Chapter 33

In truth, Li Muxue was unaware that shortly after she fell asleep, a figure slowly approached from the deserted alleyway. It was Xu Chen. He walked to the old locust tree, looking at Li Muxue in her sleep, her face still bearing traces of tears. Xu Chen's heart felt like it was being clenched, the pain making it hard to breathe. He thought she had forgotten, thought she had yielded to certain pressures, but because he didn't see her smiling face to greet him on the day of his release from prison, at that moment, he began to waver, beginning to fall into a vortex of self-doubt.

He kept thinking about it in his mind. Li Muxue was now a college student at a prestigious university. She should be surrounded by people as glamorous and promising as her. He, on the other hand, was just a criminal. Was it really inappropriate for him to continue dating her? But she had clearly come here, to this old courtyard full of memories, cried herself to sleep, and finally found her way home like a lost child.

Xu Chen began to regret his decision. How could he be so incredibly foolish? How could he not even give her a chance to explain? If he simply left without a clear explanation, it would be another deep hurt for her!

At that moment, he had only one thought: he couldn't let her sleep under the big tree, because he was afraid she would catch a cold or feel even slightly uncomfortable...

He walked over and knelt down in front of her. Her eyelashes fluttered, as if she were about to wake up. Xu Chen softly called her name twice, and she opened her eyes.

The moment their eyes met, the air seemed to freeze.

Li Muxue's eyes still held the dazed look of someone just waking up. Her pupils reflected his face, and she stared blankly for a few seconds before her eyes suddenly lit up. It wasn't the kind of bright light that comes from happiness; it was a light filled with shock and disbelief. Her lips moved, as if she wanted to say something, but no sound came out. Tears welled up first and streamed down her cheeks.

Her voice was hoarse, like sandpaper being scraped, tinged with uncertainty, "Xu Chen? You... what are you doing here? Didn't you say you went south?"

Xu Chen looked into her eyes, which held grievance, fear, and a hint of barely perceptible grief and indignation, as if she were blaming him—blaming him for not waiting for her, blaming him for writing those words. His heart softened instantly; all his resolve, all his inferiority complex, shattered in that moment.

“I had already bought a train ticket for tomorrow afternoon. I just wanted to come back tonight to see this old building and this old locust tree. I heard this area is being demolished, and if I didn't see it now, I might never have the chance again in this life. I didn't expect you to come back too.” Xu Chen's voice was also hoarse. He reached out and wiped away the tears on her face. “I'm sorry, Mu Xue, I... I won't leave…”

Those four simple words brought tears to Li Muxue's eyes again. She threw herself into Xu Chen's arms, pounding her fists on his chest: "How could you do this to me! Do you know how long I've been looking for you? I thought I'd never see you again!"

Xu Chen hugged her tightly, letting her vent her emotions: "I'm sorry, Mu Xue, I was so foolish. I didn't consider your feelings. I just thought that Uncle Li and Aunt Qiao were preventing you from seeing me because you didn't show up on the day I was released from prison, and after a few days I still hadn't heard from you. I just didn't want to put any more pressure on you..."

Li Muxue stiffened in his arms for a moment, then abruptly pushed him away, her tears falling even more fiercely: "What makes you think this? Xu Chen, what do you take me for?" Her voice was choked with sobs, yet it held a stubbornness: "I waited for you for a year, not so you could sever ties with me!"

Looking at Li Muxue's swollen eyes and tear-streaked face, Xu Chen felt an overwhelming pang of heartache. He gently wiped away her tears and whispered, "I know I was wrong, and I won't do it again. I just... I just felt that now that I have a criminal record, you can't handle the pressure from Uncle Li and Aunt Qiao."

“I’ll talk to them slowly. I don’t believe they’re heartless…” Li Muxue glared at him, her eyes full of grievance: “Do you know why I came back seven days late? My roommate attempted suicide because of a breakup and also had a miscarriage. I can’t just abandon her!”

"I don't know... I really don't know..." He hugged Li Muxue tightly, as if she were a lost treasure that had been found again. "I'm sorry, Muxue, I'm so sorry..."

"Xu Chen, promise me you'll never leave without saying goodbye again," Li Muxue whispered, leaning on his shoulder.

The streetlights cast long shadows of them, and the leaves of the old locust tree swayed gently in the breeze. Xu Chen looked at Li Muxue beside him, at the glistening tears in her eyes, and suddenly felt that all the waiting, all the grievances, had been worthwhile…

(To be continued)