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Treat You Like Spring Treats a Cherry Tree
Treat You Like Spring Treats a Cherry Tree
“Are you from Beijing?” The girl’s voice was casual as she looked down, stepping on the red brick grid on the ground.
“I was born in Beijing.” He nodded, reaching out to gently tug her arm and dodging a boy riding a bicycle coming towards them.
“What about you?” Zhao Pingjin asked her.
“Zhejiang.”
“Where in Zhejiang?”
“Taizhou.”
“What do you do?”
“I work for a software technology company.”
Huang Xitang stopped at the entrance of the girls’ dormitory and took out her access card. “I’m going upstairs.”
Zhao Pingjin had his hands in his pockets, nodding upon hearing this, his expression relaxed with a faint smile on his lips.
Huang Xitang ran up a few steps of the staircase, turned back to wave at him. In the night, her small face was visible, glowing and radiant. She laughed and quickly ran into the building.
Zhao Pingjin stood there for a while before heading towards the parking area north of the apartment building.
He had been at their school for over a week and finally managed to make her let down her guard a bit. On the way back to her dormitory, Huang Xitang was willing to chat with him for a while.
The two didn’t do anything special. Usually, after he finished work, he would drive from Zhongguan Village to the Film Academy, which wasn’t far—just a turn from Zhichun Road—and arrive just in time for her rehearsal class to end or while she was doing homework in the teaching building. Zhao Pingjin would wait for her for a while, then escort her back to her dormitory before driving away himself.
Surprisingly, he found it very interesting.
Waiting under the teaching building for an hour just to see her for a while after work every day.
He never thought such a thing would happen to him.
The last time Zhao Pingjin saw Huang Xitang at the Changan Club was more than a month ago. The next day, he found her at school and invited her to dinner, only to be decisively rejected. After that, they didn’t meet for a long time, and Zhao Pingjin almost forgot about Huang Xitang.
At that time, he was young and fickle, with plenty of beautiful girls around and various forms of entertainment. He didn’t need to trouble himself by competing with a slippery little girl like an eel.
He saw her again in July.
It was an evening in midsummer during a heavy rainstorm. Zhao Pingjin and a few friends brought some girls to watch a concert at the Workers’ Stadium.
At the entrance of the stadium, they saw two girls holding umbrellas and wearing raincoats, standing on the steps outside the venue, loudly asking passersby, “Do you need raincoats or glow sticks?”
The girls beside Zhao Pingjin were interested and gathered around. The glow sticks were ten yuan each, and the raincoats were being sold at an inflated price of fifty yuan.
The girls began to choose, and the men accompanying them took out their wallets to pay. Zhao Pingjin held an umbrella, not paying attention to the person beside him. His gaze was fixed on the girl next to Zhong Qiao’er—a tiny figure in a fluorescent yellow raincoat that covered her entirely, revealing only a face as pure as a camellia flower.
Zhong Qiao’er turned her head slightly and nudged Huang Xitang.
Huang Xitang turned around and met his eyes.
As soon as Zhao Pingjin recognized her, he smiled. “Oh, isn’t this a classmate from the Film Academy? How did you switch to selling small items?”
Xitang couldn’t immediately recall who he was. She only saw a handsome man—tall, slim, fair-skinned, with a straight nose, holding a large umbrella under which a pretty girl nestled.
The appearance of a dashing young man from the capital.
Zhao Pingjin said, “How many are left? I’ll buy them all.”
Upon hearing this, Zhong Qiao’er happily responded, “Alright! We’re getting soaked!”
Huang Xitang quickly pulled Zhong Qiao’er away.
At this moment, one of Zhao Pingjin’s buddies nudged his shoulder, and the group headed towards the inner field passage of the stadium.
A protective film covered the grass, and rows of plastic chairs placed on top were soaked wet. Spectators entering the inner field crowded in the passage to avoid the rain. As the rain gradually subsided, the audience slowly entered the venue, and the musicians on stage began tuning their instruments.
The group found their seats and sat down.
Zhao Pingjin sat on the chair, lost in thought for two seconds, then suddenly stood up and tapped Qian Donglin next to him. “I’m going out.”
Qian Donglin didn’t understand. “Where to?”
Zhao Pingjin pointed to the exit and walked directly out.
“Hey, Zhouzi! Aren’t you watching?” Qian Donglin stood up, managing to call out, “These tickets were hard to come by!”
Zhao Pingjin waved his hand casually and walked off stylishly.
