A Guide to Wasting Life - Chapter 8

Xu Nianzhu spent twice as much time on this meal as usual. It wasn’t until two hours had slipped by that she realized how long she’d been sitting there, astonished at how quickly time had passed.

During that time, she had been preoccupied with browsing Xi Lake’s sunset-viewing routes, once again neglecting the local sitting across from her.

So, when Xu Nianzhu excitedly held up her phone, reading aloud a blogger’s recommendation for the best photo spots-whether it was Jixian Pavilion, Beishan Street, Gushan Road, or Changqiao Park-she heard Zhou Qi laugh and say, “I think you forgot something.”

Xu Nianzhu looked up at him.

“If you’re willing,” Zhou Qi began, “I could take you there myself. All you’d need to do is relax, eat, drink, and sleep. But if you insist on choosing one of the places you mentioned, I’d recommend Beishan Street’s Sunset Pavilion.”

Without hesitation, Xu Nianzhu agreed. She promptly flipped her phone face-down on the table. “Then let’s go there!”

She didn’t particularly like it when people said, “it’s up to you,” nor did she enjoy it when others mapped out every detail of her plans-it gave her a sense of invisible pressure. But Zhou Qi had struck the perfect balance, seeking her opinion while also providing a clear answer. This made her feel utterly at ease, freeing her from overthinking.

Xu Nianzhu responded with a smile of approval. Picking up a piece of Small Roll Noodles, she let the sauce seep in and took a bite. The soft and flavorful wrapper, slightly chewy yet delicate, paired perfectly with the refreshing and delicious filling. Delighted, she devoured another.

Ah… there’s some truth to those old sayings-like how even your favorite food needs some restraint.

Watching her expression shift from enjoyment to emptiness and then to forced endurance, Zhou Qi chuckled and stopped her in her tracks. He told her to go pack her bag and put on her shoes, adding a reminder to find a pair that wouldn’t cause blisters.

“Can we walk there? It’d help work off all the food,” Xu Nianzhu said as she crouched in front of the shoe rack, hands hanging down, turning her head to look at him.

“With sunset timing, we should make it,” Zhou Qi replied, glancing at his phone. “But walking from here will take about forty minutes, and-”

“I can, I can, I can!” Xu Nianzhu interrupted impatiently, completely forgetting about her blistered heels.

She hadn’t put on her socks yet, and the vividly red patch on her ankle was hard to miss. Zhou Qi called her over, and as she walked toward him, she saw a pack of Band-Aids seemingly appear out of nowhere, pulled from his small shoulder bag like a magic trick.

“You actually carry these with you?!” Xu Nianzhu said incredulously. She didn’t even think to pack them in her suitcase.

“I noticed it last night,” Zhou Qi said, smiling as he saw her mouth form a perfect O. Tearing open the packaging, he added, “Raise your foot a little.”

When Zhou Qi bent down on one knee again, preparing to help her, Xu Nianzhu’s heart skipped a beat. Like a startled little rabbit, she quickly snatched the Band-Aid from his hand. “It’s fine, I can handle it myself.”

Her reaction was a little too strong, causing Zhou Qi to pause. But without insisting further, he nodded and straightened back up.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Xu Nianzhu sitting on the edge of the bed, crossing one leg over the other. Perhaps because she had just trimmed her nails, she struggled to pry open the edge of the Band-Aid. Squinting her eyes, she fumbled with it for quite a while, as if trying to thread a needle with impaired vision.

It was such a mundane yet endearing scene.

Hearing a soft chuckle, Xu Nianzhu instinctively looked up. From the side, she caught a glimpse of the deep dimple on Zhou Qi’s right cheek. His long, thick eyelashes framed his slightly upturned, narrow eyes, made all the more striking in the natural light.

He had rolled up his sleeves and was effortlessly sorting the trash on the table into different bags by category. With practiced ease, he tied them up, placed them by the door, and then washed and dried his hands. Afterward, he picked up the jacket that had slipped onto the chair, shook it smooth, and hung it neatly.

Her gaze lingered on him, completely unaware that the Band-Aid in her hand was now crumpled beyond recognition.

Suddenly, she recalled a post she had seen online before. Someone had asked: “Was there ever a moment when you felt like you’d spent a lifetime with someone?” Among all the comments, the one she remembered most vividly didn’t answer the question directly. Instead, it played on a cliché.

The commenter had written: “Well, congratulations. You’ve fallen in love.”

