Spring butterflies

Xi Ai wants to grow flowers.

Chu Yiqi looked at her and suddenly said, "How about we move back to Lanxie?"

"What's wrong?" The topic changed a bit too quickly, and Xi Ai had a feeling that Chu Yiqi wouldn't say anything nice later.

"That way, even if the baby isn't well cared for, the auntie can keep an eye on it and ask someone to help save it."

"..."

Xi Ai remained silent and endured it.

So the two of them moved back to Lantshe the next day.

Xi Ai wanted to grow gardenias, but Chu Yiqi thought they were too difficult to grow and wanted to grow begonias instead.

“You used to grow Phalaenopsis orchids, but our gardenias aren’t that fussy at all.”

"I don't care, but the Rieger begonia is beautiful." Chu Yiqi argued unreasonably.

"Actually, I think tulips are beautiful too."

You like everything.

"Yes, blue plumbago is very pretty too."

"..."

They had many flowers delivered, but the next day the two of them still went to the flower and bird market together and bought everything from start to finish.

Fortunately, Xi Ai always has bodyguards with her, who can help her carry things.

Looking at the arrangement of the glass greenhouse, Xi Ai was finally satisfied and suddenly asked Chu Yiqi, "Do you know?"

"have no idea."

"If you had left a little later, you would have seen your birthday present."

Chu Yiqi said, "Hasn't the misaligned timeline been filled in?"

"That one is incomplete. This is Chu Yiqi's birthday present from that year." As if by some trickery, the first butterfly flew out of the glass greenhouse behind them, its wings shimmering.

Not a single flower in the glass greenhouse perished before the butterflies, and the lost time was completely made up for.

The butterflies were released, just in time for spring.

Xi Ai and Chu Yiqi went to have two sets of photos taken, and they hired Fu Jingchu.

Like a wedding photo.

For her first outfit, Xi Ai chose the new dress Chu Yiqi had given her, a brocade-woven fabric, and had it made into a cheongsam.

Fu Jingchu kept directing the two of them, while Xuan Yanyue painted on the side, occasionally offering suggestions as she watched.

"Hopefully you'll take Xi Ai as your concubine."

Chu Yiqi did as he was told, quite naturally. However, this made it easier for him to meet Xi Ai's gaze. For some reason, the two of them would want to laugh whenever they looked at each other.

"That's more correct."

Fu Jingchu turned around calmly and said, "You take my picture?"

“It’s all the same.” Xuan Yanyue didn’t care and asked in return, “If you’re nice to me, I’ll make you look ugly and won’t let you be selected for the harem.”

"It's all the same, there are no new beauties in the harem."

The conversation was pointless. Chu Yiqi and Xi Ai started laughing as soon as they made eye contact, only to be glared at by the photographer—who ignored them and continued laughing.

For the sake of their friendship over the years, they reluctantly suppressed their laughter, but their expressions alone were enough to tell that they were thinking of the same thing.

It was a long time ago. Qi Yue and Ruan owed Xi Ai a favor, so they came to take photos of them—a private keepsake for the two of them.

Those two days, Xi Ai was filming a short film, a classic story about a Peking Opera inheritor.

So Qi Yueruan took the opportunity to finalize a character setting: two rebels, one who loves drama and is misanthropic, and the other who loves the world and is a defector.

Qi Yueruan smiled at the camera, quite satisfied: "Teacher Xi, go down into the sea and take a picture for me."

Xi Ai laughed and said, "It's not very good."

"Why? It's not like you've never acted before, you just weren't the lead."

Xi Ai feigned profundity: "Because of some uncontrollable factors."

"Because if that's the case, Xi Yan's stock will probably plummet to its daily limit." Chu Yiqi interrupted her, "Tomorrow's gossip in the business world will be about Xi Yan's heir going into prostitution. Is there something wrong with Xi Yan, or is there something wrong with the heir?"

"Okay, I can't do things that are difficult for others."

Chu Yiqi didn't even spare Qi Yueruan's stage: "So this time you can watch to your heart's content?"

"Yes."

What goes around comes around, and it's time for them to start picking fights with others during filming.

Fu Jingchu turned back and said to Chu Yiqi and Xi Ai, "Your timing is just right. We have to fly out tomorrow."

"What?" Chu Yiqi asked when he was listening attentively.

