Encounter in the Wild

[Jealous, cocky Dong Shenmu VS introverted transfer student Wen Yunge]

The first time Dong Shenmu met Wen Yunge, he thought she must be an exceptionally brilliant student. After spending more time with her, he discovered that she really was a study addict.

“How come you’re so spacey?”

Dong Shenmu teased her with a grin. Wen Yunge said nothing, but inside she was so nervous that even the tips of her ears had turned red.

What left the deepest impression on Wen Yunge was the time Dong Shenmu, sulking with jealousy, made her carry water.

Dong Shenmu, huh? I’ll remember you.

“At this age, I no longer settle. Some things can’t be forced. What’s meant to come will come, and what’s meant to leave can’t be held back. Youth slowly slips away, and I’ve started to grow nostalgic. Once I finish this drink, there’s no turning back.”

In the private room, Qi Yi’s “At This Age” was still playing, and the same group of boys was still singing it. Wen Yunge sat to one side, watching the scene, as if she had returned to that afternoon six years ago. Sunlight had fallen across the desk. She was still just a student worrying about her grades, and that boy still loved only her.

Throughout the six years they were apart, his longing for her surged through the dark like a ravening flood. When they met again, he cornered her and, after a long silence, said, “Let’s make up. I don’t care about saving face or keeping my dignity anymore.” He rested his head on her shoulder, and Wen Yunge felt the place where he leaned against her grow damp.

This time, at twenty-four, she gave in to the girl she had been at eighteen.