Chapter Thirty-Seven: On the Eve of Graduation

Two days after the college entrance exams ended, I suddenly received a call from the class monitor, notifying me to return to school for the graduation photo.

Stepping once again through the familiar gates, the campus was still the same—unchanged in any way. The younger students frolicked on the playground as carefree as ever, but my heart was no longer tranquil.

I was about to leave the campus where I had lived for three years, about to part from classmates I had spent days and nights with. Time seemed to freeze as I greedily leafed through memories of the past. In the empty old classroom from my first year, the marks of cheating etched on the desk remained clear; by the window seat, I could still vaguely recall the image of myself drooling as I slept...

Walking along the familiar path beside the playground, a pain of farewell quietly spread through my heart. All the fragments of those years surged up in an instant.

It was time for the graduation photo. I didn’t choose to stand in the conspicuous center—my height wasn’t enough, after all. Instead, I hid in the far right corner, the spot easiest to be forgotten: just me, half a body, half a loneliness. Suddenly, I wanted to shout at the sky, to cry out all the bits and pieces of these three years, all the laughter and tears...

Though I know life will always be filled with meetings and partings, ending my high school journey still leaves me reluctant to let go. Perhaps, as time passes, all this will gradually fade in my mind, but no matter what the future holds, I will never forget those friends who brought me both joy and disappointment.

These three years, I stumbled through in confusion; these three years, I left behind wounds and pain. Yet if I could return to the starting point, I think my choices would remain unchanged.

Because in these three years, the only thing missing was regret.

After the graduation photo, we returned to the classroom one after another. The final class meeting of our high school life—no one was absent.

The homeroom teacher stood at the podium, talking about filling out college applications and the schedule for returning to school. I listened absentmindedly, then unconsciously turned around and found Meizi sitting in the last row.

Meizi was gazing at the scenery outside, lost in thought. When she noticed me looking at her, she turned, smiled gently, and for some reason, my face flushed red. I hurriedly turned back, feeling awkward, picked up the pen in front of me, and began doodling on the desk.

Suddenly, I thought of Lele.

People are bound to grow up, yet why is my heart still full of longing? Maybe it’s because I’m too stubborn, or maybe because, in my heart, she truly cannot be replaced. I wonder, years from now, will I still stand at the crossroads of memory, reminiscing about this beautiful fairy tale that has already passed?

I picked up my phone, put it back down, hesitated for a long time, but still didn’t send a message. Lele, what are you doing? Are you well during these days when I’m not by your side...

The homeroom teacher rambled on for over an hour, and finally, the class meeting ended. When school was dismissed, no one hurried to leave; instead, groups of three or five clustered together, discussing plans for the summer. I listened for a while out of curiosity, lost interest, so I grabbed my backpack, greeted my friends, and left the classroom.

At the end of the corridor, I ran into Meizi and her best friend Lili. Remembering the promise I made with Meizi the night before, I said nothing and headed straight downstairs.

“Li Xiaobei! Your girlfriend is right here, and you don’t even react!” Lili, puzzled, couldn’t help shouting behind me.

Embarrassed, I turned back, looking to Meizi for help.

Meizi quickly tugged at Lili’s sleeve, blushed, and hurried to my side, turning to Lili and saying, “Lili, we’ll go now!”

“Alright!” Lili made a face at Meizi and threatened me, “Li Xiaobei, remember to take good care of my Meizi! Don’t bully her, or else...”

Before Lili could finish, Meizi had already pushed me out of the teaching building.

“Where to now?” I couldn’t help but ask as we walked out the school gate.

“Don’t know, you decide...” Meizi didn’t even think, just tossed the question back to me.

“Well... let’s go to the internet café.” Apart from the internet café, I couldn’t think of a better place. It seemed surfing online was our only shared interest—a little sad, perhaps.

“Alright.” Meizi agreed readily, swinging her bag at me, “Carry this.”

“Oh, right! Did you pass the interview you mentioned the other day?” Remembering Meizi had been busy looking for a summer job, I asked with concern.

“Not so fast. Won’t know until the afternoon.” Meizi sighed as she walked, pouted, and gazed absentmindedly at the sky.

“Keep it up, I always believe in you.” I clenched my fist, encouraging her.

“Mm! Haha, thank you, actually I’m really good at this!” Meizi smiled confidently, though she didn’t look at me.

“Uh, these past few days, which night are you free?” I’d been so caught up in these trivial topics that I nearly forgot the main thing—my memory! I couldn’t help but smack my head.

“Well, I’ll have to see. Why? Is something up?” Meizi finally shifted her gaze from the sky to me.

“Nothing, just wanted to treat you to a meal before I leave.” I forced a smile.

“Where are you going? I’ll try. Actually, it doesn’t matter.” Meizi put on an indifferent expression, but I knew deep down she cared.

For some reason, Meizi always liked to hide herself so deeply, making it hard to see her joy or sorrow.

“I’m going to Shanghai for a few days on the 16th,” I said lightly.

“I see. Then be careful on the road.” Meizi showed a flash of concern, but the expression lasted less than half a second before it faded away...

Talking as we walked, we soon arrived at the internet café.

Inside, I immediately spotted Liu Han, Lin Qi, and Allen sitting side by side in the team training area. I told Meizi to find a computer for herself, then walked over to join Liu Han and the others.

“Hey dog, you finally show up! Ye Hui will be here soon, which makes five of us—how about one last match, as a farewell before the team disperses?” Liu Han couldn't wait for me to sit down before blurting out his suggestion.

“Sounds good.” I agreed without hesitation.

After the game, everyone was finally going their separate ways. Perhaps we were like the band in the film Titanic, standing on the deck, facing an unpredictable future, and, a little lost, stepping onto the crossroads of life.

(August 19th, 2010, chapter revision complete)