I got off the car at the school gate and walked in hesitantly. Did he have something to tell me, or was he just catching up? After thinking about it, I finally called him.
Just like that, I met Xu Nanfang again at the Liang'an Coffee on the left side of the school gate. He was sitting in a corner by the window, with his back to the door, wearing a dark purple striped shirt and a buzz cut. I recognized that figure and felt a little nervous. I subconsciously slowed down my pace and walked over to him. He suddenly turned around and stretched out his hand to motion me to sit down, which scared me.
"Hi, what would you like to drink?" He turned the menu to me and smiled slightly, his teeth still white.
I waved my hand, "No, I'll go in after sitting for a while."
We sat face to face, I clasped my hands, feeling a little awkward and nervous, not knowing what to say. I didn't want to just ask a routine question like, "How are you? Where have you been these years? Where are you developing recently?" But he took the initiative to bring up the topic, "Didn't you say you would bring your boyfriend over?"
"He has something urgent to do."
"What will the class reunion be about?"
I spread my hands and smiled, "We'll have dinner first, then go to the multi-purpose hall of the student center to sing. I heard there will be a small dance party."
The waiter brought coffee and fruit. Nan Fang placed the coffee cup in front of himself and pushed the fruit plate to me. "I remember there were about 20 to 30 people in your university class."
Good memory. I nodded and looked down at the clock. It was five o'clock. "I have to go to the gathering." I took my handbag and stood up.
Nan Fang also stood up with the help of the table, a little slowly, "If you don't mind, I'll go with you, to join in the fun, as you say."
How could I not mind? I didn’t want my classmates to misunderstand me, but I couldn’t think of a good excuse to refuse. “You? I’m afraid we’re not familiar with each other and we won’t be able to have fun.”
"Just say I'm your relative. Oh, by the way, you said there's a dance party. It doesn't matter. Although I can't dance, I can just sit in the corner and watch you dance." After saying that, he winked at me and grinned at himself.
While I was hesitating, Nan Fang had already signaled the waiter to come over and pay the bill, ready to go with me. I noticed that he brought a small brown men's handbag. In the past, at that time, money was always put in the trouser pockets, and it didn't matter if it bulged.
Somehow, I didn't refuse him. I realized then that I was actually a little angry that Shuming didn't come, so I agreed to his request. I was nervous and walked fast. My high-heeled leather shoes made a clicking sound on the school's tree-lined path. I didn't dare to look at him. After a while, I found that he was a little behind me. I stopped quickly and looked at him sideways. He was indeed walking slower than me. There was a little sweat on the tip of his nose, which shone brightly in the afterglow of the setting sun. The sun shone from behind, and a circle of gold was set on Nanfang's hair. "Not used to it?" He smiled at me.
"Ah, no. I'm just a little bit pressed for time. The appointment is at 5:30 and I want to get there quickly." As soon as the words came out of his mouth he knew he had done something rash, so how could he get there quickly
Nan Fang patted my shoulder and grinned, "Then you have to wait for me."
I suddenly felt close to her. When I was a kid, I went hiking in Luohanpo. I went back and forth in the woods, hiding on purpose so that she couldn’t find me. I was not familiar with the roads in the south, so I often shouted into the woods, “Don’t run away so fast.”…
After gathering at the student center, we went to a small restaurant at the entrance of the school for dinner. Not all the people were there yet, but about 18 or 19 people came. The monitor said that it was quite a lot. Everyone has changed. Generally speaking, the female students are more beautiful and most of them dress up well. No one wants to fall behind. The male students have also become mature. Even the monitor with pimples on his face has become more upright and gentle. The pimples on his face have disappeared and he has changed to thin-rimmed glasses, still with black frames. I introduced Xu Nanfang to them, saying that he is my relative and came to play with us. They greeted him warmly, and some of them secretly looked at his legs, which they noticed.
Zhang Yaoyao came late and was startled to see the person sitting next to me. She pulled me aside and said, "Your boyfriend doesn't seem to be this person."
I burst out laughing and tapped her head, "What do you mean by 'as if'? It's not the case at all."
Yaoyao turned her head to look again, then turned back and yelled to me, "He's the one—I remember, I remember."
"I came to Chongqing to visit relatives recently. I happened to have nothing to do today, so I came here to join in the fun." I explained quickly.
Zhang Yaoyao touched my arm and looked at me doubtfully, "You didn't bring your significant other? You're about to get married, but you're still keeping it a secret."
"Let's go over there." someone called.
The men sat together and talked enthusiastically about each other's work and life. Several female classmates introduced their male companions in sweet voices. Nan Fang sat next to me and occasionally interrupted. It was obvious that the female classmates liked talking to him very much. They still felt that people from Taipei were new.
After dinner, everyone went back to the student center. Nan Fang and I were the last to walk. Yao Yao stopped to wait for us. I suggested calling a taxi, but he refused. Zhang Yao Yao recognized him and she also knew some of our stories.
