After hanging up the phone, Ruan Xi’s Mother sent her the restaurant location.
Dinner was to be shared with Shang Auntie and Cheng Daichuan. Ruan Xi glanced at the navigation; it would take about half an hour to get to the restaurant from the high-speed rail station.
If she walked, it would take about the same time, so she should set out now.
What should I say when I see Cheng Daichuan?
Hi, long time no see?
Hi, how have you been lately?
Hi, about last time…
Ruan Xi shook her head, feeling awkward no matter what she said.
I can’t just do what Shi Chao would do— rush over, punch him in the chest, and blurt out ‘Hey, bro’, can I?
Why did greetings never feel this difficult before? Can’t we just get along as naturally as we used to?
After their last meeting, Ruan Xi, Cheng Daichuan, and Shi Chao would still occasionally chat in their group of three, sharing updates or interesting video links as if nothing had happened.
But talking face to face was different.
In fact, this meeting had been set up by Ruan Xi herself.
A few days ago, Ruan Xi’s parents received a business trip notice from work and asked if she wanted to come along, but Ruan Xi immediately refused.
She was sitting cross-legged on the sofa eating watermelon, watching TV, when her sharp ears caught her mother talking on the phone with Cheng Daichuan’s Mother— and to her surprise, Cheng Daichuan’s Mother was also going to the same port city for business.
When they were neighbors, the two families got along very well, and even after moving, they kept in touch.
Now that they happened to be in the same city, Ruan Xi’s Mother was delighted and decided to arrange a little get-together.
After hanging up, Ruan Xi’s Father held up his phone to show Ruan Xi’s Mother: “Should we take the high-speed rail or drive?”
Ruan Xi hurriedly spit out two watermelon seeds and raised her hand like an eager student: “Mom, I want to go too.”
Ruan Xi’s Mother looked a bit surprised: “Didn’t you say you didn’t want to go?”
Ruan Xi, holding a piece of watermelon rind, glanced away guiltily and mumbled her excuse:
College students have nothing to do during the holidays. It’s boring to stay at home— might as well go with you.
She knew about the changes in Cheng Daichuan’s family and that his school’s summer break was about the same time as hers.
So, she guessed there was a good chance Cheng Daichuan would accompany his mother to the port city.
Ruan Xi did it on purpose.
Yet as the meeting drew near, a subtle anxiety still rose in her chest.
Her bread had been eaten up by the seagulls. Standing beside a cruise travel poster, Ruan Xi absentmindedly crumpled the bread wrapper, lost in thought, just as she was about to walk to the trash bin, she looked up— and met a sharp, shrewd gaze.
Ruan Xi recognized this Salesperson.
Earlier, when she passed by, the Salesperson had been gripping flyers and introducing cruise trips to a middle-aged couple, with a rather persuasive pitch.
Now, the same pitch was about to be used on Ruan Xi.
The Salesperson, dressed in a green vest bearing the Cruise Agency’s name, almost leapt in front of Ruan Xi, whoosh— unfolded a flyer and went straight to the point: “How about learning more about a cruise trip!”
Ruan Xi instinctively took a half step back.
The Salesperson clearly noticed her reluctance but chose to ignore it, wearing a smile as bright as a clear sky.
One hand held the flyer, the other pointed at the most enticing line, energetically promoting—
“Set out from summer, to experience a different kind of summer.”
“Fifteen days, fourteen nights.”
“In this hot weather, peak travel season, any famous attraction is just torture. Wouldn’t it be better to be on a cruise…”
“And our Dusk is absolutely the best value among cruises of the same tonnage.”
Ruan Xi was interested in cruise trips, but preferred looking up details on the official cruise website herself.
She was reserved around strangers, especially when faced with such overzealous sales pitches.
But… she didn’t want the Salesperson’s words to go to waste, so she replied, “Please give me a flyer, I’ll take a look at it later.”
The Salesperson handed her a flyer, then swung the large backpack from behind to the front, unzipped it, and pulled out a thick brochure: “Look, this has all the detailed routes…”
The pitch was practically brainwashing. Even on her way to the restaurant, Ruan Xi’s mind was filled with:
Restaurants, bars, infinity pools, water parks, theaters, gyms, KTV…
A one-stop service for eating, drinking, and entertainment.
Anything you can think of, our Dusk has it all.
You won’t lose out, you won’t be tricked!
And somehow, she had even added that Salesperson on WeChat.
Now, as she walked with her phone for navigation, she kept seeing notifications pop up with more cruise info.
Just as the message “The mattress is especially comfortable, on par with a five-star hotel…” popped up, Ruan Xi arrived at the restaurant.
Her father’s red sedan was already parked— so they had arrived before her.
Thinking of Cheng Daichuan, the cruise slogans in her mind were instantly wiped away.
She awkwardly adjusted her sunhat and, under the smiling gaze of the server, walked into the restaurant.
In the private room were only Ruan Xi’s parents and Shang Auntie; the elders said Cheng Daichuan had gone out for a stroll.
With the person who unsettled her not present, Ruan Xi relaxed at once.
She took off her sunhat, ran her fingers through her hair that had been flattened by the hat, and with a tuft of hair sticking up, greeted Cheng Daichuan’s Mother with a radiant smile.
