Chapter 16

Feng Ling stepped out of the elevator with some trepidation, her eyes searching the darkening sky. Downstairs, the lights of the dance club were just beginning to come on, and pedestrians were hurrying by. She immediately spotted the figure leaning against the glass window of the convenience store. An Hesu lowered his head slightly, the light casting a lonely silhouette on him, at odds with the bustling surroundings, like a small pet abandoned on the street. Feng Ling's heart involuntarily tightened, and she quickened her pace as she walked over.

Hearing footsteps, Anhesu looked up. Seeing it was her, he didn't say anything. He just silently reached out his hand and handed her the mineral water he had been holding, which still had the cool warmth of his palm.

"Thank you." Feng Ling took the water bottle. The cool touch sobered her up a bit. She looked at his overly quiet face and asked with concern, "What's wrong with you? Is there something you want to tell me?"

"..." All that responded to her was silence, with only the sound of the evening breeze blowing through the street corner.

Just when Feng Ling couldn't help but want to ask again, he spoke in a low voice with an almost empty calmness, his eyes drifting towards the empty darkness in the distance.

"I'm leaving now."

Feng Ling was startled: "Ah? Where are you going?"

"The company requires us to go to Korea for two years of intensive training." He paused, as if stating a fact that had nothing to do with him. "If we pass the assessment, we'll debut when we return."

Feng Ling was stunned; the news came too suddenly. She gave him a deep look, his delicate profile appearing a bit pale under the neon lights. Then, she quickly forced a smile, trying to sound cheerful and encouraging. "That's great! Korean entertainment trainees are all top stars. In two years, you'll be a true idol! Congratulations in advance!"

As she spoke, she even raised the bottle of water he had just given her, like a wine glass, and gently touched the bottle in his hand, making a crisp sound. "Keep working hard!"

An Hesu lowered his eyes, looked at the colliding bottles, then slowly raised them again, his gaze finally landing on her face. In those always cold eyes, a complex and indistinguishable emotion surged. He seemed to have exhausted all his strength before he softly asked the words that weighed on his heart:

"Will you forget me?"

The smile on Feng Ling's face faded, and her expression became serious and solemn. She met his gaze and shook her head: "Of course not."

As if to emphasize something, she added, her tone gentle and expectant: "Brother and sister are waiting for your triumphant return."

She deliberately emphasized the word "sister", as if an invisible boundary was once again between them.

Ankhsu looked at her, his eyes piercing, a flicker of pain and stubbornness she couldn't fathom. What else could he do? He twitched his lips, then nodded quietly and obediently. He buried that inappropriate, fervent emotion even deeper and more bitterly, deep within his heart, where no one could see it.

"Give me something." He suddenly said softly, with a barely perceptible pleading tone in his voice.

"What do you want?" Feng Ling was a little surprised.

Anhesu stretched out her hand, and her slender fingers pointed at the wind chime pendant on the zipper of her backpack, which always made a subtle and crisp sound as she moved.

"it."

Feng Ling followed his finger and looked at the small, bell-shaped pendant that had accompanied her for a long time. She turned her head and saw the unmistakable seriousness in An Hesu's eyes. After hesitating for only a moment, she turned around and neatly unzipped the wind chime.

"Here." She held it in her palm and handed it to him, "Let it... witness your growth."

Ankhsu reached out and carefully, almost reverently, took the small wind chime from her palm. His fingertips inevitably touched her warm skin, and that momentary contact, a blend of coolness and warmth, was briefly but clearly imprinted in their mutual perception.

He clutched the wind chime tightly in his palm, the sharp edges of the metal rubbing against his palm lines, bringing a subtle sense of pain. He raised his head and gave her a deep look, his gaze as complex as the sky at dusk, filled with attachment, reluctance, and a thousand unspoken words, as if he wanted to carve her appearance, along with the palpitations of his heart at this moment, deeply into his mind, carrying it to that distant and unfamiliar country.

"Wait until I come back."

He finally spoke, his voice low but resolute. Then, without waiting for her response, he abruptly turned around, never looking back, and merged directly into the flowing crowd and the night. Only his hand, tightly gripping the wind chime, his knuckles white, betrayed all his feigned calmness.

Feng Ling stood there, staring at the direction he had disappeared, unable to move for a long time. The evening breeze ruffled her hair, bringing a hint of coolness. She felt an inexplicable emptiness in her heart, as if something important had been taken away with him. Yet, at the same time, she was filled with a heavy feeling, a mixture of blessing, sadness, and an indescribable throbbing.

The wind chime that will never ring again, like a silent promise, hangs on this farewell night and on the intersecting trajectories of their future lives.

