Chapter 2-7

7

The temperature was lower at night than during the day. Pushing open the restaurant door, a chilly wind blew in her face, and Qiao Ruo couldn't help but shiver. She tucked her hands into her coat pockets, walked down the steps, and looked up. In the quiet, boundless night sky, a half-moon hung high, and countless cold stars twinkled like scattered diamonds, each one incredibly bright.

After she went to university in Guangzhou, she returned home very rarely, and each time she came and went in a hurry. Moreover, once she got home, she mostly locked herself in her bedroom and rarely went out. She couldn't remember the last time she saw such a clear starry sky. She only realized that many things seemed to have changed dramatically in the blink of an eye, and only time remained constant.

A thought quietly surfaced in her mind: if she stayed and He Yajun left, separated by half the globe and a long period of time, what awaited her was most likely only an end. But if she went to where he lived and worked, as Qiao Min suggested, the barriers of time and distance would be erased, and what awaited her might be eternity?

"Qiaoqiao, wait a minute." Qiao Min caught up with her from behind and grabbed her arm. "There's also Dad's hospitalization and surgery. I'm preparing..."

"Qiao Ruo?" A woman's voice called her name with uncertainty.

Qiao Ruoxun looked ahead and the first thing she saw was the man she was thinking about. She couldn't help but wonder if she was being dazzled by the stars and was hallucinating.

He Yajun walked towards her with her companions.

While she was surprised, a small joy welled up inside her. However, after a brief moment of astonishment, He Yajun's gaze on her face became distant, as if she were a stranger.

She immediately realized that this was outdoors, not a hotel room where they could act so brazenly, so she quickly averted her gaze and turned to the man and woman beside him.

The woman who called out her name had short hair and a smile on her face that contained a hint of surprise at a long-awaited reunion. She looked very familiar; it was Bai Qing. And the handsome man next to Bai Qing was obviously Jiang Ming.

Qiao Ruo took her hands out of her clothes: "Bai Qing, Jiang Ming, hello, it's been a long time."

Just as she remembered, Jiang Ming always maintained a certain distance from people, and politely nodded to her: "Long time no see."

"Yes, it's been a long time, Qiao Ruo." Bai Qing's eyes softened as she looked at Qiao Ruo with a smile.

Qiao Ruo didn't have much to say to the two of them, so she smiled and decided it was better to leave as soon as possible: "I just finished eating and was about to leave. You haven't had dinner yet, have you? It's cold outside, come inside."

Bai Qing glanced at Qiao Min standing behind Qiao Ruo, hesitated for a moment, and said, "It's rare for us to run into each other. If you're not in a hurry, would you like to come inside with me and sit down for a while to chat?"

At this moment, Qiao Min suddenly spoke up, interrupting their pleasantries: "Qiao Qiao, I'll go wait for you in the car first." She nodded slightly to Bai Qing and the others, and walked straight to her car.

Qiao Ruo suddenly remembered that, besides He Yajun, Bai Qing had also met Qiao Min, who was heavily pregnant, during the summer after their college entrance exams. Qiao Min had gone to He Yajun's house to pressure his mother. Feeling embarrassed, she didn't want to stay any longer: "Bai Qing, you guys go eat. I have something to do later. Let's meet up again next time."

Bai Qing moved her lips, but He Yajun spoke first, addressing Bai Qing and Jiang Ming: "Bai Qing, it's cold outside. Jiang Ming and I will go in and order first. You should come in quickly too."

He didn't look at Qiao Ruo. After saying that, he walked past her and headed straight into the restaurant.

Jiang Ming politely said goodbye to Qiao Ruo and went into the restaurant.

Qiao Ruo couldn't help but look back at He Yajun's back until he disappeared. Only then did she turn around, only to be met with Bai Qing's thoughtful gaze fixed on her face, making her feel even more embarrassed.

She hesitated for a moment, then said to Bai Qing, "Wait a moment."

She walked to Qiao Min's car and knocked on the window. After the window rolled down, she said, "You go back first. I have something to do. I'll take a taxi home later."

