Classmate Number Seven - 2
Very few people knew that this wasn't actually the first time they had met. Qi Xia had remembered the name Chen Xifan for two years.
It had been the summer after her third year of middle school, when Beilu Middle School on Yizhou Island organized a summer camp in Lancheng. There were no eligibility requirements. Anyone who paid could go. Qi Xia had earned a free spot thanks to her excellent scores on the high school entrance examination.
The camp lasted seven days and six nights, bringing together students from Beilu Middle School and a host of other schools. They came from all over the country, strangers at first, but close enough in age that friendships formed quickly.
Qi Xia was the only exception.
Apart from the group activities she was required to attend, she spent all seven days and six nights alone.
The reason was simple.
She had been singled out.
Perhaps it was because she was overweight. Perhaps it was because her family was poor. Whatever the reason, a few girls in her class at Beilu Middle School had been targeting her since her first year. They called her Fatty every chance they got, tore pages from her textbooks, slipped spiders into her desk, and told anyone who would listen that Qi Xia was a fish seller's daughter who smelled of fish.
Over time, the rest of the class learned to follow the wind. No one wanted to play with her.
At first, Qi Xia would try to argue back. Eventually, she got used to it and simply worked harder at her studies.
Unfortunately, those same girls had signed up for the summer camp.
Wherever they went, Qi Xia was bound to be left out.
On the final day, the camp was scheduled to visit the aquarium. To make it easier to keep track of everyone, the teachers handed out numbered tags and instructed the students to pair up.
Qi Xia's number was seven.
The others found partners almost immediately. Some paired with classmates from their own schools, while others teamed up with students they'd met at camp. Only Qi Xia was left standing alone.
A few of the girls huddled together, whispering.
“I heard that girl number seven smells like fish. If you get paired with her, you'll probably throw up. And look how fat she is. Bet she eats like a horse.”
“Girls with no self-control who eat everything in sight are bound to get fat. But why does she smell like fish?”
“Her family sells fish, doesn't it?”
“Hey, Fatty. Why don't you just go on your own? Don't drag anyone else down.”
...
Their laughter mingled with their cutting remarks. With everyone watching, Qi Xia felt like a fish trussed up and roasting over a fire, her whole body burning with pain while she stood helplessly. She asked several people if they would partner with her, but no one agreed.
The sunlight that day was blinding, so bright it made her want to cry.
Girls in their adolescence still had their pride, after all. No matter how hard Qi Xia tried to shut out the voices, the hurt kept finding its way in.
She didn't want to be overweight either. But if she stopped her injections and medication, her illness wouldn't get better. She had tried cutting back before, only to see her condition worsen, which meant even more injections and even more medicine.
And besides, every time she helped out at her father's shop, she showered and changed her clothes afterward. There was absolutely no fish smell on her. Why did they have to make things up?
Fifteen-year-old Qi Xia couldn't understand that kind of senseless cruelty.
She stood in silence, tears already gathering in her eyes.
After waiting a while, she decided to find a teacher and see whether anyone else had been left without a partner. That was when she heard a conversation between two boys nearby.
“A-Fan's finally here? Where'd you disappear to? You look half-dead.”
A lazy hum came in reply. He sounded so sleepy that his voice alone gave the impression he'd barely woken up.
“Stayed up watching a game last night. Slept in.”
“Haha, so what now? You still going to the aquarium?”
His voice remained languid. “Why wouldn't I? Lancheng Aquarium is the best in the country. Would be a waste to miss it.”
“Then hurry up and find someone to pair with. We're about to head out. Two to a group.”
“Who's still on their own?”
...
Qi Xia knew who the boy was. During the summer camp, the girls had talked about him more times than she could count.
They said he was from Jing City, his ID number beginning with 110. His father had been among the earliest entrepreneurs to leave government service and enter the business world. His mother was a famous dancer, and his grandfather had once flown planes in the air force. He was a genuine child of the elite, born into a prestigious military compound family.
As if being born rich and handsome weren't enough, he was also a top student.
When the boy arrived, the surrounding chatter briefly fell silent. The girls turned toward him in unison, their interest barely concealed.
A young heir who had been born with a silver spoon in his mouth belonged to a world so far removed from Qi Xia's that she didn't dare entertain even the smallest fantasy.
She turned away, fighting back her tears, and saw a slender figure walking toward her against the light.
“Wait!”
The boy jogged over, reaching her side in the blink of an eye.
Now that he was closer, Qi Xia saw that he wore a white T-shirt and track pants, a black baseball cap pulled low over his head. He looked clean-cut and effortlessly fresh.
Sunlight danced across him. He lifted his chin and spoke with the easy familiarity of someone addressing an old friend.
“Found you, Classmate No. 7.”
His voice was light, but his smile was warm.
“Can I be your teammate?”
