Bai Sijun wiped away his tears awkwardly and went to the counter to pay for the book. The cashier reminded him that the opened book was a sample for customers to read and offered to exchange it for a new one. He hesitated but ultimately said it was fine and insisted on keeping the current one.
Leaving the bookstore with the book in hand, he couldn’t wait to get home. Instead, he found a quiet corner in the café next to the bookstore and began reading “Confession.”
Xiaojun and Xiaole didn’t end up together, unable to be together.
Mei Yuchen’s depiction was clever; he seemingly guided the reader’s thoughts, making Xiaole’s identity a bigger mystery than the reason why the senior from senior high committed suicide, especially in the latter part of the book.
As the story unfolded, it was revealed that Xiaole wasn’t just another classmate; he was the senior who had committed suicide, always lingering in Xiaojun’s life in the form of a ghost.
Upon rereading from the beginning, it became apparent that Xiaole often disappeared without reason, and in all scenes featuring Xiaole, he only had conversations with Xiaojun.
In the end, Xiaojun became stronger and braver. In a dream at the conclusion, he subtly realized that Xiaole was about to leave. Gathering courage, he confessed to Xiaole, but from then on, Xiaole disappeared from his life forever.
With a hint of regret, it was a reasonable ending.
This was a conclusion Bai Sijun had read countless times before.
On the day he left, he asked Zhao Lin to be Mei Yuchen’s editor because he knew that after he left, Hongtu wouldn’t have any editors willing to take over Mei Yuchen. Zhao Lin hesitated at first, citing her busy schedule and lack of energy to push for manuscripts. Bai Sijun assured her that Mei Yuchen would submit the manuscript soon, and she reluctantly agreed.
Then, Bai Sijun made another request. After Zhao Lin received Mei Yuchen’s manuscript, she would send it to him for review. Of course, the condition was not to tell Mei Yuchen.
Considering Zhao Lin’s busy workload, and having had Bai Sijun as her assistant editor before, she knew he was reliable. So, she willingly agreed to his request.
About two weeks after leaving, Bai Sjun received an email from Zhao Lin.
The moment he finished reading the manuscript, he knew that Mei Yuchen hadn’t let him down. The brilliance of this new book had returned Mei Yuchen to the peak of his writing prowess.
Bai Sijun reviewed day and night, correcting Mei Yuchen’s careless typos, offering his thoughts in the comments, then sending the manuscript back to Zhao Lin. In turn, Zhao Lin would send him Mei Yuchen’s revised version.
Mei Yuchen followed his suggestions, revising the manuscript at least three times before finalizing it.
Bai Sijun didn’t expect his name to appear in the book, but it seemed that Zhao Lin, being kind-hearted, didn’t want to take credit for his work. Additionally, as a veteran editor at Hongtu, she had some influence, so she might have convinced the chief editor to include Bai Sijun’s name in the book.
After revisiting the final chapter, Bai Sijun took a deep breath. The tangible feel of the book in his hands was different from the words on the screen, signifying that Mei Yuchen’s new book wouldn’t encounter any setbacks.
The anxiety and unease he had experienced in recent times were completely wiped away, allowing his tense nerves to finally relax.
He casually continued flipping through the pages, and soon, he came across the acknowledgment section.
Typically, authors would use this section to review their writing process, thank the publishing house, the editor, and others who contributed to the book. Some authors could write a couple of thousand words in their acknowledgments alone.
However, for Mei Yuchen’s new book, released after a three-year hiatus, the acknowledgment section was uncharacteristically short.
Acknowledgments:
Thank you for not giving up on me.
Bai Sijun couldn’t help but lift the corners of his mouth. He knew very well that the “you” mentioned here referred to him. Mei Yuchen was still as willful as ever, refusing to write a proper acknowledgement. Bai Sijun could almost picture Zhao Lin suggesting that Mei Yuchen write more, and him responding with just two words: “Not writing,” followed by an indisputable period.
Thinking about this, the smile on Bai Sijun’s face gradually faded, and memories of Mei Yuchen resurfaced in his mind. The suppressed yearning surged like a tide.
He really missed him.
The open book was slapped shut, and it was time to charge his phone.
He hurriedly headed home, but just as he approached the gate of the residential area, his mother, Lan Yue, intercepted him halfway.
The family’s grocery store was next to the residential area gate, and Bai Sijun momentarily forgot that he still had to pass his mother’s inspection when he got home.
Lan Yue grabbed his arm and walked in the opposite direction, complaining, “I told you we’re going to have dinner tonight. Why did you come back so late?”
“Mom, wait a moment. I have something to do.” Bai Sijun couldn’t use too much force, so he could only frown and stand his ground.
“What can’t wait until after dinner?” Lan Yue said, “Aunt Luo invited us at six, and it’s almost six now. Do you want everyone to wait for you?”
Bai Sijun found it strange; Aunt Luo’s son getting into Peking University had little to do with him. He wasn’t the protagonist; there was no need for everyone to wait for him before starting the meal.
However, upon second thought, if he went home to charge his phone and then rushed to the dinner place, he would be at least half an hour late. It wouldn’t look good, so he asked, “Can I skip this?”
“No.” Lan Yue immediately refused, “Everyone in the family is going. Your sister and brother-in-law have something to attend to. Do you want me to go alone?”
Bai Sijun pursed his lips, unable to find a convincing reason to object. He let Lan Yue drag him to a Hunan cuisine restaurant two streets away.
Now, he found it strange again. The restaurant did have good reviews for its taste in the entire small town, but the question was, why would they choose this place to treat the neighbors?
It wasn’t until they entered the restaurant that Bai Sijun understood.
He looked at Aunt Luo and a young, beautiful girl sitting in a booth and immediately thought about turning and leaving.
