Diagnosis: Friend [Rebirth] - Chapter 28.1

Chapter 28.1

After making her wish, Jiang Qing opened her eyes. Zhou Xuening held the cake carefully, a slight arch to her brow. “Blow out the candles.”

The flames died, and the two began to share the small cake.

Suddenly, a crisp, tender child’s voice sounded from behind them. Jiang Qing and Zhou Xuening turned to see a woman holding a chubby little girl. The girl looked up at her mother, then at the beautiful sister sitting on the trunk. “Happy birthday, Sister!”

Seeming a bit shy after speaking, she buried her face in her mother’s chest. Jiang Qing pursed her lips, her nose suddenly stinging. This was the first birthday blessing she had received this year.

She handed her portion of the cake to the child. “Thank you for the blessing, little cutie. Sister heard you. This cake is for you.” Hearing there was cake, the child looked up again; with her mother’s permission, she clapped joyfully. “Sister is pretty!”

After the mother and daughter left, Jiang Qing cut another piece. The cake was sweet but not greasy—it was delicious. She looked down, scraping the cream with her fork, when she unexpectedly heard: “Happy birthday.”

Silence surrounded them, broken only by the touch of the breeze against her cheeks. A few faint stars hung in the dark sky, appearing and disappearing like ghosts.

“Mhm.” Jiang Qing’s throat bobbed as she swallowed the cake. “Thank you.”

Jiang Qing felt she had so much to say to Zhou Xuening—confessions, questions, a thousand words surging in her throat. But looking at Zhou Xuening eating her cake, looking as beautiful as a meticulously painted classical portrait under the light, Jiang Qing found herself lost for words again.

The meteor shower was expected at 9:00 PM. Almost exactly on time, at 9:01, a meteor streaked across the sky like lightning, instantly causing a stir among the people around them. More and more meteors followed in succession.

Some say you should make a wish when you see a meteor for it to come true. Jiang Qing didn’t want to close her eyes to wish; she didn’t want to miss a single one. She stood before the howling wind of the cliff, watching the brilliant trails in the darkness.

Soon, the night sky returned to tranquility. Zhou Xuening leaned against the railing at the edge of the cliff. The wind blew freely, lifting her skirt and hair, a chill penetrating her body. Looking down, the city was a blaze of lights and bustling traffic, the dense lights connecting into lines like a flowing galaxy.

She suddenly turned her head to look at Jiang Qing. As it happened, Jiang Qing was also looking at her. Unlike Zhou Xuening’s composure, Jiang Qing looked panicked. Before she could turn away to feign interest in the scenery, her chin was caught by a hand.

Jiang Qing stared at her, but Zhou Xuening didn’t let go. She studied the girl closely, finally letting out a shallow smile. “You don’t look like him.” You look like me. That’s good.

Jiang Qing slapped her hand away and stomped back to the car. There was still a small piece of unfinished cake in the trunk. With her phone dead and nothing else to do, she started eating the leftovers. One by one, the surrounding cars drove off until only Zhou Xuening’s car remained in the parking area.

Zhou Xuening walked to the back of the car in the dim light and saw Jiang Qing searching for something in the trunk. “What are you looking for?”

The girl looked back, a bit of cream on her face. Zhou Xuening understood and handed her a tissue. As she gathered the trash into a bag, she suddenly heard the girl ask, “Is it okay that you aren’t with Gu Shao for Christmas?”

“He’s away on a business trip,” Zhou Xuening replied.

“Oh,” Jiang Qing said. No wonder. No wonder she had come to find her.

It was 10:00 PM by the time they returned to No. 2 High School. Few students stayed over the weekend, so the corridors were silent and the lights were off. In the darkness, Jiang Qing spotted a dark figure by her dormitory door from a distance.

With a click, the lights flickered on. The person crouching by the door shielded their eyes, revealing a beautiful, sharp profile to Jiang Qing. It was Gu Yining.

Jiang Qing’s heart skipped a beat as she walked toward her in the white light. “What are you doing here?” Seeing Gu Yining looking drowsy, she couldn’t help but ask, “How long have you been waiting?”

Gu Yining’s movements were slow as she stood up. Jiang Qing guessed her legs were numb, so she held the package in one hand to support her while using the other to unlock the door. Once inside, she tossed the package onto the sink and used both hands to help Gu Yining sit on the bed.

Gu Yining looked at her. “I came to get my package. I haven’t been waiting long.” A second later, the box was shoved into her hands. Gu Yining said thanks, her gaze shifting to the floor. “Why are you only coming back now?” She twitched her nose, catching the scent of cream.

Jiang Qing paused while washing her hands at the sink, then said, “The dorm was boring alone, so I went to the city library.”

“Oh.” Gu Yining huddled her shoulders. After a while, as Jiang Qing emerged from the bathroom, Gu Yining suddenly asked, “Can you come out for a walk with me?”

With the cool, bubbly water still fresh on her palms, Jiang Qing asked, “Did something bad happen?”

Gu Yining leaned against the ladder of the bunk bed, looking up at Jiang Qing, her lashes casting a curve over her eyes. “No, I just want you to walk with me.”

They left through the front gate. The guard was watching TV in his booth; hearing them, he looked back and, seeing two girls together, casually warned: “Come back early.”

Gu Yining was in high spirits. “Got it, thanks Uncle!”

