The literary era since 1979

In the early morning, a ray of sunlight shines through the gap in the curtains into the dark bedroom.

A flame suddenly appeared and lit the cigarette in Fangyan's mouth.

Looking at the messy bedding, he lay on the bed and slowly recalled everything that happened before he lost his memory.

However, the heroine of Memory Fragments is no longer by the pillow and has disappeared without a trace.

At this moment, there was a knock on the door, and Kurihara Komaki asked tentatively: "Fangyan-kun, are you awake?"

Fangyan responded, took the clothes that had been prepared on the bedside table, walked into the bathroom, and opened the door after washing and dressing up.

Keiko Matsuzaka was still nowhere to be seen in the restaurant.

Kurihara Komaki placed the lacquerware bowl on the table: "Fangyan-kun, I prepared ozoni for you, oh, that is, rice cake soup, which is a must-eat dish during the New Year in Japan..."

"Thank you."

Fangyan said expressionlessly, "Where is Qingzi going?"

"She left early in the morning."

Kurihara Komaki explained that all singers who have performed at the Red and White Songs Contest are the busiest group of people after the New Year. They are either holding concerts or doing advertising endorsements, as well as film contracts, singing contracts, interviews, etc. Matsuzaka Keiko's schedule for the next week is packed.

Fang Yan shook his head and laughed, "Is she trying to avoid seeing me?"

"how could be!"

Kurihara Komaki ran into the kitchen quickly and came out in a hurry, holding a steaming soup in her hand: "Fangyan-kun, Keiko knew that you drank too much, so before leaving, she made this hangover soup with me."

Fang Yan narrowed his eyes and said, "Xiao Juan, you are also involved in this matter, right?"

"Arnold, Arnold, Qingzi begged me to fulfill her wish. I couldn't resist, so I agreed to her willful request."

Kurihara Komaki bowed deeply, "Snimasai, Fangyan-kun! I don't ask you to forgive me, but I hope you don't resent Keiko!"

"I don't mean to blame you, but I really don't understand why you do this?" Fang Yan sighed softly.

Kurihara Komaki said solemnly: "Of course it's love! Keiko has loved you since the first time she came to China..."

Fangyan knew very well that there was only a thin layer of window paper between them, but she didn't expect that she would break it by rushing in.

"Qingzi is a person who dares to love and hate, and does what he says. If it weren't for the nationality, he might not have waited until today to make it clear."

Kurihara Xiaojuan said: "She asked me to tell you that she has no plans to get married and it will not affect your life in China."

"What?" Fangyan's expression changed again and again, as if he had opened a soy sauce shop.

"Japan is too harsh on women. It's hard for a woman who takes her career very seriously to fit into a family centered around her husband."

Kurihara Komaki sighed softly. Besides, even if the two of them were willing, they couldn't get married just because they wanted to.

As the mainstay of Shochiku Film Company, the interests involved behind the marriage are complicated. Because in Japan, once a female star announces her marriage, she either semi-retires or, like Yamaguchi Momoe, basically announces her retirement and ends her acting career.

Keiko Matsuzaka, who is making her debut at the Red and White Songs Festival, is now extremely popular, and Shochiku is not willing to let go of this cash cow easily.

"I remember you once told me..."

Fangyan suddenly understood.

"That's right. During her visit to China last year, Keiko said, 'If you can't get married, I'll let you be her lover.'"

Kurihara Komaki said seriously: "When she returned home, she told me that this was not a joke, she was serious at the time."

Fangyan remained silent, not knowing how to respond for a moment.

"Fangyan-kun, it's actually quite normal for Japanese literary masters to have several 'confidantes' who are on the same level as their wives."

Kurihara Komaki gives numerous rare examples, including Yukio Mishima, Osamu Dazai, Ryunosuke Akutagawa...

"Cough cough!"

Fangyan was shocked by their train of thought. He pretended to cough to interrupt them and changed the subject: "Then why don't you want to get married?"

"Because once I get married, I might have to retire from the film industry."

Kurihara Komaki said, "I'm used to playing various roles on the screen and stage, and feeling the lives of various characters." Then she drank a mouthful of rice cake soup, "Rather than marrying a man and giving up my career, I think it's better to just happily marry my work."

"That's right..."

After some communication, Fangyan gradually understood what Keiko Matsuzaka was thinking.

"Fangyan-kun, didn't you say you wanted to go to Otaru City to collect folk songs?"

