Even before the autumnal equinox, night fell earlier than it did in summer. After discussing matters related to club recruitment, the sky had grown dark. A cool breeze rustled, missing only the cicadas of summer. It was already the evening rush hour. Lu Mingfei watched the streetlamps light up one by one and fell into deep thought.
"Aren't we leaving yet?" the young girl beside him asked, looking at Lu Mingfei.
Because it was getting late, Zhao Menghua had suggested that the boys walk the girls home. Su Xiaoqiang said a car was coming to pick her up and left by herself. Zhao Menghua was going to walk Chen Wenwen home, so the task of escorting Erii home fell squarely on Lu Mingfei—under the guise of the teacher's arrangement.
"I'm just wondering, why me?" Lu Mingfei leaned against a lamppost.
"Lu Mingfei promised the head teacher that he would take care of me," Erii said, taking brisk, light steps.
"I'm pretty sure that didn't include this duty."
"What's the harm? It's just walking home together, perfectly normal."
"What part of that is normal? Do girls ask boys they've just met to walk them home?"
"I'm not worried, so what are you worried about?"
Since Erii put it that way, Lu Mingfei had no choice but to agree. He hadn't expected that poor, recently heartbroken Lu would immediately stumble into such a stroke of good fortune, but having long since accepted harsh reality, he had no heart for escorting girls home.
"How come Lu Mingfei isn't saying anything?"
"Not in the mood."
"Let's chat. What's the harm?"
"My heart's broken."
"I don't have a boyfriend."
"I wasn't talking about you."
"Who does Lu Mingfei like?" Erii looked at Lu Mingfei with keen interest, her hands clasped slightly behind her back.
Lu Mingfei stared at the fallen leaves on the pavement, feeling as though life had pressed him flat against the ground, much like them. "Zhao Menghua and Chen Wenwen are together."
"Oh, so you like Zhao Menghua?" Erii let out a snort.
"Yeah." As soon as the word left his mouth, Lu Mingfei realized something was wrong. "Wait, no, that's not who I like."
The heavy atmosphere suddenly lifted.
"You like Chen Wenwen?"
"Right." Lu Mingfei kicked a pebble on the roadside. Having someone here to talk with him in a moment like this wasn't half bad.
"There are plenty of fish in the sea, you don't have to be so sad," Erii comforted him.
"I'm not even that sad. It just leaves a bad taste in my mouth." Lu Mingfei kicked the pebble away. "It feels like ever since I was a little kid, I'm always losing things."
"How can you say that? Didn't Lu Mingfei just meet me?" Erii hurried around to stand in front of him. "You just gained my friendship."
Golden leaves drifted down from the parasol trees, blanketing the street. A single leaf fluttered down right in front of Lu Mingfei. He raised his head and met Erii's eyes. Her smile was brilliant, outshining the carpet of ginkgo leaves on the ground. For a moment, Lu Mingfei was stunned. Erii waved her hand lightly in front of his eyes, snapping him back to reality. A girl like this would never have any intersection with someone like him.
"Actually, I'm not that sad anyway," Lu Mingfei scratched his head. "Just... don't tell Su Xiaoqiang about this, okay? She's that girl who always likes to tease me."
"Why?"
"She likes Zhao Menghua. If she finds out that he and Chen Wenwen are together, she'll probably be really heartbroken."
"I mean, why aren't you sad? Losing someone you like should hurt for a long time."
"Maybe I didn't like her as much as I thought."
"Is that so?" Erii lowered her hands. "Then again, you're caring so much about Su Xiaoqiang—don't tell me you've had a change of heart?"
"Me, like her?" Lu Mingfei got a headache just remembering the look on Su Xiaoqiang's face when she teased him. "I just don't want her to be too upset."
"If I were ever really sad, would Lu Mingfei worry about me too?" Erii looked at him, dead serious.
"We aren't even that close."
A motorcycle honked twice from behind, and Lu Mingfei grabbed Erii, pulling her out of the way to the side of the road.
Honestly, the car was coming and she didn't even know enough to dodge. Lu Mingfei looked at Erii, but she kept her head down, her expression hidden.
"Then let's get a little closer."
A speeding car kicked up dust, its engine roaring past in a flash. Lu Mingfei didn't hear what Erii had said. He looked up at the moonlight. The moon on the second day of the lunar month looked just like a young girl's eyebrow. Comparing it to Erii's eyebrows, he realized primary school textbooks had been lying to people—how could anyone's eyebrows possibly curve into the shape of a crescent moon? A leaf had fallen into the brim of Erii's hat; without saying anything, Lu Mingfei quietly plucked it off and tossed it to the ground. Walking a girl home for the very first time, strolling down the road together, watching the streetlamps light up one by one, enjoying the evening of this city—the not-too-noisy streets, the not-too-silent night, and the two people who weren't all that close—the feeling wasn't half bad.
"What did Erii just say?"
Erii raised her head, her face blushing. "I said Lu Mingfei is an idiot."
"You're the idiot."
Truth be told, Lu Mingfei didn't really hate Erii. It was just that she seemed a bit clingy, insisting that he show her around the school and take her to the Literature Club. He looked at her closely. She was only half a head shorter than him, quite tall for a girl. Beneath her sailor uniform, her graceful figure was well-proportioned with fine curves. Her facial features were regular, and her slightly parted lips looked as though they had a touch of lipstick, genuinely resembling cherries. Her big, starry eyes and willow-leaf eyebrows flickered with a gaze that seemed to speak. Because of her personality, an endearing cuteness radiated from head to toe.
If there was ever a sight for sore eyes, this was it, Lu Mingfei thought with a silent sigh.
Erii noticed his gaze, and the flush on her face rushed all the way to the roots of her ears.
It seemed like he had been staring at her for quite a while.
Feeling that it was a bit inappropriate, Lu Mingfei withdrew his gaze. To cover up his awkwardness, he looked up at the moon. "The moonlight is truly beautiful tonight."
"Natsume Soseki said that phrase is used for confessions." Erii's face turned red.
"Ahaha, it's fine, I didn't mean anything by it," Lu Mingfei rubbed the back of his head.
He had to admit that Erii really was stunning—much prettier than the other two campus belles. As for why there were only two, the third one, Liu Miaomiao, was away year-round participating in various competitions, leaving Lu Mingfei with no way to make a direct comparison. He was also well aware that a girl like this could never have anything to do with him. Asking him to walk her home was simply because she didn't know anyone else yet. In a few days, she would make friends and walk home with them instead, having no need for him at all. And after that, she would surely find a boyfriend, just like Chen Wenwen. But none of those things were matters he needed to concern himself with.
"Is this Lu Mingfei's first time walking a girl home?"
"Yeah. I don't even have a girlfriend, when would I ever get the chance?" In fact, Lu Mingfei barely had any friends to begin with—you could count them on one hand.
"So Lu Mingfei's first time has been claimed by me, then," Erii smiled mischievously.
"Please, don't say things that are so easy to misunderstand." Lu Mingfei sped up his pace.
"I'm not wrong, though." Erii smiled and followed right behind him.
Ginkgo leaves carpeted the path, bathing the entire street in a golden hue under the moonlight and streetlamps.
After seeing Erii home, Lu Mingfei set off on the road back. A gentle breeze stirred his thoughts. Today he had suffered heartbreak, yet it didn't hurt nearly as much as he'd expected.
Back home, Erii opened her diary:
Today I found Sakura. He's the one who walked me home. I'm so happy. I wish we could walk home together every single day.
Having finished dinner, Lu Mingfei stood out on the balcony, looking out over the familiar city. As the evening lights flickered on and thousands of homes lit up, each window held a different human story.