By now, there were fewer people outside, with only a few scalpers wandering around. Zhao Pingjin strolled along the outer edge of the stadium entrance and finally spotted the tiny figure in the yellow raincoat.
She was bending over, walking down the steps layer by layer, picking up fallen glow sticks, mineral water bottles, and pieces of paper one by one.
The entrance to the stadium had a wide and narrow flight of stairs. The heavy rain had washed away the dust, but spectators and vendors had left behind quite a lot of trash. In no time, Huang Xitang’s hands were full. She scurried off to the entrance of the venue.
Following her figure, Zhao Pingjin noticed a limping scavenger on the nearby grass.
Behind him, music and screams erupted from inside the stadium as the singer took the stage.
Zhao Pingjin stood in the passage of the indoor arena, watching the tiny figure in yellow go back and forth, picking up mineral water bottles and stuffing them into the woven bag on the old man’s back. She hopped and skipped on the steps, swaying her body to the music. The lively rhythm of the songs and dances inside the gymnasium floated out, and she stood on the steps, howling into the empty square: “Ohhhhhh!”
Zhong Qiao’er squatted on the steps with her, a bag of unsold items beside her, drinking water and resting. Seeing this, she burst into laughter, put her finger to her lips, blew a crisp whistle, and screamed, “Idol, I love you!”
Huang Xitang suddenly perked up and turned to Zhong Qiao’er. “Qiao’er, how do you blow that whistle? Can you teach me?”
The next day, after finishing work, Zhao Pingjin went to the Film Academy to find her.
Xitang happened to be coming downstairs, carrying a large black canvas backpack. Upon seeing him, she raised her hand slightly and gave a nonchalant “Hi.”
Zhao Pingjin followed her out. “Where are you going?”
Xitang squatted in front of the glass window of the mini-supermarket. “I’m going to the study room to do homework.”
Xitang swiped her meal card and bought a sandwich.
Zhao Pingjin said, “If I do your homework for you, can you buy me a sandwich?”
Xitang bought him one and added a bottle of milk. “Thank you for sending us back yesterday.”
The two finished their sandwiches at the entrance of the library. Xitang drank water while Zhao Pingjin drank milk.
Xitang threw the wrapping paper into a nearby trash bin and wiped her hands. “You can go back after you’re done eating; the study room is quite boring.”
She still thought of him as one of those young men indulged in pleasures.
Zhao Pingjin held up his milk carton and smiled at her. “Let’s give it a try.”
The two sat side by side in the last row of seats. Zhao Pingjin watched Huang Xitang take out a notebook, a pencil case, and an English-Chinese dictionary from her bag. She opened the notebook, and Zhao Pingjin glanced at it. It was a short English biography. She had already typed a draft, but there were still a few blank words left in each paragraph.
Zhao Pingjin quickly scanned through it. As Xitang just opened the dictionary, Zhao Pingjin had already taken her notebook and started filling in all the blanks with a pen.
While reading and writing, he also underlined some sentences: “Revise the parts I underlined.”
Xitang looked at them and quietly said, “Thank you.”
Xitang turned to a new page, which was blank this time. Zhao Pingjin curiously asked, “Why are you doing two assignments alone?”
That night, Zhao Pingjin finished Zhong Qiao’er’s assignment for her. After Xitang revised her own, Zhao Pingjin said, “Do you want to check it again?”
Xitang hurriedly replied, “No, no need. It’s too well-written, not matching the basic level.”
One night, Zhao Pingjin accompanied Huang Xitang out of the teaching building. He kept his hands in his pockets, maintaining a respectful distance from her. He told Xitang, “That classmate of yours seems to be dating one of my childhood friends lately.”
“Qiao’er?” Xitang said indifferently, “Qiao’er changes boyfriends frequently.”
“Why haven’t I seen you at the Changan Club recently?”
“That time, Zhong Qiao’er called me on short notice.”
“What do you usually do?”
“Attend classes, work part-time, audition for jobs.”
“What kind of job?”
“Acting.”
Later, Zhao Pingjin came more often. One night, Huang Xitang asked him, “Haven’t you finished clearing your mind yet?”
Zhao Pingjin had told her that dating pretty girls was a way to clear his mind.
“I’m not clearing my mind anymore.”
“Then why do you keep coming?”
“Miss Huang, I am pursuing you.”
In June, one day Zhao Pingjin went to her school to find her but couldn’t locate her.
Fortunately, Xitang answered his call: “We’ve started summer vacation.”
