It is hard to say how many years had passed.
One day, Lu Jinse opened a diary she had kept in her youth. Tucked into the inside cover was a yellowing scrap of paper with a sentence written in ink:
"Lu Jinse, I like you. Will you marry me?"
It was signed by Gu Yuncheng and dated June 20, 1975.
Only then did Lu Jinse realize that Gu Yuncheng had been secretly in love with her all along. This explained perfectly why he had never appeared again once she was married.
Fearful that Xu Yueshan might discover it, Lu Jinse struck a match and burned the note to ashes. She asked herself silently: if she had found this note before she married, would she have changed her mind and married Gu Yuncheng instead?
The answer was no.
Because at that time, she had eyes only for Xu Yueshan. She couldn't see anyone else.
Having run into Gu Yuncheng today, Lu Jinse asked herself again. Would she choose him?
The answer now was that she would consider it—consider it seriously.
***
Gu Yuncheng drove her to the hospital for an X-ray. The results showed severe bruising of the gluteal muscles. The doctor said it was nothing serious and prescribed some topical medicine to promote blood circulation and reduce swelling, advising her to go home, take the medicine on time, and rest in bed.
"All right, thank you, Doctor."
***
On the way home, Gu Yuncheng asked, "Miss Lu, I heard you and Yueshan are getting married soon? Is that true?"
Lu Jinse’s heart skipped a beat. "Who did you hear that from?"
"My mother," Gu Yuncheng replied.
Lu Jinse didn't speak. She was still hesitating whether to tell Gu Yuncheng that she and Xu Yueshan had broken up.
Gu Yuncheng added, "If you are only getting married because you don't want to go down to the countryside, wouldn't that be a bit foolish?"
Lu Jinse looked at the back of his head and asked tentatively, "Do you not want me to marry Yueshan?"
"It's not that." Gu Yuncheng explained, "I just mean there’s no rush to get married; you’re still very young."
Hmm? She hadn't managed to probe anything. Lu Jinse rubbed her nose awkwardly. "Although I'm not old, my father is getting on in years, and he doesn't want to see me go down to the countryside and suffer."
After a moment of silence, Gu Yuncheng asked, "Do you love Yueshan?"
Lu Jinse fell silent again. In her previous life, she had loved him, but in this life...
Gu Yuncheng kept his eyes on the road. "Miss Lu, please don't misunderstand; I only ask because I am Yueshan's older brother. If there is no affection, living together won't bring happiness."
"Yueshan and I have broken up."
Lu Jinse finally said it out loud. There was no need to hide it; the Xu family would find out sooner or later.
"What?" Gu Yuncheng thought he had misheard.
"I said, we broke up," Lu Jinse repeated.
The car fell silent. Gu Yuncheng’s thin lips pressed together, his eyes darkening to an unfathomable depth.
"May I borrow the towel again?" Lu Jinse felt annoyed; her hair was still dripping water.
"Of course." Gu Yuncheng handed it to her.
Lu Jinse took the towel and rubbed her hair frantically until it looked like a ruffled bird's nest and was dry enough that no more water dripped. She turned to look at the streetlights flashing rapidly past... She realized the rain had stopped.
Watching her transform from a drowned rat into a bristling little wildcat, a trace of warmth appeared in Gu Yuncheng's cold, deep eyes.
***
The jeep pulled up at the entrance to Xingfuli Hutong.
"I'm home." Lu Jinse returned the military jacket she had been wearing and said, "Thank you."
"You're welcome. Let me see you in."
Gu Yuncheng accepted the jacket, but just as he opened the door, Lu Jinse stopped him. "There's no need, I can walk myself. It's just a bruise, no bones are broken. Drive home safely."
The moment she stepped out of the car with her travel bag and her feet touched the ground, her expression turned grim. Her butt hurt.
"I'll see you in." Gu Yuncheng insisted on walking her; he stepped out of the car anyway.
***
Lu Jinse lived in a traditional siheyuan. Gu Yuncheng carried her travel bag and helped her carefully navigate the dark, winding hutong, turning into a blue-stone gatehouse that had weathered the passing of time.
"Alright, this is far enough." Lu Jinse stopped walking.
"Fine." Gu Yuncheng didn't insist this time. He handed her the bag. "Miss Lu, to express my apologies, I will come to see you tomorrow morning. You have injuries, so don't run around."
His instruction sounded in the dark like the low notes of a piano—deep and magnetic.
"Mm." Lu Jinse took the bag and turned to walk into the courtyard.
***
"Knock, knock, knock!"
It was only when Lu Jinse raised her hand to knock on the door of the east unit that Gu Yuncheng left.
***
The door opened.
"Oh?" A girl with a stylish, short "number five" haircut appeared, looking surprised. "Sister? Why are you back?"
Lu Jinse didn't answer. She walked past the girl, travel bag in hand, and entered the house.
This girl, with her fair honey-toned skin and delicate features, was Lu Lili, the daughter brought along by her stepmother, Xiao Guifang—her stepsister. They were only two months apart in age.
Lu Jinse did not have a good relationship with her. Unlike other children in blended families who might feel inferior, Lu Lili had no sense of being a dependent. Instead, emboldened by her mother's pampering, she was always aggressive and pushy.
In the past, they had managed to keep up appearances. But a month ago, their relationship had hit an all-time low.
The cause, again, was the move to the countryside. Lu Lili didn't want to go, so she started causing trouble, secretly coveting Lu Jinse’s spot at the worker-peasant-soldier university.
How did Lu Jinse know? Because she had accidentally overheard a conversation between Lu Lili, Xiao Guifang, and her father, Lu Jianliang, in the living room.
"Sob, sob, sob..." Lu Lili cried, "Dad, my biological father died early. Ever since Mom married into this family, she has treated you like her own husband. You must help me this time. I don't want to leave Mom, and I certainly don't want to leave you..."
"Lili, let's talk this through; stop crying," Xiao Guifang said, her own voice thick with tears. "Are you trying to break my heart? It’s all my fault for being useless and failing to find a good marriage for you."
"Wuu, Mom, don't say that. I've always been grateful that you found me such a good father. Dad will definitely help me; he won't let me go down to the countryside," Lu Lili choked out.
Lu Jianliang said, "Alright, both of you stop crying. Lili, how can I help you?"
"Dad, look, Sister has so many chances to avoid going to the countryside. Just give me one of hers. As long as I don't have to go, I promise I'll be filial to you once I graduate and come back." Lu Lili stopped her sobbing.
Even through the wall, Lu Jinse could feel her scheming and calculation.
Xiao Guifang added, "That's right, Jianliang. You are her father, too. You can't just think about your biological daughter and ignore Lili. She is your daughter just the same."
Lu Lili continued, "Dad, just make Sister get married and give the university spot to me—isn't that the best of both worlds? Besides, if Sister stays in the Capital after college, what if she never returns to Rongcheng? It would be harder than reaching the heavens for you to see her again. But if Sister marries her brother-in-law, it’s different. Dad, if you don't help me, I'd rather die than go to the countryside... wuu..."
She started crying again.