Wen Ci had been called “Ms Wen” by countless people and had long since grown used to it.
Yet perhaps because Zhou Wu’s voice was naturally clear and low, the way he addressed her so casually somehow sounded different from everyone else.
Wen Ci had intended to refuse the invitation, but his words left her briefly dazed.
Dou Yiqing spoke first.
“No, thank you, Mr Yu. You should all go ahead. Wen Ci and I have already chosen a restaurant and were just about to leave.”
“If you were only about to go, then you haven’t gone yet. Just cancel it,” Yu Binhong insisted. “I also happen to want to ask about how the two of you are getting on with teaching.”
Qin Yun interrupted, “Old Yu, ignore her. It’s better if she doesn’t come. Otherwise, none of us will be able to eat.”
Dou Yiqing said, “Mr Yu, I’ve cancelled the restaurant. We’ll come with you.”
“When did you cancel it?” Qin Yun asked.
“Just now.”
Dou Yiqing sneered.
“I insist on disgusting you so much that you lose your appetite. You can starve to death for all I care.”
In the span of only a few sentences, while Wen Ci was still distracted, she and Dou Yiqing somehow ended up joining the large dinner group.
Yu Binhong rejected the several expensive restaurants Qin Yun suggested and chose a small place near the school instead, saying he was accustomed to eating there.
The restaurant was only about a kilometre from the school. Since the roads were congested, everyone unanimously decided to walk.
Along the way, to prevent Dou Yiqing and Qin Yun from arguing in the street, Yu Binhong called them both to his side and patiently tried to reason with them.
Wen Ci was not close to the others, and the road was narrow, so she simply walked alone at the very back to enjoy some peace.
Unexpectedly, after walking for a while, the people directly ahead of her became Zhou Wu and Duan Wei.
Duan Wei deliberately slowed down.
As they passed an arcade, she raised her chin and asked, “Zhou Wu, do you remember this place?”
Zhou Wu replied, “What place?”
“This arcade.”
Duan Wei stood on tiptoe and leaned towards his ear, whispering, “This is where you confessed to me. Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten!”
For the first time, Wen Ci regretted having such good hearing.
She lowered her head and began counting the paving stones beneath her feet, slowing her pace even further.
“I haven’t forgotten,” Zhou Wu said carelessly. “Why didn’t Xiang Wenwen come today?”
Duan Wei froze, then turned her head and pouted.
“Do you have to mention him?”
“I was only asking.”
“Zhou Wu, I…”
Duan Wei’s voice paused, and she did not continue.
A brief silence fell between them.
It did not last long. By the time they crossed the next junction, Duan Wei had returned to normal.
She removed her handbag from her shoulder and handed it to Zhou Wu.
“I’ve carried it all day. My shoulder is killing me. Hold it for me.”
Zhou Wu’s hand hung lazily at his side without moving.
“We’re almost there.”
The corners of Duan Wei’s mouth dropped.
“You used to carry my schoolbag after class.”
Zhou Wu gave a laugh devoid of any particular emotion.
“It wouldn’t be appropriate now.”
“Why? Because I’m married?”
Duan Wei looked at him and suddenly asked, “What if I got divorced?”
A bus horn blared sharply.
Wen Ci flinched and did not hear the rest of their conversation.
But she could roughly guess what Zhou Wu would say.
She had heard Duan Wei ask him a similar question on the day of her wedding.
…
Yu Binhong asked the restaurant to reserve its largest space for them.
Calling it the largest space was generous. In reality, it was simply one large round table.
After sitting down, Dou Yiqing deliberately saved the seat beside her for Wen Ci.
Unexpectedly, Qin Yun dropped straight into it and smiled.
“Dou Yiqing, no one is going to enjoy this meal tonight.”
When Wen Ci entered, only three seats remained around the table.
Two were beside each other, while the last was far away on the opposite side.
Zhou Wu pulled out one of the chairs.
Duan Wei naturally sat down and thanked him sweetly.
Zhou Wu paused but said nothing.
He then pulled out the chair beside Duan Wei and turned around.
“Wen Ci, sit here.”
Wen Ci smiled at him with the same expression she had worn in the staff photograph.
“You sit there. I’ll sit on the other side.”
She quickly walked to the final empty seat and sat down without looking at him again.
Zhou Wu raised an eyebrow before eventually sitting down at an unhurried pace.
Conversation around the table was lively.