Zhao Pingjin drove to where she worked, a coffee shop near Xiaoxitian. He went in, ordered a drink, and waited for her to finish work while doing his own work. By the time Xitang changed out of her uniform and walked over to his table with her backpack, Zhao Pingjin checked his watch—buses had already stopped running at this hour.
“How will you get back to school?”
“By bike.”
“From Wenhui Bridge to Xitucheng?”
Xitang grinned and said, “My cycling skills are top-notch; consider it practice for fitness.”
Zhao Pingjin grabbed her hand and walked to the parking spot in front of the coffee shop. He placed his laptop bag in the back seat of the car: “Get in.”
The next evening, Zhao Pingjin called her.
“Are you working tonight?”
“What’s up?”
“I have something to do tonight. Can you take a taxi home tonight? I’ll reimburse you, and I’ll pick you up tomorrow night.”
Xitang didn’t respond directly but smiled and asked, “What are you doing tonight?”
Zhao Pingjin cradled the phone with his arm and took the cotton swab handed to him by the nurse: “I’m working overtime at the company.”
At this moment, a child was placed on the examination table. As soon as the nurse inserted the IV needle, the child burst into tears. The young mother beside panicked and reached out to hold the child, causing the nurse to shout urgently, “Hey, family member, hold him steady!”
Zhao Pingjin was instantly stunned.
After hearing this, Xitang reacted a few seconds later: “Comrade Zhao, honesty is the best policy.”
Zhao Pingjin had no choice but to answer.
Xitang paused and said, “You really don’t eat outside food?”
Xitang found him in the emergency room of Zhongguan Hospital. He was receiving an IV infusion alone in the infusion room.
Xitang said, “Where are your family members?”
Zhao Pingjin said, “My younger brother brought me here. I’ll go back by myself after I’m done.”
Xitang sat down in the empty seat next to him.
Zhao Pingjin looked at her; she had makeup on, and her pink lips were very cute. “Where did you come from?”
“Beijing Film Studio.” Xitang took out a wet wipe and wiped off her makeup.
“What were you doing there?”
“Looking for work.”
“Aren’t you going to the coffee shop tonight?”
Xitang shrugged and said, “I got fired yesterday.”
Zhao Pingjin was slightly surprised; he hadn’t noticed anything last night: “Why?”
“A customer’s order, I wrote it wrong, and then I got complained about.” Huang Xitang stuck out her tongue and made a funny face.
“Why didn’t you say anything last night?”
“It’s embarrassing to be clumsy.”
Zhao Pingjin realized at this moment that she was a sensitive girl.
Bored, Xitang wandered around the emergency hall and returned with a bottle of mineral water for him. Then she picked up his medical record and looked at it. She suddenly said, “Your stomach is really bad. I shouldn’t have let you eat late-night snacks with me last night.”
It was already past eleven o’clock when they left the hospital.
Zhao Pingjin hailed a taxi by the roadside: “I’ll go back and drive out to send you back to school.”
Xitang followed him back to his company.
It was a mixed-use residential and commercial complex, not very new. The neighborhood was full of life, with various businesses lining the ground floor, including English training centers, courier companies, and various ramen snack shops. Zhao Pingjin led her upstairs. When they opened the door, a large rectangular table was placed in the middle of the spacious living room, with rows of computers on both sides. In the southern corner, there was a double-seater sofa, a printer, filing cabinets—a standard office setup, except for a neatly stacked row of beer cans by the floor-to-ceiling window.
A bespectacled, scholarly man sat behind a computer.
Hearing the sound of the door opening, Shen Min looked up, his expression suddenly froze. The girl following Zhao Pingjin had glowing youthful skin and a beautiful smile that revealed teeth as white as pearls. He now clearly saw that she was indeed a beauty.
Beautiful as she was, he didn’t dare forget how she had beaten him black and blue.
Zhao Pingjin chuckled and introduced, “This is Shen Min. You’ve met him before.”
Xitang looked puzzled, with no recollection at all: “When?”
Shen Min’s face turned red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet in anger.
Zhao Pingjin laughed so hard that his stomach hurt.
After a while, Shen Min finally regained his composure and pulled out a stack of documents from the folder in front of him: “Li Ming ran through the Lianshang system this afternoon and found some issues here.”
Zhao Pingjin glanced at it, sat down in front of the computer, and said: “Xiao Min, take Xitang back to school.”
Shen Min hesitated for two seconds and said: “I’m not here. After you finish writing, who will test it for you?”
Zhao Pingjin replied: “I’ll do it myself.”
