On Saturday, Wen Ci went to the shopping centre to buy Qin Yun a gift.
Before buying anything, she asked Dou Yiqing for her opinion.
Dou Yiqing replied:
**Dou Yiqing: Receiving my birthday wishes is already the greatest fortune of his life. A gift? He can dream on.**
That was what she said, but Wen Ci knew Dou Yiqing was usually sharp-tongued yet soft-hearted.
Sure enough, another message soon arrived.
**Dou Yiqing: Just buy something random. It only needs to look passable.**
At the end, she added:
**Dou Yiqing: That bastard said tonight’s party is at a villa halfway up the mountain. I’m not asking you to dress like a princess, sweetheart [rose], but please don’t turn up in jeans.**
Wen Ci smiled and replied:
**Wen Ci: All right. I’ll try not to look embarrassingly unfashionable.**
In the end, she chose a handmade jewellery box intended for storing watches.
When she agreed to attend Qin Yun’s party, Wen Ci had already decided she would only make a brief appearance. She would deliver her birthday wishes and gift, then invent an excuse to leave early, just as she did at ordinary gatherings with her colleagues.
At half past five that afternoon, Wen Ci stood before the mirror with a light layer of makeup on her face and stepped into a pair of high heels she could not remember wearing in years.
She wore a sleeveless white dress that day.
Unlike the dresses she usually wore, this one had a clearly defined waist. Because it was well tailored, the upper half fitted closely against her body, outlining the delicate curves of her waist and figure.
The designer dress had been a gift from Dou Yiqing.
Wen Ci had worn it only once, when she was twenty. Mother Wen had thought it too tight and revealing and told her not to wear it often.
Although she had said “not often,” Wen Ci had never worn it again.
It was not entirely because of her mother. She simply had very few occasions where such a dress would be appropriate.
Wen Ci turned in a circle before the mirror and sighed in relief.
Fortunately, she had not gained weight over the past few years. It still fitted her.
The phone on her bed chimed.
Qin Yun had sent a voice message.
“Wen Ci, the person collecting you has already set off. He lives near you, so he should arrive in about ten minutes.”
Wen Ci replied, “All right.”
The floors at home were wooden, and she was afraid the heels would damage them.
She removed the shoes and carried them in one hand, took the gift and headed downstairs.
She had barely descended when she ran directly into Mother Wen.
Mother Wen stopped and looked her over from head to toe.
“Why are you wearing this dress again? Didn’t I tell you not to wear it often? Who are you going to meet?”
“I haven’t worn it in almost six years,” Wen Ci said.
The implication was that she had already worn it very rarely.
“I’m attending a friend’s birthday party tonight. I mentioned it during dinner on Wednesday.”
“Which friend’s birthday requires you to dress like this?” Mother Wen asked. “Yiqing’s birthday isn’t this month. Is it one of the teachers in your office?”
Wen Ci knew that if she casually gave her mother a name, Mother Wen would eventually find an opportunity to verify it.
Besides, she did not think there was any need to lie.
“Qin Yun’s birthday.”
“Qin Yun?”
Mother Wen thought for a long time before placing the name.
“That Qin Yun from high school? The boy in your class?”
“Yes.”
Although Mother Wen had not taught Wen Ci’s high school class, she had made a point of learning about the students in it.
Qin Yun had been one of the most notorious.
Rich, rebellious, constantly fighting, smoking and skipping class. He had committed every possible offence, had terrible grades and poor character.
Had his family not donated so much money to the school, he would have been expelled long ago.
At the time, one of the subject teachers had even complained to her:
Why did these rich children refuse to attend private schools? Why did they insist on coming to Jiangcheng Middle School and causing trouble?
Even after graduation, Mother Wen had vaguely heard stories about him.
Apparently, his family had spent money to send him to a good university. After the university warned him for skipping too many classes, he began driving an expensive car to campus every day, behaving without the slightest propriety.
Mother Wen looked surprised.
“Why are you still in contact with him?”
“We happened to meet again. His niece is in one of the classes I teach.”
Mother Wen examined her for a moment.
After a long silence, she nodded and said lightly, “Have less contact with him in future. Don’t go tonight either.”
“What?”
