She thought of the mountains and waters of Jianjia Town, majestic and tranquil, situated far from the hustle and bustle.
She also thought of the dense yet faint purple blossoms on the inn’s vines. From afar, they looked like clusters of summer slogans. Up close, one could smell their delicate fragrance.
Not as strong as roses, but once smelled, it lingered in the mind, unable to dissipate for a long time.
She had asked Yun Huizhi what flower it was. Yun Huizhi said, “Purple flower.”
—There must be a name.
—There doesn’t have to be.
Meeting Yun Huizhi was an accident. Seeing Yun Huizhi again was also an accident.
The former was a mistake, the latter a deliberate scheme.
It was hard to characterize this “accident” momentarily. Good or bad? Anger or joy?
Somehow, when Yun Huizhi’s name appeared on the list she saw, she didn’t feel particularly shocked.
Neither wild revelry nor great fury.
Although she was surprised, trembling, her heart a complex mix, she was very calm.
So calm it was as if, subconsciously, she knew the story hadn’t completely ended, they would meet again.
And it was as if Yun Huizhi appearing silently before her, bursting into her real life, wasn’t something surprising.
Why did she think this way?
She herself didn’t know. Perhaps Yun Huizhi’s sweet talk and naive persona had brainwashed her long ago.
Or perhaps this liar Yun Huizhi never returned her money, and she knew the other party had a follow-up move; as a creditor, she was somewhat concerned.
But what she hadn’t expected was meeting again in this way, leaving her with no reason or right to refuse.
From a casual bed partner met by chance, transforming overnight into a colleague in a profession intolerant of frivolity.
Beneath Chu Ruoyou’s surface calm was disquiet. Repeatedly, stroke by stroke, she had looked at the name “Yun Huizhi” on the paper again and again.
“Going against the current to reach her, the way is long and arduous.”
The possibility of a duplicate name was zero. Looking at these three characters pricked her eyes, making her wish she could cut them from the page.
Yet she feared it was her eyes playing tricks, falling into a hollow dream.
It wasn’t until the meeting was about to start that a certain someone arrived late, entering Chu Ruoyou’s field of vision.
She truly existed.
The seemingly calm sea, storing waves, suddenly churned and boiled. Surging waves rose like skyscrapers, capsizing the pilot ship.
The compass lost, the course became chaotic.
“Nice to meet you. Please take care of me.”
Such a lie, spoken brightly by Yun Huizhi in public. Her eyes met the conference room lights without a trace of fear.
How many people would she deceive? How large would she make this deception?
Chu Ruoyou didn’t know. She also couldn’t smile.
The known and unknown made her uneasy. Unease, however, brought faint excitement. Excitement then brought thick, muddy exhaustion and an instinct to flee.
She could only respond with a cold face.
Letting Yun Huizhi into her room was because she knew this conversation couldn’t be avoided; it was better to get the unpleasant words out first.
Honest exchanges followed one after another, but Chu Ruoyou lacked the mental energy to deeply ponder the past and future. She was just forcing herself to deal with Yun Huizhi.
Yun Huizhi was agreeable and came prepared.
She said they were both liars, Yun Huizhi smiled;
She said past words no longer counted, just playing along, Yun Huizhi said she was mentally prepared;
Her heart full of unspoken anxieties, Yun Huizhi proactively spoke up, alleviating her worries;
She questioned Yun Huizhi’s origins and abilities, Yun Huizhi wasn’t angry, promising to work hard in the future.
Yun Huizhi was so adept at handling people, leaving her utterly unable to calmly ponder their situation.
It wasn’t until Yun Huizhi looked at her affectionately, softly saying “I’ve missed you so much,” that Chu Ruoyou was startled, realizing the surrounding air had slowed.
Time seemed to solidify into mist, crouching at their feet. As long as no one spoke, it wouldn’t flow away.
She didn’t respond.
Yun Huizhi didn’t force a response, showing a neat row of small white teeth, grinning: “You must have missed me a lot too.”
The atmosphere broken, Chu Ruoyou said coolly, “I truly admire your inexhaustible confidence.”
Yun Huizhi caught her words: “Want some? I’ll split half with you.”
“Politely declined, thanks.”
Many things needed deep discussion, needed reckoning, but neither knew where to start.
It was like a pot of boiling water. You know it’s boiled, steaming hot, impossible to ignore. But neither dares to pick it up and drink it, afraid of being burned by the scalding temperature.
Chu Ruoyou needed some time to sort out her thoughts. This afternoon had caught her off guard; she felt she’d lost composure.
She issued an eviction order: “I need to rest. Please leave.”
“Going now.”
Yun Huizhi stood up, agreeing readily, eyes shining as she asked, “After you rest, can we have dinner together this evening?”
Without even thinking: “No.”
“Why?” Yun Huizhi drawled.
Chu Ruoyou didn’t play dumb with her, sitting calmly in her chair: “I don’t want to eat with you.”
“Fine.”
Yun Huizhi added, “Unblock me from your WeChat blacklist. I’ll return your money.”
“I recall I gave you my bank account number.”
“So what? Transferring via WeChat is more convenient for me. We’ll be colleagues from now on; we can’t have no way to contact each other.”
Yun Huizhi’s excuses came one after another.
“Then we’ll talk about it when the need for contact arises.”
Seeing Yun Huizhi’s pitiful expression, Chu Ruoyou paused for a moment, then said with a half-smile, “Forget it. Since I gave it, I never expected it back. Half a month’s room fee and your labor as a tour guide—it’s what I should have paid.”
“That cash…”
“A tip.”
Chu Ruoyou looked at her deeply, having made up her mind at some unknown point: “Don’t keep thinking about returning my money, and don’t bring up those half-month matters again. I don’t want to know what you plan next, but I really dislike you ruining my peaceful life. If you do, I won’t just sit and take it. You’re a smart person—I don’t want to say more. Keep a proper distance.”
