Passing Years

Her beloved grandmother died because of her, and the girl, who had never been much of a talker, became even quieter. A boy told her she was his princess and that he would protect her for the rest of his life. Her grandmother said, “I believe he’ll take good care of you, so I can rest easy. My girl, be happy. Grandma will watch over you from heaven.” The boy lay in a pool of blood. “How could I trust anyone else to take care of you? That’s why I won’t let anything happen to me.”

Her name was Jin Xuan. She had neat short hair and a fresh, clean face. She was a girl with a smile all over her face, but deep sorrow in her eyes. An only child, she was the daughter of a political commissar in the military. She had learned to be self-reliant from a young age. She grew up with her grandmother in a tidy little town. When she was in junior high, her parents brought her to live with them. What she went through over those three years turned her from a lively, lovable girl into someone who rarely spoke. Finally, when she started high school, her parents were transferred for work, and she returned to that little town.

Her name was Xi’er. Her mother had been doing fieldwork when she gave birth, and there happened to be a little stream nearby, so she named her after it. She was as clear and pure as stream water, beautiful and gentle. But don’t mistake her for a fragile glass doll. If you saw her impressive drum performance, you’d understand that she was both strong and soft. She was one of Jin Xuan’s closest friends. They ate and slept together and told each other everything.

Her name was Linlin, and she really was a little girl sent from heaven. In such a hurry to see the world, she came out of her mother’s womb at just seven months. Wherever she went, the first place she got to know was always the hospital. She was another of Jin Xuan’s close friends. She had helped Jin Xuan lie ever since they were little, or Jin Xuan would never have been allowed to leave the house.

He was Jin Yi, a handsome and dashing young man who had just graduated and started working as a teacher. He had a car and a house, making him every girl’s dream man. He was also the person Jin Xuan liked, and the male lead of the story.

He was Che Yun’en, a mixed-race son of the president of a multinational corporation. He returned to the country at his father’s bidding, but also to pursue a secret of his own. He still remembered his first visit to his grandmother’s house. He got lost, and a dog chased him. A girl told him, “Don’t cry. I’ll protect you.” He came back for her. But she seemed to have truly forgotten him. He was the boy other boys envied and girls admired, the school’s undisputed heartthrob. He had studied the violin since childhood, just because she loved hearing Butterfly Lovers played on it. He was also the male lead who emerged once the story’s mystery began to unravel.

He was Li Yang. It was simple: his father’s surname was Li and his mother’s surname was Yang. He came from a family of teachers, ordinary yet warm. He was a provincial taekwondo champion and a talented artist.

He was Haoran. He had an adorable little sister and came from a family of traditional Chinese medicine practitioners. His parents were open-minded, and his family was close-knit. He was exceptionally clever and could make all kinds of simple medicines.

They met one summer, then lived out their stories through the seasons, year after year. No matter how the world changed, they remained themselves. With sincere hearts, they loved and hurt; with courage that would last until death, they stayed true to the ones they loved.