Shen Min disagreed: “You should get some sleep tonight.”
Zhao Pingjin’s fingers flew over the keyboard. Hearing this, he lightly tapped the space bar and glanced back at Shen Min. Xitang quickly said: “If I’m not disturbing you, I’ll stay here for a while. I’ll go back in the morning by myself.”
Zhao Pingjin got up, took her to a small room inside, and turned on the desk lamp for her: “If you’re sleepy, take a nap.”
Xitang looked around. It was a small room with a bed in the corner, covered with very clean gray-blue checkered sheets and duvet. There was a desk and a cabinet.
Next to the window opposite, there was a chair with a blue shirt casually hanging on its back.
Throughout the night, there were faint sounds of keyboard tapping in the living room, along with Zhao Pingjin and Shen Min’s low conversations.
The next morning when Xitang woke up, she saw that the lights in the spacious living room were off, and the curtains on the balcony’s floor-to-ceiling windows were tightly drawn, making the living room dim. She could see the blue light from the computer tower still faintly blinking. The door to another room was half-open, and Zhao Pingjin was asleep on the sofa.
Xitang picked up her backpack and quietly slipped out of the door.
Finally catching Zhong Qiao’er back in the dormitory, Xitang sought advice from Qiao’er.
Upon hearing her mention Zhao Pingjin, Zhong Qiao’er said: “He must be from an official family; I don’t know what exactly he does. Lao Gao seems quite familiar with him; I’ve seen them together a few times.”
Zhong Qiao’er lit a cigarette: “Do you like him?”
Xitang nodded.
“Well, with that handsome face, what girl wouldn’t fall for him?” Qiao’er blew a smoke ring, squinting and smiling mistily at her.
Xitang suddenly blushed: “No—”
Zhong Qiao’er laughed: “You are just too innocent.”
Qiao’er didn’t take it seriously: “Go ahead and date. Xitang, if you flirt a little, you won’t have to work hard to earn your senior year tuition.”
Xitang bit her lip: “I don’t want to date him for that reason.”
“What else do you want? To date, marry him, and have kids?”
Xitang couldn’t say anything.
“People like them won’t marry us.”
At this moment, the dormitory door opened, and Wang Linglong walked in, frowning at them: “Hey, Qiao’er, can you please not smoke in the dormitory?”
Zhong Qiao’er raised an eyebrow and extinguished the cigarette.
Just then, Qiao’er’s phone rang. She glanced at it, muted the sound, stood up from the chair, hugged Xitang’s neck, and whispered: “It’s okay to date, but don’t take it too seriously. Also, be sensible and don’t inquire about their backgrounds.”
Lately, Xitang had joined a film crew, playing a background role in a period drama without any lines, but the number of episodes was decent. She called her mother, saying she would visit her after finishing this project.
If there was no night shoot, she could finish work by eight in the evening and return to school. The dormitory was empty. Since she returned from his place last time, Zhao Pingjin hadn’t appeared for a week.
That night, after getting off the subway, Xitang received a call from Zhao Pingjin.
“Where are you?” The sound of wind whistled through the phone.
“I’m at the subway station.” It was too noisy around her. Xitang heard his voice faintly. She slung her bag over her shoulder and ran up the stairs, gasping for breath once she reached the surface: “Where are you?”
“I’m not in Beijing recently.” Zhao Pingjin sounded a bit happy on the other end.
Zhao Pingjin had just started his business not long ago, and he was busy. Some grassroots projects took one or two months, and the company had to regularly send people to oversee them.
Xitang slowly walked toward the school along the sidewalk, chatting with him as she went.
Zhao Pingjin asked: “Do you miss me?”
Through the phone, Xitang could imagine his smug look: “How can you be so conceited?”
Zhao Pingjin sighed and said: “I miss you a lot.”
“This shabby place, I have to walk two miles to get a signal. Sigh, the stars are nice.”
Xitang said: “Keep talking nonsense.”
One night, Zhao Pingjin asked her: “If you don’t like me, why did you sew the button for me?”
That day, he was moving several large boxes of documents in the company and accidentally rubbed off a button from his shirt. He picked up the button and casually placed it in the room.
Xitang lied without changing her expression: “I deal with costumes every day; it’s an occupational habit.”
Zhao Pingjin laughed on the other end. His deep voice was especially pleasant when he laughed. Xitang only heard an enchanting voice: “Huang Xitang, can’t you be a little honest with your feelings?”
Xitang finally said: “A little.”
