As We Grow

From the moment she met Su Cheng Yang, the whole of her youth was crafted.

Yi Ling chased his back, followed after his footprint under the soft ray light of that summer.

To Yi Ling, Su Cheng Yang was the joy in her early childhood, a sweet cup of tea from the summer during her teenage years.

They grew up. Fall apart. The two are warring people, with different dreams, different thought and that was how they fall apart. As they grow, they realized one thing, Youth never return. They have been learning from both the wrong and the right way. A second chance of encounter, they slowly learn how to love again, slowly to learn from one another's differences and accepting


A book dedicated to my youth, to you and the people around me. As we grow up, we learn to forgive, we learn to love, we learn to fall, we learn to accept and we learn to get up. As we grow up, we become wiser and mature. To our youth that will never return, this is a story from us and them.

author's note; to get frequent updates and read more chapters go and read from webnovel as this book is originally published in webnovel.




Chapter 1
The Name That Craft Her Youth

September 2001

Yi Ling's aunt woke her up early in the morning. Aunt Lin knew, if she didn't shake her little niece awake, the little girl would likely fall back in a deep slumber.

'Girl, wake up!' Aunt Lin opened up the curtain inside the room as she called Yi Ling. It was still dark. however, not as dark as the previous midnight sky as a little light slowly lighten the sky from the outside.

'Girl, time to wake up for school. or you will be late.' Hearing her aunt calling her for the second time, Yi Ling opened up her little eyes. she felt that her throat was sore and her head was slightly dizzy. Although her eyes already halfway awaken, Yi Ling was still heavy with sleepiness. the girl had staying up late the previous night working out her given homework. The girl knew, if she didn't finish those homework, Teacher Gu, her mathematics teacher would not let her off easily and she will get punishment from him.

Yi Ling known for her gentle character, always staying at home instead of wondering around the streets and making troubles like those troublemakers. She would stay home and help out her aunt doing housework after school. However, Yi Ling does play out occasionally, especially with her loud and noisy best friend An Ran. Yi Ling was not an overly quiet girl and introvert. she was just an ordinary average little girl who would every so often listen to what the elderly said, and once in a while Yi Ling too would get into troubles. Especially under her friend influence. She was this type, often would get swayed away by others and often not. With An Ran along her side, such a strong and tenacious character, An Ran often dragged her good friend into troubles along with her.

'Haiya! This daughter! Really naughty girl! Look at Yi Ling, such a gentle girl, and you drag along your troubles with her! Haiya!' one day An Ran's mother said this to her when both Yi Ling and An Ran caught into trouble which ending up both An Ran and Yi Ling's guardian to be called by the school.

'Sister Wang, both children at fault. I'm not on anyone side. Both of them deserve to be punish!' Yi lIng's aunt said as she glared fiercely at Yi Ling. The homeroom teacher very well know that Chinese parenting often very strict. When the child caught into troubles, often they would get bitting and whipping from their parents. Knowing both children were her students, the homeroom teacher spoke gently and explain the situation to both guardians. At the end, Yi Ling received a good scolding from her aunt and her Third uncle when she went back home. On the other side, An Ran received a good whipping from her father instead of her mother. The next day, An Ran did not come to school. Yi Ling was concern, and knowing how An Ran's father can whip her daughter, Yi Ling headed to An Ran's house after school finished.

Yi Ling shivered in coldness when her quilt was being lifted by her aunt. That sudden coldness made her wide awake. Her aunt told her to get up and get ready for school. Looking at the time, it was still early. But she had to get up earlier since she had to bike for twenty minutes to school from her aunt's house. Not wasting anymore time, Yi Ling get up from her bed and get ready that morning.

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WHEN Yi Ling entered the living room which connected to the dinning table, she saw her Third uncle was already sitting while reading his daily morning paper. Meanwhile, her aunt was busy preparing breakfast. Seeing that her aunt had her hands full and packed, Yi Ling offered to help her to set up the breakfast. Once done, and breakfast was set up, just in time, Yi Ling saw her cousin Wen Wei entered the room.

'Ma, today i will come back home a little late. I promised Jia Hao to do self-study together. So we all are coming over to his house.' Wen Wei informed his mother as he took a seat. Hearing this, knowing Wen Wei personality, she eyed him suspiciously. Yi Ling knew her brother cousin always give those kind of excuses to get away and doing whatever he wanted to do. In fact that, often Yi Ling caught him and his friends loitering around the city. There was one day when Yi Ling caught him playing games inside the game station. Yi Ling was surprised to meet her cousin there. An Ran had dragged her along with her. When their eyes met, knowing that both of them are not supposed to be there, without spoken words, Yi Ling and Wen Wei pretended they did not see each other.

'Our Xiao Di very diligent in his studies recently.' Yi Ling said. Wen Wei glared at her. Yi Ling knew why. Wen Wei did not like to be called 'Xiao Di' (little brother). Yi Ling deliberately called him that.

' Yi Ling Jie, you are only a year and three months older than me. That makes it our age gap are not so wide. That's why, i am not as little as you think.' Third Uncle who had been quiet and was reading his morning paper burst in deep laughter hearing both children bantering. Like that, they had their breakfast together. And after that, Yi Ling biked to school.

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YI Ling was humming to herself as she drove her bike along the busy street of Xian. That morning was a scene she was familiar with, the bright clear sky that start showing enlightening life in Xian. Even the smell of that familiar morning was something she was used to it. The entire morning scene, it had something genuine tenderness as if embracing her with warmth despite the busy street, harsh cool autumn breeze that suddenly brush off the warmth in the summer. Still, the smell and the life in Xian, her home, is something Yi Ling will always get used to it. After all, this was the place her life started in, where her childhood life embedded in, the sweet scent of her home.

