They had initially thought Yang Xiaoli was unwilling to talk much about Qi Sheng, but then they heard her slowly say, "He graduated from Qingmu University. He could have had a better future, but he chose to stay and become an unknown high school teacher."
Lin Xiaoguai and Zhu Huixi were somewhat shocked. Qingmu University, known for its strength in the sciences, on par with Capital University?
It didn’t show at all.
He seemed so ordinary, even, Qi Sheng didn’t carry the arrogance of a prestigious university graduate. It would be more accurate to say his nature was gentle than mild, no, more precisely, it seemed like the edges of his personality had been worn away by reality. Yet, there wasn’t the slightest hint of slickness about him, as if he truly was a good-natured high school teacher.
Involuntarily, both of them started to think that this Qi Sheng was perhaps not so ordinary after all.
They talked about a lot of things, including Lin Xiaoguai’s hardships during her quadruplet pregnancy, the numerous twists and turns of building a farm, Zhu Huixi also shared her long-standing anxiety of being childless, the gender discrimination she faced at work, Yang Xiaoli then spoke of how she had made up her mind to start her own business, and how she had struggled to save up the initial startup capital...
At that moment, it felt as if they had returned to their school days, where every sorrow and joy were shared with someone.
After having shared each of their stories, just as Lin Xiaoguai and Zhu Huixi began to feel a bit fatigued, Yang Xiaoli suddenly began to speak, "I know you must think that I agreed to get married unwillingly because of pressure from my parents, but it’s really not like that."
Lin Xiaoguai and Zhu Huixi instantly perked up, afraid of missing any detail.
"There’s something I haven’t told you," she paused, as if it took a great deal of resolve before she continued, "Half a year ago, I secretly made a trip to the Capital."
"Why didn’t you come to see us?" Zhu Huixi was incredibly shocked.
Lin Xiaoguai also wore an expression waiting for an explanation.
"Can you let me finish first?" Seeing them settle down, Yang Xiaoli squinted her eyes and slowly said, "My acquaintance with Qi Sheng was accidental. He took his class to the cinema, lost his glasses, and couldn’t find his way in the pitch-black theater, so I helped him once."
"Later one day, Su Cheng sent me a letter, which I read behind a tree, and I couldn’t help crying afterward, when he appeared in front of me, awkwardly handing me a handkerchief."
Zhu Huixi’s eyes widened, about to ask how Su Cheng knew her address, when she was gently pulled by Lin Xiaoguai aside.
You didn’t need to think too hard to know that with Su Cheng’s family background, finding someone’s address wasn’t difficult, and the reason they could find them in the first place was probably Mrs. Su’s interference.
"It’s strange to say, but in our first encounters, we both saw the most disheveled side of each other."
"Gradually, we became friends."
"Yes," Yang Xiaoli dragged out her words, "We truly became friends. He was probably the first person I could really talk to after returning home. We didn’t know each other’s experiences, but our conversations and interactions couldn’t have been more natural."
"Between us..." She took a long time to find the right term, "Yes, it was like what they say in the books, a kindred spirit."
"We understood each other, supported each other, but there was no romantic sentiment between us."
"However, I was very clear that we didn’t have romantic feelings for each other. What surprised me, though, was that Qi Sheng actually suggested we consider dating."
"To be honest, I almost thought I had heard wrong." Her voice carried a light laugh, "Luckily, he quickly admitted that he hadn’t fallen in love with me, but felt that I would be a suitable wife for him."
"During that time, I really hesitated. I didn’t want to lose Qi Sheng, my special friend, otherwise, without you guys around, I would be too lonely at home. To be honest, I wasn’t willing to sacrifice my marriage for this friendship. But in the dead of night, I would think that maybe Qi Sheng was the most suitable partner for me, especially as I had no desire to develop romantic feelings for other men anymore."
"So I made a decision to go back to the Capital to see Su Cheng one last time, to let go of the lingering unwillingness in my heart." Yang Xiaoli’s voice was very soft.
Suddenly, a slight laugh, laced with heavy self-mockery, escaped her lips.
"I didn’t expect that Su Cheng, who once said in his letter how much losing me pained him, that he could hardly bear to live without me, would so quickly have another charming companion."
Yang Xiaoli’s voice was choked with emotion, "You have no idea how foolish I felt then. My mind was in a haze, all I wanted to do was escape the sight of those two close figures, so I dashed to the train station and bought a ticket home, only to buy the wrong ticket to some province J in the north. To add insult to injury, when I got off the train, all the money I had was stolen because I wasn’t paying attention."