Celestial Silver Spoon - Chapter 20

“Miss, a call for you.” Xie Wan handed the phone to Liu Zixu with her right hand. She truly lived up to her martial arts training, recovering from such a severe injury in just over half a month.

“Hello?”

“Hello, Madam President, this is Xiang Tengfei.”

“Oh? What’s the matter?”

“We haven’t found anyone to write the foreword for our Shengze Mysteries yet. I was thinking… I was thinking of asking Ye Chen to write it…”

“Just handle it as you see fit. I’m resting. Make sure this issue of Shengze Mysteries is released on time.”

With that, Liu Zixu hung up the phone, leaving Room 1301 in complete silence.

“What did Madam say?” Mingzi, Cai Erman, and Zina asked Xiang Tengfei in unison.

Xiang Tengfei sighed and said, “Madam is just madam, she agreed!” The group, whose hearts had been in their throats, suddenly erupted in excitement, pinning Xiang Tengfei down on the bed.

“Master Jin, the board of directors has approved the proposal I made.”

“Liu Zixu… she agreed as well?”

“Yes, she agreed!”

“Ha-ha! Good, Mr. Yu, the two million will be in your account this afternoon.” Jin Long closed his phone with a smile, then chuckled to himself, “Hmph, before September 21, I’ll make sure you disappear from this world!”

It seemed that Shengze’s current situation wasn’t coincidental but was part of a carefully plotted scheme from behind the scenes.

Night quietly descended, slowly immersing Hailing City in darkness. Streetlights illuminated the city, cars wrote stories of busyness across every road. Neon lights, bustling crowds-this city’s prosperity was on full display. Opposite the entrance of Yutian Business KTV on Puhua Street, a blond man sat inside a white Mercedes. Fu Yashan and an assistant entered a black Volvo business car in front of Yutian. The man in the white Mercedes watched as the Volvo drove away, then made a U-turn and headed in the opposite direction.

The night was pleasant, stars twinkled, time drifted like an incomplete punctuation mark, flowing through changes in the twinkling eyes, carrying laughter, sorrow, and regret.

The streetlights at Shengze College draped a light veil over the greenery, revealing a cool embrace that gently pierced the night’s chill. The steps in front of the Shengze Theater seemed to hold tangled emotions; how much love would it take to unravel and erase those memories?

A girl in a white nightgown sat on the platform in front of the theater, knees drawn up tightly to her chest, arms wrapped around them, lightly clenching her teeth. Her long hair cascaded down as her chin rested on her knees, eyes vacant and staring at the platform below. She watched couples passing by, her eyes unknowingly soaked with tears time and again.

“The dream shattered the moon’s expectations. I don’t know how to repay the love you gave. I wish the waves in my mind would give me a beat…” An emotional ringtone sounded as the girl answered the phone.

“Hello?”

“Zina, where are you?”

“I’ll be back soon, sis.”

Zina slowly stood up, her legs seemingly numb as she paused for a moment. She bit her lip gently, then slowly walked down the steps, her lone figure evoking sympathy.

The night unexpectedly felt a bit cold, causing Zina to wrap her arms around herself as she headed toward the Zone N dormitory building.

“Knock knock!”

“Scrape!”

“Zina, how late is it? You’re still wandering outside,” Yixuan said with concern as she saw Zina shivering.

“Hehe… Watching couples at night isn’t so bad,” Zina replied as she closed the door, stretched herself, and linked arms with Yixuan, smiling.

“Sleep… sleep…” mumbled a large figure turning on the bed near the window, drooling slightly.

“Shh!” Yixuan whispered to Zina, and they both glanced at Xiao Wei sleeping on her bed. Then they gently lay down on their own beds.

As the night deepened, the starlight gradually faded, and the lights in the Shengze dormitory building began to dwindle, leaving only one room lit throughout the night.

“The gentle gaze of the jade rabbit, the crescent moon hanging near the ear, gracefully poised in this world, reluctant to leave earthly attachments, in the end, a sweet smile at the Jade Gate, tears drenching her robe, glancing back once, facing the western sky.”

A stone tablet, a few feet high and wide, though not visible, bears engraved words that tug at memories, wetting the face.

-Prologue

Spring has left, summer has passed, and autumn is halfway through. The curtain of winter is being lifted by the cool autumn breeze. Time, like a carriage, looks forward at the rings formed by 365 dots, about to come full circle.

Since you left, I often gaze at the sky alone. Without you leaning on my shoulder, I seem to have become merely an observer of my own life. Sometimes, while staring at the stars, I sigh. In those sighs, there’s a touch of lonely warmth because I remember you once said you’d be like the stars accompanying the moon, offering me a lifetime of companionship.

In my world, scenes that never fade return unexpectedly; one person’s world filled with thoughts of another can sometimes become a habit.

I remember during middle school, in the office, when you fibbed to the teacher and I backed you up. Reflecting on it years later, I realize I wasn’t just abetting-my eyes never missed your sly smile.

I remember how you drew me, somehow omitting my Adam’s apple. I joked that I wasn’t a eunuch from the Qianqing Palace¹, and you laughed, realizing the difference between men and women in that moment. But you never knew that your silly smile has always been etched in my heart, only touchable now in the dreams of restless nights.

