“Do you want to rest up ahead?” the instructor in the passenger seat asked.
Xu Yuan looked up.
Ahead was a lake, with weeping willows lining both banks, their myriad green tendrils swaying gently in the breeze.
The water’s surface reflected the blue sky and white clouds, pristine as a looking glass.
Birds glided across, creating ripples.
“Alright.”
The two girls in the back seat, leaning against the car windows, also agreed.
“Signal, clutch in, light brake, park on the right.”
Xu Yuan followed the instructions, and the car slowly came to a stop by the lakeside.
After parking, the two girls from the back seat got out, looked at the lake, and suggested, “Xu Yuan, do you want to take some photos with us?”
“You two go ahead, I want to rest for a bit.” Xu Yuan took her windbreaker from the back seat and handed it to them.
“Okay. Instructor, let’s take some pictures.”
The instructor waved his hand, “Go quickly, come back quickly.”
The two girls happily ran ahead.
The instructor seemed to remember something and shouted loudly, “Be careful! Don’t get too close to the water!”
“Got it!” A voice drifted back from afar.
Xu Yuan folded the blue windbreaker, pulled a cigarette from her pocket, and offered it to the instructor.
The instructor tucked the cigarette behind his ear, took a slingshot, and asked her to walk around the mountain range above the lake with him, but Xu Yuan shook her head.
The instructor chuckled, took the slingshot, and went outside. She slowly walked along the concrete path by the reservoir’s edge.
The path wound around the lake, leading to the back.
She walked along the path with the cigarette in her hand, occasionally kicking at the pebbles under her feet.
On both sides of the lake, besides the weeping willows, unknown wildflowers bloomed.
The vast surface of the water rippled.
After turning a corner, she saw a gray coupe parked on the hillside ahead. Xu Yuan glanced at it and noticed the Mercedes-Benz logo.
She stopped, no longer walking forward, but stood by the water’s edge.
The spring breeze ruffled a few strands of hair across her forehead.
Xu Yuan reached out, gently tucked her hair back, brought the cigarette in her hand to her mouth, and with the other hand, held a lighter and lit it.
After taking a drag, she tossed the lighter into her pocket, her gaze fixed on the willows in front of her.
A plume of smoke slowly drifted from her red lips, each wisp dissipating into the air.
The temperature in Nan Cheng had been erratic these past few days, hot and cold. After the heavy rain a few days ago, the temperature had gradually warmed up over the last two days, as if spring was finally arriving.
A door slammed shut behind her.
Footsteps approached.
Xu Yuan raised her hand and took a light drag from her cigarette.
Someone stood beside her, an imposing aura settling over them.
This feeling made her somewhat uncomfortable. Exhaling smoke, she tilted her head to look.
That glance stunned her for a moment, her heart seemingly stopping.
It was as if ice and snow were melting, and the wind was sweeping through a mountain gorge.
In her heart, she heard the sound of all things coming back to life.
Her heart pounded, even faster than before.
The man held a cigarette case in his hand. Seeing her light a cigarette, his gaze swept from the cigarette to her eyes. From a slight distance, he asked, “May I borrow your lighter?”
Their eyes met, and only then did she realize they both wore an indifferent expression.
The water stilled, even the wind softened, and the mountains stood quietly in the distance. The man glanced at her again for a moment longer.
The fresh scent of a man’s body reached her nostrils, bringing her back to her senses somewhat.
It was Ming Wang.
His aura and appearance were unmistakable: a tall, upright figure, a cold and imposing demeanor that startled her for a moment.
In Xu Nguyet’s mind, the face of the young man from years ago gradually overlapped with the person standing before her.
How long had it been since she last saw him?
It seemed like eight years.
Time really flew.
Seeing her just staring motionless, the man slightly raised an eyebrow.
With just that small movement, Xu Nguyet’s breath caught for a moment; even his casual gestures could exude a certain allure.
She snapped back to reality, took the lighter from her pocket, and offered it to him.
A long, slender hand reached out, spreading its palm beneath her hand, avoiding contact.
Xu Nguyet held her breath, looking at his clean palm, and gently placed it down.
Just as she placed it down, her phone rang. She took it out; it was from Suzhou, probably about a product assembly error, so she turned to answer the call.
After Ming Wang took the lighter, he looked up at the woman. She was wearing a neat windbreaker, her figure tall and slender, with short black hair that reached her shoulders.
The water’s surface reflected dazzling light, and her beautiful face flashed before his eyes.
He blinked, but he didn’t look away.
The woman was currently leaning over, talking on the phone, her short hair falling over one side. She reached up to tuck it back, revealing a small ear.
Her entire being exuded an aloof aura, but he had an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
As he watched, he took a cigarette from the pack and tapped it.
Then he lowered his gaze, opened a small, silver-white metal box, put the tip of the cigarette into it, and gently twisted it to get some powder on the cigarette.
From the corner of his eye, he saw the woman looking at him after she ended her call. He slightly raised his eyes to meet hers, with an unspoken question: "Want to try some?"
