Chapter 5 Li Xiaoman

  The alma mater hasn't changed much compared to before, what has changed is the people who came and went, leaving an unforgettable memory of a four-year youth.

  Under the green shade, beside the lawn, some schoolmates were quietly reading books, extremely harmonious and peaceful. Ye Fan and others felt as if they had returned to the past, far away from the hustle and bustle of the past three years.

  After graduation, people were busy with their lives and ideals, and many left the city. Except for Ye Fan and a few others, almost everyone else was returning to their alma mater for the first time.

  The small lake nearby is rippling gently, the scenery remains the same, and I still vividly remember those figures who were either melancholic or spirited, hugging their guitars and singing campus folk songs on the lakeside.

  Even after many years have passed, every time the melody sounds, it always makes people think of those carefree and innocent years. The faint sadness brings a mix of sorrow and sweetness that easily touches people's hearts.

  Time's sedimentation will always leave some slightly sour and bitter taste.

  It's just unknown whether those people from back then can still hold a guitar and sing, it's hard to find their whereabouts after graduation.

  "I vaguely recall a friend mentioning that the melancholic guitar master from back then had been performing at a bar in another city, and over the years, he had become quite worn out."

  "Do you still remember that multi-talented and long-legged sister from the school band back in the day? The very pretty and innocent lead singer, it's said that she's now accompanying people who drink at a nightclub."

  Everyone could only let out a sigh.

  After graduation, many people have encountered the impact of ideal and reality. Sometimes life is really helpless, making people feel frustrated and confused.

  After a brief silence, everyone continued walking forward.

  At this time, Lin Jia came to Ye Fan's side.

  She wore a blue and white striped snowflake dress, the skirt reaching her thighs, making her two slender legs even more fair and attractive. She tied a black belt around her waist, making her waist look even more delicate, with long hair scattered on her plump chest, her figure curvy and attractive.

  Her beautiful face, snow-white skin, and phoenix eyes with a unique temperament slightly slanted upwards, Lin Jia has a special aura about her.

  "You have a car, why didn't you tell me yesterday?"

  "I didn't have a chance to say."

  "Why don't you invite me to ride in your car today?"

  "It's my pleasure, and I hereby formally invite Miss Lin Jia."

  Both of them laughed at this point.

  Lin Jia abruptly mentioned yesterday's incident, but then lightly skirted around it and didn't say anything more because of what happened yesterday. She also didn't intentionally lower her posture to get closer to the relationship.

  After saying that, she smiled and turned away. Lin Jia was a clever woman, she knew that being too deliberate would not be good, it would only make her appear fake, much better to be direct and natural.

  This subtle change also occurred in some other classmates.

  It was almost noon when they left their alma mater, and everyone came to Food Street, arriving at Shifu Building.

  Wang Ziwen privately asked Ye Fan to sit down at their table, but Ye Fan just smiled and went over to toast a few cups of wine, still sitting with the same people as yesterday.

  "Yefan, I was drunk and talking nonsense yesterday, don't mind me. Let's have a drink, cheers...". The classmate who claimed his fiancée was the niece of a senior executive at a certain bank, had a lecturing tone towards Yefan yesterday, but today he was explaining yesterday's events in a humble manner.

  And that female classmate who said her husband had been promoted to deputy general manager of the company also changed her attitude towards Ye Fan, becoming polite and courteous.

  "Come on, everybody, let's raise our glasses."

  ……

  Compared to yesterday, Ye Fan's table was much more lively today. Everyone kept clinking glasses and people from other tables came over to toast them. Ye Fan couldn't decline, and he repeatedly clinked glasses with others, even drinking a cup with each person who came over from Wang Ziyu's table.

  Liu Yunzhi was very calm, although he was embarrassed yesterday, but today he is as calm as a well with no ripples, and there's no unusual expression on his face, as if nothing had happened.

  "Ladies and gentlemen, I received a phone call last night from across the ocean..."

  The speaker was Zhou Yi, a very refined young man. Rumor had it that his family background was deep and this was no longer a secret among his classmates. Yesterday, the person who waited outside the Mingyue City by the sea to welcome Wang Ziyun was him.

  Everyone stopped and looked at Zhou Yi. Whether in school or now, he has always been very easy-going and never made anyone feel arrogant.

  Zhou Yi announced a message that three classmates studying abroad on the other side of the ocean have set off to return home, which immediately caused a heated discussion among the students present.

  ……

  "After graduation, we went our separate ways, each with their own life trajectory, and it's not easy to gather together again. When we meet again, perhaps we'll all be parents by then, who knows how many years will have passed? Three classmates studying abroad are returning home, I have a proposal, let's slightly extend this gathering..."

  ※※※※※

  Ye Fan drove back home, made a cup of light green tea, and quietly looked at the Chinese parasol tree outside the window, thinking of some past events.

  Those who missed each other, those departing footsteps, that gradually distant road, are just like the paulownia leaves in front of my eyes gently falling.

  Li Xiaoman, this name had faded from Ye Fan's memory for a long time.

  When Li Xiaoman went abroad for further study after graduating from university, the two were still in close contact for the first few months, but as time went by, the emails and phone calls between them gradually decreased, and eventually lost contact completely.

  Rather than saying we are separated by the sea, it's better to say we have forgotten each other across the sea. A love that was not favored by friends has ended as expected.

  Today, I learned from Zhou Yi that Li Xiaoman is about to return home. When Ye Fan first heard this name, he even felt a little strange. Suddenly looking back, it has been more than two years.

  ※※※※※

  The party's time was extended, and they went to visit Mount Tai. All expenses were borne by Wang Ziwu and Zhou Yi, etc. For ordinary people, this may be a considerable expense, but for them, it didn't count as much.

  Three days later, Ye Fan saw the familiar figure again at the foot of Mount Tai. Three years had passed, and Li Xiaoman was still elegant and slender, without much change.

  She is about one hundred and seventy centimeters tall, wearing a pair of sunglasses, with long black hair fluttering in the wind, standing there elegantly. Her outfit is simple and casual, with a pair of shorts that reach just above her knees, revealing her fair and slender legs, while on top she wears a cartoon-printed T-shirt.

  Li Xiaoman is undoubtedly very beautiful, with fair and delicate skin, big eyes, long eyelashes, looking very spirited, the whole person is not flashy but very confident.

  She calmly and naturally talked with her classmates around her, obviously becoming a central figure, but also making people feel close.

  There was a tall young man standing beside Li Xiaoman, who was introduced as her American classmate. Compared to the smooth and flat facial features of Eastern people, he had a typical Western face with a high nose bridge, blue eyes that were slightly sunken, and curly blonde hair, which was considered very handsome by Western aesthetic standards.

  "Hello, I'm Kade. I've always yearned for Mount Tai... and finally can see it." Although the language of this American young man named Kade is not very fluent, it's enough to clearly express his meaning.

  And in front of them, two other classmates who had also returned from studying abroad were already surrounded by enthusiastic people, being asked about their life and studies on the other side of the ocean.

  Three years later, Ye Fan saw Li Xiaoman again, with a sense of space and time flowing.

  Both of them were calm and composed, exchanging polite greetings without the joy of a long-awaited reunion, with only a plain and unenthusiastic tone, even with a hint of indifference.

  No excessive words, lightly brushing shoulders, some things don't need to be said, silence is a result.