Old Friend and Herself (1)

As the curtain slowly opened, the background music of Tai Chi grew louder and louder, with the addition of drum beats. Although a bit out of place, it was enough to capture the audience's attention, the thumping sound like her heartbeat. Then it was her turn.

Zhao Shihua was about to raise his hands when the curtain trembled and stopped right in front of him, no longer moving to the right. What was going on? His position was clearly correct. Was it stuck?

However, the music had already begun, and she panicked, breaking into a sweat. Everyone's position was predetermined, and she couldn't move to the left rashly, otherwise she would block the students behind her. She could only bite the bullet and raise her arm. Someone in the class to the left of the audience noticed her hiding behind the curtain. Faint rustling laughter drifted to her ears, and she couldn't tell whether it was an illusion or reality. Zhao Shihua noticed that her fingertips were trembling slightly. Past experiences suddenly flooded into her mind, and she laughed shrilly, wanting to push her off the stage.

——"Don't be afraid."

A childish voice came from somewhere.

The surroundings suddenly fell into silence and became dark. The only thing left in the world was a circle illuminated by a beam of light in front of me, and inside that circle was a little girl.

"Ha!" She threw out her right fist; "Hey!" She kicked out her left foot. The circle of light sometimes expanded with her movements, but would immediately shrink back; then she swept her leg and splashed the light to her feet.

——"Sister, you can't lose. You can't be defeated."

She certainly couldn't reach across time and space, grabbing the collars of those demons from the past and punching them back, protecting her former self. Those days, when she'd shouldered and endured everything, wishing she could become invisible, were gone. All she could do now was struggle to free herself from the ropes that bound her, to find a way to transcend the curtain that held her back.

"Well, I won't turn, I will move forward bravely." Run forward, run forward, maybe she can fly over the world defined by others that traps her, and reach the place where her true friends are waiting for her; or in other words, return to where she should be.

So in the next moment, she took a big step forward to the left and stepped into the light.

At that moment, she suddenly remembered the scene of going up the mountain with her sister to watch the fireworks after the high school entrance examination.

I forgot what project the city successfully applied for, or maybe it was because it was awarded a title like Civilized City or Sanitary City. In any case, at the end of June and the beginning of July, there were rumors that a small fireworks display would be held in a park by the Meijiang River.

Zhao Shihua had heard about it from his classmates before the high school entrance exam. Everyone was eagerly anticipating it, perhaps secretly treating the public celebration as their own graduation commemoration. They'd all gathered their best friends to bid farewell to their three years of junior high under the fireworks—even if the beginning had been ordinary, the ending would still be spectacular.

Unfortunately, she wasn't invited. But seeing fireworks was a rare event, and she wanted to join in the fun. But for some reason, she was stubborn and refused to go directly to the park, saying it was too noisy and chaotic, and that it would be better to go somewhere further away. Zhao Shuhua, who had agreed to accompany her, finally had no choice but to suggest going to the hilltop of Xishan Park across the river, where they might be able to catch a glimpse.

Later it turned out that indeed only a tiny bit could be seen.

By the time the two sisters, breathlessly climbing, reached the halfway point, the fireworks display had already begun. The park they'd taken the bus to was quite far from the city, so it wasn't crowded on weekdays, and even more so at night, when it was practically deserted. The chirping of insects was particularly clear, a chorus of voices, echoing from near and far. Fortunately, the dim yellow streetlights along the way still lit up, creating a string of bubble-like balls of light that managed to dispel some of their fear of the darkness.

Zhao Shihua had only walked a short distance when she wanted to back out. She'd avoided the fireworks display because she didn't want to run into her classmates and was afraid of being discovered alone—a selfish and cowardly reason, and there was no need to take another risk.

"There are actually quite a few people on the top of the mountain!" Zhao Shuhua pulled her aside and pointed to the observation deck on the top of the mountain not far away. There were actually more than ten or twenty people there, leaning on the railings and looking out, forming a row of jagged silhouettes. "So there are people who think the same way as us!"

However, compared to the packed crowd at the event, they were only a handful, perhaps less than one percent. They found an empty seat at the edge and looked sideways toward the city.

The urban area at the foot of the mountain is like a river of light flowing through the cracks of the hand of darkness. The dark curve in the middle is the winding Meijiang River, and at the bend of the river, small flowers bloom slowly and quietly.

