Solitary Toss of Tenderness

She longs to stand as a scarecrow in the flowing currents of time

In the night, Jiang Huaixi continued to run a fever. Lu Zizheng couldn’t sleep; she knelt by the bedside, checking Jiang Huaixi’s forehead every hour and helping her sit up to drink some water. It wasn’t until dawn broke that Jiang Huaixi gradually regained her normal body temperature and fell into a peaceful sleep.

Lu Zizheng wiped Jiang Huaixi’s face with a warm towel before finally standing up, stretching lazily, and feeling relieved. She grabbed fresh clothes and went to the bathroom for a hot shower, washing away all the exhaustion.

When she finished showering and stepped out, Jiang Huaixi was still sound asleep in bed. Lu Zizheng rummaged through her luggage, took out cold medicine, placed it by the bedside, and wrote a note, reminding Jiang Huaixi to have someone bring in food once she woke up. After eating, she should remember to take the medicine. Lu Zizheng had something to attend to in the morning, so she left first.

In the morning, Lu Zizheng went out with Lian Xuan once again. Her work for this collaboration was almost done, and she could prepare to return.

When Lu Zizheng saw Lian Xuan, she noticed that Lian Xuan still had the same exquisite makeup and a sharp, energetic appearance as before. When Lian Xuan saw Lu Zizheng, there was not a hint of wavering in her smile. Everything that happened last night, Lu Zizheng’s embarrassment and the unfinished words, seemed like a dream that vanished with the break of dawn.

Perhaps it was the darkness of the night that easily made people look especially weary.

After settling all the matters at noon, Lian Xuan invited Lu Zizheng and Ji Yao to have a meal together, claiming, “The three of us, old classmates, rarely have a chance to reunite. We’ve been busy with our respective projects and haven’t had a proper chat. Today marks a satisfactory conclusion, so let’s have a meal together and celebrate.”

Ji Yao looked at Lian Xuan and Lu Zizheng with an indifferent expression, as if saying, “I’m fine with whatever you decide.”

However, Lu Zizheng glanced at her watch and hesitated before speaking, “Miss Lian, I’m sorry. I thought I didn’t have any work during lunchtime, so I made plans to have a meal with a friend.”

For a moment, Lian Xuan’s face turned pale. “Zizheng, having a meal with us is not work. It’s just an invitation, that’s all.”

Lu Zizheng nodded lightly upon hearing Lian Xuan’s words, seemingly having an epiphany. She then calmly said, “I’m sorry, Miss Lian, but my friend rarely visits, and I can’t break the appointment. Miss Lian and Manager Ji, please go ahead. I’ll take my leave.” Although she apologized verbally, her expression showed no sign of remorse.

Lian Xuan watched Lu Zizheng’s indifferent demeanor, furrowing her brow, struggling to find the right words.

However, Ji Yao reached out and held Lian Xuan’s arm, calmly saying to Lu Zizheng, “Alright then, Miss Lian and I will go first.”

Lian Xuan lowered her head slightly, and Lu Zizheng couldn’t see her expression. She watched as Lian Xuan and Ji Yao got into the car and left, then turned and stood by the roadside, hailing a taxi back to the hotel.

Upon returning to the hotel and swiping her room card to open the door, she heard the opening theme song of Doraemon playing inside the room: “Every day passes the same, occasionally with whimsical ideas. As long as you have Doraemon, imagination extends infinitely…”

Lu Zizheng chuckled, closed the door, and looked at Jiang Huaixi, who was dressed neatly and sitting upright with a serious expression. She teasingly remarked, “After knowing you for so many years, I never knew you had such a childlike heart.”

Jiang Huaixi stared intently at the TV screen, not sparing even half a glance at Lu Zizheng, and replied discontentedly, “This just shows that after knowing each other for so many years, you still don’t understand me at all.”

Lu Zizheng was taken aback. In truth, she really didn’t know much about Jiang Huaixi. However, it was evident that Jiang Huaixi hadn’t given her many opportunities, and she wasn’t skilled at probing and asking questions.

She grabbed a pillow, casually sat down next to Jiang Huaixi, and mockingly said, “You’re watching Doraemon with such proper posture, but your sitting position doesn’t match your attempt at being proper.”

Jiang Huaixi glanced at her sideways, propped one leg up and rested it on the other, then casually grabbed the remote and turned off the TV.

Lu Zizheng asked her, “Did you take your medicine in the morning? Are you still running a fever?”

Just as Jiang Huaixi’s phone, which was placed on the table, started ringing, she casually hung up the call, stood up, and said while walking towards the door, “Thanks to you, I drank a bellyful of water. How could I not be fine?” She then opened the door, reached out to grab a few bags, and closed the door again.

