Xu Dan said, “Our class monitor’s a bit carsick. Let’s chat for a bit, then go hiking.”
Gu Ningzi glanced at Chi Nuan.
Xu Dan took a bite of her banana and leaned in. “Gu Ningzi, what goodies did you bring today?”
As soon as she spoke, everyone stared at Gu Ningzi’s backpack.
Gu Ningzi shook her head. Xu Dan’s eyes widened. “No way, you didn’t bring anything?”
Gu Ningzi looked puzzled. “Why would I?”
Xu Dan: “…You’ll get hungry at lunch!”
With that, she generously opened the cookie box. “Here, eat some. These are diplomatic gains from our class monitor—first come, first served for the whole class.”
Chi Nuan: “…”
Gu Ningzi said, “No thanks.”
…
The parasol blocked most of the sunlight, the mountain breeze was gentle, and the rustling bamboo provided a soothing backdrop. Just sitting and chatting like this was quite pleasant.
They sat for over half an hour. Xu Dan and the others finished off most of the snacks, wiped their mouths, and stood up. “Let’s go hiking.”
Chi Nuan still felt dizzy, so she said, “You go ahead. I’ll sit a bit longer.”
Xu Dan turned to Gu Ningzi, who stood up.
“Alright then, Nuannuan, rest here. Come find us when you feel better.”
Chi Nuan waved them off.
After they left, Chi Nuan leaned back on the chair and closed her eyes. Her head poked out from under the parasol’s edge, and sunlight immediately poured warmly onto her face.
She covered her face with her hat.
She didn’t know how much time passed when footsteps approached and stopped by her chair.
Through the gap under the baseball cap, a pair of red-and-black sneakers came into view.
“…Weren’t you going hiking?” Chi Nuan shifted her hat aside and asked the returning Gu Ningzi.
Gu Ningzi said, “I’m hungry.”
Chi Nuan sat up straight and opened her backpack. “I have bread left. Want some?”
Gu Ningzi sidestepped the question. “Still feeling sick?”
Chi Nuan said, “Much better.”
Gu Ningzi said, “Let’s go.”
Chi Nuan followed Gu Ningzi back to the parking lot in a daze. A black Mercedes van was parked in an inconspicuous corner, door open. A woman in a professional skirt suit stood by it. When she saw Gu Ningzi, she quietly walked away.
Gu Ningzi gestured for Chi Nuan to get in.
The air conditioning inside was on, keeping the temperature just right. The fold-down table in the back seat held two large bowls of steaming hot wontons.
“Gu Ningzi, this is…”
Gu Ningzi replied concisely, “Eat with me.”
“…”
Chi Nuan took a bite of wonton and couldn’t help asking, “Is this delivery too?”
Gu Ningzi: “Mm-hmm.”
What kind of place delivers like this, so extravagantly… Chi Nuan’s heart trembled a little.
How expensive must these wontons be?
…
The pricier they were, the less she could waste them. Chi Nuan finished even the soup.
…Then let out a satisfied burp.
Gu Ningzi elegantly wiped the corner of her mouth and asked Chi Nuan, “Want to nap? Or go find them?”
It was past noon. Chi Nuan said, “Gu Ningzi, have you been to the Bamboo Sea before?”
Gu Ningzi shook her head.
Chi Nuan looked at her and slowly smiled. “Then let’s go hiking. There’s a Wishing Bridge halfway up the mountain. My brother and I used to come here and make wishes every time.”
The two got out of the car and headed toward the parking lot exit.
From behind an off-road vehicle came a lazy voice. “Got it, my Eldest Miss. How many times do you have to emphasize it? Didn’t I already promise not to mess with her? It was just for fun anyway—you took it too seriously. Have I gone looking for her lately?”
Chi Nuan stumbled. Gu Ningzi caught her arm.
A girl’s voice replied, “You’d better keep your word.”
“Fine, fine, you win. …Tch, that’s unfair. You and A-Hui play house like it’s nothing, but back then I didn’t say a peep. Why stick your nose in when it’s me?”
“She’s different from us. Don’t fucking cause trouble.”
“…Then why not control A-Hui?”
“He can do whatever.”
“That’s not fair—we three grew up together. Doesn’t that sting? You think that’s right?”
…
Chi Nuan tugged Gu Ningzi along and hurried out of the parking lot.
She recognized the voices: Zhou Yue and Xue Wen.
Come to think of it, Zhou Yue really hadn’t shown up around her lately. So it was because of Xue Wen?
…
The Wishing Bridge midway up the mountain had quite a crowd. Xu Dan spotted Chi Nuan and Gu Ningzi from afar and shouted at the top of her lungs, “Over here! We’re here!”
Chi Nuan walked over. Xu Dan handed her and Gu Ningzi each a blank wooden plaque.
Chi Nuan explained to Gu Ningzi, “Wish Plaque. Write your wish on it, and it’ll come true.”
Gu Ningzi flipped the plaque over and asked Chi Nuan, “Did all your previous wishes come true?”
Chi Nuan said, “So far, yes.”
Gu Ningzi took the pen from Xu Dan.
…
Collection time arrived soon. Chi Nuan dutifully stood outside the bus counting heads again. Just as the bus was about to leave, Zhou Damao and a bunch of boys came rushing back.
Chi Nuan knew they must have been off playing cards somewhere.
Zhou Damao grinned cheekily. “With our class monitor here, we’ll never get left behind. Heh heh heh.”
Chi Nuan was speechless.
With everyone accounted for, the bus started moving. Unlike the excitement on the way there, most classmates were tired now, chatting softly here and there.
Gu Ningzi sat on the aisle side. No one sat in the seat next to the window; her backpack was there.
Chi Nuan stopped beside her. Gu Ningzi looked up, saw it was her, grabbed her backpack, and tucked it behind her to free up the seat.
Chi Nuan squeezed in. Suddenly, the bus braked sharply for some reason. Chi Nuan lost her balance and landed right on Gu Ningzi’s lap.
Gu Ningzi instinctively steadied her waist.
“…”
