Are there any regrets?

In the evening, when Tang Yiyi went to the noodle shop, Qin Baike called out to her, had her sit opposite him, then scooped a bowl of iced jelly from the fridge for her, adding brown sugar, red beans, raisins, and small pieces of glutinous rice cake.

“It’s only been chilled for a little while, so it’s not very cold yet.”

Tang Yiyi stared at the innovative bowl of iced jelly, genuinely moved. “Who came up with this, putting so many things in?”

“I don’t know. Xiaoxie said it’s really popular lately, so she prepared all these ingredients. The weather’s so hot, people coming in for noodles want something cool, so we sell it as well.”

Tang Yiyi ate with delight, finishing the bowl in one go, wiped her mouth with a napkin, and looked up to see Qin Baike watching her. “What’s wrong? Why are you looking at me?”

“Just watching you enjoy it. Do you want more?”

“I’ll have some tomorrow. Too much glutinous rice at night isn’t good for digestion.”

“Alright. If you get hungry later, I’ll cook noodles for you. Don’t eat so many snacks.”

“But I like them. What should I do?”

“Just eat a little less.”

“Will you still buy them for me?”

“No, I won’t.”

“Huh?”

“Things with no nutrition—eating too much does you no good. If you spend your own money, you’ll eat less.”

“Baike, how can you be so stingy?” Tang Yiyi pouted, her lips soft and rosy. Qin Baike’s gaze flickered and quickly looked away.

Seeing him ignore her, Tang Yiyi stood up angrily. “I’m heading upstairs. I can’t believe you’re like this, Baike. Now that your girlfriend’s back, you won’t even buy me snacks, hmph!”

Qin Baike stared, dumbfounded, at her back as she went upstairs. Xiaoxie thought so, she thought so too—could it be the entire Huangjuelan Alley thinks this way? He was certain Ye Tong did not have romantic feelings for him, but when she deliberately flirted with him that morning, wasn’t it just outside the clinic? What exactly was Ye Tong trying to do?

Upstairs, Tang Yiyi found Ye Tong and Ertong each with a cigarette, reviewing the morning’s photos at the computer. She quickly sat beside them to look.

The photos were incredibly beautiful, clearly taken by a professional camera and photographer. Through Ye Tong’s lens, Huangjuelan Alley appeared ancient and peaceful, filled with warmth, while the people featured exuded a strong sense of modern fashion.

“Ye Tong, I never realized Huangjuelan Alley was so uniquely beautiful.”

“I only discovered it this time after coming back. I can’t say I ever liked it much before.”

Ertong chimed in, “I’ve always wanted to return. When we bought the house, you insisted I buy one further away. Bet you regret it now.”

Ye Tong just smiled, saying nothing. She pulled up Xu Mingjie’s photos, prompting another gasp from Tang Yiyi. Ye Tong said to Ertong, “Pick a few photos of the two of us to pair together, and show them to Aunt Jie tomorrow. If she likes them, have the studio frame a few for her—our gift.”

“I know, you don’t have to tell me. Your little brother is quite mature now.”

“Yes, mature indeed. If you’re so mature, stop getting mixed up with people you shouldn’t, nearly getting your hand chopped off.”

“Big sister, Baike’s already keeping a tight rein on me. Look, I’ve nearly become a full-time noodle shop assistant. Stop nagging. And can’t you cut back on cigarettes? Smoking ages you faster.”

“No one’s ever threatened me with a knife for smoking. Worry about yourself.”

Ertong rolled his eyes in resignation and stood up. “I’ll go downstairs to work, or Baike will kick me out.” With that, he dashed down the stairs.

Tang Yiyi took Ertong’s seat. “Let me see the other photos.”

Ye Tong handed her the mouse, took a few drags of her cigarette, then suddenly said, “Yiyi, thank you for that night.”

Tang Yiyi turned to see Ye Tong’s earnest expression. “I was startled, too, but really, you don’t need to thank me.” Because that night, when Qin Baike carried me up the stairs, I held him tightly, and his neck was so warm. Tang Yiyi drifted off in thought.

“What are you thinking, looking so happy?” Ye Tong asked.

“It’s nothing. That night, Ertong really suffered, crying so miserably. But his wound healed faster than expected.”

“I wanted him by my side, but he wouldn’t leave. He likes Yicheng, says the mountains and water are beautiful and the air is good.”

“I like it here, too.”

“To live as you wish is the best kind of life.” Ye Tong lit another cigarette.

Tang Yiyi looked at Ye Tong’s calm features through the curling smoke, her eyes harboring openness, certainty, and strength. She wondered if, at thirty, she would have had such experiences and such a gaze.

“Ye Tong, you and Baike were a couple in high school, right?”

Ye Tong paused, then turned to Tang Yiyi and suddenly smiled. “He was a ray of light in my life.”

“His grades were so bad—how could he be your light?”

“Grades don’t measure whether a person’s character is whole. Baike guarded me when I was most lonely and insecure. Because of him, I suddenly became incredibly confident, realizing I was cared for.”

“My parents, deep down, were very traditional. After Ertong was born, they didn’t pay much attention to me. When they went to work in the city, they always took him, while I stayed in the countryside with grandma. It wasn’t until I was in eighth grade, when their finances improved, that they brought me to the city for school.”

