"Who do you think is calling?"

　　"Ha, two possibilities. Your bestie... or Mr. Ling. But it's probably your bestie. I remember Mr. Ling's ringtone is that Russian song, unless you changed it." Gu Pan had deduced this from the few times they'd been interrupted by phone calls.

　　"I haven't changed it. So, it's Shuping. But why does she always call at these moments? Haha." Ling Hanlu grumbled a bit, feeling a little embarrassed by her own indulgence, and laughed at herself.

　　"Are you sure you don't want to check? It might be important." Gu Pan gently patted Ling Hanlu's head through his hoodie. He leaned back against the wall, trying to suppress his laughter at her comical affectionate gesture.

　　"Yeah, you're right." Ling Hanlu squatted down, her messy hair struggling free from Gu Pan's chest.

　　It was indeed a video call from Xu Shuping.

　　The screen was filled with green. The image was shaky, often out of focus. It seemed to be among tree branches. Only when the camera was steady could the oval leaves of a tree be discerned. Just as details became clear, another shake sent the image back into a blur.

　　"Shuping, where are you?" Ling Hanlu asked, her unease growing.

　　"Took you long enough to answer, I thought you didn't have your phone with you! Haha." Xu Shuping pointed the camera at herself, pulling it back a bit. "Do you know what tree is behind me?"

　　"Can't see clearly with all that shaking, you're making me dizzy." Ling Hanlu squinted her eyes to no avail.

　　"It's a citron tree. There's a grove of them near my place... Hanlu, did you just wake up? Haven't even freshened up yet? Look at your hair, it's all over the place."

　　"Uh... yeah, don't talk about me. Are you out there alone?" Ling Hanlu ran her fingers through her hair.

　　"Yep, after lunch, the kids went to sleep, so I came out for a walk. I'm reliving my youth here." Xu Shuping shifted the camera towards the top of the citron trees, where the blue sky was visible.

　　Hearing the word "youth," Ling Hanlu immediately understood what Xu Shuping was hinting at. She just wasn't sure if her friend was wandering through memories of youth or still feeling trapped in it.

　　"Tell me where you are, I'll come find you!"

　　As she spoke, Ling Hanlu glanced at Gu Pan. Xu Shuping caught this glance and sighed lightly, chuckling. "You, just go back to what you were doing! I'm fine, don't worry."

　　"No, I'm coming over!"

　　"Then bring him along!"

　　2

　　**At the Square Entrance**

　　Xu Shuping smiled, dressed in a duck-egg blue tracksuit paired with white sneakers. Amid the early autumn foliage, she brought a touch of spring.

　　She walked up to them and hugged Ling Hanlu, then led the pair on a tour of the peaceful afternoon square.

　　"Flowers bloom here all year round. Phalaenopsis, hibiscus, verbena... and some I can’t name. Many of them bloom into autumn. Look at this verbena; it blooms year-round with an insanely long flowering period."

　　"Shuping, have you been coming here often lately?" Ling Hanlu looked down at the ground covered in lavender and pink, then back at Xu Shuping, who seemed detached from the mundane world. She felt her friend was trying hard to create a sense of clarity.

　　"I come whenever I can. Can't stay anywhere else." Xu Shuping met Ling Hanlu's gaze. The fatigue in her eyes was somewhat masked by makeup, but to the perceptive Ling Hanlu, it was all too obvious.

　　The women fell silent. Not even the fragrant feast of the flowers could disturb them.

　　"Where the heck is that citron tree, huh?" Gu Pan tried to break the ice. His approach was both genuine and charming in front of the two older ladies.

　　"Yeah, the citron tree... Wanna check it out?" A glint of excitement flashed in Xu Shuping's eyes.

　　"Hell yeah! I'm down to see it! It must be almost ripe, right?"

　　"Still a bit of waitin' to do, but it's comin'. C'mon, buddy, I'll lead the way!" Xu Shuping held out her hand, palm down. "Let's roll!"

　　Gu Pan took her hand with one of his and offered the other to Ling Hanlu.

　　The three of them moved forward like a pack of fish, all in sync, swimming towards Xu Shuping’s cherished spot.

　　Ahead, sure enough, was a small grove. They spotted the oval leaves from Xu Shuping’s video, their edges serrated delicately.

　　"I didn’t even know these were citron trees. First time Liang Chen took me here, he pointed 'em out. Said they grow 'em in his hometown too. Last October, when the fruit was ripe, we snuck in here to pick some. I know it's not exactly kosher, it's public property..."

　　"So you sneaked in?" Gu Pan patted the tree trunk, gazing up at the canopy.