She even ran over and affectionately held Cheng Daichuan’s Mother’s hand.
“Shang Auntie, it’s been so long! I missed you so much!”
Ruan Xi’s Mother stood beside her, helplessly fixing her daughter’s messy hair: “This child.”
Cheng Daichuan’s Mother laughed too: “I missed you all as well. Last time was during winter break, right? It’s been almost half a year. Xi Xi, did you cut your hair?”
Ruan Xi had recently gotten a short haircut and proudly shook her fluffy hair: “How is it?”
Cheng Daichuan’s Mother was only two years younger than Ruan Xi’s Mother, but her personality was like an eternal child. She gave a thumbs-up and winked: “Very cute!”
Ruan Xi’s Mother said, “Time flies. In the blink of an eye, the kids are almost sophomores.”
Cheng Daichuan’s Mother agreed: “Feels like the college entrance exam was just yesterday. Back when Xi Xi was transferring schools all the time, it was really worrying.”
The topic shifted to Ruan Xi.
She held her water glass, eagerly sharing her recent experiences at the pier with the elders.
After two sips, she set the glass down and gestured as she spoke: “That local bread was bigger than my head! And the seagulls ate it all!”
Ruan Xi’s Mother turned to Cheng Daichuan’s Mother: “Aunt Shang, after we’re done tomorrow, let’s go to the pier to see the seagulls?”
Cheng Daichuan’s Mother seemed to snap out of a daze: “Sure.”
Ruan Xi said, “Oh right, I ran into a Salesperson from the Cruise Agency over there, he was talking about a cruise…”
She was in the middle of her story when suddenly the server’s voice rang out: “Hello, sir, this way please—”
The elders’ eyes all drifted past her, toward the private room door behind her.
Ruan Xi instantly sensed what was happening, quickly pulling back her hand that had been pointing toward the pier, falling silent.
Cheng Daichuan entered carrying a bag of fruit. Seeing Ruan Xi turn her head, he lifted his chin: “Long time no see.”
He’d gotten a perm again, just like when they first met— his hair a tea-brown mess of curls.
A pair of sunglasses with sunset-orange lenses were clipped to the collar of his white T-shirt.
Ruan Xi, no longer as lively as before, squeezed out a mosquito-buzz reply: “Long time no see.”
The elders didn’t notice her oddness.
Ruan Xi’s Father picked up the menu and started to say, “Let’s see what specialties this place has…”
Shang Auntie asked Cheng Daichuan, “Where did you go?”
Outside the window was the endless sea, and Cheng Daichuan seemed in a great mood, a faint smile on his lips.
He took a seat next to his mother, draping an arm over the back of her chair: “Nowhere special, just wandered around. Ran into a fruit vendor and bought some oranges.”
Shang Auntie asked in confusion: “Oranges? Are those even in season in summer? Will they taste good?”
Cheng Daichuan said, “I don’t know.”
As he spoke, he took out a plump, fresh orange from the plastic bag and tossed it to Ruan Xi first: “Try it.”
Ruan Xi reached out, the weight of the orange landing in her palm, and the awkwardness in her heart eased a little.
She picked up a table knife and poked the orange, as if hinting at Cheng Daichuan’s fate, and declared bossily: “If it’s not sweet…”
Ruan Xi’s Mother interrupted her threat, speaking gently: “Xi Xi loves oranges the most.”
Ruan Xi’s Father said that when Ruan Xi was little, she ate so many oranges her skin turned yellow and they had to take her to the doctor.
Ruan Xi caught a suspicious smile at someone’s lips and stomped her foot: “Dad!”
“Alright, alright, I won’t say any more.”
Ruan Xi’s Father asked Cheng Daichuan to pick some dishes, and asked what kind of fish preparation he wanted to try.
Cheng Daichuan answered easily and then turned to look at Ruan Xi.
Ruan Xi avoided his gaze, focusing all her attention on the orange, head down as she cut it.
But Cheng Daichuan didn’t mention the orange again, instead calling her: “Ruan Xi.”
“Mm?”
“What were you saying just now?”
Ruan Xi was momentarily confused, raising her knife: “Did I say something?”
Cheng Daichuan reminded her: “When I came in.”
Ruan Xi remembered—she had been about to tell the elders about the cruise trip.
About the cruise trip, Ruan Xi had a small secret hope: if the elders could find time for a cruise together, then she and Cheng Daichuan could also…
Thinking of her little secret, her face flushed.
Luckily, the private dining room had two crystal-clear floor-to-ceiling windows, and the setting sun sheltered her.
The sunlight poured in, the same color as the sunset-orange lenses of Cheng Daichuan’s sunglasses on the table, brushing over everyone’s face, glossing over her little thoughts.
Ruan Xi quietly adjusted her breathing and lowered her head to cut the orange.
Juice trickled along the cut into the white porcelain dish. She tried to sound casual as she spoke:
“Oh, I ran into a Salesperson from the Cruise Agency who was telling me about a cruise trip.”
The orange was cut in half. Ruan Xi looked up, her eyes curving: “It sounded pretty good.”