Chapter 1911: Chapter 639: Birthday Gift (Part 4)
"How could that work? Qingning, you’re the top scorer of our Class of ’16 college entrance exam, one of the important guests for this anniversary. You still have to give a speech as a representative."
"It’s okay, Teacher Li." Liu Qingning’s voice was still gentle, but carried a firmness that brooked no argument. "To me, as long as I can send my Blessing to my alma mater, it’s the same no matter where I sit."
"Then... I’ll go talk to Principal Zhang again and see if we can coordinate it one more time."
"Alright, I’ll trouble you then, Teacher Li."
Just as she hung up, brisk footsteps sounded from ahead.
Tang Song, carrying a red plastic bag, walked over with a smile.
Liu Qingning swiftly gathered up every trace of emotion from her face and put on a bright smile again.
For her, coming back to Jing County, the most important purpose was to relive the old days with Tang Song.
The grand anniversary of her alma mater was just a convenient excuse.
Where she sat didn’t matter; what mattered was being with him.
Tang Song took a pack of "Little Raccoon Crispy Noodles" out of the bag and handed it to her.
Then he tore open a shiny red strip of "haw rolls" and held it up to her lips.
"Ah—open your mouth."
"So good, you have some too."
Like that, the two of them shared the cheap yet delicious snacks as they slowly walked out through that school gate that carried countless memories.
At the gate, Liu Qingning stopped, turned back, and looked deeply for a long moment.
In the night, the outline of her alma mater was traced by light, peaceful and solemn.
Tang Song took her hand, pointed to a small storefront ahead and to the side lit by a dim yellow light, and asked with a smile, "Remember that old bookstore?"
"Of course I do. You used to love running there to buy manga." Liu Qingning smiled, her gaze as if traveling through time.
Back around First Middle School, it seemed like every corner was paved with tiny shards of memory.
They exchanged a look and, without needing to say anything, walked toward that direction.
They crossed the street and pushed open the glass door with a wind chime hanging on it, which creaked as it moved.
Everything inside the shop seemed unchanged.
There was still that unique, pleasant smell of old paper, only now there seemed to be more books on the shelves, and they looked even older.
The owner, wearing reading glasses, was behind the counter sorting through an account book. When he saw them come in, he looked up and gave them a kind smile.
Tang Song nodded to him, then took Liu Qingning along, navigating the rows of shelves as if on autopilot, heading straight for the corner in the back.
"Look, this set of Harry Potter is still the first edition from back then."
"And over here is Slam Dunk..."
They stood side by side in the narrow aisle between the shelves, their fingertips brushing over one familiar yet unfamiliar old book after another, chatting in low voices.
All of a sudden.
Liu Qingning’s gaze was caught by a brand-new spine on the lower part of the shelf.
Among those rows of spines yellowed and aged by time, its presence was jarringly conspicuous.
She slowly crouched down, her fingers lightly tracing over it.
It was a thick, A4-sized hardcover album with a dark blue cover.
Liu Qingning pulled the album out.
The cover was very clean, with only three characters stamped in beautiful gold Song typeface: "Liu Qingning."
She froze for a moment, her heart suddenly pounding.
She glanced at Tang Song beside her; he smiled and winked at her.
Liu Qingning took a deep breath and gently opened the first page of the album.
It wasn’t a print, but a delicate pencil sketch.
In the drawing was a little girl of about five or six, with her hair in a sprout ponytail, wearing a tiny floral dress, chubby cheeks, and big round bright eyes.
Her breath hitched sharply.
With trembling fingers, she turned to the second page.
That was her in elementary school, wearing an oversized uniform, carrying a heavy backpack, on tiptoe trying to climb onto the back seat of a bicycle.
Page by page, it was as if she were riding a time-traveling ship:
On the middle school street, she braced against the wind, clutching her homework;
On the dark high school track, she turned around with a smile;
On the university campus, the stubborn look in her eyes.
...
Until she turned to the last page of the album.
That page was a full-color drawing.
The scene was from just last night, her in a down jacket eating grilled cold noodles.
Liu Qingning’s eyes instantly blurred as tears burst forth.
She looked up at Tang Song and threw herself straight into his arms.
Feeling the burning tears and kisses of his first love.
Tang Song caught her hot tongue in his mouth and sucked on it gently.
