Chapter 133: Setting Out on the Journey Home

There were seven or eight fellow provincials taking this train. Of the girls in Room 103, only Liu Ying and Dong Yanyan were leaving that evening. Song Mingcheng and Yang Xiaohai, along with Xu Gang and Wang Haitian from the Broadcasting Class, had come downstairs carrying their luggage and were waiting beside the table-tennis table on the first floor. Before long, several senior students from the Audiovisual Class came down as well. The moment they saw them, they greeted them warmly. They were all from the same region and would be traveling on the same train.

For first-year students, even a brief parting felt like a honeymoon ending. Since they were the first in the dormitory to leave, Liu Ying and Dong Yanyan received the sisters’ most enthusiastic send-off. After taking turns embracing them, Liu Ying came out first with two bags. Dong Yanyan followed, wearing a small backpack and carrying two luggage bags, while Xinran carried the enormous stuffed bear behind her. Dong Yanyan trudged along with an adorably dazed expression as everyone else followed noisily behind.

When Song Mingcheng saw the stuffed bear, his eyes widened. “You’re not planning to take that with you too, are you?” he asked, frowning slightly.

“Of course I am. I can’t leave it here all alone for an entire winter!” Dong Yanyan replied with an unconcerned smile.

“I’m not carrying it for you,” Song Mingcheng said without mercy.

“I never asked you to. I’ll hold it myself. You only need to carry these two bags.” Dong Yanyan smiled.

Ren Jiaxuan came running downstairs. The moment he saw her hugging the bear, he immediately objected. “Why are you still carrying that thing? Get rid of it!”

“Could you show a little compassion? This bear is wonderfully warm,” Dong Yanyan said with a smile.

Ren Jiaxuan’s handsome face twisted again. “You don’t sleep hugging it every night, do you?” he asked incredulously.

Dong Yanyan admitted without the slightest embarrassment, “Yes, I do.”

“You’re going to drive me insane!” Ren Jiaxuan tapped her on the head, then suddenly noticed that something hanging from her backpack looked familiar.

“Isn’t this Li Zhe’s? How did it end up with you?” He picked up the little tank and examined it suspiciously.

“I traded him my Pinocchio for it. Isn’t it cute?” Dong Yanyan said with a smile. “He only gave me these two things in all. Don’t be so stingy.”

“I was only asking. Besides, he’s your brother.” Ren Jiaxuan smiled magnanimously. He leaned forward, intending to embrace her, but Dong Yanyan discreetly dodged him. This was a public place, after all, and so many people were watching!

Song Mingcheng had long since grown exasperated with the flock of girls chattering around him. Seeing that it was nearly time, he urged everyone to leave.

Ren Jiaxuan was somewhat reluctant to let her go. He took Dong Yanyan’s hand. “Come on. I’ll drive you all to the station.”

“No need. It’s hard to park there, and I wouldn’t feel comfortable with you driving back alone. We can just take the bus. It won’t be too crowded at this hour.” Dong Yanyan smiled at him, though she suddenly found herself reluctant to leave as well.

“Stop dawdling. Let’s go!” Song Mingcheng picked up her bags, and the others grabbed their suitcases. The whole group set off in grand fashion.

Xiaohan and Leng Yue accompanied them to the bus stop before finally leaving with great reluctance. Dong Yanyan knew that escorting her was merely an excuse. In reality, Xiaohan wanted the opportunity to see Xu Gang off as well.

The lights at the stop were painfully bright. A few minutes later, a battered old No. 61 bus came rattling along. They climbed aboard, and the bus slowly pulled away. Dong Yanyan turned to look through the window as the school’s little buildings gradually vanished among the city towers.

Ren Jiaxuan watched the once-bustling lobby, now empty except for him, and frowned in lonely disappointment.

Li Zhe and Qiu Huanyu came running downstairs and saw him standing there in a daze. They went over, put their arms around his shoulders, and laughed.

