Chapter 37
When Lin Zilan left, Pei Yunle couldn’t remember.
She only remembered her mother’s displeased face, and how she had finally left without saying anything.
Then the surroundings were enveloped by the night, until it crawled onto her, devouring all the light.
Dinnertime had long passed. Pei Yunle went downstairs to drink a couple of glasses of water to fill her stomach. Just as she had filled a glass, Chen Qingtang stepped through the main gate.
Draped in moonlight, Chen Qingtang exuded a cool, gentle aura.
“Do you want some water?” Pei Yunle handed her the glass in her hand.
The water was still swaying from the force just now, and a few drops splashed out of the cup.
Chen Qingtang stared at the glass and then shook her head.
The two of them stood in the courtyard, speechless.
There was no familiar yet reassuring sound of cicadas. The flowers in the courtyard were not in full bloom as before, their delicate petals stained with a touch of withered yellow. Even the bustling voices outside the courtyard were quiet at this moment.
An inexplicable emotion, accompanied by the cool wind, swirled around the two of them.
Pei Yunle looked at her for a while, then lowered her eyes and asked a random question, “Have you had enough of the water outside?”
Chen Qingtang was taken aback for a moment and gave her an affirmative answer.
Pei Yunle drank the water in her hand in one gulp. Her stomach was still empty. Chen Qingtang lowered her head and kicked away a small stone at her feet, even though it wasn’t in the way.
“I looked at the weather forecast. It seems to be colder tonight. Can we sleep together?”
Pei Yunle had just finished drinking water, and her rosy lips were still glistening, looking like a freshly watered, vibrant flower.
Chen Qingtang agreed. She also wanted to pick this flower.
Tonight, neither of them wore their summer short pajamas, but changed into long ones. Their bodies were always separated by a layer of fabric.
But as their body heat slowly seeped into the fabric, it created the illusion of time being prolonged. The night at this moment was soft and long.
Pei Yunle was still the same as usual, liking to nuzzle her head in the crook of Chen Qingtang’s neck.
Her faded hair was twisted in her hand, the light green and light pink intertwined, blooming with the color of early spring in this autumn night.
Spring should be the season of all things growing.
Perhaps because she had slept too much in the afternoon, Pei Yunle was not sleepy at all. “When is Grandma’s surgery?”
Leaning against her neck, Pei Yunle heard her heartbeat quicken.
There was no phone or pen and paper nearby. Chen Qingtang took Pei Yunle’s hand, separated her ten fingers, and wrote a date on it.
“It seems that my mom’s connections are still very strong.”
Pei Yunle couldn’t help but exclaim, “If only I were as amazing as her.”
Chen Qingtang released Pei Yunle’s hand, and her other hand naturally brushed against her palm, and then slowly slid into the gaps between her fingers until it was full.
“Why aren’t you sleepy today? You usually fall asleep much faster than me.”
Through the moonlight coming in from outside, Pei Yunle saw Chen Qingtang’s still-fluttering eyelashes, like a butterfly in the night.
“Since the medical expenses have been resolved, are you not so busy anymore?”
This sentence made Chen Qingtang turn her head to look at her, waiting for her to continue.
“So, can you free up some time for me tomorrow?” Pei Yunle’s lips curved into a faint smile. “Let’s go on a date.”
She couldn’t remember when they had last had a formal date. Such a simple thing had become a luxury for them.
Chen Qingtang didn’t answer her, just placed a kiss on Pei Yunle’s forehead.
She was willing to accept this invitation.
“Then can I be a little more forward?”
Chen Qingtang had been about to close her eyes and brew some sleepiness. Hearing her words, she opened her eyes again.
Generally speaking, Pei Yunle’s forwardness was not a good thing, at least for herself.
Pei Yunle pulled away from her warmth and propped herself up on her elbows.
“I want to play Dare. Can I?”
She showed a pair of pitiful eyes, like a puppy that hadn’t had a bone in a long time. She was waiting for a handout, but underneath, she was already exploring which piece she wanted to eat tonight.
