September 14, 2013, Saturday. Mrs. Guan went out shopping with a friend early in the morning. Guan Xuchen cooked himself a simple bowl of noodles for lunch. After lunch, he rested for a while, then went into the bathroom to take a shower. After that, he cleansed his face with facial wash, patted on some toner, then applied moisturizer and BB cream. Stepping out of the bathroom, he went to his room, blow-dried his hair, applied some hair wax, and combed it neatly. Finally, he changed into a light blue shirt, a pair of khaki casual trousers, and casual shoes.
Guan Xuchen glanced at the wall clock—it was already 1:30 p.m. He quickly grabbed the man's handbag he had bought just the previous Sunday and hurried out of the house. He reached the entrance to his residential quarter, hailed a taxi, and said to the driver, "Xiaoda Middle School, please."
About half an hour later, the taxi arrived at its destination. Guan Xuchen got out and looked up to see a red banner hanging above the school gate, reading, "Celebrating the Centenary of Xiaoda Middle School." Guan Xuchen stared at the large characters "Xiaoda Middle School" set into the lintel under the banner, feeling both familiar and unfamiliar. Familiar, because he had spent six years of his youth here; unfamiliar, because he had not set foot here for six years.
Guan Xuchen explained his purpose to the security guard at the gate. With the guard's permission, he walked inside. Just as he had when he first entered the school twenty years before, Guan Xuchen's heart was filled with unease. He walked along the lush green campus path, and scenes of walking to school with Gao Xinglang flooded back to him.
"Guan Xuchen!" Guan Xuchen heard someone call his name from behind. He turned and saw three women about his age walking toward him with bright smiles. All three were dressed elegantly, with light makeup, looking radiant and charming.
Guan Xuchen recognized the woman in a white suit with stylish curls—Fang Jingwen, who had been his classmate throughout junior and senior middle school. The one in a black-and-white plaid jacket and blue jeans with shoulder-length hair was Jiang Xiaowei, who had joined him in a Chinese competition in their senior two year. The one in a long blue floral dress with flowing long hair was Guan Muxue, who had been in Gao Xinglang's class for the last two years in middle school. Guan Xuchen smiled and greeted each of them one by one.
"I can't believe the English rep still remembers my name," Fang Jingwen joked. "I still remember you tricking me into playing the witch in our English stage play."
"Why say 'tricked'? That's harsh." "You won the Best Performance Award, you know." Guan Xuchen chuckled, adding, "Besides, we were classmates for five out of six years in middle school. How could I forget you?"
"Guan Xuchen, you're so amazing!" Jiang Xiaowei exclaimed. "Guan Muxue and I weren't even in your class, but you still remember our names."
"We took part in a Chinese competition together, remember?" Guan Xuchen replied with a smile. He glanced at Guan Muxue and went on, "As for Guan Muxue, we share the same last name, and we were both English reps. Of course I remember her."
The four chatted and laughed as they walked toward the library. The Class of 1999 reunion was held in the open area in front of the library.
"Guan Xuchen, why are you alone?" "Didn't you bring your girlfriend or wife?" Fang Jingwen asked with a laugh.
"I don't have a girlfriend..." Guan Xuchen laughed awkwardly, then changed the subject. "You three weren't in the same class back then. How did you become so close that you came back together?"
"We studied the same major in college, and we started a company together after graduation," Jiang Xiaowei explained.
"We were already good friends in senior middle school, weren't we?" Guan Muxue teased, then said playfully to Guan Xuchen, "You were really close to Gao Xinglang from our class back then, too. During the English Arts Festival, he'd rather play a dwarf for your class than the prince for his own one.
YOU ARE READING
Love Me in Another Universe
General FictionIt was such a long time ago that you don't even remember why you fell for that person in the first place. You just remember stubbornly that you were once deeply in love with someone with that name... It's a story about the bond between two Chinese b...