Xu Nguyet’s heart beat faster when she saw his dark eyes. She turned her head away, maintaining her composure, and didn't look at him again.
The man paid no mind.
He put the cigarette in his mouth, picked up the lighter and lit it, took a drag, then looked at the lighter in his hand.
This lighter was very common. It had the name of a driving school printed on it, and compared to the car opposite, it was pitifully cheap.
Ming Wang watched, slowly exhaling smoke, as a plump yet aloof face suddenly appeared in his mind, and he smiled faintly.
A faint scent of mint mixed with the smell of cigarette smoke wafted into her nostrils.
Xu Nguyet heard the man's low chuckle and couldn't help but turn her head to look.
She had always known he was tall since high school, but now he was even taller than she had imagined.
A neat black shirt, sleeves rolled up halfway, and a valuable watch on his wrist.
His long, straight legs were encased in black trousers, a belt cinched at his waist, paired with shiny leather shoes.
He extended his hand, returned the lighter to her, and said, "Thank you."
Xu Nguyet took it and shook her head slightly.
Ming Wang turned, took a final drag from his cigarette, then walked back to his car.
A moment later, a young man in a suit and leather shoes ran over from the coupe. He opened the driver's door, got in, and started the engine.
The coupe drove away.
Watching the passing traffic, Xu Nguyet absently lowered her hand.
He didn't recognize her.
She didn't know whether to be happy or sad.
But then again, it was normal not to recognize each other.
After all, although they had been classmates from sophomore to junior year of high school, they had nothing in common.
The fact that she could recognize him instantly was due to all the attention she had given him back then.
Also due to the inquiries she had made about him over the years.
Xu Nguyuan took a deep breath, looking at the surrounding scenery. This was her hometown, but she had left many years ago.
The coupe sped along, the scenery outside the window rapidly receding.
Ming Wang leaned back in his seat and asked, "What's the situation with that plot of land?"
Assistant Zhang Yong replied while driving, "Things have stabilized. Next is the compensation, and the factory can be built by the end of the year."
Ming Wang reluctantly nodded.
Zhang Yong asked, "Boss, where are we headed now?"
Ming Wang, with one hand, twirled the silver-white metal box, looking into the distance. "Let's go to Villa No. 8. Old Xu and the others are waiting."
"Understood," Zhang Yong pressed the accelerator.
Villa No. 8 was a four-story building located by the Nan Cheng River. It was a specialty restaurant, with the top floor dedicated to entertainment.
The Mercedes-Benz parked in the underground garage, then both went straight up to the eighth floor.
The eighth floor was the Emperor's Room, luxuriously decorated, with old Cantonese music playing.
Zhang Yong opened the door. Inside, a lively card game was in progress. Ming Wang entered, silent for a moment.
Xu Hedi smiled and said, "Finally decided to show up?"
Ming Wang smiled, pulled up a nearby chair, and leaned lazily against the backrest.
A girl stepped forward from inside, poured a glass of wine, and handed it to him.
Ming Wang took it.
The girl's fingers seemed to accidentally brush the back of his hand.
Twisting his wrist, he lightly swirled the glass. Ming Wang paid no mind, acting as if he hadn't felt it.
The girl was slightly disappointed, then quietly stood beside him.
After taking a sip of wine, he picked up a card and slowly joined the game.
***
By the lakeside, the wind grew stronger and stronger.
"Let's head back!" the coach yelled, standing beside the car with his hands cupped over his mouth.
Xu Nguyuan moved her numb legs and walked towards the training car.
The return trip wasn't driven by Xu Nguyuan, but by one of the two girls who had been in the back seat.
Xu Nguyuan sat in the back seat, the car window slightly open, and the spring wind blew through, making her hair flutter.
The coach sat in the passenger seat. Just as he lit a cigarette, the girl driving made a sharp turn, causing him to cough violently. She quickly corrected the steering, and once the car was driving normally, he leaned against the car door, coughing, his face flushed.
"Coach, are you alright?" the girl in the back seat asked, looking at him worriedly.
Xu Nguyuan also looked up.
The coach waved his hand, taking a long time to calm down.
"Cough~ I'm old, and I can't quit smoking..." the coach said, shaking his head, then picked up a large thermos cup and took a sip of tea.
"Coach, why don't you try e-cigarettes?" the girl suggested.
"No," the coach shook his head. "Those don't work. They make me nauseous when I smoke them; I just can't get used to them."
"I can't quit. I've been smoking for decades."
Xu Nguyuan suddenly remembered Ming Wang from earlier. She asked, "Coach, would you like to try something like a lung-cleansing liquid?"
The coach turned to look at Xu Nguyuan, then pondered for a moment. "That sounds like it could work. I haven't tried it."
Xu Nguyuan smiled and said, "I've only seen others use it. You'd have to try it to know the specific effects."
The coach nodded. "A friend of mine seems to use it too. I'll go ask him." Then he turned and picked up his phone.
Xu Nguyuan turned back to the car window. The spring wind blew fiercely, carrying dryness and wildness.
She suddenly recalled her youth from long ago.
They say young girls always dream of spring.