Chen Qingtang was also a gentle and soft-hearted good owner, so she had to comfort her in her own way.
Last time, the lights were on, and everything was done in the light. Her eyes weakened the senses of her other organs.
This time, the lights were off, and everything was quiet. Her eyes were forced to fail. Even the slightest touch would be infinitely magnified, and every shiver on her skin would excite all her nerves.
Chen Qingtang had a moment of stillness before Pei Yunle’s next move. She only dared to hold her breath.
It wasn’t until she couldn’t take it anymore and took a breath of fresh air that her mind began to clear a little.
Chen Qingtang lifted her toes and kicked Pei Yunle’s butt. She didn’t understand what this person was waiting for.
Pei Yunle seemed to be in deep thought, her lips pursed into a straight line.
“Can I be a little more forward?”
Chen Qingtang couldn’t take it anymore. If she wasn’t going to do it, then she would sleep.
“I suddenly remembered the first movie we watched.”
Chen Qingtang followed her words and recalled it. It was borrowed from the video store, the so-called treasure of the store.
“Can we be like them?”
In the dim room, Pei Yunle could also see Chen Qingtang’s slightly widened eyes.
“I borrowed it again. It’s just not a disc. I asked her to give me a copy that can be transferred to my phone.”
Chen Qingtang pulled the quilt over her head. This feeling was really strange.
Pei Yunle crawled over from the side. “Didn’t you say you’ve seen better quality than the treasure of the store before?”
Chen Qingtang rolled over.
Pei Yunle followed her and crawled over. “You must have learned a little, right? Don’t you plan to show me a thing or two? Can you teach me?”
Chen Qingtang’s earlobes were about to burn. She suddenly sat up from the bed. Her movement was so fast that Pei Yunle fell to the floor.
One was sitting on the floor, the other was sitting on the bed.
Chen Qingtang finally gave in and pulled Pei Yunle back onto the bed.
Tonight, the night was still long.
…
Seven in the morning.
Pei Yunle woke up first. Even though she hadn’t slept for a few hours all night, this day was a full date day, and she wasn’t sleepy at all.
She pulled Chen Qingtang out of the quilt. The two of them stood in front of the wardrobe, picking out clothes for each other. Before leaving, Pei Yunle took a small pink hairpin from the drawer and clipped it by Chen Qingtang’s ear.
Chen Qingtang’s almond eyes looked gentle and harmless. Paired with a slightly childish hairpin, she looked as obedient as an elementary school student about to go on a spring outing. She hung the camera she had bought around her neck and went out with her.
The sun rose in the east, and the clouds in the distance melted into a pool of golden water. The temperature was just right, and a gentle breeze blew from the water, following behind the two of them.
They walked along the riverbank to East Street. It was still early, and there were almost no other shops open except for the breakfast stalls.
They walked into a baozi shop at the corner and ordered the signature soup dumplings and two bowls of black rice congee.
The bowls of congee were still steaming when they were brought to the table. Pei Yunle looked around the table, and after pushing aside the soy sauce and vinegar, there was only a box of salt.
She picked up a small spoon and scooped half a spoonful of salt into Chen Qingtang’s congee. “It’s too painful without sugar. Have you ever had sweet congee?”
Chen Qingtang shook her head. The people here had always eaten salty congee. A whole bowl of sweet congee, the thought of it was enough to make her frown.
Pei Yunle seemed to have resigned herself to her fate. She didn’t want to drink something with no taste, so she had to add a little bit of salt to her own congee as well.
The soup dumpling was picked up, and the thin skin was easily pierced. The oil and water rushed out of the small hole, quickly filling the entire small dipping saucer.
“Grandma eats corn and sweet potatoes every morning. Haven’t you gotten tired of it after all these years?”
Chen Qingtang had just stuffed a soup-filled dumpling into her mouth. It was so hot that she was forced to stir-fry the dumpling in her mouth again, not paying attention to Pei Yunle.
