Chapter 21.7| Becoming 18

The gathering came to a close shortly after nine-thirty amidst the festive chorus of "Happy New Year." 

As the group made their way down the staircase, a spontaneous rendition of the climax of "Forever Young" broke out, with voices united in song: "Just so young, still so proud—"

The musical snippet continued to loop even as they left the establishment, carrying on with a hint of lingering euphoria. 

Several teachers took charge, organizing students into groups and ensuring they had transportation and routes home, dispersing the crowd in about half an hour.

The members of the "foodie group" split into two groups, with Xing Xiuze and Nie Hai escorting Lin Xipei home, while Xu Zhiyi accompanied Meng Yin. 

The restaurant was conveniently located near Yin's usual subway station, and after a brief discussion, Xu Zhiyi and Meng Yin decided to walk back, while Xing Xiuze hailed a cab.

Walking side by side, Zhiyi and Yin's hands brushed against each other, the biting wind whipping past their cheeks without a chill. 

Yin suddenly called out to Xu Zhiyi, tilting her head to ask, "When did you learn to waltz?"

Watching him and Xing Xiuze move gracefully on stage, displaying solid foundational skills and a smooth performance, Yin mused about the scene. 

"My parents met at their university's freshman ball. My dad always tells the story of how my mom wore a bright orange gown, styled her hair in an updo resembling a Disney princess, and yet held a copy of The Story of the Western Wing, completely engrossed, ignoring the boys around her. My dad found a spot by the window and continued watching her read. That's how he fell in love with her at first sight."

Although dressed to the nines but not seeking the limelight, Yin could picture the romantic scene. 

Xu Zhiyi added, "My dad invited my mom to dance the opening waltz, and she agreed. Their relationship progressed rapidly, and they got married soon after graduation. Last year, on their 20th wedding anniversary, my mom mentioned her porcelain wedding anniversary, expressing her wish to see me waltz. So, I learned just for that occasion."

Xu Zhiyi's parents celebrated their wedding anniversary in Bali, coincidentally around the time Xu Zhiyi completed his GUM in New York. 

Curious, Yin inquired, "And Xing Xiuze?"

"Lost a game and got dragged along by me," he replied.

Yin couldn't help but find it amusing, though she tried to suppress her laughter.

"Do you wanna try?"

They walked on a gentle slope, their silhouettes elongated by the cold white streetlights, drawing closer to each other. Yin donned a French-style emerald green velvet long-sleeved dress, perfect for waltzing. 

Coming to a stop, Yin tilted her head back, meeting Zhiyi's gaze as she raised her eyebrows and agreed, "Alright." 

Xu Zhiyi didn't rush to assume the stance; instead, he held Yin's hand, guiding her through the basic steps of the waltz both theoretically and practically. Transitioning from a square step to a 90-degree turn and then a Contra Check, they stood side by side as if facing a dance mirror, reflecting their confidence and elegance under the bright moonlight above.

"Are you ready?" Zhiyi inquired, the guiding streetlights now acting as spotlights, centring them. 

Yin confirmed. 

Xu Zhiyi gestured for the dance, and after Yin's approval, she placed her hand in his palm, assuming the position. Feet parallel and aligned, weight on the front foot, left hand in a flower-like gesture resting on Zhiyi's triceps, right hand meeting it with the palm perpendicular to the ground, arms arched upward in an arc between the earlobe and eyebrow, shoulders squared, head turned 45 degrees to the left, thoracic spine extended 15 degrees, and neck extended an additional 15 degrees. 

Soft music played from a phone, not too loud, allowing the dance steps to flow smoothly with pivots and shifts. 

Their coats were cast aside, wisps of white breath escaped their lips as the biting southern night wind failed to dampen the joy and contentment of the warm and lively moment.

Zhiyi and Yin met at the end of the song, their eyes shining brightly with starlight, scattered in this world.

"Xu Zhiyi, this is our first dance," Yin said with a slight pant, a smile on her face.

"No, it's our first dance at 18," Zhiyi corrected.

In essence, their first dance was at the opening ceremony of the sports meet.

The young promised discreetly, saying, "We will have many more dances, many, many more."

