Chapter 14

She waited at the school gate for less than ten minutes when the car arrived.

Yan Sishi opened the back door, Xia Li sat in and said, “Thank you.”

Yan Sishi nodded, gesturing for her to move in a bit.

Xia Li hesitated for a moment, quickly shifted to the left, and Yan Sishi then slightly bowed and got into the car, closing the door gently.

Xia Li didn’t have time to think about why Yan Sishi didn’t sit in the front passenger seat. The driver turned around and asked her where to go. She hurriedly said, “Chu City Vocational and Technical College, new campus.”

The new campus of the vocational school is located at the junction between the development zone and the main city area, about a twenty-minute drive away.

In fact, Xia Li didn’t have the heart to think about anything along the way, even though Yan Sishi was sitting right beside her.

One call after another came in on her phone, first from Zhu Xuan, then from Xu Ning, asking if she had caught the car and if there was traffic on the road.

There was even a call from Xiao Yulong, apologizing on behalf of his good buddy’s labor committee, saying the person wasn’t reliable and caused trouble for her.

She answered calls all the way, paying attention to the road conditions, until they arrived at the vocational school.

Entering the school gate, Xia Li rolled down the car window, stopped pedestrians twice to ask for directions, and the car smoothly reached the dormitory building where those six girls lived.

She quickly opened the left door, saying to Yan Sishi, “Please wait a moment!”

The six sets of clothes were all crammed into a special step paper bag, loosely stuffed. Xia Li was afraid the bag would burst, so she held it close to her chest.

After getting into the car, as the car moved, Xia Li took out the clothes from the bag one by one and neatly folded them.

Luckily, the clothes weren’t dirtied except for one piece that seemed to have lipstick on the collar.

She brightened her phone screen and leaned closer to inspect it.

Yan Sishi had slightly leaned to the side, his arm reaching over to press a button on the car roof.

“… Thank you.” Xia Li didn’t dare to look up, her face slightly flushed.

Would he think she’s inexperienced, not even knowing there are lights on the car roof?

Yan Sishi withdrew his arm, and only then did Xia Li lower her eyes, somewhat flustered, to look at the stain.

The size of a pinky fingernail, it seemed like lipstick.

Afraid the shop owner would blame them, she took out her phone and prepared to take a photo for evidence.

But her phone, which should have been replaced long ago, took such blurry photos in low light that they were unreadable.

Xia Li looked up at Yan Sishi. “Can I borrow your phone to take a picture?”

Yan Sishi nodded, took out his phone from the pocket of his black down jacket, slid up to unlock it, opened the camera function, and handed it to her.

At that time, the most popular phone was the Nokia 5300 in Mingzhong, red and white color matching, beautifully designed craftsmanship, powerful entertainment functions, suitable for both men and women. Lin Qingxiao was using this model.

Yan Sishi’s phone was the Nokia N96, just released in 2008, with a black body, exceptionally simple, matching his temperament.

Xia Li took Yan Sishi’s phone and took two pictures of the lipstick mark.

When she returned it, she felt a thin layer of sweat on her palm. “… Can you please send me the photos?”

“By text message. My phone number is 139…”

It could have been transferred via Bluetooth, Xia Li hadn’t forgotten. She did it on purpose.

She caught a glimpse of Yan Sishi’s slender fingers lightly pressing the phone keys. After a moment, her phone vibrated.

Opening the message inbox, the two photos had already been sent over.

After storing them, she sent them to the shop owner named “Yugege,” informing her that the clothes were stained by those girls from the vocational school.

“How is it? Did you get them?” Zhu Xuan’s voice sounded anxious.

“I got them. I’m already on my way back.”

“That’s good.” Zhu Xuan sighed with relief. “I’ve already had them prepared to wait near the auditorium. After you arrive, finish makeup with them and come over together. If you can’t find anyone, call me.”

