For The Rest Of Our Life – Chapter 8

by Little Panda

I Think I’ve Seen You Before…

It was nearly one in the morning before Lin Xian finally felt drowsy. She shut down her computer, quietly unlocked the door she had bolted from the inside, climbed back into bed, and fell asleep the moment her head touched the pillow.

At home, thanks to Zhou Qin’s strict oversight, her sleep schedule had always been fairly regular. She rarely stayed up this late, so the exhaustion caught up with her—this time, she slept deep and sweet.

By morning, close to seven o’clock, the sun had already crept over the hills. Warm light slanted through the large glass windows into Lin Xian’s bedroom, half of it pooling across her bed.

Lin Xian lay slightly on her side, lips parted, still sleeping soundly, completely oblivious to the brightness.

At seven o’clock sharp, the alarm Xiao Wanqing had set for her the night before dutifully went off, launching into a cheerful children’s song: “The sunlight shines so bright, the rooster crows three times…”

Lin Xian’s delicate brows drew together. Half-asleep, she grumbled in displeasure, “So noisy…” She kept her eyes shut and reached out instinctively, fumbling across the nightstand. When her hand found a hard, boxy object, she reflexively smacked it down.

Sure enough, the singing stopped. Lin Xian breathed a sigh of relief, a childishly satisfied smile curling her lips, and drifted back to sleep.

Xiao Wanqing had gotten up at six thirty. After washing up, she headed straight to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

By five past seven, everything was ready, but the space beyond the kitchen was still dead quiet. She glanced toward Lin Xian’s room, a knowing gentleness in her eyes.

Considerately, she ladled the oat and millet porridge into a porcelain bowl and set it on the dining table to cool. Then she untied her apron, hung it up, and walked with light steps toward Lin Xian’s room.

She stopped at the door, stood still, and raised her hand to knock—three gentle, evenly spaced taps—calling softly, “Lin Xian… Lin Xian…”

But from inside, not a sound.

Xiao Wanqing gave a helpless little laugh and reached for the doorknob. She turned it as gently as she could and pushed the door open.

As expected, Lin Xian was still fast asleep, her back to the sunlight, the thin blanket having slid down to her calves. Her lips parted and closed unconsciously, her long hair scattered messily across the pillow. She was clearly still deep in dreams.

Looking at Lin Xian’s clean, sweet sleeping face, Xiao Wanqing’s eyes went soft despite herself. She sat down on the edge of the bed, reached over, and pulled the fallen blanket back up to cover her. Then she took the air conditioner remote from the nightstand and switched it off. Only then did she reach out and lightly poke Lin Xian’s fair cheek, calling in a warm voice, “Lin Xian, Lin Xian, time to get up…”

Lin Xian first puffed her cheeks in protest, then furrowed her brow and slowly opened her large, dark eyes.

There was a moment of bleary confusion. She looked at Xiao Wanqing’s gentle, beautiful face with the dazed innocence of a little fawn. Not yet fully awake, she mumbled, “I think I’ve seen you before…”

Xiao Wanqing hadn’t expected that at all and burst out laughing with a “pfft.” She pinched Lin Xian’s nose and played along. “In a dream?”

Hearing Xiao Wanqing’s laughter, most of Lin Xian’s drowsiness fled. By the time she heard the question, she was fully awake. Realizing what foolish thing she had just said, she let out an “Ah!” and covered her eyes, too embarrassed to look at Xiao Wanqing. She stammered apologetically, “Sorry, Auntie Xiao. I’m a little slow when I first wake up.”

Xiao Wanqing brushed aside her messy bangs and reassured her. “It’s fine. It was cute.” She stood up and gestured. “Come on, get up. It’s already ten past seven. Don’t be late.”

Lin Xian looked at the alarm clock and—sure enough. She scrambled upright and answered, “Okay, I’m getting up right now.”

