High King

XiaoMan Li

The campus hadn’t changed much over the years; the only difference was the people who came and went, each leaving behind unforgettable memories of their four years of youth.

Under the shade of the trees and beside the grassy fields, some younger students were quietly reading. The scene was serene and peaceful, giving Ye Fan and his classmates the sense that they had returned to the past, momentarily escaping the restlessness and clamor of the three years since graduation.

After graduation, everyone had been busy pursuing their careers and dreams, with many leaving the city. Except for Ye Fan and a few others, most of them were returning to their alma mater for the first time.

Not far away, the small lake rippled gently, its familiar scenery unchanged. The group still vividly remembered the sight of fellow students strumming guitars by the lakeside, singing campus folk songs—some melancholic, some full of spirit.

Even after so many years, whenever those melodies played, they evoked memories of a carefree, innocent time. The subtle sadness embedded in those songs stirred a bittersweet feeling, easily touching the heart.

The passage of time always leaves behind traces of bittersweet emotions.

Yet no one knew whether those people from back then could still pick up their guitars and sing. After graduation, it had become difficult to trace their paths.

“I vaguely heard from a friend that the melancholic guitar expert from back then is now singing at a bar in another city, looking much more weathered after a few years.”

“And do you remember the talented and beautiful lead singer from the school band? I heard she’s now working at a nightclub.”

Everyone could only sigh.

After graduation, many faced the harsh reality of the gap between their ideals and reality. Sometimes, life felt frustrating and disorienting.

After a brief silence, the group continued walking forward.

At this point, Lin Jia approached Ye Fan.

She was wearing a chiffon dress with alternating blue and white stripes, the hemline reaching her thighs, accentuating her long, fair legs. A black belt around her waist highlighted her slender figure, and her long hair cascaded down her front, framing her graceful curves.

With her delicate features, fair skin, and subtly slanted almond-shaped eyes, Lin Jia exuded a unique charm.

“You had a car all along. Why didn’t you mention it yesterday?”

“When did I get a chance to say anything?”

“So, are you not inviting me to ride in your car today?”

“I’d be delighted. Right here, I formally invite Miss Lin Jia to join me in my car.”

They both laughed at this.

Lin Jia brought up yesterday’s incident rather suddenly but quickly brushed it aside without lingering on it or lowering herself in an attempt to get closer to Ye Fan.

With a smile, she turned and left. Lin Jia was a smart woman. She knew that being overly deliberate would backfire, making things feel insincere. It was better to keep things natural and straightforward.

This subtle shift in attitude had also occurred among a few other classmates.

By the time they left the campus, it was nearly noon, and the group headed to a restaurant in the food district, where they dined at a popular venue.

Wang Ziwen privately invited Ye Fan to sit at their table, but Ye Fan simply smiled, went over to toast a few drinks, and then returned to the group he had been sitting with the day before.

“Ye Fan, I might have said some things under the influence yesterday. I hope you didn’t take it personally. Let me offer you a drink as an apology…” The male classmate who had previously lectured Ye Fan—claiming his fiancée was the niece of a bank executive—now took a much humbler approach, offering explanations for yesterday’s behavior.

The female classmate who had mentioned her husband’s promotion to vice president had also shifted her tone, speaking to Ye Fan much more politely.

“Let’s all raise our glasses.”

Compared to the previous day, Ye Fan’s table was much livelier, with frequent toasts and laughter. Classmates from other tables occasionally came over to clink glasses, and Ye Fan, unable to decline, toasted with each person. He even drank with those from Wang Ziwen’s table.

Liu Yunzhi remained calm. Although he had been embarrassed the day before, he showed no signs of it today, maintaining a composed and indifferent demeanor, as if nothing had happened.

“Everyone, I received a call last night—from across the ocean…”

The speaker was Zhou Yi, a refined young man who was rumored to come from a prominent family. His background was no secret among the classmates. Yesterday, Wang Ziwen had been waiting outside Haishang Mingyue City to personally greet him.

Everyone paused and looked at Zhou Yi. Whether in school or now, he had always come across as easygoing, never arrogant.

Zhou Yi shared some news: three classmates studying abroad were already on their way back to China, sparking lively discussion among the group.

“After graduation, we’ve all gone our separate ways, each with our own life trajectory. It’s rare to get together like this. The next time we meet, some of us may already be parents, and who knows how many years will have passed by then. Now that our classmates studying abroad are returning, I have a suggestion: let’s extend this reunion a little longer…”

Ye Fan returned home and made himself a cup of light green tea, gazing quietly at the phoenix trees outside the window, lost in thought.

The missed opportunities, the fading footsteps, the ever-receding road ahead—it all seemed like the falling phoenix leaves gently drifting to the ground.

Li Xiaoman, a name that had long faded from Ye Fan’s memory.

When they graduated, Li Xiaoman went abroad for further studies. In the first few months, they kept in close contact, but as time passed, the emails and calls gradually dwindled until they stopped altogether.

Rather than saying they were separated by the sea, it was more accurate to say they had forgotten each other across the ocean. The relationship, which had never received much support from their friends, eventually reached its predicted end.

Today, when Zhou Yi mentioned that Li Xiaoman was returning to China, Ye Fan felt a strange unfamiliarity upon hearing her name. It had been more than two years since they last spoke.

The reunion was extended to include a trip to Mount Tai, with all expenses covered by Wang Ziwen, Zhou Yi, and a few others. Though it would be costly for most people, it was nothing to them.

Three days later, at the foot of Mount Tai, Ye Fan saw a familiar figure. Three years had passed, but Li Xiaoman remained as graceful and striking as ever.

Standing about 170 centimeters tall, she wore sunglasses, her long black hair fluttering in the breeze. She stood tall and poised, her outfit simple and casual: a pair of shorts above the knee, showing off her long, fair legs, and a T-shirt with a cartoon print.

Li Xiaoman was undeniably beautiful, with smooth, fair skin, large eyes, and long lashes that made her look lively and intelligent. She wasn’t flashy, but she carried herself with confidence.

She chatted easily with the surrounding classmates, clearly a central figure but without seeming distant or aloof.

Next to her stood a tall young man, introduced as her classmate from the U.S. He had the distinctive, chiseled features of a Westerner: a high nose, deep-set blue eyes, and slightly curly blond hair. By Western standards, he was quite handsome.

“Hello, I’m Cade. I’ve… always wanted to visit Mount Tai, and now I finally get to see it.” The American youth spoke slowly but clearly, managing to express himself despite his limited fluency in Chinese.

Meanwhile, two other classmates who had studied abroad were already surrounded by enthusiastic questions about life and studies overseas.

After three years, seeing Li Xiaoman again made Ye Fan feel like time had shifted, as if the past and present were converging.

Both of them remained calm, exchanging polite greetings with none of the excitement or joy that might come with reuniting after a long separation. The atmosphere between them was serene, almost detached, like a gentle breeze passing by.

They exchanged only a few words before quietly parting ways. Some things don’t need to be said; silence itself can be the answer.