Faced with Luo Jing's earnest advice, Xu Xingyan would always tell her this very seriously.
Yes, even though I've gradually gotten used to her not being around, I don't want anyone to take her place. It's not that others are bad, it's just that I don't want to.
Luo Jing was speechless, and gradually, she gave up the idea of introducing her to potential partners.
Love troubles are private and secretive, but Xu Xingyan sometimes feels very lucky because Luo Jing will always understand and tolerate her. In front of Luo Jing, she never needs to hide anything and can let her heart be exposed to the sun.
At night, I opened my diary again, recorded the day's trivialities, and the pen scratched across the paper. As usual, I wrote the closing words: "I had a very happy day today, and I hope you did too."
...
Lin Shengmiao didn't realize she had a fever at first. She was in good health and rarely got sick. Fever was something she hadn't experienced since childhood. When she woke up in the morning, even though her mind was foggy, she just thought she had stayed up too late the night before.
So when Zhao Raoliang exclaimed, "Your forehead is burning hot! You're burning up! We need to get to the hospital right away!"
She really didn't react in time, and subconsciously said, "It's okay..." Before she could finish speaking, she collapsed and woke up in a hospital bed.
Han Yuyin fed her the medicine and cut her half a piece of candied apple. She told her not to worry about the part-time job, as Zhao Raoliang had already gone to cover for her. Lin Shengmiao felt very sorry because it was Valentine's Day, and as far as she knew, the young couple had been planning it for a long time.
Han Yuyin chuckled and comforted her, saying that they would have many more Valentine's Days to celebrate in the future, so it didn't matter if it happened once or twice. She was a truly sincere, gentle, and considerate girl, and Lin Shengmiao was genuinely happy for her friend.
Being sick is really awful. Your mind is a complete mess, and your seemingly indestructible heart is riddled with tiny cracks. The vulnerability and grievances that are usually suppressed to the point of having nowhere to stand suddenly surge up and take over in an instant.
Everyone says that sick people have special privileges, so sending a text message should be understandable, right? Lin Shengmiao thought to herself, and driven by her high fever, she pressed the send button with unusual decisiveness.
—I have a fever and my head is so dizzy.
She had an attachment to Xu Xingyan, and Lin Shengmiao had always been aware of this. Although she didn't know when it started, it had indeed existed.
It's strange, this is a feeling she never had with her own parents.
But it doesn't matter. If we didn't know where it all began, how could we say that our love was so deep?
Thinking this, she slowly closed her eyes...
This time, Xu Xingyan was in her dream. She was there, humming a soft tune, her eyes curved into crescents. Lin Shengmiao looked at her and slept peacefully.
She slept for three hours straight. When she woke up, her fever had subsided, and Zhao Raoliang had come over after get off work to bring her food. He did bring food, sweet and sour eel rice for Han Yuyin and plain white porridge with pickled vegetables for Lin Shengmiao.
Having just recovered from a serious illness, Lin Shengmiao was starving and had no time to argue about his double standards. Besides, she was also somewhat lost in thought as she scrolled through two pages of messages on her phone.
Someone once told her that a person's mindset when they are sick and when they are healthy are completely different and cannot be compared. At the time, Lin Shengmiao was skeptical, but now... she has witnessed it firsthand.
In her dazed state, she wished Xu Xingyan would be anxious and appear before her immediately to prove how important she was to her. But when reason returned, she regretted it: Why did I have to make her worry?
[Xingyan: Did you go to the hospital?]
[Xingyan: What did the doctor say?]
[Xingyan: Is someone taking care of you?]
[Xingyan: IV drip or oral medication?]
[Xingyan: If your fever is high, don't waste time in the infirmary, go to the hospital immediately.]
...
The last message was two hours ago; I guessed she was resting because she wasn't replying.
[I was asleep and didn't see it. The fever has gone down, the doctor said it's nothing serious. I had a few IV drips, and I can be discharged and go back to school after lunch. Don't worry.]
Lin Shengmiao replied to each message carefully, until the other party sent a message saying, "That's good, take care and get some rest." Only then did she breathe a sigh of relief and continue drinking her congee.
...
Xu Xingyan stood at the gate of University A, staring at the message on her phone for a long time.
