I Can Still Salvage It

Shen Mian squatted under the telephone pole, holding an umbrella. He felt pretty foolish.

That day, he had come impulsively without thinking. During the morning break, he overheard teacher Ding chatting with someone, mentioning that the training camp seemed to have given the students a half-day break.

Upon hearing that, Shen Mian got excited. As soon as school ended at noon, he packed his bag and headed straight to the subway station.

He thought to himself that Pei Zhiyi had been locked up in that wretched training camp for four or five days, which was practically like being in prison. It was reasonable for him, as a childhood friend, to visit and check up on him.

But as he waited at the subway station for over an hour and saw the destination approaching and the train getting emptier, Shen Mian suddenly thought to himself, would Pei Zhiyi actually want him to come?

What if Pei Zhiyi preferred to rest in the dormitory rather than going out for a meal with him?

With these doubts in mind, Shen Mian hesitated even in taking the steps to exit the subway station. Only after leaving the station did he notice that it was raining heavily outside. People outside were holding colorful umbrellas, their faces hidden, making him feel even more empty-handed and foolish. He hadn’t even checked the weather forecast before blindly rushing there.

Shen Mian stood at the subway exit for a while and ended up buying a transparent umbrella at a convenience store.

He had a plan: if Pei Zhiyi was busy, he would just see how he was doing and then return. Since he had come all the way, it would be a waste if he didn’t even get a single glance.

While finding his way with the help of a map, he happened to see a small shop selling sugar-glazed chestnuts on the roadside. Remembering that Pei Zhiyi liked them, he bought some as well.

Now, the sugar-glazed chestnuts were tucked deep into his bag, carefully protected by several layers of paper bags. He squatted by the roadside, resembling a lost child waiting for their parents to claim them.

He looked up and noticed a stationery store across the street. There, he saw a milky white kitten curled up in a plush nest, covered with a sky-blue blanket, looking warm and content.

Then he looked down at his wet shoes and pants. Shen Mian couldn’t help but feel a sense of despair; he truly felt inferior to that cat.

Fortunately, his keeper arrived soon.

Pei Zhiyi ran over with an umbrella through the rain. The school was practically deserted on a rainy day, especially the remote West Gate.

From a distance, he spotted Shen Mian on the other side of the fence.

Shen Mian appeared particularly frail in the rain, holding a small transparent umbrella that didn’t offer much coverage. Just as he had imagined, Shen Mian was lightly dressed, with only a ginger-colored scarf wrapped around his neck, highlighting his pale and delicate face.

Perhaps upon hearing his footsteps, Shen Mian turned his head and instinctively smiled when he saw him.

Pei Zhiyi stopped by the fence, his path blocked by a heavy lock, creating a barrier between him and Shen Mian. The two of them looked at each other through the black iron bars.

It had only been four or five days since they last parted ways, but it felt like a century had passed without seeing each other.

The sound of rain was still loud, hitting their umbrellas, creating a noisy environment that couldn’t mask their pounding hearts.

Shen Mian’s sudden appearance was like an autumn fairy tale, unbelievably beautiful. He should have appeared in a misty forest, not in that remote and desolate outskirts.

For a moment, Pei Zhiyi didn’t know what to say. It felt like any words would disrupt the current atmosphere.

But he quickly noticed that Shen Mian’s lips were slightly bluish from the cold, so he immediately handed over his coat. “Put this on.”

Shen Mian obediently took it. Since he had to hold the umbrella, it was difficult for him to put on the coat with just one hand while raindrops splattered along the edge of the umbrella.

Just as he struggled to pull up his sleeves, Pei Zhiyi asked, “Why did you suddenly come?”

Shen Mian’s hand, which was pulling up the sleeve, suddenly paused. He didn’t meet Pei Zhiyi’s gaze and continued dressing himself.

He didn’t know how to answer that question for a moment.

Yeah, why did he come?

