STT – Chapter 8

She was willing to stand as an unchanging scarecrow in the flowing river of time.

During the night, Jiang Huaixi still kept running a fever. Lu Zizheng did not sleep; she laid by the bedside, checking Jiang Huaixi’s forehead every hour, helping her up to drink some water, until, as the first hint of dawn appeared in the sky, Jiang Huaixi’s temperature gradually returned to normal, and she fell into a peaceful sleep.

Lu Zizheng picked up a hot towel, used it to wipe Jiang Huaixi’s face, then stood up and stretched. With ease, she took some change of clothes and went into the washroom to have a hot shower, washing away all her fatigue.

When she came out of the shower, Jiang Huaixi was still sound asleep on the bed. Lu Zizheng went through her suitcase, found cold medicine from inside, placed it by the bedside, took a pen, and wrote a note, telling Jiang Huaixi to have someone send in food after she woke up, to have it with the medicine, and that she was going out first thing in the morning because she had some business to attend to.

In the morning, Lu Zizheng accompanied Lian Xuan out once again. Her job in this collaboration was more or less over, and she could start preparing for her return journey.

When Lu Zizheng met Lian Xuan, she saw that Lian Xuan’s appearance was still as meticulously made up, and her hardworking demeanor, as invigorating as always. Upon seeing Lu Zizheng, even the curve of Lian Xuan’s smile did not fluctuate in the slightest. All that happened the previous night – her embarrassment, her unfinished sentence – were like a dream; they no longer existed once the sky had grown light.

Perhaps it was the night that made people look especially weary.

At noon, after all matters were settled, Lian Xuan invited Lu Zizheng and Ji Yao to have a meal together, saying, “It’s rare for us three old classmates to meet up again; before, we were always busy with project matters, and we never sat down to have a chat. Today, it has come to a successful conclusion, so let’s have a meal together to celebrate.”

Ji Yao looked at Lian Xuan and Lu Zizheng, with an expression that said you can do whatever you want; I’m fine with anything.

Lu Zizheng glanced at her watch and hesitantly said, “Director Lian, I’m sorry. I previously thought I didn’t have any work at noon and made an appointment to have lunch with a friend.”

For a moment, Lian Xuan’s expression turned cold. “Zizheng, having a meal with us, this isn’t work. It’s just an invitation, that’s all.”

Upon hearing this, Lu Zizheng nodded slightly, with an expression as if she had suddenly realized something. Then, she said plainly, “I’m sorry, Director Lian. It’s rare that my friend has come all this way, and I can’t break my promise. Why don’t you and Manager Ji go? I’m going to take my leave first.” Though she said she was sorry, there was not the slightest trace of that sentiment in her expression.

Lian Xuan frowned as she looked at Lu Zizheng’s indifferent expression, hesitating to speak.

However, Ji Yao reached out to take Lian Xuan’s arm and said plainly to Lu Zizheng, “Alright, then. Lian Xuan and I will go first.”

Lian Xuan lowered her head slightly, and Lu Zizheng could not see her expression. She watched as Lian Xuan and Ji Yao got into the car and left before turning around to stand by the roadside and hail a taxi back to the hotel.

Back at the hotel, the moment she swiped her room card to open the door, she heard the Doraemon theme song coming from inside: “Every day is the same, there’s an occasional whim, as long as there is Doraemon, fantasy will extend infinitely…”

Lu Zizheng laughed, closed the door, and looked at Jiang Huaixi, who was fully dressed, sitting upright. She said with amusement, “I’ve known you for so many years, but I never knew you were so childlike.”

Jiang Huaixi stared intently at the TV screen, not sparing a glance for Lu Zizheng. She replied discontentedly, “This shows that even after knowing each other for so many years, you still don’t understand me at all.”

Lu Zizheng was taken aback. In truth, she really did not understand Jiang Huaixi very well. However, it was also obvious that Jiang Huaixi had not given her much opportunity, and she herself was not good at asking questions and prying.

She hugged a pillow and sat down casually next to Jiang Huaixi, teasing her, “Look at how properly you’re sitting to watch Doraemon. You’re doing the upright sitting position an injustice.”

Jiang Huaixi glanced at her sideways, crossed one leg over the other, picked up the remote control, and turned off the TV.

Lu Zizheng asked her, “Did you take your medicine this morning? Do you still have a fever?”

The phone that Jiang Huaixi had placed on the table happened to ring. She casually hung up, stood up, and said as she walked toward the door, “Thanks to you, I drank a stomachful of water. How could I not be better?” She then opened the door, reached out to take a few bags, and closed the door again.

Oh, the meaning behind those words seemed to suggest that she was unaware of Lu Zizheng’s good intentions. Lu Zizheng frowned. But before she could voice her displeasure, she saw Jiang Huaixi turn around and come back to sit at the table, taking out dish after dish of food from the bag and filling the table to the brim.

