Zheng Su Nian’s memories of spring 2007 were vague.
That spring seemed unusually long. It was still snowing in March, and a cold snap caused nearly everyone in the city to catch a cold. Zheng, insensitive to changes in temperature, greeted the early spring in just a light shirt and pants, even though the heating had been turned off. As a result, he ended up with a low-grade fever that lingered for a month.
The illness came and went, and he drifted through the entire spring in a fog. By the time the sun was shining brightly and the temperatures started to rise, he realized that Shao Xue was about to take her college entrance exams.
In June, after the official start of summer, Beijing’s temperatures soared to extreme heights. Outside the exam venues, anxious parents waited with hopeful expressions. Zheng Su Nian had spent the time resting with his eyes closed, and when he finally looked up, he immediately spotted Shao Xue among the crowd.
Shao Xue was taking an exam in a less common foreign language, so her last subject wasn’t English. The test was held in Xicheng District, and per Yu Dong Ge’s request, Zheng had come to pick her up.
The school gate was flooded with people. Students who had finished their exams mixed with parents, and no matter how things had gone, they all seemed visibly relaxed. After all, it was over—the most grueling selection process before entering society had ended. Shao Xue climbed onto the back of his bike, looking exhausted, clutching her backpack to her chest.
Zheng didn’t dare ask how the exam went. With one push of his long legs, the bike glided through the crowd. Shao Xue poked him in the back, sounding puzzled. “Why are you sweating so much? Have you been waiting long?”
“Not really. Just a little while.”
As they rode, the breeze flowed into his t-shirt, and he straightened his back. Suddenly, he felt Shao Xue lean against him.
He hesitated for a moment, then said, “Zhang Qi found a restaurant. How about we all get together?”
Since they’d parted ways last year, the three of them hadn’t had a proper reunion. When Zhang Qi called, he sounded unusually agitated: “I walked into the dorm, and half the people here got in through special admissions. They spend all day playing games and still know everything they need to. Now I understand what real intelligence feels like.”
Zheng had laughed. “Come on, man, you’re the pride of our alley.”
Zhang Qi sighed deeply. “I can’t talk anymore. I need to get back to self-study.”
After being crushed for nearly two semesters, Zhang Qi had finally found his rhythm. Worried about disturbing Shao Xue’s studies, he had called Zheng Su Nian before her exams.
“I’m fine with dinner, but she just finished her exam,” Zheng said, confused. “Can’t you wait a few days?”
Zhang hesitated, as if there was something more to it. “I’ve already booked the place. Let’s do it then.”
“Make sure to bring her. There’s something I need to tell you both.”
Zheng, always perceptive, sensed that Zhang was insisting on that specific time for a reason, though he couldn’t figure out what it was. When Shao Xue heard his words, she gave a soft “mm,” then rested her head on his half-dry back.
“I’m tired,” she mumbled. “I’m going to nap for a bit.”
The sun was setting in the west, and a gentle evening breeze blew past them. The girl behind him had just finished a battle that would determine her future, now resting against his back like a small, exhausted animal.
Zheng slowed the bike, riding steadily and carefully.
In ancient Beijing, June brought a peaceful dusk, with the sun setting and a soft breeze blowing.
Zheng was familiar with the place Zhang had chosen. Back in the day, the boys from their alley would go play basketball there—without Shao Xue. Behind the court, there was a small barbecue joint. In the summer, the owner would set up tables outside, and passersby couldn’t help but be drawn in to enjoy some skewers.
Zhang was sitting at one of the outdoor tables. After a year apart, he looked more mature—he had even grown a beard.
“What’s up with you, Zhang Qi?” Shao Xue, just waking up, didn’t hold back. “What’s with this deep, serious look?”
“It’s been a year! Can’t you show a little more excitement and kindness for an old friend?”
“Were you kind to me?” Shao Xue, now fully awake, didn’t miss a beat. “I just finished my exam, and you drag me out to eat. Couldn’t you let me rest first?”
“Su Nian, look at her,” Zhang said mournfully, swallowing a piece of grilled beef tendon. “Will she ever get married acting like this?”
That’s how it was with old friends. Even if they hadn’t seen each other for a year—or might not see each other again for ten—it still felt like they had just walked out of the alley five minutes ago, teasing each other without missing a beat.
The restaurant owner knew them well. After greeting them, he sent over an extra plate of grilled chicken wings. With her stomach full, Shao Xue perked up and began animatedly recounting her exam experience.
“I took a foreign language exam, right? There were fewer than ten of us in the room, and the two proctors stared at us like owls. During the morning comprehensive exam, a girl collapsed at the door, foaming at the mouth.”
“What’s with you guys these days? Back when we did competitions, no one ever fainted.”
“Us mere mortals can’t compare to you,” Shao Xue said, mockingly handing him a skewer of chicken wings. “How’s life been for you this past year? Where do you plan to work?”
She didn’t expect that question to change Zhang Qi’s expression.
