Chapter 27

After dinner, Huang Qi escorted Sha Zhouyin to the bus station. Both were reluctant to part and agreed to meet again next Sunday. The Lord of Huang City floated back to her dormitory, pedaling her bike in a wavy "S" all the way.

Inside the dorm, only Yun Lei and Tian Yujia were present; Feng Xidi, who had a packed Saturday work schedule, had yet to return. Tian Yujia sidled over and asked, "Those loquats you brought back yesterday were amazing! Are there any left?"

Huang Qi replied, "They were sent from home through a friend. That was all we had; once they're gone, that's it. Next year, I'll ask my mom to send more."

"What? Wait a whole year? The cravings in my belly can't last that long! No way, tomorrow I have to go out and buy some loquats myself to satisfy my appetite," Tian Yujia wailed. "By the way, where did you go today? You disappeared early in the morning and just got back now—come on, confess!"

Huang Qi's heart was still sweet and buoyant, but since things with Xiao Ying had just begun and nothing was official yet, she decided to keep it quiet for now. "An old friend from my hometown came to visit. I showed him around campus all day."

"Pff, how boring," Tian Yujia said, disappointed, and returned to her seat to continue browsing the BBS.

Yun Lei, who was watching a Korean drama on her computer, took off her headphones and asked, "Huang Qi, I heard from my boyfriend today that Xiao Xu treated everyone to drinks, saying he'd just been dumped. What happened between you two?"

Huang Qi answered calmly, "Nothing much really. I thought it wasn't fair to keep stringing him along, so I told him I already like someone else and he shouldn’t waste his time or feelings on me."

"What? You like someone? And none of us knew!" Tian Yujia bounced over. "Who is it? Do I know him?"

Yun Lei shot her a look. "You take every excuse at face value."

"It's not an excuse, it's true," Huang Qi said, putting down what she was holding. "He’s an old classmate of mine. I've liked him for many years."

"It's been three years since university started and you're still hung up on a high school classmate? How come you never mentioned this before?" Tian Yujia exclaimed. "Liking someone this long and nothing’s happened—must be unrequited love, right? Where is he studying now? For you to remember him so long, he must be outstanding! But there are so many guys at our school, and plenty of good ones to choose from. Why pine for a faded flower from the past? You should look forward!"

Yun Lei, still a little annoyed that her attempt at matchmaking with Xiao Xu had failed, said, "I think Xiao Xu is great, but if you don't like him, there's nothing to be done."

Huang Qi just smiled without replying. If they knew that Xiao Ying wasn't her high school classmate, but someone she knew from elementary and middle school, and that he hadn’t gone to college but worked on a construction site, they’d be even more surprised.

Tian Yujia wanted to continue her spiel, but just then the dorm phone rang. She hurried over to answer it and then handed it to Huang Qi. "It's your mom."

Ms. Ding, as usual, called to chat about home. "Xiao Qi, did you get the package I sent with Uncle Wenwen? Were the loquats still good?"

"I got them! I picked them up yesterday. My dorm mates all said the loquats were amazing."

Tian Yujia chimed in from the side, "That's right! They were delicious! I've never tasted loquats so good! Too bad there weren’t more!"

Ms. Ding heard her and laughed, "Glad you like them. You girls have good appetites—six pounds of loquats and it still wasn't enough?"

Huang Qi explained, "I shared some with… the guys on the construction site, so I didn’t bring back much."

"Oh, that's the right thing to do. Remember to thank Uncle Wenwen properly; it wasn’t easy for him to bring it all that way," her mother said.

Huang Qi mumbled, "Yes, I know…" Although she’d only ever spoken to Uncle Wenwen once on the phone and didn’t even know what he looked like.

After chatting for a while, Ms. Ding asked, "Xiao Qi, there's only another month until summer break. When are you coming home? Have you bought your train ticket yet?"

She hesitated. "Not yet. We’re required to do social practice this summer. I haven’t found a placement, so I’m planning to work with the department lab, depending on what my advisor assigns."

Ms. Ding sounded a little disappointed. "I see… Next year you'll graduate, and who knows whether you’ll continue your studies or start work. Once you begin working, there are no more long breaks. Your grandparents miss you—they keep hoping you’ll come home for the holidays. The loquats this time were specially sent on their request."

At the mention of her grandparents, the Lord of Huang City felt a twinge of guilt for letting romance distract her. "I’ll check again. If I can’t come home for summer, I’ll go back for the National Day holiday in October when the weather’s cooler. Besides, my grades are good enough for guaranteed admission to grad school—I’ll be at university for a few more years, so I’ll have plenty of breaks."

Only then did Ms. Ding relax, reminding her to take care against the summer heat and sun before finally hanging up.

Yun Lei asked, "Huang Qi, are you really planning to do your practice in the department? It's tough there, just like for grad students—you have to do research and read papers, and the whole summer will be gone. My boyfriend got his dad’s friend to arrange a placement in Sichuan. Want to come with us? It’s a friendly unit, you just have to do a little work to pass. Everyone from their dorm is going, and you get a trip to Jiuzhaigou, with food and board included. It’s a good deal, right?"

She probably hadn’t given up on matchmaking between Huang Qi and Xiao Xu.

At that moment, Feng Xidi returned and said, "Actually, the opportunity the department offers is really good. It's in the environmental simulation lab—the only national key lab in our department. Huang Qi, with your grades, you’ll easily get into the lab next year. It’s good to get familiar early and find out which advisor suits you best. Getting a recommendation for grad school is a bit like job hunting—professors prefer to take on interns they know and trust."

