Invitation
As soon as the bell rang for evening self-study, a sea of blue and white school uniforms poured out of the teaching building of Qingfan No. 1 Middle School, the noise of people mixed with the sound of bicycle bells. Xiao Fuzhou walked in the stairwell, his steps more hesitant than usual—before leaving home in the morning, his grandmother had mentioned in the entryway, "Don't forget about the weekend," and the sound of his jade bracelet lightly tapping the shoe cabinet felt like a thorn in his heart.
When he reached the sycamore tree at the corner of the teaching building, he saw Xu Yanchi standing by the flower bed, putting her scattered textbooks into her schoolbag. The evening breeze lifted her bangs, revealing a section of her fair neck. Xiao Fuzhou took a deep breath, paused for two seconds, and walked over with uneasy steps, his voice half an octave lower than usual: "Xu Yanchi, wait a moment."
Xu Yanchi looked up, holding an open notebook in her hand, the tip of her pen pausing on an unfinished annotation: "What's wrong?" Her gaze fell on Xiao Fuzhou's tense jawline, but didn't linger for long before shifting to the brightly lit "stationery store" in the distance.
Xiao Fuzhou's Adam's apple bobbed, his gaze drifting over, then abruptly pulling back to the few wilted clover plants in the flowerbed: "Do you want to come to my house this weekend?" His ears burned as soon as the words left his mouth, and he spoke so fast it sounded like he was reciting a memorized text: "My grandma knows we're in a study group and wants to ask about classes. She said she sees you always helping me with humanities questions, and she just wants to express her gratitude. There's only a little over a year left until the college entrance exam, nothing more."
Xu Yanchi paused, her fingers brushing against the words on the page. She blinked, her eyelashes fluttering slightly. "Really, there's no need to go to so much trouble. Explaining problems to classmates is my duty." Her gaze fell back on Xiao Fuzhou's reddened ears. He usually spoke crisply, but today he seemed to have something stuck in his throat, his breathing more rapid than usual.
"No, I can't. If my grandma finds out I didn't invite you over, she'll definitely give me a good scolding." Xiao Fuzhou's voice held a hint of pleading, then he continued, "Come on over, Saturday afternoon is fine, no need to come too early. Come over after you finish your homework. My house isn't far from school. How about this, let's add each other on WeChat when we get home, and I'll send you my location when I get back." Xiao Fuzhou's tone was a little uncertain: "What if it's inconvenient for you..."
“It’s convenient.” Xu Yanchi interrupted him, rolled up her notebook and stuffed it into her bag, raising her hand to tidy her wind-blown hair. “There are still two parts of the historical timeline we discussed in our group last week that we haven’t sorted out yet. We can check them with each other then.” She smiled, a slight curve appearing at the corners of her mouth. “What time on Saturday afternoon? I’ll tell my mom in advance.”
Xiao Fuzhou was surprised that she agreed so quickly, and hesitated for half a second before speaking: "Three o'clock, I'll wait for you at the entrance of the community at three o'clock." His tense shoulders relaxed a little, "Come early."
"Okay." Xu Yanchi nodded, turned and walked towards the school gate. After a couple of steps, she turned back and waved, "See you on Saturday." She had already decided to dress presentably. Since there were elders at Xiao Fuzhou's house, and she had seen his family's luxury car before, it was clear that their financial situation was quite good. She couldn't wear her usual school uniform or old T-shirt, lest she appear casual and leave a bad impression. The evening breeze carried her voice lightly, like a sycamore leaf falling on the back of Xiao Fuzhou's hand, bringing an inexplicable itch.
Xiao Fuzhou stood there, watching her figure disappear into the crowd of students leaving school. He took out his phone, opened his chat with his grandmother, typed "Xu Yanchi agreed," stared at the screen for two seconds, deleted it, and retyped "She will come over at three o'clock on Saturday afternoon," then clicked send.
The evening breeze swirled up the sycamore leaves on the ground, making them drift past his feet. Xiao Fuzhou kicked a leaf, and the tension in his heart eased a little, but a strange panic rose up—this invitation to "ask about studies" was his grandmother's test, but standing here, he felt as if he had also fallen into an unspoken predicament.
Xu Yanchi pushed open the door, changed her shoes, and went straight to her room. Without even greeting her mother in the kitchen, she immediately added Xiao Fuzhou on WeChat. After accepting the request, she checked his profile. His profile picture, a snow-covered landscape, and his nickname "Mountain and Water Serenity," exuded a quiet composure befitting his family's wealth. Before she could think it through, Xiao Fuzhou sent her his location and a message telling her to "arrive as soon as possible." She replied with "okay." Xu Yanchi stared at the "typing..." indicator for a moment before turning off her phone. She planned to style her hair in a bun on Saturday, wear a pair of leather shoes, and a white-gold dress. She couldn't let Xiao Fuzhou's family think she was too casual. She suddenly remembered that she still needed to prepare a gift for Xiao Fuzhou. It couldn't be too shabby, nor too expensive. She recalled the handmade sandalwood bookmark she had seen in the stationery store before. The black sandalwood base was decorated with landscapes outlined in fine silver lines, which perfectly matched his "silent appreciation of mountains and rivers" sentiment. With this in mind, she rushed to the stationery store without stopping.