"Hey, where have you been all these years?" I didn't expect that it was Yaoyao who asked the question for me.
“Studying in the United States.”
Yaoyao said "oh" and asked casually, "Oh, your leg, what happened?"
At that time, I froze for a moment, afraid that she would do something rash.
Nan Fang stopped, lowered his head slightly, and touched his legs. "Something happened when I was in college, a traffic accident." Then he looked up at us and smiled, with a hint of bitterness on his lips. "I stayed in the hospital for a day, dying, and the doctor told us that I couldn't save him. Since then, I dare not drive fast anymore."
I felt compassionate, as if I was seeing the tragic scene of that year.
When the three of us arrived at the multi-purpose hall of the student center, some students were already singing under the influence of alcohol. The atmosphere was not very lively at first, but after a while, everyone became lively and some men began to ask girls to dance. I just sat on a chair in the corner with Nanfang and chatted.
He was still the first to speak, "You have become more beautiful."
So, it’s not beautiful
“How many years have you been abroad?”
"Three years, plus treatment."
I screamed in my heart, "When did this happen?" I pursed my lips angrily, looked at his legs, and tried to relax myself.
"I just came back as an exchange student."
Ah, he was breaking up with me at that time, but was it because of this incident? "Such a big thing happened, but he didn't even tell me!" I suddenly got angry.
The South is silent. That's it.
Looking back, a hundred years have passed, and everything has gone. However, my heart still aches, spreading hopelessly. I dare not continue to ask, fearing that the answer will make me uneasy and confused.
Class monitor Wei Changjia came over to invite me to dance, leaned down, and stretched out his arms. I was about to tell him that he didn't know how to dance, but I heard Nan Fang say, "Go ahead! I'm watching you here."
A female classmate was singing, "Broad shoulders, clean and slender fingers, laughter like the sea, and sunshine in the eyes. I imagine you must be like this..."
Isn't that him in my memory
Lao Wei led me to dance the simplest cha-cha and asked a little shyly, "Will your boyfriend mind?"
He misunderstood. I quickly explained.
Looking back at Nanfang, he was sitting in a corner, holding a big-bellied glass, lonely and deserted. I couldn't help but wonder, where did the enthusiasm and vitality of the past go
When the song ended, I sat down next to him and took the cup from his hand. "You've finished all the water! What would you like to drink?"
He said it was up to him. I took some orange juice and gave it to him. The students were huddled together in the middle of the room, having a great time. Our corner was unusually quiet. Suddenly, he grabbed my hand and pressed it on my left knee. I was horrified and didn't know what he was going to do.
"Up to here, it's still yours. From here on, it's yours." He stared into my eyes, held my hand and moved down.
I pulled my hand back as if I had been electrocuted, thinking back to the feeling just now, I couldn't quite believe it.
"Are you afraid?"
"What? No."
"That's right. You are about to get married. I heard that he is working in Beijing and has achieved some success. He is considerate and capable." He suddenly changed the subject.
"Yes, Shuming is on a business trip here recently. If you are free, come to my house with Uncle Xu and I will introduce you to each other."
"No, he's leaving tomorrow. Why didn't he come with you?" he teased me.
I took a sip of water and choked, my face turned red and my neck became thick. "Something happened."
He patted my back gently, and when I calmed down, he looked at me and smiled silently for a while, then said, "I thought we still had time."
How come I suddenly felt like someone had stabbed me in the heart? I naturally understood what he meant, and quickly raised my phone to change the subject, "It's getting late, Shuming said he would pick me up, I sent him a message."
Xu Nanfang nodded very tactfully and said, "Are you worried that I will lend you out tonight and won't want to return you to him?" After saying that, he laughed, but it was not a joke that could be really taken lightly.
That night was different. We met old friends and had many feelings. Nan Fang said he owed me an explanation.
I said no, we didn't owe each other anything. But in fact, I was worried that he would continue talking and make me sensitive and sad.
I remember Shuming drove his family's black Honda to pick me up at school. He called my phone, but I didn't hear it after it rang many times, until he sent Nanfang to the car and left. They had never met before. Before today, I was still thinking that it might be better for them to meet. My boyfriend is very impressive. Shuming will definitely make me proud. Besides, we will have a formal status when we interact with each other in the future. But today, I suddenly feel that everything is unnecessary. Why? I don't even know myself.
Shuming was not familiar with the one-way streets in this area, so he went in circles on his way back. I motioned for him to turn around at the Lee Garden Hotel. "How was the class reunion? After two years, I still miss college life, and my life is also changing. There must be a lot of topics to talk about."
Indeed. I nodded.
"Meeting an old friend? You seem to be filled with emotion." He sideways looked at me.
I felt so uncomfortable that someone suddenly saw through my thoughts, so I turned my face away and ignored him.
The car stopped when we encountered a red light. Shuming freed one hand to touch my hair and smiled lovingly.
I know he tolerates me. (To be continued)