Because they were far away and standing high, the fireworks seemed to bloom under their feet and were easily pinched by thumb and index finger. When the gold and silver threads outlining the lace almost disappeared in the smoke, the people on the mountain could only make out a vague "puff" sound from the sound of wind, insects and rustling leaves, which made people feel lonely and desolate.

So this is what it's like to watch fireworks from afar. Zhao Shihua couldn't help but imagine her classmates there, their young faces illuminated by the flames, and she felt so envious that she wanted to cry.

Like a metaphor, compared to others, she felt destined to be forever isolated from the hustle and bustle of life, growing up alone, living a life as silent and bland as boiled water. While others' youths were filled with wonderful stories like songs, she had nothing but black and white textbooks and exercise books.

But now, Zhao Shihua suddenly no longer felt sad.

Because she finally stood in the light and revealed her own color.

Zhao Shihua didn't wake up until applause broke out from the audience.

As she moved, she had moved to the middle of the stage by the end. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of Zhuo Siqi rushing to her aid, standing on the right side of the stage, holding up a small portion of the curtain. Seeing her looking over, he pursed his lips and smiled, giving her a thumbs-up. Perhaps it was the constant lighting, or perhaps it was the unceasing flow of qi and blood from practicing Tai Chi, but Zhao Shihua felt a warm warmth throughout her body, and she relaxed completely.

Perhaps because of the opening number, the audience was particularly welcoming, with continuous applause and cheers. It felt like she'd been transported back to elementary school, when she'd been as proud as the Monkey King. Suddenly, a few flashes of light flashed from the audience. Zhao Shihua instinctively straightened her back and glanced at them with a feigned smile, only to hear the word "foreigner"—the entire audience's attention was now on Li Meiyu.

The applause gradually died down. Before they left the stage, four hosts walked onto the stage from both sides. On the left were probably sophomores, while on the right were Pei Nachuan and Jian Tingting.

Zhao Shihua belatedly realized that the male voice had belonged to Pei Nachuan. The man was wearing a dark suit, the woman a pure white dress. The first word that came to Zhao Shihua's mind was "talented man and beautiful woman." A group of warriors stood behind them, looking more like a group of bodyguards than a wedding procession.

After the four of them briefly introduced themselves, they took turns reciting a limerick-like opening speech. Zhao Shihua was staring at their backs, not really listening until a word related to her suddenly popped up, and she came to her senses.

"Nachuan, have you heard? Starting from next semester, Tai Chi will be included in the physical exercise during recess." Jian Tingting turned her head and asked the boy next to her with a smile.

"Of course I heard about it, that's why we invited all the sports committee members in the school to do the ad." Pei Nachuan turned sideways and raised the microphone backwards. Zhao Shihua was so frightened that she thought he was going to interview her on the spot, and she immediately straightened her chest and abdomen and stood at attention.

"Wow! How expensive would that advertising fee be?" a sophomore student responded.

“I heard that each person gets a string of candied haws,” the senior replied.

"You're teasing a child!" The senior student glared back in feigned anger.

Hearing the laughter from the audience, Pei Nachuan asked, "Hey, Tingting, did you know? I heard that in addition to Tai Chi, a traditional Chinese martial art, they will also offer a Chinese studies course next year."

"Really? I'm so looking forward to it!" Jian Tingting held the microphone with both hands and looked at the other party with shining eyes.

"To find out what's going on, let's listen to the crosstalk 'A Playful Account of Chinese Studies'!"

After the host left the stage, they followed suit. Two students were carrying tables to the stage, and Zhao Shihua made way. Just then, he ran into Shao Yifu, who was in the third row, passing from behind. He had pushed his bangs back, revealing a bright forehead, as if to dissipate heat.

"Is it that hot?" As Zhao Shihua approached, she realized the beads of sweat on his forehead were a bit exaggerated, as if he'd just run outside in the middle of summer. Could it be that Shao Yifu had also opened up his Ren and Du meridians through Tai Chi? It couldn't be that he had attained the highest realm of martial arts on stage.

"I was nervous. I almost went in the wrong direction just now. It would have been funny if I had kicked Dapeng. I'm not like you, practicing since childhood, so of course I'm not good at it." Shao Yifu fanned himself. "When you first raised your leg and took a step forward, I thought you were going to do a split."

