Ch. 5 - Li Xiaoman

Compared to the past, the alma mater hadn’t changed much. What had changed were the people who came and went, leaving behind four years of youth etched into unforgettable memories.

Under the green shade, by the grass, some underclassmen sat quietly reading. It was peaceful and harmonious. Ye Fan and the others felt as if they had returned to the past, far from the restlessness and noise they’d experienced over the past three years.

After graduation, everyone became busy with life and dreams. Many moved far from this city. Aside from Ye Fan and a few others, this was the first time most had returned to campus.

A short distance away, the small lake rippled softly, the scenery unchanged. They could still clearly remember those melancholic or spirited figures sitting by the lakeside, strumming guitars and singing campus ballads.

Even after so many years, whenever those melodies played, they stirred memories of that carefree and innocent time. The soft sorrow felt bittersweet and easily touched the soul.

Time always leaves behind a faint trace of melancholy.

No one knew where those guitar players had gone. It was hard to track their paths after graduation.

“I vaguely heard from a friend that the melancholy guitar prodigy ended up singing in a bar in another city. After a few years, he’s become pretty worn down.”

“Do you remember the talented, long-legged lead singer of the campus band? She was so beautiful and pure. I heard she now works as a hostess in a nightclub.”

Everyone sighed.

After graduation, many were struck by the harsh difference between dreams and reality. Life can be frustrating and leave one feeling lost.

After a brief silence, the group continued walking forward.

At that moment, Lin Jia came up beside Ye Fan.

She was wearing a blue-and-white chiffon dress, hemline above the thighs, which accentuated her long, fair, beautiful legs. A black belt cinched her waist, highlighting her figure. Her long hair cascaded over her full chest. Her curves were graceful and striking.

With her beautiful face, fair skin, and slightly upturned phoenix eyes, Lin Jia carried a distinct charm and elegance.

“You had a car yesterday. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“When would I have had the chance to say it?”

“Not inviting me into your car today?”

“With pleasure. Miss Lin Jia, I officially invite you right here.”

They both laughed.

Lin Jia brought up yesterday’s events quite suddenly but glossed over them lightly. She didn’t dwell on the past or lower her stance to smooth things over.

After saying that, she turned and walked away with a smile. Lin Jia was a clever woman. She knew that trying too hard would only come off as fake, it was better to be natural and straightforward.

This kind of subtle shift also occurred with a few other classmates.

By the time they left the campus, it was near noon. The group headed to a food street and entered a restaurant called Shifu Tower.

Wang Ziwen privately invited Ye Fan to sit at their table, but Ye Fan simply smiled, toasted a few drinks, and returned to sit with the same group as the day before.

“Ye Fan, I said some stupid things yesterday while drunk. I hope you won’t take it personally. Here, I’ll drink first to show my apology…” The male classmate who had said his fiancée was the niece of a bank executive now spoke humbly, trying hard to explain himself.

The female classmate who’d claimed her husband had been promoted to deputy general manager also completely changed her tone, now treating Ye Fan with politeness and respect.

“Come, come, let’s all raise our glasses!”

…

Compared to yesterday, Ye Fan’s table was much livelier. People clinked glasses one after another. Classmates from other tables came over to make toasts. Ye Fan couldn’t refuse and toasted each of them, even drinking with every person who came over from Wang Ziwen’s table.

Liu Yunzhi remained composed. Even though he had been embarrassed the day before, today he showed no reaction, as if nothing had happened at all.

“Everyone, last night I received a phone call, from across the ocean…” The speaker was Zhou Yi, a scholarly young man said to have a powerful background, something no longer a secret among classmates. Yesterday, Wang Ziwen had been waiting outside Bright Moon Above The Sea just to personally greet him.

Everyone stopped talking and turned toward Zhou Yi. Whether in college or now, he had always been approachable, never arrogant.

Zhou Yi shared some news: the three classmates who had been studying abroad were already on their way back to China. This immediately sparked excited discussion among those present.

…

“After graduation, we all went our separate ways. Each of us followed different paths in life. Reuniting like this isn’t easy. Next time we meet, we may already be parents… who knows how many years will pass before that happens. Since the classmates studying abroad are returning, I have a proposal, let’s extend this gathering just a little longer…”

Ye Fan drove home, made a cup of light green tea, and quietly looked out at the parasol trees outside his window. Memories began to stir.

Those he had missed, the footsteps that had walked away, the road that grew more distant, like the falling leaves of the parasol tree drifting down before his eyes.

Li Xiaoman, a name that had long faded from Ye Fan’s memory.

After graduating, she went abroad to study. For the first few months, they kept in close contact. But as time passed, the emails and calls became fewer and fewer until eventually, they lost all communication.

Rather than saying they were separated by an ocean, it was more like they had forgotten each other across that ocean. Their relationship, never very supported by friends, had ended as expected.

Today, upon hearing from Zhou Yi that Li Xiaoman would be returning to China, Ye Fan found the name so unfamiliar it caught him off guard. Time had passed, more than two years since they last spoke.

The reunion was extended, they would go tour Mount Tai. All expenses were covered by Wang Ziwen, Zhou Yi, and a few others. While a considerable cost for most, it was nothing to them.

Three days later, at the foot of Mount Tai, Ye Fan saw that familiar figure again. Three years had passed, but Li Xiaoman was still graceful and elegant, she hadn’t changed much.

She stood about 170 cm tall, wearing sunglasses. Her long black hair fluttered in the wind. She stood there tall and slender, casually dressed in light, cool clothing: short shorts above the knees that revealed long, fair legs, and a T-shirt with a cartoon graphic on it.

Li Xiaoman was undeniably beautiful. Her skin was fair and delicate. Her eyes were large, with long eyelashes, bright and expressive. She wasn’t flashy, but she exuded confidence.

She conversed naturally with those around her, clearly the center of attention, but without a hint of arrogance, her presence remained warm and approachable.

At her side stood a tall young man, introduced as her American classmate. 

Compared to the softer features of East Asians, he had a typical Western face: chiseled structure, high nose bridge, deep-set blue eyes, and slightly curly blond hair. From a Western aesthetic perspective, he was quite handsome.

“Hello, I am Cade. I… have longed for… Mount Tai. Finally… see it.” Although his Chinese was not fluent, it was good enough to communicate.

Elsewhere, the other two returning classmates were also being warmly welcomed. Everyone was asking about life and study abroad.

After three years, Ye Fan saw Li Xiaoman again. It felt like time had rewound and space had shifted.

The two exchanged polite greetings, no excitement, no emotional reunion. Just calm, as if nothing had ever happened. A distant, matter-of-fact civility.

There weren’t many words. They simply brushed past each other. Some things don’t need to be said. Silence is its own kind of ending.

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