Shanghai Jiamu

I didn’t see Xu Jiamu again during the whole vacation. He traveled far and went to many places, he traveled for a whole month. Later, when he was finally back, I had already started attending my preparatory classes.

On the day when I report to my new school, I was nervous. No matter how hard I tried to calm myself down, I was still afraid to join a completely unfamiliar circle. Xu Jiamu got his wish and got into an ordinary university in Shanghai. He reported to his university earlier than me. According to him, he had a handsome guy as his roommate. I joked that he should have a good relationship with him so he could introduce him to me later. Actually, I didn’t care how handsome that roommate was, I only care about Xu Jiamu.

Our homeroom teacher wasn’t here yet, there was only a seating chart hanging on the blackboard. After I found my seat, I sat there quietly. Some of my new classmates started arriving one by one, and I got even more nervous. My new desk-mate is someone from my middle school but I was not that familiar with him. I am also not good at finding for common topics to communicate with others, so I secretly chatted with Xu Jiamu under the table.

Utopia: “Uncle Tie Niu Help! I’m so nervous.”

Huangfu Tie Niu: “What are you nervous about? It’s just a bunch of white cabbages.”

Utopia: “Don’t you have any experience to share with me on my first day in high school?”

Huangfu Tie Niu: “Don’t fall in love and study hard.”

Utopia: “You seem very experienced?”

Huangfu Tie Niu: “…don’t mention the past.”

I knew that it was impossible for a boy like him to have never been in a relationship in high school, but finding that out so suddenly soured my mood a bit.

I don’t know what I was thinking, but I don’t want to follow his advice.

Utopia: “I don’t want to; I want to taste the pain of love.”

Huangfu Tie Niu: “Then I will teach you a trick.”

I pouted, feeling a little depressed. I can’t believe he’s really giving me advice.

Huangfu Tie Niu: First find a handsome guy in your class, then rush up and hug him. If he likes you then great, you got a cheap handsome boyfriend, it also doesn’t matter if he doesn’t like you, at least you got to hug him for free.

I couldn’t hold back and burst out laughing, causing others to look sideways slightly, I was a little embarrassed, just as the head teacher came in, I quickly turned off my phone.

The days went by as usual. After I started high school, I had to go to school six days a week and I had to stay until 10:30pm every night for my self-study sessions. I would collapse on my bed as soon as I got home. The time I spent chatting with Xu Jiamu became shorter. He likes predict the time I would use my phone at night and likes to send me pictures of him eating in the middle of the night. I don’t know that the food in the university is so good. The pictures he sends are always photos of hot pots, barbecues, or other mouthwatering dishes.

I would yell at him in anger at that time but he wasn’t annoyed. The only sound that came from his microphone was his hearty laughter. My anger then would also disappear in that laughter and I would laugh with him.

I think that was the happiest period of time in my life for me. There was no sound of my parents’ quarrels, I made true friends and there was Xu Jiamu who would joke and laugh with me. It was a time I can never go back to.

The semester went by too fast and the winter vacation arrived in the blink of an eye. Xu Jiamu’s flight to come back home was on December 30th. I did some calculations; my school has a social gathering that day so I would be able to go home earlier. Xu Jiamu’s flight arrival time was even earlier then that so I would not be able to go pick him up at the airport. But his family might go pick him up so I shouldn’t go anyway.

But I really want to see him.

On that day, I sat in the audience and enjoyed the performances. When my friends came on the stage, I applauded fervently. I was even harassed by my classmates to participate in a few games. The atmosphere of joy gradually erased the sadness of not seeing Xu Jiamu. But when I thought of how I was happily watching the performance here and Xu Jiamu was lugging his suitcases riding the train alone, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. I recorded a few interesting programs and sent them to Xu Jiamu, I hope he won’t feel too bored on the road.

It was about six o’clock when I left the school, I was chatting with Xu Jiamu with my head down.

