Lady

“They didn’t give out any treasures.” Sheng Jiashu reached out and slapped her younger brother on the back with a smack, then smiled apologetically at Ju Hui, “Xiao Hui, you go back first, I’ll have someone take you home.”

As the cruise ship docked, a strong wind blew across the small platform leading to the land, and her flying hair lashed against Ju Hui's face. Without even trying, she looked like a disillusioned assistant who had been fired by her boss.

The driver that Sheng Jiashu had called opened the door for her. The car was warm, and Ju Hui's eyelashes trembled.

As the car drove towards the hotel, Ju Hui replied to Xu Siran from the back seat, arranging a meeting time.

With a light swipe of her fingertips, Xu Siran's post, "See you tomorrow," had no prefix before it, but was followed by a question mark.

She was now somewhat regretful; she shouldn't have agreed to come back, as it made Xu Siran's phone call seem suspicious.

Ju Hui was too nervous at the time, and she was distracted tonight because she was talking to Bian Jiaping about studying abroad. A month later, she suddenly shared some funny stories about the online application process with him, like how the blocking incident that day was just a joke.

Bian Jiaping replied quickly as always, asking where she was.

She tried to ease the awkwardness, but he clearly didn't want to escalate the conflict. Bian Jiaping warned Ju Hui not to let him know that she was seeing Sheng Qijing.

"snort……"

I can't stand it.

I'm so angry!

Ju Hui tapped the back of her phone with her index fingernail, making a crisp tinkling sound, and the driver's ears twitched slightly.

She replied "No," and Bian Jiaping ignored her.

Then she ignored Bian Jiaping.

According to Sheng Jiashu's original plan, Ju Hui was supposed to return to Ruobei early the next morning, going back with Sheng Qijing, whom she had "bumped into" by chance. But now the plane ticket was invalid, and there was an empty seat next to Ju Hui, so she left Shanghai alone.

Sheng Qijing sent her a message after she landed.

Sheng Qijing: [Image]

It's a photo of a welder's certificate.

Ju Hui zoomed in with two fingers. In the ID photo, Sheng Qijing was wearing a black and gray coat and inner layer. Ju Hui inexplicably recalled him suddenly appearing in front of the studio in a suit. He was aloof and mature, and he preferred to wear cool colors in formal occasions.

Sheng Qijing: [Just passed the review exam and got a new ID photo. You can save this.]

Ju Hui stared at it for a long time.

After thinking it over, I sent: 【Okay, thank you.】

Ju Hui saved the photos to her album.

Sheng Qijing: [Am I meeting Xu Siran today?]

Ju Hui: [Yes, he's almost there.]

Sheng Qijing did not reply.

Ju Hui turned off her phone and breathed a sigh of relief.

She knew Sheng Qijing hadn't said everything, and Wen's handling of things after New Year's Eve made her seem somewhat strange. They would still have to meet in the future, and the problem couldn't be left unresolved, especially now that Shanqin had turned these two fellow students into creditors and debtors.

However, the problem should still be avoided.

She needed to figure out first whether her constantly clamoring desire meant that she wanted to go back to that relationship, that she liked Sheng Qijing's body.

My palm jolted violently.

Ju Huixin was startled when a new message popped up on her phone from Xu Siran.

Xu Siran: [I've arrived. Which table are you at?]

Ju Hui: [I stood up by the window]

"Senior."

Before she could finish typing and sending, Xu Siran called out to her from in front of her.

Ju Hui looked up, bent halfway to stand up, and he didn't linger, but sat down directly opposite her.

Ju Huigeng remained where she was, then sat down a beat later.

Xu Siran was still angry with her on New Year's Eve.

With the New Year less than a month away, students have a variety of reasons for deciding to stay on campus. In a corner of the coffee shop, there is a group of students gathered around their computers, as the winter break is their last window to create for a design competition.

Xu Siran also applied to stay at the university, for a simple reason: no Spring Festival customs and expensive airfare. Ju Hui couldn't ignore the lonely New Year's posts he had been posting on his WeChat Moments for several days in a row, so last night, while waiting for Bian Jiaping's reply, she arranged to meet Xu Siran.

This was actually the first time they had sat down and chatted without wearing work uniforms.

The campus café is very close to the sculpture workshop, right across from the library. Xu Siran had previously invited her to come here to soak up the sun during her lunch break. The Basque flavor here is very similar to the cake shops near Columbia University, and there's no line.

Ju Hui declined that time because she was busy, but this time she ordered two portions, plus an Americano to cleanse her palate.

As the food was served, Xu Siran rested his chin on his hand, noticing that Ju Hui remembered what he had mentioned and even helped to turn the spoon towards him and push it towards him...

"Just tell me what you want to say. If it's still about apologizing, I've already said I forgave you."

Xu Siran's words and actions didn't match. She turned her head away, refusing to look at her, and stared at the sun-drenched lawn outside the window, sulking alone.

Ju Hui sometimes felt that she was the leader of the "live for the moment" group. She started a close relationship with Sheng Qijing, posted on her WeChat Moments about buying a humidifier, and let Xu Siran get swept away by the crowd... She did one thing after another without considering the consequences.