I remember every winter when I’d ask if you were cold, you’d always say no, until your cheeks blushed from the chill. Only then would you reluctantly layer up. I teased you for dressing warmly as if being forced, and you’d foolishly reply, “I thought this was the Southern Hemisphere.” Winter is approaching again-will I hear those words from you once more? I know I’ve become deaf to you, only listening with my eyes to your heart’s words conveyed through snowflakes.

I recall the moment I put the wedding ring on you, your bashful, radiant face needing no description as “angelic.” When you stood before me, my love for you was eternal-that was the highest praise for it. But today, even if I want another glance, you’ll no longer stand in front of me.

I remember when you left, you didn’t even have the chance to say goodbye. Watching your eyes close, my heart lost its rhythm, surrounded only by chaos. Holding your hand, I couldn’t find the words I wanted to say for the first time; it was the first time I felt no warmth; the first time I felt you were so far away. Now, even if I reach out to hold your hand, I wouldn’t dare to move forward.

Reflecting on these fragments, I realize that for three years, I’ve been secretly dwelling in the camp you set for me, and facing this binding, all I have to offer is wholehearted acceptance.

Walking alone in spring might bring to mind the melancholy of flowers withering, but the flowers once brightly adorned the spring. Just as you’ve gone and I remain, the happiness and beauty left behind won’t be scattered by the winds of time. Rest assured, I’ll safeguard them with a heart full of love for you.

Entering summer, the first welcoming sound comes from the cicadas. They accompany you all summer long, singing for you whether you’re happy or sad because they know their lifespan is short. Perhaps you were like the cicada in my life, giving me your brightest essence, cheering for me, shedding tears for me, yet forgetting your own fatigue. For you, I’ll live as steadfastly as summer.

As autumn arrives, seeing the maple leaves carve poignant arcs in the air brings a pang of sadness. Leaves can never escape the wind’s indifferent fate because falling leaves are a debt the wind owes the earth. Your departure-who owes whom? Perhaps in this life, I owe you for the past life. Autumn, the season you left, inevitably leaves behind stumbling heartaches on the streets I’ve walked.

Entering winter, it’s time to tend to the scars. Snow silently falls, and the ground is a blanket of white, yet many scars remain unhealed when the snow melts. Each winter, the snow only deepens my longing for you because our wedding was in winter. The happiest of times are always tinged with sensitivity.

The eternal crown of clouds through the seasons doesn’t extinguish, fueled by spring, summer, autumn, and winter as its kindling. Amidst their transitions, why is everything changed and forlorn? If the crown extinguished three years ago, perhaps I could still hold you close, and today wouldn’t be about composing a written tribute.

The drips and dots inscribed by the cold hand of time only wish to speak to you, to find companionship in you. Can you hear these words calling out? I burn them before your grave, and if you can’t come to me, let them reach you on my behalf.

A cool breeze stirs my hair, grayed by longing, as I stand before your grave, accompanied by my own shadow.

“Ha ha! Finally done!” At 4 a.m., in Room 1301 of the Shengze Zone N dormitory building, Ye Chen stretched with excitement as he looked at the computer screen displaying his work, Composing Words as a Substitute for Burning Incense to Mourn Lost Love.

“Done… done,” muttered Xiang Tengfei, drowsily sitting next to Ye Chen.

“Done?!” Xiang Tengfei suddenly regained his senses and quickly grabbed his large glasses, placing them on to look at Ye Chen’s computer screen.

“Check it for me, will you? It’s my turn to catch some sleep,” Ye Chen yawned and fell onto his bed, smiling with satisfaction at his completed work. Xiang Tengfei rubbed his eyes a few times and then seriously began reviewing it.

Streetlights gradually dimmed, and the entire city slowly awakened as people started another day of hustle and bustle.

“Water meanders with drifting clouds, mist calls from the mountain peaks, shadows linger lightly, traces fade away, dawn arrives in the sky, night departs from the world;

A sigh on fingertips, lips slightly parted, on the lips, tears already stained…”

Ye Chen’s alarm began ringing, yet the four occupants of the room seemed oblivious, letting it sound over and over again. The curtains slowly absorbed a hint of warmth from the morning light as the room brightened.

“Seriously?…” Around 8 a.m., the sunlight squeezed through the window, replicating its rays through the glass. Cai Erman squinted at the brightness, glancing at Ye Chen and Xiang Tengfei, groggily mumbling.

Turning to face away from the window, he picked up his phone to check the time, suddenly wide awake, shouting, “Get up! It’s 8 o’clock! We have class today…” The rest of his words were perhaps only for his own ears.

Ye Chen pulled the quilt over his head, while Xiang Tengfei adjusted his glasses, stretched, and yawned.

“I’ve never seen you make it to class on time. What’s with the enthusiasm today?” Xiang Tengfei murmured, back turned to Cai Erman.

“You…!” Cai Erman, at a loss for words, pulled on his pants.

“Well, if you’re all this eager, at least it shows society is making progress.”

“You…!” Cai Erman, exasperated, jumped out of bed, hurried over to Xiang Tengfei, and raised his right hand to give a strong, playful whack on Tengfei’s head.

Footnote:

1. Qianqing Palace(乾清宫): A principal hall in the Forbidden City, Beijing, historically used as the residence of the Emperor. In imperial China, eunuchs, who were eunuch, often served in the palace, including the Qianqing Palace.