Chapter Ninety-Eight: Wishes Fulfilled

Yao Fangfang finally put down her phone and looked up to find that Chen Guang was the only one left at the table. The night was as dark as ink, the sound of distant waves could be faintly heard, and the restaurant lights were dim and ambiguous.

His long arm was still draped over the back of the chair where Lin Yu had sat, the cigarette between his fingers glowing in the night, and he squinted as he looked toward the dance floor.

"You two have made up?" Yao Fangfang suddenly asked.

Chen Guang, a cigarette dangling from his lips, turned his head at the words, the cigarette butt tracing an orange arc in the darkness. A wisp of smoke escaped from his lips, drifting away in the night breeze. He lowered his eyes and shook his head. "I don't know, it's probably still a bit lacking."

"This time... you'd better think it through first," Yao Fangfang said, offering a gentle reminder.

Chen Guang rested his cigarette on the table, ash falling softly. His gaze remained fixed on the figure surrounded by people in the crowd, his tone calm. "I hope this time, I can get what I want."

As the music gradually slowed down on the dance floor, Mia naturally took Lin Yu's hand, placed her other hand lightly on her waist, and led her to sway gently to the rhythm.

Her emerald eyes shone brightly in the firelight as she leaned close to Lin Yu's ear and whispered, "Is Chen Guang your boyfriend?"

"Of course no!" Lin Yu chuckled, a hint of helplessness in his voice. "Just...friend."

“Well, how about my buddy?” Mia winked mischievously and tilted her head towards Liam. “He’s totally into you! I can’t stop talking about you these days.”

Lin Yu had certainly noticed Liam's inexplicable enthusiasm for her these past two days. But at such moments, Jiang Chuan's image would always inappropriately pop into her mind.

Even though their last meeting ended badly, and even though he never contacted her again, she knew she was far from ready, whether to start a new relationship or to deal with an ambiguous relationship in a foreign country while traveling.

“Let him grow up first.” Lin Yu chuckled, glancing at the blond boy swaying erratically to the rhythm not far away. “He looks like a seventeen!”

“Aw, don’t be so harsh! He’s actually really sweet.” Mia blinked persistently, as if she had come prepared with a mission.

“No rush, we've got the whole year in China to see how things go. ”

"You are an international student," Lin Yu said, changing the subject at the opportune moment.

"Yep, still one year left until post-graduation!"

"So you've been in China for many years? Howe you can't speak Chinese"

As Lin Yu asked with a puzzled expression, he quickly calculated the age difference between her and them in his mind, realizing that he seemed to be an old cow eating young grass, and couldn't help but laugh.

"We're just exchange students, have been here for less than two months, andt Chinese is actually really hard to master."

While explaining to Lin Yu, Mia noticed a subtle change in her expression and thoughtfully asked, "...so...you're into him," gesturing towards Chen Guang with her lips.

Looking back now, the subtle intimacy between the two of them throughout the afternoon, and the resistance Chen Guang showed when Liam approached Lin Yu several times, even the oblivious Mia noticed something was off.

“Hey, on!” Lin Yu chuckled and patted her arm lightly.

Just then, a familiar figure walked towards them from a distance. Lin Yu stopped talking and looked closely. It was Zhang Yunzhou, whom he hadn't seen for a long time.

He walked over to them, exchanged brief greetings with everyone, and then sat down in the seat Lin Yu had vacated. His fingers casually brushed through Yao Fangfang's hair, and his voice carried obvious weariness. "Fangfang, I've come to pick you up."

Chen Guang tactfully stood up and quietly led Lin Yu away from the crowd across the dance floor. "Let's go buy some drinks," he said softly, his fingertips lightly tapping her wrist.

Lin Yu couldn't help but turn around, but only saw Yao Fangfang's straight back and Zhang Yunzhou's slightly hunched shoulders.

At the dinner table, Yao Fangfang mechanically poked at the remaining shrimp shells on her plate with her fork. Zhang Yunzhou's arm wrapped around her from behind, his warm palm pressing against her cold arm. "You're dressed too lightly."

His voice was muffled by her hair. "Your body hasn't fully recovered yet..."

"If you're just worried that having one fallopian tube removed will affect my fertility," Yao Fangfang's voice was chillingly cold. "We can go back and get a divorce by mutual agreement."

Zhang Yunzhou froze, his Adam's apple bobbing with difficulty, his expression filled with unbearable pain. "From beginning to end, I was only worried about your health." His voice trembled, but his arms tightened around him. "I was even more afraid that you... have never loved me."

These words are hard to say, and even harder to utter. "I must be going crazy, thinking that what you've been doing lately is preparing to leave me."

"I was wrong, Fangfang. I was wrong to argue with you. I knew that losing this child would only cause you a thousand times more pain than me."

“Zhang Yunzhou!” Yao Fangfang interrupted him mercilessly. “I can’t give up my career again for the sake of pregnancy. I’m human too, and I don’t want to be trapped in the mundane details of daily life, only seeing trivial matters every day, and in the end, I can only depend on you.”

She broke free from his embrace, looking down at her husband's red-rimmed eyes. "But whether you believe it or not, the child's situation was just an accident. I'm not that heartless."

The distant sound of waves could be faintly heard. Tears silently soaked into Zhang Yunzhou's collar as he looked up. "I understand! I understand everything!"

He nodded eagerly, his hands gripping Yao Fangfang's fingertips tightly, as if she would vanish from his sight the moment he loosened his hold. "Focus on your exams. I'll support whatever you want to do in the future. As long as you're still by my side..."

His voice suddenly lowered, and he seemed to shrink into the dust. "Whether you love me or not...whether you care about me or not...it doesn't matter." As long as you're still willing to appease me, to spare me even a little superficial tenderness.

