Thinking back on his twelve years of friendship with Jiang Feng, Chi Yue wondered how the two of them had ended up here.
They became neighbors in a cramped apartment block at fourteen, went to the same high school at sixteen, and left home to make their way in the world at eighteen. They struggled to survive in a sprawling city, drifting apart and then getting in touch again. They grew used to tending to each other's wounds, yet always parted just when they came closest to becoming lovers.
At twenty-seven, Jiang Feng was getting married. The groom was not him.
Another friend who knew the story watched the couple onstage and patted him on the shoulder. "You always said you wanted to wait until you could give Xiao Jiang the best. What was the best? Money. But now you've got a pocket full of money, and Xiao Jiang still won't be with you." His friend advised him, "So, Chi, try to let it go. If it was going to happen, it would've happened by now. Whenever you meet, you bicker. Two warm words, then you start making sarcastic remarks. Honestly, it's really hard for two stubborn people who care too much about their pride to end up together."
Chi Yue stood below the stage, his throat tight and his eyes red.
--
[There is a line between friendship and romance, a place where you're afraid to cross over, but can't bear to step back]
Longtime friends become lovers
Theme: A long wait
