Chapter 37 The setting sun fell upon...
The setting sun cast its light on Fang Minzhou's face.
She hadn't felt it while working, but now that she had stopped, she felt a sudden heat and sweat. Fang Minzhou took a handful of water from the tap and washed her face, then rinsed her arms under the running water. Her grandfather chuckled and said, "It's so cool, isn't it comfortable?"
Fang Minzhou turned off the tap, patted her cheeks, and nodded: "Mm."
She didn't know how to reply to Wang Kan, and thought it would be better not to reply at all, but every word of those two sentences seemed to grow little claws and scratch at her, so much so that Fang Minzhou was absent-minded during dinner. When her grandparents asked if it was too hot and she had a poor appetite, Fang Minzhou quickly ate a few more mouthfuls of rice.
After finishing their meal and eating watermelon, Fang Minzhou finally sent Wang Kan the dumpling emoji packs she had saved from Yuan Yue. One was for studying, and the other was to say goodnight.
Wang Kan quickly replied: Do you know that "goodnight" actually has another meaning?
Fang Minzhou suspiciously typed the question into Baidu on her phone. The answer that popped up made her pause, blushing again. Embarrassed and annoyed, she turned off the screen and watched TV. After a while, she unlocked her phone and saw that Wang Kan had replied with a Tuzki goodnight emoji.
Fang Minzhou instinctively tightened her lips, but then she realized that Wang Kan couldn't see it through the screen, and her grandparents were chatting with neighbors in the yard. She could laugh however she wanted without anyone noticing.
A thought popped into her mind: Should I go home tomorrow? In recent years, the village has been building roads, so visiting her grandparents' house is no longer as troublesome as it was when she was a child. However, she has only been here for one day. If Wang Kan had said something earlier... Oh well, it's not like she'll never see them again.
On the day Wang Kan went to Nancheng, he asked Fang Minzhou if he was awake in the morning. After Fang Minzhou replied that he was awake, he kept receiving messages from him.
Like a real-time broadcast, it described how hot it was and how congested the roads were. After arriving in Nancheng, it took photos of her, including some landmark towers and restaurants. The tone shifted from complaining to recommending, and the conversation rambled on about this and that.
Fang Minzhou replied to him intermittently. If he replied too frequently, Fang Minzhou would keep going on and on. If he replied too late, it would be impolite.
As they chatted, Fang Minzhou realized that Wang Kan had traveled thousands of kilometers to a city in just a few hours by car. The vast distance was blurred by instant communication, and she had a strange feeling about it.
Later, Wang Kan said: Actually, Nancheng is quite fun. Aren't you going out to play during the summer vacation?
I will go out to play, but I won't go to the south of the city. At most, I'll just wander around the cities near Zhangcheng.
She carefully edited a message and sent it to Wang Kan, the gist of which was that she had neither the time nor the intention to play during this summer vacation, and any travel would have to wait until after the college entrance examination.
The real reason I said all this was to remind Wang Kan not to forget his studies. If he were in Zhangcheng, I could meet him at the library to check on his recent progress. But now... it would be strange if I made him report to me every day.
Wang Kan didn't reply immediately. Instead, she waited a while before sending a message: "Fang Minzhou, you're making me misunderstand. We can go on a graduation trip after the college entrance exam."
Wang Kan: /mischievous smile/shy
Fang Minzhou: /Goodbye
This summer vacation, Fang Minzhou spent half her time in tutoring classes and the other half at home or in the library because it was too hot. Occasionally, she would meet with Ouyang Qian, have meals, watch movies, and shop all over the mall, but all she had was a cup of milk tea.
Halfway through summer vacation, Fang Minzhou and Yuan Yue only met once at Xinhua Bookstore, which was to cover for her meeting with Shen Luming. Yuan Yue did not do well on her final exams last semester. According to her, her brother was a little angry and seemed to have guessed that she was in a relationship, so he was keeping a very strict eye on her.
Although Fang Minzhou was in the know, objectively speaking, she didn't see any overly intimate behavior between Yuan Yue and Shen Luming. That day at the bookstore, it was just a girl and a boy picking out study materials. But if you looked a few more times, you could see the ambiguity in their shy and bashful eyes, which made Fang Minzhou blush a little and not want to be a third wheel anymore.
She and Wang Kan chatted every day, though it was really just sending messages. Before she could stop Wang Kan from bombarding her with messages, he seemed to have consciously curbed his desire to share every little detail. He would just take a picture of the clouds, what he ate, and talk about the problems he did that day—that was just right in Fang Minzhou's opinion.
During the summer vacation, some classmates organized outings. Fang Minzhou went once. To be honest, it was her first time going to a KTV. But she regretted it a little because she still couldn't sing and couldn't listen to others sing for hours.
Midway through, Fang Minzhou and Ouyang Qian slipped out for some fresh air. The two of them sat on the fire escape against the wall. As the city lights came on, their hands and feet, which had been chilled from being in the air-conditioned room, were rubbed by the heat of the night. Although they felt a little sticky, Fang Minzhou still felt quite comfortable.