At 2:30 pm on Saturday, Xu Yanchi stood in front of the dressing mirror, finally adjusting the hem of her platinum dress. The silver threads woven into the dress shimmered softly in the sunlight, like shattered moonlight falling on the fabric, making her already fair skin even more radiant. Her bun wasn't perfectly styled, with a few wisps of hair falling on either side of her face, swaying gently in the breeze, making her round eyes appear even softer. Her lips, pursed, held a touch of just the right amount of restraint, like a white jasmine just wet with dew. She picked up her light beige handbag, her fingertips lightly touching the wooden box inside—inside was the sandalwood bookmark, its edges neatly wrapped in soft cloth. Taking a deep breath, she headed towards Xiao Fuzhou's house, following the directions.
The closer they got to their destination, the more spacious the houses along the road became—low shrubs were replaced by neatly trimmed lawns, ordinary residential buildings transformed into detached villas covered in vines, roses entwined around iron fences, and imposing stone lions at the entrances. Xu Yanchi had just reached the entrance of the residential area when he saw Xiao Fuzhou standing on the steps, wearing a light gray knit sweater, holding his phone between his fingers, his gaze fixed on the road.
"This way." Upon seeing her, Xiao Fuzhou quickly walked down, his voice softer than the last time under the sycamore tree. Xu Yanchi followed him towards the villa. The moment she pushed open the door, warm yellow light carrying a faint aroma of tea wafted towards her. Her skirt swayed gently with each step, creating delicate arcs. As soon as she steadied herself, she heard two gentle voices.
"This must be Yanchi?" Xiao's mother, dressed in a beige knitted dress, hurried forward, followed by Xiao's father in a light gray suit. Their eyes lit up when they saw her. Xiao's mother reached out to touch the hem of her dress, then gently withdrew, nodding with a smile, "Oh my, even prettier than Zhouzhou said—this dress really suits you. Your skin is as white as porcelain, and your eyes crinkle like crescent moons, so bright and beautiful." Hearing the name "Zhouzhou," Xu Yanchi couldn't help but smile. Her eyes crinkled as she looked at Xiao Fuzhou, who stood silently beside her, blushing.
Mr. Xiao chimed in, "I heard your homeroom teacher mention you at the last parent-teacher meeting. She said you were in the top three in history in the grade and even helped Fuzhou with her notes. You're a smart and reliable girl."
Xu Yanchi felt a little hot at the praise, quickly clutching her small handbag. She bowed slightly to the two of them, her voice soft yet clear: "Hello, Uncle and Aunt, thank you for your help. Actually, I wasn't much of a help. Fuzhou only occasionally got stuck. He's usually very diligent when doing his homework. Last time in the group discussion, his analysis of the historical events was even more thorough than I had thought." After saying that, she turned to the side, took out a palm-sized black walnut box from her bag, and handed it to Xiao Fuzhou, her eyes filled with a hint of expectation: "I said I would bring you a small gift, and I specially chose one that matches your WeChat nickname. I don't know if you'll like it."
Xiao Fuzhou paused, then reached out and took the wooden box. His fingertips touched the delicate wood grain, his movements becoming gentler. The moment he opened it, the calming scent of ebony mingled with the cool glint of silver threads wafted out—the bookmark's edges were outlined with a minimalist depiction of distant mountains and flowing water, devoid of any superfluous patterns. The front was engraved with the three characters "Song Jian Zhao" (meaning "Illuminated by the Pines"), the lines slender and crisp. The back was clean and blank; though a small object, it exuded an understated grandeur. He lightly touched the cool silver threads with his fingertips, and when he looked up at Xu Yanchi, his ears flushed slightly. His voice was softer than usual: "Thank you, I really like it. It's prettier than any of my previous bookmarks."
"I'm glad you like it." Xu Yanchi breathed a sigh of relief. Just as she smiled, she heard footsteps coming from the stairwell. Li Nianci came down with a sandalwood bracelet in her hand. When she saw her, she paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "This must be Yanchi, right? Look at you, so handsome. You even thought of bringing a gift for Fuzhou. You're so thoughtful."
"Hello, Grandma." Xu Yanchi quickly stood up, holding the teacup she had just received with both hands and bowing slightly, her movements natural and not stiff. Li Nianci walked over and sat down, pointing to the Sunshine Rose on the table: "Try this, it was picked by Zhouzhou's dad at the production area last week, it's sweeter than the ones you buy in the supermarket."
Xu Yanchi picked up a bead and put it in her mouth. The sweet juice spread on her tongue. She smiled and nodded, "It's so sweet, thank you, Grandma. This bracelet on your wrist is so beautiful. The patina of the sandalwood is so smooth. It's obvious that you've played with it often, and it has a special woody fragrance." She didn't flatter indiscriminately, but focused on the bracelet and spoke the truth. This didn't seem like she was trying to please Li Nianci, but it just happened to hit the nail on the head—this bracelet was a gift from her late husband. She played with it every day and cared most about what others said about it having "spiritual power."