Yao Fangfang wanted to say, how could she not care? How could she not love him? All these years, all that they've been through together, were they all just a lie? But looking at her husband's distraught face, all the words stuck in her chest, turning into a sour, hard lump in her throat.

Marriage is different from dating. It is no longer the black-and-white love and hate of youth, but a mixture of the expectations of two families, the pressure of life, and the indescribable responsibilities and entanglements, which can seem to muddy all sincere feelings.

But now, she needs to find her whole self first; everything else will eventually settle down.

The next morning, Lin Yu bid farewell to Liam and his group in the hotel lobby. These young international students were only using Sanya as a transit point; after a short rest, they would continue their journey into the unknown.

Before parting, Liam hugged Lin Yu tightly, with the enthusiasm unique to young people. He promised her that he was studying in Beijing, not far from Shanghai, and that he would definitely visit her when he had the chance.

Lin Yu smiled and agreed, gently patting his back. He promised to take him to try all the delicious food in Shanghai and to show him hospitality.

Chen Guang leaned against the pillar the whole time, the sunlight casting shadows of varying depths on his sharply defined profile.

He never seemed to see him as a real rival, his arms casually crossed over his chest. Only when the hug lasted a little too long did he casually remind him to be careful not to miss his flight, his tone carrying a hint of nonchalant teasing.

Liam then released Lin Yu, scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly, and gave Chen Guang a look that was a mixture of apology and provocation.

After seeing them off, Zhang Yunzhou chartered a yacht and took everyone out fishing for the next few days. The azure sea stretched to the horizon, and the yacht cut through the waves, leaving a white wake behind it.

Lin Yu benefited from Yao Fangfang's connections, gaining considerable exposure to the world through this wealthy man. She stood on the deck, the sea breeze ruffling her hair, carrying a salty scent. Chen Guang appeared beside her unnoticed, handing her a glass of chilled juice.

"Thank you." Lin Yu took the cup, her fingertips inadvertently touching the back of his hand, and both of them paused slightly.

"Seeing you standing here in a daze, I thought you were seasick," Chen Guang said, his voice a little softer than usual.

Lin Yu shook his head. "I was just thinking how amazing life is. Just a few days ago I was working overtime in the office. And now I'm here, looking at the boundless sea, and the most important thing I can do is daydream."

It was rare for the two to have such a calm and peaceful conversation. Chen Guang followed her gaze to the horizon. "Yes, sometimes you need to step back to see things more clearly."

Their conversation was interrupted by Yao Fangfang's exclamation. She had caught a big fish. Zhang Yunzhou immediately rushed to help, and the couple worked together seamlessly, the previous gloom seemingly dispelled by the sea breeze.

Lin Yu noticed the long-lost smile on Yao Fangfang's face and couldn't help but say to Chen Guang, "Actually, they are still a good match."

Chen Guang nodded in agreement, his gaze deep. "Every couple has their own way of getting along, and it's hard for outsiders to see the whole picture."

Lin Yu turned to look at Chen Guang, but he only showed her a somewhat lonely and desolate profile. She didn't know if he was just stating the facts or if he was thinking about his past failed marriage.

The days flew by amidst the sea breeze, sunshine, and the sound of the waves. In the blink of an eye, the National Day holiday was drawing to a close. Lin Yu and Yao Fangfang said goodbye at the airport, holding hands and promising to meet again.

After seeing them off, Lin Yu composed himself and boarded the return flight with Chen Guang.

After the plane took off, she put her phone in airplane mode and, having nothing to do, looked through the photos and videos she had taken over the past few days. She noticed that Chen Guang's photography skills had improved dramatically, making him completely different from the clumsy person she remembered.

She couldn't help but turn to look at him, and found him resting with his eyes closed. His eyelashes were long, casting a faint shadow under his eyelids.

"When did you go to study photography?" she asked softly.

Chen Guang opened his eyes and turned his head to look at the two arms that were placed side by side on the armrest. Their skin was tanned, as if they had brought the warmth of Sanya back to Shanghai.

“I used to be very competitive, and after you talked to me so much, I started to think about it behind my back. After all…” As he spoke, his arm moved unconsciously, and their skin touched the armrest intentionally or unintentionally. “Some moments are worth recording.”

Lin Yu couldn't help but recall how she had mocked his photography skills back in college, saying he didn't know whether he was taking pictures or conducting research on evolution, as there wasn't a single image in the entire album that could be included in the context of modern civilization.

Back then, they were always at odds, neither willing to give in. But their feelings for each other were more genuine, and their hearts were closer than they are now.

As the plane flew through the clouds, her finger slid across the screen, passing through photos one by one, finally settling on her smiling profile as she stood under a coconut tree.

In the photo, her eyes are bright, her smile is natural, and the sunlight shines through the leaves onto her, creating dappled light and shadow.

Two hours later, the plane began its descent, and a notification sounded. The sky over Shanghai was overcast, a stark contrast to the azure blue of Sanya. Lin Yu gazed at the familiar cityscape outside the window and suddenly felt a strange sense of melancholy.

When collecting their luggage, Chen Guang naturally took Lin Yu's suitcase and held it in his hand. "It'll be congested going back to the city at this hour, how about we grab a bite to eat together? I know a good local restaurant near the airport."

Lin Yu glanced at his watch and hesitated for a moment. "Never mind, I still have some finishing work to take care of."

She knew in her heart that this was just a lame excuse. As soon as they returned to Shanghai, the rare sense of relaxation between them that they had when they were away from home immediately dissipated, and they fell back into the awkward and uncomfortable situation they had been in before.

Chen Guang nodded, said nothing more, and followed Lin Yu toward the underground parking garage.