BOSF 039: Unpolished Jade

A month had passed, and Xiang Yang’s calendar was filled with thirty black circles.

The weather had cooled, and the cicadas outside no longer chirped. After roaring through the hottest summer, burning out their lives, they now slumbered in the earth. The arrival of autumn brought a sense of desolation to all things, with a chilly breeze gradually creeping in.

The Mid-Autumn Festival was a time for family reunions, and every household symbolically ate mooncakes. Li Lilian bought a box of Xiang Jie’s favorite snow mooncakes, with chewy crusts encasing creamy ice cream filling. One bite was like eating ice. Children his age loved sweets, and Xiang Jie took a small bite from his mother’s hand, his lips smeared with vanilla cream, his eyes squinting with joy as he bounced around the living room. Li Lilian also bought other boxes of mooncakes for gifting, none as expensive as the snow mooncakes. After giving some away, they received a pile in return. With a small family, finishing all those sweets every year was a bit of a headache.

As if finally remembering Xiang Yang, Li Lilian picked up the last snow mooncake but put it back down, opting instead for a jujube-flavored one from the neighbors to bring to his room. After all, the ice in the snow mooncake would melt if not eaten soon.

Xiang Yang rarely answered the door or opened it himself. So, after knocking once, Li Lilian pushed it open. “Mooncakes from Ji Yan’s family. Want one?”

Though the weather had turned cooler, Xiang Yang still wore short sleeves, as if oblivious to the changing seasons or stubbornly clinging to summer. He seemed to have sealed himself off, isolated from everyone around him. But at the mention of Ji Yan’s name, his eyes flickered, and he glanced toward the door—a rare reaction.

Li Lilian briefly met his gaze. Hearing no response, she didn’t ask again, simply leaving the jujube mooncake on the cabinet by the door.

After she left, Xiang Yang slowly rose from the floor, walked to the cabinet, and picked up the mooncake.

It was only the size of his palm, a small bite for a guy’s appetite. Ji Yan always said mooncakes were too sweet, too cloying, and would split one with him.

In the past, when Ji Yan came over, he’d bring various flavors of mooncakes, asking Xiang Yang which one he wanted. Xiang Yang would pick the one Ji Yan’s gaze lingered on the longest.

Ji Yan didn’t realize he’d given himself away, or perhaps he didn’t know how closely Xiang Yang observed him. He’d smile and say, I was just thinking of eating that one too.

Xiang Yang knew, though. No matter which mooncake he chose, Ji Yan would say the same thing. His attempts to understand others’ emotions, to listen to what they said, to form an emotional bond with someone—it all started with Ji Yan.

Recalling this, Xiang Yang’s expression softened, the barrier that kept others at a distance seeming to fade. That name seemed to reconnect him to the world, his heart softening with a bittersweet ache. Clumsily, he tore open the wrapper and took slow bites of the mooncake.

Li Lilian didn’t know that even if she’d given him the expensive snow mooncake, Xiang Yang might not have appreciated her gesture. He liked few things, and because they were so few, he poured himself into them with near-obsessive focus.

Li Lilian vaguely recalled his earlier look. From childhood to now, she’d never understood what Xiang Yang was thinking. Just then, Xiang Jie ran over with his short legs, looking up and clinging to her pants, acting spoiled. “Mommy, I want more…”

“No, we’re about to eat dinner…” Li Lilian stroked Xiang Jie’s cheek, saying this but still handing him the last snow mooncake.

After the Mid-Autumn Festival, a rare outsider appeared in this remote village.

Shen Xiuqing got off the train and took a nearly two-hour bus ride to reach the village. The journey left her so motion-sick she felt like throwing up. Even after getting off the bus, the world still spun, but the cool breeze lifted her spirits, and she couldn’t help but marvel at the countryside. “Wow, it’s so beautiful.”

Outsiders were rare here, usually just people returning to visit family. Though there were scenic spots, they were far from the village and not on the usual route.

Curious villagers eyed her, wondering what a young woman was doing here.

Shen Xiuqing wore light makeup, a T-shirt, and jeans, exuding youthful energy that felt out of place in this simple village. Unfazed, she headed into the village right after getting off the bus, pulling out her phone to make a call. “Hey, Teacher, I’m here. The ride took forever—I almost puked…”

Whatever the person on the other end said made her pout defiantly. “It’s far, but I’m happy to come. What if she’s the unpolished jade we’ve been looking for?”

Listening to the response, she added, “No matter what, I need to see her in person first…”

“Okay, okay, that’s it… I’m done talking. Gotta find someone.”