Wen Ci used the same skill she always employed at staff dinners: she kept her head lowered and ate, occasionally laughing along with the others.
She neither drew too much attention nor appeared dismissive.
That continued until the conversation turned towards her.
Yu Binhong asked, “Why didn’t the two of you wear your school uniforms today? I saw some teachers who also studied at Jiangcheng Middle School wearing theirs.”
Dou Yiqing stuck out her tongue.
“I lost mine ages ago.”
“I couldn’t find mine on such short notice either,” Wen Ci said with a smile.
“Didn’t you specifically ask everyone in the class to sign it? How did you lose that too?”
Zhou Wu folded his arms and looked towards her as he suddenly spoke.
Wen Ci nearly lost her grip on her chopsticks.
“Everyone in the class? Where did they sign? On the uniform?” Qin Yun asked in confusion. “Did I sign it? Why don’t I remember?”
“Don’t ask. Obviously, she didn’t ask you,” Dou Yiqing mocked.
Another former classmate laughed.
“Hahaha, Wen Ci didn’t ask you? I signed it back then.”
“?!”
Qin Yun turned towards him, looking wounded.
“Seriously, Wen Ci?”
Wen Ci quickly recovered and released a heavy sigh of relief inwardly.
She was immensely grateful that she had owned two uniforms at the time.
“I’m sorry. I couldn’t find you back then.”
Wen Ci pressed her palms together and smiled apologetically.
“If I find the uniform, I’ll add your name afterwards.”
“No. Something this important has to be brought out so I can sign it personally.”
Qin Yun continued, “How about this? My birthday is next month. Come to my birthday party and bring the uniform with you.”
Dou Yiqing said, “Are you insane? Who wants to attend your birthday?”
Qin Yun raised his palm between himself and Dou Yiqing.
“You weren’t invited.”
Dou Yiqing immediately reached over to bend his fingers backwards.
Yu Binhong shouted, “Stop arguing! Are you still children?”
Everyone else’s attention was drawn towards them, and the table erupted into laughter again.
Zhou Wu looked at the woman laughing along on the opposite side and raised an inquisitive eyebrow.
Although the restaurant was small, the food was genuinely delicious.
Most of the dishes contained seafood, but the flavours were rather spicy. Unfortunately, the restaurant’s refrigerator was broken, so there were no cold drinks.
“Someone go to the convenience store across the road and buy a few chilled drinks,” Yu Binhong said. “Who hasn’t peeled anything and still has clean hands?”
Zhou Wu stood up.
“I’ll go.”
Wen Ci had intended to volunteer, but when she saw him rise, she quietly leaned back again.
“Wen Ci.”
Zhou Wu suddenly looked towards her.
“Come with me? It’ll be easier with two people.”
Wen Ci froze for a moment before slowly standing.
“…All right.”
…
Wen Ci deliberately slowed her pace, instinctively trying to fall behind.
For some reason, even after they had walked some distance, Zhou Wu remained beside her.
The pedestrian light changed from green to red just after a group of people crossed.
For a moment, only the two of them remained on that side of the road.
After stopping, Wen Ci kept her face turned towards the opposite direction.
Zhou Wu lowered his gaze to the top of her untidy hair.
After a long while, he spoke lazily.
“Ms Wen.”
Wen Ci’s shoulders paused.
Two seconds later, she turned towards him with a natural expression.
“Mm?”
“Although our relationship isn’t exactly innocent…”
Zhou Wu looked at her, the faintest curve appearing at the corner of his lips.
“…there’s no need to pretend we’re this unfamiliar with each other, is there?”
“…”
“I’m not pretending we’re unfamiliar,” Wen Ci defended herself. “We genuinely weren’t close before. If we suddenly acted too familiar, wouldn’t other people become suspicious?”
“Were you close to Qin Yun before?” Zhou Wu asked.
Wen Ci froze.
“No.”
“Then why are you treating us differently?”
“I’m not.”
“You were talking to him just now,” Zhou Wu stated. “But you haven’t looked at me once today.”
“…”
Wen Ci was silent for a moment.
“Sorry.”
Zhou Wu had not expected her to apologise and raised an eyebrow in surprise.
“I’m not blaming you. There’s no need to apologise.”
He looked at Wen Ci’s profile and suddenly asked, “Why are you in a bad mood today?”
“…”
Wen Ci’s denials were always unconvincing.
“I’m not.”