Hmm, the meaning behind her words seems a bit unappreciative. Lu Zizheng furrowed her brow. But before she could voice her dissatisfaction, she saw Jiang Huaixi turn back and sit at the table. She took out dish after dish of food from the bags, filling the table with an array of dishes.

“I had someone bring me some clothes, and I asked them to pick up some food for me while they were at it. I’m not familiar with this place and don’t know which places are good to eat, so I let them choose randomly. Have you eaten? If not, I don’t mind sharing with you.”

Lu Zizheng bit her lip. Well, she hadn’t had the chance to eat breakfast, and at this point, her stomach was already singing the empty fort strategy. Jiang Huaixi successfully diverted her attention with delicious food, oh no, redirected her attention.1

She took off her coat and sat next to Jiang Huaixi, picking up her chopsticks and saying, “You never fail to showcase your capitalist nature no matter where you go…” Before she could finish her sentence, Jiang Huaixi confiscated her chopsticks, saying, “I know you’re an advanced revolutionary of the proletariat2, so let’s draw a clear line with the bourgeois3 enemy. You don’t need to eat…”

Lu Zizheng chuckled lightly and calmly picked up another pair of chopsticks from the side, grabbing a piece of sweet and sour spare ribs and placing it in her bowl.

Jiang Huaixi snorted coldly, “Marx is very disappointed in you. You have no backbone…”

“…”

After finishing their meal, Jiang Huaixi informed Lu Zizheng that she would be returning to Linzhou in the evening.

In that moment, Lu Zizheng almost blurted out to ask why she was in such a hurry. Earlier in the morning, Lian Xuan had just mentioned that the project was finished, and the plane ticket was booked for the following afternoon. Lu Zizheng had been thinking about inviting Jiang Huaixi to a small town in Jiangbei in the afternoon, spending the night there, and experiencing the renowned Jiangbei night scenery together. However, in the end, she simply nodded and asked Jiang Huaixi, “Do you want me to send you?”

Jiang Huaixi shook her head. “No need, someone will come to the hotel to pick me up. By the way, do you have time in the afternoon?”

Lu Zizheng nodded. “What’s up?”

Jiang Huaixi raised an eyebrow and said in a gracious tone, “Allow me to bestow you the honor of being my tour guide for the afternoon. Let’s wander around the streets and alleys of Jiangbei.”

For once, Lu Zizheng didn’t retort and simply complied, saying, “Sure, why not.”

Lu Zizheng had been in Jiangbei for nearly a week, yet it was her first time casually strolling through the streets there. Instead of being a tour guide for Jiang Huaixi, it felt more like the two of them aimlessly wandering together.

Jiang Huaixi, wearing long boots, walked leisurely with long strides, leading the way while turning back with a smile. “It seems like every time, you can’t quite meet the standards of being my tour guide. In Juzhou, it was ‘can’t go here, can’t go there,’ and now in Jiangbei, it’s ‘not familiar with this place, not familiar with that place…'”

Lu Zizheng calmly retorted, “But every time, it’s you who requests me to be your tour guide, as if it’s absolutely necessary!” She emphasized the phrase “absolutely necessary,” clearly alluding to the incident in Juzhou.

Jiang Huaixi pretended not to understand and turned her head away.

By late November, the weather in Jiangbei had become extremely cold. Lu Zizheng stood behind Jiang Huaixi and noticed her left hand, which she had placed by her side, was already red from the cold. Upon closer inspection, Lu Zizheng realized that Jiang Huaixi had only one pocket on her clothing, reflecting her unique personality just like its owner!

Lu Zizheng quickened her steps and walked to Jiang Huaixi’s left side. After glancing around for a moment, she awkwardly asked, “Are your hands cold?”

Jiang Huaixi didn’t hear clearly and looked at her with confusion. “What?”

With determination, Lu Zizheng answered her through action. She reached out her right hand, grabbed Jiang Huaixi’s left hand, and quickly placed it inside the pocket of her own coat. Her heart raced, damn it, the wind blowing on her face was clearly icy, so why did her face feel so warm? She pretended to be nonchalant, kept her gaze forward, and said, “I’ll buy you some gloves ahead.”

However, she heard Jiang Huaixi’s slightly amused and soft response, “No need. I feel quite warm like this.”

Lu Zizheng pretended to be interested in her surroundings but dared not look at Jiang Huaixi’s expression. When they passed by a shop window, she caught a glimpse of her slightly flushed face reflected in the glass, deceiving herself in her heart—it must be because of the cold weather, causing her face to feel hot!

As they passed by an exquisite little shop, Jiang Huaixi suddenly stopped in her tracks. Lu Zizheng followed suit, halting and looking up at the store name: “Time Express.” It was a boutique that primarily sold postcards and offered a service to send them at a later date for a fee.

