By the time I arrived in Shanghai, it was night.
To me, the allure of nighttime Shanghai was nonexistent; Hao Yi was the city’s only beautiful scenery. Here, Facebook and LINE were inaccessible. They used a different messaging app. Here, Chu Ke Huan wouldn’t be able to find me. This thought reassured me, but it also left me with a sense of loss.
The people in Shanghai spoke Mandarin, but it didn’t sound like the language I was used to. I waited a long time at the airport before I could flag down a cab. The driver was an older man speaking Shanghai dialect, which I couldn’t understand. His tone was gruff as he scolded me. Clumsily, I showed him the address of Hao Yi’s dormitory. He grumbled even more, saying he couldn’t read traditional Chinese characters. After fumbling around for a while, I remembered that my phone could convert traditional characters to simplified ones. Just as I was about to make the adjustment, the driver suddenly started the car.
I didn’t bother asking why he now seemed able to read traditional characters when he claimed he couldn’t earlier. In any case, the car steadily made its way toward my destination.
On the way, I gradually recalled my experience from a business trip to Shanghai two years ago. Here, hostility was simply a part of the atmosphere, rudeness was celebrated as "wolfishness," and impatience was blamed on the fast-paced lifestyle. No matter what grievances you faced, you were told not to take them to heart. But I just couldn’t get used to it—I was constantly on edge.
After a grueling journey, I finally saw Hao Yi. It felt like a traveler lost in the desert finally spotting an oasis. The moment I arrived at Hao Yi’s dormitory, I threw myself into his arms, embracing him tightly.
“Why did you come to see me on such an impulse, huh?” Hao Yi gently returned the embrace, unaware of how fragile our relationship had become.
“Just let me hold you,” I said, shaking my head in his arms, offering no further explanation. I tried hard to convince myself that no one in the world could replace Hao Yi’s embrace. Here, in this unfamiliar and unwelcoming city, he was my reality. As for Taiwan—those stolen kisses that lit up the night like fireworks were nothing but dreams. Dreams that just happened to feel a little too real.
“I never knew you were this clingy,” Hao Yi teased, pinching my nose affectionately. “There’s still six months to go, you know. If you fly over like this every week, we’ll both end up broke.”
“I know...” My eyes burned with unshed tears.
Yes, six more months. But how could we possibly continue like this?
“Still, I’ve missed you too,” Hao Yi said, cupping my face and leaning in for a tender, lingering kiss.
As his stubble grazed my skin, my senses gradually awakened. Yes, this was the man I had been dating for three years—my fiancé. No matter how difficult the next six months would be or what emotional ups and downs we might experience, he was the one I would grow old with.
Before I knew it, Hao Yi’s lips had wandered to my chest as he slipped off my clothing. His warm hands explored my body, reacquainting themselves after just a few days apart.
“You’ve lost weight,” Hao Yi murmured, tracing his fingers along my waist with a pained expression.
“Really? Does it look good or bad?” I joked lightly.
“What do you think?”
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