Xu Zhiyi let go of Yin's hand, crouched down to hug her tightly, their chests warmly pressed against each other, the atmosphere filled with passion.

"Meng Yin," Xu Zhiyi's breath enveloped Yin's ear, and he said very solemnly, "I'm into you."

At the beginning of 18, with the promises and responsibilities of adults, a sincere and earnest confession.

Laughter shook in Zhiyi's chest, and he only heard her say, "What a coincidence, I do too." Yin looked up, gazing into his eyes, "Xu Zhiyi, I like you, the kind of liking that has long been deeply rooted."

Dressed in their coats, the two of them walked hand in hand, strolling down the slope towards home, chatting casually along the way.

"Xu Zhiyi," Yin called out his name, asking, "In Mr Wang's game, if we were to switch positions, what would you say?"

Before the start of the game, Mr Wang added a rule - no reverse selection was allowed.

This meant that when Meng Yin called out to Xu Zhiyi, his choice would be everyone present except for Meng Yin. So, before choosing to call out to Mr Wang, he smiled helplessly at Yin.

Yin felt the grip of her hand tighten as Xu Zhiyi said, "The same thing you want to say, plus one more thing," Zhiyi paused, his rich voice landing in Yin's heart word by word, "I hope you can always be open-minded and joyful."

Xu Zhiyi recently realized that his understanding of Yin was like studying a symbol. With each layer of understanding, he could grasp her connotation. He thought, perhaps even Yin herself was not aware that she possessed fascinating qualities and traits - her emotions were abundant and powerful, her spirit was independent and resilient, her thoughts were free and progressive. No one's life is smooth sailing; setbacks and achievements, pain and happiness coexist. He hoped his girl would have fewer disappointments and more joy and pride, and he would walk with her through the darkness to the centre of thunderous applause.

Yin suddenly stopped, pulling Zhiyi's hand and halting their steps. She walked on the inner side, half of her figure hidden in the darkness by the night light. After a while, Yin said, "Xu Zhiyi, the words I most want to say to you are actually 'I hope you can smile more, smile bigger,' " and ended with, "At least to me."

The words spoken at the gathering were what she wanted to tell Xu Zhiyi, but they shared an unspoken understanding of this sentence.

Understanding a person is like deciphering the progressive emotions in a performance; deep emotions do not require dramatic ups and downs but are often reflected in insignificant details and eye contact. Most people's impression of Xu Zhiyi is humble and polite, steady and proper, not arrogant or rash, but once you see Xu Zhiyi's exuberant laughter, you will realize that Xu Zhiyi is a spirited young man.

She hoped that at this age, he wouldn't have to be perfect in everything he does, nor suppress his true emotions. She wanted her young man's smile not to be superficial, not out of courtesy, not because of social etiquette, but simply because he was happy, relaxed, and wanted to smile.

Xu Zhiyi scratched Meng Yin's head, pulling her out of the shadows, "I see."

Then, he planted a kiss.

Night fell sticky. They exchanged pleasantries of "Happy birthday," "Happy New Year," and "Goodnight," yet it seemed there were endless words left unsaid. 

As the hour grew late, Yin walked towards her front door. Just as she took a few steps, she rushed back out and handed a box to Xu Zhiyi, pecking his lips gently. "Xu Zhiyi, this is your coming-of-age gift. Goodnight," Yin smiled in the darkness. 

Stepping back, he added, "And remember, let me know when you get home." 

With that, she hurried back inside, feeling apologetic.

Upon Xu Zhiyi's arrival home near midnight, the sound of firecrackers filled the air. Looking up, he saw fireworks lighting up the endless night sky in different colours. Revellers celebrating the New Year were indulging in fireworks outside the city's restricted area. 

As Zhiyi opened his door, he took out his phone, texted Yin to confirm his safe arrival, and as the clock struck midnight, he sent a "Happy New Year" message. 

Almost simultaneously, he received a "Happy New Year" text from Meng Yin.

The living room, although spacious, did not feel cold. Mrs. Xu was video chatting with Mr. Xu to celebrate the New Year together. 

During the Christmas holiday, she was able to return to attend Xu Zhiyi's coming-of-age ceremonies, while Mr. Xu was in North America negotiating an important partnership and couldn't make it back. 