There was no denying it-she did like him, at least a little.

Was this love at first sight? That feeling of wanting to write a story with someone from the very first glance?

Later that night, back at her hotel, Xu Nianzhu lay sprawled across her bed after a shower, sending Zhou Qi some photos. Just seeing the small thumbnails on her screen reminded her of their encounter earlier in the day, and suddenly, her exhaustion from hiking all day seemed to melt away.

What she didn’t expect was for Zhou Qi to reply so quickly, sending her several videos of the Qiantang River light show she had casually mentioned earlier on the mountain. The night scenes were breathtaking, the lights dancing unpredictably, and the camera angles were spectacular.

She turned off the lights and curled up under the covers, watching the stunning footage from start to finish. As if that wasn’t enough to make her smile, she was surprised by a voice message from him: a simple “Good night.”

Her heart nearly leapt out of her chest. She bolted upright from the bed, her mind racing with thoughts: if they could meet again by chance, she had to seize the opportunity.

Xu Nianzhu wasn’t the only one who was thrilled. Her best friend, Wen Yi, was just as excited.

Before graduating, Wen Yi had been accepted to a university abroad to pursue her PhD, ready to start a new chapter with her foreign boyfriend. Around that time, despite a nearly four-hour time difference, Xu Nianzhu received an overseas call from Wen Yi in the middle of the night, at 4 a.m.

“OMG, OMG, OMG-I told you that fortune-telling blogger was legit! Look at this-you really found romance in September!”

Xu Nianzhu was still lost in her dream when the alarming sound – with its own audio effects – startled her awake. She initially thought it was some kind of new scam call and was about to hang up, but as she recalled the sound, she glanced at the caller ID.

What fortune-telling blogger? What peach blossoms?

“That’s the one I mentioned, the one on Weibo. I noticed you looked a bit down, so I secretly asked her to take a look for you,” Wen Yi said, munching on a bagel, its crispiness audible with each bite. “Super accurate! It sounds like she thinks this is your true match!”

Xu Nianzhu couldn’t help but chuckle silently. Before she could question further, she heard a cheerful ‘Oh, my honey,’ followed by a loud and prolonged ‘boop boop’ sound.

“……” This dog food really caught her off guard.

“Sorry,” Wen Yi apologized dramatically, but it was clear she had been playfully kissed, “If you guys can chat like that, why can’t you do the same for me?”

“Wait a minute, let me see. You said he blushes easily?” Xu Nianzhu’s playful side was awakened, and her tone raised a notch.

Xu Nianzhu briefly recounted what happened during the day. After finishing, she took a deep breath and resolutely said, “I think, maybe -”

“Don’t say that!” Wen Yi interjected, knowing her friend well enough to anticipate her next words, “Who said I can’t believe in fate? Just because something good happens, does that mean it’s not fate? Who decided that believing in fate is only for moments of hardship?”

“No, I…”

“I’m not listening, I’m not listening. You can’t!”

Xu Nianzhu’s heart started racing again: “What I mean is, if I run into him again, I’d like to give it a shot.”

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line, as if Wen Yi was confirming whether Xu Nianzhu was genuinely serious. Wen Yi tapped the receiver and called out, “Hello? Hello?”

After hearing Zhou Qi mention he was leaving last night, Xu Nianzhu had already unconsciously drawn a line under this fleeting relationship, but now…

As if there was some telepathic connection, Xu Nianzhu just lifted her head when she met Zhou Qi’s dog-like gaze. He took a sip of water, his cheeks puffed out.

They silently locked eyes, and he inquired with his expression, “Leaving?”

“Leaving!” Signal received successfully.

Zhou Qi turned around, and Xu Nianzhu’s gaze was instantly drawn to a certain spot.

She called out to him, raising her hand to point at his back: “You’re wet back there…”

Zhou Qi didn’t catch on at first, glancing curiously in the direction of her finger, which pointed at the area around his waist where his shirt was damp.

It was probably from leaning against the sink earlier and getting some water on him. Zhou Qi realized what had happened but didn’t move.

“Here, wipe it off.” Xu Nianzhu pulled out a few tissues and held them out to him.

He didn’t take them, looking slightly embarrassed. “Where is it wet?”

Xu Nianzhu stepped closer and tapped the spot with her fingernail.

“Could you help me? I can’t reach it.”

“…” Wait, what? Xu Nianzhu paused for two seconds, trying to process this, but she couldn’t help smirking. There was a bit of teasing there, but she still went along with it. Smiling, she grabbed the edge of his shirt and wiped it dry for him.

