame? Ahhh, what a waste of photo paper.”
Tao Shuran looked over. It was the last photo, probably taken as Fu Changpei stepped down, with Liang Yuanjing right behind him.
Fang Qingyi’s candid shot was clever. Fu Changpei’s retreating figure blurred, while Liang Yuanjing stood straight behind him. His distinct profile faced forward lazily.
Tao Shuran’s heart stirred slightly.
She said softly, “Little Yi, could you give me this photo?”
“Huh? You want this one?”
“Yeah.”
Tao Shuran’s heartbeat quickened slightly. Her ears reddened from the instant lie. She casually lifted a hand to smooth the damp strands sticking to her face.
“I’ve never used a Polaroid before. I want to look at it closely. I can pay for the photo paper.”
“Talking money hurts feelings. I wasn’t keeping this one anyway.” Fang Qingyi stuffed it into her pocket generously. “It’s yours. When vacation hits, let’s go out together. I’ll take photos for you.”
Tao Shuran murmured agreement.
The two walked slowly back along the corridor. Along the way, Tao Shuran’s gaze gently fell on the thin 3-inch photo paper in her hand. Her mind flashed through every frame of his speech.
She thought everyone had a protagonist in their eyes.
Fang Qingyi’s camera captured every instant of Fu Changpei, while her eyes were a one-of-a-kind camera, filled to the brim with Liang Yuanjing’s entire summer.
Back in the classroom, not everyone had returned.
Tao Shuran wrung the water from her jacket. On her way back from the bathroom, she heard several girls clustered together discussing loudly.
“Do you know which book that line from Liang Yuanjing came from?”
A bunch of girls gathered ahead. Fang Qingyi found it noisy and brushed them off absentmindedly. “Probably something he copied randomly online. What’s the point of knowing?”
“I think the line is great. I could use it in an essay.”
Wen Fangfang asked softly, “Does anyone have a phone? I can search online.”
“It was from his middle school exam essay. The theme was ‘A Dream’—real dreams or virtual aspirations both worked.”
Tao Shuran sat at her desk and spread her jacket flat on the table to dry.
She had not expected her offhand remark to pique Wen Fangfang and the others’ interest. They turned and crowded over to ask her.
“Do you know what the essay was about?”
“What’s Liang Yuanjing’s dream?”
Tao Shuran was about to speak when reason surged back. She shook her head.
“…I don’t know.”
The group of girls turned away disappointed, leaving Tao Shuran sitting there slightly dazed.
On the matter of Liang Yuanjing, she lied once more.
In truth, she had read every one of his essays and naturally knew what his heart pursued so diligently.
His dream was—to soar into the skies.
After school, Tao Shuran followed the homeroom teacher’s instructions to the storeroom for a new uniform.
Her uniform had been ordered with the new students of her grade. Senior year’s dismissal was later, so the storeroom was mostly empty by then.
But luckily, the distributor was still there.
Tao Shuran hesitated slightly on the spot. She had not expected the uniform distributors to be from Flight Class.
Liang Yuanjing stood before a stack of uniforms without looking up. “What size?”
Today, boys and girls collected uniforms in batches. The girls’ batch finished early and went to the cafeteria. Liang Yuanjing and the others had extra training and were pulled in to fill in temporarily.
The first customer turned out to be a girl.
A guy nearby teased with a laugh, “Bro, hitting on her that directly?”
Liang Yuanjing’s face cooled. He shrugged his shoulder to shake off the hand on it and tossed a hanger over without mercy.
“Shut your trap and get out if you’re gonna be cheap.”
The guy was displeased but walked away. The room quieted. Tao Shuran bit her lower lip, unsure how to act alone with him.
She reported her height softly. “165. Get me a 170.”
Liang Yuanjing glanced over. “Winter uniforms are loose. 170 sleeves will be too long on you.”
“You’re too slim.”
Tao Shuran took a 165 instead. Since she transferred mid-term, she had not ordered summer uniforms. Even so, she still got a solid four sets for spring, fall, and winter.
Liang Yuanjing pointed in a direction. She turned to rummage through the pile for the right size.
Just then, the flight team members entered after their break. No one noticed her in the corner sorting clothes.
Zippers sounded as clothes came off. By the time she realized, Tao Shuran had already turned and seen the flight team changing into training gear.
They had stripped halfway, revealing toned upper bodies from training.
Tao Shuran’s eyes widened. As she hesitated between continuing to look for clothes and fleeing, Liang Yuanjing casually stepped in front of her.
His straight back faced her, posture aloof and cold. He chatted idly with those ahead.
