Summers in Whitebank Town were always muggy and damp, filled with the deafening drone of cicadas.
Like a dream you could never wake from.
Mindful of the time, Li Suhua urged her granddaughter to finish packing early, so she wouldn't be rushing around on the day she left, forgetting one thing after another.
Pu Yu stood in front of the clothesline, yet hadn't taken down a single piece of clothing in ages.
Her eyes kept straying uncontrollably toward the empty entrance to the alley.
Her phone vibrated.
It was a message from Xu Suiran.
Three in a row, their excitement palpable even through the screen:
[Yu! My admission letter arrived! Nanhua Normal University, early childhood education!]
[Aaaah, I'm really going to be a teacher! My mom says teachers are poor, but I love it!]
[Our class president got his too! Beijing Institute of Technology! He just called and told me! Isn't that amazing?!]
Pu Yu's lips curved as her fingertips tapped lightly on the screen: [Congratulations, Sui Sui! Teaching is perfect for you. You're so patient, the kids will definitely love you.]
She paused, then added: [Our class president is amazing. Beijing Institute of Technology is really hard to get into.]
Xu Suiran replied almost instantly: [Right?! Right?! He said he'd treat everyone to dinner before we leave. Are you coming?]
Pu Yu looked at those words, her fingers pausing.
Before we leave.
Yes, summer was almost over.
Everyone in their class would soon be going their separate ways.
She replied: [When?]
Three days later, at the Old Place restaurant in town.
The restaurant had been open for over a decade. The food was good and inexpensive, making it a longtime favorite for student gatherings.
Seven or eight people crowded into the small private room, all classmates from Senior Class