Sudden Summer II - Alice in Flower and Love Quartet

Author: Ming Qian Yu Hou
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: This is the first winter after He Luo went abroad. Just after the Spring Festival, the streets were littered with remnants of firecrackers. On the fourth day, a heavy snowfall covered the white streets, with red paper scraps scattered across them, creating a strikingly vivid scene. Li Yunwei helped her grandmother out of the taxi, while Zhang Yuan carried the elderly woman. She secured the wheelchair and followed behind, opening her arms to protect her. After settling her grandmother at home, Li Yunwei walked into the living room and said apologetically to Zhang Yuan, "It's hard to get a two-day break for the holiday, and now you're being made to do manual labor—truly troubling you."
"It's quite tough, but you probably couldn't do it either," Zhang Yuan said, rubbing his shoulders and smiling. "Don't feel guilty. I don't really have a sense of the New Year anymore—too much trouble. Eating meat and dumplings every day—only older people enjoy this kind of lively atmosphere. I'm not afraid of anything, just worried I'll trip and fall on your grandma."
"You dare! Watch me throw firecrackers at you!" Li Yunwei glared at him, then smiled, revealing her two fangs. "My grandma gets treated so well—when she went to the hospital for a check-up, the people doing the physical labor were project managers."
"Don't tease me," Zhang Yuan shook his head. "Between the two teams, there are dozens of people—either project managers or assistant project managers."
"Still, it's better than me, who hasn't even been officially promoted yet," Li Yunwei mused over Zhang Yuan's business card. "Kid, you can even lie openly to me now. Still willing to eat beef noodles for five yuan on the street?"
"If you treat me, I'll eat," Zhang Yuan replied cheerfully.
"I treat, I treat!" Li Yunwei giggled. "You never refuse when I treat you."
"Old classmates, what's there to refuse? So fake?"
"I know, you're giving me a small way to repay you, afraid I'll lose face next time and won't know how to ask for your help." Li Yunwei said as they walked. "I've noticed, you're actually quite kind."
"Only now have you noticed?" Zhang Yuan exaggeratedly drooped his mouth and snorted. "It really hurts, considering we're old classmates."
"Exactly, we really need your help, and you always come through." Li Yunwei paused. "You're good to everyone, except..."
"Who are you not good to?" Zhang Yuan smiled as if nothing had happened, walking deeper into the snow, crunching loudly with each step, his jeans edges dotted with fine snowflakes. He turned and asked, "What did she say to you?"
"She didn't say anything. We're all busy and rarely contact each other."
"Oh," Zhang Yuan nodded. "She doesn't say anything to me either."
"That's normal. After breaking up with someone, I haven't spoken to them since." Li Yunwei shrugged. "It's rare to go to a new environment, start fresh—why bother each other?"
P5-6