Ouyang Qian suddenly asked her, "Hey, have you and Wang Kan decided which university and major you want to apply to?"
Fang Minzhou paused and looked at her, while she gazed at the lights across the street.
"Jiangcheng, I guess," she said honestly, without flinching.
Ouyang Qian drew out an "oh," as if she had been thinking about this matter while she was spacing out, "I thought you guys hadn't discussed this issue yet."
Fang Minzhou: "..."
She glared at Ouyang Qian with feigned anger. Ouyang Qian smiled and apologized, then asked, "Did you all originally want to go to Jiangcheng?"
This question stumped Fang Minzhou.
She and Wang Kan hadn't discussed her original plans. She didn't know if Wang Kan had considered other cities, like... Nancheng? And she wasn't necessarily going to study in Jiangcheng; she was just aiming for schools including Jiangda University.
Jiangcheng is a city we'll automatically visit together.
"Let's look at the scores first," Fang Minzhou said. "What about you?"
"I haven't decided yet, anything is fine, but it definitely won't be in Zhangcheng," Ouyang Qian said.
Fang Minzhou just smiled.
After a while, they returned to the private room. The student who had been singing finished her song and was probably really tired. She handed the microphone to Fang Minzhou and Ouyang Qian. Fang Minzhou immediately refused, but Ouyang Qian insisted on holding her.
The music started; it was "Walk Away with Style".
The atmosphere was electric, but Fang Minzhou was embarrassed. She stood to the side clapping for ages. Finally, Zheng Yanhang gestured to her, and Fang Minzhou, feeling like she'd been granted a pardon, handed him the microphone. She then sat comfortably on the sofa and clapped for them, even bringing a handbell to accompany her.
Hearing Ouyang Qian sing so lively and unrestrainedly, Fang Minzhou felt slightly relieved. She didn't want to see Ouyang Qian's detached and otherworldly demeanor from before. As she listened, seeing Ouyang Qian interacting with Zheng Yanhang, Fang Minzhou felt a pang of envy and couldn't help but regret her petty behavior earlier.
Actually, it's just singing, haven't we sung it before?
During a speech contest in junior high, the teacher said that you need to know how to express yourself, otherwise the opportunity will slip away. She wholeheartedly agreed, but always thought it was an opportunity related to competition and winning or losing. Now she realizes that it wasn't.
Even opportunities for happiness can slip away.
If only... Fang Minzhou thought, she would give it a try.
Most people have curfews, and although Fang Minzhou's parents hadn't explicitly mentioned it, Fang Minzhou never came home after 10 PM. After getting home and washing up around 8 PM, Fang Minzhou discovered she had two missed calls from Wang Kan.
They kept in touch via QQ, and apart from that, Wang Kan only sent that text message; they never made a phone call.
Just as I was wondering what was going on, the phone rang again.
Fang Minzhou was startled, thankful that she habitually silenced her phone. After confirming the door was closed, Fang Minzhou sat on the edge of the bed, feeling the ringtone was about to end, but it didn't… She pressed the answer button and whispered, "Hello? What do you want…"
Wang Kan was taken aback when he heard Fang Minzhou's voice. He hadn't expected the call to go through, and he wasn't prepared to hear her voice so suddenly. It sounded a little different on the phone... His ear, which was pressed against the phone, suddenly felt hot.
He couldn't sit still, so he stood up and went to the balcony. "Nothing..."
"...Then you make a phone call?"
"Oh..." The two of them spoke awkwardly, "I heard you went out to karaoke today."
Oh right, she hadn't told Wang Kan about this yet. "...Hmm."
After a long while, there was no sound from Wang Kan's end. Fang Minzhou put the phone away and saw that the call was still going on. She said "Hello".
"...I haven't even gone to karaoke with you yet," Wang Kan said dejectedly. "How was it? Was it fun?"
Fang Minzhou: "..."
It's not really fun, but if I answer like that, something seems off.
"It's alright, not bad," she said.
Wang Kan then asked, "But Zheng Yanhang said you didn't sing much?"
Fang Minzhou: "...I'll sing it next time."
Is Zheng Yanhang Wang Kan's informant?
"When is the next time? After I return to Zhangcheng?"
A cough suddenly came from outside the door. Fang Minzhou gripped her phone tighter. Footsteps passed by her door, and she secretly breathed a sigh of relief, saying vaguely, "...We'll talk about it later. If there's nothing else, I'll hang up."
"No!" Wang Kan thought Fang Minzhou was angry with him, so he tried to stop her without even thinking of an excuse. Heaven knows how much he wanted to grow wings and fly to Fang Minzhou's side. He racked his brains. What was he going to say again... "Singing helps relieve stress. Actually, everyone's level is about the same. Everyone just picks what they're good at. Otherwise, next time you go to KTV, you'll find that everyone sings the same few songs over and over again."