Zhou Wu exposed her without the slightest mercy.
“It’s obvious.”
Wen Ci thought back over all the ways she had given herself away that day.
She pressed her lips together and hastily invented an excuse.
“I don’t know. Perhaps it’s because… Xiang Wenwen didn’t come today.”
The person beside her finally fell silent.
The light changed to green.
Feeling as though she had narrowly escaped disaster, Wen Ci said, “Let’s go.”
Zhou Wu gave a noncommittal hum.
Now that she had supplied a suitable explanation, Zhou Wu finally stopped asking questions she found difficult to answer.
After buying the drinks, Wen Ci reached towards the remaining bag on the counter.
Before she could lift it, Zhou Wu had already picked it up.
“I can carry that one,” Wen Ci hurriedly said.
“No need.”
Zhou Wu’s tone was indifferent.
“You looked unhappy, so I brought you outside to get some air. I didn’t actually bring you here to perform manual labour.”
Only when they were almost back at the restaurant did Zhou Wu hand her the lighter bag.
He did not let her return empty-handed and feel awkward.
Upon entering the restaurant, Zhou Wu casually settled the bill at the front counter.
The dinner was nearing its end when Yu Binhong received a call from his wife and left early.
Ten minutes later, everyone else also stood and began saying goodbye.
“Weiwei, shall I take you home? It’s on my way,” someone asked before leaving.
“No, thank you. Zhou Wu will take me.”
On a sudden whim, Duan Wei turned towards the person beside her.
“Zhou Wu, you still haven’t seen the clothing store I recently opened, have you? I’ll take you there later.”
“Another time,” Zhou Wu said.
“Then Wen Ci and I will leave first too.”
Dou Yiqing stood.
“Should I take you?” Zhou Wu raised his eyes and asked.
Dou Yiqing froze for a moment, then waved a hand in refusal.
“No need. I drove here. Wen Ci is leaving with me.”
“Wen Ci, I’ll see you next weekend. I’ll send the address to you on WeChat,” Qin Yun said with a smile.
Dou Yiqing said, “Get lost. Wen Ci isn’t going.”
“Why do you always interrupt when I’m talking to Wen Ci?”
Qin Yun looked at her.
“Oh, do you want to come too? Fine. I’ll reluctantly invite you as well.”
Before Dou Yiqing could explode, Wen Ci hurriedly restrained her.
She smiled and said goodbye to everyone around the table.
This time, she did not avoid Zhou Wu’s gaze.
“We’ll leave first. Let’s stay in touch. Goodbye.”
…
During the drive home, Dou Yiqing spent the entire journey insulting Qin Yun.
Wen Ci stared out of the window and became distracted several times.
Only when Dou Yiqing asked, “Right?” or “Don’t you agree?” would Wen Ci return to her senses, smile and nod along.
When Wen Ci reached home, Mother Wen looked at her in surprise.
“Today was the school anniversary. Why did you go dressed like that? You’ve made yourself so untidy too. You’re a teacher. You can’t look this careless…”
Wen Ci responded a few times before turning and returning to her room.
After showering and climbing into bed, Wen Ci buried her face in the pillow.
Only when she was almost unable to breathe did she finally turn over again.
She opened WeChat, intending to answer her work messages before going to sleep.
Then Duan Wei’s profile picture appeared in her Moments.
Wen Ci could not resist opening it.
It was a nine-photo grid with the caption:
**If only I could remain eighteen forever.**
The first six photographs were of Jiangcheng Middle School.
Faces appeared in the final three.
One was the photograph Wen Ci had taken of Duan Wei and Zhou Wu in front of the distinguished alumni display board.
Another was Duan Wei’s selfie in front of the same board.
In the background of that selfie, Wen Ci saw herself.
Duan Wei had probably captured her unintentionally.
Wen Ci was only a tiny figure in the background. Her hair was messy, one side of her long-sleeved top was stained, and her jeans had been washed until they were faded.
Her appearance made Duan Wei look even more beautiful and refined.
The final photograph was a selfie Duan Wei had taken from the passenger seat of a car.
Her face occupied the foreground, while Zhou Wu was driving in the background.
The car was moving, so both of their faces were slightly blurred.
It was the kind of photograph filled with atmosphere.
The exhaustion in Wen Ci’s mind suddenly became even heavier.
She closed the photographs.
Her finger hovered over the like button for a long time.
In the end, she did not press it.
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