Dinner was undoubtedly lavish, and the warm atmosphere of a birthday party filled the room. The birthday cake had twenty tiny birthday candles on it, their flickering light reflecting the enthusiastic faces of the three people around her, making Yu Lele feel warm and sentimental.
She could still vaguely recall that on her sixteenth birthday, in the forest park, Xu Chen, Yang Qian, and Kuang Yawei celebrated with her. That day, Kuang Yawei brought a whole array of items, from chicken pieces to dish soap. As the undisputed top chef among them, his grilled meat skewers were simply divine. She just never imagined he would actually go to a tourism vocational college to study cooking, and supposedly he'd be taking the nutritionist certification exam next month. Every time they talked on the phone, she heard his smug voice, which made Yu Lele very happy.
So, in the blink of an eye, four years have passed.
Four years have passed, and nothing remains except those joyful memories.
After dinner, Yu Lele helped her mother wash the dishes. As her mother handed the plates to Yu Lele, she asked, "Are you and Xu Chen doing well?"
Yu Lele was washing the dishes when she paused, turned around and looked at her mother: "Oh, it's okay, what's wrong?"
“It’s nothing,” Mom smiled. “Invite him over to our house when you have the chance. It seems you haven’t formally invited him home as a guest yet.”
"Okay," Yu Lele replied quietly.
"Is he alright?" Mom paused for a moment, then asked, "Is their family alright?"
Yu Lele looked up and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear with her foam-covered hands, leaving a small clump of foam on her ear: "His father's shadow will probably follow him for the rest of his life."
"What do you mean?" Mom asked.
“I think it’s fortunate that he studied medicine. As long as he studies his profession well and saves lives, no one will care whether his father is a corrupt official. If he had chosen to study politics or pursue a career in government, his career would probably have been ruined before he even got there,” Yu Lele said thoughtfully.
“Actually, in my opinion, Xu Chen is indeed a good child. It’s just that there are some things he can’t choose and can’t avoid, so he has to take responsibility. It’s already quite remarkable that he can be like this today without complaining or being negative. Lele, when you’re together, you have to be considerate of each other and not be childish. You have to understand him more. He will definitely encounter various difficulties and unpleasant things. If he doesn’t come to you, who else can he come to? Even if he gets angry and throws a tantrum, you have to be understanding.” The mother looked at her daughter with such a kind look in her eyes.
“Mom, it’s not that I haven’t thought about these things, but he just won’t tell me anything. He’s the type of person who prefers to bear everything alone. Recently, his application to join the Party fell through because of his father’s situation, but he still wouldn’t tell me. If Yang Qian hadn’t told me, I probably still wouldn’t know. Mom, we’re all old classmates and good friends. Even if he doesn’t tell me, someone else will. Is it really necessary for him to keep this from me?” Yu Lele’s tone was helpless.
“His not telling you doesn’t necessarily mean he doesn’t care about you. Have you ever thought that maybe he doesn’t want to tell you precisely because he cares about you?” Mom said earnestly.
"Really?" Yu Lele washed the dishes very hard.
“Because this matter isn’t just about him; it involves our family too. Maybe he didn’t want to tell you because he didn’t want there to be any distance between you,” Mom paused. “It’s like before I met your father, when I was still in contact with your Uncle Yu. He went south to start a business, and I was left alone in my hometown. How could I not resent him? But he didn’t tell me what difficulties he encountered. He just said he was doing well, that everything was going smoothly for him, and that he would come back and marry me in a few years. However, a few years later, his business hit a low point, and he felt he couldn’t provide me with a good life, so he cut off contact with me. Then I met your father and got married. If we hadn’t reunited after your father passed away, I might never have known that his concealment was for my own good.”
Yu Lele looked up at her mother with a confused expression, then turned to look at Uncle Yu, who was watching TV in the living room, and Yu Tian, who was smiling beside him. She asked her mother in a low voice, "How is Yu Tian's illness?"
The mother sighed, "What else can you do? Spinal hemangiomas are so difficult to cure. You can only watch your child sit in a wheelchair every day until the condition becomes irreversible..."
Her mother couldn't continue. Yu Lele stood motionless by the door, gazing at Yu Tian's innocent and happy face. She thought to herself, "Yu Tian should be 18 this year, right? But how much longer can he stay in this world? He's so unfortunate. He lost his mother at a very young age, and then fell ill and has been confined to a wheelchair ever since. Because I didn't approve of my mother's marriage to Uncle Yu, he was forced to live a lonely life in a nursing home. And now, now that everyone has finally overcome their barriers and unpleasantness, finally becoming a warm and loving family despite not being related by blood, how much longer can Yu Tian live in this warm and happy home?"
Yu Lele sighed softly, turned on the tap, and washed the dishes in the increased water flow. Some of the splashing water sprayed outside the sink, and a drop landed on Yu Lele's eyelashes, blurring her vision.
Many things in this world are perhaps like water droplets on an eyelash—indistinct and unclear.
On her birthday, Yu Lele put on the necklace Yu Tian had given her early in the morning. To match the necklace, she specially chose a light purple chiffon dress. When the wind blew, the skirt swayed gracefully, making her look lively and adorable.
