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Liu Shuhan was forty years old, and Cheng Qiuyi was forty-one.
That year, Liu Shuhan discovered her first gray hair at her temples.
At that moment, Cheng Qiuyi was practicing yoga on one leg on the mat. As Liu Shuhan walked by with a cup of tea, she caught sight of a silver-white strand of hair mixed in with a mass of black hair at Cheng Qiuyi's temple, almost missing it entirely.
Liu Shuhan set down her tea cup and reached up to touch Cheng Qiuyi's head, intending to pull out that gray hair. However, when she actually tried to grab it, the hair blended back into the black strands and became elusive.
"What are you doing?" Cheng Qiuyi asked as she finished her pose and took a sip from Liu Shuhan's tea cup.
Liu Shuhan was focused on rummaging through her hair and didn't respond.
"Shu Han, what's wrong?" Cheng Qiuyi asked again.
"Don't move!"
Cheng Qiuyi froze as if someone had pressed a pressure point on her.
Liu Shuhan rummaged through the hair for several minutes before finally pulling out the gray strand. Cheng Qiuyi felt a slight sting on her scalp and laughed, "Shu Han, why are you tugging at my hair?"
"Qiu Yi, you've got gray hair," Liu Shuhan said, waving the strand in front of Cheng Qiuyi's eyes.
Cheng Qiuyi focused and indeed saw the gray hair. "I suppose it's about time for me to start getting gray hairs."
Liu Shuhan glanced at the corners of Cheng Qiuyi's eyes, which were already beginning to show fine lines.
Cheng Qiuyi has not been as concerned about her appearance in the past two years as she was ten years ago, while Liu Shuhan seems to pay more attention to her. Cheng Qiuyi has gained weight and lost weight, and whenever she develops wrinkles, Liu Shuhan can spot it immediately, as if she has a keen eye.
"Fifteen years," Liu Shuhan said, holding Cheng Qiuyi's hand as they sat side by side on the lounge chair.
That lounge chair has accompanied them for fifteen years; the old paint on the armrests has chipped off in several places, and there are marks left by Song Luyao's teeth when she was little. The chair is not as sturdy as it used to be, creaking under their weight.
"Back then, Yao Yao used to keep us awake at night, and now she's already in high school." Liu Shuhan leaned against Cheng Qiuyi's arm. "Remember how chubby Boming was as a kid? Now he's tall and handsome. That little chubby boy is still hanging around me, and tomorrow he’s getting married."
"Qiu Yi, how has time passed so quickly?" Liu Shuhan looked up at Cheng Qiuyi.
Cheng Qiuyi lowered her head and kissed Liu Shuhan on the tip of her nose. "You’re still just like before, not a bit changed."
Who in this world remains unchanged? Liu Shuhan loves to laugh, and the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes appeared earlier than those of Cheng Qiuyi.
"Is Boming's wedding tomorrow? Are A-Ying and A Qian coming?"
Yuan Ying is someone who can't stay still; she has been traveling all over with He Mo Qian these past few years, so it's common not to see them.
"They're coming; they'll arrive in the afternoon."
Thinking back to the past antics of Yuan Ying and He Mo Qian, Liu Shuhan still feels a bit uneasy. Yuan Ying has a fiery temperament, while He Mo Qian, though seemingly quiet on the surface, is actually quite stubborn. They have faced each other for several years before finally making progress; it hasn't been easy.
Once Cheng Boming went to college, he moved out, leaving the bedroom empty. So, Yuan Ying and He Mo Qian simply moved into Cheng Qiuyi's home.
Yuan Ying hasn't changed at all; upon seeing Cheng Qiuyi, she immediately teased her. Knowing that Cheng Qiuyi had white hair now made her even more eager to poke fun. She practically leaned in close to Cheng Qiuyi's face, saying, "Look at my sister's beautiful hair; I guarantee you won't find a single white hair!"
"It can't be found; I just dyed it yesterday." He Mo Qian unexpectedly undermined the situation from behind.
Yuan Ying leaned in close to He Mo Qian and whispered, "A Qian, come on, at least give me some face."
Seeing her fawning expression, a smile appeared in He Mo Qian's eyes. Yuan Ying was also cheerful; if she had a tail, it would have been wagging high in the air.
"Alright, how can you be more clingy than me and Shu Han? Hurry up and come eat." Cheng Qiuyi couldn't stand it and went to the kitchen to serve the dishes.
After dinner, the four of them gathered around a mahjong table. Cheng Qiuyi and He Mo Qian were both novices, while Liu Shuhan had honed her skills playing with her mother. Yuan Ying loved to play and was an experienced player. At the table, Cheng Qiuyi fed cards to Liu Shuhan while He Mo Qian assisted Yuan Ying. Right from the start, it turned into a fierce battle, with Yuan Ying declaring a fierce competition that would last three hundred rounds until dawn.
They were all in their forties now; their bodies couldn't withstand late nights like when they were younger. By eleven o'clock, they were already feeling sleepy. Although they said they would play until dawn, they wrapped things up by eleven-thirty.
"Indeed, we are getting old; there's no denying it." Yuan Ying sighed. "Even that little chubby Cheng Boming is married now. By the way, how is her mother?"
"I'm not sure; I heard from Boming that she's doing okay and can recognize people now," Cheng Qiuyi replied.
"What about Ye Jing? It's been over ten years since I heard anything about her."
Cheng Qiuyi shook her head. "I don't know; those matters are in the past. I can't be bothered to inquire."
Liu Shuhan yawned, her eyes barely open. "Let's talk about this tomorrow; I'm going to sleep."
He Mo Qian also showed signs of sleepiness, and the topic of conversation naturally came to an end.
As they grew older, their memories faded more easily. When recalling events from over a decade ago, all Cheng Qiuyi could remember were Liu Shuhan's good qualities; the grievances and entanglements from that time had long since slipped her mind.
Cheng Boming's wife is his college classmate, a delicate young girl with round almond-shaped eyes. She resembles someone, yet upon closer inspection, she does not.
Cheng Qiuyi and Liu Shuhan can be considered elders on Cheng Boming's side. The elder from the Liu family, Cheng Qiuyi, has long been acquainted with them; they are honest and simple folk, very gentle in nature.
"Sister, Shu Han, thank you for your nurturing over the years." Cheng Boming offered tea to Cheng Qiuyi. This was the first time he addressed Cheng Qiuyi as "sister." It is somewhat amusing; their blood relation is shallow, yet their teacher-student bond is profound. Although in the end, Cheng Boming still could not fulfill his wish of defeating Cheng Qiuyi.
Liu Shuhan was very emotional, her hands trembling as she held the tea. "Good, good... Boming, may you both live well together." Liu Shuhan could somewhat understand her mother's insistence on holding a wedding; it was a solemn ceremony that witnessed the happiness of the child she had watched grow up.
Cheng Boming and Liu Shuhan exchanged glances, their eyes clear and open, having long since let go of past sentiments.
"Thank you, Teacher's Wife."
This wedding was far more grand than the playful wedding of Cheng Qiuyi and Liu Shuhan over a decade ago. Teachers, classmates, relatives—both familiar and unfamiliar—filled dozens of tables, creating a lively and festive atmosphere.
However, Liu Shuhan felt that her own wedding was still the best and most perfect. She extended her left hand towards Cheng Qiuyi and simply looked at her. Cheng Qiuyi understood and also extended her left hand.
Two identical rings, worn smooth by the passage of time, still gleamed as if new.
"Qiu Yi, how many more years do you think we can be together?"
"Many, many years."
The author has something to say: There is just one last chapter left before it concludes!
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