Everything was related to Sheng Qijing.

She needs to calm down; she can't go back to that relationship with Sheng Qijing.

"Hmm." Ju Hui straightened her back. "But I still want to apologize. I came to you this time to ask for your forgiveness. Are you spending the New Year alone?"

Xu Siran crossed her legs and remained silent.

Ju Hui: "I'm alone too, maybe we can be together..."

Xu Siran: "Then he abandoned me and ran off with some 'friend'."

He picked up his fork and charged at the cake.

Ju Hui was unable to refute, and the atmosphere remained tense.

Ju Hui hadn't expected him to forgive her so quickly. She paused for two seconds, then picked up a fork and held it out to block his cruel stab.

Xu Siran looked up in shock.

“This time it definitely won’t happen.” Ju Hui’s eyes hardened, but she quickly lowered her gaze. “Actually, I’m doing this experiment to apply for studying abroad. If it goes smoothly, I don’t plan to go back to China.”

Ju Hui took the fork back: "You know, going abroad is the best way to escape your current environment, including interpersonal relationships."

Xu Siran fumbled for her phone under the table, turning the screen on and off repeatedly, and asked, "Which country are we going to?"

"Norway, have you forgiven me?"

Ju Hui raised her cheek at him.

"...Why did you suddenly decide to study abroad?"

“It’s not sudden, I’ve wanted to go for a long time. I’ll hire a car in September and drive to Henningsville before the polar night. I’ll enjoy the hail while missing the sunshine now. It’s really nice to sunbathe here.”

Xu Siran pouted: "Then why didn't you come and enjoy it sooner... Are you really sure you've thought this through? You might not even have anyone to spend the New Year with."

Ju Hui shrugged: "I don't have any right now, so I hope you'll be willing to spend the New Year with me, as a wish for me to make friends in Norway in the future."

Xu Siran scoffed, glanced at Ju Hui's smiling face, calmed himself down, picked up his fork again, scooped up the Basque that he had turned into a creamy mess, and swallowed it.

"Tell me, how are we going to live?"

-

The air was stagnant and cold, carrying the unique dampness of Jingdezhen's winter that slowly seeps into the bones.

Pu Yin sneezed again in bed.

"You have a cold?"

Ju Hui heard the stern shout as soon as she entered Pu Yin's room. She put down the bag that Pu Yin had asked her to fetch over the phone. Inside was a pile of small pottery pieces. Ju Hui tore open the packaging and arranged them neatly on the TV cabinet in front of her.

Pu Yin glanced at them, then at Ju Hui, and said reassuredly, "Yes, thank goodness for you. I feel uneasy if I don't see these little things for even a second. Please help me get rid of them."

"It's okay." Ju Hui checked her forehead temperature with the back of her hand. Fortunately, she didn't have a fever. "The perceived temperature here is lower than the actual temperature. It's easy to catch a cold when you first arrive. Wear something warmer."

Pu Yin smiled.

Jingdezhen is the ceramics capital. Pu Yin likes pottery but has never been here before.

Pu Yin and Li Hongwei, the owner of a local wood-fired kiln, have been online friends for many years. Li is lively and interesting and has his own pottery studio and kiln. Every holiday, Master Li would invite her to come and visit, but when she actually said she wanted to come, he would say he was too busy and it would be difficult to entertain her...

For the best experience, Pu Yin had refrained from coming.

It wasn't until this winter break that her master finally relented and invited her to be a teaching assistant for the earthen kiln class.

Pu Yin excitedly invited Ju Hui, a local, to accompany her. When she mentioned that there would be a few foreign students, Ju Hui, who had been hesitant, readily agreed and quickly helped her book the guesthouse during the crowded Spring Festival holiday.

Located in Sanbao Village near the kiln, it has a Japanese style and is very secluded. The central courtyard on the first floor, surrounded by a U-shaped area, has stacks of unglazed pottery pieces against the wall, which are quiet and solemn. Every time you walk by, you feel like you are being immersed in art.

Everything was so perfect that it truly made Pu Yin's blood boil...

"Actually, I had a fever, but it just went down." Pu Yin, a true northerner, sighed and shrank further under the covers. "Is the first cohort of students graduating tonight?"

Ju Hui hummed in agreement, filled her water glass, and put it down. "It's okay, you can get some more sleep. I can take care of them."

Pu Yin nodded wearily, "Okay, I'll try to finish tonight..."

The medicine she had just taken took effect quickly, and Pu Yin fell asleep after Ju Hui left.

She slept soundly until evening, when a phone call woke her up; the caller ID showed Ju Hui.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Xiaohui and her students asked me to ask if you want to come tonight."

"...Sheng Qijing?"

Pu Yin had just woken up and didn't think much of it. The voice on the other end of the phone was male. She couldn't be mistaken. He was the only one who would come to Jingdezhen on the 28th of the lunar year and call using Ju Hui's phone.

Pu Yin had previously told Sheng Qijing that Ju Huihui was coming to Jingdezhen with her, and he said he wanted to come too, since he had never worked in a kiln.

