163. In your deep blue sea

Ling Ling stood at the airport in Nuku'alofa, Tonga's capital, waiting for her connecting flight to the Vava'u Islands. She had traveled from Berlin to Auckland, New Zealand, and now stood at Fu'aamotu International Airport, where she had her last flight. She had crossed so many time zones hoping to see Yu Chuanbei. After landing, she found her pre-arranged guide and, following his instructions, took a boat to the island where Yu Chuanbei was most likely to be. Upon landing, she first spotted several men in a pavilion sorting their wetsuits. She ran over, but Yu Chuanbei was nowhere to be found. She asked them if they knew him; finally, she had some surprising news. They said he was still snorkeling. Ling Ling rushed to the beach, but the pain from the surgical incision in her abdomen began to ache again, forcing her to slow down. The evening breeze grew colder, and she wrapped her coat tightly around herself. She stood on the nearest rock and gazed out at the crashing waves. A man in a dark blue diving suit swam to shore. He emerged from the surf, stood up, and removed his diving gear, then his suit. His hair had grown longer, looking like it hadn't been trimmed in ages, with a hint of natural curl at the ends. He was shirtless, looking much more muscular, his skin tanned. He wore dark blue boxer briefs and was barefoot. He was carrying his heavy gear toward the reef near the shore. He unconsciously glanced up and saw the girl standing on the reef. He was stunned. He couldn't believe his eyes, rubbing them vigorously and trying to focus his blurry vision. "Lingling?" He whispered her name, afraid that his voice would be too loud and dispel the illusion. After all, he had seen her once before, during a brief period of narcotic hallucinations caused by the nitrogen pressure in the deep sea. It wasn't until she moved, stepped off the reef, and walked towards him that her image became clearer and more vivid. Only then did he realize she was no longer an illusion. He dropped his gear and ran frantically towards her. "Ling—" He hugged her tightly, so tightly that they both suffocated instantly. Then he let her go. They gasped for breath. He cupped her cheek, carefully examining every detail. "Ling, is it really you?" Ling Ling, tears welling in her eyes, nodded repeatedly and said, "It's me, Yu Chuanbei, it's me." She held his sunburned face in her arms, sobbing bitterly. "Why are you here?" Although he had truly touched her, he still felt unbearable...

Ling Ling stood at the airport in Nuku'alofa, Tonga's capital, waiting for her connecting flight to the Vava'u Islands. She had traveled from Berlin to Auckland, New Zealand, and now stood at Fua'amotu International Airport, where she would catch her last flight. She had traveled across so many time zones, hoping to meet Yu Chuanbei this time.

After landing, she found the tour guide she had contacted in advance and, following his instructions, took a boat to the island where Yu Chuanbei was most likely to be.

After landing, she first saw several men in a pavilion sorting out their diving suits. She ran over desperately, but couldn't find Yu Chuanbei. She asked them if they knew him, and finally got some surprising news: they said he was still snorkeling in the sea.

Ling Ling rushed to the beach. The incision on her abdomen began to ache again, so she slowed down. The evening breeze grew colder, so she wrapped her coat tightly around herself. She stood on the nearest reef and gazed out at the surging waves.

A man in a dark blue wetsuit swam to shore. He emerged from the waves, stood up, and removed his diving gear and then his wetsuit. His hair had grown longer, looking like it hadn't been trimmed in a while, with a hint of natural curl at the ends. He was shirtless, looking much more muscular, his skin tanned, and wearing dark blue boxer trunks. He was barefoot.

He was carrying a heavy set of equipment and walking towards the reef on the shore. He raised his head unconsciously and saw the girl standing on the reef. He was stunned.

He couldn't believe his eyes. He rubbed them hard and tried hard to focus his blurry vision. "Lingling?" He called her name softly, fearing that his voice would be too loud and would scare away the illusion. After all, he had experienced a brief anesthesia hallucination due to the pressure of nitrogen in the deep sea, and he had seen her at that time.

It wasn't until she moved, walked down the reef, and walked towards him. Her image became clearer and more vivid in his eyes, and he knew clearly that she was no longer an illusion. He dropped his equipment and ran towards her frantically, "Spirit--"

He held her tightly in his arms, so tightly that both of them suffocated instantly. Then he let her go. They both gasped for breath. He held her cheek, carefully identifying every detail. "Ling, is it really you?"

Ling Ling, with tears in her eyes, nodded continuously and said, "It's me, Yu Chuanbei, it's me." She held his sunburned face in her hands with heartache and burst into tears.

"Why are you here?" Although he really touched her, he still found it incredible.

"I spent a lot of effort to find you, I want to tell you that I have forgiven you a long time ago."

When Yu Chuanbei heard her say this, his eyes became unusually bright with surprise.

"So," Ling Ling continued, "please don't put yourself in danger again, okay? I'm so afraid of losing you. I don't want you to love me from afar, I want you to be by my side. Let's live together forever, okay?"