“Girl, I’m back, waiting for you downstairs in your dormitory.”
Xitang hung up the phone and ran downstairs in her slippers. Zhao Pingjin stood at the entrance of the apartment building, watching her bounce over to him. A slight smile appeared on his face as he reached out to tousle her hair.
Xitang looked up at him, feeling dizzy. He wore a gray T-shirt and a thin khaki jacket, looking a bit tanned. He looked really good.
He handed her a few boxes: “For you. I just came from the airport. Come with me to change clothes, and I’ll take you out to eat.”
Xitang, wearing shorts, playfully tiptoed, showing off her straight and white legs. Out of politeness, Zhao Pingjin didn’t dare look down, only hearing her say: “I’ll go upstairs to change shoes. Wait a moment.”
Zhao Pingjin nodded and pointed behind him: “Find me at the north parking lot later. I’m still occupying the bike lane.”
Xitang stretched her neck to look down. Sure enough, his car was parked on the path below the steps.
She turned around and ran back upstairs.
Zhao Pingjin drove her back to the company. He lifted a 26-inch suitcase from the car, and Xitang carried his work laptop for him. Zhao Pingjin opened the door, and a strong smell of smoke wafted out. Zhao Pingjin immediately frowned: “What’s that smell?”
He quickly scanned the room; everything in the living room seemed normal, but several people were gathered around the kitchen entrance. The pungent smell was coming from the kitchen.
Li Ming turned around and saw him: “Hey, Zhouzi, you’re back.”
Zhao Pingjin glanced at the scene: “Did Lao Guo burn the kitchen again?”
Guo Tianjun was in the kitchen, not paying attention to what was happening outside. With a clang, he threw a burnt pot into the sink and turned on the faucet with a loud “hiss.”
Li Ming peeked inside again: “Yo, Lao Guo, even ordering takeout is something you can forget! Have you no shame?”
Guo Tianjun grabbed a roll of kitchen paper: “You have such a good memory, why didn’t you order it yourself!”
Later, Xitang realized that these people worked so hard that they often forgot to eat or sleep.
Two young men walked out of the kitchen dejectedly. Xitang followed Zhao Pingjin and watched for a long time before finally asking: “What were you guys cooking just now?”
...
Ten minutes later, everyone at the dining table had a steaming bowl of noodle soup in front of them. Li Ming praised endlessly: “Xitang, you must come more often.”
Xitang smiled kindly.
Zhao Pingjin, holding his chopsticks, was displeased: “Don’t count on her to cook. Today was purely an accident. I’ve been saying we should hire a housekeeper.”
Li Ming looked at him: “Don’t talk about us. You’re the most unreliable one. You stay up late every night. Do you think your housekeeper will come and cook for you in the middle of the night?”
By the time they finished eating, it was already past two in the afternoon. The whole house became quiet. Guo Tianjun went to sleep, and Li Ming was playing games in the living room with headphones on. This group was used to being nocturnal. Xitang followed Zhao Pingjin into the room, and the two sat on the floor chatting.
Zhao Pingjin leaned against the bed with his legs stretched out. He put his arm around Xitang’s shoulders. Xitang rested her head on his arm, her body nestled in his embrace. When Zhao Pingjin lowered his head, he could see the fuzzy top of her head with a small cowlick.
“What have you been doing during the holidays?”
“I’ve been doing odd jobs at a film set.”
“Do you plan to act in the future?”
“Yeah, I really like acting.”
Zhao Pingjin’s expression was calm: “Acting is nice.”
Xitang understood very well and smiled at him: “You think it’s unreliable, right?”
Zhao Pingjin wasn’t surprised; he knew how smart she was: “Not really. It’s just that luck plays a big part in this industry.”
Xitang said: “I don’t expect to become a big star. I just really like working on set. Although it seems chaotic, everyone has a clear division of labor. One moment there might be noise, but as soon as the clapperboard is hit, the entire set becomes quiet instantly, and then the actors get into character. That moment feels particularly magical.”
Zhao Pingjin listened carefully and spoke after a while: “One day I’ll ask someone to check if there are any suitable roles recently.”
Xitang smiled faintly but didn’t say anything. She certainly wasn’t the first art school girl Zhao Pingjin had dated. They all knew what they needed. Qiao’er also made her way like this. She had acted in several TV dramas, once even playing the third female lead. Knowing many producers and directors, she often thought of Xitang whenever there was a role shortage in her projects and tried to help her.
Xitang asked: “How many people are there in your company?”
