haven't seen you for a long time

Qi Shuo stood on the balcony, the night breeze dispelling the awkwardness he had felt at the dinner table. He took a deep breath, suppressing the surging emotions within him.

Tan Huaiyu is coming back, but what does that have to do with him? They should have been two parallel lines long ago, each going along their own path, never to intersect again.

The living room was still filled with laughter. Qi Shuo adjusted his expression, turned around, pushed open the door, and went back inside. Xiao Jue glanced at him, hesitated, but ultimately said nothing. The others also tacitly avoided the topic and continued chatting about their own lives.

After dinner, everyone helped Sister Jin clear the dishes. Qingran sat on the sofa, hugging her rabbit doll, half asleep. Qi Shuo walked over and gently patted her shoulder: "Ranran, sleepy?"

Qingran rubbed her eyes and nodded: "Mmm..."

"Go to sleep," Qi Shuo said softly. "I'll take you back to your room."

Qingran reached out her hand, and Qi Shuo bent down to pick her up. Five years had passed, and Qingran had grown quite a bit taller, but she was still very light, like a feather. He carried her into the bedroom, gently placed her on the bed, and covered her with the blanket.

"Brother..." Qingran mumbled sleepily, her voice unclear, "Tell me a story..."

"Okay." Qi Shuo sat on the edge of the bed, picked up the fairy tale book from the bedside table, and opened it. "Once upon a time, there was a little rabbit..."

His voice was deep and gentle, flowing slowly through the quiet room. Qingran quickly fell asleep, her breathing even and shallow. Qi Shuo closed the book, gently stroked her hair, then got up, tiptoed out of the room, and closed the door behind him.

In the living room, everyone was still chatting. Xiao Jue and Lin Ye were already preparing to leave, and Qin Zhou and Song Yungui also said they were going back. Qi Shuo checked the time; it was almost ten o'clock.

"I should go now," he said. "I have to go to work tomorrow."

"I'll take you," Xiao Jue said.

"No need." Qi Shuo shook his head. "I can just take a taxi myself."

"Well... alright." Xiao Jue hesitated for a moment, but didn't insist any further.

Everyone said their goodbyes, and Sister Jin saw them to the door, reminding them to be careful on their way. Qi Shuo was the last to leave, and Sister Jin took his hand and whispered, "Qi Shuo, don't think too much. Some things... are best left to fate."

Qi Shuo knew what she was talking about and nodded: "I know, Sister Jin. You should get some rest."

Stepping out of the building, the night breeze was even cooler. Qi Shuo wrapped his trench coat tighter and walked slowly along the street.

The library was much quieter on weekends than on weekdays. Qi Shuo pushed open the heavy glass door and was greeted by the familiar scent of paper and wooden bookshelves.

He hadn't been to the library in a long time—work at the factory was too busy, and he mostly used his days off to catch up on sleep or visit Qingran at the hospital. But today, he needed to look up some information, specifically the operating manual for the factory's newly introduced equipment.

He went straight to the reference book section, found the information he needed, and then habitually looked at the corner by the window—his favorite spot five years ago.

Then, he stopped in his tracks.

There was a person sitting in that spot.

A man in a light, dark gray coat was looking down at a book. Sunlight streamed through the window, casting a shadow on him and outlining an unfamiliar silhouette. His hair was cut short and neat, and his profile was sharply defined. A cup of coffee sat on the table, steam rising gently.

Qi Shuo stood there, not recognizing him at first. It wasn't until the man seemed to sense something, raised his head, and looked towards the doorway.

Amber eyes.

Tan Huaiyu.

Five years had passed, and his features were more defined. The childishness between his brows had faded, replaced by a mature and aloof air. He wore a well-tailored shirt with exquisite cufflinks, exuding an elite aura that seemed out of place in a library.

Their eyes met in mid-air, separated by bookshelves, sunlight, and five years.

Tan Huaiyu's eyes widened slightly, then regained their composure. He closed the book, stood up, and walked towards Qi Shuo.

Qi Shuo stood still, watching him approach step by step.

Five years have passed... Tan Huaiyu has completely changed.

No longer the cautious boy following behind him, but a stranger, a mature adult with whom he had no connection.

"Qi Shuo." Tan Huaiyu stood in front of him, her voice soft, using his full name, no longer the "Brother Qi Shuo" of yesteryear.

"Mm." Qi Shuo nodded, equally calm. "Long time no see."

"Long time no see." Tan Huaiyu smiled, a faint smile carrying a polite distance. "You... came to look up information?"

"Hmm." Qi Shuo waved the book in his hand. "Factory Equipment Manual."

"A factory?" Tan Huaiyu's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, then relaxed. "Still working in a factory?"

"right."

"Oh." Tan Huaiyu nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

Silence spread between them. The library was quiet, save for the occasional rustling of pages and footsteps. Sunlight streamed through the window, casting a bright yet cold band of light on the floor between them.

"And you?" Qi Shuo broke the silence. "Come back...?"

"To open a law firm," Tan Huaiyu replied briefly, "a branch office in Beicheng."

"Oh," Qi Shuo replied. "Congratulations."

"Thank you." Tan Huaiyu smiled politely.

Another silence followed.

