Which way to go is the road?

After the final exams, everyone gathered at "Shuiyunjian" again. This time, the gathering was for the farewell tomorrow. Du Xinpeng, Tian Hai, and Lao You were all going home. However, this time Lao You would not be alone on the journey—Zhang Chu would accompany him. After all, Sichuan and Shaanxi are neighboring provinces, and the railway lines are in the same direction.

Bai Xue wasn't at this gathering; she didn't have a chance to meet Xiang Fei before returning to Inner Mongolia with her uncle. Xiang Fei still remembered the phone call Bai Xue made to him that day.

"Xiang Fei, the final exams will end at noon today!"

"Great! The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl can finally meet! What do you want to eat for lunch? Come to 'Shuiyunjian'! I just learned how to stew fish, you're in luck!..."

"No, Xiang Fei, listen to me, um, the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl might not be able to meet again until after the New Year!"

"What do you mean?"

"My uncle is going back to Inner Mongolia this afternoon and wants to give me a ride back with him. He'll drive, so I don't have to take the train!"

"Why don't you come back in a couple of days? I haven't seen you for two weeks, I've almost forgotten what you look like!"

"I have no reason! You know, I haven't told my parents about us yet, and the exams are all over. It wouldn't make sense for me not to go home!"

"Why don't you talk to your family about us? You're in college now, it's normal to date, it's not like you're dating too early!"

"It's not the right time yet!"

"Alright then, have a safe trip!"

Xiang Fei hung up the phone decisively. What else could he say? Should he continue to beg her to be honest with her parents about their relationship? Or should he pretend to be indifferent and offer some sweet words? Xiang Fei felt he had already done his best with the former, but the context and atmosphere for the latter were no longer there.

It was already evening, and Bai Xue and her uncle should have been halfway there. They hadn't been in touch at all, not even by text message.

The group dined together at "Shuiyunjian". Xiang Fei stewed a grass carp according to the recipe he found online, and Qian Luomei also packed a lot of food and two bottles of red wine from a nearby restaurant. The food and wine were not luxurious, but they were still quite plentiful.

Slightly tipsy guests clink glasses and chat, while beautiful women laugh and chat.

Dong Lu walked around the coffee table to Xiang Fei's side, clinked glasses, drank, and then whispered something in his ear.

"Be understanding of Bai Xue, she has her difficulties too. Besides, we'll be able to meet again after the New Year, there's plenty of time! Don't be stubborn." Dong Lu handed the phone on the coffee table to Xiang Fei: "Quickly send a text message. Bai Xue isn't a petty person. Just forget about calling her, her uncle is here, it's not appropriate to say anything."

Xiang Fei had originally intended to do the same, and following Dong Lu's advice, he quickly sent a text message to Bai Xue.

"Where are you? Be careful on the road!"

As long as the feelings are still there between couples, if one party takes the initiative to admit their mistake, there will be no regrets. Not long after, Bai Xue replied to the text message.

"The clouds are still, the wind is gentle, and the road is desolate; without you by my side, I am wounded everywhere."

After putting down his chopsticks and bowl, Xiang Fei pondered for a moment, his fingers darting across his phone screen, and replied with a comment.

"Youthful beauty remains, yet the heart endures; the moon hangs in the sky, reflecting her rosy makeup."

"Hehe, your face is flushed red, mine is just a blurry mess! Kiss you." Just as I received the text message, another arrived: "Your lips!"

Xiang Fei was smiling sweetly when Du Xinpeng suddenly snatched his phone away.

"Classmates, Xiang Fei has written another poem! No, it's more like Bai Xue and Xiang Fei collaborated on a poem!"

"Du Xinpeng, give me back my phone, please stop reading!" Xiang Fei rushed over, trying to snatch the phone, but was firmly held back by Lao You and Zhang Fang.

Du Xinpeng recited the poem with exaggerated gestures and affected manner, his eyes lighting up when he saw the next part: "Hey, this part is even funnier, 'Hehe, your red makeup is reflected on your side, my big head is reflected on mine! Kiss you!' And then there's 'lips,' which together means 'Kiss your lips!'"

Everyone burst into laughter, their eyes all turning to Xiang Fei. Xiang Fei blushed with embarrassment and quickly broke free to snatch his phone back.

Qian Luomei noticed that Tian Hai seemed a little embarrassed, and his smile was stiff, so she quickly changed the subject: "Hey! Writing poems, I don't think it's difficult at all. It's just a matter of rhyming, right? How about we each write a line? Let's treat today like New Year's Day! Let's have a poetry contest!"

"A whole song is a bit difficult, how about we each take a line? We don't require the person in the last line to rhyme with the person in the first line, as long as it sounds smooth!" Lao You added.

"Okay, that's settled then. Who wants to go first?" Qian Luomei looked around, her gaze finally settling on Xiang Fei: "Xiang Fei, you start! Just one sentence!"

Xiang Fei didn't refuse: "I loved celebrating the New Year when I was little, but now that I'm older, I don't look forward to it anymore. Getting older every year is a worry! So I'll just say this: 'Time is merciless and ages us all; where can we find youth again?'"

Everyone agreed, nodding in agreement. Then they heard Qian Luomei's voice: "So young, yet you're already making us look old. None of you are as old as me, so I have more reason to feel this way. I'll say it too: 'Two years ago, I was a beautiful 28-year-old; this year, my beauty has faded like tofu dregs!'"

Everyone burst into laughter, giving Qian Luomei a thumbs-up. Zhang Chu raised his glass of red wine: "Come on, everyone, let's toast Sister Luomei! Her courage to make fun of herself is something we should all learn from!"

After finishing his drink, Lao You stood up and continued in his previous tone: "I've just been getting by year after year, and my stubble has outgrown my age!"

Du Xinpeng stood up and touched Lao You's chin: "Lao You, you're talking nonsense. I just shaved my beard today, there's no stubble at all!"

"You know nothing! Poetry isn't about resemblance in form, it's about conveying the meaning! It's your turn. I want to see what good lines you can come up with!"

Du Xinpeng seemed to have been prepared, raising his glass: "Looking back, the past is unbearable; looking to the future, I will look down upon the entire land!"

"Good!" The crowd cheered. Although it didn't resemble a poem but rather a couplet, it dispelled the previous feelings of melancholy and was considered an achievement.

"Fourth brother, this isn't like you! So proper, acting all high and mighty!" Zhang Fang laughed.

"Mind your own business! I'll just surprise you at the crucial moment. It's your turn, go for it!" Zhang Chu resumed his usual goofy expression, which immediately made everyone feel comfortable.

Zhang Fang pulled Dong Lu to her feet: "Let's work together, one line each. I'll go first: 'Loving Lu isn't something that happens in just a few days.'"

Suddenly being gazed at so affectionately by Zhang Fang in front of everyone, Dong Lu blushed slightly and said in a sweet voice, "The Cangshan Mountains are my witness, and the snow is my proof!"

There was inevitably another round of cheers, and everyone drank another glass!

When it was Zhang Chu's turn, she couldn't recall any poems, so she went back to the attic, took out her guitar, and sang a song for everyone: Wang Zheng's "The Simpler, the Happier."

You talked about the road home

There are trees along the road that are full of flowers.

In autumn, the wind blows and the flowers dance lightly.

The sunlight will shatter into a lake

An unfamiliar city makes me want to cry.

Love has betrayed me once again.

Can you see the future clearly?

Can happiness be found by following the direction of a shooting star?

……