“Just the ones you’ve met. Lao Guo and I are undergraduate classmates, Li Ming is one year younger than us, and Lao Guo’s girlfriend quit her job earlier this year to help out. Xiao Min is watching the office for me these days.”
“What are you planning to do?”
“Move out to an office building.”
“Is Shen Min your biological brother?”
Zhao Pingjin looked at her suspiciously: “What nonsense are you thinking? He’s a child my grandfather adopted. His parents passed away when he was very young.”
That afternoon, they chatted for a while. Both felt drowsy in the afternoon. Zhao Pingjin held her in his arms, and then they kissed.
That day, everything that was meant to happen did.
Xitang’s first kiss and first sexual experience happened at the same time. Zhao Pingjin carried her to the bed, kissing her earlobes and neck. As his fingers undid the buttons on her dress, she felt only a little nervous. Everything seemed natural, like the ice on a river melting in spring, the stream flowing gently, and wild cherry blossoms blooming by the stream. Everything was destined to happen. She liked him, and she was willing to give herself to him.
“What are you thinking about?”
“I’m just a little scared.”
“Don’t be afraid. I’ll treat you well.”
“Xitang, be mine.”
A month later, Xitang had her first house in Beijing, with a white sports car parked in the garage.
Everything happened so fast.
She had heard such stories before, but when it happened to her, she was still secretly shocked.
After the start of her senior year, Xitang spent most of her time filming. She moved out of school and lived outside. Sometimes, when they had time off, Zhao Pingjin and she would return to their new home in Jiayuan. However, the place where Xitang spent the most time with him was still the house in Zhongguan Village that belonged to Jingchuang. Zhao Pingjin bought the house before going abroad and left the keys with Shen Min after graduation when Shen Min continued his graduate studies in Beijing. Later, when Zhao Pingjin returned to start his business, he found Guo Tianjun, who had played soccer with him at Tsinghua. After graduating from Tsinghua with a bachelor’s degree, Guo Tianjun joined the finance department of a state-owned enterprise in Beijing. By the time Zhao Pingjin found him, he had been working for three years, and his salary had increased from six thousand to six thousand five hundred yuan. Guo Tianjun knew his career prospects in the state-owned enterprise were limited, with few opportunities for promotion. Coming from a modest background—his parents were ordinary workers in a small northeastern city—his girlfriend had been with him for five years but still lived in a rented apartment. If they continued working like this, perhaps in ten years they could save enough money to buy a two-bedroom apartment in Tongzhou, commuting two hours each way by subway every day. After three sleepless nights of contemplation, Guo Tianjun resolutely decided to quit his job and join Zhao Pingjin in starting a business. As for Li Ming, he was Zhao Pingjin’s childhood friend. The early founders of Jingchuang consisted of four people: the largest investor was Zhao Pingjin, Li Ming managed overall operations, Zhao Pingjin handled technology, Shen Min took care of administration and assisted Zhao Pingjin in writing programs, and Guo Tianjun managed finances. As they took on more projects and got busier, Guo Tianjun’s girlfriend Cheng Rong also resigned to join them, assisting with human resources and secretarial work. Many of Jingchuang’s initial projects and plans were conceived in the living room of that house.
That afternoon, when the two came out of the room, it was already evening. When Zhao Pingjin sent Xitang back to school, he gave her his key: “Come back tomorrow after finishing filming.”
Xitang knew that this meant Zhao Pingjin considered her as one of his own.
The next day, when Xitang returned to Jingchuang after finishing filming, it was already past six. Guo Tianjun came in and woke him up: “Zhouzi, get up.”
In the past, everyone often slept at the company. The three-bedroom apartment had the living room converted into an office, one study room for storing materials, and Shen Min’s room turned into a dormitory. Zhao Pingjin’s room was smaller, and sometimes when he was tired, he would nap there.
It was from working with them at Jingchuang that Xitang discovered Zhao Pingjin had a weak stomach. Sometimes, after staying up late, he would have stomach pain at night. For this reason, after much thought, she couldn’t bear to let him insist on driving her back to school every night no matter how tired he was. In the end, she decided to move out and live together.
Aside from making noodles, Xitang actually wasn’t very skilled in cooking because her mother had always taken good care of her. During her senior year, to take care of Zhao Pingjin, she began learning how to make porridge and soup. Late at night, she cooked a large pot of instant tomato and egg noodles. The men gathered around the small coffee table in the living room, talking and laughing amidst the steam.