“I had someone deliver some clothes to me and asked her to buy me some food along the way. I’m not familiar with this place and don’t know which restaurants are good, so I just had her order whatever. Have you eaten? If you haven’t, I don’t mind sharing some with you.”

Lu Zizheng bit her lip. Well, well. She had not had the time to eat breakfast, and now, her stomach was already playing an empty-city strategy. Jiang Huaixi had successfully used food to divert her firepower—or rather, her attention.¹

She took off her coat, sat down next to Jiang Huaixi, and said as she picked up chopsticks, “You really never forget to show your capitalist nature no matter where you go…” As soon as the words left her mouth, Jiang Huaixi took the chopsticks away. “I know you’re an advanced element of the proletariat.² Since that’s the case, then draw a clear line with the enemies of the asset class. You’re not eating…”

Lu Zizheng chuckled and calmly picked up another pair of chopsticks from the side, picked up a piece of sweet and sour spare ribs, and put it in her bowl.

Jiang Huaixi snorted. “Marx would be very disappointed in you. You have no backbone at all…”

“…”

After they finished eating, Jiang Huaixi informed Lu Zizheng that she would be returning to Linzhou that evening.

For a moment, Lu Zizheng almost blurted out and asked her why she was in such a hurry. That morning, Lian Xuan had just said that the project was over and that the plane tickets were booked for the next afternoon. Lu Zizheng had been thinking of inviting Jiang Huaixi to the small town in Jiangbei that afternoon and spending the night there to experience the renowned night view of Jiangbei together. However, in the end, she only nodded and asked Jiang Huaixi, “Do you want me to see you off?”

Jiang Huaixi shook her head. “No need. Someone will come to the hotel to pick me up later.” After thinking for a moment, she asked, “Are you free this afternoon?”

Lu Zizheng nodded. “What’s up?”

Jiang Huaixi raised an eyebrow and said in a condescending tone, “I’ll give you the honor of being my tour guide for an afternoon. Take me for a casual walk around the streets and alleys of Jiangbei.”

For once, Lu Zizheng did not respond with sarcasm. She simply replied obediently, “Okay.”

Lu Zizheng had been in Jiangbei for almost a week, but this was the first time she had wandered leisurely through the streets of Jiangbei. Rather than saying that she was Jiang Huaixi’s tour guide, leading her around, it would be more accurate to say that the two of them were just aimlessly strolling through the streets together.

Wearing long boots, Jiang Huaixi walked leisurely in front of Lu Zizheng, her long legs striding. She turned her head and said with a smile, “It seems like you’re never able to be a qualified tour guide for me. It was like that in Jizhou—this place you can’t go, that place you can’t go—and it’s the same here in Jiangbei. This place I’m not familiar with, and neither are you…”

Lu Zizheng calmly replied to her, “But each time, I don’t know who it is that insists on asking me to be their tour guide, as if I have no choice but to do it!” She emphasized the words “no choice but to do it”, clearly referring to the incident in Jizhou.

However, Jiang Huaixi pretended not to understand and turned her head back around.

The weather in Jiangbei at the end of November was already very cold. Standing behind Jiang Huaixi, Lu Zizheng noticed that Jiang Huaixi’s left hand, which was hanging by her side, was already frozen red. Upon closer inspection, Lu Zizheng discovered that Jiang Huaixi’s coat only had one pocket, just like its owner—unique!

Lu Zizheng took a few quick steps to Jiang Huaixi’s left side and looked around before asking her unnaturally, “A-are your hands cold…”

Jiang Huaixi did not hear her clearly and looked at her quizzically. “What?”

Lu Zizheng steeled her resolve and answered her with actions. She reached out her right hand, grabbed Jiang Huaixi’s left hand, and quickly put it into the pocket of her own windbreaker. Her heart was pounding. Damn it, the wind blowing on her face was clearly icy cold, so why did her face feel so hot? She pretended to act natural and looked straight ahead, saying, “We’ll go buy you a pair of gloves up ahead.”

However, she heard Jiang Huaixi’s faint laughter as she replied, “No need. I think it’s warm enough like this right now.”

Lu Zizheng pretended to look around with interest, but she did not dare to look at Jiang Huaixi’s expression. When they passed by a store window, she saw her slightly flushed face reflected in the glass. She lied to herself in her heart, This must be because it’s too cold; I’m freezing!

As they passed by a dainty little shop, Jiang Huaixi suddenly stopped in her tracks. Lu Zizheng followed suit and looked up at the shop name: Time Slow Post. It was a boutique that mainly sold postcards and offered a paid service to store and mail the postcards at a designated time in the future.

Jiang Huaixi turned to Lu Zizheng and said, “Let’s go in and take a look. I suddenly feel like I have a lot of things I want to say to my future self ten years from now.”

Lu Zizheng laughed. “I just discovered today that not only do you like watching Doraemon, but you’re also very artistic and sentimental.”