After hanging up, Xia Li looked at Yan Sishi. “… Thank you. I definitely wouldn’t have made it without your help.”

“It was a small gesture.”

Xia Li raised her hand and turned off the reading light.

With one hand holding clothes and the other clutching her phone, in the dimming cabin, she couldn’t help but smile.

The crisis was successfully averted.

She also got Yan Sishi’s phone number.

There couldn’t be a more perfect day than this.

The car stopped at the school gate, and Yan Sishi opened the door and got out first.

Xia Li leaned against the seat and moved to the door, Yan Sishi stretched out his hand to help with the bag of clothes she was holding.

She quickly said, “It’s okay, it’s okay, not heavy, I can carry it myself.”

How could she describe to him that she felt embarrassed with this shabby paper bag in front of him?

However, without saying a word, Yan Sishi reached out and grabbed the handle of the paper bag.

It lightened her burden.

Xia Li quickly got out of the car, and Yan Sishi closed the door with his other hand, his tone still calm, “Let’s go.”

Yan Sishi’s pace wasn’t fast, but with his height advantage, Xia Li had to slightly quicken her steps to keep up with him.

All the way, she prayed that the paper bag wouldn’t break.

They crossed the campus to the old teaching building.

On the second floor, an empty classroom was used as a dressing room, with Lin Qingxiao and five other girls remaining.

The moment they entered, the five girls stood together, eagerly looking towards the door, reminding Xia Li of left-behind children waiting for their parents to come home.

She couldn’t help but smile. “I got the clothes!”
She couldn’t help but smile, “Got the clothes!”

Lin Qingxiao urged, “Hurry up, hurry up, you guys go change first. Come over for makeup right after.”

Yan Sishi handed over the paper bag, which Xia Li caught and hugged to her chest, thanking him once again.

Yan Si said it was nothing and told her to quickly go change.

There was no time for more words. They took out the clothes, divided them by size, and if the sizes didn’t match perfectly, they went with the closest fit.

The one with lipstick on the collar was kept by Xia Li.

The six of them went to the restroom at the end of the hallway together, changed into their clothes, put on thick down jackets, and shivered a bit as they ran back to the classroom.

The costumes were blue tops and black skirts, the uniform of female students from the Republic of China era. Though it was an autumn version, it was still cold to wear.

Back in the classroom, Xia Li, now slightly relaxed, noticed Lin Qingxiao’s friend Ouyang Jing was also there.

Ouyang Jing, in a long white down jacket, wore a turquoise dress for ethnic dance underneath. Her makeup and hair were done, with her hair in a bun, showing off her beautiful, full forehead.

Lin Qingxiao and Ouyang Jing divided the work, each taking care of three people. Xia Li was assigned to Ouyang Jing.

Before sitting down in front of the makeup mirror, Xia Li glanced around.

Yan Sishi was no longer in the classroom; he had probably gone to the auditorium to meet Wang Chen.

Xia Li sat in the chair, and Ouyang Jing took a few hairpins, pinning up her bangs to reveal her forehead.

“Did you just wash your face?” Ouyang Jing asked.

“Yeah. I was sweating a bit from running.”

“Your skin is a bit dry, I’ll apply some toner, is that okay? It’s the one I use.”

“Yeah, go ahead.”

After applying the toner, Ouyang Jing also put on some moisturizer and then a makeup primer.

“Your skin is so nice,” Ouyang Jing said, “Do you not get acne? You have no acne marks at all.”

“I guess I don’t get much acne.”

Ouyang Jing pumped a bit of foundation, dotted it on Xia Li’s face in sections, “Your face is so small, it saves on makeup.”

No one dislikes being complimented by a beautiful girl, so Xia Li couldn’t help but smile.

Although Ouyang Jing could be considered a “rival in love,” Xia Li had no intention of competing with her. Every time she saw her, she would just think about how pretty she was.

As extras, their makeup didn’t need to be too elaborate. They just touched up their eyebrows and lip gloss, used shadow and highlighter to accentuate their features, making sure they weren’t a blur under stage lights.