And her dream always held a secret.
After the military training in her first year of high school, her father's health began to decline severely, and he was diagnosed with late-stage cancer.
He had to stay in the hospital for chemotherapy.
At that time, she often had to skip afternoon self-study classes to go to the hospital and take care of her father.
It was an early winter afternoon, and Xu Yuan skipped class as usual.
She walked to the low wall by the ancient banyan tree next to the basketball court on the old campus, threw her schoolbag over first, then climbed the ancient banyan tree, and jumped over the wall from a branch.
Just as she skillfully squatted on the wall, she looked down and saw her schoolbag being held by a teenager.
The moment she saw him, Xu Yuan's heart seemed to stop.
One, because of the teenager; two, because she was caught skipping class.
The two looked at each other. Xu Yuan looked down and saw a half-smoked cigarette pinched between the teenager's fingers.
She hesitated, her hand pressed against the top of the wall for support, and with a swift motion of her legs, she jumped down.
The teenager stepped back a few paces.
Xu Yuan's mind went blank, her heart pounding wildly as the distance between them grew smaller.
She walked over bare-faced, lowering her head to take the schoolbag from his hand.
He let go, and she immediately took the schoolbag and quietly ran off.
The schoolbag, having been held by the teenager, carried warmth in her palm.
The warmth from her palm spread, and Xu Yuan's heart also warmed.
After running past the wall, she quietly hid in a corner and peeked her head out.
The boy in the black sweater was leaning against the wall she had just jumped from, quietly smoking with his head bowed, pale white smoke rings puffing out from his mouth.
Only then did she understand why her heart had pounded so hard it was difficult to breathe.
She also understood why, every time she saw Class One, her eyes couldn't help but search for his figure.
She liked him.
It was a stirring of her heart.
It was a youthful secret she couldn't tell anyone else.
She kept the encounter with the smoking boy a secret, and even felt happy about this unique secret.
Only, as time passed, the secret was no longer a secret.
Unexpectedly, eight years later, they met again in such a remote place.
The only way they had to contact each other was a chat application, which had been added to their senior year class group back then, but he seemed to have never used it; his avatar was always gray.
No matter how many mobile phones she changed, she always downloaded and logged into the Penguin app. This was the only remaining method of contact between them.
She knew that over the years, he had become more mature and steady.
Real estate, hotels, media, investments... He seemed to succeed in every business venture.
Because he was Ming Wang.
His future was evident even in his youth.
Meeting today, Xu Yuan felt that what she had heard was an understatement compared to reality.
At least the moment she truly saw him, she realized the distance between them was like clouds in the sky and mud on the ground, so far apart they were unreachable.
Halfway there, the car stopped as it passed through the old town, and Xu Yuan got out.
Just as she was about to go home, her phone rang. She glanced at it and answered, "Mom?"
"Yuanyuan, are you home yet?"
"I'm home, at the supermarket entrance."
"Haha, perfect timing. We don't have any white vinegar at home, buy a bottle for me."
"Okay." Xu Yuan turned into the supermarket, picked up a bottle of white vinegar, and after paying, headed back to the residential complex.
This was an old residential complex in the old town, estimated to be demolished within the next year or two.
Xu Nguyuan looked at the old surroundings, said nothing, and went straight up to the third floor, opening the door to the apartment opposite the stairs.
Inside, Mother Xu was busy in the kitchen.
Xu Nguyuan hung up her bag, looked into the kitchen, took the apron from her mother's hand, and said, "Mom, I told you not to busy yourself. You've just recovered, so you should rest well. I can do all these things when I get back."
Mother Xu stepped aside, watching her daughter deftly take up the knife and begin chopping vegetables.
She smiled and tucked her daughter's hair behind her ear. "I can't stay idle," she said. "I always want to find something to do."
Xu Nguyuan looked up at her mother and said, somewhat helplessly, "Don't do these strenuous tasks anymore, Mom."
"Alright, alright," Mother Xu quickly agreed.
Xu Nguyuan washed the shredded potatoes, turned on the stove, poured cooking oil into the wok, and once the oil was hot, added green chilies to stir-fry for a bit before adding the shredded potatoes.
The mother and daughter's dinner was very simple and modest; they ate and chatted.
Mother Xu suddenly said, "Today I met your best friend from high school."
"Chen Qianqian?" Xu Nguyuan guessed.
"That's right," Mother Xu replied. "I remember you brought her home for dinner in high school. In the blink of an eye, she's now running her own fitness club and beauty center."
Xu Nguyuan nodded.
When she had just returned from Suzhou, she had visited this club. After all, they were best friends and had kept in close contact over the past few years.
Chen Qianqian had initially borrowed some funds from her to build the club, which, of course, she had repaid later.
That club was frequented by high society, boasting exquisite and high-end decor.
Chen Qianqian's biggest ambition was to integrate into a different social circle in Nancheng, and then conveniently snag a tall, rich, and handsome man, so she wouldn't have to worry about her livelihood for the rest of her life.
Of course, Xu Nguyuan hoped her friend's wish would come true.