Utopia: “Are you back home now?”

Huangfu Tie Niu: “I’ve been back for a while. my parents are on a business trip so I went home by myself.”

Huangfu Tie Niu: “Hey this youngster, don’t carry your schoolbag on one shoulder and stop acting cool.”

I was about to say why would you care about it, but suddenly I was stunned.

How did he know I was carrying my schoolbag on one shoulder?

I looked up, and in the distance, Xu Jiamu was standing at the entrance of the grocery store and waved at me.

I took a good look at the young man who looked at me with a smile. His hair was cut short, he looked more energetic, and he was taller. He must at least be 185cm.

I walked towards him step by step, and then I broke into a run; the distance of tens of meters seemed to be so far away.

In those dozens of seconds, I only saw him. The days in winter were short, and now it was dusk. The warm yellow street light that shone on half of the world also enveloped him.

“Why are you here!” I ran to him in surprise, dragged his clothes and walked forward. If there were no classmates around, I would probably fall into his arms uncontrollably.

“My parents booked a restaurant nearby, they’ll come over when they got off the plane. It was boring waiting there by myself so I came to meet you here instead.” Xu Jiamu handed me the milk tea in his hand, as if every time I saw him, he had a cup of milk tea for me in his hands.

While chatting with him, I walked towards the restaurant. If I were a puppy, I would have been happily biting his trousers and twirling my tail. But I can only ramble about random things that happened at school to him in order to suppress my overly excited emotions.

Xu Jiamu doesn’t find my chatter annoying either. I’ve already told him these things on WeChat but he still listens with a smile and occasionally asks a few questions.

Ah, why is he so nice…

I couldn’t help turning my head back to look at him, the corner of my mouth couldn’t be pressed down.

The road to the restaurant was so short, it couldn’t quench the longing I felt.

I saw that his parents hadn’t arrived yet so I pulled him to chat at the door of the restaurant.

“The university life is so rich, have you been in a relationship?” I’ve been wanting to ask is this question all night.

I hid most of my face in the scarf, afraid he would be aware of my emotions. I waited anxiously for his answer.

“No, I don’t like anyone.”

I was so happy in my heart but still rebuked him out loud, “What? You’re waiting for a fairy or something? “

Xu Jiamu laughed, when he turned to look at me, his eyes were bright, “Yes.”

I looked at him suspiciously.

“The girl I like must be like a fairy.” He turned around again; the sunlight turned his hair into a warm brown color.

It’s hard for me to express my feelings at that time. There is a saying on the Internet that “A man is a teenager until he dies”, which is mostly used to ridicule some men, but I looked at his eyebrows full of youthful spirit, and remembered that his childishness of not willing to wear a mask even if the tip of his nose was frozen red. At that moment, I felt that some people will really always be teenagers.

Xu Jiamu is such a person.

It was getting late and Xu Jiamu received a call from his parents saying that they had gotten off the plane. It was time for me to go home. I said goodbye to him but he insisted on taking me to the station. I got in the bus and watched Xu Jiamu wave at me, suddenly remembering that day on my middle school graduation ceremony but at this moment our positions were reversed.

After the last person got on the bus, the bus started moving slowly. I watched him turned around and felt a sense of courage in my heart.

“Xu Jiamu!” I opened the bus window, the blue scarf covering my face was blown off by the cold wind.

Xu Jiamu looked at me with puzzled eyes.

“You must wait for me! Wait for me in Shanghai!”

Before I could see his reaction, I closed the window. The bus had already pulled out of the station and the people on the bus looked at me with teasing eyes. Only then did I realize what a daring thing I had done.

I tightly surrounded myself with the scarf again, and I could feel the heat on my face that was hidden behind the scarf.

There was a notification sound on my phone, it was from Xu Jiamu.

“Okay, I’ll wait for you in Shanghai.”

I’ll wait for you in Shanghai. At that moment, no words can be better than these six words.