Seeing her crying more and more like a child, Yu Chuanbei couldn't help laughing at her, even though his own eyes were also filled with tears. "Before we live together for a hundred years, we should grow old together first, right?"

There was a hint of confusion in Ling Ling's eyes. Yu Chuanbei thought that it would be too hasty to propose to her at this time.

He then took her hand and said, "Go to my room and rest for a while. You must be tired and hungry now, right?"

Ling Ling nodded aggrievedly and followed him. Even during this short distance, he clearly held her hand tightly, yet he still looked as if he was afraid she would disappear, repeatedly turning his head to look at her.

He helped her retrieve her luggage and prepared dinner. They hadn't eaten together for a long time, and she suddenly felt like she had so much to say to him. She felt that the most magical thing about their relationship was that as soon as they met, they felt as close as before, as if they had never been apart.

"Will you come back with me?" Ling Ling's tone was almost begging.

Yu Chuanbei put on his glasses, looked at her sincere face, and said hesitantly, "What can I do if I go back? I've been wandering around for so long. I even thought that if something happened, I might as well be buried at sea."

"You are loving your family in such an irresponsible way, right?" Ling Ling's tone was stern this time.

Yu Chuanbei didn't dare to say anything else, but just sighed.

Ling Ling understood his pain and comforted him, "You helped me convince the people who took my father's paintings and made that exhibition happen. With your business negotiation and operational skills, you'll never have trouble finding a job! And with your help, I've suddenly become a wealthy second-generation. I'm also planning to open a studio with Long Jia where I'll only be responsible for writing copy. You can rely on all of this!"

Yu Chuanbei looked into her sparkling eyes, the corners of his mouth slightly raised. He held her hand lovingly and said, "I always feel that our first meeting that year was not a coincidence. I was bound to meet you eventually. My life cannot be without you. When I was tortured by guilt, I also wanted to escape. I often imagined what my life would be like if I hadn't met you, but I gave up again and again because I would rather go through all this than erase you from my life."

Ling Ling placed her other hand on the back of his hand and said seriously, "Me too. So no matter how hard it is this time, I will find you. We can't just sit and wait for fate anymore. I want to be with you again."

Yu Chuanbei turned sideways, held her in his arms, and gently kissed her hair.

After dinner, Yu Chuanbei was clearing the table when he noticed Ling Ling taking out medicine from her backpack.

"Are you sick?" He put down the dishes in his hands, walked to her and asked with concern.

Ling Ling nodded calmly and said, "I had an operation a while ago, and it happened to be performed by Zhong Mingtong. I had a hemangioma on my liver. Fortunately, it's benign. I'll be fine after taking some post-operative recovery medicine for a while."

Yu Chuanbei completely ignored any mention of Zhong Mingtong in her words. He didn't care about that. He only cared about the key words "surgery, hemangioma, benign." "Then why did you go to Berlin and transfer from New Zealand to Tonga? Are you trying to kill yourself?!"

Seeing him foolishly angry, she felt happy. "Although it has been difficult along the way, I have taken good care of my body and have not done anything rash. As my surgical wounds are healing, I feel that our relationship is healing as well."

Yu Chuanbei frowned, his heart still trembling. He knelt on one knee, pushed aside her loose silk shirt, exposing the skin around her waist, and asked, "Where is the wound?"

She pulled her pants down, revealing a dark red wound. She said in a relaxed tone, "It was a minimally invasive surgery, so there wasn't a startling wound. But I was really scared two nights before the surgery. At that time, I didn't know whether it was benign or malignant, and I was afraid I was going to die. I really wanted to see you again."

Yu Chuanbei gently kissed her wound, then rested his head on her soft abdomen and said in a muffled voice, "I'm sorry, I should have stayed with you."

Ling Ling stroked his slightly curly hair, held his face lovingly, and asked, "I heard from Sister Jinnan that your eyesight and joints are also having problems due to deep diving. Is that true?"

Yu Chuanbei stood up and shook his head, not wanting to make her worry. "It's okay. These little problems actually give me peace of mind. When I think about how my life hasn't been so smooth, I feel like it's a reward."

Ling Ling stroked his angular cheek and said, "No, Chuanbei, I have already forgiven you. I hope you will be fine. Perhaps, I have never stopped loving you."

Yu Chuanbei's hand rested on hers, as gentle as ever, and he said, "Then no matter what happens, let me stay by your side, okay?" The thought of his absence during her most fearful and helpless moments broke his heart. He had thought they would always be entangled and miss each other, so he might as well let go and leave his peaceful relationship with the right person for her. He hadn't expected this to happen.

"Well. Then, can you come back with me tomorrow? From now on, you can be with me every day." Ling Ling was always thinking about the mission of her trip.

Yu Chuanbei wanted to explain it to her properly, but he didn't want to make her too tired, so he took her hand, and the two of them hugged each other and leaned against the head of the bed to talk.