His sudden approach drew a swarm of eyes toward Qi Xia. Curious eyes, assessing eyes, jealous eyes.
Qi Xia had never been the sort of person who liked attracting attention. The sudden focus made her so nervous she could barely get a word out.
The boy introduced himself. “My name's Chen Xifan. Chen, as in the left-ear radical and east. Xi, as in the west of the river. Fan, as in the brilliant stars in the night sky.”
In the end, Qi Xia and Chen Xifan became a team.
Qi Xia never initiated conversation. So nervous that she even forgot to introduce herself.
As for Chen Xifan, he seemed to have genuinely come to see the aquarium. He spent the entire visit holding up his camera, photographing all kinds of marine life, completely absorbed in what he was doing.
Every so often, he would ask Qi Xia whether she wanted him to take a picture of her. When she declined, he simply went back to what he was doing. Whenever he bought water, he picked up an extra bottle and handed it to her.
He kept exactly the right distance, neither too distant nor overly familiar.
That day, they moved through the aquarium one exhibit at a time, from the jellyfish hall to the beluga whale exhibit and beyond. By the time they finished, they had exchanged fewer than ten sentences.
And yet, when the summer camp ended and Qi Xia sat on the boat back to Yizhou Island, she remembered his name.
Chen Xifan.
The boy who had been the only one to invite her to join a team when everyone else had left her behind.
Back on Yizhou Island, life returned to normal. Qi Xia spent her days studying and helping out at the shop, occasionally enduring the teasing her classmates threw at her.
There were a few times when she looked up at the clear, bright moon over Yizhou Island and thought of Chen Xifan.
They had shared only one brief encounter, yet his face had etched itself deep into her memory, and his name refused to fade.
Qi Xia had once believed she would never see that boy again. But somehow, some invisible thread had pulled her all the way here.
The indistinct face in her memories gradually aligned with the person standing before her. She rose to her feet, her expression a little stiff.
“Hello. My name is Qi Xia.”
After they exchanged greetings, Grandma Chen offered a few polite words, telling Chen Xifan that Qi Xia was new to the city and asking him to look after her at school and in daily life.
Chen Xifan's expression remained faint and unreadable. Whether he had taken any of it to heart, Qi Xia couldn't tell. He agreed, then went upstairs.
His figure disappeared quickly.
Qi Xia guessed that Chen Xifan probably didn't remember her.
And why would he?
In the grand, eventful story of his life, she had been nothing more than a passing stranger. A page turned and forgotten. Who would remember someone who had barely existed in the first place?
The thought left her feeling inexplicably dejected.
By the time she returned to her room, it was after nine. Qi Xia sat down and began sorting through the clothes she had bought that day.
Qi Lanjing was genuinely good to her. She had bought sweaters, boots, and other daily necessities, along with a down jacket that cost more than six hundred yuan. Qi Xia had nearly winced when her aunt paid for it, insisting that there was no need to spend so much, but Qi Lanjing had told her that a more expensive down jacket would last longer.
Once she finished putting everything away, Qi Xia took out her expense notebook from her schoolbag and recorded every purchase from the day, one by one.
The notebook had been a gift from her best friend on Yizhou Island, Tang Qiao. On the first page, Tang Qiao had written several large characters:
May our friendship last forever. Love you, our Xiaxia! (^_^)
A few days later, the weekend arrived.
The courtyard was unusually lively that afternoon. From her spot by the window, Qi Xia watched a group of people enter Grandma Chen's home, each carrying a gift.
Chen Xifan was among them. His tall frame stood out so clearly that she could pick him out at a glance.
With Grandma Chen's children and grandchildren coming to visit, Qi Lanjing had the day off. She bought groceries and took Qi Xia back to her own home.
Qi Lanjing's family lived in Dongmian Residential Complex, less than four kilometers from Baita Lane. The six-story building was old and had no elevator. The stairwell was dim, its walls plastered with advertisements. Even with such living conditions, the monthly rent was still over eight thousand yuan.
The key turned in the lock. The moment the door opened, a cacophony rose from inside.
“I want to watch Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf! I want to, I want to!”
“What do you mean, watch? The evening news is about to start.”
“The opera channel is showing Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy tonight.”
...
Several people were crammed into the living room, fighting over the remote. When the door opened, they all turned to look.
Qi Lanjing smiled.
“Mom, Dad, I'm home. This is Xiaxia, my second brother's daughter. I've told you about her before.”
She turned toward Qi Xia, signaling her to greet everyone.
Qi Xia immediately understood what was expected of her and offered a respectful greeting.
“Hello, Uncle. Hello, Grandpa and Grandma. Hello, Cousin.”
The family responded with varying degrees of indifference.
Cao Shuwei gave a distracted hum and went back to watching television. Her male cousin, Cao Meng, was a year younger than Qi Xia and attended Jingda High School as a first-year student. Her younger female cousin, Cao Yu, was still in kindergarten. Each called her Cousin once, then ran off to play.
