Chapter 24
That was the most awkward meal Tang Yi had ever eaten. Caught in the middle, she found it hard to do anything. Naturally, she sided with Qiao Xi, but not knowing the full story, she couldn’t just scold Fu Bei. So, she acted according to the situation, occasionally saying a few words to ease the atmosphere, and went out to throw away the trash after eating.
Fu Bei watched the two of them finish eating from the side, waiting with great patience.
Qiao Xi chewed slowly and swallowed, then sipped her water in small mouthfuls. Only when it was just the two of them left in the shop again did that person suddenly say, “Last time, I was wrong.”
In her twenty-seven years of life, since she was sensible, Fu Bei had never bowed her head like this. There was not a hint of falsehood; her tone was as calm as ever, but every word was clear. As a teenager, when she did something wrong and was punished by Grandpa Fu to kneel, she wouldn’t lower her head even after half a day. Yet now, she said this sentence without hesitation.
Qiao Xi paused her movements, glancing at her sideways, her heart unruffled. Putting down the cup, she said, “There’s no right or wrong. What you said wasn’t wrong either; it’s just different standpoints and perspectives.”
These words were simply gentle and considerate.
A person covered in thorns suddenly becoming flexible felt truly unusual. The indifference on Fu Bei’s face finally peeled off bit by bit, becoming solemn. She thought Qiao Xi was angry, so she came specifically, not expecting Qiao Xi to block the path completely.
Often, what’s most fatal isn’t words or actions, but change. When Qiao Xi quarreled with Zhou Jiaqi as a child, she would rather be misunderstood than give in. But just now, she was especially “considerate”—completely different.
Unwillingness is often the root cause of a person’s persistence. But the time for impulsiveness is limited. Once the emotions fade, one slowly wakes up. Everyone trapped in feelings is the same, stumbling and unrepentant, taking one step at a time, blinded and unsure where to go.
Many things cannot be explained by logic and reason; human nature is complex and changeable.
The shop was quiet, the street outside noisy. The air conditioner hummed, blowing a continuous cool breeze. Fu Bei was silent for a while. In the end, she didn’t provoke her again but changed the subject: “Your birthday is on the 16th. Will you go back to the compound?”
Qiao Xi celebrated her lunar birthday, the sixth day of the seventh lunar month. This year, it fell on the last period of the Dog Days, commonly known as “Autumn Tiger.” The day after was Qixi Festival (Chinese Valentine’s Day), and the cool season should be arriving.
“Don’t know,” Qiao Xi said, in no mood to pay attention.
Five years ago, Fu Bei left on the day of the Beginning of Autumn. Qiao Xi, who was still traveling out of town, had called excitedly the night before, saying she must celebrate her eighteenth birthday with her.
Qiao Xi had selfish motives, thinking that celebrating her birthday together meant celebrating Qixi together too. The girl harbored affection, thinking it was mutual, just waiting to break the thin layer of paper between them. Who knew she would return to find no one there, unable to even find out where the person was.
The greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment. Sometimes looking back, she still felt unwilling. Later, she heard from Qiao Jianliang that studying abroad was Fu Bei’s own choice, decided long ago. Teenage Qiao Xi’s distorted attachment to Fu Bei was too excessive, beyond appropriate limits. Those around them saw it. Even if they didn’t point it out, they knew what was going on. So when Fu Bei left later, everyone helped to keep it a secret.
But Qiao Xi at that time didn’t understand. Qiao Jianliang said tactfully and roundaboutly, “It’s all for your own good.”
Unwilling to study abroad, on the day of applying for universities, Qiao Xi had foolishly said, “Although we’re not in the same school, we’re close. I’ll come find you whenever I’m free in the future, okay?”
What did Fu Bei say?
She said, “Okay.”
Not only did she come back to an empty space, but all her expectations, hopes, and secret thoughts fell through.
Recalling these old events, Qiao Xi’s face was cold and solemn. The care she felt was still hard to erase.
Fu Bei knew her too well, knowing what to do and what not to do. Besides, calculating the time, Tang Yi would be back soon. She said lightly, “If you don’t go back, I’ll come pick you up then.”
Qiao Xi refused directly: “No need.”
“I’ll wait for you downstairs at your apartment,” Fu Bei said as if she didn’t understand.
Qiao Xi didn’t answer. The screen of her phone on the counter lit up with WeChat notifications, showing “Image” three times in a row.
She glanced at it but ignored it for the time being.
Fu Bei also inadvertently saw it. The content of the messages couldn’t be seen, but she saw the contact name “Master.”