Qi Shuo suddenly felt a bit absurd—five years ago, they could sit in the same spot, quietly reading books and occasionally exchanging a few words.

Now, they stand here, like two strangers, exchanging awkward pleasantries, unable to find any common ground.

Qi Shuo suddenly realized that Tan Huaiyu was no longer the boy he used to be. Five years had passed, and the faint connection between them had long been washed away by time.

"Then I'll be going now," Qi Shuo said. "Goodbye."

"Goodbye." Tan Huaiyu nodded and stood still.

Qi Shuo turned and walked towards the door, pushed open the glass door, and stepped into the autumn sunlight.

Behind him, the library doors slowly closed, shutting out that quiet, book-filled world, and also shutting out the person who was once familiar but now so unfamiliar that he dared not recognize him.

He stood on the steps and took a deep breath. Five years... Tan Huaiyu had returned, but between them, they were now like two parallel lines, each moving along their own path, never to intersect again.

That's fine too.

Qi Shuo told himself this as he stepped down the stairs.

Behind him, behind the library window, Tan Huaiyu stood there, quietly watching his figure disappear into the crowd. A fleeting, complex emotion flickered in his amber eyes, before returning to calm.

He turned around, returned to his seat by the window, and reopened the book. The sunlight still shone on him, outlining a lonely and aloof silhouette.

Just like five years ago.

Yet they are completely different.

In a corner of the library, the sunlight still gently spilled onto the table. Tan Huaiyu sat there, his book untouched for a long time. His gaze fell on the window, watching Qi Shuo's figure disappear into the crowd until it was no longer visible.

Then, he slowly withdrew his gaze, lowered his head, and looked at the coffee on the table. The steam had dissipated, the coffee was cold, just like their conversation—cold, distant, and devoid of warmth.

Tan Huaiyu's fingers gently traced the edges of the pages, his fingertips trembling slightly. He took a deep breath, suppressing the surging emotions within him—excitement, joy, bitterness, heartache… so many feelings intertwined, almost overwhelming him.

Five years have passed.

Five years have passed, and Qi Shuo has changed, yet he seems unchanged.

He was thinner than he was five years ago, the dark circles under his eyes were more pronounced, and he exuded an aura of weariness yet resilience. Factory work... must be very tough, right?

Tan Huaiyu felt a sharp pain in his heart as he recalled Qi Shuo's rough fingers and his calm tone when he mentioned the factory.

He shouldn't have been living this kind of life.

He could have... lived a better life.

Tan Huaiyu closed his eyes, forcing himself to calm down. He couldn't act impulsively, he couldn't rush things.

Five years have passed, and Qi Shuo has grown accustomed to his current life and the distance between them. If he were to rashly approach, he would only push Qi Shuo further away.

Stay calm.

We need to stay calm.

We mustn't scare him away.

We need to take it one step at a time.

Tan Huaiyu told himself this over and over again. He opened his eyes, a resolute glint in his amber pupils.

It's not the right time yet.

He needed to wait, to give Qi Shuo time, and to allow their relationship to slowly rebuild itself.

Tan Huaiyu put away his phone and reopened the book. But the words on the page blurred before his eyes, making it impossible for him to concentrate. His thoughts drifted back to the conversation they had just had—so brief, so distant, so…unfamiliar.

Every word of their conversation was like a dull knife, slowly cutting into his heart.

Five years have passed, and they have become so estranged.

Tan Huaiyu's fingers gripped the pages tightly, his knuckles turning white. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down once more.

Don't rush.

Don't rush.

He repeated those three words to himself over and over again, as if chanting some kind of incantation. But the surging emotions in his heart were impossible to suppress.

Brother Qi Shuo.

I miss you so much.

These four words had been swirling in his mind for five years, yet he had never uttered them. Now, he had finally met Qi Shuo, but he still couldn't bring himself to say them.

Tan Huaiyu gave a bitter smile, closed the book, leaned back in his chair, and closed his eyes. Sunlight streamed through his eyelids, creating a warm red glow in front of him. He remembered five years ago, their last meeting, in that library, on that rainy night, in that… embrace filled with the meaning of farewell.

Brother Qi Shuo, I'll be waiting for you.

No matter how long it takes, I will wait for you.

He never forgot what he had said. For the past five years, he had studied hard, worked hard, and tried his best to become a better person, all so that one day he could stand tall and proud in front of Qi Shuo and tell him—I'm back, and I can protect you now.

But now...

Tan Huaiyu opened her eyes and looked at the sky outside the window. The autumn sky was blue, the clouds were light, and the sunlight was warm. Everything was beautiful, except for that one person.

He slowly stood up, gathered his books and coffee cup, and walked towards the return counter. The librarian took the books, smiled, and asked, "Finished reading?"

"Okay." Tan Huaiyu nodded. "Thank you."

Stepping out of the library, a cool autumn breeze greeted her. Tan Huaiyu stood on the steps, gazing at the bustling street in the distance, filled with people and traffic.

Qi Shuo just left from here.

Towards... a life without him.

Tan Huaiyu took a deep breath and stepped down the stairs. His steps were steady, and his back was straight, like a tall pine tree, standing firm in the autumn wind.

He will wait.

No matter how long it takes, he will wait.

Because... he never gave up.