Our Tender Harmony

That night, four figures sat around a dinner table in one of the hotel’s more upscale restaurants: Xia Ruyun, Li Feiling, Wu Linjie, and Han Jingyi. Despite the setting though, they sat dressed in casual clothing—sweatpants, hoodies, tennis shoes. Bright lights filled the restaurant, casting everyone in a healthy, clear glow. It may have been nighttime outside, but the interior seemed to glow from laughter.

“… then, the teacher would make us do a core workout before we started class every day,” Han Jingyi explained to her enraptured audience. In the center of their table, a split hot pot bubbled, one side burning red, the other side a pale tan. Mushrooms, meat, and tofu floated in the pots. Reaching out, Han Jingyi fished out a piece of lamb before continuing. “Like, yes it was a stage-combat class, but I think it was a bit much. Everyone did, but it was our first class at the university, so everyone thought ‘well the university is prestigious, it's normal for them to do something a little weird.’ Then, by my third year he got caught having illicit relations with a couple students and got fired.”

“No!” Li Feiling’s mouth hung open. “You’re kidding!”

“I’m not!” Han Jingyi laughed, she reached down and pulled out her phone. “Wait, let me see if I can find the news article.”

“That’s wild,” Xia Ruyun hummed, taking a spoonful of the clear soup for herself.

“Yeah, why would you just throw away your career like that,” Wu Linjie shook his head. “Do you know how many people would kill for a teaching job at the number one ranked acting school?”

“The school’s number one for a lot of things, I think. It’s the one in City A, right?” Xia Ruyun tapped her chin.

“Yeah,” Han Jingyi answered while typing into her search bar.

“The academic genius among us, I see,” Li Feiling teased.

“Well… I can’t say that. None of us did super well academically, and the acting school doesn’t recruit through the traditional test score method either. I can’t do math to save my own life,” Han Jingyi’s eyes lit up, and she turned the phone to face the other three. “Here’s the news article!”

She slid the phone over, and for a moment, the table fell quiet, bar the bubbling hot pot in the center.

“Interesting…” “Still can’t believe it, what was going on in his mind.” “He had a wife too!”

And so, the dinner continued. Chopsticks clinked against the walls of the hotpot. Vegetables, beef, lamb, imitation fish balls, tofu, mushrooms, everything went into the pot. By the end of the evening, a new member had been added to the [Li-Xia Foster Shelter] group chat.

As Xia Ruyun fiddled with her phone, a quiet yawn left her mouth. After blinking away the tears, she flashed a thumbs-up to Han Jingyi. Li Feiling, meanwhile, put her card down with a smile. “Let me treat you all.”

“No, no, let me pay you back at least,” Wu Linjie reached for his own phone.

“You’re a guest, I can’t let you do that,” Li Feiling waved him off.

“Then let us pay at least,” Han Jingyi motioned to her and Xia Ruyun, who nodded in agreement.

“… No, I don’t feel like it,” Li Feiling shook her head after pausing for a second. “I have too much money, okay? Let me spend it.”

“Ohh, miss rich woman over here wants to treat us,” Xia Ruyun squinted, a smile tugging at her lips.

“Yes, miss rich woman does want to treat you all,” Li Feiling flipped her hair back. “I will not be taking any repayment. End of conversation.”

“Thank you then.” “Thanks.” “Bless up, my favorite rich senior.”

Following Wu Linjie’s comment, a round of laughter rang out as a waiter took Li Feiling’s card. After cleaning up, Wu Linjie and Han Jingyi stood, ready to go, only to get waved off by Xia Ruyun and Li Feiling.

“Head out first, we’re going to take it slow,” Li Feiling shooed them off. “You two are young, go have some fun.”

“Feiling and I are planning a post-meal digestion walk, so don’t bother us old ladies,” Xia Ruyun copied Li Feiling, shooing the two off.

