Chapter 9

“…I didn’t bring it because I thought it wouldn’t rain,” Xia Li’s voice was so low that even she could barely hear herself.

The raindrops hit the umbrella fabric above her head, sounding as if they were pouring directly into her ears.

The city library isn’t in the city center, and today is a rainy day, so there are very few visitors.

Xia Li hugged her backpack with both arms, her whole body stiff, like a robot whose joints had rusted from the rain.

The umbrella was large, but the space under it was still limited. Being so close, she could easily catch a whiff of a cool, fresh scent mixed with the dampness, and if she wasn’t careful, she might brush against Yan Sishi’s arm.

If she didn’t say something soon, her heart might start beating too fast. Xia Li forced a sentence out of her hoarse throat: “… Have you finished translating?”

Her voice was drowned out by her heartbeat, sounding somewhat distorted.

“Very fast. It only took you two days, right?”

“I only did some revisions, not started from scratch. The text you gave me was already very good.”

It seemed that the more she got to know him, the more she liked him. He was so outstanding and yet so humble.

Xia Li whispered, “… Not including me. I only provided some reference material for event details, and I got those from the internet.”

“Gathering information is also part of the collaborative creation.”

Xia Li was stunned, her heart lifted as if by a warm tide.

She struggled to find an appropriate word to describe how she felt at that moment.

Yan Sishi moved the umbrella to the other side, put it away, and placed it in the umbrella stand at the entrance.

Xia Li also patted the rainwater off her hair and backpack.

Entering through the main library entrance, a spacious and bright corridor led to the annex, which was very quiet.

The new city library not only had a collection and reading area but also a cultural activity area in the annex, which was great for group discussions.

It was close to Chu City Liberal Arts College, and the needs of the college students had likely been considered during its construction.

The other members of the script writing and translation group had already arrived, taking a spot with a wide view by the window.

Tao Shiyue was the first to spot them, waving and calling, “Over here!”

Xia Li sat down next to Lin Qingxiao, while Yan Sishi sat down beside a boy.

Tao Shiyue glanced at Yan Sishi, who was sitting on her side, then looked at Xia Li, smiling and asking, “Did you come together?”

Tao Shiyue didn’t say anything more and started organizing today’s discussion.

Yan Sishi opened his black backpack, took out several printed and bound scripts, and placed them on the coffee table.

Lin Qingxiao picked one up, and Xia Li leaned over to read it together.

The script was bilingual, with a line of Chinese and a line of English, clearly and neatly formatted.

Just like him.

Yan Sishi told them that after reading it, they should bring up any parts they found unsuitable for discussion.

He took out a mechanical pencil from his backpack and, as if out of habit, twirled it in his hand.

Xia Li’s gaze was entirely drawn to his hand, ignoring the script.

His skin was cool and pale, the blue veins on the back of his hand were visible, his wrist bones and knuckles were distinct, and his fingers were long and slender.

The sound of rustling paper mixed with the rain.

No one spoke.

In terms of grammar and vocabulary, Yan Sishi’s revised version was much more accurate and fluent than their translation.

A girl responsible for translation in Class 7 smiled and said, “My skills are limited, I didn’t notice anything unsuitable.”

Xu Ning also nodded, “It’s really quite good.”

As the original author of the script, her approval was significant.

The tip of the pencil Yan Sishi was holding lightly tapped the script in front of him.

Xia Li instinctively felt that he might actually want everyone to give some feedback.

But he didn’t say much.

He let go, and the pencil fell gently.

The discussion went too smoothly; everyone braved the rain to come, so they couldn’t just end it like this.

Tao Shiyue and Zhu Xuan decided they could take the opportunity to discuss character assignments, subsequent schedules, props needs, and so on.

Tao Shiyue seemed to have already made a decision and eagerly said, “Looking at the script, Zhang Xueliang, as the main character, has the most lines. It’s quite difficult to get the English lines to be fluent and accurate in a short time…”

Leading up to this, she looked at Yan Sishi and smiled, “I think, how about you play the main character, Yan Sishi?”

To be honest, Xia Li was also looking forward to seeing Yan Sishi play Zhang Xueliang.

In high school history textbooks, there were several people whose photos alone seemed exceptionally handsome, and Zhou Xiangyu, Zhang Xueliang, and Cai E were among them.

Yan Sishi raised his eyes, his expression and tone both very calm, “Sorry, I’m not very interested in acting.”

This outcome didn’t surprise Xia Li, so she wasn’t disappointed.

But Tao Shiyue’s smile faded slightly at his words.

“Alright then…” she said, “We’ll see who will play the lead later. Do any of you have roles you’re interested in?”

Everyone started to speak up.

Zhu Xuan volunteered to be the student representative leading the demonstration because she liked the line, “In such a vast China, there isn’t even a peaceful desk.”

Tao Shiyue volunteered to play the role of Soong Mei-ling first.

Xu Ningjian took a different approach and wanted to play the role of Yang Hucheng.