Jiang Huaixi turned her head to Lu Zizheng and said, “Let’s go inside. It seems like I suddenly have a lot to say to my future self in ten years.”

Lu Zizheng chuckled. “Today, I also discovered that you not only enjoy watching Doraemon but also have a poetic and sentimental side.”

Jiang Huaixi raised an eyebrow and asked in return, “Do you have any objections?”

Lu Zizheng laughed and took a step ahead, entering the store. “No objections. Go ahead and write your message. Let me give you some advice. Hmm, remember to tell your future self not to be arrogant, self-righteous, or disrespectful to the working class like you were ten years ago…”

“You seem to have quite an opinion of me, don’t you?” Jiang Huaixi picked out a postcard, sat at a table, held a pen, and glanced sideways at Lu Zizheng.

Lu Zizheng leisurely strolled around the shop, observing the various postcards on the shelves and hanging on the walls. She casually responded, “It’s a pity that you only understand now.”

Jiang Huaixi held the pen and looked at her deeply for a while before lowering her head, a smile playing at the corners of her lips as she began to write.

Lu Zizheng grew tired of looking at the postcards and walked towards Jiang Huaixi, wanting to see what she had written. However, Jiang Huaixi suddenly became alert and nervously exclaimed, “Don’t come and peek. Don’t you know that some secrets are meant only for oneself?”

Lu Zizheng paused for a moment, then chuckled silently. “I have zero interest in your secrets.” With that, she turned around and went back to browsing the postcards. But in truth, she did have a slight interest.

After some time had passed, Jiang Huaixi finally finished writing, handed over the postcard, paid the shopkeeper, and then walked over to Lu Zizheng, visibly relieved. She said, “Let’s go. Or perhaps, do you want to write something for your future self?”

Lu Zizheng, however, turned around and started walking towards the shop’s exit as she replied, “No, it’s unnecessary. Ten years is too long; roads will change, shops will relocate, and cooking smoke will rise from the farmlands. Who knows where I’ll be in ten years…”

Jiang Huaixi stood still in her place, listening to Lu Zizheng’s words and watching her push the door open, gradually moving further away step by step.

Seeing that Jiang Huaixi hadn’t followed, Lu Zizheng stopped and turned back, looking at Jiang Huaixi with confusion.

Jiang Huaixi’s eyes carried a gentle expression, but Lu Zizheng stood too far away to discern it clearly. She only saw Jiang Huaixi taking measured and composed steps towards her, exhibiting an elegant demeanor. Finally, Jiang Huaixi stood in front of her, wearing a cold and displeased expression. “How audacious of a lowly commoner to walk ahead of Us. Considering your past hard work and achievements, We shall give you a chance to make amends.” With that, she extended her stiff, cold left hand and pointed, instructing, “Our hand is cold, and your recent gesture was well done.”

Lu Zizheng curled the corner of her lips, and under Jiang Huaixi’s gaze, she extended her right hand. Then, with a resounding “smack,” she lightly struck Jiang Huaixi’s hand back. Turning around, she walked ahead and said, “Your Majesty, what can you do to me?”

Jiang Huaixi took a gentle breath while following behind Lu Zizheng, using her right hand to massage her slightly sore left hand. She frowned unhappily, contemplating executing Lu Zizheng with a regal air. But just as she was about to do so, Lu Zizheng unexpectedly reached out her hand again and scooped up Jiang Huaixi’s hand, tucking it into her pocket. Using her fingertips, she gently massaged Jiang Huaixi’s hand back.

A slight smile curved Jiang Huaixi’s lips as she took advantage of the situation. “Such force. Are you trying to poke some marks on it? Well, a bit lower this time.”

Lu Zizheng tilted her head slightly, casting a cold glance at Jiang Huaixi, displeasure evident on her face. While her actions did move downward and became gentler, her expression remained frosty.

Jiang Huaixi nodded contentedly and walked alongside Lu Zizheng as if nothing had happened. Her features softened, and she looked straight ahead, yet her peripheral vision remained fixed on Lu Zizheng’s side.

Ah, ten years indeed felt so long, long enough for everything to change. Jiang Huaixi didn’t know where Lu Zizheng would be in ten years.

But she knew that she was willing to stand as an immovable scarecrow in the flowing passage of time for Lu Zizheng. As long as Lu Zizheng turned around, she would be there to be seen.

The Empty Fort Strategy is the 32nd of the Chinese Thirty-Six Stratagems. The strategy involves using reverse psychology (and luck) to deceive the enemy into thinking that an empty location is full of traps and ambushes, and therefore induce the enemy to retreat.workers or working-class people, regarded collectively (often used with reference to Marxism).of or characteristic of the middle class, typically with reference to its perceived materialistic values or conventional attitudes.