Wen Ci froze.
“Why?”
“Don’t associate with people like that,” Mother Wen said calmly. “Go and change your clothes, then sleep early. Don’t wear this dress again. What kind of appearance is that? A young woman should dress properly.”
Wen Ci stood on the stairs for a long time before returning to her senses.
“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with this dress. It’s beautiful, and Yiqing gave it to me,” Wen Ci said. “Besides, I already promised Qin Yun I would attend.”
“I know Yiqing gave it to you. That’s why I never asked you to throw it away.”
Wen Ci stood silently for a moment, then continued downstairs.
Mother Wen immediately called after her.
“Wen Ci!”
“I’ll return early,” Wen Ci said without looking back.
While she lowered her head to put on her heels, Mother Wen moved to block the front door.
“Mum!”
Wen Ci stared at her in disbelief.
“I only want to attend a friend’s birthday.”
“I’m not refusing to let you celebrate a friend’s birthday. If it were Yiqing, one of your colleagues or another respectable friend, I would allow you to go. I wouldn’t interfere.”
“Yiqing is going tonight too.”
“That child Yiqing has always been wild at heart. I noticed it long ago. I even warned her parents, but they refused to listen.”
Mother Wen sighed.
“And look what happened. She truly fell out with her family last year and still hasn’t returned home to live. You’re her friend. It’s bad enough that you don’t persuade her, but now you want to misbehave alongside her?”
“Why should I persuade her? She hasn’t done anything wrong,” Wen Ci replied calmly. “Mum, move aside.”
Mother Wen did not move.
She stared deeply at her.
The two remained at a standstill for a long time.
Finally, Mother Wen sighed.
“Wen Ci, you’ve disappointed me tonight.”
Those words froze Wen Ci in place.
For one brief moment, she desperately wanted to ask:
Why are you disappointed so easily?
When I was young, if I ate one mouthful less or refused to take an afternoon nap, you said you were disappointed.
After I started school, if I completed one fewer practice paper or lost a few marks, you said you were disappointed.
Now that I’m grown, I want to attend one friend’s birthday party, and you say you’re disappointed.
Wen Ci opened her mouth and was about to speak when heavy footsteps sounded behind her.
Her father’s voice was as calm and authoritative as ever.
“What’s happening? I could hear you from my room.”
Mother Wen replied, “She says she wants to attend Qin Yun’s birthday party—that terrible boy who was in her high school class. I refused to let her go, and now she’s throwing a tantrum.”
“I thought it was something serious.”
Father Wen delivered his judgement.
“Wen Ci, return to your room.”
…
Wen Ci returned to her bedroom and stopped beside the door.
She stood silently in the darkness for a long time.
Her eyes stung.
She tried hard to force the tears back because she did not want to ruin her makeup.
When she eventually failed, she thought:
Forget it. I’m not going anyway.
Her phone screen suddenly lit up, becoming the only source of light in the room.
At the sound of the ringtone, Wen Ci froze before hurriedly taking it out.
When she saw the name on the screen, she froze again.
It was a voice call from Zhou Wu.
Wen Ci sniffed and answered in a fluster.
“Hello?”
Hearing her voice, Zhou Wu paused slightly.
“I’ve arrived. The car can’t enter the street, so I’m waiting at the junction. Come out when you’re ready.”
Wen Ci finally realised that the person Qin Yun had arranged to collect her was Zhou Wu.
She felt even more miserable.
When she did not respond, Zhou Wu asked, “What’s wrong?”
Wen Ci’s nose stung.
She tried her best to control her voice.
“I’m sorry. I probably can’t go… I’m sorry. I was just about to tell Qin Yun. I’m really sorry.”
The other end was silent for two seconds.
She vaguely heard the sound of a car door opening, mixed with the noise from the street. Wen Ci could not hear clearly.
“All right. If you can’t go, then don’t. Stop crying.”
Zhou Wu’s voice remained calm.
“Is it convenient to tell me why? Are you feeling unwell?”
Wen Ci had stood beside the door for a long time considering possible excuses.
That had been one of them.
It would have worked perfectly.
After all, she was already twenty-six. Admitting to her friends that her parents would not allow her to leave the house sounded far too pathetic.
