Blazing Sun~Chapter 24

 

Chapter 24

“Zhuang!”

The call from behind broke the awkward atmosphere between us.

A young man ran up to Zhuang Xu, panting. “Why didn’t you wait for me to come down? Zoey should have urged us; she’s always the most impatient. Oh, goodness, we’re going camping. Can you stop with the black, white, and gray? I can lend you some if you don’t have any.”

Zhuang Xu’s gaze lingered on me for a few last seconds before resolutely turning away. “Let’s go.”

The young man then noticed me, looking at me curiously for a few moments. “What’s going on? Do you know this beautiful lady?”

Zhuang Xu ignored him and walked straight out.

I needed to hail a taxi at the entrance of the residential complex, so I inevitably had to follow them, but I always kept a distance of about ten meters.

Once I exited the complex, I saw three SUVs parked at the gate, with several stylishly dressed young men and women standing outside, clearly waiting for someone. One of the women saw Zhuang Xu and the others and called out, "Zhuang, Alex, could you slow down a bit?"

The young man next to Zhuang Xu said loudly, "This has nothing to do with me. Zhuang was chatting up the pretty neighbor girl in the complex."

I had already moved to the other side of the road to hail a taxi. I hadn't expected this to involve me, and for a moment, I looked at them, a little bewildered, meeting a sea of ​​curious eyes.

...How should I react?

I could only politely nod slightly.

Zhuang Xu explained, "She's a college classmate."

Then, quite naturally, he said to me, "Goodbye."

I... nodded again.

Zhuang Xu didn't say anything more to me. He walked to one of the cars, opened the driver's side door, and said to the person inside, "I'll drive."

His friend jumped out with a grin: "Of course you drive! Did you expect me to drive that far?"

They quickly drove away. I was lucky; I soon hailed a taxi too.

The taxi drove smoothly on the road to D University.

I leaned against the window, watching the city scenery flash by, my thoughts drifting.

When I first fell for Zhuang Xu, I fantasized countless times about our ending. Most of the time, it was happy, but in moments of disappointment and frustration, I would imagine myself taking a gamble, saying goodbye to him decisively, and becoming strangers forever.

Back then, my feelings were a mixture of the exhilarating decisiveness of my fantasies and the bittersweet melancholy of remembrance.

Now that day has truly arrived, I feel a touch of melancholy, but mostly—a sense of relief.

Time will eventually separate those who cannot walk together. I will have new friends and a new life, and he will have his.

We'll gradually know nothing about each other's lives. Every day afterward, countless things will happen that are no longer related to each other, completely erasing the past.

I think Zhuang Xu's goodbye just now was a true goodbye.

And I, it seems, have truly said goodbye too.

I never imagined that one day I would need to stand right in front of Zhuang Xu to even notice his existence. Back then, no matter where I was, as long as he appeared, no matter how far away, I could spot him instantly in a crowd, as if he shone.

Now that light seems to have faded. I know he's still incredibly handsome, but he also seems no different from any other person on the street.

I think I should tell Lin Yusen about this when I get to Chengdu. But there's no need to take anything else; otherwise, I'd be taking myself too seriously.

By the time the taxi arrived at D University, I had made up my mind. When I got out of the car, Xiao Dai and the others were already waiting. I checked the time; thankfully, I wasn't really late.

The morning meeting continued the discussions from yesterday, but this time the other party had a higher-ranking representative, and the content was more detailed. Various technical and personnel collaborations were quickly agreed upon.

During the short break, Mr. Dai, taking a moment from his busy schedule, said to me, "Xiao Nie, I noticed you seem quite excited today."

Huh? I was indeed a little excited about secretly going to Chengdu this afternoon. But was it that obvious? How could he notice something even though I hadn't said a word?

"It's almost holiday time," I replied casually.

"I don't think so," Mr. Dai stroked his chin, scrutinizing me.

Luckily, other colleagues came to him, diverting his attention and preventing him from interrogating me further.

