Blazing Sun~Chapter 33 (End)

 

Chapter 33 (End)

It's really strange. Before, when I thought about everything from that summer, it was like recalling a richly detailed book. Every detail was so clear—what he was wearing, every subtle expression—I could think about it for a long, long time. But now, talking about it with Lin Yusen feels like recounting the outline of a story.

I didn't intentionally try to blur it out; it's just that many scenes, including the characters, suddenly lost their color in my mind.

I know I was passionate, happy, pained, and cried over it, but I only remember.

I remember the plot, but the emotions are gone.

But the person listening to the story seemed to gradually furrow his brow. After I finished speaking, he pulled me into his arms and hugged me tightly.

"I'm sorry."

I didn't expect Lin Yusen to apologize to me.

"I should have come to find you sooner."

I nestled quietly in his arms, thinking about what had happened between us, and couldn't help but chuckle. "Why would you come to find me? For 'revenge'?"

Lin Yusen laughed too. "That would probably be a very cute story."

Cute?

I imagined the plot. Back then, I was a junior in college, attending classes diligently every day, when suddenly a handsome guy in a luxury car stopped me on campus.

And then?

I told Lin Yusen the initial plot, "Now you make up what you'll say?"

I pulled him to sit beside me on the steps of the stone bridge, striking a pose as if seriously crafting a story.

Lin Yusen had some objections to my script: "Does it have to be a luxury car? Can outside cars drive in? Wouldn't parking in front of people seem rude?"

"...Never mind that, we'll each make up a line. You hurry up and say your first line."

"I said—" Lin Yusen probably didn't have much literary talent, and after racking his brains for a while, he said, "I said, 'Excuse me, how do I get to the teaching building?'"

I was shocked and reminded him, "You're here for revenge, isn't that a bit cowardly?"

Lin Yusen reasoned, "How can I reveal my purpose from the start? I have to pretend to be friendly, gain your trust, and then take revenge."

"...But you didn't do that after you caught me at the company. You abused me every day back then, I hated you so much, don't you remember?"

Lin Yusen: "..."

I sighed, "Lin Yusen, don't you know yourself? You definitely wouldn't ask for directions, try something else."

He cleverly changed the subject: "Let me think about it some more. Tell me in detail, how much you hated me back then?"

"Uh... really? Do you really want me to tell you?" I observed his expression and cautiously gave an example, "For instance, do you remember that time you took me and Yin Jieyu to Jing'an Temple in Shanghai?"

"I remember, so what?" He recalled briefly, then said unhappily, "You didn't want to sit in the passenger seat? And you even deliberately avoided me when your clothes touched you?"

What kind of person has such a good memory?

I quickly mentioned something more serious to downplay these details, "No, it's just that I made a wish at Jing'an Temple."

Lin Yusen clearly realized the seriousness of the problem and frowned at me.

"...Wished you to disappear quickly...and then I heard you were in a car accident on Monday."

Lin Yusen silently took my hand and sighed deeply, "Nie Xiguang, you really..."

"It's a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding. We made up quickly afterwards," I quickly comforted him.

"Well, I'm pretty charming. Even though everyone wished I'd disappear, I still managed to become their boyfriend so quickly," he consoled himself.

"Yeah, yeah, you're handsome, aren't you?"

"...Anything else?"

"No, no, how could there be anything else? I quickly discovered you're smart, outstanding, handsome, and unparalleled in the world, and happily threw myself into your arms."

"...Okay."

His somewhat dissatisfied look amused me, but I couldn't laugh.

Serious.

"Lin Yusen."

"Hmm?"

"What I wanted to say was, I did like other people before, but that's really in the past now. You can't have even the slightest doubt or distrust in your heart."

Lin Yusen said, "I've never distrusted anyone."

"Why?" Is my good character so obvious?

I waited for him to shower me with compliments, but instead, he leaned in and kissed me on the lips, then stood up and swaggered off the bridge. "Of course, it's because I'm incredibly smart, outstanding, handsome, and unparalleled."

I froze for a few seconds, then jumped up angrily and chased after him. "Lin Yusen, don't you know what reciprocity is?!"

