On My Way - Chapter 57

Chapter 57 - Those Past Times

For Yu Shixuan, it didn't really matter where the company was registered; she wanted to operate here purely because of me.

But I still refused. Perhaps when the project officially launched, I could lead Manager Wang's company to act as a subcontractor; after all, it was a major local project.

But starting a business? I had never even considered that in my entire life.

It was too much trouble.

You have to buy premises, buy equipment, recruit staff, pay for their social insurance and housing funds, and oh, let’s not forget the accounting... just thinking about it gives me a headache.

The main point was that if it failed, I would lose everything.

All these years of struggle would have been completely in vain.

Yu Shixuan didn't say anything, reverting back to her icy poker face. She still needed to meet with the president of North-South University, so she stayed at my place for the time being.

My grandmother didn't take a liking to her. A princess who was cold all day and didn't lift a finger to do any chores didn't meet the old lady’s standards. Besides, she was constantly whispering in my ear: "You keep such a beautiful girl by your side; how are you ever going to find a partner?"

I said, "Don't you always say I’m the best-looking girl in the world? True gold fears no fire."

Grandma was so anxious she started hitting me: "You ancestor! You can’t just go looking for a 'Samadhi True Fire'!"

She was afraid of Zhou Ting.

Zhou Ting was the only blind date I had continued to interact with. Because of the issue of my marriage, Grandma had become obsessed; she would often smash basins or bowls and cause a scene over the smallest thing, which wasn't good for her health.

Ever since Zhou Ting appeared, her condition had stabilized. He was an honest lad, and his family was well-off, so she liked him from the bottom of her heart.

As for whether Zhou Ting would take a liking to Yu Shixuan, I didn't know, and I didn't care.

Regardless, the Princess herself hadn't said she disliked him, so the three of us often went out to play together.

Our hometown was a fourth-tier city, and there were no real tourist attractions, so I could only take Yu Shixuan hiking.

In the winter, the mountain was barren, covered in patches of old snow. Across the entire mountain path, there were only the three of us.

Being a guy, Zhou Ting hiked fast; whenever we reached a difficult section, he would reach out to pull us both up.

"What is the point of climbing this, may I ask?" Yu Shixuan was unhappy the entire way, saying with a straight face: "Does S City not have mountains?"

"Don't look at it as being boring while you're climbing. Once you reach the top, wow—the scenery is incredible, you can even see the sea."

Yu Shixuan looked at me as if I were mentally challenged.

Sorry, I forgot she grew up by the sea.

I racked my brains, and finally squeezed out a sentence: "Oh, right, there’s a temple at the top that’s exceptionally efficacious. Every year on Lunar New Year’s Day, everyone here comes to offer incense."

After I said it, I suddenly froze. This was my second time coming to this mountain.

The first time was with Cheng Xia.

Back then, he was still a vibrant youth, standing in the morning light, saying nonchalantly, "Of course we won’t separate! You wasted a wish."

He didn't know that I hadn't actually made the wish to "be with him forever."

Just as he didn't know that we would eventually turn into exhausted, boring adults and then get lost in the sea of people.

Was this the price for lying in front of the Bodhisattva?

I felt a vague discomfort—a discomfort so faint that I didn't know the ancient name for it: things remain, but people have changed.

Yu Shixuan had already walked to the temple gate and said: "I wonder if this deity is actually effective..."

"Shut up!" I said hurriedly. "You don't have to believe, but don't talk nonsense."

She rolled her eyes at me and scanned the QR code to pay 888.8 for incense.

Then, she pressed her palms together, closed her eyes, and chanted: "If you are effective, please protect Ren Dongxue. Give her all the good things."

In the sunlight, her skin was white and clean, like jade.

I was stunned.

I picked up the incense at random and also prayed: "Please also protect Yu Shixuan. May her startup succeed, and may her money and her destiny... be held firmly in her own hands." She was manipulated by her father, bullied by scum teachers, and had a boyfriend who was a death-row inmate.

We had vastly different backgrounds and fates.

Yet we had reached the same end by different paths, floating helplessly on the crest of fate’s waves.

This seemed to be the fate of girls.

Just then, Zhou Ting came over and said: "The old monk behind is selling water. What do you two want to drink?"

I jumped up in a panic: "Are you crazy! You dare to buy water at a tourist spot!"

After getting off the mountain, we were supposed to eat Northeast cuisine, but Yu Shixuan didn't like greasy food. Zhou Ting drove from place to place, searching house by house, until he finally managed to find a small, light, and clean private restaurant.

In the afternoon, I wanted to take her to see Vegetable Market Street in person. Even though the demolition wasn't finished yet, it would be good to have an idea of the place.

"But I heard it's very dilapidated," she said, frowning.

"It is quite dilapidated," I said. "But that’s where I grew up."

Halfway through the meal, I got up, pretending to go to the bathroom, but I was actually going to pay the bill.

