Chapter 144 Extra: The First Encounter Before the Story Begins
That happened during my senior year of college.
The city of Y was still brightly lit at night. The sky outside the library, which was as black as ink, was illuminated by the soft glow of the lights.
As the closing bell rang, Qiao Yanshen put down her pen, clasped her hands together, and stretched her stiff arms. She let out a soft sigh and quickly gathered the things on the table.
Every single task on the tablet's desktop was swiped away.
As Qiao Yanshen left the study room, he reached for his access card in his pocket, but bumped into something first, pulling it out with him. He then remembered it was the candy a girl across from him had given him that afternoon. Such things occasionally happen in the library: someone, bothered or curious, hands over a note, and that's how two strangers' paths cross.
The paper read: You've worked hard studying! Please have some candy.
Qiao Yanshen peeled off the candy wrapper, and the peach-flavored candy burst with just the right amount of sweetness.
When she was young, her mother neglected to supervise her in this regard. As a result, when her schoolwork became heavy, Qiao Yanshen would take candy from the cookie box to eat, which eventually caused her teeth to rot. Only then did her mother realize what was happening and quickly began to strictly control her candy consumption. After investigating the matter, oily, salty, and spicy foods were also banned.
The sweetness on my lips at this moment is like a revenge for the bland and tasteless days of my childhood.
Perhaps it was because of this candy that a faint feeling of hunger arose. Or it was more like a craving; it didn't matter if he didn't eat it, but he just wanted to go in a different direction—so Qiao Yanshen did just that.
She turned the corner and walked toward the convenience store next door.
This convenience store is almost closed if it's not 24-hour; if the staff leaves early, you can probably see the tightly closed roller shutter door. However, when I approached today, I still saw the lights were on, shining brightly alongside the streetlights in the night, casting a warm glow.
Qiao Yanshen entered the room, followed by two electronic beeps and a lively "Welcome!"—a Cantonese phrase with nine tones and six variations, none of which were quite right. She couldn't help but raise the corners of her mouth, suddenly feeling a desire to see what the person was like, so she took two steps to the cashier.
The oden stall next to her had already closed down, and there was hardly anything left in the deli. A young man in a staff uniform stood behind the counter, his shoulder-length, dyed brown hair tied in a small braid. His eyes followed her with a smile, and although there was some fatigue in his eyes, they were still bright, and his brows and eyes still retained an indelible spirit.
Some odd little things were pinned in her hair and clothes, such as ice cream cone-shaped and fried fish-shaped hair clips, which brought colorful touches to her simple employee uniform.
Her voice wasn't particularly sweet or soft, but rather clear like a babbling brook, which seemed perfect for singing. Yet, when she opened her mouth, it still gently touched a chord in people's hearts, creating a subtly sweet echo.
"What does my sister want?"
She addressed him as "sister" so naturally, her business acumen was so impressive that even the usually composed Qiao Yanshen had to sigh in admiration. She glanced at the fully stocked snack shelves and freezer inside, grabbed a carton of yogurt, and said, "Could you please get me some oden?"
She ordered konjac knots and seaweed knots. As the boy picked them up, he smiled and said, "Since we're closing soon anyway, everything is half price. These meatballs are delicious, shouldn't you order more, sister?"
Qiao Yanshen shook his head. "That's enough." It's best not to eat too much at night to avoid indigestion. The young man seemed to understand her thoughts, and said no more. He scooped some clear soup into a paper cup, tied a neat knot on the top of the plastic bag, and handed it to her.
After paying the bill, she hesitated for a moment, then produced a small floral cloth bag from somewhere and placed it in front of Qiao Yanshen.
"Chocolate," she explained before Qiao Yanshen could ask. "Isn't today a special day? Consider it a free gift! Don't worry, it's not expired."
Seemingly afraid she would refuse outright, the boy added, "But it will melt if left out for too long, so remember to put it in the refrigerator. We're about to close, so you must have come from the library, right? Eating some candy can help you regain your energy."
Qiao Yanshen initially wanted to refuse, but her rapid-fire words left him speechless. He hesitated, his fingers hovering over the bag, but finally, he accepted it after a few twists. She nodded and said, "Thank you."
She didn't have much in her bag, and the candy she'd just had was gone. But she couldn't very well offer it up as a favor, so after a moment's thought, she suddenly asked, "Are you working part-time at the convenience store?"