An Ran, who was riding her bike behind her friend, speed up her bike to catch up with Yi Ling when she noticed the familiar figure of her best friend which was way ahead of her. As she speed up, An Ran almost run out of breath, especially riding the bike in such speed while carrying her packed school bag. It was still seven o'clock in the morning. They had an hour before the school gate close, and although it was early September, with the starting of cool weather, Autumn begins, both friends didn't exactly like the Autumn weather. In northern part of China, the winter is known to be long and cold, lasting from late November all the way through the month of March. Since Shaanxi is a northwestern Chinese province, autumn in Xian is short and winter is long, dry and cold.

Thinking about the time she had to endure during the long winter make Yi Ling felt into solemness. Yi Ling felt the presence behind her. Just before she was about to glance behind, An Ran was already beside her riding her bike panting with her red scarf tucked around her neck. Yi Ling smiled.

'What happen to you?' Yi Ling knew her best friend must be rushing that morning. An Ran's cheek flared into redness and her forehead start to sweat. 'Morning rush?'

An Ran looked at her friend. Yi Ling short hair was shorter than before. ''No. I saw you already in front of me. So i wanted to catch up with your speed,' An Ran paused as they rode their bike. 'Eh, not bad. You cut your hair. How do i put this? Looking more youthful.'

Yi Ling giggled when she heard An Ran saying those to her, and because of her sudden giggled, her bike suddenly became a little unstable. Yi Ling almost hit the guardrail that separating them from the cool river.

'Eh, An Ran, aren't we still in our prime youth? why does what you just said sounds like we are living in our golden years?'

An Ran scoffed. 'Classmate Ling Ling, there is an old saying, when you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life in a manner so that when you die the world cries and rejoiced.'

Yi Ling burst into laughter when An Ran suddenly talk about manners and how it could bring such an impact in life. 'Anyway, that's not the point. My mother told me this,an sui sui shi bian (custom change with time; other times, other manners). She told me that I'm already in junior high school, i should learn how to speak mannerly and elegantly as a grown up girl.'

While An Ran was telling her about what her mother had adviced her, Yi Ling couldn't help but find what An Ran told her very amusing. ''Eh An Ran, you have become such a wise and refined girl today. Aunty Wang must'd dream the impossible dream last night after enduring such a long years with her boisterous daughter.'

An Ran glared at her classmate Ling Ling. 'i'm not boisterous,' then she smiled cheekily. ''Just that, I am a filial daughter with extraordinary high spirit that can amount the mountain and the river.' The bantering between the two friends did not stop there and became more lively despite the changing weather of autumn. Long time ago, the two friends made an oath to their friendship, friend for today, friend for tomorrow, and friend until the end of their lives. Their little friendship was not extraordinary. In fact, their friendship started as something ordinary; just like most girls and boys in their age finding friendship during their childhood journey. They shared little secrets to each other, often dragging each other into one another's mischief and troubles, they fought often and they made up. Something simple, yet, the friendship felt warm, filled with youthful memories. The autumn leaves fall on the ground. Soon the tree will get wither as winter driven the autumn away.

When they reached their school compound, both friends parked their bike. Using her key lock as usual to lock the bike, Classmate Ling Ling and her friend An Ran headed to their class once they ensured their bikes locked and well-parked. Yi Ling carried her heavy school bag which packed with books and papers. An Ran did the same thing.

'Classmate Ling,' An Ran suddenly whispered as she walk beside her. Yi Ling looked at her friends who was suddenly whispering.

'Classmate An An, if you want to invite me with your mischievous conduct, my deepest apology, i have to decline, I don't want to received another whipping from my aunt.' Yi Ling smiled at her friend with her lips pursed inside and her eyes cheekily open wide.

An Ran face became dark after hearing what her friend said to her. 'Why everyone always assume i would invite troubles to them eh? this morning my brother said the same thing before i could even tell him about taking me to watch a movie.' An Ran sulked.

Yi Ling nodded in understanding. 'You do cause trouble often, i agree with your ge.'

An Ran face fell darker. 'Weii, are you even my friend? You should be on my side not becoming my ge comrade.' Yi Ling burst in a cheeky laughter. without hesitation, An Ran asked Yi Ling for her mathematic exercise assigment given by Old Gu. 'If i don't finish this, old head Gu will slaughter me alive. Eh, i better be a good student and finish my homework.' An Ran mumbled as the two friend entered their classroom.

Although it was still early in the morning, the classroom filled with banters and liveliness. Half of the classroom seats already filled with the school bags. Three of the well known notorious troublemakers from her class were running about, chasing after one another, often knocking on their other classmate. When Yi Ling and An Ran saw them running towards their direction, both friend volunteered to give them a way, avoiding getting knock down by them.

'Childish! Wait until classroom teacher come in, see if they still dare to run about.' An Ran muttered. Yi Ling agreed. Suddenly, Yi Ling left shoulder being shook by An Ran. Yi Ling looked at her friend a little confused. Since An Ran was taller than her, Yi Ling had to stared up whenever she made eye contact with her best friend.

'What do you want?' Yi Ling asked.

An Ran shook her head to the front direction. 'Eh, Classmate Ling, your old crush sure is a diligent student with such lovable discipline. Unfortunately, his facial expression is not as lovable as his studies. Such a pity!' An Ran shook her head in sympathetic. 'If he become softer and his facial expression whenever talk with the others a lesser colder, with such a good trait, girls will not be scared to confess their puppy love to him.'

Yi Ling looked at the boy. His back, reminded her the time where often she would chase after him, under the soft ray of light, she walk behind his footsteps. He was one of the biggest part of her youth, one of the cause of her childhood joy. Su Chen Yang. The one name that craved her youth.