If You Could See the Sun (93)

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“It’s a deal then,” I say, angling my head to look up at him. “You’ll become the head of the number one tech start-up in all of China, and I’ll be a renowned, award-winning journalist or English professor. Together, we’ll—”

“Be the nation’s greatest power couple?” he offers.

“I was going to say conquer the world,” I admit. “But sure. I guess we can start small.”

He laughs, and the sound is like bottled magic. Like birdsong.

I turn my gaze toward the sky, my fingers still intertwined with his. In the distance, the darkness has started to lift like a veil, the first light of dawn spilling over the Beijing skyline, a promise of all the beautiful and terrible and sun-soaked days to come.



* * *





Acknowledgments


I have a small confession to make: when I was drafting this book in the dim light of my college dorm, I would often stop and daydream about one day writing the acknowledgments section. That I get to actually live out this silly daydream now is thanks to many, many people.

Thank you to my superhero of an agent, Kathleen Rushall, for believing in this book, and in me. From our very first email exchange, I knew it would be a dream to have you in my corner, and I remain in constant awe of how masterfully you handle everything. None of this would have been possible without your enthusiasm, wisdom, and guidance. Thank you also to the entire team at Andrea Brown Literary Agency for all your incredible work.

Thank you to Rebecca Kuss for seeing straight into the heart of my story and opening up the doors to the publishing world, and to Claire Stetzer for taking me in and making me feel at home. My endless thanks to the brilliant Bess Braswell, Brittany Mitchell, Laura Gianino, Justine Sha, Linette Kim, and everyone at Inkyard Press for your dedication and support. A huge thank you to Gigi Lau and Carolina Rodríguez Fuenmayor for the cover of my dreams—I still cannot believe how stunning it is, and how lucky I am.

Thank you to the extraordinary Katrina Escudero for everything you’ve done.

More thanks to my wonderful former teachers: Mr. Locke, who encouraged my writing all the way back when I was a very obnoxious Year Seven student. Mr. Mellen, who taught me how to craft an essay and sparked my interest in the humanities. Ms. Nuttall, who told me I was a writer and helped me believe it too. Ms. Devlin, who inspires me every day with her passion and knowledge and is a literal saint.

All my thanks to the authors I admire, both as writers and as people. To Chloe Gong, for being such a huge source of inspiration and serotonin—please know I will always be one of your biggest fangirls. To Grace Li, for being one of the very first people to read this book, and for being as incredibly kind as you are talented. To Gloria Chao, for being so welcoming and generous, and for paving the way with your words. To Zoulfa Katouh, for making me cry over your book, and also over your sweetest messages about mine—I’m so glad to know you. To Vanessa Len, for being so supportive from the beginning, and for being so patient in explaining how taxes work. To Em Liu, for seeing the heart of my book, and understanding all the little references. To Miranda Sun, for hyping me up all the way back when I first signed with my agent, and for your delightful company online. To Roselle Lim, for taking the time to read this and writing such a lovely blurb—I couldn’t be more honoured.

Thank you to Sarah Brewer for being the first person to read one of my earlier, embarrassing attempts at a book, and saying such kind things. Your encouragement meant more to my teen self than I can express.

A huge thank-you to all the lovely book bloggers and librarians and early readers. To everyone who celebrated with me on Twitter when my book announcement went live, who commented the nicest things on my cringe TikTok videos and Instagram posts, who liked my excerpt in the Facebook Beta Readers and Critique Partners group, who added my book on Goodreads when there wasn’t a cover or even a blurb. You’re the reason I do this, and get to do this.

Thank you to Phoebe Bear and Fiona Xia for being amazing friends, and amazing in general. Phoebe—remember when I mentioned this new book idea I had at brunch and you said, “I’d read the shit out of that”? I’m infinitely grateful you did. And Fi, who’s cheered for me despite still not knowing what YA is—I’ll always cheer for you too in everything you do. Thank you also to the Khorovians, who are some of the warmest and most talented people I know.

Thank you to Taylor Swift for existing.

Thank you to my little sister, Alyssa Liang, for being my first and biggest fan. Thank you for your puns and your patience, your constant reassurance that the book isn’t bad, and your excitement, which often exceeds even mine. Though I’d been prepared to remain an only child, I’m grateful every day that I’m not.

And finally, thank you to Mama and Baba, who are prouder of me than I deserve, and far less strict than the parents in this book. The only reason I am able to get anywhere is because I know there will always be a home waiting for me, with warm clothes and sliced fruit and all my favorite dishes.