Chapter 38

After tidying up the Shuiyue Temple, the group went out to find a place to have a casual dinner.

Later, with tickets in their pockets, they headed to the exhibition hall. After having their tickets checked, they sat down on chairs covered with red cloth, waiting for the performance to begin.

Xiao Jianguo and his friends, who had been catching up on sleep at Ji Chen’s house, ended up oversleeping. After waking up, they quickly washed up and didn’t even have time for dinner. They rode their bicycles at full speed to the exhibition hall, worried they might miss the performance.

When they reached the ticket checkpoint, they saw Yu Sitian and Wan Hong standing together, waiting for them. Xiao Jianguo stopped in front of them, panting heavily, and handed over the tickets. “We overslept a bit and ended up running late.”

Yu Sitian took the tickets with a smile and handed one to Wan Hong. “You’re not too late. There’s still more than ten minutes before the show starts. Let’s go in.”

Xiao Jianguo straightened up, supporting his waist. “Wait a moment, let’s wait for Brother Chen.”

Yu Sitian glanced away, noticing Zheng Hang, Zhang Yue, and Qian Yaner all arriving as well, also out of breath from running.

Only Ji Chen hadn’t shown up yet.

Yu Sitian wasn’t in a hurry to go inside. Instead, she looked at Xiao Jianguo and asked, “Where did he go?”

Xiao Jianguo, now breathing more steadily, replied, “He went to buy ice cream.”

Ice cream?

Hearing this, Wan Hong grabbed Yu Sitian’s arm, her eyes filled with amusement as she glanced at her friend knowingly.

Yu Sitian’s lips curved into a smile as well, her expression a mix of shyness and sweetness. She responded softly to Xiao Jianguo, “Oh…”

The group stood there for a while, letting the evening breeze wash over them, making them feel relaxed and refreshed.

A few minutes later, Ji Chen arrived, holding a plate of cream-covered ice cream. A single pink scoop was topped with a thick layer of sweet whipped cream.

When Yu Sitian saw him, her eyes sparkled with anticipation. Her smile carried a hint of bashfulness, and there was a touch of coyness in her demeanor.

Her heart brimmed with joy and expectation as she waited for Ji Chen to walk up to her and hand her the ice cream. However, to her surprise, Ji Chen didn’t even glance in her direction. Instead, he strode straight to the ticket checkpoint with the ice cream in hand.

Before entering, he turned back and said to Xiao Jianguo, “What are you standing there for? Hurry up!”

Yu Sitian’s expression changed instantly, her shy and joyful demeanor vanishing in a flash. She struggled to maintain her composure, barely managing to hold it together.

Xiao Jianguo and the other boys, oblivious to the subtle shift in her emotions, called out to her, “Let’s go, let’s go.”

A wave of awkwardness and humiliation washed over her, and for a moment, she wanted to toss her ticket away and leave without watching the performance.

But then Xiao Jianguo called her again. Swallowing her emotions, she took a deep breath, got her ticket checked, and followed them inside.

Wan Hong, walking alongside her, gently took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze, silently offering comfort.

The boys remained oblivious, but Wan Hong, with her sharp intuition, immediately understood what had just happened.

Yu Sitian sat down next to Wan Hong, her gaze quietly drifting toward Ji Chen.

She saw Ji Chen carrying the ice cream to the middle of the row and, after sitting down, handing it to someone else.

Yu Sitian’s expression darkened further. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears, and she looked as if she might cry at any moment.

At first, Yu Sitian thought Ji Chen had bought the ice cream for her. After the initial awkwardness and humiliation, she assumed it must have been for himself.

But to her shock, he had bought it for someone else!

Wan Hong, seemingly aware of what was on her mind, leaned forward to take a closer look.

After confirming what she saw, Wan Hong leaned closer to Yu Sitian and whispered, “It looks like… Meng Li.”

Yu Sitian was stunned. “Meng Li?”

“Yeah,” Wan Hong nodded. “Ji Chen went and sat down right next to Meng Li on his own.”

Yu Sitian was at a loss for words. She had thought he might have bought the ice cream for some girl, but it turned out to be for Meng Li instead.

She knew that Ji Chen and Meng Li had patched things up a while ago, but she never expected Ji Chen to go so far as to buy ice cream for him.