"Huh? Such a big step?" Zhao Shihua only remembered wanting to take a step forward, but she didn't expect it to have such an effect. "Isn't it strange?"

"No way, it's okay. In fact, it looks pretty good. I suddenly remembered how you looked in elementary school. It had a very smooth and flowing artistic conception. The idiom is called "smooth and flowing water", right? It's that kind of 'wow-wow' feeling." He opened his hands and imitated a few postures in coordination with the sound effects, but it seemed like he was stroking a cat's fur.

Zhao Shihua suddenly felt embarrassed by Shao Yifu's serious praise. She took a few quick steps and almost bumped into someone at the backstage exit as she turned a corner.

"--I'm sorry!" She braked hastily, but ended up stepping on Shao Yifu who was following closely behind her. "Hey, why are you following so closely?"

Looking closely, it was Pei Nachuan. He had his back to her, but when he heard the voice, he turned around, revealing Jian Tingting, who had been blocked. She quickly lowered her hands, as if hiding something.

"...Are you there?" After a few seconds of dead silence, Shao Yifu couldn't help but be the first to break the frozen picture.

"No, no! Don't talk nonsense!" Jian Tingting waved her hands hurriedly, then pointed at Pei Nachuan and explained, "His shirt button fell off, and I tried to use a hairpin to see if I could fix it. Here, look, a hairpin!"

As Jian Tingting spoke, she raised her hairpin and waved it in front of the other two, as if she was trying to prove something. It was hard to tell whether she was blushing or wearing rouge, but she looked even cuter than usual.

Only then did Zhao Shihua dare to take a closer look at Pei Nachuan. He discovered that the shirt he was wearing wasn't a formal style, but rather one decorated with ruffled lace that reached down to his neck like cream, a bit like the court attire Mozart wore in books. As expected, one of the second or third buttons from the top was missing, revealing a bit of skin if he wasn't careful.

"Oh, right! I have a pin!" She suddenly remembered and turned out her rolled-up cuffs. "It's just right for you."

"Tsk tsk tsk, you still have hidden weapons..." Shao Yifu leaned over and said softly.

"Yes, it's used to protect against villains like you." She answered in a muffled voice, took off one of them, and pretended to poke him, scaring Shao Yifu so much that he quickly stepped back to the side, and then handed it to Jian Tingting.

The man took it, turned around, and then immediately turned back, like a compass that couldn't find its way, spinning around and finally settling in the direction of Shao Yifu. Jian Tingting walked over and handed the pin to him: "You should do it." Zhao Shihua felt her face getting redder and redder.

Then a particularly heartwarming and touching scene unfolded before their eyes: Shao Yifu walked forward, pinched Pei Nachuan's shirt collar, and because the former was a little taller than the latter, he had to tilt his head.

"Nana, don't move, or it will prick you." Shao Yifu carefully passed the pin through, held it with his thumb and index finger, and then hid the pin under the lace. He was very thoughtful.

"...Hey, can you please not call me Nana?" Pei Nachuan turned his face away.

Zhao Shihua only then realized that Jian Tingting was trying to hold back her laughter. She had long since grown accustomed to this awkward address, but she had forgotten that Jian Tingting was not in the same class and did not know the story behind it.

"Alright!" Shao Yifu patted the other person's shoulder. "If not Nana, then what should I call you? Lao Na?"

"Thank you, but you better take it off."

"Yes, Nana!"

Pei Nachuan shot back at him with a half-smile and a half-grin: "Your performance was pretty good."

"Really? Am I a martial arts prodigy that only appears once in a century?"

Zhao Shihua felt sick as she listened. She'd probably said something similar when she was little, but she was still young then. Who hasn't fantasized about being a hero who could save the world?

"Of course, you're a martial arts loser who only comes once in a thousand years." Pei Nachuan, usually polite and courteous, only reveals his witty side when facing someone as thick-skinned as a wall as Shao Yifu. Jian Tingting finally couldn't help but laugh out loud. Zhao Shihua suddenly envied their straightforward communication style.

Pei Nachuan said, and suddenly turned his gaze towards her, with a smile still in his eyes: "Zhao Shihua's fighting is much better than yours."