It was just past 5 p.m. after the event ended. College students were waiting at the entrance for autographs, while the voice actors inside were still discussing business with the studio. Only their corner seemed like a quiet, undisturbed spot.
The air conditioning in the venue was barely effective, filled with stifling heat and an indescribable smell.
Ran Jiu seemed to radiate a cooling aura, creating a natural barrier within a one-meter radius around her. Rong Ting, covering her nose, moved a little closer to her.
Thinking Rong Ting was uncomfortable with the crowd, Ran Jiu pulled her closer. Why would a shy introvert like her come to such a lively event? She then remembered the ticket issue and still couldn’t understand it. “Why did you spend extra money on a ticket? I left it on the shoe cabinet this morning.”
Was it not placed conspicuously enough?
Rong Ting awkwardly tucked the intact ticket back into her pocket. “I didn’t go out this morning, so I didn’t see it. I bought it from a classmate.”
Actually, she had seen it, but because it was left by Ran Jiu, she wanted to keep it as a memento.
The ticket was already crumpled, but she still thought she could flatten it with a book when she got home.
Just like earlier, even though she had wanted to leave, she couldn’t help but turn back.
She wanted to find Ran Jiu. The student council president in charge here was her direct senior, who knew she was well-behaved and let her in.
She had left earlier with a pang of jealousy, but later realized it was just baseless gossip from others.
Nothing was certain, and no one could easily define anything. She stubbornly held onto this thought.
“Where’s your partner?” Unable to let it go, Rong Ting asked.
Ran Jiu raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised by the question. “Male or female?”
“Female.”
“Oh, her.” Ran Jiu didn’t even mention her name, glancing around but not finding her. “I don’t know. She’s not here—maybe she went out.”
Seeing Ran Jiu’s casual attitude while looking for her, Rong Ting felt a flicker of secret delight.
But Ran Jiu’s next words nearly shattered her composure: “Do you want her autograph too? Tsk, young girls these days only like voice actors their own age. If you really want it, I can help you ask.”
“No!” Rong Ting blurted out, vehemently denying it. “I don’t want her autograph. Don’t look for her.”
Please don’t look for her!
Ran Jiu found it baffling but didn’t dwell on it. She was texting Wei Feng, telling him to handle the crowd and not come back. She added that her roommate had come to find her, so they would head home together.
Wei Feng quickly replied with an “I understand” meme.
Ran Jiu: “…” What’s going on with everyone today?
Rong Ting called her again from beside her. “Jiu Jiu?”
Ran Jiu put down her phone, teasing her. “Keep calling me that! Why not call me Eighty-One?”
“Okay.”
On stage, Ran Jiu had been radiant and glamorous, but now she had regained a touch of everyday warmth. Rong Ting couldn’t help but feel a surge of joy. Recalling how she had once thought Ran Jiu was working odd jobs outside, she stole a glance at her hands—there wasn’t even a hint of calluses. They were slender and elegant, with distinct tendons, and even faint blue veins visible on the side of her thumb.
How could I have ever thought she was washing dishes?
“Have you eaten?”
Ran Jiu yawned. “I had a work meal in the morning, but I didn’t eat afterward to stay alert.”
“Then, shall I take you to get something to eat?”
At the mention of food, Ran Jiu’s eyes lit up. “What are we eating?”
Seeing her listless state, Rong Ting pulled her away from the back door of the venue and took her to the nearby Food Treasure Street.
They went to Zhongguancun, where even at five in the afternoon on a weekday, the streets were crowded.
Ran Jiu, who was usually too lazy to go out, had never been to Beijing’s food streets before. Now, she wanted to try everything.
Rong Ting took her to eat hairy crab rice cakes from Grandma’s Kitchen, Changsha stinky tofu, meat skewers, lemon shrimp paste, and freshly steamed mussels.
Despite her slender and delicate appearance, Ran Jiu ate like a carnivorous little animal, finishing everything in her hands in no time. She gnawed the skewers clean, spat out fish bones as neatly as a comb, and even chewed off the mussel meat from the shells.