Pei Zhiyi probably thought he was being foolish too.

They would have been able to meet in just two more days, yet he ran over just because he heard that Pei Zhiyi had some time off.

But he really did want to see Pei Zhiyi.

When he attended a classmate’s birthday party the day before yesterday, he missed Pei Zhiyi particularly.

He thought, if Pei Zhiyi were at school, he would definitely come over, sit beside him, help him with the food, and prevent him from drinking too much. In the end, they would hold hands and return to the dormitory together.

But since Pei Zhiyi wasn’t there, none of those things happened. He followed the rest of the group back to school, singing and joking around, but nobody held his hand.

His hand was exposed to the air, feeling somewhat uncomfortable.

Shen Mian finished putting on Pei Zhiyi’s coat, a large black one that carried Pei Zhiyi’s scent, enveloping him entirely.

Only then did he lift his head to look at Pei Zhiyi, finding the most dignified excuse he could think of. “I-I came to find you for a mission.”

He thought that excuse was reasonable, considering it was a matter of life and death for him.

But he forgot that Pei Zhiyi had left on a Monday, and they had already completed all the basic missions for that week—kissing, sharing a bed, and going on a date.

Pei Zhiyi, standing on the other side of the fence, holding an umbrella, felt that Shen Mian was the most terrible liar he’d ever met.

When Shen Mian lied, his eyes would always look downward, his long and thick eyelashes hanging down, hiding his guilty gaze.

He also heard Shen Mian say, “You must be busy. If you’re busy, just go back. I just happened to pass by to see you. The scenery around here is nice, so I thought I’d take a look before heading back.”

Shen Mian’s words were all mixed up.

Pei Zhiyi couldn’t help but chuckle.

After a two-hour subway ride, a bus transfer, and finally running there out of breath, Shen Mian called it passing by.

That place was so remote, with no village or shops nearby. There was only one movie theater, and it wasn’t even fun.

He looked at Shen Mian, his eyes like undiluted ink on that cold autumn day.

He wondered, even Meng Yi’s girlfriend in the honeymoon phase didn’t come over. What exactly was Shen Mian trying to achieve by spending hours traveling just to catch a glimpse of him?

Pei Zhiyi blinked his eyes and sighed silently in his heart.

He couldn’t blame Shen Mian for doing all that.

Because there would never be another fool like Shen Mian in the world.

The previous night, he was tossing and turning with jealousy, thinking about the possibility of others being around Shen Mian. But today, Shen Mian, through his actions, was telling him that he was important and irreplaceable.

He said to Shen Mian, “Step back a little.”

Shen Mian tilted his head under the umbrella, not quite understanding, but obediently took a step back.

Then he saw Pei Zhiyi throw the umbrella onto the tiles, grab the black fence, and smoothly flip over from the other side of the wall.

Shen Mian looked at the height of the railing and then at Pei Zhiyi. He had to admit that Pei Zhiyi was really impressive.

He wouldn’t dare to jump from that height; he could easily end up with a fractured ankle.

Pei Zhiyi helped him zip up his coat and said, “Let’s go, let’s eat. Are you hungry? That was quite a journey you made.”

Once he mentioned it, Shen Mian realized he was hungry.

He had only eaten some snacks before leaving, and now he was starving, but he was so lost in his thoughts earlier that he hadn’t even noticed.

He nodded honestly, “I’m hungry.”

Pei Zhiyi naturally held his hand and said, “What do you want to eat? Hot pot, stir-fry, or Japanese cuisine?”

With Pei Zhiyi holding his hand, Shen Mian instantly felt happy. He didn’t bother holding his umbrella anymore and simply stepped into the shelter of Pei Zhiyi’s umbrella. After hesitating for a while, he said, “Let’s have Japanese cuisine. They have Sukiyaki and sushi.”

The narrow commercial street was right next to the school, not far away, but there was only one Japanese restaurant on the whole street, relieving Shen Mian’s indecisiveness.

