Peaches and Plums Don’t Speak – Chapter 97
by Little PandaTwo Places of Longing
In Beicheng in April, the whole city was shrouded in continuous cold rain. Anzhi had secured a work-study position1 at the university library for new students, helping teachers organize and shelve returned books on weekends. She had volunteered to take the weekend shifts.
The library opened at nine-thirty on weekend mornings. The rainy weather was perfect for sleeping in, and after more than an hour, there were still few visitors. Anzhi pushed her small push cart, placing books on the shelves according to their labels.
The library was quiet. She wore a cardigan sweater, her footsteps soft as she moved slowly between the shelves. She could faintly hear the chatter of the school worker at the registration desk, and occasionally one or two lazy yawnsβperhaps from students preparing for exams in some school.
After finishing one cart, Anzhi returned to the registration desk to get more books. By eleven o’clock, several people were already queuing to check out or return books. She was about to push another cart when the school worker needed to use the restroom and asked Anzhi to take over.
Anzhi sat down, took the library card from the student at the front of the line, scanned it, then scanned each book one by one, her eyes simultaneously checking the computer to confirm the titles.
γSons and Loversγ, γUnderstanding Ancient Rhymesγ, γConversations with Goetheγ, γHistory of Pre-Tang Strange Talesγ, γThe Picture of Dorian Grayγ, γQiejie Pavilion Essaysγ, andβ¦ γThe Complete Book of Jokesγ?
Anzhi looked at the screen, her dimples pressing together slightly. This person’s reading tastes were all over the place.
The borrower asked her, “shimei, did I bring all the books I wanted to check out?”
Her Mandarin was standard, her voice lovelyβa touch casual and refined, like the rain falling on leaves that morning.
Anzhi glanced at her. The young woman wore a denim jacket over a white dress, her long hair tied back, her lashes like feather fans, smiling at her with eyes full of warmth.
She looked somewhat familiar, but Anzhi couldn’t immediately recall where she’d seen her.
Anzhi checked and said, “You’re still missing γThe Rose of Timeγ by Bei Dao.”
“Oh no, I forgot again.” The young woman tapped her head, smiling. “I’ll have to come back next time. Thanks, xiao shimei.”
Anzhi nodded. “You’re welcome, shijie.”
Just then, the school worker returned. Anzhi stood up, moved a few books from the counter onto her cart, and pushed it back into the library.
As she picked up the last book, Anzhi flipped through it. A meal card2 fell to the ground. She picked it up and looked at itβ”Lin Han.” It seemed to belong to the shijie from earlier. Anzhi didn’t think much of it and placed it at the lost and found.
By the time her morning shift ended, that shijie came rushing back. “Xiao shimei, did you happen to see a meal card?”
“I did, but you’ll need to tell me the name and school first before I can confirm if it’s yours.” Anzhi’s expression was serious as she held the card.
The shijie raised her elegant brows, the smile in her eyes impossible to hide. “School of Literature, third year. Lin Han.”
Anzhi glanced at the card. It really was hers.
Lin-shijie took the card, her smile now impossible to contain. The more Anzhi looked at her, the more familiar she seemed.
Outside the library, the world was still wrapped in dense rain and mist. Anzhi opened her umbrella. Beside her was Lin-shijie, who was a bit taller than Anzhi. Her profile was delicate, and she seemed to love smiling. “Xiao shimei, which cafeteria are you going to for lunch?”
“I’m meeting my roommate at Yiweixuan3.”
“Oh? Isn’t that over by the Graduate Student Building? That’s so far.”
“Mn.” Anzhi didn’t mention that she lived in the graduate student dormitory. Soon after starting her first semester, she’d heard some gossip and rumorsβshe only then learned that even with extra fees, the Graduate Student Building was off-limits to undergraduates. Even her work-study application had taken longer to approve than others’.
“Which school are you in?” the shijie asked with a smile.
“School of Chemical Engineering. Shijie, I’ll be going now.” Anzhi quickened her pace toward another campus path, saying goodbye.