Jiang Qing laughed. “Why are you… suddenly so happy again?”

Gu Yining leaned on Jiang Qing’s arm as they walked out of school, telling poorly timed jokes. Jiang Qing gave a few awkward laughs in response. Her hand brushed against Gu Yining’s clothes; they were too cold, and Jiang Qing couldn’t tell if they were damp.

Gu Yining shrugged. “It rained tonight. I accidentally got caught in it for a bit. It’s fine, I have a strong constitution.”

“The ‘strong’ you caught a fever last time from just a little rain.”

“That time didn’t count!” Gu Yining defended. Then, thinking of something, she asked, “If I get sick, can I sleep with you today?”

Jiang Qing glanced at her. “No.”

Suddenly, her hand hanging at her side was squeezed by something soft. She looked down to see a little girl who looked like a glutinous rice ball. She looked familiar. The little girl handed Jiang Qing a flyer. “Sister, our cake shop is having an event tonight. Come in and take a look. It’s free to look, and you can try samples.”

Jiang Qing pulled her arm from Gu Yining’s and crouched down to eye-level with the child. The girl looked a bit scared under the gaze and instinctively glanced at Gu Yining. Jiang Qing narrowed her eyes slightly, then smiled and took the flyer, rubbing the little girl’s head. “Okay, where is the shop? Let’s go see.”

The little girl led the way with the two students behind. After about a hundred meters, a girl wearing a mask suddenly walked up, shoved a flower into Jiang Qing’s hand, and ran off before she could react. A few steps later, another person did the same.

By the time they reached the cake shop door, Jiang Qing was holding eleven flowers, each with a piece of candy tied to the stem. She stepped inside with the flowers, Gu Yining following quietly.

Suddenly, the lights cut out. The entire space plunged into darkness. In the dark, the corners of Jiang Qing’s lips curved upward, and her brow relaxed. In that brief silence, Gu Yining emerged from behind the glass counter, carefully carrying a cake.

A candle in the shape of the number “16” was stuck in the cake, its warm, soft light reflecting on Gu Yining’s face. With light but steady steps, she walked over to Jiang Qing. The people around them in the shop also quietly closed in, singing along with Gu Yining: “Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you…”

Gu Yining stared at Jiang Qing. The flickering flame reflected in her pupils like a trembling light. With Jiang Qing’s soft, vivid face so close, Gu Yining took a deep breath; it all felt surreal.

The short song ended. Across the flame, she could hear Jiang Qing’s breathing. The girl’s eyes were closed, the flickering light outlining her beautiful features, her lashes casting a shadow on her lower lids. Her expression was serene.

Gu Yining whispered, “You can make eleven wishes.”

The girl opened one eye, smiling happily. “You can only make three at most. Don’t be too greedy.” Then, she leaned toward Gu Yining. “Unless you have a wish? I can make one for you.” I want Jiang Qing to live a hundred years.

“Wishes don’t come true if you say them out loud.” Gu Yining smiled, gesturing with her chin toward the candle. “Make yours, quickly, the candle is going to burn out.”

The light flickered in the dimness. Jiang Qing tilted her head to look at Gu Yining; for a moment, she thought the other girl was crying, but looking closer, she was definitely smiling. She closed her eyes and continued her wish.

They returned to the dorm at 11:00 PM. Gu Yining brought a potted plant to Jiang Qing’s room—a birthday gift she called a “Juice Balcony” rose, saying it was easy to care for and smelled very sweet when it bloomed.

Jiang Qing placed the plant on the windowsill. Just as she turned to wash her hands, a body bumped into her from behind. Gu Yining hugged her from the back, resting her chin on Jiang Qing’s shoulder. Jiang Qing was thin, and the poke of Gu Yining’s sharp chin actually hurt a bit. She patted Gu Yining, signaling her to let go.

Instead, Gu Yining tightened her grip. Her low voice sounded in Jiang Qing’s ear: “Jiang Qing, for every birthday you have in the future, I have to be there.”

Jiang Qing laughed softly. “Okay, okay, okay.” Outside, the wind howled like a horse’s neigh, and the streetlights stood lonely before the dormitory.

Final exams arrived in a flash, and the weather grew colder. Every student was bundled up like a little penguin. This morning specifically had freezing fog, making the ground slippery; the Dean catching latecomers at the gate showed a rare mercy, not taking photos but simply urging students to get inside.

After the Chinese exam ended in the morning, Jiang Qing walked out of the classroom. Gu Yining was waiting in the corridor. Jiang Qing paused and said, “You go to the cafeteria first, Ms. Jian wants to see me.”

Gu Yining took her hand as they walked downstairs. “No need, I’ll just wait for you.” Touching Jiang Qing’s icy hand, she was startled and quickly pulled it into her own pocket to warm it. “How do you get such good grades with hands this cold?”

The next second, Jiang Qing’s hand slid out like a loach. “It’s not that cold. You, on the other hand, are hot as a furnace.”

The wild wind lashed at their faces like a knife, painful and freezing. Gu Yining chuckled. “Is this what they call a ‘razor-sharp face’?”

Jiang Qing replied, “Authentic sliced noodles.”

Within minutes, they reached the office. Jiang Qing knocked and, after hearing a response, pushed the door open. The warm air hit her face, and Jiang Qing’s glasses instantly fogged over. She simply took them off and walked toward Jian Wenxin’s desk.