After the meeting, Xiao Dai and the other colleagues prepared to return to Suzhou for their holiday. I waved goodbye to them at the institute's entrance.

Xiao Dai asked curiously, "Aren't you coming back to Suzhou with us?"

"No, Suzhou doesn't have an airport." I'm flying to Chengdu!

Unexpectedly, a momentary lapse in judgment and inappropriate wording immediately upset a colleague from Suzhou. Looking indignant, he exclaimed, "It'll be there soon! Given Suzhou's development speed, an airport will definitely be built within five years!"

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean that. I also think Suzhou will definitely have an airport within five years," I apologized to my agitated colleague, clasping my hands together. I also tried to encourage everyone, "Let's all work hard and generate more revenue for Suzhou!"

After calming my colleague down, I packed my bag and headed to Hongqiao Airport alone.

It's a bit unbelievable, but before arriving at the airport, I had completely forgotten about my fear of flying. It wasn't until I went through security that I realized this was probably the first time in my life I'd flown alone.

I suddenly became nervous. People who aren't afraid of flying probably can't understand what it feels like. It's like you're forcing yourself to stay calm almost every minute on the plane; every time the plane shakes, your heart pounds. Sleeping is impossible; you can only constantly find things to do to distract yourself.

I glanced at my ticket to Chengdu. It seemed like I could still escape, but my feet, as if on their own, kept moving forward. My excitement still outweighed my fear.

It's only three hours, rounded up, just three hours. I can endure it, and then I'll give Lin Yusen a good scare.

With this mix of excitement and nervousness, I boarded the plane. Before the flight attendant asked me to turn off my phone, I sent Lin Yusen a text: "I'm taking off soon, landing at Chengdu Shuangliu Airport in three and a half hours! See you!"

I immediately turned off my phone, giving him no chance to call and stop me.

So, three and a half hours later, as soon as I stepped out of the arrival hall, I saw Lin Yusen.

Chengdu was a bit hotter than Jiangsu. He was wearing only a white long-sleeved T-shirt, standing out amidst the bustling crowd. It was an ordinary outfit, but he looked dashing and radiant, easily catching everyone's eye.

Overwhelmed with the excitement of landing safely, I waved vigorously at him and ran towards him. I had planned to tell him as soon as I saw him, "I think I've accomplished something amazing."

But instead, I rushed to him and threw myself at him, saying with a touch of grievance, "So much has happened these past two days. I really wanted to see you, and the plane was so shaky on the way here."

I landed firmly in his broad, strong embrace, locked tightly in his arms through the thin fabric. His chest was warm, our breaths mingled, but the person holding me remained silent for a while. I was a little unsure.

I had indeed acted impulsively. Was he going to criticize me?

I gently pulled away, quickly covering his mouth before he could speak. "Listen to me first. I know you can go back to Shanghai, but I just wanted to come find you. I feel happier here than if you came back to Shanghai to find me."

After speaking quickly, I blinked and asked, "Did you understand?"

Lin Yusen nodded slightly, gesturing to my hand.

"Then don't say anything to me, okay?"

Having received confirmation again, I smiled brightly, let go of his hand, and pulled him towards the door. "Take me to eat hot pot! Chengdu food is so famous; I've decided I want to eat it five times a day!"

But he wouldn't budge.

I turned around. Lin Yusen was standing there. In the noisy crowd, his gaze, gentle and bright, rested on me, as if searching for something.

I met his gaze in confusion, and after a moment, I quietly touched my face.

Was there something on my face?

He suddenly smiled, grabbed my hand, and walked up to me, whispering, "You came for me, how could I say anything to you?"

I was a little stunned, looking up at him, and it took me a while to realize—ah, so this is what "came for you" means.

Yes, this is it.

I wanted to see him, not wanting to wait even a second, even overcoming my fear of flying. I wanted to suddenly appear before him, to see his momentary surprise and joy. I imagined countless things we would do after meeting, looking forward to completing them one by one with him.

At this moment, it dawned on me. All the eagerness and fervent anticipation I had felt along the way had already been named.

They were called—"came for you."