The river wind felt slightly damp and cold on their faces. Xie Jiayi drank silently, watching the vast river reflecting the city’s colorful lights. The water flowed, but the lights remained. If only he and Ru Lai could be like those lights, unchanged by the passage of time.
“Have you seen Ru Lai lately?” he asked Xu Ya.
“She came back once in her sophomore year, in a hurry, because her aunt was sick. Haven’t seen her since. That woman has no conscience, breaking up with you and then avoiding me too.” Xu Ya’s words displeased Jiayi, who quickly retorted, “Aunt Yun is paralyzed!”
“When did that happen?” Xu Ya sat up abruptly, turning to Jiayi.
“Probably around the last time you saw her!” Xu Ya slapped his thigh, exclaiming, “She only said Aunt Yun was sick; I thought it was something minor like a cold, didn’t expect it was so serious. That girl didn’t say anything!”
Jiayi thought, Ru Lai didn’t even tell her own boyfriend, let alone you, Xu Ya.
“Why didn’t you tell me about Aunt Yun’s illness later?”
“I called your dorm, but you weren’t there. I asked your roommate to pass the message.” Xu Ya dared not admit he had simply forgotten and casually made up an excuse. He doubted Jiayi would go and ask each of his old roommates, and even if he did, not many would remember.
Jiayi cursed Xu Ya in his heart: Why couldn’t you call a few more times? Then he thought bitterly, who could he blame? Fate for being so unkind?
“Ru Lai is also in City A; I’ve seen her!”
“Have you reconciled?”
“I have a girlfriend now, someone very similar to Ru Lai!” Xu Ya’s expression changed, and he said unhappily, “I don’t believe any girl can be like Ru Lai. Even if there is, there’s no one in this world who would be better to you than Ru Lai!”
Jiayi crushed the beer can and threw it forcefully to the ground, making a series of clinks before it stopped rolling.
“Then what should I do? Wait for her like Wang Baochuan for years after we broke up?”
Xu Ya, propping himself up with his hands, jumped to his feet and shouted, “Don’t forget how much hardship Ru Lai endured for you back then! What did you say? You said even if you died, your ghost would stay with her! Ru Lai liking you was her bad luck!”
Xie Jiayi also stood up, a mocking smile at the corner of his mouth. “I know what you mean, Ru Lai’s misfortune for liking me, but she’d be lucky if she liked you, right?”