At seven twenty-five, Lin Xian had finished washing up and getting ready. She sat down at the dining table with Xiao Wanqing.

Breakfast consisted of oat and millet porridge, steamed egg custard with minced pork, stir-fried greens with shredded pork, and fruit salad. Lin Xian had already witnessed Xiao Wanqing’s culinary skill and eye for fine living the day before, but looking at the beautifully plated breakfast on the table and at Xiao Wanqing sitting across from her with elegant composure, she still couldn’t help marveling. She asked curiously, “Auntie Xiao, it’s all going to get eaten in the end, and there’s no one else here to appreciate it. We’ll just wolf it down anyway. Doesn’t decorating it so nicely feel like a lot of trouble?”

Xiao Wanqing’s slender fingers were peeling an egg for her. She looked up at Lin Xian and answered without hesitation, smiling faintly. “Everyone thinks differently. I don’t find it troublesome. After all, life is your own.”

Lin Xian tilted her head and blinked, silently repeating the words to herself—”After all, life is your own”—only half understanding.

Xiao Wanqing finished peeling the egg and gently placed it in Lin Xian’s porridge, reminding her. “Eat up. The porridge should be about cool by now.”

Only then did Lin Xian notice that Xiao Wanqing had peeled the egg for her. She quickly said, embarrassed, “Thank you. Auntie Xiao, you should eat too. I can do it myself next time.”

Xiao Wanqing smiled—whether or not she had actually taken that to heart—and simply answered, “Mm.”

At seven fifty, the two of them finally headed out together, got in the car, and drove toward Jingnan University.

On the way, Lin Xian sat in the passenger seat, chatting with Xiao Wanqing from time to time. As they neared Jingnan University, she suddenly asked on impulse, “Auntie Xiao, where did you go to school before?”

Xiao Wanqing glanced at her with a slight smile and asked in return, “Didn’t your mom tell you?”

Lin Xian thought about it. Zhou Qin had only mentioned that Xiao Wanqing had been an excellent student; she hadn’t said which university. But… if her grades were that good, she must have gone to a top university. And later she had done her postgraduate studies under Zhou Qin’s father, who was also at a university in the same city… Lin Xian put it together and blurted out, “Auntie Xiao, you went to Jingnan too, didn’t you?”

Xiao Wanqing gave her an approving look. “Mm. I did my undergraduate at Jingnan, in the Chinese department. Technically, that makes you my junior—though this senior of mine has gotten a bit older.”

Lin Xian immediately protested with exaggerated seriousness. “Nonsense. Auntie Xiao, you don’t look old at all. Early twenties at most. If you wore a T-shirt and shorts like mine and walked onto campus today, everyone would think you were a freshman too.”

Whether Lin Xian meant it or not, a compliment was always pleasant to hear. The corners of Xiao Wanqing’s lips curved even higher. She turned a corner, looked at Lin Xian, and scolded gently, fondness soft in her eyes. “You and your sweet talk.”

Lin Xian defended herself earnestly. “I’m telling the honest truth.” Then her eyes darted as her gossipy instincts kicked in. She started pressing Xiao Wanqing. “Auntie Xiao, someone as pretty as you with grades that good—you must have been the campus celebrity back in school. The goddess of every guy’s dreams. You must have gotten love letters by the basketful, right?”

Xiao Wanqing gave a faint, self-deprecating smile and shattered her fantasy. “Back then, if someone wrote a love letter to anyone, the whole department would know within the day. When I started college, Jingnan had just gotten a new president, and the academic atmosphere suddenly became very strict. One Christmas, a guy set up heart-shaped candles outside a girls’ dorm at night to confess his feelings. Campus security caught him, he got a university-wide disciplinary notice, and he even had to make a public self-criticism at a department assembly.”

Lin Xian dismissed it. “If it gets you the person you like, who cares about a disciplinary notice? If you could lose the whole world but win one person’s heart—be a loser in the eyes of people who don’t matter, but a hero in the eyes of the one you love—that would still be worth it. What’s the big deal? People who don’t dare are just cowards. If it were me, I wouldn’t be afraid.”

