Chapter 91

The basketball shoes were difficult to put on and take off. While sitting and tying the laces, he could clearly hear the sounds inside the private room.

Fang Suining let out a distressed “Oh!” and there was a series of thuds on the polished wooden floor. After a while, there was a whooshing sound as the sliding door was pushed open again—Fang Suining was half-kneeling at the door, panting, “What are you doing?”

Xiang Feiran had finished putting on his shoes, stood up from the wooden bench, and gave Fang Suining a look that indicated they should talk outside.

Fang Suining leaned back, glanced at Shang Mingbao, then quickly crouched down again, hastily putting on her single shoes. As she walked, she was trying to secure them, afraid she wouldn’t catch up with Xiang Feiran.

The room fell silent, so quiet that the sound of water from the hall could be heard. The bamboo tube was filled with water again, and it made a thud as it returned to its place.

Shang Mingbao set down the black ancient ceramic tea pot, gazed at the ink wash bamboo painting on the wall for a while, and felt her eyes were less strained. She lowered her head. With nothing to do, she picked up her chopsticks, took a piece of Japanese-style pickled vegetable, and slowly ate it.

Xiang Feiran was a thoughtful person and must have noticed the two pairs of women’s shoes at the door. But he came in, greeted her politely and kindly, which meant he didn’t mind another girl being in the room.

The problem wasn’t that there was a second girl in the room; it was that the second girl was her.

Fang Suining caught up with Xiang Feiran in the middle of the hall, grabbed him, and asked again, “What are you doing?”

Xiang Feiran’s face showed no sign of anger. “Did she ask you to organize this?”

What did he mean? Was he asking for reconciliation? It shouldn’t be this complicated; all it needed was…

“No,” Fang Suining said, confused. “I organized this myself, and she, like you, had no idea.”

The chaos in Xiang Feiran’s mind abruptly ceased, and the curve of his lips held a faint hint of sarcasm. “Don’t do such stupid things next time.”

Fang Suining was indignant.

Yes, she had overstepped, but as the only link between the two, wasn’t it her role to do such foolish things? It was evident that no one was faring well (though Mingbao seemed to be doing fine). She thought this relationship could still be salvaged; maybe it just needed a stepping stone?

Fang Suining tugged at Xiang Feiran’s sleeve. “Don’t you want to see her again?”

Xiang Feiran responded decisively, “No.”

“……”

“Let’s go.”

He tried to leave, but Fang Suining still held onto his sleeve.

“You’re making her uncomfortable,” Fang Suining reasoned. “Wasn’t the breakup dignified? Don’t make it seem like you’re enemies.”

Xiang Feiran’s breathing slowed as he glanced at the faint shadow on the sliding door.

She hadn’t taken her bag to indicate she was leaving. This meant she was more composed than him. Whether he stayed or left didn’t matter to her.

It seemed he was the one retreating in defeat.

The sliding door let out another whoosh, like a broom sweeping across an empty courtyard.

Shang Mingbao held a black cylindrical tea vessel and listened to Fang Suining’s lighthearted remark amidst the drifting tea aroma: “He forgot his phone and went back to get it.”

An obvious excuse that everyone tacitly accepted.

Xiang Feiran sat in the hall for a long time, rubbing his warm palms on his face, taking a deep breath, and standing up as if preparing for the stage.

When the sliding door was pulled open for the third time, a shiver ran down Shang Mingbao’s spine, as if the sweat on her neck and back had stood on end, trying to sense if it was him.

It was him.

With a cold, frosty fragrance, he passed by Shang Mingbao, clearly entering the small room.

She felt pathetic, wanting to throw herself into his arms, wrap around his waist, and be completely embraced in his warmth.

Fang Suining, calculating well, blinked and suggested, “Feiran Gege, why don’t you sit beside Mingbao?”

Shang Mingbao moved, making space on the outer side.

Her senses were all attuned to the left side, next to him.

But Xiang Feiran ignored her and went straight to Fang Suining’s side: “You two sit; I feel cramped.”

It made sense… Fang Suining had to move and sit beside Shang Mingbao.