Qiao Xi had a habit formed very early on. No matter what chat app or contact list, she would save friends’ names directly, full names included, regardless of who they were.
This was the only exception.
The air conditioner blew towards them, chilling.
Having missed five years, the people and things in that time had nothing to do with the people from before.
That night, after Tang Yi returned from throwing out the trash, Fu Bei didn’t do anything else, only insisting on seeing Qiao Xi back to her apartment complex. Saying she was seeing her off, she actually just drove behind Qiao Xi’s car.
The steady and low-key Maybach followed the flamboyant Jeep all the way. The scene was quite strange. Perhaps the Jeep’s color was too bright, attracting many passersby to watch.
Getting out of the car, Qiao Xi walked into the building.
Fu Bei sat in the car watching until her back completely disappeared into the night.
**
Qiao Xi’s birthday was during the transition between the hot summer and autumn, while Fu Bei was the opposite; her birthday was in the cold winter, exactly on the Winter Solstice.
The first winter the Qiao family moved into the compound coincided with a snowfall. It was the first heavy snow in Jiang City since the founding of the PRC. The snow was thick enough to bury the threshold, and a few days later, it was even calf-deep for a seven or eight-year-old child.
The last time Jiang City had heavy snow was during the Republic of China era.
Children love novelties. Qiao Xi hadn’t seen snow growing up. For the first two days after it snowed, she played in the snow with all her might, incredibly excited.
Having lived together for about half a year, she was already extremely familiar with Fu Bei and Zhao Shihuan. Fu Bei put on airs and didn’t play in the snow, but Zhao Shihuan wanted to play and even called a bunch of friends over.
Qiao Xi ran back and forth among a group of older kids. One moment she was on Zhao Shihuan’s team, the next she defected to the opposite side. When she defected, Zhao Shihuan chased her with a handful of snow, actually just teasing the kid intentionally, chasing relentlessly but slowing down on purpose when about to catch her. Qiao Xi ran everywhere in fright, hiding here and there. Tired, she went to Fu Bei for cover, grabbing the corner of her shirt to hide behind, crying for help in alarm.
Zhao Shihuan had too many tricks, playfully bad, teasing her like a kitten.
Qiao Xi played wildly. While hiding, she accidentally fell into the snow and was picked up by Fu Bei, who urged, “Be careful, don’t fall again.”
Snowy days are cold, especially in Jiang City, which rarely experienced heavy snow. It was as cold as an ice cellar during that period. Qiao Xi’s face and hands were red from the cold. Sometimes when others were playing, they accidentally hit her with snow. The biting cold snow fell into her collar, touching her skin and making her shiver.
It was the old lady who saw it and called out repeatedly, “Oh my, you kids really aren’t afraid of the cold. You’ll suffer if you get frostbite.”
Zhao Shihuan laughed it off, taking the group into the Fu house to warm up by the heater.
After spending a long time together, Qiao Xi had already developed a dependence on Fu Bei. Fu Bei appeared cold to everyone on the surface, but her heart wasn’t bad. After spending time together, one would find she was quite nice.
Zhao Shihuan and the others chatted while warming themselves by the fire, mentioning that the Winter Solstice was Fu Bei’s birthday and guessing how it would be celebrated. At that time, everyone except Qiao Xi knew that all gatherings were for socializing, including birthdays. But happy celebrations still had to be happy. The group discussed whether to go out on the night of the birthday, coming up with various arrangements.
Twelve or thirteen-year-old children had already begun to be tainted by the big dye vat of society, no longer as innocent as when they were a few years old. Children from wealthy families came into contact with the real, bustling world even earlier. Under the affluent and superior living environment, there would be a charming road of extravagance and desire.
But Qiao Xi at that time didn’t understand what rich people’s enjoyment was. Seven or eight wasn’t a very sensible age, but many concepts had already formed. She was different from these people in the compound, more like those ordinary children in the North District. In her concept, a birthday meant everyone eating a meal together and giving meaningful gifts.
She asked the old lady, “Grandma, when is the Winter Solstice?”
The old lady smiled and said, “The day after tomorrow.”
The time to prepare a gift was too short. She thought for a long time and chose to bake a small cake herself.
Qiao Xi prepared this gift very attentively, but her ability was ultimately limited. With the help of the helper at home, the small cake turned out quite nice, but her contribution was only mixing the flour and beating the eggs; the rest relied on the helper.
