No one needed to make sacrifices. I didn't chase after you from the South City to Kyoto and then abroad, gradually losing myself in the process. Nor did you stay in the South City, distracted by taking care of me, losing the opportunity you'd always dreamed of—to change your destiny and transcend social class through your own efforts.
It's fortunate that this is the case; otherwise, how would I face the little girl from twenty years ago, who carried her schoolbag and walked several miles of mountain road to go to school in a remote town?
Now, we don't have to worry about blurting out "If it weren't for you back then" during some future argument, nor do we have to worry about seeing two immature people wasting their time together.
Now we can take control of our lives, have our own careers and hobbies, take full responsibility for all our decisions, and we still love each other.
so……
"Canlhaveakiss?"
Lin Shengmiao didn't waste any more time speaking. She lowered her head and, amidst the fragrant aroma of five thousand roses, kissed her beloved girl deeply.
--------------------
Author's Note:
Shh~
Chapter 26 Girlfriend
That evening, a photo suddenly popped up in a family group chat that had been quiet for a long time.
Amidst a field of roses and beside a white piano, two girls kiss passionately against an endless blue sky. The composition is ingenious and aesthetically superb, vividly depicting everything from the minute to the grand.
Luo Jing: [vomiting blood.jpg]
[Xu Xingyan: Let me introduce you all, this is my girlfriend, Lin Shengmiao [heart blooming with joy.jbq]]
After a while, apart from her uncle who was conducting a closed experiment, the whole family saw the photos and the message one after another, and their reactions varied.
Fang Yi: I'll buy a plane ticket home right away.
[Xu Yuming: My dear daughter... this is too sudden. Let Daddy calm down a bit.]
[Luo Bin: Congratulations, little sister, on successfully finding a boyfriend.]
[Chen Yue: Very beautiful.]
[Fang Yuan: @Luo Jing, what's the situation with this girl? Did you know about her before?]
As expected of someone who works in the underworld, Aunt Fang was extremely perceptive and grabbed Luo Jing, who was pretending to be dead.
Xu Xingyan, who had just confessed her feelings and come out of the closet, shrank back behind the screen, feeling apologetic towards Sister Jing, who was writing a long and detailed explanation.
Then... he turned off his phone and continued listening to music while nestled in his girlfriend's arms.
The wedding banquet featured a very young band, and the lead singer had a unique, husky, and captivating voice.
Sitting in a spot away from the crowd, with only the two of them around, a light cloud floated in the sky, sparrows hid behind the leaves and laughed, the wind gripped the branches of the kapok tree, and although winter was not yet over, they could already smell the exciting scent of spring.
Xu Xingyan said, "I want to hear you sing."
Lin Shengmiao spoke without the slightest hesitation, as if they had been tacitly prepared for this.
Darling, I want to confess my love to you now.
But it might not be that simple.
Please listen carefully to what I have to say..."
It was a song called "Princess Wendy's Guard." Xu Xingyan tilted her head back, her face beaming with a sweet smile. She was very pleased with the little romantic touch of the song's lyrics.
Until the other person sang—
You, like the blue sky, reside entirely in my heart.
Over time, it became the only one…
Xu Xingyan suddenly felt a chill on her hand. Looking down, she saw a simple ring on her usually plain middle finger.
She curled her fingers, feeling a burning sensation in the coolness, and suddenly looked up at her girlfriend.
"I spent a long time choosing, and finally picked this one. It has a Möbius strip design. The seller told me that it symbolizes eternity and endless love, but for me, it has another interpretation. Would you like to hear it?"
The moonlight was so soft and bright, illuminating the joyful crowd in the distance and shining upon them selflessly. Lin Shengmiao touched her forehead to hers and then kissed her.
"It also means that as long as you are here, no matter how long or far away, I will come back to meet you again. You are my starting point and my end point."
On the eve of her decision to return to Nancheng to find Xu Xingyan, Lin Shengmiao's plane suffered an accident and nearly crashed. In the violently shaking cabin, amidst the terrifying experience, Lin Shengmiao had only one thought—
If this life is destined to end here, then I really hope that ghosts and gods truly exist in the world, so that I can see her one last time when my soul returns on the seventh day.
Looking into the clear eyes of her beloved, Xu Xingyan suddenly realized that the spring she had been longing for all her life was actually the return of a rose.
...
Not long after, many people discovered that the most mysterious person in their WeChat Moments had quietly posted a photo of a girl smiling under the night sky.
The girl had a soft figure and fair skin, giving her a delicate and charming appearance that was very pleasing to the eye.
The caption consisted of only two words—MyLove.
Ms. Yan Zhenzhen, whose evening routine is nothing like that of someone of retirement age, was the first to give a thumbs up and generously commented: "Beautiful as a startled swan, serene as a secluded orchid."
With such a gem preceding them, the remaining young people seemed both ignorant and lacking in knowledge. Huang Zheng, Zhao You, Chen Shengxuan, and many others were all exclaiming in disbelief or "Holy crap!" Of course, many more who didn't recognize Xu Xingyan were asking her name.
"Who is this Teacher Yan?" Leaning on her girlfriend's soft shoulder, Xu Xingyan was amused by the compliment and couldn't help but ask.
"She's my university professor. She's a very nice person and has always taken good care of me. I'll take you to meet her sometime."
While playing with Xu Xingyan's slightly cool fingers, Lin Shengmiao kept scrolling through his WeChat Moments and replying to various private messages that had been bombarded with messages.
[Zhang Ting: Sis, who is that young lady?]