Pei Yunle held a piece of paper in her palm and extended it. “Spit it out. You’ll get a few blisters in your mouth later. A burned tongue is very painful.”
Chen Qingtang swallowed it with tears in her eyes.
Looking at her flushed face, which was very similar to the early morning sun, Pei Yunle couldn’t help but pinch it a couple of times. It was warm and delicate, and felt extremely good.
It took them nearly an hour to eat breakfast. By the time they left the baozi shop, there were already people selling vegetables on the street.
Pork and beef were hung at the other end. The owner was chopping pork ribs with a cleaver, and bits of meat would occasionally splash out.
The wet market was always damp, regardless of the weather. You could smell the fishy sweetness of rotting vegetables and fruits from outside. The sewage on the ground was piled with rotten vegetable leaves.
Pei Yunle looked at her shoes, which she had cleaned the day before, and decided not to go in.
To get around the wet market, Chen Qingtang took her through a small alley shortcut. Above their heads were countless tangled and messy electrical wires, and below them was a row of various types of clothes hanging. There were also electric bikes and motorcycles leaning against the wall.
From time to time, someone would open their door and splash water out. The cries of a child would burst out from the crack in the door. Pei Yunle couldn’t help but hunch her back and walk quickly through the winding path.
At the intersection was a street dedicated to selling clothes. Chen Qingtang told her that the rent here was very expensive, so the clothes were not cheap either.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Pei Yunle pinched Chen Qingtang’s sleeve. “It’s okay, let’s just browse. We have nothing to do anyway.”
When she had no classes in college, Pei Yunle would go to the nearest shopping mall to browse. She would only try on clothes and not buy them, just to pass the time.
So she naturally pulled Chen Qingtang into the store, enduring the scrutinizing gaze of the sales assistant and her dwindling patience.
Autumn still carried the lingering heat of summer. The store had put out its autumn collection, but the dresses had not been completely removed. The style was not to Pei Yunle’s liking. She picked out a few outfits for Chen Qingtang to try on.
“Try them on for me, okay? I never played with Barbie dolls when I was a child.”
Although Chen Qingtang didn’t believe her, she still indulged her.
The dress was very revealing, and the zipper was always on the back. Pei Yunle naturally went into the fitting room to help Chen Qingtang put it on.
The fitting room was not big. Even for two people who were not thin, it would still be crowded.
There was a small leather stool on the side. Pei Yunle sat on it, her eyes never leaving Chen Qingtang.
Chen Qingtang was embarrassed by her stare and wanted to quietly turn her back to her to change, but she was caught.
“If you don’t turn around, how will I know if it looks good?”
There was clearly a mirror outside, but Pei Yunle just wanted to see it before them.
Helpless, Chen Qingtang pulled up the shoulder straps and turned to face her.
The red dress made Chen Qingtang’s skin look very fair. She had also put on light makeup today, completely devoid of the obedient and childish look from before. She exuded a pure and charming aura.
It’s killing me, Pei Yunle thought.
She held Chen Qingtang’s fingers, hooking them here and there. Pei Yunle had no other thoughts, only one:
I want to kiss her.
Pei Yunle’s lips slowly curved upwards. “It’s very pretty, but don’t go out in it.”
At her words, and in the face of Chen Qingtang’s confusion, Pei Yunle let go of the fingers she had been holding. Her hand slid up Chen Qingtang’s arm, finally stopping at a few specific spots.
There were several crimson marks there. When Pei Yunle first saw them, she thought it was the light reflecting off the red dress. But upon closer inspection, she realized they were the masterpieces she had uncontrollably left behind yesterday.
If she went out in this dress, everything would be visible.
Naturally, Chen Qingtang followed her gesture and saw them too. She lifted her foot and lightly kicked her calf.
Then she took off the dress, changed back into her own clothes, and prepared to leave.
Pei Yunle lifted the curtain and took a few steps out, then suddenly turned back and hugged the dress.
