Chapter 4: The past is like clouds and smoke, but there's no trace of you having been here

  In the evening, all the classmates in our dormitory returned. Until the lights were turned off, this period of time was the most lively. Everyone was either reading books, chatting, surfing the internet or preparing for rest.

  "Qing Yi, lend me your notebook and let me take a look! Your notes are the most detailed." Little Sakura said to me.

  I handed it to her, and continued to tidy up my flowers. I cut a small part of the stem at an angle with scissors, and then inserted it into a glass bottle filled with water printed with white flowers, just like the flower arrangement in the book, making the flowers look even more beautiful.

  "Oh no." Along with Sakura's flustered tone, I saw her face redden as she crouched down on the ground, fiddling with something.

  "It's all over, and coincidentally, the QQ number is blurry and can't be displayed." She said dejectedly.

  "Oh, when I flipped it open, this note fell out." she continued.

  I followed her gaze in the direction of her hand, but she was holding a piece of paper, staring at it without blinking, and she must have hoped it would restore.

  What's this note? It came from my notebook. So it was that boy I met in the library this afternoon who left it for me? But why didn't he say anything?

  What's wrong? I'm all confused.

  I only then saw the note, on which was written: "After seeing your poem, I want to exchange ideas with you, add me!" followed by a QQ number, but several characters were unfortunately ruined because the note had fallen into water and got wet. Because it was unclear whose cup of water had been spilled onto the floor!

  I recalled that earlier in the library, I had exchanged notes with that boy using a piece of paper and then hastily said goodbye because I was thinking about meeting Dandan, but I forgot to look at my notebook. Why didn't he tell me? I carefully searched for details from back then in my mind, but everything is now vague. Maybe it's because I was too focused on reading books that I didn't even notice him putting a note in my notebook.

  If he knew, then the emotions with which he wrote this note to me would have vanished just like the water-soaked words. And the future literary exchanges that could have taken place would also be buried along with the lost QQ number due to my negligence.

  "Qing Yi, did you write down this QQ number before? Xiaoyan asked, her eyes full of anxiety."

  "Oh, no!" I was still immersed in thoughts about that note.

  But when I caught sight of her eyes, I hastily comforted her: "Never mind, it's okay, really. You go rest now and have a good dream." I said with a smile.

  At this time, Dandan leaned over and saw the note, giggling: "What's with the QQ number? So you've been hiding something from me? How many times have we met now?"

  "No way, you're talking nonsense." I couldn't help but laugh and cry at the same time.

  This is my friendly roommate, one day if I have to leave, I will definitely feel very reluctant.

  I stared at that QQ number alone. I know, what's lost can't be found back, but in my heart there's a strange emotion, a hint of apology, and seemingly a sense of melancholy, is it for the exchange of literature or something else? I couldn't make myself clearer.

  However, the QQ number suddenly brought a person's shadow into my mind, He Xiying, my middle school classmate.

  He left a message for me on QQ one day, after we had both left school and a long time had passed: I'm in another city, a city full of blooming flowers, but it's been a long time, how are you?

  On this windy night, outside the window is a quiet world, where you can faintly see the lonely shadow of falling cherry blossoms. The moonlight is bright and clear through the window. At this moment, I think of him, and I start to recall those past memories that float quietly in my mind like flower petals.

  And all of this has nothing to do with the owner of this QQ number in front of me.

  Oh, Wen Yu, I lost your QQ number, but the memories that came back didn't have any trace of you having been there.

  In my memory, Xi is handsome and likable. Now he is in a foreign country, I don't know if he is still the same as before, I don't know if he is like me, still expecting something beautiful in his heart.

  But I also understand that time forgets, past events are like clouds and smoke. Those were just the flowers of a bygone era that bloomed in my heart.