"...So which songs will you sing?" Fang Minzhou didn't know why she asked such a question, as if she were provoking him.
"Me? I... I'm fine with anything." Wang Kan was stunned. He wanted to show off, but he stumbled so badly that he wanted to bite his tongue and commit suicide.
Just as he was feeling embarrassed, there was a knock on his door, and Xu Ran poked her head in, "Uncle, you..."
Wang Kan quickly beckoned Xu Ran to his side, then placed his speakerphone between them: "What song do you think my brother sings best?"
Xu Ran stared at him with wide eyes, scrutinizing him with a hint of curiosity.
Wang Kan forced a friendly smile: "..."
Is this the kind of expression a child should have on their face?
Fang Minzhou, on the other end of the phone, felt a silence and asked in confusion, "...Wang Kan?"
Wang Kan gestured towards the phone and then winked at Xu Ran. Xu Ran's eyes lit up, and she drew an "m" in the air.
Wang Kan was greatly shocked.
He took a deep breath, frowned, and nodded solemnly.
The next second, Xu Ran put on a smiling face and sweetly called out into the phone, "Sister, this is Ranran."
Wang Kan rubbed her temples, thinking to herself, "How can kids these days be so wicked?" In contrast, Fang Minzhou was incredibly innocent and adorable. She replied gently, "Hello, Ranran."
Xu Ran saw her uncle cough and cover his face, his face turning red in contrast to the color of his hand.
"Sister, I think my uncle sings 'Boundless Oceans, Vast Skies' the best."
Wang Kan gave Xu Ran a thumbs up.
Xu Ran started singing the opening song very readily, and Wang Kan immediately followed.
The boy's crisp, clear voice blended with the little girl's soft, adorable voice, and Fang Minzhou silently followed the melody of the music in her heart.
"The moon is so round tonight," Wang Kan suddenly said on the other end of the phone after she finished singing.
Fang Minzhou turned to look at the window. Yes, there was a bright yellow full moon, so clear that the dappled shadows on it could be seen.
I grew up listening to the story of Chang'e flying to the moon. Only when I grew up did I realize that there was no Wu Gang chopping down the cassia tree in that shadowy place, nor was there a jade rabbit pounding medicine. But at this moment, Fang Minzhou thought, no wonder the moon is a symbol of romance.
"Uncle, it's not even the Mid-Autumn Festival yet, so why is the moon already round?" Xu Ran asked.
Wang Kan thought to herself that the child lacked common sense, but patiently explained, "The moon isn't only round during the Mid-Autumn Festival; it's round for a period of time every month."
"Yeah?"
“Yes, you can check next month if you don’t believe me,” Wang Kan said. “No, you should start now and check every night.”
Fang Minzhou found the conversation between the older and younger person on the other end of the line quite amusing, and a smile unconsciously crept onto her lips. Since Wang Kan couldn't see it anyway, she suddenly heard faint noises coming from the living room. Fang Minzhou checked the time and realized that the phone call had unknowingly lasted for so long. She had to interrupt: "...Um, I have to hang up now."
"Huh? Wait a minute..."
"What?"
Wang Kan, unable to say anything due to Xu Ran's presence, could only compromise, "You can hang up now, bye."
Fang Minzhou responded, but after two or three seconds, the call was still not disconnected. Wang Kan's voice came from the phone: "Aren't you going to hang up?"
Fang Minzhou realized that Wang Kan was waiting for her to hang up first. She fiddled with the sheets beside her legs and said in a low voice, "Okay, I'm hanging up now, bye."
"Okay, bye-bye."
My phone is getting hot.
I wasn't feeling anything when I made the call, but now my heart is beating a little fast. I glanced at the moon outside the window and felt a bit melancholy.
As expected, her mother knocked on her door. By then, Fang Minzhou had calmed down and was sitting at the table reading a book.
Mom handed her a glass of hot milk. "Didn't you have a bit of a leg cramp this morning? I'll go to the market tomorrow and buy some bones to make soup for you."
"I want to drink seaweed and pork rib soup," Fang Minzhou said.
"Okay, I got it." Mom smiled and took the empty cup from Fang Minzhou's hand. "Go brush your teeth later, and go to bed early."
Fang Minzhou nodded. After the door closed, Fang Minzhou subconsciously reached for her phone again, but realizing that it was inappropriate, she forced herself to stop and quickly set herself a small goal: she could only play on her phone after reading five chapters of the book in her hand.
The effect was neither good nor bad; she was itching to watch it but could resist. After watching it, she went to get her phone, and Wang Kan sent her a "Goodnight" kitten emoji. Ever since she sent him one that day, he would send her a "Goodnight" emoji every night, and each one was different; she didn't know where he had collected them from.
She was afraid of being teased by Wang Kan, so she never replied. Tonight, she only replied with a crescent moon, which meant goodnight.
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