"Life is a long journey.Some people meet, some people part,But those who leave never truly go far, as they remain in our hearts."
After returning from X City, I felt as though I had fulfilled my wish. I packed my days so full that it seemed the only way to slow down the passage of time. Early each morning, I would go grocery shopping with Aunt Shen, then spend time reading and learning to cook. In the afternoons, I would chat with Xu Xuan or Li Zi.
During this time, Tong Xiao Tian returned for Li Zi’s birthday celebration.
At the party, both Xu Xuan and I were present. Tong Xiao Tian knelt on one knee, holding ninety-nine roses and a dazzling ring in his hand. His eyes, filled with gentle affection, gazed at Li Zi.
He said, “Li Zi, it wasn’t until I met you that I realized how beautiful the world could be. Your smile feels like spring in full bloom, and your tears feel like the chill of winter. My world’s seasons all revolve around you. Even though we’ve been apart these past three years, my love for you has never wavered. So, on this special day, I want to make the most important decision of my life—please marry me. I promise to cherish and love you for the rest of my days.”
Tears streamed down Li Zi’s face as the crowd erupted in joyful cheers.
Amid the excited calls of encouragement, Li Zi slowly nodded.
In that instant, Tong Xiao Tian jumped up, placing the flowers into her arms before slipping the ring onto her finger. Surrounded by the crowd, they embraced happily.
I thought, This is wonderful. Before I leave, I get to witness my best friend’s happiness with my own eyes. Having known Tong Xiao Tian for so many years, I felt reassured leaving Li Zi in his care.
With a smile, I quietly left. Xu Xuan accompanied me, and neither of us spoke on the way.
The soft evening breeze brushed against my face, and it suddenly struck me that it was already June—another summer had come.
I hadn’t expected to see Chen Qiao Luo again at this time. While sitting in Xu Xuan’s car, I caught a glimpse of him and Lei Zi passing by outside the window.
Lei Zi, who had been sentenced to five years in prison, shouldn’t still be behind bars? How had he gotten out so soon? And why was Chen Qiao Luo here with him when he should still be attending classes?
These questions flashed through my mind, filling me with unease. I asked Xu Xuan to turn the car around. As I suspected, it really was Chen Qiao Luo and Lei Zi.
In a rush, I had Xu Xuan park by the roadside, and I practically bolted out of the car.
Both Chen Qiao Luo and Lei Zi froze, seemingly not expecting my sudden appearance.
Wasting no time, I directly questioned Lei Zi, “Why are you here? How did you get out of prison so early?”
Startled by my question, Lei Zi hesitated briefly before awkwardly rubbing his shaved head. “I’ve done a lot of thinking while serving my sentence and realized the things I did back then were wrong. Over the past few years, I behaved well in prison and even earned merits, which reduced my sentence. I was just released a couple of days ago.”
Looking at Lei Zi’s seemingly remorseful demeanor, I still found it hard to trust him. Can a person truly turn over a new leaf so easily? The thought of his past deeds made me feel disgusted, as if I’d swallowed a fly.
At that moment, Xu Xuan, having parked the car, joined me. Upon seeing Chen Qiao Luo, he appeared surprised and asked, “A-Luo, aren’t you supposed to be in X City? Why are you back now?”
Xu Xuan’s voice drew Chen Qiao Luo’s attention. He looked at Xu Xuan with uncertainty before hesitantly asking, “Are you Xu Xuan?”
“Yes, it’s me,” Xu Xuan replied with a smile. “We ran into each other at the pool hall last time, but it seemed like you didn’t recognize me. Later, I heard from Jun Hao that you were studying in X City, so we didn’t cross paths again. What a coincidence to meet you here now.”
At the mention of me, a flicker of emotion crossed Chen Qiao Luo’s eyes.
Seeing his silence, I asked, “Chen Qiao Luo, what about you? Shouldn’t you be in class right now? Why are you back?”
As soon as the words left my mouth, I wanted to slap myself. Hadn’t I resolved to keep my distance from him? What was I doing now?
Chen Qiao Luo, however, didn’t overthink it. He simply explained, somewhat awkwardly, that he was looking for an internship and had come back early since the school break was approaching.
Once he finished, I fell silent.
At that moment, Xu Xuan seemed to notice the shift in my mood. Turning to Chen Qiao Luo, he smiled and said, “A-Luo, I’ll head out with Jun Hao now. She was just saying she wanted to try the tiramisu from that new bakery in the west of the city. I’m worried it’ll sell out if we go too late. Let’s catch up another time.”
The moment Xu Xuan finished speaking, I saw Chen Qiao Luo’s gaze drop in disappointment. After a long pause, he murmured a soft “Mm.”
Only after Xu Xuan’s car had driven far away did I finally exhale, closing my eyes for a moment before saying, “Xu Xuan, thank you for helping me out just now.”
“No need to thank me—it’s what I should do,” Xu Xuan replied with a gentle smile.
Ever since learning that Chen Qiao Luo was back, my heart had felt suspended in midair.
Li Zi mentioned that Chen Qiao Luo had contacted her and asked about my situation, and the sour ache of that realization slowly crept through my chest.
I never thought I would run into Chen Qiao Luo again, and suddenly, City A felt smaller than ever. When I saw him, Xu Xuan and I had just left the hospital with my medication. For a moment, all three of us froze.
After a pause, Chen Qiao Luo was the first to speak. “What a coincidence.”
I nodded as Xu Xuan chuckled softly. “Yes, it is. Just the other day, I was thinking of asking you out for a meal, and now here we are, bumping into each other.”
“In that case,” Chen Qiao Luo suggested, his gaze fixed on me, “why don’t we have a meal together today? It’s been a long time since us brothers caught up.”
Seeing this, Xu Xuan glanced at me.
I knew he was only being polite, but I hadn’t expected Chen Qiao Luo to take the suggestion seriously, leaving Xu Xuan momentarily at a loss.
After a pause, Xu Xuan said, “Alright then, let’s catch up properly today.”
We went to a Chinese restaurant in the city center. I sat silently beside Xu Xuan, while the two of them didn’t seem to have much to say either.
The silence hung heavy in the air. My father called, asking why I wasn’t home for dinner. I explained that I was eating out with Xu Xuan, and he relaxed, reminding me to take my medicine.
Since Xu Xuan had accompanied me to X City previously, my father had grown to trust him. As long as I was with Xu Xuan, my father wouldn’t ask too many questions.
After hanging up, Xu Xuan looked at me and asked gently, “Was that Uncle calling?”
I nodded.
With a smile, Xu Xuan poured me a glass of water, then took my medicine out of my bag. “Uncle must’ve been checking why you weren’t home and reminding you it’s time to take your medicine.”
“You guessed right.”
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