Lan Yue discreetly grabbed his wrist, lowering her voice, “Behave politely.”
Aunt Luo, amiable and timely, also greeted him, “Xiao Bai, come over here quickly.”
Bai Sijun twitched the corner of his eye, unable to react harshly. He had to suppress his irritation, quietly asking Lan Yue, “Is that her son?”
Of course, the pretty girl was not Aunt Luo’s son. Lan Yue nudged him gently with her elbow, whispering, “Don’t talk nonsense.”
The two sat across from Aunt Luo and the girl. Aunt Luo introduced with a smile, “Xiao Bai, this is my niece, Chen Ting, twenty-five years old, working at the Social Security Bureau.”
Afterwards, she turned to Chen Ting and said, “Tingting, this is the son of the grocery store owner, Bai Sijun.”
Chen Ting glanced at the book in Bai Sijun’s hand and nodded politely, saying, “Hello.”
Bai Sijun also nodded and replied, “Hello.”
Chen Ting seemed quiet, of course, like most girls in front of parents. Bai Sijun wondered if she came willingly or was forced to come like him.
Having some experience in blind dates, he listened as an observer while his mother and Aunt Luo praised him and Chen Ting profusely, concentrating more on his tea, showing no interest in participating.
After all the dishes were served, as expected, both Lan Yue and Aunt Luo said they had something to do and left, leaving Bai Sijun and Chen Ting to chat alone.
The lively atmosphere suddenly cooled down, and a hint of awkwardness lingered in the air. Bai Sijun knew that if he left directly, he would definitely be scolded by his mother when he got home. So, he cleared his throat and said to Chen Ting, “Let’s eat.”
Chen Ting started to use her chopsticks. After the parents left, she visibly relaxed, and even her straight posture loosened. She asked, “You don’t seem to have come willingly, right?”
Bai Sijun didn’t answer directly but asked, “what about you?”
“I didn’t particularly resist.” Chen Ting smiled and added, “I saw your photo in advance.”
Bai Sijun nodded. He was well-liked in his mother’s matchmaking circle due to his handsome appearance and a height of 1.83 meters. Chen Ting saying she had no resistance to the blind date was a subtle way of expressing goodwill. However, when he emphasized that, at most, they could only be friends, it was a disguised refusal.
Blind dates were a philosophical art, and one had to speak with finesse.
After he said that, Chen Ting seemed to understand his intention.
“Indeed, whether it works out or not, it’s good to make a new friend.” Chen Ting followed Bai Sijun’s lead, “By the way, my aunt hasn’t given me your contact information. Let’s add each other on WeChat.”
“I don’t use a phone.”
As soon as the words came out, Bai Sijun realized that he had indeed been influenced by Mei Yuchen. He used to be considerate to girls.
“Uh, well,” Bai Sijun tried to remedy, “I really don’t use it a lot.”
After saying that, he took out his wallet and keys from his pants pocket, saying, “See, I don’t have a phone with me.”
Chen Ting chuckled, “Alright, I figured it out. You’re not interested in me.”
Bai Sijun didn’t respond, feeling awkward, and collected his wallet and keys.
With the conversation opened up, the atmosphere became much more relaxed.
“I heard your mom say you like reading. Is that book you just bought?” Chen Ting’s gaze suddenly fell on the “Confession” by his side.
“Yes, it was released today.” Bai Sijun replied.
“I know,” Chen Ting smiled, “I’m also a fan of Mei Yuchen.”
The name suddenly spoken by someone else made his heart skip a beat. He asked nervously, “Did you buy it and read it?”
“I did. I saw it trending on Weibo this morning, so I rushed to the bookstore to buy it.” Chen Ting said.
Bai Sijun hadn’t used Weibo for a long time and naturally didn’t know about this. He nervously asked, “What do you think of the book?”
“It’s really good. Seriously, this is a book Mei Yuchen wrote for three years.” Chen Ting said with confidence, “In the afternoon, my mom urged me to go out for makeup and hair styling. I barely dressed up to come here just to see the ending.”
Bai Sijun suddenly felt that this girl was quite straightforward. He also said frankly, “Seeing the ending is more important than a blind date.”
“I think so too.” Chen Ting put down her chopsticks, “Have you finished it? Can I talk about the later part without giving you spoilers?”
“It’s okay; I’ve finished it. Go ahead.” Bai Sijun said.
“I never expected that Xiaole would turn out to be a ghost. I cried when he disappeared.” Chen Ting said with emotion, “You know, after finishing it, I checked Douban, and many people said that the title ‘Confession’ and the content didn’t have much connection. No one knows why Mei Yuchen chose this name.”
Bai Sijun pursed his lips, not responding.
“Also, the acknowledgement at the end, just a few words. People online are speculating who that ‘you’ is.” Chen Ting took a sip of tea and continued, “Ah, but Mei Yuchen’s works are like this. What he wants to express is too complicated. Many people think they understand him, but in reality, they don’t.”
Bai Sijun couldn’t help but smile. He found that Chen Ting was a true Mei Yuchen fan. He asked, “Have you read all of his books?”
“Of course, I started reading his books in middle school. When I was in college, I even went to his book signing.” Chen Ting raised her eyebrows, “Don’t you know? He’s exceptionally handsome…”
Chen Ting said this, and her speech suddenly slowed down. She inexplicably added, “…That person looks a lot like Mei Yuchen.”
Saying these words, Chen Ting’s gaze was fixed behind Bai Sijun.
Bai Sijun found it strange. He subconsciously wanted to turn around to follow Chen Ting’s gaze, but before he could make a move, a gnashing voice came from above his head, “Bai Sijun, what are you doing?”