Having been taught to be restrained and calm since childhood, impulsiveness was the rarest emotion for her. However, she couldn't deny that when she waited for a long time without receiving a reply from Lin Shengmiao, she didn't consider any other possibility except to fly over to see her in person and confirm her safety.
The homework due tomorrow, the book she had arranged to borrow from her classmates, the project her teacher had assigned... all of these were thrown to the back of her mind. Apart from her ID card, wallet, and phone, she brought nothing else and hurriedly stepped into the airport, even forgetting to inform Luo Jing...
But now...
Xu Xingyan glanced at the message history on her phone again, smiled, and put it into her shirt pocket.
This is the capital's university! It looks really amazing. Xu Xingyan strolled along the forest paths of University A. Everything around her wasn't entirely unfamiliar. That's the library over there; she'd seen photos of it on Miao Miao's blog before. This is the mini-supermarket... hmm... I heard their crispy sausages are really delicious. There's also a flower field and a basketball court...
So...it was actually worth the trip, right?
Xu Xingyan only stayed at University A for an hour because she had promised her grandfather that she would bring him peach cakes in the afternoon, and she had to get back before her grandfather started to worry.
Goodbye, Miaomiao.
May you be safe and healthy.
Although they didn't actually meet this time.
...
In the evening, I slowly woke up from my old dream and looked out the window at the setting sun, only to realize that my afternoon nap had been far too long.
Lin Shengmiao sat with his back to her at the table by the window, working on his computer.
Xu Xingyan smiled faintly, tiptoed over, and took her hand from bottom to top as she typed on the keyboard. She first gently teased it, then slowly tightened her grip, their fingers intertwined, and their two rings touched.
Lin Shengmiao laughed, "You're awake?"
"Hmm," Xu Xingyan breathed on her neck, "Why didn't you call me? It's almost dinnertime."
"You were sleeping so soundly, I didn't have the heart to wake you," Lin Shengmiao closed her notebook and turned to look at her. "Besides, you've been exhausted these past two days, you should get some more sleep."
Xu Xingyan leaned comfortably against her chest and suddenly said, "When do you have time? Let's go to A University. I'd like to visit your alma mater. I forgot to go when I went to Kyoto last time."
Lin Shengmiao blinked, looking puzzled, and asked, "Didn't you go there before?"
Xu Xingyan raised her head.
"That time I had a fever during my sophomore year," Lin Shengmiao's eyes flashed with a knowing and sly look, "it was displayed on our school's confession wall for a whole week!"
It was almost half a month later that Lin Shengmiao saw the photo that had been circulating on the school's intranet for a long time by chance. The photo showed a girl with black hair like a waterfall walking alone in a maple forest, with melancholy eyes and a pure and beautiful appearance.
That was the first time in her life that she felt so certain that she was being deeply loved.
The next day, Lin Shengmiao, who kept talking about materialism, went to a very famous temple in the area, bowed three times and kowtowed once, and asked the abbot for a peace charm.
In this world, people pray every moment. Some pray for their wishes to come true, some for wealth, some for a bright future, and some for love... But Lin Shengmiao prays that the person she loves will have a peaceful and joyful life.
The amulet, imbued with countless sentiments, traveled over a thousand kilometers and arrived accurately in Xu Xingyan's hands. Although it was unsigned, Xu Xingyan still wore it because of the shipping address on it. It lasted for several years, and later, due to excessive wear and tear, it was carefully placed in a small wooden box in the study. As expected, it will remain there, accompanying them for many more years to come...
Xu Xingyan listened quietly, and the last trace of resentment in her heart dissipated like smoke.
The person in front of me witnessed the tragedy of his aunt Lin Su when he was young, and never received love from his parents. As an adult, he experienced the tragic love story of Zhao Raoliang and Han Yuyin.
Even so, she still dared to love me with the purest passion, never thinking of turning back.
As for that ten-year wait...
Plant a grapevine in the yard and wait three years for it to bear fruit. Grape flowers bloom in April, with a short but pleasant fragrance. However, to taste its sweet and juicy fruit, you have to endure the entire hot summer.
Nature has long contained the truth within the four seasons, quietly telling the world through all things—if you want to obtain the best fruit, do not be afraid to wait.
