Hopeless Romance (GL) - Chapter 18

Chapter 18

When Yu Xiao went to find Chen Pupu, she claimed she wanted to share some running tips. In truth, hearing this, Chen Pupu’s first instinct was to refuse; after walking for the better part of the day, she had absolutely no desire to run. However, she remembered she had already agreed, and since Yu Xiao was being well-intentioned, she felt too embarrassed to decline. Fortunately, Yu Xiao didn’t actually make her run; she simply shared some running postures and breathing techniques to help minimize potential injuries and make running feel more effortless. As they left the playground, Yu Xiao mentioned that next time she could bring Chen Pupu to watch her train. She promised to wear her professional gear then, noting that watching the sprints, long-distance runs, and jumps was actually quite fun. Never one to miss out on excitement, Chen Pupu agreed without a second thought.

“Do you have any plans for May Day?” Yu Xiao asked, opening a bottle of mineral water for Chen Pupu while they waited for the bus.

“Hmm… I originally wanted to go to the music festival, but I haven’t found a friend who’s free.” Mentioning May Day reminded Chen Pupu of the tickets her cousin had given her for her birthday last year. Come to think of it, she had wanted to ask Ye Du to go, but knowing Ye Du would likely be busy, she had eventually let the matter drop after the initial hesitation and hadn’t asked anyone else.

“Which day of the holiday is it on?” Yu Xiao asked, rubbing her nose.

“Tomorrow, right on May Day. I think it’s at the Heritage Park—it’s a bit far, you have to transfer twice on the bus.” If Ye Du could have come, Qin Wei might have even driven them there.

“Then… can I go with you?” Yu Xiao only asked about the date to make her intent seem less obvious; in reality, she would have been free no matter which day it was.

“Really? But would your parents agree? I only have two tickets.” Chen Pupu was suddenly thrilled at the prospect of actually making it to the festival.

“My parents don’t really interfere with me, as long as I take care of myself.” Yu Xiao’s parents were different from most; they never placed excessive demands on her grades. If she did well, she was praised; if she didn’t, she was encouraged. When she wanted to join the school sports team, they respected her wish, and when she wanted to quit after a serious injury, they didn’t stop her. Because of this, her classmates were incredibly envious, as being free from strict parental control was a dream for most children. But for Yu Xiao, it wasn’t like that; she actually wished her parents would be a bit more controlling. Wasn’t the flip side of freedom simply loneliness? Every time her parents “let go,” it felt to Yu Xiao like a further abandonment—it was as if they didn’t care enough to have an opinion on what she chose or what the consequences were. She found it hard not to think that way.

“Your parents are quite open-minded, then.” As Chen Pupu spoke, the bus arrived. Just as she was about to say goodbye, she realized Yu Xiao was following her onto the bus. “Are you taking this one home too?” Chen Pupu didn’t recall ever seeing Yu Xiao on the bus before.

“No, I’ll see you home. We can discuss how to get there tomorrow on the way.” As she spoke, Yu Xiao had already dropped a coin into the meter.

Chen Pupu wanted to say something more, but looking at the closing bus doors, she kept her mouth shut. It was the first time someone had so directly offered to escort her home, and she found the feeling quite wonderful. Looking at the scenery outside and the profile of the girl beside her, she suddenly thought of the song Summer Blown by the Wind.

When they parted, Yu Xiao said, “Let’s meet here at nine tomorrow.” Chen Pupu was about to ask if it was a long trip for her and if they should pick a halfway point, but Yu Xiao quickly added that it wasn’t far for her and she’d be there fast.

Chen Pupu couldn’t help but feel that she and Yu Xiao had a great rapport—it didn’t feel like they had known each other for less than two days. Plus, they were going to such a distant music festival together tomorrow; she just wondered if Yu Xiao would be as reliable as Ye Du.

…

When Ye Du got home, she didn’t start her homework as usual. Instead, she laid out the exam papers Huang Yuqin had given her on the desk but couldn’t bring herself to write. She sat there in a daze, alternating between thinking she should start timing her mock exam and wondering if she should call Chen Pupu—though she didn’t know what she would say, given she was usually the listener.

The first thing Chen Pupu did when she got home was wash her hair and shower. She had only done a quick wipe-down at the base yesterday, and as the weather grew warmer, she couldn’t stand it. Since school let out early today and her parents weren’t back yet, she decided to turn on her MP3 and listen to music while she showered. So, when Ye Du’s call came through, all that echoed on the other end was a long, unanswered ringing.

…

The music festival was crowded. Most of the attendees seemed to be adults; there were few middle schoolers like them, and even the younger ones were accompanied by parents. This put Yu Xiao and Chen Pupu at a severe disadvantage due to their height. Since there were no fixed seats and everything was standing-room-only, those who arrived early got the best spots. But everyone wanted to see the popular bands, so the two girls spent most of their time listening from the outer edges of the crowd. Though they didn’t know many of the bands, the atmosphere was incredible. When the lead singer sang and the drummer hit the rhythm, every spectator was infected by the energy, finding joy in the beat. Yu Xiao and Chen Pupu didn’t quite dare to sway, headbang, or cheer as wildly as the others, but they couldn’t help but scream and jump when the waves of excitement hit.