After all, Meng Li was a guy!

Xiao Jianguo, overhearing the conversation, sighed and spoke up, “It’s not that big of a deal. The two of them have become sworn brothers now. Brother Chen even brought him home last night for an all-nighter. At this point, Meng Li probably holds a higher place in Brother Chen’s heart than the rest of us.”

Yu Sitian turned to look at Xiao Jianguo, her heart filled with grievances and complaints. But as the words reached her lips, she forced herself to swallow them back.

After all, she wasn’t Ji Chen’s girlfriend. What right did she have to interfere with what he chose to do?

Noticing Yu Sitian’s displeasure, Xiao Jianguo glanced toward Ji Chen and then back at her. Thinking about the ice cream earlier, he said, “That’s on me. I was only focused on getting here quickly to bring you the ticket. How about this—after the performance, I’ll buy you a tub of ice cream.”

Yu Sitian muttered under her breath, “Can you even afford it?”

The ice cream Ji Chen bought earlier, with the whipped cream topping, cost a hefty fifty cents.

Xiao Jianguo chuckled, “I’m just trying to cheer you up. I might not be able to afford a tub, but I can at least buy you one serving.”

Yu Sitian’s face darkened. “I don’t like ice cream.”

Xiao Jianguo felt a bit awkward. “Then tell me what you like, and I’ll get it for you.”

Yu Sitian wanted to snap back at him to vent her frustration, but she realized it wasn’t the right thing to do. She closed her mouth and said nothing more.

…

Although Ji Chen arrived late, the middle row of seats had been saved for him.

After entering the theater, he went straight to sit beside Meng Li and placed the ice cream in front of her. “Here, it’s for you.”

Meng Li was momentarily stunned as she stared at the ice cream. Instinctively, she turned to look at her group of friends.

Zhuo Xi and the others were seated right beside her.

The four of them all turned their gazes simultaneously toward Meng Li and the ice cream, their expressions synchronized in silent observation.

Meng Li found herself caught in an awkward dilemma. She glanced at Ji Chen, then back at Zhuo Xi and the others.

It was Wei Dong who reacted first. Standing up, he reached out and pulled Meng Li to her feet, switching seats with her so that she ended up sitting between him and Zhuo Xi.

As soon as he sat down, Wei Dong casually took the ice cream from Ji Chen’s hand.

With an annoyingly smug tone, he said, “Why’d you only buy one? There’s not enough for everyone.”

Ji Chen: “…”

If it weren’t for the fact that your boss is my friend, I’d have you pinned to the ground and thoroughly dealt with right now!

Seeing Ji Chen’s face darken, Wei Dong seemed even more pleased with himself.

Wei Dong handed the ice cream to Meng Li and leaned back against the chair, smirking. “I didn’t expect Third Master to take in another little brother—especially someone as famous as Ji Chen. Impressive.”

Ji Chen: “…”

After a brief pause, Ji Chen chuckled and said, “Well, I’m different from you guys. If you don’t mind, just call me Third Madam.”

Meng Li had just taken a bite of the ice cream and nearly spat it out.

Third Madam?

How shameless could he be?

Third Master and Third Madam— weren’t they basically a pair now?!

Wei Dong, of course, caught the meaning instantly. His eyebrows shot up, and he was just about to argue, ready to scold Ji Chen for his utter lack of shame. A grown man calling himself Third Madam? Truly shameless!

But before Wei Dong could get another word in, the performance began, and the stage curtains slowly opened.

Meng Li, sitting beside him, gently patted his arm and said, “Stop it. The show’s starting.”

Wei Dong swallowed his retort, took a deep breath, and settled into his seat.

Still, the more he thought about it, the more annoyed he felt. That guy had really one-upped him with that shameless remark.

But as the stage lit up with dazzling lights, graceful dances, and an unfolding storyline, his irritation gradually faded into the background. His focus shifted, drawn in by the mesmerizing performance.

The audience in the theater focused intently on the performance, occasionally whispering among themselves to guess which girl was playing Wu Qinghua. Many agreed she was quite striking.

Halfway through the show, Meng Li turned her head in the dim light to glance at the people sitting on either side of him—his old friends and his new acquaintance, Ji Chen, along with Ji Chen’s childhood buddies.