They spoke almost simultaneously, with Xi Ai asking, "Honeymoon?"

“It’s a record of the disaster area, and the photos and paintings are quite meaningful.” Fu Jingchu didn’t seem to care much, as if it were commonplace—indeed, it was commonplace, as the two of them often went to such occasions.

Have a safe journey.

"I'll treat you to dinner when I get back."

Xuan Yanyue didn't even look up. Fu Jingchu could draw her outline even with her eyes closed. She only said, "Maybe there will be a chance to encounter your supplies."

Xi Ai and Chu Yiqi said in unison, "Remember to take pictures."

"good."

The last concert was on the day For 8 disbanded.

Yu Nianxi arrived early, stirring a glass of iced lemonade. Her eyes seemed a little red as she leaned against Meng Yike.

Meng Yike patted Yu Nianxi's shoulder, unable to find the right words to comfort her.

All words seemed powerless.

Xi Ai and Chu Yiqi arrived together, hand in hand, bringing with them a gust of jasmine-scented breeze at dusk. It was a flower that Chu Yiqi had recently grown and made into perfume.

Xi Ai gently rubbed Yu Nianxi's face and said, "Everyone in the industry is here, it's not like we don't want to hang out with you, so why are you crying?"

"You're not here again."

"Don't worry, I'll have you sing the promotional song for the new product as the client."

"..."

Yu Nianxi grabbed a tissue and said angrily, "Xi Ai, you really have no emotional thinking at all!"

Otherwise, how can I effectively comfort you?

Doesn't that stop the crying?

Chu Yiqi smiled, fixed Yu Nianxi's newly done curls, and said, "This is just the last time today that I'll introduce myself as For 8, but we're still forever 8."

Xi Ai poked Yu Nianxi's face again, and Chu Yiqi said, "But Xixi, you might need to touch up your makeup."

Yu Nianxi smiled, her nose still red, and mumbled, "The makeup artist will have to wait a little while."

"Alright, alright, you can hold me for a bit today." Xi Ai, who loved playing with children, reached out her hand to Yu Nianxi.

"No." Yu Nianxi said this, but still stood up, hugged Xi Ai and then hugged Chu Yiqi. Finally, she turned her face away and pointed at Xi Ai, "There are tears on your shoulder."

Are you a rabbit?

Xi Ai laughed in exasperation, but considering that this wasn't the cheongsam Chu Yiqi had recently given her, she didn't make a fuss. She just pretended to be angry and said, "You're the devil in disguise, aren't you?"

Chu Yiqi grasped Xi Ai's hand, the ribbon on her wrist also being squeezed into his palm, unable to separate them from the warmth of his hand.

Chu Yiqi moved slightly closer to Xi Ai and asked softly, "Are you willing to do that?"

"I'm reluctant to part with it, but there's nothing I can do about it."

"Remember to hug as you leave."

Xi Ai pressed her advantage: "Can we hold hands?"

"Can."

The lights dimmed, and the screen scrolled through the events they had participated in, the awards they had won, and photos of every time they met over the years.

Do you remember?

"On a midsummer night, you said forever."

"It will always be me."

Chu Yiqi suddenly walked towards Xi Ai, her skirt swaying in the spring breeze, like cherry blossom snow, a kind of unrestrained passion not seen in the rehearsal.

She looked at Xi Ai, and under the spotlight, her a cappella singing felt like piano keys striking her heart: "Thank you for piecing together the whole me."

"The first year, where the meteor fell." Xi Ai smiled, stepped forward, walked towards Chu Yiqi, and reached out her hand, just like back then.

Chu Yiqi grasped it, and a dance step landed.

Nie Chuiying counted the beats: "Thank you for accompanying me through this crazy dream."

It was their secret code, so Shi Yunshan took half a step closer, into the light, and uttered a voice-over for Nie Chuiying: "The following year, when they fled in their finest attire."

Meng Yike grasped Yu Nianxi's hand directly: "Thank you for listening to my late-night confession."

"On the eve of the third annual awards ceremony."

Xi Ai stepped forward confidently, her smile undiminished, and looked down at the audience. Having achieved her wish, she took Chu Yiqi's hand and said, "Thank you for not letting go of my hand."

It was that steep cliff that year, it was the choice from beginning to end, and it is this moment of joining hands.

"The sound of pines rose like waves in the second year."

