Chapter Sixty-Two: Midsummer Night by the Riverside

The night before I returned to school, I had dinner with Lele. After our meal, as we wandered through the mall, Lele suddenly turned to me, clasped my right arm tightly in both hands, and murmured in a coquettish tone, “Xiaobei, since you’re heading back to school tomorrow, why not take a walk with me by the riverbank tonight?”

“Oh? What’s made you suddenly want to go to the riverside?” My dear Lele, have mercy on me this time—I’ve been on my feet all day, and my legs are already aching.

“Come on, please, let’s go…” Lele shook my arm with all her might, clearly unwilling to give up until she got her way. Under her relentless pleading, I could only shrug in resignation and reluctantly agree.

Right outside the mall was the bus stop. As soon as we stepped out, we saw a bus to the riverside pulling in. We dashed toward it, but we were just a moment too late; the doors had already closed. Luckily, the driver was kind and stopped to let us on.

Though there weren’t many people on board, all the seats were taken, so we stood in the aisle, facing each other, laughing without restraint, drawing curious glances from the other passengers. Lele stuck out her tongue and hid behind me. It had been a long time since I’d seen her so playful, and my heart warmed. Clearly, something had been weighing on her lately. I hoped tonight could be a new beginning.

Soon the bus pulled up at Riverside Park, the last stop. As we got off with the crowd, a cool breeze from the river greeted us. Lele spread her arms wide, running excitedly across the square like a child. She climbed up onto a stone sculpture in the center of the park and poked her head through a gap, shouting my name at the top of her lungs, all traces of her usual ladylike demeanor gone.

“Lele, what are you doing, acting so crazy?” I called out, chasing after her like a father taking his child to the park for the first time, afraid to lose her if I wasn’t careful.

But Lele wasn’t finished. She called out to me, several meters away, “Piggy Bei, I love you!” Instantly, all eyes around us turned our way.

I wished I could sink into the ground. Fortunately, it was nighttime, and no one could see just how red my face had become, but I was still mortified. I pretended not to know her, glancing around just like the other bystanders.

But Lele wouldn’t let up. She jumped down from the sculpture and rushed over to give me a big bear hug. Honestly, Lele, you haven’t even had a drop to drink tonight—what sort of drunken antics are these? There was no denying her now. I stole a glance at the growing crowd around us, quickly grabbed Lele, and hurried toward the beach.

Lele followed reluctantly, pouting in protest. “Why are you running? Are you that embarrassed to be seen with me?”

“No, no… it’s just—I’m not used to so many people.” I fumbled with my explanation. Maybe it was because I was so used to Lele’s usual gentleness and quiet, but her behavior tonight really startled me. It’s true what they say: you can’t judge a book by its cover.

Standing on the sandy shore by the river, Lele returned to her demure self, leaning gently against my shoulder. “Piggy Bei, since you don’t like it, I won’t act like that anymore.”

“Lele, you’re being such a flirt,” I teased, drawing out the last word and reaching over to touch her forehead in mock concern.

“Go to hell, you pig! Go cool off somewhere far away!” Lele kicked at me, aiming for my backside, but I dodged with a grin and stuck out my tongue at her from a safe distance.

Missing her mark, Lele refused to give up and chased after me. We ran back and forth along the not-so-long stretch of riverbank, laughing and playing until she was out of breath. Finally, she plopped down in the sand, lying on her back and gazing up at the clear night sky, breathing heavily.

I sat down beside her and lay back, leaning against her.

“What a beautiful night sky!” she exclaimed. The sweat from our run quickly cooled in the night breeze, and Lele instinctively snuggled closer, using my stomach as a pillow and stretching out across my lap.

“I don’t see anything special about the sky,” I replied. The city lights were too bright, and following Lele’s gaze, I couldn’t see a single star.

“You’re so nearsighted,” Lele snorted, still staring upward. “Don’t you think it would be wonderful if human lives could be as eternal as the stars?”

“Lele, you’re being melodramatic again.” I propped myself up and tugged at her ear, pretending to be annoyed.

She chuckled softly. “Maybe I am. But even stars don’t last forever. Take shooting stars, for example—they’re beautiful for a moment, then gone in a flash…” She sighed heavily, then lowered her voice, as if talking to herself. “Perhaps I’m just a shooting star.”

“Lele, do you consider me your boyfriend?” Her words made my heart sink, and I couldn’t help but ask, serious despite the timing. I felt I had to know, no matter what.

She sat up, puzzled. “Why would you ask that?”

“Tell me honestly—are you ill?” I looked straight into her eyes, searching for the truth.

After a moment of flustered silence, Lele calmed herself. “Piggy Bei, who told you I was sick?”

“Haozi told me you often ask for sick leave at school, sometimes for several days at a time. And… it’s not like I’m blind. After being with you for so long, I can tell you’re different from before!” I’d been holding this in for far too long, and saying it all at once left me feeling much lighter.

“You… you’ve thought this all along?” Lele bit her lip and looked at me quietly.

“Yes, Lele. If there’s anything wrong, tell me. We can face it together…” I said earnestly.

To my surprise, Lele burst out laughing. “You idiot, what are you thinking? You really crack me up! Do you think I’m dying of some terrible illness? Fool! I’m fine! I just took a part-time job outside and didn’t want to be marked absent, so I used sick leave…”

Her eyes showed no sign of deception, and I began to doubt my previous suspicions. “Is that really true, Lele? But why do you look so unwell lately?”

I still couldn’t let go of my worry.

“My dearest husband! Rest assured, I’m perfectly fine!” Lele got to her feet, brushed the sand from her clothes, and sat down again on my outstretched leg. She placed her hands on my shoulders and said seriously, “See? I’m as healthy as ever.”

As she spoke, she slid one arm behind my neck and nestled her cheek against my chest, listening quietly to my heartbeat. “We’ll always be together.”

In that moment, I felt as if the whole world had come to a halt.