As Xu appeared in the background, Mrs. Xu noticed a small square box in his hand. She greeted him and asked, "Back from your date?" 

Before Zhiyi could respond, she turned to the camera and said, "Our son is much more gentlemanly when pursuing girls compared to you back in the day."

Xu Zhiyi: "..."

The fact that their son had feelings for someone had long been noticed by Mrs. Xu, but her son, Xu Zhiyi, had not revealed the identity of the girl. She inquired about it from Xing Xiuze. It was only recently that their children had started seeing each other, which her son had just informed her. 

Mrs. Xu pulled her biological son aside to have a chat with his father before remembering to tell him, "Xiuze is waiting for you in your room."

As she ascended the stairs, Xu Zhiyi overheard her parents discussing the events of the coming-of-age ceremony that afternoon.

The room was dimly lit, and Xing Xiuze was not playing games but lying on the sofa, staring at the ceiling. 

The ceiling displayed a starry sky, showcasing all the discovered nebulae patterns. The starry sky was a surprise gift from his mother on one of his birthdays. Xu Zhiyi wasn't particularly interested in these cosmic gases and dust, but sometimes the feeling of falling asleep while looking at them... wasn't too bad. 

At this moment, the "Bow Tie Nebula" floated overhead. This primitive nebula, 5000 light-years from Earth, expanded adiabatically and was also known as the "Bow Tie Nebula." The polarized filter of the Hubble Space Telescope captured an image of the nebula, presenting a rainbow-coloured bowtie-shaped asymmetrical nebula.

One of them placed a square box on the shelf, sat down, and asked, "What's wrong? Not coming home at midnight."

Xing Xiuze sat up, leaned his head back, still looking at the nebula map, with a melancholic prince-like demeanor, saying, "They went to celebrate, leaving me alone to guard the big house, feeling empty and lonely."

Without a word, one leaned back, gazing at the constantly shifting nebula, and asked straightforwardly, "What happened between you two later?"

Xing Xiuze, Nie Hai, and Lin Xipei rode home in a car, although they weren't exactly on the way, they didn't take too many detours. Dressed in suits and formal dresses, the three of them, rarely in the car together, refrained from teasing each other on the road.

After safely dropping off Lin Xipei at home, the radio in the car played the evening program, with the host reporting real-time traffic conditions and discussing popular topics, making the back seat even quieter.

Xing Xiuze twirled his phone like a spinning top, and remarked, "You were quite impressive today."

Hai changed into a dark green suit in the evening, paired with an orange floral tie, the suit seemed to elevate Nie Hai's stature, exuding a poised and elegant charm. The retro forest colour scheme brought out another side of him, showcasing sophistication and grace.

In the banquet hall, Xing Xiuze found it hard to take his eyes off Nie Hai, as if he had peeled back a layer and discovered a different side of him.

"You're not bad either." Hai turned to glance. Although the dim backseat made it hard to see clearly, it didn't diminish the memorable impression Xing Xiuze had left today, "You danced the waltz quite well."

Attempting to maintain a flirtatious atmosphere, which dispersed along with the car exhaust.

In the following time, Xing Xiuze lamented to Nie Hai about how he was deceived by Xu Zhiyi into learning to waltz for over a year.

As the story ended, the car came to a stop.

After Hai got out of the car, Xing Xiuze pressed the window button to call him back, asking, "Nie Hai, reconsider tutoring?"

"Why are you so eager to tutor me?"

"To satisfy the vanity of being 'first in humanities'?"

"Rejecting the offer to be the tenth in the science class?"

"Ni Hai's refusal to tutor me, his first student at this age, to the coldness of the Knot Nebula. "Xing Xiuze pointed at the nebula and went on to explain how its outer edge was once surrounded by gas clouds, with the outer temperature seemingly warming in recent years. By analogy, he believed that Ni Hai's stoic demeanour would eventually give way. 

The Knot Nebula, neither vast nor particularly beautiful, is a humble presence in the vast universe, yet it endures. Amidst the darkness, Xu Zhiyi's lips curled slightly, indicating that Xing Xiuze's emotional perspective mirrored his persona - passionate yet not impulsive."