Yet for some reason, when she heard Zhou Wu’s voice, Wen Ci suddenly no longer wanted to invent an excuse.
“My parents won’t let me go,” she said. “I’m sorry you came all this way for nothing.”
Zhou Wu laughed quietly on the other end.
“…I thought it was something serious.”
Wen Ci did not know what to say and could only repeat stiffly, “I’m sorry. I’ll explain everything to Qin Yun.”
“Do you want to go?” Zhou Wu suddenly asked.
Wen Ci froze.
Did she want to?
At first, not particularly.
She did not know Qin Yun or his friends well and worried she would make the atmosphere awkward.
She also did not know what to do if she saw Zhou Wu and Duan Wei together.
But at that moment, hearing Zhou Wu’s voice, Wen Ci suddenly realised that she did.
She wanted to see Zhou Wu very, very much.
“…I do,” Wen Ci said.
The background noise on the other end changed from loud to quiet.
Standing before rows of low, two-storey red-brick houses, Zhou Wu asked, “What was your house number again?”
“Number thirty-one,” Wen Ci replied. “Why?”
“Which floor are you on?”
“The second floor.”
“…You haven’t turned on the light?”
Zhou Wu said, “Wen Ci, open the window.”
Wen Ci froze as a possibility occurred to her.
She immediately rose from the floor and hurried to the window as quietly as possible.
She pushed it open—
Zhou Wu stood beneath it, looking up at her with a smile.
When he saw her, one of his eyebrows rose almost imperceptibly.
Wen Ci was dressed entirely in white.
She was already fair-skinned, and standing in the darkness, she resembled a beautiful white magnolia.
“I haven’t seen this dress before,” Zhou Wu said.
“Yiqing told me not to wear jeans.”
Only after saying it did she realise something was wrong.
Zhou Wu himself was wearing loose dark-grey jeans with a black T-shirt embroidered with a pattern.
However, he was naturally tall and long-legged, built like a clothes hanger. Nothing he wore could make him look unfashionable. He always appeared handsome with effortless carelessness.
Wen Ci belatedly became embarrassed.
“Does it look strange? I can change.”
Then she recovered.
She could not attend the party anyway. Why would she need to change?
“It doesn’t look strange.”
Another call notification appeared on Zhou Wu’s phone.
He glanced at it and declined the call.
“They’re urging us to hurry. Let’s go.”
Wen Ci froze.
They stared at each other for a while before she asked blankly, “…How?”
“Do you trust me?”
“I do.”
Zhou Wu had not expected her to answer so quickly.
His smile deepened.
“Jump. I’ll catch you.”
“…”
Wen Ci turned and went back into the room.
Zhou Wu stared after her.
“…”
Then he laughed.
“Didn’t you say you trusted me?”
Wen Ci became flustered.
“No… I’m going to get my shoes. I haven’t taken the gift either. I’ll be quick. Wait for me.”
Zhou Wu had already examined the surroundings.
Wen Ci’s house stood at the end of the street. The second floor was not particularly high—not even as high as the walls surrounding Jiangcheng Middle School.
A narrow alley ran directly beneath her bedroom window.
It was secluded, silent and empty.
With such ideal conditions, it would almost be a waste not to climb through the window at least once.
Her high heels and handbag were thrown down first.
Then Wen Ci swung one leg over the windowsill.
The breeze gently lifted the hem of her dress into the air.
The surroundings were dim and silent, with no one else in sight.
Wen Ci felt the evening wind and listened to the pounding of her heart.
It seemed to be beating faster than it ever had in her life.
Zhou Wu stood below the window and opened his arms towards her.
Seeing her nervousness, he glanced at her dress and joked quietly, “Should I close my eyes?”
“I’m wearing safety shorts. And… it doesn’t matter if it’s you. You can look.”
Zhou Wu wanted to ask how she always managed to say things that could be interpreted in such interesting ways.
The next second, Wen Ci jumped.
Zhou Wu caught her steadily, as though catching a falling white magnolia.
Wen Ci wrapped both arms tightly around him, still shaken from the jump.
Holding her, Zhou Wu lightly bounced her twice in his arms.
“You seem lighter,” he observed.
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