"Nothing much. She just shoved the apple into the hands of Ji Shulang, who was watching the show, and ran off." An Qing shrugged. "She went home and started studying hard, swearing to beat Wen Shaoyu. Last night she studied until 12:30, and my mom praised her a lot, and also scolded me."
She sighed again: "I just feel bad about the twenty-yuan apple. Did you get to eat any, Xiao Shu?"
Ji Shuhe shook her head. Forget the printed apple—she hadn't even eaten an apple yesterday. An Qing immediately pouted and complained: "That glutton Ji Shulang, he doesn't save good stuff for you at all."
Ji Shuhe habitually defended Ji Shulang: "But I think Wen Shaoyu is right. Our current horizons and the people we meet are all limited to school. Maybe when we grow up and see a broader world and meet more people, we'll realize that aside from being good-looking, Wen Shaoyu is just so-so."
"Did Wen Shaoyu offend you?" An Qing blurted out after hearing Ji Shuhe's serious statement.
Ji Shuhe flinched: "No, not at all!" "Then that statement of yours is quite interesting." An Qing rubbed her chin, imitating Detective Conan. "On the surface, you agree with his point, but actually you're saying he's just so-so. That's not your style to rate someone like that..."
"I was just making an analogy. I'm not targeting anyone. I refuse to take it personally." Ji Shuhe made a serious cross gesture in front of herself. An Qing nodded, pretending to go along: "Okay, okay."
Time passed quickly with their banter. It was almost time for the bell. The homeroom teacher was speaking at the podium, while below, everyone was secretly starting to pack up.
An Qing stuffed her homework into her backpack, eyes on the podium, but leaned toward Ji Shuhe: "Want to go get milk tea after school? The milk tea shop near school has a new Christmas drink—buy one get the second half off!"
Before she finished speaking, the bell rang. As soon as the teacher said class dismissed, the classroom erupted into chaos: desks and chairs scraping, stacked books falling with a clatter, and the commotion of grabbing phones from the phone box on the podium.
Ji Shuhe had already zipped up her backpack and stood up: "Sorry, An Qing. My mom came to see me today; we made plans to eat nearby. I need to hurry over."
"Oh, then go quickly! Don't forget your phone!" An Qing was very understanding and waved goodbye to Ji Shuhe.
Ji Shuhe ran to the podium, grabbed her phone, and as she walked out, she said to An Qing, "Bye, An Qing! Merry Christmas!"
Xia Chun's flight arrived in Xinhai in the afternoon, but she wasn't here specifically to see Ji Shuhe. According to plan, she was going to Manchester to visit her parents who had immigrated—Ji Shuhe's maternal grandparents.
The most convenient direct flight departed from Xinhai. She flew from Yuanjing to Xinhai; with a six-hour layover between airports, she finally thought of having a meal with her daughter.
Ji Shuhe was extremely excited when she got Xia Chun's call. She couldn't sleep all night, planning in her mind her winter break starting in early January, when she could return to Yuanjing for the New Year, and when to come back to Xinhai before school started. She needed to figure it out clearly before telling Xia Chun, to avoid causing her mother any trouble.
Away from home for over half a year, even though everyone around Ji Shuhe was good to her, Yong'anli was never her home. The deeper the night, the more she missed her heated bedroom, the sunlight from the south-facing balcony falling on her bed.
She missed home. She missed returning to the familiar place where she grew up. Very, very much.
After school, Ji Shuhe rushed with her heavy backpack, and Xia Chun called several times to urge her, but the Friday traffic was truly worrisome.
By the time she reached the restaurant, it was already dark. The hostess led Ji Shuhe inside, and from a distance, she saw Xia Chun sitting by the window, occasionally frowning and lowering her head.
"Mom!" Ji Shuhe's joy was beyond words; she couldn't help but call out softly, waving to get Xia Chun's attention, and quickened her pace.
When Xia Chun saw Ji Shuhe, her troubled brow suddenly relaxed. She stood up and hugged her daughter, took off Ji Shuhe's backpack, and sat her down in the booth opposite her.