Jiang Huaixi raised an eyebrow and retorted, “What about it? Do you have a problem with that?”

Lu Zizheng chuckled and walked into the store before Jiang Huaixi. “No problem. Hurry up and go write. Let me give you some advice. Remember to tell your future self ten years from now not to be so arrogant and self-righteous, so rude and inconsiderate, and not to bully the innocent working class like she did ten years ago…”

“It seems like you have a lot of opinions about me?” Jiang Huaixi picked out a postcard and sat down at the table. Holding a pen in her hand, she turned to look at Lu Zizheng.

Lu Zizheng leisurely strolled around the store, looking at the colorful postcards on the shelves and hanging on the walls. She replied casually, “It’s a shame that you’re only realizing this now.”

Jiang Huaixi held the pen and looked at Lu Zizheng intently for a long time before lowering her head and starting to write with a smile on her lips.

Lu Zizheng grew tired of looking at the postcards and walked toward Jiang Huaixi, wanting to see what she had written. However, Jiang Huaixi suddenly raised her head in alarm and said nervously, “Don’t come over here to sneak a peek. Don’t you know that some secrets can only be told to oneself?”

Lu Zizheng stopped in her tracks and laughed dumbly. “I have absolutely no interest in your secrets.” Then, she turned around and went back to looking at the postcards. Actually, she was a little bit curious.

After a while, Jiang Huaixi finally finished writing. She handed in the postcard, paid the owner, and walked over to Lu Zizheng with a sense of relief. She said, “Let’s go. Or, do you want to write something to your future self ten years from now?”

However, Lu Zizheng turned around and started walking toward the door of the store as she replied, “No, ten years is too long. Roads will change, stores will move, and smoke will rise from the fields. Who knows where I’ll be in ten years…”

Jiang Huaixi stood still, listening to Lu Zizheng’s words and watching her push open the door and walk out, her figure gradually receding into the distance.

When Lu Zizheng saw that Jiang Huaixi was not following her, she stopped and turned around, looking at Jiang Huaixi, who was still standing there, with confusion.

Jiang Huaixi’s eyes held a gentle expression, but Lu Zizheng was standing too far away to see it clearly. She only saw Jiang Huaixi walking toward her step by step, her gait steady and unhurried, her demeanor graceful. Finally, Jiang Huaixi stopped in front of her, her face cold and displeased. “Audacious commoner, you unexpectedly walked ahead of me. Considering your past hard work and meritorious service, I will give you a chance to redeem yourself.” With that, she stretched out her stiff left hand and said, “My hand is cold. You did a good job earlier.”

Lu Zizheng curled her lips and, under Jiang Huaixi’s gaze, stretched out her right hand. Then, with a “snap” sound, she hit the back of Jiang Huaixi’s hand and turned to walk ahead. “What can Your Majesty do to me?”

Jiang Huaixi took a light breath and followed Lu Zizheng while rubbing her left hand, which had been hit. She frowned in displeasure and was just about to coldly order Lu Zizheng’s death when Lu Zizheng suddenly reached out and grabbed her hand, putting it in her pocket. She then gently rubbed the back of Jiang Huaixi’s hand with her fingertips.

The corners of Jiang Huaixi’s lips curled up slightly as she took advantage of the situation. “You hit me so hard. Were you trying to poke some holes in it? Hmm, a little lower.”

Lu Zizheng turned her head slightly and indifferently glanced at Jiang Huaixi, her expression displeased. However, her hand movements did indeed move down a bit, and her strength became even gentler.

Jiang Huaixi nodded in satisfaction and walked side by side with Lu Zizheng as if nothing had happened. Her expression was gentle, and she looked straight ahead, but her peripheral vision remained fixed on Lu Zizheng beside her.

Heh, ten years is indeed a very long time, long enough for everything to change. Jiang Huaixi did not know where Lu Zizheng would be in ten years.

But she knew that she was willing to stand as an unchanging scarecrow in the flowing river of time for Lu Zizheng, so that whenever Lu Zizheng looked back, she would be able to see her.

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LP: Re-translated on July 04, 2024

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1. The “empty-city strategy” is a military strategy that involves leaving a city or fortress seemingly undefended in order to lure the enemy into attacking. The defenders then ambush the enemy from within the city or from hidden positions outside the city.

   The term “empty-city strategy” is also used figuratively to refer to a situation in which someone pretends to be vulnerable or unaware in order to deceive or outsmart people.

2. Proletariat is a term used to describe the working class, especially in the context of Marxist theory. It refers to the class of people who do not own the means of production (e.g., factories, land, machinery) and must sell their labor in order to survive.

   In Marxist theory, the proletariat is seen as the revolutionary class that will overthrow the capitalist system and establish a socialist society. This is because the proletariat is the class that is most exploited under capitalism and has the most to gain from a revolution.