It wasn’t until she returned to the dorm after eating with Yang Mengmeng that Anzhi rememberedβLin Han was the person who had sung γFrom the Pastγ4 at the welcome party.
She thought it was just a chance encounter, but over the next month, Anzhi found herself running into this shijie all over campus.
By the lake when she was memorizing English, at the library during self-study, even on her way to the laboratory, and in line at the cafeteria.
Such a large campusβeven if they were coincidences, the frequency was too high.
Every time they met, Lin Han had a smile on her face. She had particularly beautiful eyes that sparkled like stars when she smiled.
Yang Mengmeng noticed. The second time they ran into Lin Han together, she told Anzhi that night back at the dorm, “An’an, I think Lin-shijie wants to chase you!”
At first, Anzhi didn’t take it to heart. Maybe it was just coincidence. They’d chatted a few times, and Anzhi thought she was niceβvery talkative, interesting to converse with, never an awkward silence.
“Lin-shijie may have dated guys before, but I heard she’s also had girlfriends. Not simple at all!” Yang Mengmeng rubbed her chin.
“We’ve just run into each other a few times. Aren’t you overthinking it?”
“Yeah right. The School of Chemical Engineering is in East District and the School of Literature is in North Districtβthey’re far apart. How would that be such a coincidence? Hmph.”
“Hey, do you have any feelings for her?” Yang Mengmeng asked.
Anzhi wanted to laugh. “We just met, okay? But⦔ She really didn’t dislike Lin-shijie. Chatting with her felt comfortable. The other woman gave her a familiar feeling, especially the way she looked when she smiled in a shirtβ¦
Anzhi’s heart stirred, and she froze.
The sky was gray and heavy. A heavy rain was coming. Yan Xi emerged from the law firmβtoday she had finally signed the documents that had been pending for so long.
Yan Xi decided not to tell Anzhi about this, nor did she mention it to anyone in the family. The law firm was next to a shopping mall. Before she could reach the parking garage, the rain came pouring down. The wind was cold. Yan Xi decided to get something to drink.
A cup of coffee, a small slice of American apple pie.
Yan Xi sat by the floor-to-ceiling windows at an artsy dessert shop on the third floor of the mall, watching the rain as she finished.
When she came out, she took out her phone and snapped a photo of the rain-filled sky. A cold gust lifted the hem of her long coat, revealing the pale green skirt underneath. Yan Xi tucked her hair backβand suddenly, without warning, a red Aventador5 sped past, splashing rainwater all over her legs.
Yan Xi frowned and let out a “Hey!” The person in the car poked his head out. When he saw her, his eyes lit up. He didn’t even care if he could park thereβhe just ran over. “Sorry, so sorry!”
The man had messy hair, a T-shirt and pants, dressed without any particular care, yet he looked like a male model walking out of a magazine.
“Let me give you my card. I’ll definitely pay for the dry cleaning⦔ He seemed to be mixed-race, with beautiful light blue eyes.
“No need. It was an accident.” Yan Xi was in a hurry to get back to the TV station, so she left quickly.
A few days later, Yan Xi went to a charity party with Liu Yiyi and ran into him there.
Yan Xi had some impression of those light blue eyes. Liu Yiyi whispered in her ear, “His Chinese name is Wu Yiyang. His dad’s an investor at XX Investment Groupβhe’s the son from his father’s marriage to a foreign supermodel ex-wife. He’s a model. Straight. Everyone calls him Evan.”
Liu Yiyi held her wine glass, grinning as she eyed the man in front of them. “I’ve seen his photos. That bodyβtsk tsk tsk. I’ll give you two words: sleepable6.”
“He looks younger than me.”
“Under twenty-five, probably. He’s been abroad a long time, doesn’t really watch domestic TV. Actually doesn’t recognize you, but a few days ago he was asking me about you. Pretty well-informedβknows our sister-in-law relationship.”