Li Nianci smiled and raised her hand to shake the bracelet: "Little girl, you know about these? This was given to me by my old man, and I've been playing with it for almost ten years. How about I get you a prettier one?"
“No need, thank you Grandma. I just thought that Grandma and Grandpa must have a very good relationship,” Xu Yanchi said softly, her gaze falling on the smile lines at the corners of Li Nianci’s eyes. “To cherish something for so long, the thought behind it must be very deep.” Her words were neither too harsh nor too gentle, neither probing into privacy nor deviating from the warm tone of the conversation. Xiao’s mother, listening from the side, quietly gave Xu Yanchi an approving look, while Xiao Fuzhou carefully put the bookmark into his pocket, his fingertips still savoring the feeling of touching the silver thread.
Later, when the conversation turned to studies, Li Nianci asked, "I heard you're good at history? Fuzhou always says he can't remember those timelines, how do you usually memorize them?"
Xu Yanchi didn't directly say "I have a method," but instead looked at Xiao Fuzhou: "Actually, Fuzhou remembers things quite well, but sometimes he easily mixes up similar events. When we had our group discussion last time, I found that he was particularly good at remembering background information. Later, I learned his method and remembered the timeline and the background of the events together, which actually helped me remember them better—in fact, Fuzhou inspired me." She subtly gave half the credit to Xiao Fuzhou, answering Li Nianci's question while also saving face for Xiao Fuzhou. When Xiao Fuzhou turned to look at her, his eyes softened, and even the fingers holding the bookmark in his pocket loosened a little.
The group chatted, from studies to funny stories at school, and then to the flowers Li Nianci had grown in her youth. Xu Yanchi remained silent throughout. When Xiao's mother mentioned how Xiao Fuzhou had been naughty as a child and cried for half a day after losing his bookmark, Xu Yanchi smiled and looked at Xiao Fuzhou: "So Fuzhou cherishes small things so much. He should be able to keep the bookmark safe now." When Li Nianci remarked that "flowers are not as easy to grow as they used to be," Xu Yanchi chimed in, "My mother always says that the roses in the yard used to bloom with just a little water, but now they have to be carefully tended to." Her words flowed naturally, neither causing awkward silences nor overshadowing the main conversation.
Before they knew it, the sky outside the window gradually darkened. A maid quietly came in and changed the light to a brighter one. Only then did Li Nianci look up at the wall clock and suddenly clapped her hands: "Oh dear, it's gotten dark while we were chatting! Yanchi, don't leave, stay for dinner. The kitchen has made pork rib soup and your favorite steamed fish—I asked the kitchen to add it because you mentioned you like fish."
Xu Yanchi quickly stood up, apologetic smile on her face, her tone sincere and gentle: "Thank you, Grandma, I'm so happy you think of me so much. But I told Mom I'd be back early before I left, she's probably waiting for me, and I don't want her to worry. Next time I'll tell you in advance and come try your pork rib soup again, okay?" She didn't refuse directly, first thanking Li Nianci for her kindness, then making it clear she didn't want her mother to worry. This showed her thoughtfulness and gave both of them a way out. Li Nianci felt a little regretful, but even more impressed by the girl's considerate nature.
"Alright, you must come next time." Li Nianci gently patted her hand, "Have a boat take you down, be careful on the way."
"Thank you, Grandma, thank you, Uncle and Aunt." Xu Yanchi bowed slightly and followed Xiao Fuzhou toward the door. When they reached the entrance, she turned back and waved, "Goodbye, Grandma, Uncle and Aunt."
Watching her figure disappear outside the door, Xiao's mother smiled and said to Li Nianci, "Mom, look at this girl. Not only is she beautiful, but she's also very smart. The gifts she gave all matched Fuzhou's thoughts, and she knows how to be tactful in her words and actions."
Li Nianci nodded, stroking the bracelet, her eyes full of satisfaction: "That's right, she has high emotional intelligence and is very thoughtful. I really like her. Although she is prettier than Xiaoyi, I still prefer Xiaoyi a little more." Hearing this, Xiao's mother nodded repeatedly in agreement.
Xiao Fuzhou was still standing at the doorway, the evening breeze carrying the twilight clinging to his sleeves. The sandalwood bookmark in his pocket, even through the fabric, still felt the coolness of the silver threads and the warmth of the wood grain. He gazed in the direction Xu Yanchi had walked away. The streetlights had just come on, their dim light stretching her shadow long and thin, like the silver threads that had swayed on her skirt, gently touching his heart. Only after her shadow disappeared around the corner did he raise his hand to touch the bookmark in his pocket, his fingertips tracing the three characters "Songjian Zhao" (松间照). The warmth of his earlobe hadn't yet faded. Xiao Fuzhou lowered his eyes, looking at the warm bookmark in his hand, gently stroking it, his eyes welling up with tears.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