Tie Xin saw it, her eyes lit up, and she exclaimed, "Swarovski! I've seen it in stores, it's so beautiful!!"
Yang Luning jumped off the bed and leaned close to Yu Lele, staring intently at the object of her affection: "Wow! A token of love!"
Yu Lele found it funny: "My brother gave it to me, does that count as a token of our love?"
Yang Luning looked confused: "How could that be? What did Xu Chen give you?"
Yu Lele waved her hand and said, "Not giving me a gift doesn't mean he doesn't love me."
"Wow!" Xu Yin walked in from outside carrying a washbasin, smiling broadly: "Hearing such a sincere and touching declaration of love so early in the morning is really exciting!"
"Yeah, it's meant to provoke us single guys." Yang Luning pouted, casually pinched Yu Lele's cheek, and then retreated back to bed to continue reading his novel.
Yu Lele smiled mischievously, but she couldn't deny that she was also filled with a little anticipation and trepidation, thinking: Xu Chen, do you remember today is my birthday? What birthday present are you going to give me?
But the morning passed, and Yu Lele attended two classes of education and two classes of modern and contemporary literature, but she still didn't see Xu Chen's gift. She was a little disappointed when school ended.
However, Yu Lele decided not to get angry at the careless boys for no reason. After enduring two hours of the old-fashioned teacher's impassioned worship of literature, Yu Lele just wanted to have a nice lunch to replenish her energy.
Many students probably shared the same thought. When class ended, Lian Haiping, the boy sitting behind Yu Lele, stretched his long legs under Yu Lele's chair, stretched out a big yawn, and said, "Attending Mr. Lao's class is really exhausting. I need to eat something good at noon to replenish my brain."
Xu Yin, who was sitting next to Yu Lele, turned her head and said to Lian Haiping with a smile, "You need to eat some sliced beef and tripe in chili sauce or some warm-mixed pig's heart. You should eat what you need to replenish, so you don't end up with a heart and lung deficiency."
Lian Haiping jumped up and grabbed Xu Yin's long hair: "Xu Yin, who are you talking about?"
Yu Lele watched them fooling around and smiled faintly. Lian Haiping turned his head and saw them, then leaned over to Yu Lele: "Yu Lele, is it your birthday today? Happy birthday!"
Yu Lele was taken aback: "How did you know?"
Lian Haiping crossed his arms and laughed: "Have you forgotten what I do? I'm the Minister of Student Life in the Student Union, you know. I'm the one who processed all your student IDs. What don't I know?"
Xu Yin reached out and patted Lian Haiping: "So, what's my birthday?"
Lian Haiping was speechless, and Xu Yin rolled her eyes at him: "Minister of Life, so you're selective about who you treat with respect?"
Yu Lele was watching the two bickering and laughing when she suddenly heard someone call out from ahead, "Yu Lele, your package."
Immediately, the group of people blocking the classroom door fell silent, automatically stopping in their tracks and making way for the deliveryman. Yu Lele looked up and saw that everyone's eyes were on her, along with the deliveryman and the bouquet of flowers he was carrying.
A bunch of clean white roses, tied into a delicate little ball, with a white ribbon tied to the end, made Yu Lele suddenly choke on her breath.
"Ms. Yu? Please sign for the package."
Where did it come from?
"Provincial capital." The deliveryman looked down and found the receipt and pen. Amidst the envious and curious gazes of the crowd, Yu Lele signed her name: "Thank you."
Xu Yin took the flowers from the deliveryman, and Yang Luning, holding her books, leaned closer to look: "Is this from Xu Chen?"
Upon hearing the name "Xu Chen," Yu Lele's heart skipped a beat. But Yu Lele admitted that this tremor was a very happy one. She smiled and watched the deliveryman leave, then turned to find Xu Yin to get the flowers, only to meet Xu Yin's confused gaze: "I thought it was Xu Chen."
Yu Lele was suddenly shocked, and the expression on her face froze instantly: Isn't it Xu Chen?
Until I saw the card in the bouquet: Happy Birthday, Yu Lele. Yang Qian & Kuang Yawei.
Yes, how could I have forgotten? Kuang Yawei's vocational college was also in the provincial capital.
The beautiful bouquet of white roses, with glistening water droplets on its petals and a faint, delicate fragrance, seemed to be reminding her: it wasn't Xu Chen, it wasn't him.
Yu Lele's smile faded, and the happiness and satisfaction that had filled her heart were replaced by disappointment and worry.
Disappointingly, it wasn't you in the end; worryingly, will it still be you in the future?
I hope it's you. Do you hope it's you too?
Xu Chen?
3-1
That day, Xu Chen was in a flurry of activity in the student union's club department office.
As the head of the Student Union's Clubs Department, the upcoming university-wide Club Arts Festival is practically a comprehensive test of his work. Medical students usually have more opportunities for studying and relatively fewer opportunities for entertainment, so this large-scale arts festival is practically a festival for all students. The lights in the Clubs Department office stayed on until 10:30 p.m., and the dormitory lights were about to go out. Xu Chen and Ye Fei, a member of the Clubs Department and a student from the School of Stomatology, were still busy.