No matter how soft her heart was, the words coming from her mouth were truly painful, feeling prickly all over, every word falling like ice shards.
No matter how solidly Yun Huizhi had mentally prepared, she was still stabbed a little painfully, feeling helpless.
But she inappropriately remembered the warmth and softness of Chu Ruoyou’s skin, remembered them embracing nakedly, discussing what groceries to buy tomorrow.
Even though this Chu Ruoyou before her seemed no longer intending to get close to her, she still gained some emotional HP from those fragmented memories.
As she left Chu Ruoyou’s room, she glanced again at the item dangling from the tote bag.
The lucky bead was smooth and lustrous. On the sachet, the fierce little dog was glaring at her with a bluff.
Hmph, no matter how fierce, it’s just a puppy. She herself was born in the Year of the Dragon.
Not afraid of your few barks.
Yun Huizhi glared back at the embroidered creature.
Back in her own room, the missing gardenia fragrance filled her with melancholy.
Although it was all within expectations, the expected bitterness and astringency were still tasted without missing a beat.
She calmed down and opened her constantly vibrating phone, seeing many new tasks for new teachers in the work group chat.
She quickly handled the urgent ones and sent them off. The non-urgent ones, she noted in her memo app so she wouldn’t forget.
She made a video call to her aunt, saying the work environment wasn’t bad, but she still missed Jianjia Town.
“How are your colleagues?”
Yun Huizhi thought of Chu Ruoyou, wanting to sigh, but joked cheerfully: “Lots of beautiful female teachers in the big city, all glamorous and polished, high attractiveness, good temperament, and they treat people warmly. They all like me quite a bit.”
“All? Like you?”
Rong Qian not only felt she was bragging but couldn’t help reminding: “They’re probably just faking it, just high EQ. You need to be cautious, can’t naively chat with them about everything, got it? The workplace isn’t like making friends in your inn, doing whatever you want.”
Yun Huizhi made an “OK” sign. “I know, I’m not stupid.”
Rong Qian teased her, “I just learned you’re not stupid.”
Yun Huizhi hung up the video. Bored, she started trimming her nails.
No particular reason; they just looked bad and felt uncomfortable long. Better to trim them neatly, making her appear clean.
The weather forecast was accurate. Just past 6 PM, the sun was swallowed by dense black clouds, thunder rumbling faintly.
The canteen wasn’t open yet since school hadn’t officially started. Yun Huizhi grabbed an umbrella and went out.
Passing by, she knocked on the neighbor’s door. No response. Maybe Chu Ruoyou had also gone out to eat, maybe she simply didn’t want to answer.
She had already adjusted her mood earlier. No rush; many opportunities lay ahead.
Chu Ruoyou not blowing up on the spot today, not scolding her for clinging shamelessly, was already exceptionally gentle.
As for warning her not to cause trouble and keep a proper distance, that was only right. Even without the warning, she would be careful herself.
The wind picked up, stirring up dust.
Yun Huizhi didn’t dare wander. She chose a brightly decorated restaurant and went in, ordering a set meal.
Shortly after ordering, torrential rain poured down, the thunder crashing like an apocalyptic omen.
Yun Huizhi heard people in the shop exclaiming that it had finally rained, cooling things down for a couple of days.
Many people ran in from outside to shelter from the rain, making the shop suddenly livelier than before.
She had thought the rain would pass after she ate, but who knew, the downpour didn’t lessen. As the sky darkened completely, Yun Huizhi didn’t want to wait any longer.
The thunder had stopped by now, but unfortunately, her umbrella was useless. The street was low-lying; after just a few steps, water flooded into her shoes.
Wind and rain lashed heavily. Soon, her trouser legs and shoulders were soaked.
She laughed, congratulating herself on being smart enough to change into trousers before leaving.
Otherwise, her skirt would be flying up dramatically now—too conspicuous.
She walked slowly; it was impossible to go fast. Before she even reached the Teachers’ Apartment Building, most of the fabric on her body was drenched.
Never mind; just go back and take a hot shower.
The rain was unsteady. By the time she reached the bottom of the building, the sound of rain hitting the umbrella had lessened considerably, and the wind had calmed somewhat.
Yun Huizhi recalled that night in Jianjia Town when she and Chu Ruoyou got soaked in the rain and showered together. That was the first time she seriously confessed to Chu Ruoyou.
Back then, Chu Ruoyou pretended not to hear.
Now, Chu Ruoyou was ignoring her again.
Her feelings had been suppressed too long. Suddenly, she really wanted to close her umbrella and stand in the rain to get drenched again, just to clear her mind a bit.
Luckily, she hadn’t gone that crazy yet. She was very afraid someone would see and say the new teacher wasn’t right in the head.
Also afraid the cold, dirty rain would make her sick. She couldn’t take sick leave just starting work.
Also afraid going in soaking wet, dripping water, would dirty the elevator.
So she gave up.
She understood: Xiacheng wasn’t Jianjia. It couldn’t tolerate unrestrained, crazy acts of abandon.
She was already quite a sorry sight. Walking over, her wet shoes left water marks on the floor tiles.
She planned to go back, change clothes, then bring a mop to clean the hallway so it wouldn’t be slippery. What if Chu Ruoyou fell?
Before she reached her door, Chu Ruoyou opened hers. The two unexpectedly locked eyes.
Seeing her soaked appearance, Chu Ruoyou understood the situation. She asked, “Are you an idiot? Knowing it would rain tonight, you still went out.”
Not wanting to indulge her: “Like you’ve never been rained on!”
And didn’t she happily howl in the rain back then!