Qi Lanjing's mother-in-law urged her on.
“Since you're back, go cook. What are you standing around for?”
Qi Lanjing told Qi Xia to watch television for a while, then carried the groceries into the kitchen.
The apartment was a little over seventy square meters. It had originally been a three-bedroom, one-living-room layout, but part of the living room and balcony had been sectioned off to create another bedroom. The result was a cramped living room where even the sofa was already full.
Qi Xia planned to help in the kitchen. After washing her hands in the bathroom, she came out just as she caught sight of Uncle Cao standing by the kitchen entrance, talking to Qi Lanjing.
“You know exactly what our situation is like. Did you really have to play the saint and take on another burden?”
Qi Lanjing kept her head down as she washed vegetables.
“What else could I do? My second brother is gone, and there's no one to look after his child. Xiaxia isn't even an adult yet. It's not like we could send her to an orphanage.”
“You could've just hardened your heart and handed both girls over to your eldest brother from the start.”
“Things aren't easy for him either. He's already got two daughters in middle school, and adding Yuan to the mix would put even more pressure on them. Xiaxia's here now, and she doesn't live with us. Just let it go.”
Cao Shuwei lit a cigarette, his voice growing impatient.
“Doesn't live here? You think food and school don't cost money? Is that few tens of thousands you make every month enough to cover it?”
Qi Lanjing sighed.
She often asked herself the same question. How could a salary of several tens of thousands of yuan a month still not be enough?
Her in-laws didn't work. Her husband ran a convenience store but barely made any money. Her son's tutoring classes, her daughter's kindergarten expenses, the endless bills that came with keeping a household running... It all felt like a bottomless pit that swallowed money whole.
“We can manage if we cut back,” Qi Lanjing said. “And if your convenience store isn't making money, close it and find a job.”
“What do you know? Every business has its hard times.”
After finishing his cigarette, Cao Shuwei added, “Since she's here, she can't just eat for free. From now on, let her handle the housework and make dinner. Then my mom won't have to keep doing it.”
“Have you got a heart of stone? She doesn't even live here.”
“She can come back to Baita Lane after she's finished. It's only three or four kilometers. If you can't bear it, then send her away while you still can. She's not even family. I'm not raising her.”
...
Qi Xia quietly retreated into the bathroom and turned on the tap. Water rushed into the basin as she cupped her hands and splashed her face.
A wave of helplessness and exhaustion swept through her.
There were six dishes on the dinner table, and the entire family squeezed together in the living room to eat.
Afterward, Qi Lanjing began clearing the table, but Cao Yu clung to her and insisted that she help with her bath.
“I'll wash the dishes, Auntie,” Qi Xia offered.
Back on Yizhou Island, Qi Xia had often cooked and washed dishes. As the eldest daughter, she naturally had to take on more of the household work. Now that she was living under someone else's roof, she understood how difficult things were for her aunt and felt uncomfortable doing nothing.
Once the kitchen was clean, Qi Lanjing still had more to discuss with Cao Shuwei. Since Qi Xia knew the way, she decided to head back to Baita Lane first.
She had left in such a hurry that she hadn't noticed when the sleet began to fall. The ground was wet, and thin strands of rain mixed with snowflakes, vanishing the instant they touched the pavement.
It was only when the wind swept over her that Qi Xia began to feel the cold. Rain and snow prickled her face, and she had no umbrella. She hurried to the bus stop and boarded a bus, by which point her hair and clothes were already soaked through in places.
Twenty minutes later, the bus stopped at Baita Lane.
There was still some distance between the stop and number fifty-six. The rain and snow showed no sign of letting up, but Qi Xia couldn't spare a thought for the cold. She jumped off the bus and ran toward home with all the energy she had.
There was a streetlamp every ten meters along Baita Lane, and a police station stood at the entrance. Walking there at night had never been something to worry about.
She hadn't made it even halfway when someone suddenly called out to her from the silent lane.
“Qi Xia?”
The rain and snow were falling at just the right intensity to blur the eyes.
Qi Xia stopped and turned around. Only then did she notice someone standing a few meters away, someone she had missed in her haste.
Chen Xifan seemed to have been on the phone. After calling her name, he had murmured something into his phone, then slipped it into his trouser pocket.
He walked toward her with an umbrella. His clothes were spotless, not even a speck of mud stained his white shoes.
Compared to him, Qi Xia was a complete mess. Her clothes were dripping wet, water ran from the ends of her hair.
As her blurred vision cleared, embarrassment rushed over her. She instinctively raised a sleeve to wipe her face.
Then, in the next second, the fine rain and snow above her head suddenly stopped.
The black umbrella tilted toward her, covering her completely.
Chen Xifan held it out to her.
His voice was light, yet there was something unmistakably gentle beneath it.
“Here. Take it.”
---
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