The Meeting of Two Clouds

I first saw her many years ago. White skirt, ponytail, profile as quiet as a painting. Later she called me Xiaoyu and I called her Xiaodou. At that time, I didn't know what liking meant. Just as soon as she smiled, the sky cleared up. When she was scared, I tried my best not to be scared. Later, the river was still flowing, but it no longer covered anyone's ankles. Every September, I still think of someone. Wearing a long white dress, her eyes are crooked when she smiles. She stood in the sunshine as if she had never left. Some things passed before I had time to say them out. But those days were real. The wind by the river is real. When she called me Xiaoyu, the beating in my heart was real. Like two clouds, they embrace each other gently and then disperse. But you know, they've been here before.