Yun Lei shot back, "If it’s so great, why don’t you go yourself?"

Feng Xidi fell silent and took her laundry to the washroom.

Huang Qi knew Feng Xidi was speaking the truth and was being considerate. The only reason she wouldn’t stay in the department was that it would be too busy and leave no free time, and undergrads weren’t paid. She couldn’t afford to devote herself to research for so long without an income, no matter how good the opportunity. Besides, Feng Xidi had mentioned she would give up on grad school and start working after senior year—money was a real and pressing concern, impossible to ignore.

Having made up her mind to stay at school over the summer, Huang Qi went to see the lab supervisor the next day. She briefly explained her situation and was quickly accepted to join Professor Fang’s project.

Professor Fang’s research focused on global environmental issues and quality improvement—very theoretical, highly regarded, but not easy to recruit for. Three PhD students had graduated in a row, and he was short-handed. Seeing a top third-year student come forward, he was only too happy to welcome her. The project was urgent, requiring her in the lab by mid-July—no time for her to go home.

The Lord of Huang City was thrilled. A little extra work was no problem. Could she possibly be busier than Feng Xidi, who worked six tutoring jobs and four part-time gigs at once? Or busier than Xiao Ying, who labored six days a week from dawn till nightfall? She was already used to juggling two majors; as long as she managed her time well, she could always find a moment to spare.

June and July became the happiest months Huang Qi had known since she was fourteen. Apart from exam week, she met Xiao Ying every Sunday. At first, they saw each other on campus, then found other reasons to meet outside, visiting scenic spots, parks, museums—all the favorite haunts of students on a budget. They even saw a movie together, almost exactly like a real couple’s date.

When they couldn’t meet, they texted each other, driving up the Lord of Huang City’s phone bill to several hundred yuan a month. She had to scrimp and save, sacrificing meals of chicken rice and hotpot, settling for budget dishes instead. If Feng Xidi could endure three years of that without complaint, and Xiao Ying could eat even worse on the construction site, why shouldn’t she share in the hardship?

But the good times didn’t last. After August, the project became even more demanding, and Huang Qi had to finish her social practice before summer ended. Professor Fang was exacting in his scholarship, expecting her to wrap up her tasks and produce a proper report, so she sometimes had to work Sundays as well. Two weeks ago, she missed seeing Xiao Ying because of lab work; last week, her senior called her in at the last minute, so she only saw Xiao Ying for one morning, not even managing to have lunch together.

After a whole week of waiting, Sunday finally arrived, but Xiao Ying brought bad news: Uncle Biao had opened another construction site in Tianjin, and the foreman there had quit. Unable to find a replacement, Uncle Biao wanted Xiao Ying to step up as foreman.

Huang Qi was, of course, reluctant, but from a career perspective, Xiao Ying’s promotion from laborer to foreman was a real leap—a shrimp becoming a small manager, a qualitative change. People always say a man should put his career first, and construction work is a career too, so how could she not understand and support him?

"It’s okay. Tianjin isn’t far, and you said you’d still have to come back here often to check on things, so it’s not much different from now. With mobile phones, it’s easy to keep in touch—no matter where you are, it’s the same. Just remember to look for me whenever you’re back. I’m busy these days too, so I might not have time to see you every week. Uncle Biao’s business is taking off, and you’re being promoted because he needs someone he can trust. How could you refuse?"

She almost moved herself to tears with her own words; she’d never imagined herself playing the role of the woman quietly supporting her man. Wasn’t she the all-powerful, endlessly busy Lord of Huang City, and Xiao Ying the consort?

Sha Zhouyin took her hand. "Thank you, Xiao Qi. I’ll come back at least once a month."

Though they saw each other often, there wasn’t much physical contact. Now, with her hand warm in his, the Lord of Huang City felt her heart flutter. They’d been together for over two months; their feelings were obvious without words. Now that he was leaving for Tianjin, shouldn’t she take the opportunity to clarify their relationship?

"Um, since you’re moving away, will you…"

Her voice was small; he leaned closer. "What?"

As he leaned in, his breath brushed her ear, making her heart skip and her mind cloud over. What came out of her mouth bypassed her brain entirely: "Are you going to switch your number to a Tianjin one?"

The moment the words left her lips, she wanted to slap herself. How cowardly! Why not just ask if he wanted to be her consort? Was this the once-mighty, wise, and bold Lord of Huang City?

"This number is… easy to remember, and I won’t be staying there long, so I’ll keep it for now."

"Yeah, I think it would be a shame to change it, too. It’s easy to remember…" Easy to remember? It was special because it was made from their birthdays—what a meaningful sign! "But roaming charges are expensive…"

"It’s fine, I’ll keep texting on my phone, and for calls I’ll use a landline. I can get a calling card for cheap long-distance." He held her hand tightly, head down. Whenever he got shy, he liked to look at the ground. "Honestly, I’m at the construction site all day and barely use my phone. I only bought it to text you…"

She understood, of course, and the thought filled her with happiness. He even bought the same model phone as hers—an old straight-bar Nokia from two years ago. She had the red one, he bought the blue—obviously wanting them to match.

Overflowing with happiness, the Lord of Huang City brushed aside worries about distance, busyness, and not seeing each other often. Since turning fifteen, she’d rarely seen Xiao Ying, and in the last two years, hardly at all. Their lives were worlds apart, but whenever they met, just a few words brought them back to the familiarity of their youth.

Because their hearts were always together, and neither time nor distance could ever part them.