Xu Xingyan took Lin Shengmiao's hand, placed it to her lips, and kissed him deeply. No one likes to wait, but if it's you, I won't be afraid of how long I have to wait.
Lin Shengmiao once felt that the world was so big that she would never be satisfied without going out and seeing it properly.
But at this moment, the dim sunset shone into the room, casting shadows on their faces, and sparrows chirped on the eaves. She suddenly realized that the world is actually very small.
This person smiled with lowered eyes... and it completely filled the space.
Author's Note:
The main text is finished.
There are at least three more side stories.
The inspiration for this article came from a conversation I had with my sister a few months ago. She pointed to a scene in a TV series and said, "Without external interference, it wouldn't be so difficult for people who truly love each other to get back together."
This is the smoothest piece I've ever written so far. Regardless of the final result, I've been very happy and enjoyed the process.
Many thanks to the readers who have accompanied Yan Yan, Miao Miao, and me on this journey.
Special thanks to 柒柒泗湣 (after repeatedly confirming that I did not mistype) and 爱不是理……
Your compliments and comments always make me happy for a long time. Thank you for your support! [heart emoji]
Spring has not yet turned green, but my temples are already gray; long separations in this world do not bring sorrow. — [Song Dynasty] Jiang Kui's "Partridge Sky: A Dream on the Lantern Festival"
Chapter 46 Extra 1
When the hydrangeas bloomed in June, Xu Xingyan was hospitalized again for myocarditis caused by a viral cold. Fortunately, she had become a self-healer due to her long illness and noticed it early, managing to recover before the irises withered.
In early summer, before it got too hot, they moved. The new house was nearly 200 square meters and had a beautiful little garden. Xu Xingyan paid the down payment, and Lin Shengmiao made the mortgage payments on time every month. The renovation costs were covered by President Xu and Ms. Fang Yi. However, after hearing about it, Zhang Cheng and Pei Wei took the initiative to pay for most of the furniture.
The small garden isn't big enough to accommodate Xu Xingyan's favorite windmill and jasmine archway, but it's enough for Ju Siyue. The little one was born to Paopao at the end of April, and looks just like her mother—both are orange tabby cats, and both are chubby.
Xu Xingyan squatted by the cat's bed for a long time, and after much deliberation, she still chose it because its round eyes were so bright, as if they were glowing.
The newly weaned kitten was very curious about the world. It sniffed around the yard and finally stopped under a purple iris, where it took a leisurely nap.
When Xu Xingyan returned with the package, she smiled gently upon seeing it, carefully carried it into the house, covered it with a small blanket, and then focused on unpacking the package.
From the beginning of their relationship, Lin Shengmiao loved buying her things, both expensive and cheap, but he bought her clothes the most. Lin Shengmiao had good taste in clothes, but his personal style was quite distinctive. Once, when Luo Jing came to deliver something, she almost mistook Xu Xingyan, who was watering flowers in the yard with her back to her, for Lin Shengmiao.
What did you buy this time?
Xu Xingyan smiled, full of anticipation. She was starting to understand the joy of opening blind boxes.
It is a turquoise bracelet.
A while ago, Lin Shengmiao and Tao Jie went on a business trip to Tibet. Turquoise has a very auspicious meaning in Tibetan tradition, so she must have bought this there.
Xu Xingyan immediately took off the jade bracelet she was wearing and examined it closely as she turned her wrist.
Her grandmother had deep ties with Tibet, and her dowry included several pieces of turquoise jewelry and ornaments, which were said to have the power to ward off evil and bring good fortune. Most of them were later passed down to her, but now, looking at the string of beads in her hand, she feels that it is even more beautiful than those old objects.
Thanks to Lin Shengmiao's tireless efforts, Xu Xingyan is now dressed up from head to toe, inside and out, and even her tastes have been influenced by her.
Strangely enough, Xu Xingyan really doesn't like wearing jewelry, always finding it cumbersome, especially necklaces, which she feels are too tight around her neck. However, she wore the pink four-leaf clover that Lin Shengmiao gave her from the beginning of spring until the beginning of summer. Sometimes, she even slept without taking it off, and she felt quite comfortable with it.