Dragging our suitcases, the two of us walked out, leaving the scene of our epic social death under the solemn gazes of the crowd.
However envious Xiao Baozi had been of me before, that's how much she was gloating now.
Ah, how the tables have turned!
The wheel of fortune is always turning.
As we left the departure hall, Xiao Baozi and I fell into an idle chat.
She told me she was going to Singapore for a job. She'd already passed her interview to be a waitress at a coffee shop.
With a look of longing, she described her dream: working in a high-end coffee shop so clean that the floors gleamed, enjoying the air conditioning, listening to melodious music, and being surrounded by the aroma of coffee. She'd be serving well-mannered white-collar workers and elites, and maybe, just maybe, she'd even meet her Prince Charming...
You have to have dreams in life, right? What if they actually come true?
I, too, was looking forward to my journey abroad, wondering about the people I would meet and the sights I would see...
The future seemed so bright.
***
At the boarding gate, I saw an exquisite woman.
She was the kind of woman who would immediately catch your eye in a crowd.
She had a model's figure—tall, slender, and fair-skinned, with an impeccable posture.
She carried herself with what seemed to be an innate, cool elegance.
Her medium-length hair was styled in large waves, and her makeup was flawless.
What drew my attention wasn't just her beauty, but the fact that she was with two small children.
One was about four or five years old, shorter than a suitcase, and impeccably dressed in a prim little suit, looking just like a little young master.
The other was younger, an infant she held in her arms. The woman was wiping the baby's mouth while putting away a milk bottle, preparing to board.
I've seen plenty of mothers with young kids looking completely frazzled—hair a mess, looking as if they'd just lost a fight, utterly worn out.
I was curious how this woman managed to look so refined and elegant while juggling two children, a suitcase, and all those bags.
Xiao Baozi noticed I was staring and followed my gaze.
Then, she pursed her lips, probably thinking I was shallow for getting so lost in thought just by looking at a beautiful woman.
I couldn't be bothered to explain and just kept my eyes fixed on her.
Hers was a noble kind of beauty, as if she glowed with a sacred light. She merely had to stand there, and her majestic presence alone was enough to command the submission of all living things.
Once she had packed away the baby's things, she placed her handbag on top of the suitcase, holding the infant in one arm and pulling the luggage with her other hand.
The older boy smartly walked up to the suitcase, held onto it, and walked alongside his mother toward the gate.
She didn't utter a single word the whole time, as beautiful and mysterious as an unfolding painted scroll.
Xiao Baozi nudged me with her elbow. "Are you going to move or what?"
My spirit returned from that ethereal, scroll-like vision and came crashing back to the mortal world.
I smiled at her and proceeded with the boarding formalities.
Although we were on the same flight, our seats were far apart. Different agents would be picking us up after we landed, so we probably wouldn't run into each other again. With that in mind, Xiao Baozi and I exchanged contact info.
Since we'd both be getting new local phone numbers in Singapore, we added each other on QQ instead.
I tagged her contact with a note: "Xiao Baozi - Singapore Coffee Shop - Shanghai Airport."
Just so I wouldn't forget who was who later on.
The plane accelerated down the runway, faster and faster, until with a whoosh, it lifted off the ground and began its slow ascent.