The One Left Behind

In the autumn of the South, the nights could only barely be called cool.

Perhaps due to nerves, by the time Ye Nanzhi reached her dormitory, a thin layer of sweat had broken out on her forehead. It was to the point that acquaintances she met in the corridor asked her what was wrong and if she was feeling unwell.

“Oh, I probably just walked too fast,” Ye Nanzhi made up a random excuse, exchanged a few brief pleasantries, and ducked into her room.

Looking at herself in the mirror, her face was flushed deep red. She used the back of her hand to try and cool her burning cheeks.

“Ye Nanzhi, you are so useless!” she muttered, pointing at her reflection.

What was there to be afraid of? She was a university teacher now, a person of stature; it wasn’t like she could actually eat her alive!

That was easy enough to say. But recalling the way Chu Ran had looked at her from beside the car, Ye Nanzhi instantly covered her face again.

Sigh, forget it. Useless is useless!

Nothing is difficult in this world, as long as you are willing to give up!

Ye Nanzhi comforted herself with this thought.

Why make things hard for herself? So what if she didn’t dare to face Chu Ran? This was just a student’s natural fear of a teacher; there was nothing shameful about it.

After washing up and getting into bed, she set her alarm. She noticed a message from Professor Song in the group chat, asking the three students to help set up the lecture hall for a presentation tomorrow.

It seemed she wouldn’t be able to discuss the research topic with Chu Ran tomorrow. She took out her phone and, for the first time in four years, took the initiative to message her.

She tapped on that lonely avatar in her blacklist and toggled the setting to remove her.

In four years, Chu Ran’s WeChat avatar had never changed. It was a painting of tulips done by Chu Ran’s own hand, sketched casually one evening while she was waiting for Ye Nanzhi.

She sent a brief message explaining her need to take a leave of absence tomorrow. Upon receiving a reply, she hurriedly locked the screen. After a day of turmoil, she was truly exhausted. Surprisingly, she fell asleep quickly.

Under the hazy moonlight, the vehicles on the road became few and far between. Only the streetlamps remained, lighting up the city and converging into a single point of light in the distant dark.

Chu Ran stood before the floor-to-ceiling window in her living room. On the phone was the voice of an elderly man.

–Ranran, Dad heard you went to Shen University to be a teacher? That’s good. Right now, the personnel changes at Dad’s company haven’t been settled yet, so arranging your entry will have to wait a bit. It’s good for you to find a job in the meantime. Being a university teacher sounds prestigious; it gives Dad face.–

Chu Ran’s fingertips touched the glass pane, tracing the faint outline of the light reflecting from the streetlamps. she listened as the man on the other end talked on and on.

–You just started at the school, so you must be busy. Don’t come back for National Day. Tell me where you want to travel, and I’ll have Secretary Zhang book the tickets, or just like before, I’ll have someone transfer the money directly to you so you can arrange it yourself. Your brother just passed away, and your aunt is very emotional. Once this period passes, Dad will bring you back.–

–Anyway, do you have enough money? Why aren’t you living in the apartment I bought for you?–

–It’s fine; if you don’t like that house, just leave it empty. If you see a house you like, tell me. I only have you now. Everything I have is yours; just tell me what you want.–

–As for Shen University, stay there if you like it for now. Once I’ve arranged everything here, I’ll bring you back. Then you can focus entirely on running the company. I paid for your studies and your time abroad specifically so you could take over my legacy. No matter what, my blood flows in your veins. Because of that, you will always be my good daughter.–

Hearing this, Chu Ran interrupted him immediately. “Since I started university, I have earned my own living expenses and tuition. Even for my studies abroad, I used a scholarship, not your money. You give me money only because you don’t want an ‘outsider’ with the same blood as you appearing in your little home during holidays and ruining the family mood. It’s just travel money to send me away.”

The other end of the line went silent instantly. Even the sound of his breathing carried a hint of suppressed rage. He seemed to be struggling to hold back his anger, but he was forced to turn the awkward conversation back.

–Right, my daughter is excellent; she went abroad on her own merit! Ranran, you are forever my pride.–

Chu Ran returned to her state of silence. The person on the other end, receiving no response, seemed tired as well. After a few brief comforts, the awkward communication ended.

Once the call was disconnected, the screen showed a leave request from the contact labeled “Zhizhi.”

Chu Ran stared at the chat window for a long time. Eventually, she tapped on the orange carrot avatar to enter her Moments—a place she hadn’t visited in a very long time.

Against a white background, photos flooded Chu Ran’s eyes.

The first was a picture of the moon at night: [I wonder if the moon in the South is as hot as I am.]

The one before that was a photo of a plane ticket from Harbin to Shanghai, captioned: [Leaving.]

And before that, there were various landscapes.

[The clouds in the morning seem a bit whiter than the ones at night~~]

[It’s so cold today. The sky is dark and heavy; maybe the stars got too cold and went home too~]

[…]

Chu Ran’s finger slid up and down the screen. Slowly, she noticed a pattern.

The girl hadn’t posted anything with bright, vibrant colors in a long time.

Every photo was either a lonely perspective looking down at a crowd, or a gloomy sky with white clouds.

Her girl had changed. But this wasn’t the first time Chu Ran had realized this.

That day, Chu Ran had come to Shen University to see a friend and accidentally spotted that familiar figure at the school gate. She was much thinner than before. The originally chubby little round face was now a delicate, palm-sized beauty. Her once obedient ear-length hair had grown long, falling softly behind her. The once compliant little girl had blossomed into a young woman.

Despite the significant changes in appearance, Chu Ran had recognized her at a single glance.