Tears welled in her eyes, but Shi Yunshan saw Nie Chuiying clearly: "Thank you, Resonance Silent Heartbeat."

"Breathe when the first snow falls in the fourth year."

Nie Chuiying blinked, clearing the fog from her eyes. They were very close, and Shi Yunshan could see the silent response: Nie Chuiying was mouthing, "Because I love you."

So I knew from your heartbeat that you liked me.

The last words were from Yu Nianxi: "Thank you for making up a complete youth."

Meng Yike said softly as she pulled Yu Nianxi to the center of the stage: "The countdown to the fifth year has begun."

"Forever frozen in the end of spring." The chorus sounded a little choked up.

There's nothing to regret, but there's an inexplicable sense of loss, like not being able to find a place to land, so we can only hold each other tightly.

Not satisfied with that, they had to hug.

Yu Nianxi squatted down briefly, tears streaming down her face. She held her face in her hands and grabbed Chu Yiqi's skirt to wipe her tears.

Like an echo, all six of them wore their performance outfits from the night of their group's formation; Yu Nianxi was still secretly wiping away her tears with someone else's dress; Meng Yike suddenly smiled through her blurry tears and handed over a tissue.

The lights didn't come on, so they didn't take their final bow; it was just a silent accompaniment.

Xi Ai turned around, tilted her head slightly, trying to suppress some of her sadness and say goodbye properly.

A glistening tear suddenly rolled down her cheek, perhaps because the warmth of her palms melted away the mask of feigned ease.

For the encore, they chose their debut song, and everything was finally settled, which was a perfect ending.

The final positioning was not as planned, with the team leader and Yu Nianxi standing in the middle.

Everyone tacitly reserved the center position for Xi Ai, allowing her to complete her farewell ceremony.

Shi Yunshan looked at her for a moment, smiled, and nudged her to ease the tension: "Your teacher, Ms. Xi, is a little stage-frightened. Can we wait for her?"

Given this atmosphere, one can probably guess a thing or two, and with the vague rumors circulating over the past few months, everyone had a premonition.

Near the stage, a voice, perhaps several people, said, "Xi Ai, please don't retire from the entertainment industry, okay?"

Xi Ai smiled slightly. In the end, she couldn't maintain her usual banter with her fans. She just smiled gently and said, "You've all put up with me for so many years, it hasn't been easy for you either, we..."

"No!"

"I'm not going to argue with you anymore. How about you continue acting for another fifty years?"

"Another fifty years? That won't do. I won't appear on screen looking even a little bit older."

After a moment of silence, Xi Ai sat down in front of the stage, pulled out a piece of paper, and read it aloud in a serious manner: "Dear clients, sisters who stayed up all night retouching my photos, every one of you who accompanied me through these five years, even if it was just a brief encounter..."

She paused abruptly, then smiled to ease the tension: "I was just kidding. It only says here that we should all be happy when we can't see each other, okay?"

"good--"

"Don't cry, girls. I've just gone from being your client to an ordinary citizen. But who knows, maybe one day I'll become your client, picking and choosing and finally telling you, 'I want the first draft.' Or maybe one day we'll bump into each other on the street. When that happens, please pretend we're old friends who haven't seen each other in a long time, okay?"

"Um."

Putting aside her deliberately nonsensical manner, Xi Ai bowed earnestly, her voice choked with emotion: "When we meet again, please tell me that you are doing well and happy, and say... it's been a long time."

Xi Ai couldn't continue speaking. For once, she lost control of her emotions and hurriedly turned around, receiving the outstretched hands of Shi Yunshan and Chu Yiqi, and they embraced briefly.

The final summary was given to Meng Yike, but it took several people to finish speaking.

"The countdown to the deadline has begun, but we, each and every one of you, or you, we still—"

The microphone was passed out, and their voices merged into an eternal echo: "Forever 8!"

The words spoken in our youth overlapped at this moment.

At that time, the six of them said they didn't want it to be For 6.

They thought that every "she" or "he" counted, so on stage, they shouted "Forever 8" for the first time.

The countdown has turned to its fifth spring, and my wish has come true.

Springtime is blown away by the summer winds, and the long summer days begin.

"Shall we still walk together?"

After the event finally ended, Chu Yiqi took a picture of the closing ceremony as usual. It's unclear who asked the question or who answered first.

"certainly."

[End of text]