JFK International Airport.

Outside the security checkpoint, many Chinese international student fans came to see off Team X.

The fans were reluctant to say goodbye, with many bringing gifts, like girly notebooks, small cakes, and postcards…

“Safe travels.”

“Captain Xiu, come back next time!”

“Next time you come, make sure to bring back the S-series trophy!”

“Zhefeng, you can fall asleep standing up. How about sleeping on the plane instead?”

“Ah Heng, don’t stay up late playing games at night. And Ren Xiang, focus more on your studies and less on hookups.”

“Wahhh, I don’t want you to leave.”

The security checkpoint line was crowded with people.

Ah Heng noticed Yuan Xiu glancing back now and then, clearly distracted. He smiled knowingly and said, “It looks like your girlfriend isn’t coming.”

Yuan Xiu’s expression didn’t change. “Everyone here today is my girlfriend. Got a problem with that?”

Ren Xiang scoffed. “You don’t even sacrifice your sleep to keep your fans company, and you dare call yourself the nation’s husband. Don’t you feel guilty?”

Yuan Xiu retorted, “…Focus more on your studies and less on hookups.”

Just then, Ah Heng exclaimed in surprise, “Captain, isn’t that W, the girl hiding behind the trash can over there?”

Yuan Xiu looked over and saw Lu Manman peeking out from behind a trash can near the restroom, nervously scanning the security checkpoint area, trying not to be noticed. She looked like a thief in the night.

The cartoon-patterned mask she was wearing wasn’t the W mask she wore during competitions, but it was still recognizable as her.

Yuan Xiu raised an eyebrow; she actually came.

He had felt an emptiness inside before, but her arrival was like a remedy.

The trip to Manhattan now felt complete, with no regrets.

Ah Heng pointed at Lu Manman. “Aren’t you going to say goodbye to W?”

“There’s nothing to say.”

Yuan Xiu lightly brushed the back of his hand against his nose and murmured, “Let’s go.”

A few of the boys waved in Lu Manman’s direction. “W, see you next time.”

Oh, she had been spotted.

Lu Manman stood up from behind the trash can and waved back energetically. “Safe travels!”

Although they were fierce rivals in the competition, Lu Manman felt she had grown quite fond of these Chinese boys during their brief time together.

Especially, especially Yuan Xiu, whom she first met in the men’s restroom. He had given her a baseball cap and said, “I hope this makes you feel better.”

It felt like a gentle breeze stirring ripples in her heart.

At that moment, he had truly been kind.

At this moment, the once gentle Yuan Xiu left the most decisively, without looking back, not even sparing her a glance.

Lu Manman felt a faint sense of loss in her heart…

As he was about to pass through the final security checkpoint, Yuan Xiu couldn’t help but glance back at her.

She was still waving vigorously, even though they couldn’t see her anymore.

Silly, like a little lame donkey.

But they probably wouldn’t meet again, unless the little donkey, despite its handicap, kept competing.

Yuan Xiu finally raised his hand, crossing his index fingers above his head, making an X gesture from afar.

A glimmer of starlight flashed in his deep eyes.

The next second, he turned abruptly and walked into the security checkpoint without looking back.

Lu Manman extended her index fingers, imitating him, and made an X.

Although she didn’t understand what he meant, she had to admit that when he made that gesture, he looked unexpectedly cool for a moment.

***

A month flew by, and the school took care of all the exchange student procedures for Lu Manman, including the plane ticket.

Lu Manman gave her W mask to Akko as a keepsake. “Kid, don’t miss me too much.”

Akko’s large black hand traced the mask, his expression complex: “So you won’t compete once you’re in China?”

Lu Manman smiled: “I will, but I’ll start from scratch.”

Akko was puzzled. “What do you mean by starting from scratch?”

“The legend of W will stay in America. When I get to China, I might use the name Lu Manman to start over.”

Akko looked at her in disbelief, his heart trembling: “Do you know what this means? If you join a Chinese team as W, both your starting point and salary will be different. Have you thought about how hard it will be to give up this name and start over?”

Lu Manman shrugged indifferently. “No matter how hard it is, Smiling W will definitely come back.”