After the start of the first semester of her senior year, Xitang joined the cast to begin filming Orange Boy. To quickly immerse herself in her role after the movie started shooting, Xitang often stayed at the film set to rehearse with her co-actors. Sometimes she would only return once a week. Each time she came back to Jingchuang, Zhao Pingjin, who was sitting in front of his computer, would stop what he was doing as soon as he saw her walk in. He would gaze at her longingly, waiting for her to come over and hug him, then ruffle his short black hair.
Li Ming, sitting across from Zhao Pingjin, teased: “Oh, sweetheart, if you don’t come back soon, someone’s not going to survive.”
Zhao Pingjin, his face buried in Xitang’s arms, muttered: “Go away.”
Cheng Rong once told Xitang: “You two have such a great relationship. I’ve never seen Zhouzhou treat anyone so kindly before.”
One morning, Zhao Pingjin went out with Li Ming to sign an important contract. Xitang happened to be on break and came to Jingchuang to make coffee and chat with Cheng Rong for a while.
Xitang smiled and said: “We haven’t been together for very long. You and Jun are the ones who are truly good together. You’ve been together for so many years, and your relationship is stable.”
Cheng Rong twirled her spoon: “Who knows what the future holds?”
Everyone had their own worries, their own dilemmas. Her relationship with Zhao Pingjin wasn’t as perfect as it seemed either.
The biggest fight they ever had was during the winter of her junior year. They hadn’t been dating for very long, and they were still in that blissful stage where they couldn’t bear to be apart. Zhao Pingjin would even hold her hand under the table while eating at a restaurant. Midway through the meal, Xitang noticed him answering a call. She heard him say: “Grandpa.”
Zhao Pingjin glanced at her and got up to take the call elsewhere. He often avoided taking calls in front of her, but Xitang knew that the calls he always answered weren’t from girls—they were from his family, usually elders checking on him.
As he walked away, Xitang heard him say: “I’m having dinner with friends.”
Two minutes later, Zhao Pingjin returned. Xitang kept her head down, silently fuming.
Zhao Pingjin didn’t notice the change in her mood. He reached out and tilted her chin up: “What’s wrong? Aren’t you going to eat?”
Xitang looked up at him: “Who are these ‘friends’ you’re talking about?”
Zhao Pingjin realized what she meant, but his smile remained faint: “I’m here with you now. Don’t you tell your mom you’re out with classmates?”
“I haven’t graduated yet.”
“Huang Xitang, does that really matter?”
“Zhao Pingjin,” Xitang suddenly stared at him stubbornly and picked up her phone to dial a number: “I’ll call my mom right now.”
Zhao Pingjin was startled. He pressed her hand to stop her: “Don’t be childish. Can we just eat?”
Xitang snapped angrily: “What are you guilty about?”
Zhao Pingjin’s expression turned cold: “Huang Xitang, don’t take advantage of my affection.”
Xitang sneered, threw down her napkin, and stormed out.
Zhao Pingjin paid the bill and chased after her. It was a winter night in Sanlitun, with dazzling neon lights reflecting off the trees lining the streets. Young men and women in puffy coats, holding bottles of alcohol, laughed and passed by. Zhao Pingjin stood at the entrance of the restaurant, looking left and right, but Xitang was nowhere to be seen.
He called her phone, but she didn’t answer. He walked around the nearby streets but couldn’t find her. He drove back to their home in Jiayuan, but Huang Xitang wasn’t there. She no longer lived in the school dormitory, and she had nowhere else to go in Beijing.
He sent her a text message: I’ll wait for you downstairs until you come back.
Xitang stood in the brightly lit Taikoo Li mall and saw the message on her phone. She remembered Qiao’er’s advice. She knew she had acted immaturely. He always wanted her by his side, introducing her to his friends and childhood buddies, including her in all aspects of his life. Yet Xitang had never touched upon the intimate relationships in his life—his family, his parents. Zhao Pingjin came from a background far deeper and more complex than she could imagine.
She walked north along the Workers’ Stadium for over two hours before finally hailing a taxi home. It was past 2 a.m. when she arrived, and Zhao Pingjin was still waiting downstairs.
When he saw her, he didn’t say a word. He pulled her into his coat and cupped her ears with his hands: “Are you frozen?”
That was the beginning of a relationship that started with ease and sweetness but grew increasingly fraught with tension as they became more deeply involved. It was their first major argument, but they reconciled quickly. From then on, Xitang never brought up sensitive topics about his life again. At that time, she loved him so much that she was willing to overlook anything just to be with him.