Hanging up, Shen Xiuqing didn’t rush to ask around. Instead, she strolled leisurely, taking in the scenery. The village was mostly populated by the elderly and children—understandable, since young people rarely stayed, with little opportunity for growth.

She spotted a school in the distance, unsure if it was an elementary or middle school, along a relatively wide road. Heading toward it, she passed a vast field and stopped suddenly. Pulling out her phone, she logged into a social media site and found a photo of fields and mountain scenery. From this angle, it matched perfectly.

She smiled, murmuring, “This is definitely the place.”

To find this location, she’d asked countless people online and searched for a while. But she wasn’t here for the scenery. Her gaze lingered on the account that posted the photo, dated a month ago. The account usually shared origami photos, but on August 22, it posted this landscape with a caption that didn’t match: First time going to school together.

Now she understood—this was the route to school. This photo was what led her here. “I’m here, little cutie from the neighbor’s house.”

Finding someone based on one photo was tough, but at least it proved her target lived here. A photo from a month ago meant they likely hadn’t left.

Full of hope, Shen Xiuqing began asking villagers, “Excuse me, does anyone here make origami?”

The responses were consistent: “Don’t know.” “Never heard of them.” “No idea.”

Shen Xiuqing was surprised. She hadn’t expected the “little cutie from the neighbor’s house” to be so low-key. Usually, people posting photos online wanted to show off their skills or gain fame. They should at least be somewhat known locally. Shen Xiuqing had seen plenty of such accounts in her work and had contacted many. This was her job, and in this needle-in-a-haystack search, she’d taken a liking to this account’s origami work.

Rethinking her approach, she turned to children. Observing their toys and belongings, she spent over two hours before spotting a boy clutching a crumpled piece of origami.

The boy’s parent was nearby. Shen Xiuqing explained her purpose and crouched down with a friendly smile. “Little friend, can I take a look at that?”

Seeing a pretty older sister, the boy eagerly handed it over.

“Thank you.” Shen Xiuqing examined the origami closely and asked, “Where did you get this?”

The boy glanced shyly at his mother before answering, “…Xiang Jie gave it to me.”

Shen Xiuqing learned where Xiang Jie’s family lived. Knowing Xiang Jie was only five and couldn’t be the “little cutie,” she figured the real person was someone else—maybe Xiang Jie’s mother or sister?

At Xiang Jie’s home, she stood outside the apartment gate, not rushing upstairs but pressing the intercom.

“Who’s this?” a middle-aged woman’s voice came through.

Shen Xiuqing explained, “Hello, does anyone in your family do origami?”

Five minutes later, she stood before an iron door. A graceful middle-aged woman answered, followed by a cute little boy—clearly Xiang Jie.

Shen Xiuqing nearly called her “Auntie” but switched to a sweeter term. “Sister Xiang, sorry to bother you.”

Li Lilian smiled, a shy flush on her face. “I’m already an auntie’s age. Come in and sit.”

“Auntie, here’s my card.” Shen Xiuqing, adapting quickly, handed over her business card.

Li Lilian, receiving a card for the first time, fumbled nervously, taking it with both hands to read.

Puzhuo Art Studio · Shen Xiuqing.

Below was a tagline: Unpolished jade needs refining to shine.

Li Lilian didn’t quite understand but sensed this visitor’s purpose wasn’t simple. When Shen Xiuqing asked to meet the origami artist, her expression turned odd, hesitant. “It’s… not impossible, but…”

“Is it inconvenient?”

“Not exactly. The child just does it for fun… and he has some issues.”

People in the arts are often more perceptive. Shen Xiuqing sensed something unusual but didn’t back down. “That’s okay. Can I meet her?”

Seeing the girl’s persistence, Li Lilian thought she’d give up after one meeting and agreed. “…Alright.”

She knocked twice on Xiang Yang’s door. “Xiang Yang, someone’s here to see you.”

Xiang Yang, as if he hadn’t heard, kept his eyes lowered.

Shen Xiuqing opened the door and saw the scene: an empty room filled with piles of origami, a person sitting on the floor, nearly buried in them.

“Little cutie from the neighbor’s house?” Shen Xiuqing was stunned seeing Xiang Yang. She’d assumed the account’s name suggested a girl, and with such delicate origami, she never expected a tall boy.

Hearing a stranger’s voice, Xiang Yang didn’t look up, only glancing faintly at the door with no emotion, as if he didn’t care who it was.

Shen Xiuqing couldn’t help but think: This isn’t a little cutie—this is a big cutie.

No, a handsome guy.