Thus, it ended up with her and Xiang Feiran sitting opposite each other. Fang Suining desperately signaled Xiang Feiran, hoping he would seize the opportunity to make eye contact with Shang Mingbao. Eye contact could warm things up!

Xiang Feiran, with his sharp, narrow eyes, poured himself a cup of tea and said lightly: “I wasn’t aware.”

Fang Suining clenched her fists.

Shang Mingbao sipped her tea, lowering her gaze, leaving a faint mark on the cup: “I only just found out.”

“Eat well,” Xiang Feiran put down the teapot, not looking at her but at Fang Suining: “You talk more.”

Fang Suining: “……”

With everyone gathered, the server started serving the dishes. Fang Suining had spared no expense for this meal, ordering three sets of a 2,600 yuan per person menu. The first dishes were alcohol-infused: rock oysters, tender octopus, and red hairy crabs, cold appetizers, making the atmosphere feel even colder.

Fang Suining admitted she was a bit sweaty…

For a while, only the sounds of dishes being placed, servers introducing the dishes, eating, clearing plates, and the sliding door opening and closing could be heard.

The server, as they left, couldn’t help but tell the chef: “The people at the Yama table are really just here to eat, not making a sound.”

The chef was very pleased, thinking oysters are for those who appreciate them.

When a sashimi platter with Hokkaido sea urchin, red clam, and flounder was served, Fang Suining finally couldn’t take it anymore: “Um… babe, are you living in Ning City now?”

Shang Mingbao replied: “Not exactly; I also frequently return to Hong Kong.”

“Not in New York anymore,” Fang Suining asked knowingly.

“Not going there anymore,” Shang Mingbao said, “I’ve settled everything in New York, and clarified the rumors about whom I’m supposed to marry.”

After speaking, she nervously and obediently pursed her lips, raising her gaze slightly towards Xiang Feiran.

Did he know that today’s meeting was with her, or did he not know there was a second girl today? He looked so handsome today, probably for meeting another girl.

Xiang Feiran’s face remained calm, his eyes showing no sign of emotion, as if he hadn’t received her gaze.

Fang Suining exaggeratedly said “Wow,” “Your circle is really harsh, using rumors to force you into marriage?”

Shang Mingbao nodded: “It was my fault for not noticing in time.”

Fang Suining: “What are your plans now?”

Shang Mingbao: “To sort myself out and start anew.”

Fang Suining, guiding gently: “Start anew with what?”

Shang Mingbao: “Start a new career.”

Fang Suining: “……”

Not making any progress.

The atmosphere was awkward for a second, then Shang Mingbao mustered up her courage and looked directly at the person opposite: “Feiran Gege, are you… okay?”

“Good.”

Shang Mingbao: “I heard from Suining that you were coughing up blood…”

“Gastrointestinal issues,” Xiang Feiran said lightly, “It has nothing to do with the breakup.”

“Oh, um…” Shang Mingbao nodded eagerly, fearing she was late, “That’s what I thought too.”

Fang Suining wanted to bang her head against the wall.

“So… what’s the problem? Can it be cured?” Shang Mingbao continued with concern.

The doctor said there was no actual illness, as the gastrointestinal endoscopy showed nothing wrong, just a result of various emotions attacking his mind, but it had indeed harmed his health, and he was instructed not to think about related matters.

Xiang Feiran had undergone two months of psychological therapy, once a week.

In the last session,

Memories

he calmly said that this misaligned relationship had changed both of them beyond recognition, making them obsessed. He understood her, but it ended there.

After leaving the clinic that day, the doctor said he no longer needed to return. Upon reviewing the materials, he found that the money earned was easy because the patient was overly intelligent and self-sufficient. Instead of contributing professional value, she was simply a listener. Even if he were talking to a wall, he could figure things out and sort himself out.

Xiang Feiran casually made up an illness: “Gastritis.”

“You should avoid cold foods and seafood like today; they’re too cold,” Shang Mingbao said seriously.

Xiang Feiran placed his chopsticks on the green mountain-shaped ceramic chopstick rest and nodded: “Thank you.”

He raised his gaze and naturally glanced at her.

She was also dressed casually for meeting friends, with light makeup, looking good, wearing a simple pure white shirt dress, making it hard to tell if she had lost weight.