After getting dismissed like a pair of students, Wu Linjie and Han Jingyi looked at each other. In unison, they let out an exasperated sigh before bowing and waving, heading out first. Once they walked out though, the moment they turned the corner, they turned to look at each other. Each could see the knowing look in the other person’s eyes.

“Like come on, you can’t tell me there’s nothing,” Wu Linjie rubbed his stomach. “Ugh, I ate too much.”

“No, me too. It was just too good,” Han Jingyi rubbed her own stomach. “But, yeah, I totally get what you mean. You’re going on a post-meal walk together. Alone? Hmm? What do you need to be alone for?”

“Tsk, tsk, they don’t even realize how cooked they are yet,” Wu Linjie shook his head. “Welcome to the group chat though.”

“Thank you, thank you,” Han Jingyi pressed her hands together. “You know, want to go on a post-meal digestion walk of our own?”

“I was literally just about to say that,” Wu Linjie’s eyes lit up. “Lead the way.”

Back at the restaurant, Xia Ruyun turned to face Li Feiling. “Miss rich woman, huh? Too much money?”

“I just feel bad making those two spend money, they’re younger than us after all,” Li Feiling sighed, tapping her finger against the table. “Linjie’s already spent a fair amount coming to visit us after all.”

“True,” Xia Ruyun smiled. “So, I don’t count then? Can I pay you back?”

LI Feiling just stared at Xia Ruyun. Her eyes bewildered. “No! Of course not. It’s my treat.”

“Tsk, stingy,” Xia Ruyun clicked her tongue.

“Yep, I’m very stingy,” Li Feiling turned to thank the waiter who returned with her card. “Shall we?”

“Let’s go,” Xia Ruyun stood up, grabbing her coat off the back of her chair. As she did, suppressed another yawn before turning to Li Feiling. “You called Jingyi an academic genius earlier, but weren’t you one too? Didn’t you go to a top acting school as well? It’s just as well-regarded as A City’s, isn’t it?”

“Well,” Li Feiling raised her finger, making her voice more nasal. “Technically it was number one ranked at the time.”

Xia Ruyun rolled her eyes so far back she swore she could see into her own brain.

“I dropped out right before my third year though,” Li Feiling began walking side-by-side with Xia Ruyun. Her eyes drifted towards the window as she reminisced. “So, I don’t really count it. I was a good student academically too. Originally I was going to be a finance and economics student, and the school had a top program for that too.”

“The truth comes out,” Xia Ruyun’s eyes twinkled with amusement. “You were the honor student the whole time.”

“I guess,” Li Feiling chuckled. She came to a stop before the elevator, pressing the down button. It lit up with a gentle white glow. “What about you?”

Before Xia Ruyun could reply, the elevator dinged, and the doors slid open.

“I was a very poor student,” Xia Ruyun laughed as they walked into the elevator. “If I passed, that was good enough. I started posting online at 16, but only formally debuted at 18. Luckily, I became popular then. Any later and I would’ve had to take the universal examination, and earlier and I might not have passed high school.”

“What a poor student,” Li Feiling shook her head, turning and clicking the first-floor button. “Tsk tsk tsk. What a shame.”

“Well, it turned out fine didn’t it?” Xia Ruyun spread her hands. “Life is good, especially here with you.”

Li Feiling’s eyes softened. “Aww, thank you. That’s so sweet of you.”

As the elevator doors opened, Xia Ruyun paused. “Wait, I forgot my phone in the restaurant.”

“What a way to ruin the mood,” Li Feiling broke out into laughter. As she did though, her eyes paused on Xia Ruyun’s eyebags.

Your forgetfulness has been worse recently… You really aren’t sleeping enough are you?

“I know, I’m sorry,” Xia Ruyun laughed as she and Li Feiling didn’t exit the elevator. She instead pressed the button to their original floor. As she did though, both she and Li Feiling remained unaware of the overwhelming concern flowing out through Li Feiling’s gaze.