[Lin Shengmiao: My girlfriend, you can call her Sister Xingyan.]
There was no response from Zhang Ting for a while; she was probably processing the information. She returned almost ten minutes later.
[Zhang Ting: Should we keep this from my parents?]
Lin Shengmiao: No need, feel free to tell me.
Xu Xingyan looked at her, her heart pounding. She took the initiative to step forward and placed a kiss on her forehead. A butterfly, a symbol of love, landed peacefully on her lips, and she smiled radiantly.
...
That night, when they drove the car to the apartment building, neither of them moved inside. After a long while, Xu Xingyan gently pressed Lin Shengmiao's hand, looked at his conflicted expression, and said with a forced smile, "Please, park the car in the garage. I really won't eat you."
“But… I didn’t bring any pajamas,” Lin Shengmiao shifted uncomfortably, looking quite reserved.
“I have them all at home,” Xu Xingyan said sincerely. “I bought a whole closet full of pajamas, you can pick whatever you like.”
“Well… alright,” Miss Lin said with a hint of coyness before happily entering the room.
Lin Shengmiao had visited Xu Xingyan's house not long ago, but this visit felt completely different from the last one. Standing at the entrance, Lin Shengmiao felt that the air was filled with the scent of Xu Xingyan's expensive perfume.
Xu Xingyan quickly packed her pajamas, towel, slippers, toothbrush, clothes for tomorrow, and a box of disposable underwear in the right size.
Then, she leisurely walked into the bathroom and said to the obviously restless person, "I take a long time to shower. If you're bored, you can go to the study and pick out a book to read."
Lin Shengmiao: "..."
The sound of running water in the bathroom was very soothing, causing Lin Shengmiao's back muscles to tense slightly. After a few minutes, she decided to follow Xu Xingyan's advice and went to the study to look around, finding a book of modern poetry to distract herself.
Unfortunately, she underestimated Xu Xingyan's influence on her. Not only did she not read a single line of the poem, but even the occasional words like moonlight, tender buds, and clear streams that caught her eye were automatically categorized and visualized in her mind as descriptions and praises of Xu Xingyan.
Her self-control, which she had always been proud of, vanished in this room filled with the scent of her beloved. After a brief struggle, she automatically gave up and willingly surrendered. Or rather, when facing Xu Xingyan, she had absolutely no self-control whatsoever.
However, Xu Xingyan in the bathroom wasn't as at ease as she seemed.
Feeling uncomfortable even in her toes, she took a shower almost as fast as she had ever done in her life. Then, holding a towel, she stood in front of the mirror, torn between drying her hair in the bathroom herself or going outside... well... having her new girlfriend dry her hair for her.
In the end, I felt a little embarrassed to have her do housework on her first night. I silently decided to order a high-powered hairdryer later so that Ms. Lin could use it more often in the future.
Slightly nervous, Xu Xingyan stepped out of the bathroom and immediately saw Lin Shengmiao sitting on the living room sofa, his hands neatly placed on his knees, his hair radiating unease. She immediately relaxed.
It turns out that a nervous person can quickly calm down if they find someone who is even more nervous than them.
"Go take a shower, I've prepared hot water for you."
"Hmm...okay," Lin Shengmiao said, grabbing her pajamas and towel as she rushed into the bathroom.
Because Ms. Xu has so many hobbies, her three-bedroom, two-living-room apartment is completely filled with activities, leaving no room for a guest room.
So, unsurprisingly, Lin Shengmiao, after taking a shower, was led into Xu Xingyan's bedroom.
From the bed to the floor, the bedroom was filled with at least a hundred soft cotton dolls of all shapes and sizes. Although it wasn't messy, it still made the fairly spacious bedroom feel crowded.
It's very cute and full of childlike fun.
"Sorry, I forgot. It's okay, I'll just tidy it up a bit," Xu Xingyan exclaimed, and quickly went over to drag the giant orange teddy bear off the bed.
The large plush toy was clearly quite heavy; after dragging it for a short while, a thin layer of sweat appeared on her forehead.
In the end, it was only with Lin Shengmiao's help that the teddy bear, which refused to "give way," was finally managed to get off the bed.
Xu Xingyan lay down on the bed, panting, and wearily raised her arm to cover her eyes. She felt the mattress beside her sink slightly, and the scent of household shower gel lingered in her nose. She then turned over and said to the person next to her, "I'll donate all these dolls tomorrow."
Lin Shengmiao was puzzled. "Why?"
Since you bought so many and even placed them in the bedroom, you must really like them.
Xu Xingyan smiled, "Because I'll have someone to sleep with from now on. Our dolls are retired and should go keep the children who need them more company."
Lin Shengmiao couldn't resist hugging her child and said to the dolls sitting in a row on the ground, "You all should go find other jobs. I've taken over Xingyan's job."
The plastic eyes of the cotton dolls on the floor stared at her with a melancholy look in the soft light of the bedside lamp, prompting Lin Shengmiao to discuss the issue of these dolls being laid off and re-employed: "But... where can these dolls be donated?"
Xu Xingyan said, "Orphanages, remote mountain areas... I know some charitable organizations that have channels for this, and can track the whole process. I can just hand it over to them."
She rested her forehead on her elbow, turned to look at the other person quietly, and said softly, "So, how about moving in with me?"
This pillow talk was too gentle, and someone's resistance was too weak; the result was obvious.
Lin Shengmiao: "...Okay."
--------------------
Author's Note:
I've always felt that Accusefive's "Wendy's Bodyguard" is perfect for confessing your feelings.