Chapter 34 Blue Snowflake, He Understands Her
The response from the Justice Bureau came faster than Lin Xili had expected.
On the third day after submitting the application, she received an official notification in her email that her reinstatement application had been approved.
Looking at the concise yet weighty reply on the screen, she breathed a long sigh of relief.
The long-awaited return has finally arrived, but the reluctance in my heart has reached its peak at this moment.
She did not immediately begin packing her luggage.
In the room where she had lived for several months, a half-read professional book was still spread out on the desk.
The laboratory equipment still bore traces of her use, and the wardrobe held clothes that Grandma Huo had bought for her, clothes with a simple, small-town style...
Everything seemed to be silently trying to hold her back.
"Xi Li, it's a good thing that your reinstatement has been approved. Go back and work hard!" Grandma Huo held her hand, her eyes a little red.
"Grandma has reserved this room for you. You can come back to stay whenever you want!"
The old lady continued earnestly, "And also, when you have time, remember to video chat with Grandma so she can see you, otherwise Grandma will miss you!"
Lin Xili grasped Grandma Huo's warm hand in return, her throat tightening slightly, and nodded vigorously: "Okay, Grandma, I'll video call you when I have time."
She looked at Huo Nanchen, who had been standing silently to the side.
His face remained expressionless, but when she looked over, he nodded slightly and said calmly, "I'll take you to the station."
The day she set off, the sun shone brightly, just as it had when she first arrived in Lixiang Town.
This time, the difference was that she had someone pick her up and drop her off.
Huo Nanchen drove his dark gray SUV, carrying her towards the Maluan County High-Speed Railway Station.
The carriage remained quiet, but the distance and awkwardness between the two was no longer that of their first meeting; instead, there was a tacit understanding that had developed over several months of getting to know each other.
The car was parked at the entrance of the high-speed rail station.
Huo Nanchen got out of the car and took out her suitcase and an item carefully wrapped in light brown kraft paper from the trunk.
He handed her the handle of the suitcase, and then carefully presented the wrapped item to her.
Lin Xili looked at him with some confusion.
Huo Nanchen took action, gently untying the hemp rope and peeling off the kraft paper wrapping.
A plant has been revealed.
Slender yet resilient branches unfurl lush, pinnately divided, emerald-green leaves.
Dozens of small, blooming flowers dotted the branches and leaves.
The flower was an extremely pure, cool blue, neither the azure of the sky nor the deep blue of the lake.
Lin Xili was stunned, her gaze fixed on the refreshing blue, and for a moment she forgot to breathe.
"This is blue snowflake."
Huo Nanchen continued, "I think it looks a lot like you."
Like her? Lin Xi's heartstrings trembled slightly.
"Its flower language is that although it appears cold and melancholic, it is brave and resilient under the sunlight."
He raised his eyes, his dark pupils gazing deeply into her somewhat bewildered eyes.
May the sunshine warm you from dawn till dusk.
May the sunshine warm you from dawn till dusk.
These words were like a warm current, instantly shattering all of Lin Xili's efforts to maintain calm and defenses.
She looked at the flower in front of her, its blue color breathtaking in the sunlight.
And then she looked at the man in front of her who had pulled her out of the depths of despair, cured her illness, brought her peace, and now presented her with a bouquet of flowers that perfectly matched her temperament.
All the gratitude and reluctance that had been building up in my heart for months burst forth like a flood.
She reacted almost without thinking; her body acted before her consciousness could.
She released her grip on the suitcase, stepped forward, stretched out her arms, and gently embraced Huo Nanchen.
Her cheek pressed against the cool fabric of his shirt, and she could feel his body stiffen instantly and the heartbeat emanating from his solid chest.
"Thanks……"
Her voice was muffled against his chest, thick with nasal tone and a slight tremor.
"Thank you... for everything you've done for me."
This hug was brief yet profound.
She quickly released him, took a step back, lowered her head, and no longer dared to look him in the eye.
Huo Nanchen looked at her reddened earlobes and her lowered eyes, and his tense body slowly relaxed.
He paused for a few seconds, then said, "Remember to come back for a routine check-up in three months to see if there are any signs of relapse. But don't worry, none of the patients under my care have shown any signs of relapse so far."
She looked up at him, her eyes filled with clear tears, and said, "Okay, then I'm leaving."
"Um."
She picked up her suitcase again, carefully held up the pot of blue snowflakes, glanced at him one last time, then turned and merged into the surging crowd at the station.
Huo Nanchen stood there, watching her slender yet upright figure disappear through the security checkpoint, remaining motionless for a long time.
The brief warmth and soft touch of her embrace seemed to linger on my chest, and the faint fragrance of her hair seemed to still linger around my nose.
Her eyelashes trembled and drooped, concealing the complex emotions in her eyes. She slightly curved her lips, turned around, and got into the car.
Lin Xili sat on the speeding high-speed train, the scenery outside the window blurred into a flowing color.
She looked down at the pot of blue snowflakes shimmering in the sunlight on her lap, her fingertips gently touching the cool, soft petals.
Cold and melancholic, yet brave and resilient.
He understands her.
Lin Xili placed the pot of blue snowflakes on the small dining table in front of her and prepared to close her eyes and rest.
At that moment, a female flight attendant came to her seat aisle with a bowl of noodles.
"Carriage 7, Room 13A, your meal is ready. Please enjoy!"
Lin Xili was taken aback; she remembered that she hadn't ordered any food.
Just as I was about to ask, a notification sound came from my WeChat.
She clicked on it and took a look.
Huo Nanchen: [You ate little for breakfast, so I ordered meals for you when I bought the tickets.]
Huo Nanchen and Grandma Huo got up early to prepare breakfast for her. With her departure imminent, she had no appetite and only drank a few mouthfuls of porridge.
It's already 1 p.m., and my stomach is empty; I'm really hungry.
He's always like that, so thoughtful.
Lin Xili's nose couldn't help but sting with tears.
She took the bowl of noodles from the flight attendant and said thank you.
Lifting the paper lid, a wave of steam rushes out, revealing a simple bowl of beef noodles with a few slices of braised beef, a handful of chopped green onions, and a clear broth.
The noodles were warm, soft, and delicious.
Lin Xili put down her chopsticks, leaned back in her chair, and looked at the pot of blue snowflakes again.
She glanced down at her phone again at the chat interface with Huo Nanchen; the phrase "I didn't eat breakfast" was still lingering on the screen.
She typed on the screen:
The noodles were delicious, thank you for being so thoughtful. The blue plumbago is beautiful, I will take good care of it.
A moment later, Huo Nanchen replied: 【Okay, be careful on the road.】
She could picture his expressionless face as he typed those words.
But she could read concern in that brief response.
When she first arrived, no one cared about her journey, but now she does.
Lin Xili tidied up the dishes and waited for the flight attendant to come and collect them.
She rearranged the blue plumbago leaves so that each leaf could be bathed in the sunlight streaming in from the window.
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