The Wind Says Goodbye

Listen to the wind tell of goodbye, and from then on, never meet again.

1

Xu Suining & Peng Shunian

[Gentle, Sensitive Girl & Sunny, Proud Boy]

A secret crush is like a vine, quietly climbing up a wall and spreading higher without a sound. Then the wind blows year after year, until it withers and falls to the ground, bidding farewell to the seasons forever.

Years later, amid the summer cicadas, there was a grand wedding. Xu Suining saw Peng Shunian again.

The young man wore a black hoodie, his hair was a mess, and a bandage was stuck to his right cheek. He wore a smile, but his limbs were languid, giving him a roguish air.

In an instant, Xu Suining was transported back to that midsummer ten years ago, when she was young and naive, and fell for a sunny, forthright boy: Peng Shunian.

Back then, they were inseparable, warming each other with their presence.

He soothed her: "Don't cry, don't cry."

He teased her: "Are you not talking because you're shy?!"

He indulged her: "Baby," "What are you doing?"

He promised her: "On your birthday, I'll be the very first to wish you a happy birthday."

All her memories remained in that summer. When Xu Suining came back to herself, she realized she was at the wedding. She looked around and accidentally met Peng Shunian's gaze from where he sat on her right.

A phone rang suddenly, breaking their eye contact.

Xu Suining hurried to her feet and picked up the bag on her seat. "I'm sorry, everyone. Something urgent just came up. I have to go."

"..."

The young man started to rise, but everyone followed him with their eyes, looking at him in confusion. So he picked up a bottle and poured himself a drink. Suddenly, a black figure slipped past the people seated behind him and rushed out of the hall.

2

Ni Xiaoran & Lu Zhizhou

[Little Sunshine & Big Ice Cube]

They first met when they were six. Ni Xiaoran, always cheerful and lively, bullied Lu Zhizhou every day, teasing him for being even scrawnier than she was.

Lu Zhizhou didn't take a word she said seriously and simply carried on with his homework.

In the summer when he was ten, Lu Zhizhou suffered a blow no child should have to endure. From then on, he became more and more taciturn, his face cold toward everyone outside his family.

Later, thanks to Ni Xiaoran, darkness no longer shrouded Lu Zhizhou's world. Everything came back to life, the sun shone bright, and the whole world seemed to light up in an instant.

She urged him: "Could you stop frowning all the time and smile more?"

She pleaded with him: "Lu, the Great God, please teach me how to solve these math problems."

She teased him: "Are you in a bad mood today? What's wrong? Are you mad because I couldn't solve the math problem yesterday?"

After spending so much time together, the girl never noticed the boy's growing feelings, always treating him with careless familiarity.

But gradually, she found herself getting sulky over little things, like Lu Zhizhou giving a speech with another girl or walking her home. She realized there was a dull ache in her heart.

A friend told her that feeling was called "love."

Theme: We may be small, but every feeling is unique. I hope that those with a secret crush, and those who are secretly loved, can be brave and resolute in making their choices. Rather than ending things with a goodbye, let regret come a little later. A little delay is fine. After all, saying goodbye is easy, but wanting to meet again is hard.

Next book: A Soft Laugh

Theme: Saying goodbye is easy, meeting again is hard