Everything unfolded exactly as Kong Liyuan had anticipated.
The young woman she had stopped was completely unguarded, letting her into the car. She loved to laugh, loved to scatter her pure, innocent affection everywhere.
~~~
She used Buzz Lightyear Band-Aids without hesitation and didn’t stint on throwing money around for “acts of kindness.” She bent down to ask what Kong Liyuan wanted to eat, while her fingers, hidden behind her back, secretly gauged the approximate length of her shoe size.
Kong Liyuan had always thought this was the most boring type of person, the kind easiest to see through—always radiating an innocent, sweet aura.
They existed on completely opposing wavelengths.
That was the conclusion she had all but confirmed. But perhaps it was that bunch of orange California lupine that differed from her expectations.
It led her to ask that question—”Want to hook up with me?”
Then she waited patiently.
She imagined those hazel-tinged eyes would flash with surprise, followed by indignant misunderstanding, then shy innocence…
And after that, she would either be kicked out of the car or choose to leave herself. People like this weren’t on her path.
But things took an unexpected turn.
It didn’t come from those eyes, but from another sudden development.
Neither of them had time to react.
A person appeared out of nowhere—tall figure, wearing a skirt, distinctive facial features. She wrapped her arms around the young woman’s waist and swiftly pulled her away.
A clatter of chaos erupted, everything shaking violently.
In an instant, the pile of things in the young woman’s arms spilled across the ground with a splash.
There was the freshly bought hamburger combo meal, still steaming hot, wrapped in a brown paper bag. The drink poured out uncontrollably, cold bubbles seeping through the bag and slowly soaking into the scorching pavement before fizzing away.
A pair of brown Martin boots thudded to the ground, brand new and quite large. The thin laces had just slipped from the young woman’s wrist—light brown, with a pair of socks still tied to them.
The boots bounced once upon impact, the brown laces leaping repeatedly, shattering the world’s black-and-white pallor.
The background was bathed in the warm amber light of the afternoon, like an old film with sunlight leaking through.
Kong Liyuan looked up, barely able to make out the voices. She only saw the young woman being held by the waist, yet grinning from ear to ear as they spun in circles through the air.
She showed no annoyance, no worry about the spilled food, no glance back her way.
Her golden hair whipped wildly in the wind, but she kept laughing. When the spinning finally stopped and her feet touched down, she threw her arms around the tall figure in an enthusiastic embrace, chatting animatedly about something.
The scene pulsed with a clear thread of vitality.
A girl with Down syndrome and a young woman who loved spreading seeds of love everywhere. They seemed to be the true fellow travelers.
Because of that familiar face on the girl with Down syndrome, Kong Liyuan slipped on those ill-fitting Martin boots.
Later, the loose, floppy shoes stayed on her feet for three whole days.
“Ah, did the drinks spill everywhere?”
The young woman led the girl with Down syndrome to the car, her whole body radiating heat, as if the excitement hadn’t fully faded.
It was a phrase that should have sounded regretful, but her tone was fresh and bright, chirping like a little bird.
“Not entirely.” Kong Liyuan had just picked up the paper bag and cleaned it up. Half a cup of cola and most of a cup of milk remained.
“The burgers and snacks inside are all fine, untouched.”
“No worries, we can just split them three ways.” The young woman curved her eyes in a smile and patted the shoulder of the person beside her. She switched to English.
“This is my friend. She’s heading to the town up ahead for an exhibition. Oh, right—she’s the professional model they hired for it, isn’t she?”
With that, she nudged the other woman’s arm, emphasizing “professional model” with pure delight and pride in her voice.
The young woman sounded completely different in English than in Chinese.
In Chinese, her voice was bright and crisp, her pace a bit faster, like a sturdy little bird.
In English, it softened, like a cozy winter fireside glow, warm and mellow.
“Hello, I’m Nicole.”
The girl with Down syndrome, who had been sizing her up for a while, finally spoke. Her words came slowly, but far more clearly than Kong Liyuan would have expected from someone with her condition.
She still had the other telltale traits, but her communication and cognitive abilities stood out well above the norm.
Kong Liyuan extended her hand, thinking that claiming “I don’t speak much English” suited her current situation.
So she simply said, “Hello.”
She didn’t give her name. Nicole tilted her head curiously.
The young woman just smiled, climbed into the car, and spread out the snacks and burgers without a care.
Two burgers, and she didn’t seem bothered at all. She handed one to Kong Liyuan and the other to Nicole.
“You’re not eating?” Kong Liyuan raised an eyebrow. As expected, the young woman was the type who always looked out for others first.
“Nope!” The young woman shook her head, then grinned and held out her hand. Nicole naturally broke her burger in half from the back seat and passed it over.
“Food shared between friends is always the most delicious.”
She extended her other hand toward Kong Liyuan, smiling, her hazel eyes holding a perfect golden sun.
Kong Liyuan suddenly thought of a line from Tommy Butler’s “Catching Falling Leaves” that fit this young woman perfectly.