It was only four o’clock, and there were few people in the restaurant. Besides the two of them, there were only three or four waiters in the whole place, making it quite deserted.

However, the air conditioning in the restaurant was warm. Shen Mian took a sip of warm yuzu tea and felt revitalized.

He suddenly remembered the chestnuts he had in his bag and quickly took them out. The round chestnuts scattered on the table, bouncing like marbles.

He peeled a chestnut and handed it to Pei Zhiyi, saying, “I saw these at the train station, but they’ve been in my bag for a while, so they’re a bit cold.”

Pei Zhiyi sat there without moving, and Shen Mian found it a bit strange. He nudged it forward again, and Pei Zhiyi finally lowered his head and took the chestnut from Shen Mian’s fingertips.

Shen Mian’s hand was still cold, carrying the scent of rainwater from outside the window, but the chestnut still had a bit of warmth.

Shen Mian withdrew his hand and felt that the yuzu tea he had just drunk seemed to be even hotter in his stomach.

Just then, the Shabu-shabu and grilled meatballs arrived. Shen Mian discreetly picked up a meatball, dipped it in a little lemon juice, and took a bite. The sour flavor filled his lips and teeth.

While eating and chatting, the rain outside showed no signs of stopping, so they decided to stay as there was nothing interesting to do around.

Shen Mian listened to Pei Zhiyi talking about the training camp. Apart from their school, two schools also attended. One school had a particularly beautiful girl, who could be considered a goddess. So the next night, someone from the second school made a grand confession downstairs with a loudspeaker.

As a result, the students from the other school couldn’t stand it. They couldn’t bear to see their own goddess being disturbed, so they immediately rushed downstairs to confront them.

It almost sparked a fight between the two schools.

The teachers were furious and started to punishing students left and right.

The students from their own school didn’t participate; they were just watching the spectacle. They were all leaning against the balcony, watching the chaos caused by the other school. Meng Yi, Pei Zhiyi’s roommate was cheering them on, but he was caught and had to write a self-reflection along with the others.

Shen Mian found it extremely amusing. The room was warm, making his mind drowsy, and he smiled a beat behind.

But after laughing, he asked Pei Zhiyi, “Is that girl really that beautiful? What’s her name?”

He hadn’t heard Pei Zhiyi compliment anyone’s looks before, at most he only praised Shen Yu.

Pei Zhiyi leaned against him, their coats and scarves thrown on the tatami. Both of them were wearing thin white shirts.

“I forgot, she should be okay,” Pei Zhiyi didn’t lie, he couldn’t remember the faces of many people let alone their names, “I think her name is Xia Meng.”

Shen Mian didn’t ask further. He leaned against Pei Zhiyi and felt a bit drowsy. He actually didn’t sleep well the previous day; he fell asleep after 2 a.m. It took sheer determination to make it all the way to Pei Zhiyi in that desolate area.

Yawning, Shen Mian thought that teacher Ding was right. If he could channel that determination into his studies, he would surely make it into the top thirty of the class.

Pei Zhiyi also noticed his drowsiness and patted his shoulder. “If you’re tired, go ahead and sleep.”

Shen Mian wanted to resist, saying, “No, it’s already five o’clock. We’ll be leaving soon…”

It would be such a waste to fall asleep when they had only spent a few hours together.

However, Pei Zhiyi’s hand gently patting his back, the warmth in the room, and the smell of the yuzu tea made it hard for him to resist. He fell asleep.

Pei Zhiyi held him and leaned back in the chair. The room carried the fragrance of Shen Mian’s yuzu tea, and the hint of sweetness mixed with the warmth in the air.

Rain fell outside the window, and a few more customers arrived at the private room. Faint murmurs could be heard. The ukiyo-e on the wall looked like something bought from a small market, with strange and flashy paintings.

But Pei Zhiyi felt that that was one of the best afternoons he had ever had.