Early the next morning, Aunt He finished moving out. She loaded all their belongings into the car, with little He Qing dutifully helping out. Carrying a package larger than her own head, He Qing was panting heavily from the effort.
“Qingqing, are you sure we’ve got everything?” Aunt He reminded her. “If we forget sothing, we won’t be able to co back for it.”
He Qing counted the packages carefully. “We’ve got everything.”
She turned back to look at Lin Zhengran, who was heading out for school. Their eyes t briefly.
Everything that needed saying had already been said over the past month, leaving nothing else to add. Lin Zhengran kept it simple: “Safe travels.”
He Qing’s gaze was complicated. She hesitated, then called out, “Lin… Lin Zhengran!”
He stopped in his tracks.
He Qing stamred, “While I’m away… could you… could you try not to hang out with other girls too much?”
Confused, Lin Zhengran frowned in disdain. “Do I look that free to you?”
The adults nearby burst into laughter, amused by the interaction. Their chuckling left He Qing so embarrassed that she began nervously fiddling with her hands, wishing she could disappear.
Lin Zhengran’s father, Lin Yingjun, chid in, “Don’t worry, little Qingqing. I’ll keep an eye on Zhengran for you until you co back.”
He Qing bowed her head even lower. “Thank you, Uncle…”
“You’re welco, haha!”
Aunt He urged, “Qingqing, say goodbye to Zhengran. It’s ti to go.”
He Qing waved at Lin Zhengran, and he waved back.
The two climbed into their respective cars and drove off in opposite directions.
As He Qing sat in the car, she kept turning around to look back until finally settling into her seat with a wistful smile.
Though they were parting ways, she was already looking forward to seeing Lin Zhengran again in a few years.
By then, he’d probably be very handso—he already was, after all.
Surprisingly, He Qing and Lin Zhengran didn’t drift apart as much as one might expect in the year following their separation.
He Qing would often call him from her hotown, sharing updates and asking about his life.
“Lin Zhengran, I showed my grandma the video of winning the championship. She said I was amazing! I told her it was all thanks to a boy nad Lin Zhengran who taught ! Grandma even said she’d like to et you soday.”
“Is that so.”
…
“Lin Zhengran, are you walking to and from school alone these days? You’re not… hanging out with other girls, are you?”
“No. Do you seriously think I have that much free ti?”
…
“Lin Zhengran, my grandma’s health was improving, but she got sick again recently. How have you been?”
“… I’m a kid. What could possibly be wrong with my health? I’m growing strong!”
…
“Lin Zhengran, it’s been over a year since I moved back. Ti feels so slow. We’re only in third grade now, and there’s still fourth, fifth, and sixth grade to go. When will we finally reach middle school?”
A year later, in fourth grade, their phone calls beca less frequent, dropping to about once a week, and later to once a month. By the second sester of fourth grade, the calls were sporadic, happening only when He Qing experienced sothing particularly joyful or upsetting.
The thread of their connection, like the telephone line, remained unbroken.
Today, in the southern town where He Qing lived, it was a drizzly day. Nine-year-old He Qing dressed for school as usual.
Having grown taller and more beautiful over the years, her ponytail was now longer than ever.
She rode with her mom to school, carrying her backpack into the noisy classroom.
“He Qing, did you finish your howork yesterday? Let copy it!”
She handed her howork to the girl sitting in front of her. “Just don’t copy it exactly. The teacher will notice.”
“I know! Thanks, Your Majesty!”
“I told you not to call that…” she muttered.
Though He Qing’s personality hadn’t changed much, she had taken Lin Zhengran’s advice to heart. Anyti soone tried to bully her, she’d fight back with full force.
Her iconic back-throws, perford publicly to demonstrate her strength, scared not only the girls but also the boys. This earned her the nicknas “Queen of Back-Throws” and “Her Majesty the Queen.”
He Qing disliked these titles, but she couldn’t stop people from using them. She had even complained about it to Lin Zhengran.
Perhaps because of her tough exterior, He Qing still hadn’t made close friends at her new school. She suspected her habit of back-throwing people when she first arrived had made her classmates wary of her.
At lunch, He Qing went to the cafeteria as usual. The rain continued, and she carried her umbrella.
As she walked down the path behind the school building, she heard an argunt. Curious, she looked over and saw a group of girls surrounding a pretty girl who seed vaguely familiar.
Upon closer inspection, she realized it was Han Wenwen, a classmate known for her beauty and popularity with the boys.
“I already told you, it’s not my fault he likes !” Han Wenwen, cornered against the wall, didn’t back down.
One of the girls shouted, “Liar! You did it on purpose! I’ve walked to and from school with him since we were kids. He even said he’d marry when we grew up! But ever since he saw you, he’s ignored and only pays attention to you!”
Another chid in, “Yeah, and my brother won’t stop talking about you! It’s all your fault!”
Han Wenwen retorted, “So your friends co to , and that’s sohow my problem? Do you see talking to them? Plenty of boys try to talk to every day. Maybe you should reflect on yourselves instead!”
“How dare you! Are you saying we’re ugly compared to you? That we’re all unattractive?”
The group began to shove Han Wenwen, scratching her face and pulling her hair.
He Qing rushed over. “Stop fighting!”
Despite her intervention, Han Wenwen’s face was scratched, and her hair was a ss. Still, her fierce personality shone through as she fought back, leaving marks on her attackers.
He Qing stepped in front of Han Wenwen and defended her. “Stop it! I’m in her class, and I can vouch that she hasn’t been flirting with anyone. She barely even talks to the boys!”
Turning to Han Wenwen, He Qing asked, “Right? If I’m not mistaken, you usually eat alone, don’t you?”
Han Wenwen wiped the blood from her face and nodded.
The girls, now angry at He Qing, shouted, “Who are you? What’s it to you?!”
He Qing warned, “Don’t co any closer. Don’t touch .”
One girl grabbed He Qing’s clothes. Without hesitation, He Qing perford a back-throw, slamming the girl into the muddy ground.
With a loud splash, water and dirt flew everywhere.
The girl froze, then burst into tears. “It hurts! It hurts! I’m going to tell my mom!”
Panicking, He Qing tried to reassure her. “You’re fine! My back-throws are safe—I won’t injure anyone!”
The others, terrified, quickly backed away and ran off.
Han Wenwen, who had watched everything in shock, finally understood why He Qing was called the “Queen of Back-Throws.”
She had heard the nickna before, but seeing it in action was an entirely different experience.
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