After confirming that she was doing well, Xiang Feiran shifted his gaze away, remaining composed.

Just after mentioning that cold food should be avoided, the waiter brought a bowl of softshell turtle clear soup. For a moment, in the private room named Shanyue,” only the crisp sound of porcelain spoons clinking against soup bowls remained.

Even with the strong air conditioning, Fang Suining felt a layer of sweat clinging to her skin. Despite her best efforts to bridge the polite distance between them, she couldn’t dissolve the barrier.

They looked at each other like two people on a blind date, not like those who once loved each other.

Yet, who was it that relied on sleeping pills to fall asleep and wandered the courtyard on chilly, moonlit nights? The evening primroses had new clusters blooming towards the moon—again, it was the day she had come to the mountains for a vacation.

August was so unbearable.

Because it was unbearable, he simply moved out of the mountains during the middle of the month.

Fang Suining began praying for the meal to end quickly. As if sitting on pins and needles, she checked the menu on her phone and fainted: there were still fifteen dishes left!

The Japanese wagyu beef was served with white asparagus, and as Fang Suining chewed slowly, she suddenly had a flash of inspiration and felt she had a significant topic to bring up: “Feiran Ge, what about your ring?”

Hurry and tell me you’ve bought the ring!

Xiang Feiran casually replied, “I returned it.”

Fang Suining: “……”

She completely gave up. During the remaining time with the ten or so sushi dishes, she stopped trying to connect conversations and only spoke to Shang Mingbao and then to Xiang Feiran. As for between them, no conversation was born.

Finally, they reached the last two dessert courses, and Fang Suining was almost ready to shout with joy.

The two desserts were homemade soy sauce ice cream and white peaches from Kawakami Town. But the waiter ultimately brought Shizuoka melons, apologizing to the guests, “The batch of peaches that arrived wasn’t very sweet, so we replaced them with melons.”

Shang Mingbao curved her lips.

It seemed like fate; she didn’t even get a chance to explain “he’s allergic to peaches.”

After enduring two difficult hours, they stood up and changed their shoes at the private room door.

Xiang Feiran was the last to leave, hands in pockets, casually following them through the lobby.

Suddenly, someone came out and patted Fang Suining’s shoulder. It turned out to be a high school classmate. Excited, they mentioned others who were still in the private room and invited Fang Suining to go see them and chat.

Before leaving, Fang Suining specifically instructed, “Wait for me, don’t leave.”

The lobby was very cold, accompanied by the sound of water and the faint glow of Japanese lanterns, and the monk statues in the stone niches. This made Shang Mingbao, who had been tense for two hours, suddenly feel uneasy. She couldn’t wait to stand under the sun, amidst the natural and urban dust and noise.

“I’ll go out first,” she said hurriedly and softly.

Watching her urgent and hasty figure, Xiang Feiran stood in place for a few seconds before silently following her.

Worried that she might not be feeling well.

At the door, the usually silent person said for the first time, “I’m going to have a cigarette.”

As if smoking was the reason he was standing there at that moment.

Shang Mingbao responded with an “uh.” She also wanted to ask for one but had kept her smoking habit hidden from him for six years for some unknown reason. Maybe because her addiction wasn’t severe, she had never been caught.

The Japanese restaurant had two doors: one leading to the mall and one facing a vast, sunken outdoor plaza. At dusk, the evening breeze was warm, and the entrances of the bars and cafes were bustling. Star lights were entwined on dark green awnings, and the air was filled with the clinking of cups and cutlery.

Xiang Feiran moved aside slightly, standing under the dark red awning of the restaurant, holding the cigarette in his left hand, away from Shang Mingbao, with a distracted and detached air.

The large king palm in the plaza swayed in the wind. Shang Mingbao looked at the giant leaves and suddenly wondered how such giant plants were made into specimens. She had forgotten to ask him before.

Instead, she asked about something else: “Have you left your father’s company?”

“Left.”

Hearing his straightforward answer, Shang Mingbao felt an overwhelming sense of discomfort.

How could she have doubted that his presence at the company had any personal gain? Back at Harvard, Zhou Yao’s only bragging point in front of him was money, and even when faced with extreme humiliation, he remained unmoved, steadfast as a mountain.

