Miao Zhu slung her cello over her back and left Tower Shadow Sunny River. She first hailed a taxi to Cloud Initial Plaza, then returned to the orchestra dorm to pick up her luggage.
Mu Shanyi had offered to drive her, but she refused. Mu Shanyi had waited until the early hours of the morning for her, which showed her sincerity—Miao Zhu couldn’t act ungrateful and treat her like a chauffeur.
More than six hours later, Miao Zhu landed on Sea Island, where Sheng Xingran picked her up in a convertible sports car.
The sky was dimming, with the evening glow spreading across the horizon in shades of pinkish-purple and orange-red, vivid and brilliant like a massive oil painting on the dome of heaven. Facing the hot breeze, the tires rolled through the old streets and pulled into a vacation villa nestled against the mountains and overlooking the sea.
The attendants had set up an outdoor candlelit dinner, and Ni Xiaoying and Miao Ling were already seated. When they saw Sheng Xingran leading Miao Zhu over, they exchanged a knowing glance that said, “We’re shipping it.”
The four chatted while enjoying their meal. After dinner, Miao Ling suggested, “Xingran, why don’t you and Longlong take a walk on the beach to aid digestion? I’ve been shopping with your mom all day, and we’re heading for massages soon, so we won’t join you.”
“Shall we?” Sheng Xingran smiled invitingly at Miao Zhu. They had each sipped some champagne, and under the candlelight, a faint blush colored Sheng Xingran’s cheeks, her brows and eyes finely drawn like an ink wash painting.
Miao Zhu played along. “Sure.”
On the villa’s private beach, the sand was clean and fine. They kicked off their shoes and stepped onto it barefoot.
The warm, fine grains slid lightly underfoot.
The glow of dusk had faded, and the sky had darkened, but lights dotted the area, their glow just right to cast the beach in a hazy, serene light.
“Is your vacation almost over?” Sheng Xingran asked, slipping her hands into her pants pockets.
“Almost.” Miao Zhu’s dark hair was tousled by the sea wind as she kept her head down, stepping through the sand. “I’ve got a business trip for performances midweek next week, and then it’ll be the finale of this concert season when I get back.”
Sheng Xingran said, “I met a friend at the exhibition. She’s organizing a cultural exchange tour in Southern France next month. The itinerary has plenty of visits, courses, and themed activities. Plus, there’s an art competition in Paris at just the right time—I’m really interested. Want to come with me?”
“How long will you be staying?” They had visited Southern France a few times during their study abroad days, and Miao Zhu loved the summers there.
Sheng Xingran: “A month.”
Miao Zhu: “That timing works pretty well.”
By saying that, she had agreed. Sheng Xingran draped an arm around her shoulders, her voice rising playfully at the end. “So, will you think about it?”
Miao Zhu’s tone carried a smile too. “Sure, I’ll think about it.”
“I wanted to ask earlier—did you change shampoos?” Sheng Xingran leaned in close to Miao Zhu’s hair. “The scent’s kinda familiar.”
“Did I?” The cool seawater lapped at their bare feet as Miao Zhu gathered her hair to keep it from blocking her view. “I didn’t notice. Just grabbed whatever was handy.”
It must have been a colleague’s shampoo from the dorm. Sheng Xingran brushed off the trivial detail.
They strolled along the coastline and unwittingly walked quite far. Sheng Xingran mysteriously pulled a lighter from her pocket and jogged a few steps ahead.
Miao Zhu watched as she crouched down, a small flame flickering to life in the cup of her hands.
After the hissing of the fuse, the sparkler burst with a pop, exploding in a shower of multicolored sparks.
Waves rolled onto the beach one after another, the salty sea breeze enveloping them.
Romantic gestures like this were far from the only ones Sheng Xingran had done for her. Their relationship had blurred boundaries long ago.
“Longlong, I like you.” Sheng Xingran’s eyes sparkled as she said it earnestly.
If one looked closely, Sheng Xingran’s features bore some resemblance to Mu Shanyi’s. Their biggest difference wasn’t in appearance, but in personality.
Miao Zhu couldn’t imagine Mu Shanyi doing something like this.
—Why was she thinking about what Mu Shanyi would do?
