Chapter 72: Distance Can Create Beauty

The streetlights were just coming on, and the night was hazy.

On Yanwu Tower Avenue, vehicles and pedestrians came and went, creating a bustling scene. Many snack stalls and small restaurants were lively, with customers arriving in a continuous stream.

Among the traffic, dominated by motorcycles and bicycles, Su Chunfeng rode his bike slowly, casually taking in the night view of Yanwu Tower Avenue. Sitting sideways on the back seat, wearing her school uniform, Zhang Lifei held onto the iron frame of the seat. Her long legs were pressed tightly together and slightly hooked inward, with the heels of her white sneakers lightly resting on the axle bracket. Her head was lowered, her delicate cheeks flushed with shyness.

Earlier, when they left the school gate, the school security guard had looked them over, and their Homeroom Teacher happened to pass by and see them. So even for a cheerful girl like Zhang Lifei, she couldn’t help but blush and feel her heart race. But who could she blame? She was the one who insisted that Su Chunfeng give her a ride on his bike.

“Where to?” Su Chunfeng asked with a smile.

“Go east… a few days ago, I saw a newly opened Kentucky Fried Chicken.”

“Oh,” Su Chunfeng replied. In those days, probably not many people from the countryside had eaten KFC, which in a few years would become common and even labeled as junk food. Suddenly, he felt a slight tightness around his waist. Zhang Lifei had reached out and gently wrapped her arms around him, and then he felt a soft pressure against his back.

Zhang Lifei rested her cheek against Su Chunfeng’s back and whispered, “You don’t mind, do you?”

“Not at all,” Su Chunfeng chuckled.

“You won’t think I’m… I’m not proper, will you?”

“Silly girl, talking nonsense,” Su Chunfeng said, gently patting the smooth, small hands that were tightly crossed around his waist.

Happy, Zhang Lifei took the chance to hug him even tighter.

“We’re good friends, right?” Su Chunfeng said with a helpless smile.

“Mhm,” Zhang Lifei replied happily.

Su Chunfeng fell silent for a moment. This kind of obviously gentle rejection didn’t seem to have any effect on girls of that era and age. To put it bluntly, it was like talking to a wall. In Zhang Lifei’s eyes, good friends, a boy and a girl being good friends, that was practically dating.

At the intersection ahead, there was indeed a recently opened Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant.

In Jinzhou County Town at that time, the exterior decor and interior dining environment of the KFC restaurant appeared particularly unique and luxurious, drawing attention.

Riding to the bicycle parking spot outside the store, Su Chunfeng planted one foot on the ground and stopped steadily.

Zhang Lifei reluctantly and slowly loosened her arms from around Su Chunfeng’s waist. She got off the bike and stood to the side, her cheeks still slightly red, not saying a word.

Su Chunfeng locked the bike and said with a smile, “Let’s go.”

“Mhm, my treat,” Zhang Lifei emphasized.

“Either way is fine,” Su Chunfeng smiled. Just as he was about to turn and walk inside, he saw Zhang Lifei standing there, raising her right hand, biting her lip shyly as she looked at him. After a brief hesitation, Su Chunfeng generously reached out and took Zhang Lifei’s smooth, boneless little hand, leading her into the restaurant.

Inside, Su Chunfeng led Zhang Lifei to a seat by the window at the very edge and they sat down.

Because it was newly opened, and people in Jinzhou County Town were still somewhat unused to this kind of restaurant that seemed very high-end and likely expensive, the spacious and bright restaurant was not very crowded. Many tables were empty, making the dining environment seem even better—quiet and elegant.

Seeing Zhang Lifei’s innocent, curious look as she surveyed the inside of the restaurant, Su Chunfeng thought for a moment, then picked up the menu card on the table and handed it to her, saying, “Lifei, see what you’d like to eat?”

“You order, my treat,” Zhang Lifei said with a smile.

Su Chunfeng smiled and said, “Alright then, wait a moment.” Under Zhang Lifei’s curious and puzzled gaze, Su Chunfeng put down the card, got up, walked over to the counter, ordered two simple combo meals with fried chicken legs and burgers, paid, then carried the tray of food back with one hand, smiling.

Zhang Lifei’s pretty face flushed red instantly.

“Let’s eat,” Su Chunfeng said, gently placing a meal in front of Zhang Lifei.

“This… the staff could have brought this over, why did you have to get it yourself?” Zhang Lifei asked softly, her face red with embarrassment. She glanced at the two staff members in red and white uniforms standing not far away and added, “And we haven’t even eaten yet, why did we pay first? So annoying!”

“That’s just the rule in Western fast-food restaurants,” Su Chunfeng said with a smile, helping Zhang Lifei open a sauce packet. “Quick, eat up.”

Zhang Lifei was so embarrassed she could have hid. But seeing Su Chunfeng act so casually, as if he were very familiar with it, she asked in surprise, “Chunfeng, have you been to this restaurant before?”

“When I went to the city during the New Year, there was a KFC there. I ate there once.”

“Oh.”

The two of them ate unhurriedly while chatting softly.