That night, Chu Ran didn’t sleep at all. During countless sleepless nights, she had revisited everything they had gone through more than once. Each time she replayed it, her heart grew a bit more peaceful than the last. Before that night, Chu Ran could already speak of their past with composure.

Yet, the moment she saw Ye Nanzhi, the long-dormant lake of her heart was suddenly met with a spring rain.

The droplets weren’t large—just a light drizzle—but they were enough to cause ripples in her soul.

Why did Ye Nanzhi come to the South, to the place where Chu Ran had lived for so long?

Chu Ran was intensely curious about the answer. More than that, she wanted to know how Ye Nanzhi would react upon meeting her again.

Regarding the past, Ye Nanzhi owed her an explanation. With this mindset, Chu Ran had sent her resume to Shen University’s recruitment email.

Chu Ran understood that Ye Nanzhi was a timid person, but she hadn’t expected her to act like a startled rabbit the moment she saw her, constantly looking for a hole to escape through—practically desperate to avoid her.

It shouldn’t be like this.

As proud as she was, the only two times she had ever stumbled in her life were because of Ye Nanzhi.

The night deepened. The lonely figure stood there for a long time. Chu Ran gazed at the flickering yellow streetlamp below her building until it finally went dark.

The next day, after finishing work, Chu Ran didn’t rush home. Instead, she drove her car to the Administration Building.

Yang Huining had uncharacteristically abandoned her professional suit and high heels. She wore white sneakers and a soft, comfortable tracksuit, her brownish-yellow hair falling over her shoulders. She looked like a female college student who had just finished PE; no one would associate her with the title “Administrative Teacher.” Standing at the door of the teaching building, she saw Chu Ran’s car approaching and opened the door without hesitation, sitting directly in the passenger seat.

–Let’s go, Teacher Chu!– She deliberately elongated the “Teacher.”

“Don’t be like that, Huining,” Chu Ran smiled easily, driving out of the school gates. “What do you want to eat? My treat, order whatever you like.”

Yang Huining was Chu Ran’s only friend during university. The two had stayed in touch. After returning to the country and learning that Yang Huining was an administrative teacher at Shen University, Chu Ran had met up with her immediately.

–I say, Great Teacher Chu!– Yang Huining couldn’t sit still. She turned sideways, crossing her arms in an interrogative posture. –You’re something else! A few months ago, you were treating me to dinner as an old classmate. One summer break later, and we’re colleagues! Your secrecy is impressive. I don’t need to watch spy movies anymore; watching you is enough!–

Faced with Yang Huining’s aggressive stance, Chu Ran wasn’t flustered. She simply asked, “Japanese food or a private kitchen?”

–Don’t give me that.– Yang Huining clearly wasn’t going to be dismissed with a simple meal. Chu Ran knew she liked Japanese food, so she drove straight to a high-end Japanese restaurant.

After they sat and ordered, the waiter brought hot tea and sensibly retreated, closing the door of the private room behind them.

“Confess,” Yang Huining pushed her teacup aside, tapping the table rhythmically. “When did you plan to come to Shen University?”

“After the last time I had dinner with you,” Chu Ran answered truthfully.

Their last meeting was a few months ago, shortly after Chu Ran returned to the country. At that time, she had mentioned to Chu Ran that the recruitment criteria for university lecturers required a PhD and overseas experience.

Being a lecturer was different from being an administrative teacher like her; it required high academic standards, participation in research every year, and the publication of top-tier papers. In comparison, the salary was meager. For a PhD returning from abroad, it was definitely not the optimal choice.

And yet? Right after separating from her, Chu Ran had quietly sent her resume to the school. By the start of the semester, she had become her new colleague.

Chu Ran had done it so seamlessly, without giving her a single hint. It made her doubt the depth of their friendship.

–Do you even consider me a friend?– Yang Huining asked fiercely. –Five years of undergraduate and three years of graduate school. Even if you went abroad in your third year of grad school, we were in the same class for seven years! You couldn’t even be bothered to let me know! At the very least, we’re colleagues now; I should have prepared an entry gift for you!–

Chu Ran knew that while Yang Huining had a sharp tongue, her heart was soft and delicate.

“No need for a gift; I appreciate the thought. I don’t lack for anything.” Chu Ran took a sip of tea.

The food arrived quickly—all of Yang Huining’s favorites. Looking at the table full of seafood sashimi, most of her anger dissipated.

She picked up a piece of sea urchin and put it in her mouth. After a long while, she showed an appreciative expression. It had to be said, expensive things were expensive for a reason.

Yang Huining ate one piece after another, but noticing that Chu Ran had barely touched her ramen and was instead fiddling with her phone, she became suspicious. –Oho, Teacher Chu is so busy she can’t even stop during a meal.–

At this, Chu Ran pressed the lock button. “No, just a professor from another college posted a new Moment; I took a look.”

At the mention of another college, a bad premonition rose in Yang Huining’s heart. She put down her chopsticks, ignoring the food for a moment.

–Alright. Why is the busy Teacher Chu treating me to such expensive food today? What do you want to ask? I’ll tell you everything I know.–

“I can’t hide it from you after all. I do have something to ask.” Chu Ran smiled and put down her barley tea. “After I left back then… how was she?”

Who else could it be but Ye Nanzhi.

Hearing this, Yang Huining instantly lost her composure. She dropped her chopsticks, no longer caring about the sea urchin.

–Tell me the truth. Have you still not let her go?–

Chu Ran’s silence caused a even more terrifying thought to sprout in her mind.

–Or rather… did you come to Shen University purely because of her?–