Growing up together, they could immediately tell when something was off. Zhang slowly opened a bottle of Tsingtao beer, then looked up at them.
“Enough,” he said. “I’ve been dragging this out long enough. There’s something I need to tell you both.
“I’m leaving.”
“Where are you going?” Shao Xue asked, still not quite understanding. “You just started university.”
He didn’t stop as he opened another bottle and clinked it against Zheng Su Nian’s.
“I’m transferring to Princeton.”
“Transferring,” he explained. “A lot of people from our department take this route. I’ve been preparing with my roommate. When I got the offer, I was in shock. It felt like it wasn’t real.”
Shao Xue took a long time to process what Zhang Qi had said, holding a lamb skewer near her mouth but not managing to take a bite. The sight amused Zhang Qi.
“Come on, are you that shocked? You two look more surprised than I am.”
Zheng Su Nian was the first to recover, picking up his beer bottle and clinking it against Zhang Qi’s glass.
“So you called us here to say goodbye, huh?”
“I was waiting for Shao Xue to finish her exams.” Zhang Qi relaxed a little as he spoke. “My flight’s the day after tomorrow. I’ll need some time to adjust once I get there.”
“Impressive, really impressive.” Shao Xue smiled warmly, like a proud elder. “Come on, let me toast to you. You’re the pride of our entire alley.”
“Oh no, you don’t,” Zhang Qi quickly snatched the beer from her hand. “You’re already hard to marry off, and now you’re drinking? That’s not proper behavior.”
“Why are you so old-fashioned?” Shao Xue protested. “I heard girls abroad are much more open. If you think women drinking is improper, how are you going to fit in over there?”
“You’re ridiculous. I’m going there for academics. I don’t care how open they are!”
“Ah, now you’re all about your academic ideals, above personal matters. Well, in that case, I should definitely toast to you.”
Zhang Qi was speechless with frustration.
Whenever the three of them drank, at least one would stay sober till the end. This time, Zheng Su Nian went to settle the bill with the owner. When he came back, Zhang Qi and Shao Xue were drunk, talking nonsense and crying at the same time.
“I really miss our alley,” Zhang Qi said. “Just stepping outside and calling for you two, and you’d show up. That’s when I realized, this guy, Zheng Su Nian, pretends to be the good one, but we always got scolded together. He’d get away without a scratch.”
“I miss it too. The meat sandwiches they sell near my place now are awful. I bite into one and can’t even find the meat, and by the second bite, it’s all gone. I wonder how Aunt Zhang is doing back in her hometown.”
Zhang Qi dragged his chair over between Shao Xue and Zheng Su Nian, letting out a long sigh.
“Once I leave, I might not come back for holidays. We all live so far apart now. Will we even see each other again?”
“What do you mean we won’t?” Shao Xue slapped the table, drawing a few glances with her boldness. “No matter where we are, if you come back, give me a call, and I’ll come to the airport to pick you up.”
“Yeah, right,” Zhang Qi teased her. “You’re not the type to stay put either. You’ll probably be off all over the place. Of the three of us, only Zheng Su Nian looks like he’s going to stay around.”
“That’s fine,” Shao Xue said, grinning at Zheng Su Nian. “As long as he’s here, I feel secure.”
Zheng Su Nian shook his head, helpless as he watched his two drunk friends.
“Alright, time to get you both home. Zhang Qi, I’ll get you into a taxi—”
“No!” Zhang Qi suddenly stood up and poured the remaining beer into one cup, his gaze sharp as he looked at Shao Xue and Zheng Su Nian. “One of my senior classmates told me, farewells need to be formal.”
“How formal can it be?” Shao Xue, normally the most talkative, struggled to find the right words, her brain numbed by the alcohol. Seeing that they wouldn’t be satisfied until they had another drink, Zheng Su Nian poured himself a final glass.
“I’ll do it.” As he clinked their glasses together, he felt a pang of nostalgia. The last time they had a toast, it was with Beibingyang soda. Now, it was beer. Every time they met, they drifted further apart. “Let’s toast to the most valuable soccer legend of our alley…”
Shao Xue burst out laughing. That was Zheng Su Nian’s gift—he always seemed like the serious intellectual, but deep down, he was funnier than anyone else.
“And to the outstanding Young Pioneer from the cultural center, the first in our alley to master calculus—Zhang Qi. Wishing you success in your studies in the U.S.”
Shao Xue had just finished her exams, so whatever she did felt justified. Even after drinking too much, Yu Dong Ge didn’t scold her, letting her sleep for two days straight. On the third day, Shao Xue woke up, squinting as she checked her phone.
At that time, Renren was all the rage. Zhang Qi had posted a status update, posing in sunglasses at the airport, trying to look cool in a side profile photo.
“With this departure, a new storm is brewing.”
His university friends filled the comments with teasing remarks, but one girl with a proper-looking profile photo simply commented, “Safe travels.”
Shao Xue closed her eyes briefly, then opened them again. She got out of bed, barefoot, and pulled the curtains open.
The weather was surprisingly good.
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