“In a couple of days, I’ll be going to the city for school,” Zhang Lifei said, bringing up this topic. Her beautiful face, still flushed, showed a trace of sadness. Her bright, big eyes held a hint of tears as she said with grievance, “I don’t want to go, but my dad insists I go to Municipal No.1 High School. He says it’s better than the county schools.”

“That’s true,” Su Chunfeng said with a smile. “Municipal No.1 High School is famous as a cradle for university students.”

“But I just don’t want to go…” Zhang Lifei pouted. “If I go to school there, I won’t be able to see you and Haifei every day, won’t be together with you all the time anymore.”

Su Chunfeng continued eating and said with a smile, “Silly girl, is being together every day necessarily good? The depth and sincerity of friendship aren’t about being together day and night, but about lasting forever. Haven’t you heard? Distance creates beauty. It means that often, missing someone from afar makes the friendship feel even more precious. So, you should go to the city for school with peace of mind, study hard. In the future, we might even get into the same university.”

Zhang Lifei tilted her head, blinked her beautiful big eyes, thought about it, and felt it made some sense. She said, “Then, then in the future, on weekends, can you come to my house to play with me?”

“Going every week is obviously impossible. Occasionally, yes.”

“Then I can come find you too, right?”

“Mhm.”

“Then in the future, if there’s time and chance, you and Haifei can come see me at Municipal No.1 High School, and I can come back to County No.1 High School to see you guys, right?”

“Of course.”

Youth knows no sorrow. After Su Chunfeng’s simple guidance and comfort, Zhang Lifei’s earlier unhappiness and gloom quickly faded away. Instead, she began to feel a curious and vaguely happy anticipation for this future feeling of missing someone and looking forward to meeting them.

With an eager expression on her face, she suddenly thought of something and pouted again, saying, “But if I’m not at County No.1 High School, then you and Haifei can be together every day from now on. Who knows what you two will do, huh!”

“Hey, that’s a bit unreasonable,” Su Chunfeng said, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

“That’s true too,” Zhang Lifei shrugged, saying with a mischievous smile, “Haifei is so generous, me acting like this just seems petty, hehe… But, I’m telling you in advance, anyway, whatever you two do, Haifei will tell me. Then, hmph! You better not play favorites!”

Su Chunfeng was speechless. He thought, I kissed Wang Haifei twice, so does that mean I have to kiss you too?

Would that be fair?

…

Zhang Lifei left on Thursday morning. Her father, Zhang Kaida, drove his car to the school, loaded her and a pile of luggage, and took them away.

It was as if she had never been there.

In this highest institution of learning in Jinzhou County, with nearly three thousand students, the departure of one student whose academic performance was only above average caused no ripple at all.

The one saddened by this was perhaps only Wang Haifei.

As for Su Chunfeng, of course, he didn’t feel any sense of loss or sadness. Although he quite liked a lively, cute girl like Zhang Lifei, who was like a little lark, liking was not the same as love. He didn’t want Zhang Lifei to truly sink into the so-called mire of love due to his own helplessness and slight hypocrisy. That would be a sin.

Because he knew very well that right now, Zhang Lifei and Wang Haifei, with their youthful hearts, might still be naive about feelings. They could immaturely and simply accept this sweet idea of sharing love between best friends. But as they grew more mature… this very abnormal emotional situation would inevitably become a fuse. Who knew when it might suddenly ignite and explode? Friends could become enemies, and beautiful friendship could completely vanish.

Feelings are selfish!

If they separated like this during the most beautiful period, young Zhang Lifei’s vague feelings of first love would likely fade quickly as she integrated into a new learning environment and new circle of friends. Perhaps the beautiful, gracious, lively, and lovely her would even meet a better Prince Charming.

Still, to say that Su Chunfeng felt not a single bit of regret in his heart would be a lie.

What guy wouldn’t want to be deeply adored by a beautiful young girl experiencing first love?

What man doesn’t have vanity or a wandering heart?

What was comforting and pleasing was that with Zhang Lifei gone, a huge, seemingly permanent “third wheel” that had been stuck between him and Wang Haifei would be removed from their future lives. That was really convenient.

…

Saturday.

It was still dark before dawn. Su Chunfeng got up early, dressed, and quietly went out. He opened the courtyard gate, planning to go to the fields outside the village for a run and exercise, and then practice some martial arts sets to aid his cultivation. Since deciding to cultivate, whether at school or during holidays at home, he had maintained the habit of exercising and cultivating every morning without fail, rain or shine.

Just after stepping out and turning to close the courtyard gate, he heard hurried footsteps.

Su Chunfeng looked toward the sound and saw a figure running from the east. Because it was still dark, he only recognized it as Li Zhichao when he got closer.

“Zhichao, what are you up to so early in the morning?” Su Chunfeng asked, puzzled.

“Whoa, you scared me!” In the dark, someone suddenly speaking really startled Li Zhichao. He patted his chest as he walked over and complained, then immediately said urgently, “Chunfeng, quick, tell your mom! Uncle Chengzi in Central Hebei Province was robbed early this morning just as he was about to head back! He just called our house. So, my dad and mom sent me over right away to let you know.”

“What?” Su Chunfeng was greatly shocked.