***

The days slipped by quietly amidst busy studies and occasional dance practice. After Feng Ling entered her junior year, the pressure of her studies increased dramatically, with papers and reports coming one after another. Her time at the Xihe Dance Club inevitably decreased. She and Qiqi, on the other hand, spent less and less time together.

Qiqi's outstanding choreography and good reputation within the industry have brought him more and more opportunities. This time, he took on the role of dance director for a popular variety show. For more than three months, he was stationed on the production team, traveling to various filming cities, rehearsing dances for the celebrity guests day and night, and his work schedule was reversed.

The only way they could communicate was through a quick late-night video call or a few hasty WeChat messages. On either side of the screen, faces were filled with longing yet unable to conceal their fatigue.

That afternoon, Feng Ling had just finished a lengthy professional course when he received a message from Qiqi: "I'll be home tonight. I'm finally free!"

Those few simple words instantly dispelled all of Feng Ling's fatigue. She checked the time and immediately rushed to the largest supermarket near the school. Pushing her shopping cart, she carefully selected Qiqi's favorite ingredients and snacks, her mind already picturing his happy expression. Carrying two heavy bags of "trophies," her heart felt like it was filled with something.

Arriving at Qiqi's rented apartment, Feng Ling put down her things and began to get busy. She donned an apron and fries and stir-fries in the kitchen, like a happy little bee. The aroma of food gradually filled the air, warming the house, which had been bereft of the smell of life for a long time. She carefully arranged the dishes on the plate, even placing a small bouquet of sunflowers she had picked up at the flower shop downstairs in the center of the table, because he once said that her smile was as warm as a sunflower.

When the clock struck eight o'clock in the evening, the sound of a key turning in the lock was finally heard outside the door.

Feng Ling's heartbeat suddenly accelerated and he almost ran over.

The door opened, and a dusty Qiqi appeared, dragging his suitcase. His face was tired from the long journey, and there was even some stubble on his chin, but his eyes lit up instantly when he saw her.

No words.

With a "swish", Feng Ling jumped up like a young swallow returning to its nest, and threw herself accurately into his arms, her legs naturally wrapped around his waist.

Qiqi was knocked back by her, but then she caught it firmly. The suitcase fell to the ground with a clang, but no one paid any attention. His strong arms tightly wrapped around her waist and hips, holding her firmly in his arms, as if to make up for the three months of separation in this embrace.

Feng Ling hugged his neck and buried her hot cheek in the crook of his neck, which was filled with the cool air from outside and the familiar smell of his body. Her voice was filled with uncontrollable excitement and a hint of shyness, and her warm breath sprayed on his ear:

"I miss you so much."

Qiqi raised her head, forcing her to meet his gaze. His eyes were slightly red, and deep affection was evident in them. Although there was a lingering weariness, the surging longing within them threatened to overflow, completely drowning Feng Ling.

He couldn't hold back any longer, and gently, tentatively, and with great cherishment, he kissed her slightly parted lips.

At first, it was just a gentle touch of lips, like a butterfly perching on a petal. But the longing after so long of separation instantly ignited suppressed passion. The kiss quickly became deep, urgent, and searing. He sucked on her lips and tongue, domineeringly plundering her breath as if he wanted to devour her. Feng Ling responded passionately, her arms tightly wrapped around his neck, feeling his equally intense heartbeat, and sinking into his domineering and familiar scent.

Qiqi kissed her passionately while carrying her into the living room. He placed her on the half-person-high bar based on his memory.

"Ah!" Feng Ling suddenly let out a cry, her buttocks hurting from being hit by a hard object.

This cry of pain was like a pebble thrown into a boiling lake, instantly pulling the two back to reality from the whirlpool of lust.

Qiqi quickly let go of her and asked nervously, "What's wrong?"

Feng Ling frowned, groped under her legs, and took out a box of biscuits with cute little bear patterns on them that were a little deformed by her sitting - they were the ones she had bought for him when she was shopping just now, thinking that he might be hungry after staying up late.

The two looked at each other, looked at the box of slightly funny cookies, and then looked at each other's disheveled and unstable appearance, and couldn't help but "chuckle" and giggled at the same time.

The passion that was almost burning just now was instantly diluted by this cute little accident, turning into a warm and intimate smile that filled the room. Qiqi reached out and ruffled her hair lovingly, then rested his forehead against hers, their noses rubbing against each other, their breaths intertwined.

"It seems," he chuckled softly, his voice still hoarse with the lingering emotion, "my little darling has already taken over both my home and my heart."

Feng Ling blushed and punched his chest in a stern tone, but her heart felt like a pot of honey had been overturned, sweet and overwhelming. The joy and intimacy of reuniting after a long separation reached their most complete and warm climax at this moment.