On the way back, Zhou Qi somehow pulled a small folding umbrella out of his palm-sized bag like it was some kind of magic trick. Since he was taller, he made sure to hold the umbrella in a way that kept Xu Nianzhu walking on the inner side, completely shadowed from the blazing 4:30 p.m. sun.

Xu Nianzhu fit perfectly within that little circle of shade. While they waited at a red light, she suddenly tilted her head upward and asked, “Do you, by any chance, have a younger sister or brother?”

Zhou Qi glanced down at her. “Why do you ask?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Xu Nianzhu blinked innocently. “Call it my eerily accurate intuition?”

Zhou Qi chuckled softly and admitted, “Yeah, I have a younger half-sister.”

“Are you two close?”

“Pretty close.”

“Does she live here in Jiang City too?”

“Yeah.”

“Is she in high school?”

“Mm-hmm. She’s a senior this year.”

“That’s great,” Xu Nianzhu murmured to herself, giving him an enthusiastic thumbs-up. “You must be an amazing older brother.”

By this hour, the roads had started to get busier as rush hour approached. More people were now gathering around waiting for the green light. Perhaps it was the slightly conspicuous umbrella, but Xu Nianzhu could feel several gazes drifting toward their direction. She turned her head slightly, following the line of their gazes-and realized they were looking at Zhou Qi.

Oh, so he’s universally attractive, huh? she thought to herself, suppressing a laugh.

But before her silent amusement had a chance to fully unfold, she felt a sudden gentle warmth brushing against her wrist. There it was again-the soft press of his thumb gliding over the back of her hand. A moment later, his palm shifted, easing into hers. Their thumb joints met. Then their fingers laced together, locking into a perfect fit.

Xu Nianzhu froze. Her brain went blank, as though the world around her had come to a standstill. Her fingertips twitched slightly before her grip relaxed, tentatively returning the hold. It was a fleeting, delicate sweetness-like biting into a cream-filled strawberry puff pastry.

The traffic light turned green, and Zhou Qi gave her hand a gentle tug, leading her forward. From this angle, Xu Nianzhu couldn’t help but notice their shadows on the pavement ahead. The way their outlines overlapped made it look as though he’d been holding her close this entire time, leaning in, kissing her.

Just as they crossed the zebra crossing, Xu Nianzhu tugged at Zhou Qi’s shirt and whispered, “Wait a second. Don’t move.”

She quickly pulled out her camera and stepped back a few paces, framing the scene exactly as it had been moments before. With a few rapid clicks, she captured it-snap, snap, snap-preserving the moment from her point of view.

Before Zhou Qi could ask what was wrong, Xu Nianzhu pressed her lips into a playful smile and said softly, “Got it. Let’s go.”

Later, before they parted ways, Xu Nianzhu printed out the photo they had taken together and gave it to Zhou Qi as a keepsake. On the back of the photo, she had written a single line:

“You’ve stolen my shadow. No matter where you are, I’ll always be thinking of you.”

Looking up, she suddenly noticed Zhou Qi leaning closer. His eyes focused intently as he reached out, carefully plucking a tiny osmanthus petal that had fallen into her hair.

For a moment, he seemed to hesitate, then lowered his voice slightly, his gaze softening as it settled on her. “Want to give it a try?”

“W-what?” Xu Nianzhu’s face burned with heat, and she instinctively leaned backward. “Give what a try?”

“What you were thinking about. Just like the shadow back there,” Zhou Qi murmured, his voice brushing against her ear intimately.

“Snap.”

Before anything else could happen, the corner streetlamp flickered to life as it struck the hour. Bright white light spilled over them, illuminating the space with startling clarity.

Xu Nianzhu’s flushed face immediately became visible, vivid in its crimson hue. She pretended not to hear his words, busying herself by fidgeting with the lens cap of her camera. She quickly spun around and began walking briskly toward the quieter side of the street, eager to escape.

Keep calm, stay rational, she muttered quietly to herself as she walked away. There’s no way he knows what you’re thinking. How could he possibly know?

“You’re-” Zhou Qi followed her a short distance, watching as she nearly tripped over her own feet. Chuckling softly, he called out, “You’re heading the wrong way. Xi Lake is to the left; you were supposed to turn there.”

Xu Nianzhu froze mid-step.

Wait, what?

Why didn’t he say something earlier?