She smiled, though she wasn’t sure why.
Then she broke her own burger in half and gave part to the young woman. Food held no special meaning for her—it was just necessary fuel to replenish her body’s energy.
She knew many people could boldly declare “I like this” or “I love that,” but she lacked that talent.
She didn’t love delicious food, fine clothes, or fast cars. She didn’t love others, and she didn’t love herself.
But this young woman was saying: I like burgers. Here, have one.
Then she took half of Kong Liyuan’s.
And after that, she broke off a quarter from those halves and gave it back.
Like an endless loop.
Years later, Kong Liyuan would recall this moment countless times and think it might have been better to stay trapped in that loop forever.
For now, she just smiled, without asking.
The young woman answered anyway. “Food shared between friends is always the most delicious.”
~~~
Three people shared the two burger combo meals, then drove on toward the next destination with the warm wind rushing through the open car.
After Nicole got in, the young woman kept glancing back, tucking a blanket under her now and then, chatting about old times, and laughing.
They both laughed together.
Kong Liyuan didn’t feel ignored. She quietly observed. What had seemed boring before now held a spark of interest.
The poisonous orange California lupine sat by the young woman’s hand, hanging from the door, swaying in the breeze.
This time, Kong Liyuan didn’t think the young woman had hung it there to keep it away from them.
Watching the satisfied smile in the young woman’s eyes, she realized it was simply because she liked how it looked like it was leading the way for them.
It was still the same radio station, still that bouncy, passionate “California Dreamin’.”
The flowers, the wind, the moving car, and the California dream all conspired to induce sleepiness. Especially after Kong Liyuan’s exhausting “escape” before getting in.
~~~
It was the perfect afternoon for a nap.
Normally, at this time of year, Kong Liyuan brimmed with energy. Sleep, that overly serene state, rarely pierced her restless world.
But she tilted her head slightly and unconsciously pressed the wound on her face.
The sharp pain hit, but it didn’t wake her up.
She could only let her hand rest lazily on the door, buffeted by the rustling wind.
Drowsiness enveloped her gradually, flowing like egg whites, wrapping her in a thin white membrane. The open car transformed into a luminous eggshell.
Fragile, ready to shatter at a touch.
When consciousness returned, the car had stopped. The scene inside the eggshell was hazy; outside, it was noisy and chaotic.
~~~
She vaguely heard someone shout “Bertha.”
A crack—the eggshell broke. Her first thought upon waking was the romantic meaning of the name Bertha.
Still groggy and lazy, Kong Liyuan looked toward the sound. The two were leaning against the car, chatting animatedly side by side.
She remained in the passenger seat, head resting on the headrest. Looking toward the car door, she saw only their backs—one tall, one slender.
Nicole said, “She looks pretty fierce.”
Who did? Kong Liyuan leaned back casually, peering at the pair by the car.
The young woman wore the same outfit: a tight tank top boldly exposing her midriff, accentuating her slim, sexy waist and sharp shoulders; cargo pants below. A blue baseball cap now topped her head.
Standing closer, she was steeped in the glow of sunset. Her golden hair blew open in the wind, so near that the ends nearly brushed Kong Liyuan’s nose, carrying a soft, airy fragrance.
Staring longer in the dizzying sunset, Kong Liyuan realized the hair was impossibly soft, like some ethereal mark fluttering in the breeze, concealing a faith in pale golden suns.
“I don’t think so.”
The young woman replied in English, her voice reigniting that mellow fire, though softly.
“She’s hurt. I hope it’s not as bad as I fear.”
~~~
Was it talking about her? Kong Liyuan narrowed her eyes slightly, staring at the young woman’s back. It seemed this person still carried her habitual love, habitually spreading it across the world.
She absentmindedly pressed her wound, her fingers brushing the Band-Aid covering it.
Her gaze remained fixed on the golden hair just inches away, and as if compelled by some unseen force, she reached out her hand once more.
“What injury?” Nicole asked.
“I don’t know.” The young woman, still facing away from her, replied. Then, with casual ease, she removed her baseball cap and ran her fingers through her hair, letting the golden strands flutter even more wildly in the air.
~~~
Kong Liyuan leaned lazily against the car door, her hand hovering in midair, nearly touching the dancing strands of hair. But those locks were incorrigibly playful, refusing to settle.
“How can you not even know that? What’s your exact relationship with her?” Nicole pressed.
“What relationship?” The young woman’s fingers, braced against the car door, flinched slightly.
It was unclear whether she was mulling it over or simply reluctant to answer.
After a moment, she let out a chuckle, shifted her body closer to the car, and then offered her response with generous ease.
“Of course we’re friends.”
~~~
In that instant, the sunlight converged in a straight beam, piercing the eggshell of the clouds as the golden sunset flooded across the earth. The soft strands of hair slid across her palm.
Kong Liyuan finally grasped that lock of gold.