The remaining students, including Xia Li, were flexible and willing to take any role assigned to them.

When the discussion ended, it was just before 4 PM, and it was still raining outside. Everyone discussed their plans for after the meeting.

Xia Li looked at Lin Qingxiao and Xu Ning.

Lin Qingxiao said, “I have plans to have dinner and watch a movie with someone.”

Xia Li smiled and asked, “Who?”

“Oh, you don’t need to ask,” Lin Qingxiao replied.

Xia Li then asked Xu Ning, “Ning Ning, what about you?”

“I plan to go to the main library and borrow some books.”

“I’ll go with you. I also need to borrow some books.”

Meanwhile, some of the students from Class 7 planned to go shopping, some were going home, and others intended to stay in the library to read for a while.

Tao Shiyue approached Yan Sishi and asked softly, “My mom wants to know if you’d like to have dinner at our house tonight.”

Yan Sishi replied coolly, “I already have plans tonight.”

Tao Shiyue looked disappointed. “Are you leaving now?”

“I’m going to the main library to study.”

“Alright then, I’ll leave first.”

In the end, Xia Li, Xu Ning, Yan Sishi, and another girl from Class 7 went to the main library together. For Xia Li, this was a pleasant surprise.

Xia Li, Xu Ning, and the girl from Class 7 walked in front, with Yan Sishi following behind. His steady footsteps echoed in the empty space.

It was the first time for all of them, so they needed to get a library card. The staff asked them to show their ID cards.

Xia Li had anticipated this and brought hers along, but the other three did not.

Xu Ning asked, “Can I just provide my ID number?”

The staff replied, “Yes.”

Xia Li was the first to get her card and waited aside. Xu Ning and the girl from Class 7 finished next, and finally, Yan Sishi stepped forward and gave his name.

The staff asked, “Which characters?”

Yan Sishi took the paper and pen on the desk, wrote down his name, and handed it to the staff. Xia Li glanced at it and admired his beautiful handwriting, a mix of slanted and upright strokes, elegant and flowing. He must have practiced since childhood.

The staff then asked for his ID number. “11010119920219XXXX…”

Xia Li felt a stir in her heart. 0219. She silently repeated the date twice.

After getting their cards, they entered the reading area. It was even quieter inside, with only the sound of falling needles audible.

Everyone went to their areas of interest. Xia Li pretended to pull a book from the shelf and casually opened it, her eyes following Yan Sishi.

He found an empty table by the window, pulled out a chair, and sat down. Then he took out a MacBook Pro from his backpack. In Chu City in 2008, it was the first time Xia Li had seen someone using one.

Yan Sishi opened a document on his laptop and started typing. Xia Li watched for a while before remembering she had a “task” to complete today as well.

She put the random book back on the shelf and quietly walked around the large space until she found the section for original language books. She stopped at the “G” section, scanning the titles until one caught her eye.

“Guns, Germs, and Steel.”

She hadn’t expected it to be there and had planned to ask the owner of Shangzhi Bookstore to help her buy a secondhand copy online. The city library had pleasantly surprised her.

She stood on her tiptoes, grabbed the spine of the book, and pulled it out. The book was so new it seemed like it had never been borrowed. She opened it and glanced at the dense English text, which almost made her feel faint. But she was determined; if Yan Si could finish it, so could she.

Xia Li went to the humanities section and picked up a few history books before heading back. Her laptop was still open on the table, but Yan Si wasn’t at his seat. After a few seconds of hesitation, Xia Li sat down at the table behind him. Soon, she heard footsteps nearby. Turning her head, she saw Yan Si holding an unopened bottle of mineral water. He glanced in her direction and nodded slightly in greeting. She quickly nodded back, feeling her cheeks warm up.

Yan Si sat back at his seat, and Xia Li opened her book again, but couldn’t help looking forward. She wasn’t trying to be rude by spying on Yan Si’s laptop screen, but with her perfect vision, she could easily see the document open on his screen, which appeared to be some kind of code. The books beside him were also on computer programming.

Every time she looked at her book, she couldn’t help glancing at Yan Si, which greatly reduced her efficiency. The all-English book was also full of unfamiliar words, making her reading halting and difficult. She reviewed her notebook, which was already filled with unfamiliar vocabulary. Frustrated, she closed her book and leaned forward on the table. Her arm accidentally knocked a pen, sending it rolling. She quickly reached out to stop it, catching it just before it fell. The noise wasn’t small, and Yan Si turned around.

“…Sorry,” Xia Li whispered.

Yan Si didn’t say anything and was about to turn back when Xia Li spoke impulsively, “Um…”

Yan Si paused and looked at her.

Xia Li’s voice was very soft, “…Do you have a dictionary?”

Yan Si shook his head. Of course, he didn’t need a dictionary; she knew that. Keeping her voice low to avoid disturbing the library’s silence, she asked, “There are a few words I don’t know. Can I ask you about them?”

“Sure.”