In their second year together, it was Zhao Pingjin’s birthday, and Xitang wanted to give him a gift.
His birthday fell in winter.
She began preparing in the spring.
Before graduation, Xitang found a junior from the photography department. The junior followed her with a camera for nearly a week, and Xitang edited the footage herself into a five-minute short film.
For years, Zhao Pingjin’s birthday celebrations had followed a similar routine. If he was in Beijing, he would usually gather with childhood friends and acquaintances on the weekend before his birthday. Having been in Beijing for many years, he had plenty of social obligations, so his birthday couldn’t be too casual. By then, Xitang had been dating him for over a year. She accompanied him to these gatherings, and Zhao Pingjin’s childhood friends were all familiar with her. At that time, Zhao Pingjin doted on her, and everyone treated her with extra respect. Zhao Pingjin rented out a private club, and Xitang was in charge of the venue decoration. The entire space was adorned in shades of blue, creating a beautiful and elegant atmosphere. That night, everyone enjoyed themselves immensely. After dinner, the party got lively.
Just before midnight, Xitang stepped out to confirm the cake and returned to wink at Ouyang Qingqing. Qingqing understood immediately, walked over, and pulled Zhao Pingjin away from the card table, positioning him in the center of the room.
Shen Min turned off the lights, and the crowd screamed in the darkness.
At that moment, a large screen on the wall lit up, and music began to play.
The room gradually quieted down.
Li Ming stood next to the computer by the screen, holding a microphone and grinning: “Zhouzi, before midnight, here’s your last birthday gift. Watch closely.”
The video began playing on the big screen. Spring in Beijing, with green trees and pink flowers like an ocean; willow catkins fluttering beside the red walls of the Forbidden City; the mirage-like skyscrapers of Guomao shrouded in mist. The screen rapidly switched between different smiling faces.
In the practice room of the Film Academy, a girl from the dance department performed a split, her cool and aloof face striking; on the grass at Tsinghua, a young boy wearing glasses appeared slightly shy; in the early morning at Yuandadu Park, an elderly woman practicing tai chi sword radiated kindness; in the afternoon alleys, a joyful child ran with a stick of candied haws.
“Mr. Zhao, happy birthday.”
“Senior, happy birthday.”
“Comrade Xiao Zhao, happy birthday!”
The faces on the screen slowly transitioned to people familiar to Zhao Pingjin—Qian Donglin, Fang Langming, Lu Xiaojiang, Shen Min… And at the end of the film, it was Huang Xitang on set. During a break in filming, the makeup artist came to touch up her makeup. She turned her face toward the camera and playfully winked: “Happy birthday.”
The camera panned upward, capturing the lush green trees bathed in bright sunlight, then slowly pulled back into a distant blur. The screen faded to black, and colorful confetti rained down. Friends whistled, cheered, and applauded. A cake illuminated with candles was wheeled in, accompanied by endless envious compliments.
“Zhouzhou, where did you find such an adorable girlfriend?”
“Zhouzi, I’m so damn jealous.”
Zhao Pingjin was deeply moved. He cupped Xitang’s face and kissed her passionately.
It was too noisy for Xitang to hear what Zhao Pingjin was saying, so she stood on her tiptoes and shouted into his ear: “This treatment is a one-time thing! Next year, just replay this version.”
They got home at around 3 a.m. that night. Exhausted from preparing the birthday party, Xitang collapsed as soon as they got home.
Zhao Pingjin had drunk a little alcohol and wasn’t sleepy. He opened the laptop Xitang had brought back and saw that the folder was still open, containing nearly 3GB of raw footage. He browsed through it and discovered that she had edited several versions. He opened each one to watch. Some were rough cuts, but when he reached the final version, he realized it was 25 seconds longer than the one shown at the birthday party.
He watched it again, and sure enough, after Huang Xitang’s scene ended, the screen went black. But he didn’t turn it off, and then the footage lit up once more.
Zhao Pingjin saw the long, sweeping shots of Beijing’s spring sky again.
Xitang had handwritten a poem and later superimposed it onto the film. In the background, lines of text gradually appeared, one stanza at a time:
I even believe that you own the entire universe.
I will bring you joyful flowers from the mountains,
Bring you bell-shaped blooms,
Black hazelnuts, and baskets filled with wild kisses.
I will treat you
As spring treats a cherry tree.
Zhao Pingjin sat motionless on the couch for a few seconds, then walked into the room, leaned over the bed, and kissed her deeply.
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