Throughout, Ji Shuhe's almond eyes were shining brightly, staring intently at Xia Chun. After not seeing her for so long, she felt her mother seemed thinner, but she looked very energetic, and her clothes and accessories were stylish.
"Mom, I have winter break starting January 10th! When can I go back to Yuanjing for the New Year? Even if it's by plane or high-speed rail, I can go back on my own. No need for you to come pick me up!"
Upon hearing this, Xia Chun's expression became reluctant. Her hand, with dark red nail art, touched Ji Shuhe's cheek, caressing it with affection but still speaking resolutely: "Sorry, Xiao Shu. This year you have to stay in Xinhai for the New Year."
"Besides visiting your grandparents, I also have some work arrangements in Manchester. I probably won't be back until March next year. Don't worry. I'll discuss the holiday arrangements with your grandparents and transfer the holiday expenses to them in advance."
"Are you doing well in Xinhai? Have they given you a hard time? Food, clothing, daily needs, or any verbal complaints?"
No. But even if they had, she still had to stay here. What was the point of asking?
The light in Ji Shuhe's eyes dimmed bit by bit. The corners of her mouth drooped into a tight, straight line: "No, nothing. They've all been good to me."
"Good." Xia Chun breathed a sigh of relief. But she didn't sit down again. She turned to grab her bag and then her coat from the back of the chair, draping it over her arm: "Xiao Shu, Mom won't eat with you. Rush hour traffic is heavy, and I need to get to the airport early. You eat well—it's all paid for. After eating, call a car to go home."
Xia Chun was always like this. Decisive, swift, and self-centered.
Ji Shuhe tried to raise a smile, but the series of blows were too much for a pre-teen to control her emotions. So the smile didn't look like a smile: "Okay, Mom, travel safe. Merry Christmas."
Xia Chun saw her emotion but pretended not to. She shook her phone at her: "Merry Christmas. Remember to accept the red envelope I sent."
High-heeled boots clicked quickly across the tiled floor and left. In a blink, Ji Shuhe saw Xia Chun open the car door and get in through the window. Through the glass, she turned back and waved in Ji Shuhe's direction. Ji Shuhe, putting aside her feelings, waved back.
Then Xia Chun securely closed the car door. The engine started, and the car merged into the traffic like countless others with their headlights on.
Ji Shuhe withdrew her gaze and pinched the exposed skin of her forearm to confirm the pain, to confirm she wasn't dreaming. Indeed, Xia Chun's coming and going was so rushed. The meeting after half a year didn't even last five minutes, leaving her dazed, making her feel like she was actually dreaming.
Xia Chun had ordered a full table of dishes, but Ji Shuhe had no appetite at all. She called the waiter and packed everything up. After all, this was a trendy Thai restaurant online; there were already people queuing at the door. It didn't matter if she didn't want to eat; someone at home would eat it. She couldn't let it go to waste.
On the way back, Ji Shuhe walked. Her hope of returning home was dashed, and she felt abandoned by her mother in the restaurant. All the grievances welled up, and she desperately wanted to cry. In the restaurant, she had held back because the lights were bright, but as soon as she stepped into the darkness, tears fell like beads from a broken string, rolling down in big drops.
So she couldn't go home at this moment. If she couldn't control her emotions, she might make people overthink. Ji Shuhe turned into the small park near Yong'anli, the same place where they had celebrated Wen Shaoyu's birthday.
The winter wind was biting, the lights dim, and since it was dinner time, the small park was completely empty. But there were those who had to go out on winter nights. For example, Wen Shaoyu, who had to walk Lizi, who had been cooped up all day after school. Guided by the keen-nosed puppy, he inconveniently stumbled upon Ji Shuhe, who was silently crying under the pale light.
This little girl cried without a sound, just lowering her head and letting the tears fall. Wen Shaoyu pulled Lizi, who only knew how to rush forward, close. After observing for a moment, he crouched down, unclipped the leash, patted the puppy's head, and whispered instructions.
"Go, go to her. Just stay with her quietly. You must wait for me to come back. Understand?"