“Jiaxuan, don’t go home tonight. How about spending the whole night at Rolling Stone?”

“Let’s go. I’m buying tonight! Call all the brothers.” Ren Jiaxuan raised his brows and smiled.

*

At half past ten that night, Dong Yanyan and the others squeezed aboard the train home. Xu Gang and the others found seats, stowed their luggage on the racks, arranged the beer, sausages, and peanuts, and immediately began drinking, chatting, and playing cards.

Song Mingcheng traded seats with Wang Haitian and sat across from Dong Yanyan. At that moment, Dong Yanyan was listening to her portable player with an artistic air while gazing at the scattered lights outside the window.

“Fragrant lotus fades, the jade mat heralds autumn; I loosen my silk robes and board the orchid boat alone. Who in the clouds will send me a splendid letter? When the wild geese return bearing words, the moon will fill the western tower…”

As she listened, she began singing softly along.

Xu Gang, sitting beside her, gave her a teasing smile. “You’ve only just parted, and you’re already missing someone?”

Dong Yanyan removed one earbud and turned to him. “Are you talking about yourself, or me?”

Xu Gang scratched his head awkwardly and gave a sheepish laugh.

“Xu Gang, it’s your turn. Four twos. Are you playing them or not?” Wang Haitian urged him.

“No. Pass!” Xu Gang said with a grin.

“Dong Yanyan, why didn’t your boyfriend come to see you off?” Wang Haitian turned to ask her. Strictly speaking, he was the only one among them who was truly from the same hometown as Dong Yanyan, since they would be getting off at the same stop. He had also carried her bags more than once. But because he was not very talkative, and because they were not in the same class, they were still not particularly familiar with each other.

“He isn’t my boyfriend yet. He will be in six days.” Dong Yanyan smiled, then turned back toward the window and gazed into the distance.

“It’s your birthday?” Song Mingcheng asked indifferently.

She nodded. “I’m still very young, you know. If you count by completed years, I’m only fifteen. I’m not even an adult yet.”

Song Mingcheng smiled. “Sixteen isn’t considered adulthood either.”

“I really don’t want to grow up!” Dong Yanyan sighed with exaggerated solemnity. Then she turned to Xu Gang. “Xu Gang, what do you think of my Xiaohan?”

“I think she’s quite good—innocent, warmhearted, and on good terms with the girls in our class.” Xu Gang answered vaguely as he sorted his cards.

Dong Yanyan felt that her question had been utterly pointless, so she silently lowered her head and went back to listening to her portable player.

Song Mingcheng took a chess set from his bag, swept the things on the table aside, and laid out the board. He tapped the table. When Dong Yanyan saw that it was Chinese chess, she brightened. It had been a long time since she had played.

Two senior girls from the Audiovisual Class came over and chatted with them for a while. When they saw Song Mingcheng and Dong Yanyan bent over the chessboard, they lingered briefly, found it dull, and left. Liu Ying and Wang Haitian continued playing cards until late into the night, when one by one they leaned back in their seats and began to sleep.

Only Dong Yanyan and Song Mingcheng were still locked in battle across the River Chu and the Han frontier.

The train had passed Siping, and more than half the journey was already behind them. For someone as fond of sleep as Dong Yanyan, it was strange that she felt not the slightest drowsiness.

“We’re almost home. I suppose this is what they mean by feeling timid on nearing one’s native place,” she murmured with a sigh.

Song Mingcheng knitted his brows slightly and let out an almost inaudible sigh.

Within every heart lay an unspoken wound. As time flowed on, it slowly scabbed over, only to be torn open once more in time’s cycle, forcing one to face it again.

“In this life, I’ll use my own strength to make up for the regrets of the past,” he said with a faint smile, his eyes filled with unshakable resolve.

“Me too.” A smile touched Dong Yanyan’s lips as she gently clenched her fist.

Your support is my greatest motivation.