However, with the year-end banquet season approaching, Burgundy fine wines are a hard currency for political and business relations, with Laurin being the most sought-after. As the eldest son of the Sheng family, Sheng Qijing is busy maintaining relationships and is expected to appear after the new year.

"You came early...did you pack a couple more bottles for my dad?" Pu Yin exclaimed, turning over in bed. "That time I told everyone your family were wine merchants, my dad ruined all my money-making opportunities..."

Xu Siran: "Senior, my name is Xu Siran."

Pu Yin instantly regained consciousness.

Xu Siran remained polite on the phone, saying that he had signed up for the second phase of Master Li's earthen kiln firing course, and that he would return to Ruobei with Teacher Ju after completing the seven-day course.

Pu Yin nodded, recalling that Sheng Qijing only mentioned coming after she said that Ju Hui had also invited a junior student surnamed Xu.

Xu Siran asked, "Is Senior Sister coming? It'll be lively with so many people here."

"Ah? Oh, I won't go, I still have a bit of a cold..." Pu Yin cleared her throat.

"What a pity."

Xu Siran turned around and saw Ju Hui chatting and laughing with the students around the fire in the open-air mud backyard. Her eyes were bright and sparkling. The fire that burned tonight was a graduation ceremony for her and the first batch of students.

"Yes, what a pity..."

The other person chuckled softly and changed the subject, "I haven't had a chance to check in yet. Could you help me find the front desk and reserve a room near Xiaohui?"

They've all started calling Xiaohui?

"no problem."

Pu Yin paused for a moment, then quickly agreed and hung up the phone.

-

Ju Hui took the phone that Xu Siran handed back to her.

I glanced at WeChat subconsciously. Sheng Qijing hadn't sent any new messages. He'd been very quiet lately.

More than a week after the online application deadline, Ju Hui did not receive an email regarding missing materials. She could laugh heartily amidst the noisy laughter, but her heart and limbs felt empty, a terrifying silence and anxiety.

The intimacy on New Year's Eve left an indelible mark on her, like a coffee stain that could never be washed away, forever imprinted on that night. Could Sheng Qijing verify it with her one more time? She wanted to touch him again, just once, maybe once would be enough.

Ju Hui thought she was crazy.

She is the ebb and flow of the sea.

Sheng Qijing is a tidal force tens of millions of meters away.

The periodic tides evoke the body's desires and cravings.

This feeling is too hard to suppress.

It seems so, I really want to.

Master Li's wood-fired kiln is located in the wilderness at the foot of the mountain. On the second day after the course ended, the pit fire cooled down, and Ju Hui and her instructor Master Liu were responsible for taking out the pottery. The teacher demonstrated very carefully, but she was burned by the wood ash as soon as she took the first piece.

The burn was on the tip of her index finger. The technician wasn't surprised at all and handed her a tube of burn ointment. "It happens when you're not careful. Go rinse it with cold water for a while."

Ju Hui nodded and stood up.

Burns typically don't develop white blisters until overnight. This time, instead of posting on social media, she took a photo and sent it directly to Sheng Qijing.

Ju Hui: [Photo]

Ju Hui: [I got burned while learning pottery in Jingdezhen.]

Sheng Qijing did not reply immediately.

Their most recent conversation was about Xu Siran; he remained silent throughout.

In the afternoon, at the auspicious time chosen by Master Li, Ju Hui carefully tore the faded red paper off the workbench with her fingers, Xu Siran applied paste to the table again, and Pu Yin pasted up the words "Prosperous Kiln Fire" that she had written.

After the kiln was decorated, the craftsmen started building fire pits and barbecue grills, as everyone was going to watch the Spring Festival Gala together that evening. Pu Yin took Xu Siran to the city to buy wine.

Ju Hui then squatted in the courtyard, looking at the ground.

"Go back, Xiao Ju. You've been distracted these past few days." Master Liu was tall and thin. When Ju Hui looked up, she saw the sunset and cigarette smoke behind him, which reminded her of Bian Jiaping. She had forgotten to wish him a Happy New Year.

Ju Hui accepted her complaint about not being able to adapt to the new environment, said a brief goodbye to the other drivers, declined their offer to drive her back to her guesthouse, got into a taxi, and sent a message to Bian Jiaping before evening.

Ju Hui: [Happy New Year, Jiaping!]

Bian Jiaping: [WeChat Red Envelope: Stay away from the Sheng family]

…

That night, Ju Hui fell asleep in her guesthouse listening to the fireworks coming from the back mountain, only to be woken up by the loud bangs of the fireworks.

No, it was a knocking sound.

On New Year's Eve, at 11 p.m., Ju Hui had just fallen asleep an hour earlier.

The glaring number 11 on her phone's lock screen seemed to mock her, saying that this year was a year of mixed fortunes and misfortunes, and that she could no longer overcome it.

Ju Hui was so angry that she couldn't even put on her slippers properly, so she just gave up and walked barefoot on the greasy toilet paper stuck to the ground.

"Knock knock—"

Stop knocking!

Ju Hui unlocked the door and opened it slightly.

It was dark behind the door, and Sheng Qijing slowly looked for the person who opened it.

Those wet eyes stared at him, and he trembled slightly.