　　"Yeah, around nine at night. Everyone else was done exercisin', and the kids were asleep. We grabbed one. Lemme tell ya, that kid can climb trees like a pro. Fast as lightning. I was worried the trunk might not hold, but he was up there in a flash..."

　　"Did you munch on what you picked?" Gu Pan was clearly more comfortable with these kinds of chats than Ling Hanlu.

　　"Sweet child, it's not as tasty as oranges. Mainly for home fragrance. If you want to eat it, you can candy it with sugar or make it into preserves," Xu Shuping touched her chest, her breath trembling slightly. "He asked me to bring the fruit back, said he couldn't do much for me, so this barely counts!"

　　"Does it smell good?" Gu Pan sniffed a couple of times.

　　"Of course. But after a while, I noticed the citron started to shrivel and develop spots on the skin, not as pretty anymore, so I tossed it early. Thought I'd get him to pick another next year... Little guy, that tree right behind you, that's the one he climbed back then!" Xu Shuping pointed about fifteen feet away.

　　Gu Pan followed her gesture and looked over, speechless.

　　Seeing both of them subdued by her heartfelt reminiscence, Xu Shuping felt uneasy. She straightened up, rallying herself. "Hanlu, I've made up my mind about something. I plan to visit Liang Chen's hometown soon."

　　"To visit his parents?"

　　"Yes, among other things."

　　"Money?" In fact, Ling Hanlu and Xu Shuping's understanding was just as tight as a spy duo. They were no less than her and Ling Kangwen's father-daughter duo.

　　"Yeah. I remember that day, that person said Liang Chen had a few things for him to do. I think, in the end, that kid must still miss his parents! Feels like he hasn't been filial enough, regrets in his heart. There's nothing else I can do. Only..."

　　"Alright. I'll go with you!" Ling Hanlu stepped forward.

　　"By train, okay? His first time out for school, he took the train."

　　"Alright. I'm in." Ling Hanlu felt her eyes welling up.

　　"When we meet Liang Chen's folks, just say we were his bosses back in A City, and the 210 grand is the paycheck we never squared away... Hanlu, does that sound legit?"

　　"No sweat. We'll brainstorm on the ride, plan it out."

　　"Liang Chen mentioned this famous Zen temple back home, packed with worshippers. They swear the Bodhisattva there works miracles, draws folks from miles around. Their incense burns different, thicker and longer. His folks never took him as a kid, afraid he'd get singed. Hanlu, let's go, pay our respects!"

　　"Okay. Count me in."

　　"They serve up the realest Buddha Jumps Over the Wall stew at a joint in their town. Gotta reserve ahead; the chef only cooks a set amount daily."

　　"We can book it on the train, right? Enough time?"

　　"Liang Chen also said during New Year's, every house in town decks out their doors with sugarcane bundles. 'Cause in their lingo, 'cane' sounds like 'good,' bringing in good vibes. Should be ripe by now, right?"

　　"Let's go check. Even if it's not New Year's, we can still get in on the good vibes. Things will look up."

　　"Yeah. Hanlu, thanks! For rolling with me like this," she said, hands already intertwined. "Thanks, babe!"

　　"If you're cool with me tagging along, it means a lot."

　　With that, Ling Hanlu noticed Gu Pan was MIA. She glanced around, scanning the flower beds among the trees. But she figured with his tall frame, if he wasn't in sight, he must've wandered off on purpose. Feeling a bit silly, she decided to stay put and wait.

　　Two minutes later, the child appeared at the end of a winding path, clutching a handful of small flowers and grasses of unknown origin, approaching with a beaming smile.

　　"How could you pick flowers?" Ling Hanlu feigned annoyance.

　　"Teacher, I found them by the river in the grass. I'm sure they're wildflowers. But aren't they beautiful?"

　　Approaching close enough, Gu Pan revealed between his fingers two bundles of blue and white flowers, delicately framed by leaves, quite shyly.

　　"They're beautiful. Are they for me?" Ling Hanlu stole a glance at Xu Shuping, fingers and corners of her mouth twitching, almost ready to act shyly in public.

　　"No," Gu Pan's eyes blazed intensely, though his words sounded cold.

　　"Oh?"

　　"They're for you all!" Gu Pan handed the two bouquets to Ling Hanlu. "Be happy!"

　　Xu Shuping took one from her best friend's hand, leaning in to smell it. Instead of the invigorating scent of awakening fruit, her nostrils filled with the faint herbal fragrance of plants.

　　In an instant, her eyes sparkled, responding to the afternoon sunlight, but more so to the profound satisfaction of youth's fulfilling end.