On the Winter Solstice, a crowd of guests arrived at the Fu house. Birthday gifts piled up almost into a small mountain. Compared to the dazzling array of exquisite and expensive gifts, the handmade small cake was particularly inconspicuous, even shabby. The elders of the Liang and Fu families gave even more lavish gifts—cars, houses, money, and company dividend rights.
That was the first time Qiao Xi experienced what a gap meant. She stood by holding the unpackaged small cake, too embarrassed to speak.
Children are sensitive; she understood a little bit.
Fortunately, the Qiao couple also prepared gifts, so everyone didn’t pay too much attention to Qiao Xi. Qiao Xi quietly placed the small cake on the table next to the pile of gifts, hoping Fu Bei would discover it, and then checked on it from time to time throughout the day.
Unfortunately, without packaging, the guests mistook it for food placed there for consumption. In the end, someone took it and ate it.
She wasn’t very happy all night, caring quite a bit about this matter.
Fu Bei was surrounded by friends all day, clearly in a good mood. Meeting Qiao Xi sitting alone, she asked, “Not playing with the others?”
“Don’t want to,” she said sullenly.
Zhao Shihuan happened to come over and interrupted playfully, “Qiao Qiao, want to come with me?”
Qiao Xi knew they were going out to play at night. Conscious not to tag along, she shook her head.
Later, by chance, when Mother Qiao came to pick up the child and chatted with the old lady, Fu Bei learned that Qiao Xi had prepared a birthday gift with care, but she hadn’t noticed it herself.
She asked Qiao Xi, “When is your birthday?”
Qiao Xi said, “Already passed.”
“Can celebrate it next year.”
“You want to prepare a gift for me now?”
Fu Bei was amused. “Just asking. Still early.”
“Sixth day of the seventh lunar month,” Qiao Xi said. Thinking for a moment, she added, “It’s by the lunar calendar; it’s different every year.”
**
When young, the two most anticipated days of the year were New Year and birthday, looking forward to growing up, hoping time could pass a little faster, and faster still. But when grown up, whether New Year or birthday celebrations, that excitement was gone.
Returning home, Qiao Xi clicked into WeChat to check messages.
Her master sent pictures of tattoo equipment and asked: [Which one do you like?]
She looked roughly and asked back: [Giving it to me?]
The chat interface showed “typing,” but nothing was sent for a long time. After ages, a slow reply of one word came: [Mmh.]
Qiao Xi: [Whatever.]
Then there was no movement, the chat interface returning to calm. Until half an hour later, her master sent a voice message, totaling one sentence—I’m returning to Jiang City next month.
Qiao Xi suddenly remembered she hadn’t told the other party the shop address yet, so she sent the address over.
Both master and apprentice didn’t follow the usual path, lacking any warmth. Her master wouldn’t call her apprentice, nor ever care too much. Sending a message whenever she remembered her, it was either sending equipment or red envelopes during holidays, without a word of concern. Qiao Xi wouldn’t treat her as a teacher either; meeting her, she wouldn’t call her Master or anything, calling her by full name “Qin Si.”
Qin Si had a sharp tongue. She didn’t use dirty words, but every sentence hit the point. When Qiao Xi learned tattooing from her, the most said thing was—”Don’t say you have anything to do with me when you tattoo people in the future. With such lousy skills, don’t let people find me to settle scores and smash my sign.”
Actually, Qiao Xi had talent in this area and picked it up quickly. It was just that Qin Si always found fault, unable to hold back from roasting people, intentionally teasing her.
The other party didn’t reply. Checking the time, she estimated Qin Si was hanging out in some bar right now.
There was no moon tonight, not even stars. The house was stifling hot. Turning on the air conditioner and then taking a shower, coming out after washing felt incredibly comfortable.
Qiao Xi still had quite a few ordinary friends. Although interactions weren’t deep usually, many remembered her birthday was coming up. Those without time sent gifts in advance; those who could come asked directly where to gather.
She definitely wouldn’t return to the compound for her birthday, not wanting to see the Zhou mother and son, too lazy to even pretend. She didn’t plan to make it too grand, intending to treat friends to a meal and have some fun. Thinking about suitable locations, she replied to everyone’s messages one by one.
Just after replying, a verification message popped up. The source showed the other party added via phone number search, region Jiang City, nickname F, avatar blank, nothing there.
Knowing who it was, Qiao Xi ignored the message directly.
Not long after, this person sent another verification request. This time a verification message was added: Fu Bei.
Qiao Xi frowned slightly. Ultimately disliking being disturbed, she ignored it again, threw the phone aside, and casually picked up the remote to turn on the TV.