***

At the Airport, it was time for Lu Manman’s two dads to bid her farewell.

The reluctance was palpable. Lu Manman had lived with her dads, Louis and Alex, since she was five years old, never having been apart from them. They treated her just like their own daughter.

Lu Manman had no memory of her biological mother. Her earliest memories were of living in an orphanage. The orphanage director had told her that her mother was a Chinese immigrant who had secretly given birth to her here, granting her US citizenship from birth. After her mother’s accident, she was sent to the orphanage.

Her memories of the orphanage were not particularly clear either. For Lu Manman, Alex and Louis were her only family.

Alex carried Lu Manman’s large rolling suitcase, while Louis wore her big-mouth monkey backpack.

In the airport lounge, Alex asked, “Will you be living with someone else over there, or by yourself?”

“I’ll probably have roommates,” Lu Manman replied.

“When you live with others, be mindful. Try not to make noise when you burp or fart,” Alex advised.

“…”

“And remember to wash your underwear right after changing them, don’t leave them lying around.”

“…”

Alex: “Don’t be picky with your food. If you don’t like something, call Dad and I’ll send you your favorite cat food.”

Louis: “Do you really need us to send it? Can’t you find a pet store around there?”

Lu Manman: “I go to the balcony when I burp or fart! And I wash my underwear right away when I change! And about that food called ‘cat food,’ it’s not for cats, it’s for humans. These daily life matters, you don’t need to worry about them. I’ve grown up and can take care of myself. You both need to take care of yourselves too.”

“Dad Louis, if someone scratches your car again, don’t get out of the car and don’t confront those anti-LGBT folks head-on. If you’re really angry, just silently say three times: ‘Homophobia is closeted.’ And remember to call the police, the number is 911.”

“And Dad Alex, try to eat less fried and greasy food normally. Take care of your liver and kidneys. We need to do that video every day. I want to monitor you!”

Lu Manman didn’t stop to take a breath, but her eyes involuntarily turned red as she spoke.

“Alright, alright, we understand. Daily video check-ins, accepting Manman’s supervision.” Alex rubbed her head. “I’ve packed the cat food cans in your backpack. It’s a long flight, so if you get hungry, take them out and eat.”

Lu Manman: “It’s not cat food, not cat food!”

“Oh, right, will language be a problem when you start classes there?”

“I’ve completed most of my credits in sophomore year, so I won’t need to take many classes there,” Lu Manman explained. “I still want to focus on competing and aim for a professional career in the future.”

“Your dad has no objections,” Louis said. “Your future is in your hands. I’ve prepared a report with information on several promising professional teams in China. I’ll give it to you later.”

The airport announcement was already reminding passengers of Lu Manman’s flight to board.

After deeply embracing her two dads, Lu Manman, wearing a baseball cap and carrying her big-mouth monkey backpack, steadily walked through the security checkpoint.

She didn’t look back, afraid to see their reluctant gazes, even more afraid she might accidentally shed tears.

Oh well, it’s nothing really. Children grow up. Like the young eagles in BBC documentaries, they must eventually leave their parents’ wings and soar alone in the vast sky. She couldn’t live forever under the wings of her two dads; that wouldn’t turn her into a true eagle.

She had to walk her own path step by step in the future.

Besides, it’s not like she wouldn’t come back. Why make it seem like a life-and-death separation?

Lu Manman discreetly wiped her moistened eyes, then boldly entered the aircraft.

The buzzing of the plane’s engines filled her ears as it took off. As it soared into the sky, she pressed her face against the window, watching the city, the houses, and the cars on the roads gradually shrink into motionless specks.

..Goodbye, Manhattan.

“I will come back, and when I set foot on this land again, I will show you a brand new Smiling W.I will make the Statue of Liberty shed tears for me.”

***

Many years later, when Lu Manman earnestly recounted to Yuan Xiu her psychological state when she left the United States, Ah Heng burst into laughter: “The Statue of Liberty shedding tears for you? Hahaha, that’s ice from the deep well, holy crap!”