“Let’s take it slow, okay?” Miao Zhu replied to Sheng Xingran.
Sheng Xingran: “Of course! I always follow through.”
The sparkler lit up the smile on Miao Zhu’s lips. She handed her phone to Sheng Xingran, her voice soft. “Xingran, take a few photos for me?”
After the sparkler burned out, Miao Zhu updated her social media.
They retraced their steps back. About ten meters from the villa, they saw a screen set up outside, playing a silent outdoor movie. Someone sat leisurely in a deck chair by the dining table, watching.
The flowers and candelabras on the table hadn’t been cleared. The person wore a light-colored shirt, with thick, slightly wavy long hair falling over her chest.
Her right hand, stacked with rings, held the rim of a classic cocktail glass filled with a layered special drink.
“…” Miao Zhu whispered to Sheng Xingran, “Sister A-Heng’s here too?”
Sheng Xingran shrugged. “Who knows? Mom did invite her, but she never gave a straight answer. Then at noon today, she suddenly asked me to send her the address here.”
Miao Zhu: “…Oh.”
By the time they spoke, they were close to the table. Their feet were covered in damp sand, so they couldn’t put their shoes back on yet.
“Sis.” Sheng Xingran greeted Mu Shanyi first.
Mu Shanyi turned to look at them.
Miao Zhu: “Sister A-Heng.”
“Been for a walk?” Mu Shanyi’s arm rested on the chair’s armrest, her right wrist dangling naturally. She gave her wrist a slight shake, the ice cubes clinking against the liquid in her glass.
Miao Zhu nodded.
Sheng Xingran slung an arm around Miao Zhu’s shoulders and nudged her into the deck chair next to Mu Shanyi. “Longlong, rinse your feet with some water.”
She unscrewed the cap on a mineral water bottle from the table. As Miao Zhu reached for it, Sheng Xingran bent down and carefully aimed the bottle at Miao Zhu’s raised foot.
Clear mineral water flowed over her pale instep, tracing the arch and sliding past her bare pink toenails before dripping onto the stone platform below.
A bit of sand clung to her slender ankle, and Sheng Xingran brushed it away.
Something inexplicable stirred in Miao Zhu, and she glanced at Mu Shanyi.
Mu Shanyi gazed at the movie screen, her throat moving slightly as she took a sip.
Miao Zhu pulled her foot back a little and said to Sheng Xingran, “I can do it myself. Is there a towel?”
“Oh right, towel—hold on, I’ll grab one.” Sheng Xingran handed her the bottle and padded barefoot toward the villa.
The waves crashed rhythmically nearby. After emptying the bottle, Miao Zhu finally spoke. “Sister A-Heng, you’re here for the weekend too?”
Mu Shanyi didn’t respond.
Miao Zhu looked up at her, and Mu Shanyi turned her face. Their gazes met.
The summer night sea breeze blew gently, the black-and-white movie light flickering on and off.
A pearl earring gleamed subtly on Mu Shanyi’s earlobe in the dimness. Her shirt was unbuttoned three times, the thin fabric clinging to her body. As she turned, it revealed the skin at her neckline, a few strands of hair lifting in the wind. She exuded a lazy, casual magnetism.
She hadn’t done anything, but in this setting, it was inexplicably seductive.
Sheng Xingran stood just inside the villa’s sliding doors, her voice carrying on the wind.
In English, she asked a server where the dry towels were—paper towels would do—and thanked them for the sparklers, reminding them to clean up on the beach.
Mu Shanyi leaned in and kissed her.
Lip to lip. Miao Zhu’s mouth parted slightly in surprise, and Mu Shanyi’s tongue slipped in, passing a cold, solid chunk into Miao Zhu’s mouth.
It was crushed ice, laced with the sweet aroma of liquor.
“You don’t know why I came?”
“You…” Miao Zhu gripped the mineral water bottle, tilting her head back. She stared at Mu Shanyi in disbelief, then twisted to look toward Sheng Xingran.
Sheng Xingran had her back to them as the housekeeper emerged to confirm tomorrow’s boating plans.
“What about me?” Mu Shanyi murmured softly. “Aren’t you the one looking for a thrill?”