Young and unaware of life’s pains, their hearts were bright and soft, with plenty of room to be filled with happiness. Every moment that entered their minds was magnified. Under the gentle sunlight, surrounded by the joy of a sea of people, they lost themselves in the game of notes and fingertips. In that moment of jumping upward while holding Yu Xiao’s hand, Chen Pupu felt this was the best May Day holiday she could have asked for.

Despite the fun, Chen Pupu soon grew tired. They had been standing the whole time, and to see the few bands they both knew or liked, they had to run from one stage to another. She hadn’t expected a music festival to be such a physical workout. She looked at Yu Xiao and saw her friend was still full of energy—she figured this was the advantage of being an athlete.

“Do you want to get something to eat? There’s still an hour before New Pants performs. We can eat and then come back to grab a spot.” New Pants was a band Chen Pupu especially liked and the one she was most familiar with in the lineup. She particularly loved the song Outdated, though she didn’t know if they would play it today.

“I’m so tired, I don’t want to walk. Let’s eat later,” Chen Pupu said, suddenly understanding why some people brought tents—they were truly visionary.

“Then what do you want to eat?” Yu Xiao didn’t push her.

“Meat. Watching the show takes too much energy; I need to refuel.” Feeling her empty stomach, Chen Pupu regretted not bringing some dry rations.

“You rest for a bit; I’m going to the restroom.” When Yu Xiao returned, she was carrying several skewers of fried meat and fried chicken, along with two bottles of water. Chen Pupu was lured by the scent before she even realized Yu Xiao was behind her. In that moment, she clearly heard her stomach growl and felt herself instinctively swallowing.

Yu Xiao was amused by Chen Pupu’s expression—clearly hungry but too shy to speak. “Here, I bought these for you. Go ahead and eat. I didn’t know if you could handle spice, so I didn’t have the vendor put any on, but I got some chili powder on the side.” Used to taking care of herself, Yu Xiao had a natural sense of thoughtfulness.

“Thank you! I’ll treat you to dinner tonight,” Chen Pupu said, no longer planning to be formal now that she had been given the green light.

…

By all rights, Chen Pupu’s May Day should have had a perfect beginning—if the shuttle bus hadn’t broken down on the way back. The phone Qin Wei had given her was dead, so she couldn’t call anyone to pick them up. It was late, and she felt a bit scared to call a taxi. Faced with this situation, Chen Pupu started to panic.

“It’s okay. Let’s go ask where we are first.” The sky was darkening. Yu Xiao pulled Chen Pupu close, saying they shouldn’t get separated. Having spent the day together at the festival and now being “comrades in arms” in this crisis, Chen Pupu felt a sudden surge of closeness and trust in Yu Xiao. Since she didn’t know what to do, she let Yu Xiao lead the way.

After asking a passerby, they found they weren’t actually that far from Chen Pupu’s house. Yu Xiao asked for the nearest police station. Luckily, there was a station not far ahead, about a ten-minute walk away. Yu Xiao took her straight there. After explaining the situation to the police, they got in touch with their parents and waited at the station for them to arrive.

“I’ll have to treat you to dinner next time, then,” Chen Pupu said, still remembering the meat skewers she hadn’t yet “repaid.” She didn’t want to take advantage of Yu Xiao’s kindness for nothing.

“Sure. We’ll have plenty of chances to see each other at school anyway.” Yu Xiao pulled two wristbands out of her backpack. “I bought these when I was getting the food—music festival souvenir bands. They look pretty cool; here’s one for you.”

Chen Pupu tried to refuse. “No way, I haven’t even treated you to that meal yet, and now another gift? I’d feel too bad.”

“But you invited me to the festival! The tickets were much more expensive than this,” Yu Xiao countered, feeling like she had gotten the better deal.

“But my brother gave them to me, I didn’t spend any money. Wait… if you put it that way, am I the one losing out by treating you to dinner too?” Chen Pupu realized that she was the one who provided the tickets after all.

“You are, but you said you’d treat me, and you can’t break your word.” As the old saying goes, don’t let a bird in the hand fly away.

“Fine,” Chen Pupu laughed helplessly. By the time Qin Wei arrived, Chen Pupu had fallen asleep against the wall in a chair at the police station. Despite her hunger, she couldn’t overcome the deep exhaustion, and she was eventually carried to the car by Chen Sijun.

After greeting Qin Wei and chatting for a moment, Yu Xiao sat back down on the chair for a while. Estimating that their car had driven far away, she also got up to leave. When she made the call, her parents were traveling out of town. Yu Xiao was used to them running around; she didn’t even mention the fact that she was waiting at a police station to be picked up. After a few brief words, she hung up.

Having done it many times, Yu Xiao didn’t find the walk home at night that difficult. Instead, it gave her plenty of time to think about things.