The sales assistant, who had thought it was another customer who would only look and not buy, was already in a bad mood. But then Pei Yunle placed the dress on the counter.
“I’ll take this.”
Chen Qingtang stood beside her, staring blankly at Pei Yunle. She had said they would only try it on and not buy it, even though that was a bit annoying.
She unconsciously touched Pei Yunle’s arm and shook her head.
The sales assistant saw this and quickly tore off the tag to bag it for Pei Yunle.
Pei Yunle said thank you, took the bag, and pulled the other girl out of the store. “Why not? It looks very good on you.”
Chen Qingtang took out her phone. “It’s autumn, I can only wear it for a few days. And, it’s very expensive.”
Pei Yunle felt she had a point, but since they had already bought it, she could just wear it next year…
“Can you let me have that dress?” A girl walked out of the store and appeared beside them.
“I tried it on just now and didn’t think it was suitable, so I didn’t want it. But I realized I still really like it. When I came back, I found that you had already bought it.”
The three of them looked at each other. Of course, Pei Yunle was unwilling.
“This dress is 259, right? I’ll add another 20 yuan, is that okay?”
Pei Yunle raised an eyebrow. “Then I’ll add 40.”
The girl was at a loss for words. “45 yuan.”
“50 yuan.”
Seeing that the red in the bag was so vibrant, the girl finally gritted her teeth. “55 yuan!”
“Alright, deal!” Pei Yunle handed the dress to the girl.
“Huh?” The girl took the bag in a daze. With people coming and going, she had no choice but to pay Pei Yunle the extra 55.
Pinching a green bill and a purple one, Pei Yunle waved them in the air. “I even made 55 yuan today. But you really don’t want it?”
Chen Qingtang let out a sigh of relief. She had already felt that spending 259 on a summer dress was a bad deal. She hadn’t expected someone to spend over 300 to buy it.
She quickly nodded. She really didn’t want it. Red was too flashy.
Pei Yunle stuffed the 55 yuan she had scammed into Chen Qingtang’s hand. “Use this money to buy some pork ribs later.”
“Do you think I’m a bad person?” Halfway down the road, she suddenly asked.
Chen Qingtang hadn’t thought about this question yet. There were all sorts of people in the town. As for being bad, Pei Yunle didn’t even rank. At most, she was a little mischievous.
“Why aren’t you talking?” Pei Yunle stopped walking.
Seeing that she wouldn’t give up until she got an answer, Chen Qingtang was helpless.
—Not bad. Very good, extremely good. The person I like is good no matter what.
“Hmph, perfunctory.” Pei Yunle pushed down her phone, a pen could have been hooked on the corner of her lips.
Someone was rowing a black-canopied boat on the water. It was free for locals, but outsiders had to pay.
When the boatman saw the two of them standing in front of him, he decided to give them a 50% discount and charge them half the price.
The bottom of the boat was slightly damp, a coolness seeping up. The surrounding river water was even colder, the wind blowing against their bodies.
Chen Qingtang moved closer to Pei Yunle, their arms pressed tightly together. There was still someone standing behind them, so Pei Yunle didn’t dare to do anything too bold. She could only hide her hand under the seat and intertwine their fingers.
She suddenly thought of that day at sunset. She and Chen Qingtang had also hidden on the dry land under the stone bridge to steal a kiss. She knew it was wrong but couldn’t resist her nature. She just did it.
The two banks of the river were still the familiar white walls and black tiles, the mossy stone slabs. A few groups of people were cracking melon seeds and chatting by the roadside.
Nothing had changed.
Another stone bridge passed over their heads, casting a dense shadow from above. The people around them seemed to be isolated.
“Did you see my mom yesterday?”
Chen Qingtang nodded, her limpid autumn-water eyes calm and undisturbed.
Pei Yunle’s fingers suddenly tightened. “Let me apologize to you on her behalf first.”
She didn’t dare to think about it, didn’t dare to think about what nasty things Lin Zilan might have said, and she didn’t know how the mute Chen Qingtang would have dealt with it.