As for her hairstyle, Xia Li’s hair reached her collarbones, naturally parting into bangs. Her hair was soft, looking light and fluffy. The color wasn’t too dark, appearing chestnut under bright light.

Since her hair wasn’t long enough to braid like the other girls, Ouyang Jing used a wide headband to pin it back, making her look like a progressive female student from the Republic of China era.

Once all six were made up, along with Lin Qingxiao and Ouyang Jing, they headed to the auditorium.

The students performing the play crowded the hallway.

In the noisy scene, they managed to join up with Zhu Xuan and Xu Ning.

Xu Ning hugged Xia Li, “Waaah, what would we do without you today.”

Xia Li smiled, patting her back, “As long as the performance goes well.”

After joining up, Xia Li got into the group of students for the first scene, a parade. She stood on tiptoe, trying to see over the crowd.

She spotted Wang Chen but didn’t see Yan Sishi.

Wang Chen was in a three-piece wool suit, his hair slicked back, which didn’t match his usual slightly goofy image, looking somewhat comical.

Almost time to go on stage, he was still holding the script, earnestly memorizing his lines.

Soon, it was their turn to perform “The Xi’an Incident.” Xia Li was extremely nervous and couldn’t think about anything else.

The parade scene was first. Under Zhu Xuan’s direction, they held up banners and lined up, shouting slogans with great enthusiasm.

The class heartthrob playing Zhang Xueliang then came on stage, negotiating with the students and promising a satisfactory answer.

Xia Li’s memory of this scene was very vague, as if it ended in no time at all. The only real feelings were her nervous sweat and weak legs.

They exited the stage and returned backstage.

Xia Li immediately saw Yan Sishi at the door to the hallway.

He stood there, one hand in his down jacket pocket, leaning against the door frame. Behind him was the bright hallway, in front was the dim backstage.

He stood at the boundary, his figure seeming very distant.

She stared at him blankly for a long time.

After so much rehearsal, the real performance seemed to end in a blink.

Amidst the applause, all the main actors went on stage to take a bow, then everyone left the backstage area in a grand exit.

At that moment, Zhu Xuan loudly suggested, “Let’s find a place to take a picture!”

Everyone echoed in agreement.

A group of people arrived at the brightly lit hall at the entrance of the auditorium.

Arranged by height, Xia Li stood in the front row, slightly to the side. Everyone filled in the gaps in sequence, forming a total of four rows, with the boys standing in the last row. Zhu Xuan handed the camera to a friend from another class. The friend took a test shot, but Zhu Xuan was not satisfied and said, “Boys, come to the front and squat down.”

Xia Li couldn’t control her pounding heart. Wang Chen and Yan Sishi, who were originally in the last row, moved to the front and squatted just diagonally in front of her. She glanced down slightly and saw his dark hair and the fair nape of his neck peeking out from his down jacket. She quickly averted her gaze.

After a slight adjustment, Zhu Xuan returned to the lineup.

The person taking the photo said, “Ready, three, two, one…”

Everyone shouted, “Happy New Year!”

Xia Li’s eyes were wide open, not daring to blink even for a second. For her, this group photo opportunity might be once in a lifetime. With a click, something was also etched into her heart along with the photograph.

Afterward, the English teacher and two foreign teachers joined them for several group photos. When the group photos were done, everyone formed small groups of two or three for more pictures. Xia Li also took a solo photo with Xu Ning and Lin Qingxiao.

During this time, Xia Li noticed several girls plucking up the courage to ask Yan Sishi for a photo with him, but he declined them all. Perhaps annoyed, he later told Wang Chen he needed to go to the restroom and left first.

After the photos were taken, everyone prepared to change clothes and go back to watch the rest of the performance. Lin Qingxiao said she wanted to check on Ouyang Jing backstage and left first. Xu Ning originally intended to leave with Xia Li but was called away by their homeroom teacher, Mr. Zhuang, so she asked Xia Li to change clothes first and meet in the classroom later.