The girl seemed happy to have someone to talk to her, and replied, "Yes, I have a lot of classes in the morning, so I usually come to relieve you in the afternoon." She seemed to speak with a cheerful tone, nodding heavily and pointing with her fingers, saying that she worked a five-hour shift, but in reality, she always spent an extra hour minding the shop.
A smile bloomed on her face, making her upturned eyes even more beautiful, like willow leaves, her velvety eyelashes gently brushing against something. An ambiguous feeling suddenly spread in my heart, as if I were holding a kitten's trembling ears in my palm, feeling the soft warmth of life overflowing.
At that time, she didn't yet know the mystery of what could be called being moved, but even if she did, someone like Qiao Yanshen, even if a trace of affection rippled across the water, would eventually return to calm, letting it pass like the wind, leaving no trace. If the other party didn't take the initiative, she might never have taken that step, adding unnecessary trouble to herself.
As she listened, Qiao Yanshen smiled and glanced behind the cashier, only to notice several neatly folded origami cranes next to the microwave. It seemed work was still boring; how could she have the leisure to fold these?
She sounded like she was from out of town from her voice, which explained her awkwardness earlier. Qiao Yanshen wasn't in the mood to teach her indiscriminately; instead, he subtly asked if she was learning Cantonese. The boy seemed quite clever, immediately understanding the implication of her question. His face flushed red, and he said embarrassedly, "I've been learning on an app, but I can only speak a few everyday phrases so far. Was my pronunciation bad just now?"
Qiao Yanshen laughed, "No, it's just too standard, which makes it sound stiff."
She picked up the items, then repeated "Welcome" to the boy, word by word. The boy pondered, repeating it little by little, trying to tame his tongue and produce the awkward sound.
Seeing that she learned very quickly and could recite it fluently after only two repetitions, Qiao Yanshen smiled and said, "Junior sister is so smart."
The boy smiled, revealing his beautiful white teeth, when she praised him.
Although she is easily embarrassed, she accepts praise with ease, neither being overly hasty nor underestimating herself, striking a perfect balance that makes her appear open and natural.
Those working in this area are either students from this school or from neighboring schools, so calling her "junior" wouldn't be out of line. Qiao Yanshen rarely shows interest in strangers; her impulsive decision to do so was only because of this bag of chocolates. She wasn't a regular at the convenience store, and university students' part-time jobs were often unstable. Perhaps they would only meet once and never again.
Even if they brushed past each other in a crowd, it would be difficult to exchange a single word. Thinking of this, she suddenly felt a pang of melancholy, and couldn't help but wonder if she was just too tired today, making her prone to sentimentality. This melancholy didn't last long; Qiao Yanshen turned to leave, only to hear the boy's enthusiastic voice behind him.
She said, "Goodbye! Be careful on your way, sister."
As the saying goes, a kind word warms the heart for three winter months. Even as he entered the living room, Qiao Yanshen was still thinking about the young man's words. Being around people full of vitality always instills a vibrant energy in one, so much so that the night was no longer lonely. He hadn't seen the moon on his way back, but he had noticed the sparse stars hidden behind the deep clouds. The delicate aroma of oden wafted through the air. His mother hadn't come home tonight either—it seemed she only came home on weekends.
Qiao Yanshen just hoped she could spend more time at home. Even though she had always stayed in the local area, she had spent very little time with her mother, yet a subtle feeling arose within her—as if there was always a gaze watching her, whether her mother was there or not. When the woman returned home, this gaze would meet her eyes; when she was not there, it would lurk in the shadows, breathing.
From childhood to adulthood, Qiao Yanshen always followed the other party's arrangements, and in the end, she did not go to university in another city, since there were already excellent universities in Y City. After enrolling, her mother vacated her dormitory room for her, allowing her to live at home as before—the location was convenient, and there was no need to worry about commuting.
She probably didn't dislike this arrangement; in fact, she felt somewhat at ease with it.
In her monotonous life, this little incident tonight put her in a good mood. For once, she broke the rules and took a piece of chocolate from the bag. The sweet taste in her mouth before bed had been replaced by the minty flavor of her toothpaste. Qiao Yanshen opened her contact chat, cleared her throat, and whispered, "Mommy, goodnight."
Her mother rarely replied, but each message would show as read within minutes of being sent, so she knew the other person had seen it, and that was fine.
Wrapped in the soft blankets, the young man slowly closed his eyes. In his hazy state, he recalled another unresolved question, one that might never have an answer—
Will I ever see that junior again? I wonder what her name is?
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