Chen Qingtang broke free from her hand and took out her phone. The white light was very jarring in the dimness.
—Why?
“I’m afraid she said something…”
—Auntie didn’t say anything. She just showed me the camera.
“The camera? Why did she show you that?” Pei Yunle’s eyes widened involuntarily.
Lin Zilan had handed Chen Qingtang a camera. Inside were two videos and thousands of photos. The light in their position was very good, with no strong light covering the camera’s glass, so the colors of the photos were very vivid and beautiful, as if they were right there.
Through the thin glass, Chen Qingtang saw a small Pei Yunle. At that time, she had short hair and delicate, cute features. There were 62 photos of her holding various awards alone. Chen Qingtang hadn’t read much, and the names of the competitions included English, which she couldn’t understand. But just looking at them, she couldn’t help but feel happy and proud for the person in the photos.
The first video was a record of Pei Yunle’s growth from childhood to adulthood. The old clothes she wore were replaced with bright and beautiful ones. The dilapidated surroundings suddenly changed in one of the photos, becoming comfortable, warm, yet empty.
The second video was of Pei Yunle’s eighteenth birthday party. It was the first time she knew that there was such a thing as a coming-of-age ceremony in the world. It was grand and solemn. Pei Yunle no longer had short hair. Her carefully ironed curly hair fell on her shoulders, and a well-tailored pink long dress made her look youthful and vibrant. So many people smiled and sent her their blessings.
Flipping to the back were her daily life photos—thrilling skiing and flying, magnificent underwater adventures, the green, flowing aurora. Each one made Chen Qingtang marvel. So there was such a world outside. So this was Pei Yunle’s life. This was how she should be.
Even if her school life wasn’t that good, Pei Yunle was not a people-pleaser, nor did she need other people’s sincerity. In fact, she lacked nothing.
Chen Qingtang couldn’t help but continue to scroll down the photos, wanting to see more of Pei Yunle’s life, the life she had never been a part of.
Including here, this backward little town was just a part of Pei Yunle’s experience.
Lin Zilan didn’t say anything, but Chen Qingtang understood everything.
She finally signed: Thank you.
Their meeting had not even lasted ten minutes. This meeting ended in silence. In her own comfort zone, she was dealt the most painful blow.
The sound of the water rippling was a soft note. The two of them just snuggled together.
“I bought a bus ticket to Anyang for tomorrow morning. Don’t come to see me off.”
Chen Qingtang nodded.
“Remember to dye your hair back to black, but don’t go to the salon we went to before.”
Pei Yunle’s heart palpitated at the thought of those fire tongs. She would have to grow her hair for a long time.
“You can have that hairpin. I searched for it for a long time. Don’t lose it.”
Chen Qingtang smiled and raised her hand to touch the cool hairpin. The texture was indeed very good.
“There’s one more thing. I found it in the drawer this morning.”
Pei Yunle lifted her head from her shoulder and, before the next stone bridge passed, grabbed Chen Qingtang’s wrist.
As if a little dissatisfied, she pouted. “Remember to eat more meat. Use that 55 yuan to buy meat. Eat less string beans.”
Chen Qingtang didn’t move. The smile on her face became more obvious, and a tear squeezed out.
A cool object touched her ring finger. A shadow fell from above. At the junction of light and shadow, Pei Yunle moved the ring to another place, finally putting it on Chen Qingtang’s index finger.
The sky was bright. Chen Qingtang’s high nose bridge divided the light into a clear line of light and shadow. Her eyes became a bottomless mirror, reflecting the thing on her finger.
That ten-yuan crystal ring.
See, without money, you can only buy a ten-yuan ring.
Pei Yunle stared at the slightly exaggerated crystal. It could still reflect a little light.
“The ring finger is for someone you belong to. The index finger is for being single.”
Pei Yunle touched the ring and saw the phone screen handed to her. The cracks on it were still not there.
There was only a very short sentence on the glass—Pei Yunle, I wish you freedom.