Zhou Ting was acting as our driver and climbing partner; I couldn't let him spend his money anymore.

But on the way back, I happened to hear someone speaking in the private room—it was Zhou Ting.

His voice was still a bit shy: "Um, I want to ask you something."

Ha, gossip.

I lit a cigarette and, being sensible, didn't go in.

"How much longer are you staying here?"

"Quite a long time."

"Oh, that means during this time, you’re always with her?"

"Yes."

Yu Shixuan replied briefly.

Zhou Ting was silent for a long time before saying: "Um, this afternoon, could you maybe leave for a little while first?"

"Why?"

Zhou Ting mumbled, and it took me a long time to understand.

He said: "I want to... spend some time alone with Dongxue, is that okay?"

Yu Shixuan smiled slightly and asked: "Oh, so you like her?"

Zhou Ting didn't answer, but instead said: "It’s just, how do I put it? I don't want to get stuck being just 'buddies' with her... The three of us together is a bit... is that okay?"

"No."

Zhou Ting was shocked: "Why! You, you don't like her too, do you!"

Yu Shixuan sneered and said: "It’s mainly because I don't like you."

...I hurriedly coughed and pushed the door open to go in.

—

We still went to Vegetable Market Street that afternoon.

This area mainly consisted of a state-owned textile factory. Back when the factory was thriving, this area was lively, with a bathhouse, a supermarket, a massage parlor, and a food market.

Later, when the textile factory went bust, the area gradually became desolate, with only the food market remaining in business.

The factory was now in the middle of being demolished, and the food market was gone too, but vendors still habitually set up their stalls in the old locations. I looked around, but I couldn't find my mother.

Since I returned, I had only seen her once or twice. Rumor had it she had gone to a nanny training center; presumably, she was earning pretty good money.

Yu Shixuan frowned the whole time. First, she complained that the muddy water was too dirty, then that the smell was unpleasant. Finally, she declared that I should take a few pictures of her, and then she would take a taxi home to catch up on sleep.

I was tickled by her clumsy acting.

Finally, only Zhou Ting and I were left. I took photos while explaining things to him.

"I grew up on this side when I was a kid. My dad was a security guard at the old factory, and even after he was laid off, he was used to coming here to shop for daily necessities."

"That side used to be a shantytown. My grandmother’s and my old house was over there... half of it was a bike shed, and the other half was for living."

"My mother used to work in this food market, selling clothes. Back then, I would often help her watch the stall..."

"I know," Zhou Ting suddenly said.

"Huh? How do you know?" I was surprised. I had never told anyone about this.

"I came to see you," he said. "In high school, I would often walk around here, hoping to run into you..."

I lowered my phone, having stopped taking pictures. "I never noticed."

He kept his head down and said: "That’s true. Sometimes you were here, sometimes you weren't, but you never noticed me."

His face turned bright red, but he stared at me steadily.

I said: "Then do you know that... back then I often helped my grandmother collect recyclables?"

"I know," he said. "You were always at that snack street behind our school, right? I even gave my restaurant’s empty beverage bottles to your grandmother... I didn't dare tell you because I was afraid you’d overthink it."

...No wonder my grandmother liked him so much.

I said: "Don't you think I'm an embarrassment?"

He said in a voice like a mosquito: "I didn't think that much... back then I just thought you were beautiful."

I stared at him blankly—a very decent, clean face with bright eyes. Walking on the street, he looked like a total stranger; the memory of that chubby little boy with round glasses had already blurred.

I never knew that during my student days—which I felt were dark and dim—as I was chasing someone and lowering myself into the dust, there had also been such a person watching me.

Just then, a food delivery scooter sped past recklessly. Zhou Ting pulled my arm, and I stumbled right into him.

In that split second, I heard his rapid heartbeat and his trembling words: "I don't mean anything else, I just don't want to end up as just your friend. You don't have to answer anything."

As it happened, I didn't know how to answer either.

I took a deep breath and changed the subject: "I... I'll think about it. Um, now I have to take some photos of this environment before it gets dark, to show the Princess!"

"Okay!"

He laughed with relief and added: "I, I'll go buy you a bottle of water."

Having said that, he ran off without a moment's hesitation.

I don't know why, but my heart was also beating very fast, and I couldn't stop giggling.

I could only lift my phone to take pictures to distract myself.

In the frame were the warm rays of the setting sun, vendors sitting on the ground, and the half-demolished ruins in the distance.

I slowly moved the camera lens, and a man appeared in the frame.

He was wearing an expensive cashmere coat, standing quietly by the ruins, tall, handsome, and completely out of place among the surrounding vendors.

Suspecting I was hallucinating, I lowered my phone.

He was still there, in the dim light of the setting sun, quietly looking at me.

Just like our first meeting over a decade ago.

"Cheng Xia?”