Ye Fei's hands were practically glued to the keyboard, her fingers flying across the keyboard. Xu Chen stood behind her, reading his own draft while watching the text typed on the computer screen, occasionally pointing out a typo or two. Neither of them checked the time; they only knew that the press conference was in two days, but because some participating groups were too slow, the festival's promotional materials hadn't all arrived yet.
Ye Fei had been busy since get out of class ended in the afternoon. While typing, she heard her stomach rumbling and suddenly realized, "Boss, have you had dinner yet?"
Xu Chen looked away from the computer screen and thought for a moment: "I don't think I ate anything, I can't remember."
Ye Fei leaned back in her chair and rubbed her eyes. "I'm exhausted, boss. Let's go eat."
Xu Chen looked down at the girl's tired face and nodded: "Okay, that's a wrap."
Ye Fei stood up happily, but her vision blurred a little when she stood up because she had been sitting for too long. She placed her hands on the computer desk and paused for a few seconds. Xu Chen noticed and quickly asked, "What's wrong?"
"It's nothing," Ye Fei raised her head and smiled, "Boss, you're a workaholic, but we underlings are going to be exhausted."
Xu Chen felt very embarrassed: "I'm so sorry, I got so anxious that I forgot the time."
Fortunately, Ye Fei is always a generous girl. She smiled as she packed her things and said, "How about you treat me to ramen as compensation?"
Xu Chen quickly replied, "Okay."
The two packed their things, turned off the lights, locked the door, and walked together towards the ramen shop outside the school.
Halfway there, his phone rang. Xu Chen looked down and saw the name flashing on the screen: Lele.
Xu Chen smiled slightly and pressed the answer button: "Hello?"
"Xu Chen, what are you doing? Why aren't you back in the dorm so late?" Yu Lele's dorm was noisy. There were girls screaming in the background, the music was loud, and you could hear Yu Lele shouting into the distance, "Tie Xin, turn the music down!"
Xu Chen smiled, and Ye Fei looked up and her gaze suddenly met that gentle and beautiful smile. She almost froze on the spot: When did the boss smile so beautifully?
"We're busy with the arts festival, just finished work, and are about to go out for dinner." Xu Chen's voice sounded tired as it came through the phone receiver. Yu Lele felt a lump in her throat.
I was going to ask: Do you know what day it is today?
But now we know: he's busy, very busy, and the weariness in his voice says it all.
From the age of fourteen until now, Yu Lele's growth has been accelerated by unavoidable factors, which has also shunned many unnecessary processes, such as whining and tantrums. The rights of ordinary girls in relationships, the little temper tantrums that can be forgiven, seem to be naturally ignored in her case. Sometimes, even she herself doesn't know whether this is a blessing or a curse.
So many questions were condensed into one sentence: "Hurry up and eat, go home and rest early. I don't have anything to do, I just miss you and wanted to call to see what you're doing."
Her voice was still quiet, which felt comforting to Xu Chen. When he heard Yu Lele say, "Then I'll hang up," he quickly added, "Wait."
"Huh?" Yu Lele asked, puzzled. "What's wrong?"
"It's nothing, well," Xu Chen glanced at Ye Fei, who deliberately walked a few steps faster to shake him off, paused, and then lowered his voice as if he had mustered a lot of courage: "Well, I mean, I miss you too."
"What?" The music was too loud, and Yu Lele couldn't hear what Xu Chen was saying. She turned to Tie Xin and said, "Tie Xin, turn the music down a bit. Be careful the dorm supervisor might beat you up late at night!"
He asked again, "What did you say?"
Xu Chen found it funny, but also a little embarrassed: "I mean, I miss you too."
"Ah..." Yu Lele was stunned for a moment, then quickly smiled again: "I understand."
Hearing her happiness, Xu Chen breathed a sigh of relief. He suddenly realized that those mushy words between lovers weren't actually that hard to say. Thinking about it carefully, he felt a little guilty: it had been two years, and he hadn't said any of the sweet words that girls usually like to hear.
The two said goodbye almost in unison and hung up. Xu Chen had ultimately forgotten that it was Yu Lele's birthday.
He quickened his pace to catch up with Ye Fei. The campus was still bustling at night, with bright lights shining in the all-night study rooms. Groups of students hurried by, and Xu Chen could no longer see Yu Lele's face, which was 500 kilometers away, with a mix of happiness and sadness.
Inside the ramen shop outside the school, Ye Fei and Xu Chen sat facing each other, waiting for their noodles. Students coming out after evening self-study would occasionally walk in to buy noodles, exchanging brief greetings with acquaintances. However, Ye Fei kept staring intently at Xu Chen, looking him up and down repeatedly.
Xu Chen felt a little uneasy under her gaze: "What's wrong? Is there something on my face?"
Ye Fei smiled and said, "No."
"Then why are you looking at me like that?" Xu Chen asked Ye Fei.
"Interesting, very interesting." Ye Fei smiled brightly.