At seven in the evening, Zhu Yun arrived home with her father. As it happened, they ran into Jiang Lin and her son the moment they stepped out of the car. Jiang Lin and Zhu Guangyi exchanged pleasantries all the way to the door, with Zhu Yun and Wang Yuxuan trailing behind them.
“Just got out for the holidays?” he asked her.
“Yes.”
The door opened, and warmth spilled out along with the fragrance of home-cooked food. Zhu Yun’s mother greeted them with great enthusiasm.
“What a coincidence!” her mother exclaimed in delight. “You all arrived at the same time!”
“Isn’t it just,” Jiang Lin agreed. “What perfect timing.”
Jiang Lin and her mother were close friends — when the two of them got together, there was never any shortage of things to say. Zhu Yun was changing her shoes at the entrance when she heard her mother say, “How is it that you seem to get younger every time I see you?”
Jiang Lin demurred politely. “Younger? I’m well past fifty — practically an old woman.”
“Who would believe you’re fifty?” Her mother gave Jiang Lin a cheerful pat on the shoulder. “It’s because your children are so capable — not a worry to be had. You’re aging in reverse.”
Jiang Lin laughed along, then turned to look back at Wang Yuxuan. “Say hello to Auntie Liu — what are you standing there for?”
Wang Yuxuan smiled wryly. “What am I supposed to do? You’re blocking the whole doorway — none of us can get in.”
Jiang Lin gave him a swat. “You little menace, back in the country five minutes and already giving me trouble.”
Wang Yuxuan turned to greet Zhu Yun’s mother. “Hello, Auntie Liu.”
“Hello, hello — come in, come in.”
The meal was already ready, and they sat down to eat straight away.
Zhu Yun slipped back to her room first to change, then went to the bathroom. Wang Yuxuan was coming out of it at the same moment — they both stopped short.
Wang Yuxuan stepped to the side.
“Ladies first.”
“Thank you.”
Zhu Yun washed her hands and made her way to the dining room, where her mother and Jiang Lin were already deep in animated conversation. Seeing Zhu Yun, her mother waved her over.
“Come here, come and have a proper chat with your Auntie Jiang.”
Jiang Lin waved her hand. “Talking to me is no use — talk to Xiaoyu. How long has it been since you two last saw each other? Let me think…”
Her mother chimed in: “Nearly six years — haven’t seen each other since Xiaoyu went abroad.”
“Goodness, you’re right. Time really does fly. Look at Zhu Yun — all grown up, what a lovely girl.”
“Lovely.” Her mother glanced at Zhu Yun with an amused smile. “She has her own ideas about everything, that one.”
Zhu Yun: “…”
Wang Yuxuan came to the table and was seated by Zhu Yun’s mother next to her.
Zhu Yun’s mind was elsewhere. She sat holding her rice bowl and barely managed to swallow a few bites.
“Not hungry? Or watching your weight? You’re eating practically nothing.” Wang Yuxuan asked quietly.
“I’m fine. Eat your food.”
“I’m starving.” Wang Yuxuan ate quickly — within moments he had finished an entire bowl of rice. “Auntie Liu’s cooking is still just as good as I remembered.”
Across the table, Zhu Yun’s mother caught this remark and smiled quietly to herself.
“You’re such a good boy, Xiaoyu — have more, your auntie made plenty.” Then she turned to Zhu Yun. “Later you should have a real talk with your older brother Xiaoyu — he’s the real thing, full scholarship and everything. Xiaoyu, your mother mentioned you might be able to stay on at the university after you graduate?”
Wang Yuxuan looked pained. “Can you really trust anything my mother says?”
Jiang Lin pointed at him and said to Zhu Yun’s mother, “You see this child — keeps everything to himself, won’t say a word.” Then to her son: “What are you afraid of? There’s no one here who’s a stranger.”
“Because it’s family that I have to be honest. If these were strangers, I’d have been talking myself up from the start.”
Zhu Yun’s mother burst out laughing at that.
Zhu Yun sat in silence, watching them volley remarks back and forth between themselves.
I really just want to excuse myself from this table. She slid a glance toward Wang Yuxuan, silently asking: when are you going to finish eating?
Wang Yuxuan seemed to sense Zhu Yun’s mental summons. After finishing his second bowl, he set down his chopsticks, rubbed his stomach, and said, “I’m completely stuffed. Auntie Liu, we’re done — we’ll head upstairs and let you two chat.”
Her mother called to Zhu Yun, “Take your older brother Xiaoyu around — show him the place. Make sure to have a good talk.”
Zhu Yun stood, leading Wang Yuxuan toward the stairs. Behind them, her mother’s voice carried on: “I’ve been thinking about sending her abroad for school too — broaden her horizons. To be completely honest, domestic universities these days are really just…”
By the second floor, the voices faded.
Zhu Yun pushed open her bedroom door. Wang Yuxuan said behind her, “This is your room?”
“Yes.”
“It’s so tidy.”
“No one’s been living in it. Of course it’s tidy.”
Wang Yuxuan said, “That’s different, though. Hotel rooms are tidy too, but they feel cold and impersonal. You can tell just by looking at this room that the person who lives here has good habits.”
Zhu Yun gave a noncommittal sound and turned around. “Don’t act like you’ve never been here before.”
Wang Yuxuan laughed too.