“Feiran Ge, the other day you were called greedy for profit…”

“You’ve already apologized,” Xiang Feiran interrupted casually.

Shang Mingbao was taken aback.

“The day we broke up.”

“Oh…” She couldn’t remember clearly, only that she had said many things that day, wishing her grandfather a long life, and that they both needed to stop.

After a moment of silence, Xiang Feiran’s gaze slightly glanced at her lowered face: “Don’t take it to heart.”

“I misunderstood you, made you sad. I need to—”

Need to apologize very sincerely.

“Not necessary.”

Shang Mingbao was stunned, her lips trembling slightly.

The order within her felt like a building being demolished with pinpoint explosives, debris and rubble becoming a vertical waterfall, crashing with her flesh and blood.

“Do you… hate me?” Her hot, sweaty palm clenched the handle of her handbag wrapped in a silk scarf.

Xiang Feiran curled his lips, bowing his head with a sigh, “Not really, it was just a relationship, not something to turn into an enemy.”

After saying that, the cigarette that had been held at the corner of his lips for a long time was finally moved, and he exhaled a brief puff.

Shang Mingbao looked up again at the giant king palm.

A customer entered the restaurant, passing by her. She stepped aside slightly, her shirt brushing against Xiang Feiran’s arm.

It smells so good.

He turned his face away, suppressing the turbulent emotions in his eyes for a moment.

He wanted to hold her in his arms.

Nerves.

Shang Mingbao was oblivious, and by the time she came back to her senses, Xiang Feiran had already moved a bit farther from her.

“So…” she bit her lips until they turned pale before asking, “What was the ring that Sui Ning mentioned?”

Since the matter was past, discussing the things that weren’t done seemed like chasing shadows. Xiang Feiran used the most inconsequential explanation: “I wanted to give you a ring for your birthday. Since we’ve broken up, I returned it.”

“Was it an engagement ring?” Shang Mingbao’s nails dug into her palms.

“No.”

To make his statement credible, Xiang Feiran looked at her and managed a polite smile: “Don’t think too much of it.”

He seemed to be signaling her not to be too sentimental.

“Is there anything else you want to ask?” Xiang Feiran’s left hand held a cigarette, and his right hand was in his pocket, looking casual. “You have some clothes and shoes at my places. I heard you visited before we broke up. Since you didn’t take them, you can consider them discarded. They’ve already been thrown away.”

“…Alright.” Shang Mingbao’s teeth lightly bit her lip. “What about the amulet…”

The amulet he gave her when she was eighteen.

“It’s also been thrown away.”

No one saw Shang Mingbao’s body slightly sway, as if she couldn’t stand.

Why, why did he already move on and completely cut off their past, treating their six years together like a discarded burden, just two months later?

It was too fast, faster than she expected. Panic spread through her limbs, and her gaze was filled with helplessness.

She wanted to take a pause, because she wasn’t sure if she could sort herself out or how long it would take, and she didn’t want to continue letting him endlessly exhaust himself, which led to her decision to break up.

Not so fast, Brother Feiran…

Shang Mingbao wished she could beg him. But, regardless of speed, it was his freedom.

She couldn’t let him drag her along, like a kite in a storm with no idea how far it’s gone or if it could return, letting the kite string cut into his hands.

“You never showed it to me,” Shang Mingbao forced a smile. “You clearly asked for it for me, but you neither gave it to me nor let me see it… Just throw it away if it’s not mine…”

The last two sentences were spoken very lightly, hollow, and Xiang Feiran didn’t hear them.

“After so many years, it’s probably blessed enough,” Xiang Feiran said lightly, extinguishing the cigarette in the ashtray on the trash can.

Summer evenings around seven always have a strange sense of relaxation, even the dust in the air seems charming. The air is soothing, the wind is flowing, and the dim light paints the buildings and shadows.

He hadn’t had such a moment in a long time—

In this moment, in this consciousness, Xiang Feiran suddenly came to his senses, and for the first and only time today, he looked at her with a serious gaze.

“Shang Mingbao, I feel very relaxed now. I hope you do too.”