Rong Ting gave her a complicated look, hesitantly handing over her peppercorn cold skewer. Ran Jiu accepted it without hesitation and started nibbling on the potato slices from the skewer.
After finishing everything, she glanced cautiously at Rong Ting. “I want to try the rainbow shaved ice over there. Is that okay?”
Rong Ting: “Sure—” But you’ve already eaten so much!
Before she could finish, Ran Jiu interrupted her.
“If it’s okay, I want the mung bean flavor, topped with crushed hawthorn, coconut jelly, tuckahoe cake, and strawberry jelly. Oh, and no tapioca pearls or boba.”
Looking at her hopeful eyes, Rong Ting swallowed the rest of her words and went to buy the shaved ice for her.
The vendor asked if she wanted a large or small portion. Glancing back at Ran Jiu, who was sitting curled up on a roadside bench with her long legs tucked in, Rong Ting quietly told the vendor she wanted a small one.
Ran Jiu’s eyes sparkled at the sight of the icy treat. Though she could hardly contain her appetite, she still held back for a moment and offered it to Rong Ting. “Want some?”
After receiving a shake of the head, she happily dug a big spoonful into the shaved ice. The refreshing sweetness of mung beans melted in her mouth, gradually easing her restlessness.
After licking the cup clean, they didn’t take a taxi. Ran Jiu followed her unhappily, complaining about the heat as they walked.
Rong Ting insisted she needed to walk off the meal. She skillfully dragged along the reluctant walker, navigating without GPS through winding side streets, crossing a glass skybridge, then turning south. Under the glaring sun, they finally reached the Food Treasure Street South bus stop.
Ran Jiu squinted drowsily. Rong Ting noticed that when she squinted, the bags under her eyes became especially prominent, with faint bluish shadows gathering at the corners of her eyes, giving her an unexpectedly gentle look.
Suddenly, those shadows shifted as she cracked open her eyes. Before Rong Ting could avert her gaze, Ran Jiu asked, “Tingting, how do you know this place so well?”
Soon after, they boarded the bus. The air conditioning was on inside, and the driver wore a gray-blue uniform. Outside, the shadows of green trees flashed by, creating a serene atmosphere.
Outside, everything was hurried; inside, it felt like its own little world.
Just like how everyone has secrets hidden in their hearts.
The bus slowly headed toward their neighborhood.
Rong Ting briefly recounted her experiences from freshman year. Back then, she was always eager to get out, so she took on many tutoring jobs, saving up money to study German in the area. Her classes would last five hours in the afternoon, with a half-hour break for meals. She preferred coming to Food Treasure Street over ordering takeout.
“Wow, you’re amazing!” Ran Jiu sincerely praised.
When she first entered school, she always seemed to carry a sense of vague unease. Back then, everything was uncertain, and she forced herself to forget the past, determined to study hard.
Of course, there were also occasional bouts of aimless drifting.
Even dubbing was just a hobby—she never had the resolve to work and study at the same time.
Now, she didn’t even have to study anymore and had directly become a proud member of the workforce.
If only she had been as clear-headed and well-planned as Rong Ting back then, perhaps things might have been a little different. She thought this with a touch of melancholy.
After finishing the shaved ice, the sugar seemed to revive Ran Jiu’s spirits a bit. She leaned in closer, her slender neck tilting toward Rong Ting as if resting her head on her shoulder. “If only I had your courage,” she murmured.
Rong Ting felt a ticklish sensation from Ran Jiu’s breath against her neck. She didn’t pull away but turned her head awkwardly to look out the window. “Even though I don’t know why you dropped out, there must have been a reason. That takes courage too.”
Every small change at a pivotal moment in the river of time can lead to an irreversible path in life. That’s why people often weigh their choices carefully. How many can make decisions that go against the mainstream? And after taking such a risky leap, how many survive?
There aren’t many Bill Gates among dropouts—most are buried in the sands of history.
Ran Jiu’s breath trembled slightly. “I don’t have your courage. But it’s strange—everyone else thinks I’m brave.”
She laughed softly. “As if dropping out is some grand achievement.”
Finally, her chin rested fully on Rong Ting’s shoulder. “Tingting, if only I had met you sooner.”