On my drive home, memories of the past years started flooding back. It was like everything suddenly became clearer, even the little details I'd forgotten popped into my head. It's strange how life works. There were so many times when I thought we'd never cross paths again, but when I heard the bad news about her, I couldn't hold back my tears.
"Hi, I'm Lü Xiaoran." That's the first thing I remember her saying to me. It was around December that year, and I was at a clothing store I frequented, looking to buy some winter long-sleeved tees. Since I'd been to the store many times, the staff were familiar with me. They all greeted me warmly, and the person helping me that day was Hu Lei.
"Hey bro, we just got some new styles in. There are prints, embroidery, you name it. Which color do you like? I'll grab your size," Hu Lei said as she flipped through the clothes on the rack.
At that time, we weren't that close, and she didn't even know my last name. In this line of work, they just call every guy "bro" if they know them a bit, or "handsome" if they don't. After trying on a few shirts, I figured they were alright and went to pay. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a girl walk into the store, but I didn't pay much attention. She headed straight over to Hu Lei, and they started chatting. It was obvious she wasn't there to shop; she was Hu Lei's friend, and they were discussing where to eat after work.
That's when I got a good look at her. She was about 170 cm tall, maybe 166-168. I'm 175 cm, and she wasn't much shorter than me. It's rare to see tall girls from Sichuan, so she really stood out. They were laughing and chatting, and I just stood there watching them until the cashier reminded me to enter my card PIN. That's when I snapped out of it. It was clear they'd noticed me looking in their direction, and they exchanged glances, giggling, which made me feel super awkward. I quickly finished paying and rushed out of the store. I even snuck a glance back at her from outside. She was wearing something like a business suit, but what stuck with me most was her black stockings. I guessed she worked at a jewelry store. Her face still had some innocence to it, but her heavy makeup made her look more mature than her age. I didn't think too much of it and went on my way.
In the months that followed, I went back to the store a few times, but I never saw her again. Eventually, I forgot about the whole thing. About six months later, I was in a bubble tea shop when I heard someone call out from behind me.
"Hey bro, you're here too? You drink bubble tea?" I turned around and saw Hu Lei and her friend standing behind me in line.
"Yeah, I drink it every now and then," I replied.
"I didn't think guys usually drink this stuff. Are you buying it for your girlfriend?" Hu Lei gave me a strange look.
"Us guys? Girlfriends? Nah, it's just for me," I joked.
"Hey bro, we got some new arrivals again. Come by and check them out sometime."
"You're such a great employee, always promoting wherever you go. I'll come by this weekend. Hey, do you guys like bubble tea too?"
"Bro, what's your name? Let me make you a VIP profile so you can get discounts when you come in, plus birthday gifts and advance notice of promotions." Hu Lei pulled out her phone and a notebook, ready to take down my info. Her friend had already gone to find a seat.
"My name's Wang Peng. You've seen me so many times, and you still don't know my name? You've got no eye for detail," I joked.
"I've heard Qi Mei call you Peng Bro before. Come on, sit down and fill out the form for me," Hu Lei said, pulling me over to the spot her friend had saved.
I was seated right across from her friend, who smiled at me.
"I've got a form here. Do you want to fill it out yourself, or should I write for you?" Hu Lei asked.
"Why fill it out so thoroughly? Name, phone number, and birthday are all you need. Do I have to write down my hobbies too? Favorite movie? First time buying this brand? I don't even remember," I said as I glanced at the form.
"Filling it out won't hurt. The hobbies help us understand our customers better, so we can give you personalized gifts and better service in the future," Hu Lei insisted.
"Fine, just fill in whatever. I probably won't remember it anyway. Is that your friend? Wasn't she at the store that day?" I asked Hu Lei.
"You don't forget things, you've just got selective memory. Can't remember filling out hobbies, but you sure remember the pretty girls," Hu Lei teased with a strange look in her eyes.
I was at a loss for words, feeling my face turn red. That's when her friend spoke for the first time.
"Hi, I'm Lü Xiaoran. That day was my birthday, and we were deciding where to go for dinner."
"Oh, happy birthday," I said without thinking, unsure of what else to say.
I just remember the two of them laughing. I don't even recall how I left after that.