The Twenty-Nine-Year-Old Who Couldn't Wait for Her

[She Couldn't Wait for Him to Turn Twenty-Nine]

Fang Yang & Shen Ying

On a rainy day, June 9, a man wearing a black coat and a black baseball cap came to shelter from the rain outside her flower shop. She spotted him through the window, then stepped outside and said to him, "It's raining pretty hard. Why don't you... come in and wait it out?"

He kept his head down the whole time, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly as he followed her into the shop. He looked at the beautiful flowers and suddenly spoke. "Red roses are still just as lovely."

His speaking up caught her by surprise. "You like red roses too?"

He took off his hat and raised his eyes. They were bright, and somehow familiar. His features were refined, his profile sharply defined, and he was exceptionally handsome.

She searched her mind for the vague image of someone who looked like him, but couldn't find any memory of him. "You're... really handsome," she blurted out with a faint smile.

"Really? Someone very important to me once said the same thing." His expression and tone felt familiar to her, as though they'd known each other a long time ago.

"Then... what happened to this very important person?" She didn't know why she'd asked such a forward question.

He smiled faintly. "They're gone." Did that mean they had disappeared, or passed away? Why could he say it so casually? "What do you mean, gone?"

"Just gone," he said in an even, casual tone. She didn't press him any further and poured him a glass of water. "Would you like some water?" He came over and took the glass from her. "Thank you."

"It's nothing." It was strange. She couldn't help feeling that he wasn't a stranger at all. He felt more like a friend, a family member, or even a lover.

"It's so quiet here."

On a rainy day, hardly anyone came to buy flowers, so of course it was quiet.

"Yeah, it's always like this when it rains." She looked out at the falling rain.

"Is that so? Business must be pretty bad, then." He looked at her, then out at the rain beyond the window.

"As long as I can make a living, that's good enough for me." She didn't earn much each month, but over the years she'd managed to save a little. It was enough to support herself, and she could even take a trip now and then. That was pretty good.

"Yeah. It's enough if you can live a good life." His words seemed to carry a sense of regret and sadness.

"You look like you must be pretty wealthy." She could tell from his clothes and shoes that they were all custom-made, limited-edition items.

"Do I?" He wasn't offended.

"Yeah. You can tell at a glance from the cut of your clothes."

"But even the most expensive things get dirty."

She didn't quite understand. Did expensive things get dirty?

"Hm?" She looked at him in confusion. He gave a slight smile. "I mean, you can't judge by appearances. You have to look at what's inside."

"What's inside? But you don't seem like that kind of person." She was being honest.

"I'm not a good person. Don't let my appearance fool you." How could a good person say that about himself? Still, her instincts were usually right, and in her heart, he was a good person.

"No, I'm not fooled by your appearance. I believe you're a good person." He moved closer to her. "Is that so? But... the rain has stopped. I should be going."

She looked out the window and saw that the rain really had stopped. But he hadn't looked outside, so how did he know?

Watching him walk away, she couldn't help calling out, "By the way, could you tell me your name?"

He stopped and looked up at the sky. "My name is Fang Yang."

"Fang Yang. That's a lovely name." As she watched him walk away, she wanted to draw his silhouette.

"But you're Fang Yang. How could I forget you? How could I forget you?"

"I'm sorry I couldn't wait for you to turn twenty-nine." He leapt from the bridge, and his life ended in that instant.

"Why do I feel so sad every time I cross this bridge?"

[She Couldn't Wait for Him to Turn Twenty-Nine]

Xiao Jiu

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Theme: To be decided