Kurihara Komaki said, "Why don't we set off in the afternoon? The snow scenery in Otaru City is beautiful. You can relax there and give yourself and Keiko some time and space to think calmly. What do you think?"

…………

Otaru is located in Hokkaido, Japan. Surrounded by mountains on three sides, it is known as the "Slope City". In winter, the entire city turns into a "snow country", covered in silver. At a glance, it is all white.

On the way to the hot spring hotel, Fangyan strolled in the snow, with sparkling light balls hanging on the trees on both sides of the road.

"Christmas has already passed, what festival are we celebrating now?"

"Snow Festival!"

Kurihara Komaki explained that Hokkaido holds a grand "Snow Festival" every January and February.

After asking in dialect, I learned that it is similar to the International Ice Sculpture Festival in Harbin. During the snow festival, various snow sculptures, ice sculptures and light shows will be displayed.

Kurihara Komaki smiled and said, "What do you think of the snow scene here?"

"It really looks like the 'Snow Country' described by Yasunari Kawabata."

He spoke in dialect skillfully, "After passing through the long tunnel across the county boundary, we arrived at the snow country. The night sky was white, and the train stopped in front of the signal station. Above the distant mountain tops, the afterglow of the sunset still remained faintly. The outlines of the scenery seen through the window glass retreated into the distance, but did not disappear, but had already been eclipsed..."

Kurihara Komaki listened quietly and walked down the canal to Kitahama Bridge.

A few seagulls occasionally land by the bridge, and a few old men sit quietly painting the scenery of the canal.

"At night, many people would go to the river to release candlelight floats, including adults, children, couples, and the elderly. There were all kinds of people."

Kurihara Komaki was about to continue speaking when she suddenly realized that Fangyan was gone.

For a moment, I was panicked and looked around, and saw him lying in the snow, holding his breath, letting the snowflakes fall on his face.

This situation is just like the beginning of the movie "Love Letter", where Hiroko Watanabe lies alone on the snow, looking up at the snowy sky.

Fangyan felt that the place where he was lying now was the filming location of the movie, so he decided to experience it in person.

Snowflakes gradually fell on his body, but he was quiet, as if he was asleep.

I want to hold on to something, but I always let go. And when I want to let go, I can't let go. It seems that a thousand thoughts are surging in my mind.

At the end of "Love Letter", Hiroko Watanabe finally came to terms with the death of her fiancé Fujii Itsuki.

And what about myself and Keiko Matsuzaka?
I raised my head and looked towards the sky, as if I was feeling something, but I definitely did not feel the bone-chilling cold, only the tenderness of the snowflakes.

The sound of footsteps stepping on the snow could be heard in my ears.

Then, Kurihara Komaki appeared in his sight, panting: "Fangyan-kun, what are you doing!"

"It suddenly occurred to me that a scene in the novel was very similar to this, and I couldn't help myself for a moment."

Fangyan stood up and shook off the snow on his body.

"Huhu, I see. I was really scared. I thought you were just upset and wanted to commit suicide..."

Kurihara Komaki patted her chest and swallowed back what she was about to say.

Fangyan smiled knowingly and said, "Suicide, huh?"

Kurihara Komaki nodded and gave an awkward but polite smile.

"Even if I wanted to commit suicide, I wouldn't choose this way to die. Lying in the snow and freezing to death, that would be such a painful and pathetic death."

The dialect joked heartlessly.

"Fangyan-kun, idiot!"

Kurihara Komaki grabbed a handful of snow, stuffed it into his collar, and then ran into the hotel.

"Okay!"

Fangyan followed closely behind, rolled the snow in his hand into a snowball and threw it over, but he deliberately missed the target.

The two of them ran into the hotel that had been booked in advance, one after the other, and the proprietress entertained them warmly.

As soon as Fang Yan returned to his room, he picked up the phone and called the contact number that Keiko Matsuzaka had given him.

After calling several times, the call finally got through, and the slightly hoarse voice of Keiko Matsuzaka came from the receiver: "Excuse me, who are you?"

"I'm Fangyan, I'm using the hotel phone now..."

After these words were spoken, there was a brief silence on the other end of the phone. After a long time, a response was received: "How...how are you?"

"I'm very good."

Fang Yan said, "I didn't realize until I came to Otaru that there was a snow festival here. When you're done, Keiko, do you want to come with me and Xiaojuan to see the ice sculptures?"

I vaguely heard the sound of rapid breathing from the phone, and then I heard Keiko Matsuzaka chuckle, and thousands of words were condensed into one word: Good! (End of this chapter)