Yan Xi had a headache. “Don’t mess around. I’m much older than him.”
“I’m not telling you to marry him. What are you afraid of? Besides, you look young. Maybe he’s into the older sister type7.”
Yan Xi shook her head. Just then, Evan came over. Someone used to being a model knew exactly how to use his looksβhis eyes practically sent out sparks as he asked her out directly. Yan Xi had to decline. Evan wasn’t annoyed at all. He chatted with the two ladies for a while, not being bothersome. At the end, he got a napkin and a pen from a server in white shirt and black pants, wrote down his number, and handed it to Yan Xi with a smile.
Yan Xi couldn’t refuse, so she accepted it.
Back in the car, she stuffed the napkin into Liu Yiyi’s hand. Liu Yiyi laughed and scolded, “I’m not going to cheat on your brother!”
“Has Anzhi come to see you lately?” Yan Xi changed the subject.
“Noβ¦ I think she’s doing work-study or something.” Liu Yiyi took out a mirror to touch up her lipstick.
“Why work-study? Does sheβ¦ not have enough money?” Yan Xi frowned.
“You didn’t know? Work-study is normal. Probably for social practice or something.”
Yan Xi pressed her lips together and drove in silence.
Liu Yiyi asked, “Where are you going?”
“Back to the station. I’ve been living there lately.”
Liu Yiyi glanced at her and teased, “Afraid of becoming an empty-nester8 if you go back?”
“I justβ¦ feel like Taotao is avoiding me⦔ Yan Xi didn’t respond to her words, lost in thought.
Liu Yiyi raised an eyebrow, her tone as casual as ever. “Oh? When was the last time you saw each other?”
Yan Xi felt a bit stifled. “β¦New Year’s.” The days before New Year’s were her busiest. Even during the few days they were both at the old residence, they barely had any time alone together. Anzhi was tutoring Da Pang and Xiao Pang, helping take care of Junjun, and spending time with Grandmother Yan.
Within a few days, she went back to school.
“I’m telling you, once kids go to university, who’s going to cling to you? You already have a generation gapβactually, several generation gaps. It’s normal, totally normal.” The corners of Liu Yiyi’s lips curled up secretly.
Yan Xi pressed her lips together and said nothing.
“Yang Mengmengβshe’s such a little chatterbox, she’s got great social skills. They definitely have lots of friends they hang out with. Oh, and recently she made friends with a senior from the School of Literature, a third-year.”
Yan Xi drove past an intersection and made a soft “Mn” sound, seeming like she wanted to say more.
“But Yang Mengmeng seems to be dating someone lately, so that shijie spends most of her time hanging out with Xiao Anzhi.”
“Shijie? Just a shijie?” Yan Xi asked.
Liu Yiyi looked puzzled. “Yeah, she said she’s a shijie. Why?”
Yan Xi’s lips moved. She said, “Nothing.”
Liu Yiyi held back her laughter. “Well, it’s not like it’s a shixiong. No need to worry about them dating.”
Yan Xi slowly closed her eyes. She wanted to say something but couldn’t.
“If it were a shixiong, that’d be great. A few years older, would know how to take care of Xiao Anzhi. That would be nice. I think Xiao Anzhi would like someone a bit older too.”
Liu Yiyi’s cheeks were sore from holding back her laugh. She glanced at Yan Xi, seeing her expressionless face, her lips pressed into a thin line.
Footnotes
- A program allowing students to work part-time on campus to earn money. Common in Chinese universities.
- A student ID card used for campus dining and identification.
- A cafeteria/restaurant at Beicheng University of Science and Technology, located near the graduate student dormitory.
- A song based on a poem by Chinese poet Mu Xin (1927β2011) about the slower pace of life in the past.
- A high-end Lamborghini sports car model.
- A blunt slang term meaning someone is attractive enough to have sex with.
- A slang term describing someone who prefers romantic partners who are older and more mature, like an older sister figure.
- A term for elderly people whose children have left home, living alone.
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