Qiao Min asked with concern, "Are you alright? He Yajun still seems rather distant."

"I'm fine," Qiao Ruo really didn't want to continue talking about He Yajun with her. "You should go back first."

"Think carefully about what I told you tonight. If anything happens, call me anytime."

"Um."

Watching Qiao Min leave, Qiao Ruo's tense nerves relaxed considerably. She walked back to Bai Qing's side and said, "She's my sister. I think you should still remember her."

Bai Qing shook her head: "Qiao Ruo, she is her, and you are you. It's all in the past. We don't blame you, and Ya Jun won't blame you either."

Qiao Ruo gave a bitter smile. She knew that He Yajun was no longer criticizing her, but his completely indifferent expression just now, even if there was an element of performance in deliberately distancing himself from her, was probably partly because seeing her sister had stirred up unpleasant memories.

Bai Qing moved a little closer to her, seemingly hesitant, but still lowered her voice and asked, "Qiao Ruo, do you still like Ya Jun?"

Qiao Ru smiled wryly again, not intending to deny it. Besides, it was no secret to Bai Qing that she liked He Yajun, so there was really no need to deny it: "Yes."

Bai Qing wasn't surprised, and looked at her with more pity: "Logically speaking, I shouldn't pry into your private affairs, but I think having a crush on someone is really a difficult thing. Have you thought about talking to He Yajun about it?"

Qiao Ruo was taken aback: "You mean tell him that I like him?"

"right."

Qiao Ruo thought, "Today is really strange. Everyone, whether they know me or not, is urging me to confess my feelings to He Yajun. Could it be that I'm too concerned about the awkward relationship between 'sister-in-law' and 'stepson,' while everyone else doesn't really care?"

She was at a loss and her feelings were truly complicated: "Thank you for your concern, I will consider it."

"Tonight is too rushed. How about we add each other on WeChat first, and if you'd like, we can chat again sometime. Where do you work now?"

"I used to be in Shantou, but I've already resigned."

Bai Qing nodded: "I work in Hanning City and I come back every year for the Spring Festival holiday. If you're also home for the Spring Festival this year, let's arrange a time to have a meal together."

Qiao Ruo wasn't sure if there was any need for them to have a meal and chat, but she still took out her phone and added Bai Qing on WeChat.

Bai Qing put away her phone and shook Qiao Ruo's hand: "Qiao Ruo, it was nice to meet you today. Let's keep in touch. Goodbye."

Qiao Ruo could tell she wasn't just being polite. She gestured with her chin toward the restaurant entrance and smiled, "It's cold outside, come in quickly, goodbye."

Bai Qing released her grip and added a few more words: "Ya Jun is currently working in New York and doesn't have a girlfriend. He's on vacation back in China these few days and will probably be staying home for a while. You can consider it. If you want to talk to him, I can think of a way to arrange for the two of you to meet alone. Of course, this is just my idea. If you're not planning on doing that, then you don't have to force yourself."

Qiao Ruo was almost unable to accept her concern: "Thank you, Bai Qing, let me think about it first."

"Okay, I'll go in first."

After Bai Qing went inside, Qiao Ruo looked up at the windows on the second floor of the restaurant, trying to find He Yajun's figure in one of them. Unfortunately, the windows were all close together, and apart from the light reflected off the windowpanes by the outdoor lights, she couldn't see anything.

She stood there for a long time, until her neck ached, before she lowered her head, turned around, and walked towards the roadside.

While waiting for the bus, she sent a WeChat message to He Yajun: Yajun, cheer up! Don't be stern with your childhood sweetheart and upset Bai Qing. Be careful, Jiang Ming is too protective of his wife and might beat you up.

A little "tongue out" emoji was added at the end.

He Yajun didn't reply until midnight: You know I'm unhappy, why didn't you come to keep me company? Fine, I forgive you, but you have to make sure you have all your time with me tomorrow night. You'd better think carefully about how to make me happy when you see me tomorrow.

She smiled sweetly, imagining his perhaps somewhat unserious expression as he typed those words, and her restless heart miraculously calmed down.