A Peach Wood Comb

Jia Yi was also guessing; neither he nor Lai Hui could have imagined that after a few years away, the purchasing power of ordinary people had become astonishingly high. The waiter served the first main course — Braised Duck with Taro, a signature dish at Wang Ji, which could turn a dish that every household could make into something unforgettable. Lai Hui, smelling the spicy aroma, swallowed her saliva, and Jia Yi smiled. He picked up a piece of translucent taro tofu, blew on it to cool it down, and placed it in her bowl, saying, “It’s been so many years, I almost forgot how you used to scream when you got scalded by tofu. The only thing that hasn’t changed is how Wang Ji’s dish still makes you crave it!” Lai Hui was touched by his thoughtfulness. Before her, she eagerly put the food into her mouth and mumbled, “It really tastes like home, how nostalgic!” The second dish was Braised Eel with Perilla, followed by Small Scale Shrimp… Each dish was one of their favorites from years past. Lai Hui wasn’t quite used to the spicy flavors of her hometown, and beads of sweat formed on her nose. Jia Yi took a napkin and, as always, gently wiped away her sweat and the oil from the corners of her mouth. She fanned her mouth with her hand, unsure if the heat was from the spiciness or if she was dizzy from it, her face flushing as if in a dream — a carefree dream from before she had experienced the ways of the world. The dream was short-lived; a man in a black jacket with short hair standing up looked at them for a long time before approaching, placing his hands on both their shoulders, waking Lai Hui from her sweet reverie. “Lai Hui? Jia Yi? I really didn’t mistake you, it is you two, ha ha!” The man laughed heartily, his voice so loud that it drew the attention of those around them. They both recognized this person, a high school classmate and also the young master of Wang Ji — Wang Changyu. Lai Hui remembered him explaining his name on the podium; his family originally came from Chongqing, and the owner of Wang Ji, who loved his hometown, named his son Changyu. Jia Yi and Lai Hui also greeted their old classmate with a smile. Changyu continued, “It’s been years since I’ve seen you. Lai Hui, I couldn’t find any news about you, and Jia Yi, I only heard you’ve made a fortune. You two, not even keeping in touch with old classmates. Coincidentally, there’s a gathering of classmates here today, why don’t you join us?” Indeed, he was a smooth-talking businessman. Wang Ji was busy, and Lai Hui didn’t believe he had time to inquire about two missing classmates, but she smiled and agreed, following him to the private room where the classmates were gathering. Back in the day, she and Jia Yi were the most famous and envied couple in school. Given their good academic performance, the teachers, after a few futile attempts to dissuade them, turned a blind eye. Years later, when they both returned home, everyone naturally thought they would end up together. Faced with familiar yet unfamiliar faces, Lai Hui didn’t know what to say, but Jia Yi was adept at chatting with classmates, occasionally finding time to serve her food and water. A classmate who once liked Jia Yi, now married, noticed his attentiveness and teased, “Jia Yi has been the same for decades, no wonder you two won the eight-year war of love!” Another male classmate chimed in, “By the way, have you two tied the knot?” Both Lai Hui and Jia Yi were taken aback, but Jia Yi quickly responded with a smile, “Not yet, work has been very busy, no plans for now!” The male classmate exclaimed, “Ah, Yu Mo, you better divorce quickly, you still have a chance!” Yu Mo spat at him and turned to defend Lai Hui, “Getting married isn’t a hassle, just come back and have a few tables at Wang Changyu’s place, it’s not good to drag it out like this, kids can’t wait, you know!” A huge misunderstanding! Lai Hui’s face turned bright red, and the current situation didn’t allow her to explain. Everyone assumed they were still together, and their excitement seemed to fill a void left by their own unfulfilled first loves. If she explained that she and Jia Yi had broken up long ago, these people might immediately enforce their reunion — to get married. As she was lost in her thoughts, Jia Yi handled the situation effortlessly, saying, “Ah, I’ve been made the bad guy, I swear by heaven, you all know back then I wished to grow up ten years overnight to marry her. Now, the heavens have granted my wish, in less than ten years, she hasn’t married me yet!” Everyone burst into laughter, and Lai Hui’s face was so red it could drip water. She remembered Jia Yi once playfully suggesting in class to “pull out the radish,” leaving red marks on his neck, laughing and saying, “This is called forcing growth, you’d better pull me up ten years, so I can marry Lai Hui.” After that, a trend started in the class where anyone wanting to pursue someone had to be “pulled” by the boys first. Youth comes unexpectedly and leaves just as suddenly. Like flowing water, it carries happiness far away without notice! When you suddenly look back, nothing remains except for the faint memories — be it joy or bitterness, behind the desolation now, they were once vibrant. Immersed in the past, Lai Hui felt a twinge of sadness, almost to tears, when a soft hand gently held hers under the table, its fingernails tracing her palm, waking her from her reverie. She blinked and looked at Jia Yi, who was chatting and laughing with classmates. He was also sad, perhaps that’s why he noticed her melancholy. She guessed part of it right; since entering the private room, Jia Yi had been nonchalantly dealing with classmates, but his peripheral vision never left her. Her eyes would look at a dish, and he would immediately serve it to her; she would lick her lips, and he would refill her cup; her mouth got stained with oil, and a clean napkin would appear beside her bowl. Jia Yi used to take care of her during meals, but not with such attention. It wasn’t deliberate; it was an instinct that drove him to act naturally, almost unnoticeably. As the meal was about to end, Lai Hui noticed, her gaze complexly fixed on Jia Yi’s profile, remembering his words — “I’ve changed, I won’t be as careless with you as I was before!”