“Compared to city kids, my grades weren’t worth mentioning. I was lucky to meet a good teacher. She told me that much of life’s happiness comes from doing things you love and that matter. The process and the eventual success both make you feel time hasn’t been wasted.”

“And success is earned day by day, through continuous effort. Especially for someone like me, whose family can’t provide good conditions—it really all depends on myself. The teacher’s words made it all clear to me. From then on, I worked hard, wanting to be the best version of myself.”

“To be the best for oneself.” So that’s where the phrase came from.

“My middle school teacher is now recuperating at Green Plant Manor. If you have a chance, you should meet her—a very elegant lady.”

“Green Plant Manor? Is that the lady who teaches painting and guzheng?”

“You’ve met her?”

“She truly is extraordinary,” Tang Yiyi said sincerely.

“Haha, I hope to be like her, always keeping a curious mind toward the world. That’s a wonderful life.”

“Ye Tong, your life is already wonderful.”

“When you’re young, you must go through pain and hardship. Only grown-ups know what ‘wonderful’ really means.”

“What was your hardship?”

“Being ostracized in my most sensitive years, not being acknowledged. Even teachers thought I was pretentious, and turned a blind eye to school violence. At the time, I felt like I was fighting the whole world alone. Then Baike came and stood by me—he was in his rebellious, confused period.”

“And that’s how your romance started?”

Ye Tong looked at Tang Yiyi, smiled, and shook her head. “You don’t understand my determination to get into Peking University. I wouldn’t let anything block my path, especially not the early romance teachers and parents warned against. I couldn’t stand seeing Baike so lost, so I spent time helping him.”

“Some people’s intelligence never translates to academics—nothing you can do about it. We spent all our time together, going to and from school. Maybe that’s why everyone thought we were dating. I didn’t date in college either—I couldn’t rely on my family, and earned most of my tuition myself. Only after graduating and finding a job did I allow myself to say, ‘Alright, now I can fall in love.’”

“And now?”

“Looking back over these years of tightly wound effort, I see now some things were missed—what a pity.”

“My life wasn’t so tightly wound, but I’ve missed plenty, too.”

“This is a world of sorrow—sorrow is regret. I worked so hard in Yicheng, missed out on making friends. Who’d have thought, coming back, I’d meet you, little one.”

“I’m so happy to meet the legendary Ye Tong.”

Ye Tong covered her mouth and laughed. “Legendary? Yiyi, you’re too cute.”

She glanced at her wristwatch. “Alright, take your time with the photos, help Aunt Jie pick some good ones. I’m heading home now—when I’m not working, I try to sleep and wake early.”

She stood, bent to stub out her cigarette, waved goodbye to Tang Yiyi, and went downstairs with her bag.

Qin Baike saw her come down, put aside what he was doing, and walked out to drive her home. She didn’t refuse, seeming to cherish every minute with him.

In the car, she asked, “After all these years, do you have any regrets?”

Qin Baike paused. “I’ve never thought about it.”

“Think about it now.”

He drove in silence, lips pressed tightly. This kind of introspective question was like asking “What’s the meaning of life”—he never thought about it. The past is past. What he wants to do, he does. What he should cherish, he cherishes.

He didn’t have a sensitive, intricate mind, nor did he have concrete hopes for the future, but he knew that what he did now would shape what came next. So whatever happened in the foreseeable future, he had it figured out.

“Have you thought of something?” Ye Tong pressed.

He glanced at her face—her eyes glittered in the darkness, full of expectation.

He didn’t understand what Ye Tong really wanted, but he was willing to satisfy her, to give her the answer she wanted to hear. Perhaps it was the answer in his heart. “Yes.”

“What is it?”

“No matter how hard I try, my regret is never being able to catch up to you.”

Ye Tong smiled, content, and took a deep breath. “Baike, thank you for saying that.”

“Ye Tong, to me, you are the best woman.”

“If you say so, I’ll be proud.”

“You should be proud. You’ll never know how lucky I am to have met you.”

“Me too.” Ye Tong smiled out the window, a single tear sliding silently down her cheek.

They said nothing more. At the entrance to her apartment complex, Ye Tong got out, her smile blooming again. She leaned on the car window and said to Qin Baike, “Tomorrow, I want to visit Teacher Liu.”

Qin Baike nodded. “Alright, I’ll take you.”

Tang Yiyi finished browsing the photos, downloaded two that Ye Tong took of her onto her phone. With a new background, they could be used as official ID photos—she wouldn’t need to worry about photo IDs for the next ten years.

She lay down in her room, then got up, dragged out Qin Baike’s box of old books from under the bed, found Ye Tong’s notebook, and took pictures of Qin Baike’s youth photos with her phone.

She put away the box, lay down again, and looked over Qin Baike’s photos, pressing them to her chest. She thought, Ye Tong will leave eventually—her heart belongs to the wide world, and Yicheng is just a place for her to rest when she’s tired.

I wasn’t part of Qin Baike’s youth, but now I am part of his young adulthood. Even if I can’t stay in his heart, at least I’ll be part of his memories.

With these thoughts, the restless heart she’d had for days slowly grew calm and resolute.