I was met with a burst of cheerful laughter.

That evening, we had a lively dinner at my grandparents' house, and then went with my grandmother to a relative's house for a game of mahjong—I suspected she wanted to show off—before returning home to Wuxi.

It was already past ten when I got home. With my mother watching, I didn't dare stay up late and obediently went to my room to sleep.

I thought I definitely wouldn't be able to sleep and would secretly call Lin Yusen or something, but probably because I'd been to so many places that day, I fell asleep the moment my head hit the pillow.

I slept soundly all night and woke up refreshed the next morning. Walking into the living room, I saw my mother and Lin Yusen already sitting there, drinking tea and chatting.

"You started university so early?" My mother asked, a hint of surprise in her voice.

"Yes, I was quite smart as a child," Lin Yusen said with a smile.

"Xiguang was also smart as a child, sensible from a young age, never picky about food, and never caused us much worry..."

It was an ordinary scene, their conversation just everyday talk, but somehow, I stopped moving, not wanting to disturb them.

Suddenly, I understood the meaning of what Lin Yusen had said yesterday more deeply.

"I've found the right person, arranged my life properly, and will soon have everything I want again."

At that moment, I completely empathized.

Because I, too, had regained everything I wanted.

I had a complete family again.

And I was absolutely certain that this scene would often appear before my eyes in the future; my mother, Lin Yusen, they would always be by my side.

I had never told anyone about the wounds caused by my parents' sudden divorce when I was young. But today, it seemed to have healed quietly, silently, without anyone noticing.

No, Lin Yusen might know.

Everything he did told me he knew.

I blinked, suppressing the sudden warmth welling in my eyes, and walked briskly towards them.

Lin Yusen saw me first and immediately stood up. Mom turned around: "You're up? I've had breakfast. I saved some knife fish wontons for you; someone just delivered them this morning."

"You ate too?" I asked Lin Yusen.

"Not yet, waiting for you to join me."

Mom joked, "Little Lin has been keeping me company with tea all morning; I could hear his stomach rumbling."

Really?

I immediately focused on his flat stomach. Lin Yusen said, half-laughing, half-crying, "No, don't look like that, Auntie's just joking."

Mom laughed even harder, "Go on, go on."

I pulled Lin Yusen into the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, and there were three boxes of knife fish wontons neatly arranged inside. I took out the wontons, and Lin Yusen offered, "Let me do it."

"Okay." I handed him the wontons, then thought for a moment and pulled a frying pan from the cupboard. "Would you like to add a fried egg? I like to add it to the wonton soup; it makes the soup more flavorful."

"Sure. I'll fry it, be careful not to get splattered with oil."

"No need, I can. You cook the wontons and prepare the seasoning. Oh, check if there are any scallions in the fridge."

With the tasks divided, I heated the pan, poured in the oil, and began carefully frying the egg.

My kitchen faces east, with two bright windows. The sun was just rising, and its unobstructed sunlight streamed in, bathing us both in a golden glow.

The egg sizzled in the pan. I glanced up at the bright sun outside the window, and for some reason, I remembered the letter Lin Yusen had written to me before the Lunar New Year.

Looking down at the round, fried egg in the pan, a smile involuntarily crept onto my face.

“Lin Yusen, when we have time, let’s go see your mother.”

The wontons were already in the pot, and Lin Yusen was preparing the soup. Hearing my words, he paused, turned to look at me, and after a moment, a smile appeared in his eyes. He simply replied, “Okay.”

“Okay.” Then it’s settled. “Also, do you remember the email you sent me before the Lunar New Year, asking me to send you a bright, shining sun?”

“Did I?” He pretended to think.

“Yes.”

I turned off the stove, carefully scooped a fried egg onto a plate, and handed it to him, showing him the perfectly round fried egg. Smiling, I said, “This is for you.”

The sun I want to give you is a dazzling moment, the mundane details, the first rays of sunlight at sunrise each morning, and hopefully, the last glow of sunset many years later.

I want to give you all of these.

Please cherish them.

 

(The End)