Chapter 10: Does That Make You Happy?

A river ran straight through the town, shops lining both banks—clothes, snacks, fruit, everything you could want.

Skirting the noisy streets and passing under a row of elm trees, they reached the bookstore.

It was a regular haunt for Shiqiao High students; a little further north and you'd hit the school itself.

Xia Wu knew the place well—even the owner was an old acquaintance.

Back in high school, whenever she showed up, a flock of boys would follow, and the shop's business had always gotten a boost from it.

Xia Wu hopped down from the back of the bike. "Go on, don't let me make you late for work. I'll head in first."

"I'll bring you lunch at noon." Xu Ying parked the bicycle and followed her inside.

Xia Wu turned back. "No need. I'll grab something next door. Don't worry about me—go get busy."

With that, she set down her bag and went to the register to settle the accounts with the owner. The owner glanced at Xu Ying. "Haven't seen you two in years. Still together?"

Xia Wu smiled. "What can I say? I'm a loyal one."

"Loyal is good. Two people who give their whole hearts to each other—that's what lasts. Your future's bound to be smooth. You're both good-looking, too. Have a kid—boy or girl, they'll be beautiful." The owner happily mapped out their entire lives for them.

Xia Wu played along. "I'll take your word for it." Then she looked at Xu Ying again—still standing by the door, showing no sign of moving.

Xu Ying scanned the shop. Compared to a few years ago, not much had changed.

Even the row of wooden chairs in the window reading area still had the same grain.

"What's wrong? Anything else you need to tell me?" Xia Wu looked at him.

"No. I'm off." Xu Ying left the bookstore.

Xia Wu watched the boy's retreating figure and went still.

A boy and a girl walked in. For a moment, she thought she saw her senior-year self and Xu Ying.

"Xu Ying, come over to my place later. There are a few problems I don't get—explain them to me."

Xia Wu wore a high ponytail, her face as fresh as a lychee peeled in June, impossibly dewy. She trailed after Xu Ying, all eagerness.

"No. I've got stuff to do." Xu Ying turned her down flat. He'd seen plenty of girls like Xia Wu—prettier than most, maybe, but the same underneath.

Annoying and clingy. Once they latched on, you couldn't shake them.

"Then where are you going? I'll come with. That way I won't hold up your business, and you can still help me with my problems. Okay?"

This had been Xia Wu's campaign for over a month now—more chances to talk to him than any of the other girls chasing Xu Ying.

Because Xia Wu had threatened him: if he didn't let her tag along, she wouldn't cover for him next time, and she'd tell the teacher about his underage side job.

Xu Ying couldn't take other work—not yet eighteen—so he'd finally found this gig: playing games for people at an internet cafe.

"Whatever. Tag along if you want." Xu Ying grabbed a practice test book, paid, and walked out, ignoring Xia Wu behind him.

Xia Wu had to jog to keep up. Sure enough, Xu Ying headed for the internet cafe.

He picked the seat furthest back, put on headphones, and paid her no mind.

The place was grim—hazy with smoke, the smell awful, instant noodles mixed with cigarettes.

Worst of all, the lighting was dim, which did Xia Wu no favors.

Xia Wu stared at Xu Ying's profile, stared until she got drowsy, and fell asleep.

When she woke, Xu Ying was gone from his seat.

She scrambled up. The seats were crammed tight, one against another, and she stumbled her way through.

Then, unluckily, she bumped into someone gaming in the cafe.

And of course, it was someone she knew—Duan Chen, the self-styled king of Shiqiao High.

Xia Wu leaned in before she made out Duan Chen's cocky, unruly face.

"Well, well. Chasing a guy all the way to an internet cafe? Your Xu Ying took off a while ago. Looks like he left you here all by yourself."

Duan Chen talked like a punk. He was the second-biggest name in school after Xu Ying.

Before Xu Ying showed up, he'd been number one—top of every conversation and every popularity poll.

Smart, good-looking, and yet he refused to study, insisting on the street-thug routine.

"None of your business. Worry about yourself. Move—you're in my way." Xia Wu fired back without missing a beat.

"Miss, open your eyes, would you? Is this a walkway? Why don't you just trample over the whole row of us?"

Duan Chen was about to laugh himself sick. A girl this pretty, and blind as a bat.

Blind for sure—otherwise why fixate on Xu Ying, that stubborn rock?

Xia Wu lowered her head, guilty, but her mouth kept going: "Maybe if you didn't blend into the crowd so well, I'd have noticed you."

"You—! Xia Wu, so your eyes only have room for Xu Ying, is that it? Look at him—did he look after you? He's long gone!"

Duan Chen rolled his eyes. He really couldn't stand seeing her this pathetic.

Xia Wu fumbled her way upright. Apart from the glow of monitor screens, the floor was pitch black.

She didn't know what she grabbed, but Duan Chen leaped several steps back.

"Xia Wu, are you—are you even a girl? Where are you touching?" Then he noticed something off. Her eyes weren't focusing.

People around were hooting, but Xia Wu couldn't find the aisle.

Duan Chen froze, then it clicked.

He stepped forward, seized her wrist, shouldered through the crowd, and led her out of the cafe.

Only under the streetlight outside did Xia Wu's vision gradually clear.

Duan Chen snapped, "If you can't see, why shove your way in? Is your head stuffed with crap?"

"Yeah. Stuffed with you." Xia Wu shot back. Duan Chen was speechless.

His voice dropped. For the first time, an expression crossed his face that had nothing to do with swagger or arrogance: "Is chasing Xu Ying like this because of Gu Jin?"

Xia Wu's head snapped up. Then she dropped it again, fast. The streetlight stretched her shadow long, and whether from the wind or not, it trembled slightly.

Duan Chen looked at the girl stuck in the mud under the streetlight, serious now: "You shouldn't do this. It's not fair—to you, to Xu Ying, or to Gu Jin."

Xia Wu smiled, a little mocking: "The world's full of unfair things. Who's ever going to spare me?"

Duan Chen opened his mouth, then closed it.

That night, the two least likely people at Shiqiao High to ever walk together did exactly that—one behind the other, in strange harmony, until Xia Wu got home.

And Xu Ying never showed up again. Like he'd really forgotten her.

"How much is this book, miss?" Xia Wu snapped back to the present, took the book, and scanned the barcode.

"Twenty-five. Alipay or WeChat?"

"You take cash?" The customer asked. Xia Wu looked up—and there was Duan Chen, grinning that same roguish grin.

His jawline was sharper than in high school, but his eyes still had that flamboyant, alive look.