Xia Li went to the restroom and, as she was about to leave, she saw a long banner used in the first act lying in a mess on the steps at the main entrance. She bent down, picked it up, dusted it off, and carried it in her arms. As she walked toward the old teaching building, she started rolling up the banner from one end.

A clear voice called her name from behind.

Xia Li paused. No matter how many times she heard Yan Sishi’s voice, her heart always skipped a beat.

Yan Sishi approached and asked, “Has Wang Chen already left?”

“I think he went to change clothes with a few guys from our class,” Xia Li quickly glanced up at him. “Are you going to the old teaching building to find him?”

Yan Sishi nodded.

They walked side by side.

Xia Li didn’t say anything and continued rolling up the banner. Noticing Yan Sishi glance at her hands, Xia Li explained, “It seemed a pity to throw it away, so I wanted to keep it.”

Yan Sishi turned his head slightly, looking down at her. This gaze lingered longer than usual, more than when he usually glanced at her during their conversations. In the night, his eyes were clear and deep, hard to fathom.

She lowered her eyes, her breathing becoming erratic, alternating between deep and shallow. Why was he looking at her like that? Did he think her behavior was pretentious?

Finally, Yan Sishi looked away and said in his usual tone, “You seem to like this play a lot.”

Xia Li secretly let out a breath, “…Mainly because I like the people I performed with.”

As soon as she said this, she felt it sounded wrong and panicked. She didn’t mean it in any particular way, so she quickly added, “…I really cherish the friendship with my classmates from Class 7. They are all very nice.”

Xia Li wasn’t putting on airs; it was her most genuine thought. She hadn’t had many friends in junior high, and her real friends were made after she joined Class 7. She had transferred to Chucheng from her hometown in the first year of junior high. Perhaps because she was a bit unsophisticated then, or because she spoke with a bit of an accent, or maybe her slightly slow-to-warm personality was misunderstood as arrogance, and also because she was always in the top three in exams… In short, she was targeted by a girl who spread rumors about her in the dormitory, saying she was unhygienic, used her mom’s leftover bras, and badmouthed the whole dorm. Consequently, the entire dorm isolated her. Later, she got into a top high school, Mingzhang High School, while the girl who targeted her went to a regular high school. Xia Li didn’t bother to find out where the other girls went.

After coming to Mingzhang, especially after class assignment, she felt like a fish in water. Everyone in the class was nice, especially the girls, particularly Lin Qingxiao and Xu Ning.

Yan Sishi said nothing more, only responding with a simple “hmm.”

Xia Li also fell silent.

Unknowingly, they arrived back at the old teaching building.

In the classroom, Wang Chen had changed his clothes and was fussing with his hair gel in front of the mirror. Xia Li stuffed the rolled-up banner into her backpack and went to the restroom to change out of her costume. When she returned to the classroom, Yan Sishi and Wang Chen were already gone.

Xia Li found a chair and sat down, sending a message to Xu Ning.

Xu Ning replied that she would be there soon.

Holding her phone, Xia Li pulled up the text message she received on the bus earlier that day and saved the number. While adding a note to the number, she felt a secret joy she didn’t want to share with anyone. She was so afraid someone might see her phone and ask about it that she only saved it as “Y.”

At this moment, a commotion erupted outside. Xia Li looked up in confusion.

A girl rushed into the classroom, excitedly saying, “Someone downstairs is going to confess to Yan Sishi!”

Xia Li quickly locked her phone and put it in her jacket pocket. She stood up and joined the onlookers leaving the classroom.

Standing in the dark corridor outside, she leaned on the railing and looked down. Below, near the statue of the first principal of Mingzhang High School, stood Yan Sishi, opposite a girl in a white long down jacket with her hair up.

It was Ouyang Jing.