Yuan Xiu, with a serious expression, commented succinctly: “Teams have nationalities; stupidity knows no borders.”

***

Capital Airport International Terminal.

From Lu Manman’s phone came a slightly hoarse female voice.

“Ah, don’t speak English to me, I don’t understand.”

“I’m stuck in traffic right now, it’s really bad today, so… you better not wait for me. Just take a taxi to the school yourself.”

“Let me think, taking a taxi might be a bit expensive. Do you have money? Forget it, take the bus. After you exit the station, ask the airport staff how to take the bus. The final stop is the university campus.”

“I’ll hang up now. Call me when you get to the school.”

On the roadside, a sports car zoomed by, the wind tousling Lu Manman’s bangs as she hung up the phone.

In the rapid-fire conversation, she could barely catch the gist: “She can’t come to pick her up.”

The girl who stood her up was named Cheng Yu, the liaison officer for international students coming to pick up Lu Manman.

Lu Manman had contacted her through WeChat before. Cheng Yu was slow to reply, often not responding to multiple queries Lu Manman sent in one go.

Lu Manman was still worried about the potential awkwardness of meeting Cheng Yu after preparing a small gift for her, but Cheng Yu never showed up.

Stuck in traffic? Lu Manman wasn’t entirely convinced because it was very quiet on the phone, not like someone stuck on the road.

Anyway, being new to this place and unfamiliar with how people interact here, Lu Manman decided to rely on herself.

She downloaded Baidu Maps, searched for the bus route to the school, asked airport staff for directions, found the bus stop, got on, got off, transferred buses, and struggled to understand the announcements…

After a series of twists and turns, she finally arrived at the university campus, then took a taxi to the main gate of B University.

The main entrance of B University was grand and modern. Inside, the cross avenues were shaded by trees, and the ancient buildings added a classical atmosphere to this century-old university.

By the time Lu Manman arrived at the school, it was already 9 PM, deep into the night.

She dragged her luggage and stood at the school gate, calling Miss Cheng Yu, who was supposed to pick her up.

“Um, I’ve arrived at the school. I’m not sure where the dormitory is…”

“Ah, you’ve arrived? I’m a bit busy right now and can’t come over. Figure it out yourself. Gotta go, bye…”

Lu Manman stood on the street corner, feeling disoriented amidst the bustling music and laughter coming from Cheng Yu’s end of the line.

This Miss Cheng Yu seemed a bit unreliable.

She looked around at the unfamiliar streets.

The registration office at the school must have closed by now. Besides Cheng Yu, she had no other contact person to reach out to.

Without registration, she couldn’t access the dormitory. Was she really going to spend the night on the streets?

Dragging her luggage, Lu Manman walked dejectedly through the bustling streets of the capital, surrounded by unfamiliar faces.

She really missed her Dad Alex and Dad Louis.

Oh right, she hadn’t even informed them of her safe arrival yet. Maybe she should find a place to stay first, to prevent them from worrying.

Lu Manman wandered the streets and arrived at a slightly busy street near the back gate of the university.

Lu Manman walked into a guesthouse on the street, where options ranged from basic lodgings to student couple hotels and Love River apartments.

“Hello, I’d like to check in,” she said in slightly halting Chinese, her proficiency still a work in progress.

The middle-aged woman at the front desk was chewing melon seeds and watching a TV drama lazily. “ID.”

Lu Manman quickly handed over her passport.

“What’s this?” The woman looked at the black booklet skeptically. “Looks fake to me. I’ve never seen one like this. What does it say here?”

“This is my passport,” Lu Manman patiently explained. “It’s not fake.”

The woman shook her head. “I don’t understand this. I need an ID card to check you in.”

“But I only have this.”

“Sorry, we require a valid ID card for check-in.”

Just then, a man and a woman entered through the door.

“Boss, give me a double room,” the man said as he casually tossed his ID card onto the counter. His deep and magnetic voice sounded very familiar. “Hurry up.”

Lu Manman turned around and saw the person opposite her, wearing a sports T-shirt, handsome with clear peach-blossom eyes.

It was Ren Xiang.

Well, she had encountered an acquaintance.