White shirts and military-style pants.

On each of their youthful faces was the unique charm and bold spirit of their era.

It was a scene Meng Li would never see again.

Two weeks later, they faced their first farewell.

Zhuo Xi had enlisted in the army and was heading to Guangzhou to serve.

That day, Meng Li took half a day off to join Wei Dong and a few others in seeing Zhuo Xi off at the train station.

On the platform, Meng Li couldn’t hold back her tears and started sniffling.

Zhuo Xi hugged each of the boys one by one before finally turning to Meng Li. He gently wiped away her tears and said, “I’m going off to serve in the army. Be happy for me—don’t cry. No matter where I go in the future, you must promise to write me letters.”

Meng Li nodded earnestly. “I will. One letter a month.”

With those words, they helped Zhuo Xi board the train. As the train prepared to depart, they walked alongside the platform, waving goodbye for the last time.

The group of young men stood in a line, with Meng Li in the middle, noticeably shorter than the rest.

With his hands in his pockets, Wei Dong let out a sigh. “It won’t be long before I leave too.”

Meng Li turned to him, her eyes still red from crying. “Where are you going?”

Wei Dong met her gaze and said, “If all goes as planned—Nanjing.”

Like the others, he was set to join the army, thanks to his family’s connections.

Zhou Nan stood silently by, while Jin Bei let out a sigh. “With just the three of us left, we probably won’t make it into the army. We’ll likely be sent to the countryside instead.”

Meng Li lowered her head, falling quiet for a moment before saying softly, “It doesn’t matter.”

But Wei Dong wasn’t entirely at ease. He looked at Zhou Nan and Jin Bei, his tone serious. “If you really have to go to the countryside, make sure you report your location to Third Master—and look out for her,” he whispered. “No matter what happens, let’s keep in touch. Don’t forget each other.”

Zhou Nan smiled faintly. “I’m not worried about us forgetting you. I’m more concerned about you forgetting about us.”

Wei Dong scoffed. “Nonsense. Do you think me and Zhuo’er are that kind of people?”

After all these years of friendship, the brothers knew each other’s character well.

The words were simply to lighten the mood, nothing to be taken seriously.

Not long after Zhuo Xi left, as Wei Dong had predicted, he too received his military uniform and joined the army.

By the time they went to the train station to send someone off again, Meng Li had already become much more composed and calm.

The group of them were arranged by age, with Zhuo Xi being the eldest, Wei Dong second, Meng Li third, and then Zhou Nan and Jin Bei.

It was because Meng Li was third that she earned the nickname Third Master Meng.

After Wei Dong left, it was Meng Li’s turn.

Meng Li didn’t expect any last-minute changes that would let her escape being sent to the countryside. She simply resigned herself to waiting.

As graduation approached, the number of students in the classroom dwindled day by day.

One by one, they left—either joining the army or being sent to the countryside.

As she watched the seats in the front rows empty out, a feeling of emptiness settled in her chest.

Today, Meng Li sat down in the classroom, observing the nearly empty seats, before taking a deep breath and returning to her book.

As the morning self-study session ended, Ji Chen leisurely walked into the classroom.

As Ji Chen sat down next to her, a question suddenly popped into Meng Li’s mind.

She turned to him, curious, and asked, “How old are you?”

Ji Chen didn’t quite catch on and asked in return, “Why?”

Meng Li set her book down and explained, “Aren’t you supposed to be about the same age as Zhuo Xi? Why haven’t you left yet?”

People had been leaving one by one, even Yu Sitian from the class next door had gone. Yet Ji Chen was still here.

Every day, he acted the same—carefree and nonchalant.

Ji Chen finally understood what she was asking and lazily replied, “What, do I look that old? My birthday’s actually later than yours, I’m not even an adult yet. No rush to leave. I’ll go when I’m old enough.”

Hearing his response, Meng Li didn’t ask any further questions.

It was strange, though—she had always thought Ji Chen was around the same age as Zhuo Xi.

Perhaps it was a mistake in her memory. Meng Li didn’t dwell on it any longer.

Whether he left early or late didn’t matter—it was inevitable that he would leave eventually.