At those words, Xiao Wanqing’s fingers on the steering wheel stiffened, almost imperceptibly.

She froze for a moment, turned the wheel to the right to enter the campus, and after a long pause let out a soft sigh, her tone somewhere between envy and wistfulness. “You little one…”

Lin Xian frowned slightly, about to say something, but the next moment she heard Xiao Wanqing turn off the engine and put the car in park, reminding her, “We’re here. Let’s go.”

Lin Xian turned to look out the window and realized that at some point, without her noticing, they had already entered the campus. Special signs directed vehicles toward a temporary parking lot. Xiao Wanqing had followed the line of cars and parked accordingly.

The campus was packed with people. There were new students chattering with their parents, older student volunteers hurrying back and forth to guide newcomers, and upper-level students hawking everyday supplies at the top of their lungs. Most university students lived on campus, so the freshmen and parents who had traveled from afar were loaded with bags and bundles. Only a few came empty-handed.

Though Xiao Wanqing had graduated years ago, the campus hadn’t changed much. She stepped out of the car, opened a sun umbrella to shield against the sun already blazing overhead, and led Lin Xian with familiar ease toward the College of Finance area. As they walked, she introduced the artificial lake and building clusters they passed, occasionally weaving in bits of university history and anecdotes about notable alumni. Lin Xian walked in the shade of the umbrella, listening to the engaging stories with keen interest. The registration volunteers, seeing the two of them empty-handed and relaxed, assumed they weren’t freshmen—not a single volunteer approached to offer directions.

When they entered the Building Complex Five area, Xiao Wanqing spotted a huge banner hung in front of one of the buildings: “College of Finance—Welcome, Freshmen.” Beneath the banner stood a row of tents with tables, each with someone seated behind it. A little farther off was a long bulletin board, surrounded by layers of people.

A faint smile touched Xiao Wanqing’s lips. After all these years, this place hadn’t changed a bit.

She turned her head and pointed toward the crowd surging around the bulletin board. “The class assignment notices should be there. Let’s go take a look, then find the registration point for your class.”

Lin Xian followed dutifully at her side. “Okay.”

When they reached the bulletin board, they found the crowd even thicker than they had imagined. The class assignments and dormitory arrangements for every major in the College of Finance were all posted on the same board. They were stuck several layers of people back, craning their necks to peer at the notices.

Xiao Wanqing wasn’t short to begin with, and in heels, reading the board was no challenge. Lin Xian, on the other hand, could only stand on tiptoe, straining to see over the heads in front of her.

Xiao Wanqing put away the umbrella and saw Lin Xian on tiptoe, head bobbing as she looked this way and that—utterly adorable. She couldn’t resist teasing her. “Lin Xian, let’s have a race. Whoever finds your class assignment first wins. The loser has to clean their plate tonight—eat every last bite. Deal?”

Lin Xian frowned. She looked at Xiao Wanqing, who was more than half a head taller than her, then at the sea of dark heads ahead. She protested, “No fair! You’re so much taller than me…”

Xiao Wanqing laughed softly. “Want me to lend you my shoes?”

Lin Xian pouted and huffed, unconvinced. “Hmph. Fine. Race it is. I’ve got a trick up my sleeve.” With that, she slipped into the crowd like an eel, squeezing through every gap she could find.

Xiao Wanqing was briefly surprised, then laughed in spite of herself. What a clever little rascal.

Three minutes later, Xiao Wanqing had shifted positions a few times and finally found Lin Xian’s name on the Finance Class 3 roster. Her eyes curved in a smile as she scanned the crowd for Lin Xian. At that same moment, Lin Xian stood on tiptoe and turned to look back toward Xiao Wanqing outside the crowd.