One changing guy said, “Liang Yuanjing, why are you being so perverted today, staring right at me changing?”
Liang Yuanjing replied offhand, “Fell for you, duh.”
The guy shuddered, goosebumps rising. He joked, “Didn’t know you had such heavy tastes.”
“What, Fang Shiyue’s love letter not good enough for you?”
Catching the keyword, Tao Shuran paused in hugging her clothes.
At the same time, Liang Yuanjing answered without thinking.
“Not interested.”
His rejection was too straightforward, rational and calm—not the hormone-fueled response of puberty. The guy clearly did not get it. Fang Shiyue was a notable beauty at school. Why did she have zero presence with him?
As far as he knew, several guys in Flight Class crushed on her.
“What do you mean not interested—the letter or the person?”
“Neither. I’m not into dating.”
The guy laughed. He turned to ask, “So, Young Master Liang, what are you into then?”
Liang Yuanjing seemed bored with the pointless talk. As the guy’s clothes neared done, he shifted impatiently.
Offhand, “Studying.”
“I’m into studying, alright.”
He turned. The girl who had hidden behind him was gone without a trace, not even a sound.
She sure ran fast.
Liang Yuanjing snorted.
Because of the rain, many in the class caught heavy colds. Even Tao Shuran could not escape and sneezed several times amid the germs.
On Friday, the homeroom teacher took pity and let them pack up early to go home—take medicine if needed, get IVs if necessary.
After school, Tao Shuran showered in hot water. When she emerged, pear and fritillaria soup warmed in the kitchen.
Tao Hongfeng hurried out. “Dad didn’t know you’d be home so early. The soup’s still simmering. I planned to bring it to school before evening self-study.”
“It’s fine. Little Yi will call me to study together later.”
As she spoke, someone knocked. Tao Shuran said, “Must be her. Dad, I’m heading out.”
“The soup’s ready.” Tao Hongfeng shoved the thermos into her hands. “Take it and share with your friends.”
She met Fang Qingyi at the door. They headed together to Fu Changpei’s house.
Catching sight of the item in her peripheral, Tao Shuran teased with a smile, “No wonder you’re so eager to study this week. You’re not really here for studying, are you?”
Fang Qingyi blushed. “I heard he caught a cold. Didn’t know what to buy, so I brought what we had at home. Help me check it out?”
Tao Shuran glanced over. This girl brought a whole medicine kit—from heat-clearing detox to wind-heat and wind-cold remedies, even brain-boosting nutrient drinks.
She sighed, “You’re too good to Fu Changpei.”
“Really?” Fang Qingyi said shyly. “Ranran, don’t you think I’m silly?”
Tao Shuran affirmed, “No.”
“Feeling for someone is wonderful. Because of him, endless hopes for the future arise.”
She turned her head. “I get it, Little Yi.”
Fang Qingyi looked at her moved. “You’re so right. I wonder which university Fu Changpei will attend. I want to be in the same city as him.”
“What about you? What school do you want?”
Tao Shuran hesitated, then met Fang Qingyi’s gaze slowly. “I want to get into Qing University.”
Fang Qingyi said, “That’s perfect. If nothing goes wrong, with Liang Yuanjing’s scores, getting into the joint Aviation University and Qing University flight program is no issue.”
“Do you think I’m overreaching?”
Tao Shuran said softly. Based on her baseline exam performance, even a regular first-tier university was a stretch.
Whenever others asked her goal school, it was hard to voice. But Fang Qingyi was different.
Fang Qingyi treated her sincerely, so Tao Shuran chose sincerity too.
“No, you just transferred to Affiliated Middle School. You’re not used to the pace yet.”
They held hands through alleys under the light of time, arriving under a verdant porch.
Fang Qingyi interlocked her fingers with hers and said loudly, “Besides, you now have Liang Yuanjing personally tutoring you. Although he has an arrogant temper, doesn’t like to talk, and doesn’t pay much attention to girls, he at least really excels in math, physics, and chemistry.”
The door opened.
Liang Yuanjing pushed the door open, tilted his head back to finish the last can of soda in his hand, then raised his hand and threw it out in a smooth three-pointer arc.
Clang—the cola can fell smoothly into the green trash bin across from them at a precise angle.
Tao Shuran’s heart jolted along with the sound of the object’s parabolic trajectory landing.
Having unexpectedly seen him today was like knocking over a whole bottle of summer green plum soda, bubbling with sweet and sour fizz, her heart racing uncontrollably.
Liang Yuanjing leaned against the doorframe and teased in a somewhat lounging, playful tone.
“I say, Miss Fang, next time you praise me, can you skip all those prefixes?”