And so Xiao Wanqing saw her—not far ahead, a high ponytail swiveled nimbly, and Lin Xian’s young, bright, lovely face appeared. Their eyes met. Almost simultaneously, they parted their lips and said the same thing: “Finance Class 3.”

The next second, they both looked at each other and laughed softly.

Lin Xian squeezed her way out of the crowd, beaming with pride. “A tie! But I think I was still a little better.”

Xiao Wanqing indulged her. “Yes, yes. Xianxian is the best.” As if humoring a child.

They found the Finance Class 3 registration booth according to the class number and waited in line for a while. Following the senior student’s instructions at the registration desk, Lin Xian submitted her bank payment receipt and received her campus card. She thought the registration process would be over, but when the senior heard that Lin Xian was a day student and wouldn’t be arranging accommodation, a brief flash of surprise crossed her face before she issued new instructions—go to the college office to speak with the counselor, then head to the living service center to pick up the military training uniform.

Lin Xian had no idea how long that would take or how far she would have to walk. It was nearly noon, and the sun was growing fiercer by the minute. She looked up and saw that Xiao Wanqing’s fair forehead was already beaded with a fine layer of sweat. Lin Xian glanced at the senior student assigned to guide her, then back at Xiao Wanqing, and suggested, “Auntie Xiao, how about I follow the senior to the college office to see the counselor and then pick up the uniform? You wait for me here? This spot is close to the parking lot, so you won’t have to walk as far later.”

Xiao Wanqing didn’t mind walking a bit more or less, but she looked at the young girl beside Lin Xian and thought that without her presence, Lin Xian might feel freer to interact with the senior. She nodded and agreed readily.

She handed the sun umbrella to Lin Xian, promising, “All right. Go ahead. I’ll wait for you here.”

Lin Xian pushed it back. “Keep the umbrella, Auntie Xiao. I don’t really mind the sun.”

Xiao Wanqing smiled, glanced at Lin Xian, then at the young girl waiting beside her, and teased, “You don’t mind, but the young lady next to you might. Take it and share the shade.”

The senior in the red volunteer uniform had been sneaking glances at this pretty, elegant woman. Being suddenly called out, she waved her hands frantically. “I… I don’t mind either!”

Xiao Wanqing insisted. She pressed the umbrella into Lin Xian’s hand and reassured her, “It’s fine. If I get too hot, I can find a cool spot to rest. But you two will be walking out in the open—it’s different. Take it. Go on, follow the senior.”

In the end, Lin Xian couldn’t out-stubborn Xiao Wanqing. She gave in but repeatedly reminded her—if it got too hot, she should go find shade anywhere, and Lin Xian would come find her when she was done.

Xiao Wanqing listened, then remembered something and asked, “Your mom said she got you a phone. I don’t have your number yet.”

Lin Xian pouted and gave a quiet little “hmph,” displeased. “But I know yours—134637929xx, xx929736431. Auntie Xiao, you haven’t done your homework.”

Xiao Wanqing was stunned—Lin Xian knew it by heart, backwards? Her smile softened and softened, and she admitted sincerely, “Yes, yes, my mistake.”

Lin Xian accepted the apology graciously. She pulled out her phone from her pocket, unlocked it, and her fingers flew across the screen. Three seconds later, Xiao Wanqing’s phone rang. Lin Xian grinned. “For the contact name, put ‘Super Invincible Beautiful Girl.'”

Xiao Wanqing couldn’t help laughing. She typed the contact name “Little One” into her phone with quick taps, then smiled and urged her along. “Go on. The senior’s been waiting for you.”

Lin Xian waved to her in farewell. “All right then, the Super Invincible Beautiful Girl will take her leave for now.”

Xiao Wanqing watched her retreating back, smiling with helpless tenderness.

The author has something to say:

Lin Xian: Secretly jotting down all you bad people who want Auntie Xiao to punish me! Hmph!

Defeated by your cuteness, hahaha. I’ll just blur out the phone number.