Chapter 91 Nan Chen Returns, Still the Same as Xi Li
Two years later, the weather was clear.
The intense sunlight shone on the ancient university buildings, making them scorching hot.
Lin Xili, dressed in a dark academic gown and holding her certificate, walked out of the school auditorium. Her oval face looked even more aloof and distant than usual.
She started descending the high steps in front of the school gate, one step after another.
His gaze unconsciously lifted from the certificate in his hand and looked towards the open square in front of him and the crowds of people coming and going to offer their congratulations.
Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks.
My heart has forgotten how to beat.
The crowd was bustling, and the afternoon sun was blinding.
Amidst the swaying crowd below the steps, a figure, holding a bouquet of flowers, ascends the stairs one step at a time with steady and powerful strides.
Her figure was still upright, much thinner, but still retained her familiar features etched into her very bones.
What he held in his hands was not roses, not lilies, not any brightly colored bouquet symbolizing celebration.
It was still that same bouquet of blue snowflakes that he always gave her at every important juncture in her life.
Today marks an important graduation milestone in her academic career, and he came to congratulate her.
The blue flowers still clustered together, shimmering with a delicate, soft light in the sunlight.
It was like a blue cloud drifting in from a dream, getting closer and clearer.
Is this a hallucination?
In the past two years, she has had similar hallucinations in moments of fatigue or distraction.
But those illusions are always blurry and fleeting.
But this time it felt too real.
The way he walked, the way he had held flowers countless times, and those dark eyes that pierced through the distance and reached her heart when he looked up at her.
Huo Nanchen.
It really is him.
By this time, he had reached the steps where she was standing, positioned two steps below her, just enough for her to lower her eyes slightly so that they could look at each other at eye level.
Sunlight fell on his face, outlining his clear eyebrows and eyes. His originally cool, porcelain-white skin now appeared pale, as if he hadn't seen the sun in a long time.
Those deep, dark eyes remained calm, but now, her reflection was clearly visible in them, shimmering with a gentle and bright light she had never seen before.
He held up the bouquet of blue snowflakes and offered it to her, his voice deep and clear, like an echo that had traveled through time and space to reach her ears:
"Dr. Lin, congratulations on your graduation."
Lin Xili stared blankly at him, at the flowers in his hand, and at his face so close to hers.
All the surrounding sounds—the laughter of the students, the clicking of camera shutters—froze at that moment.
The world was so quiet that only he and she remained, along with that cluster of blue snowflakes.
She didn't immediately take the flowers, but slowly, with a slightly trembling hand, she reached out and grasped the wrist of the hand that was handing her the flowers.
My fingers landed on his warm wrist, feeling the clear bones and pulse beneath.
Finally, she lowered her head, opened her mouth, and with a stubborn determination, bit down hard.
He used force, his teeth sinking into his flesh, and a metallic taste of blood, tinged with ambergris, filled his mouth.
Huo Nanchen's body trembled slightly, but he did not move or pull his hand back. He just stared at her intently, letting her bite him.
After all, the pain it brings is the most reliable link between reality and dreams.
Lin Xili raised her head, released her grip, and looked at the reddish teeth marks on his wrist, her voice soft and broken: "Does it hurt?"
"pain."
The pain is real, not a dream.
A tremendous, belated ecstasy, a sense of grievance, a feeling of relief, and a longing that had been building up for two years.
She abruptly released his wrist, cupped his cheeks in her hands, and bit his thin lips hard with the strength of a little wolf cub!
Huo Nanchen's hand trembled slightly, and he realized what was happening. He quickly and forcefully wrapped his free hand around her waist, holding her firmly in his arms.
At the same time, it was a more passionate and profound response to this kiss that transcended life and death and the long wait.
The hem of the academic gown fluttered gently in the breeze, and soft gasps and good-natured laughter rose from the surroundings. At that moment, even the wind seemed incredibly gentle.
After an unknown amount of time, the two finally separated slightly, panting, their foreheads touching, their breaths mingling.
Lin Xili's cheeks flushed, her eyes glistened with tears, and a bright smile appeared on her face for the first time.
No further words were spoken.
His right hand took her left hand, and his other hand naturally took the certificate from her. Lin Xi held the bouquet of blue snowflakes in her right hand.
The two held hands tightly and, amidst the blessings of the crowd, walked down the steps one by one, heading in the direction they shared.
Back at the Justice Bureau, the dormitory door was closed behind me.
Huo Nanchen had just placed the certificate on the coffee table, changed into his slippers, and turned around when...
Lin Xili, like a small beast that had been suppressed for too long and finally broke free of its cage, pounced forward.
Her movements were very rough; her slender yet powerful fingers grabbed the collar of his shirt and tore it forcefully to both sides.
"Sizzle—"
The button popped open and rolled onto the floor, the cool air instantly touching his suddenly exposed chest skin.
Huo Nanchen was slightly taken aback by her sudden and intense action, but his body's instinctive reaction was much faster than his brain's.
He did not resist, but relaxed his body and let her do as she pleased.
But those eyes were fixed on her face, filled with guilt, heartache, and the overwhelming emotion of regaining what had been lost.
She ripped the shirt off completely and threw it carelessly on the floor.
Then came the soft metallic click of a belt buckle being quickly unbuckled, and the suit trousers slipped down.
There were no words, only the sound of increasingly rapid breathing intertwining in the quiet space.
When Huo Nanchen's body was completely exposed, Lin Xili's movements suddenly stopped.
Her gaze was fixed on his bare chest, abdomen, shoulders, arms, legs, every inch of his skin.
Those scars, varying in depth and shape, were like the cruelest stamps, densely imprinted on his once smooth and firm skin.
There are jagged, circular dents left by bullets, and long, raised marks from shrapnel...
These scars silently tell the story of the unimaginable torment he endured during the two years he was missing.
Each wound pierced through flesh, taking away body heat and blood, and brushed past death.
She had prepared herself mentally countless times over the past two years, but seeing her body covered in scars still made her heart ache so much she could hardly breathe.
Tears welled up quickly, blurring her vision.
Her fingertips trembled slightly with coolness as she carefully traced the uneven marks inch by inch, from top to bottom and from front to back.
Finally, the fingertip stopped on a scar above his left chest, near his heart.
It was deeper and darker there than anywhere else, a testament to the bullet that had come so close to the source of his life.
You can clearly feel the different texture and slight depression of that skin compared to other areas.
Does it hurt?
She finally spoke, her voice hoarse, broken, and off-key, with a heavy nasal tone.
Tears had already silently slid down his cheeks, dripping onto his cold skin and spreading out wet patches.
Then, without waiting for his reply, she lowered her head, with a sorrow and indescribable heartache, and gently pressed her burning, trembling lips onto the deepest scar.
She wanted to use her warmth to soothe the past wounds, and her kisses to commemorate the suffering he had endured.
Warm lips pressed against the slightly cool scar, carrying the salty taste of tears.
Huo Nanchen's body trembled violently, and his taut self-control crumbled under this kiss.
He felt the falling tear, so hot it almost burned his skin and seared his heart.
His Adam's apple bobbed violently, and he raised his hands to cup her cheeks, gently wiping away her endless tears with his thumbs.
He gazed into her eyes, "Seeing you makes the pain go away."
His fingertips traced her eyebrows and eyes, felt the contours of her cheeks, and his brow furrowed. "You've lost weight."
Compared to two years ago, her jawline is more defined, her collarbones are more prominent, and she looks noticeably thinner.
Although he looked energetic, he could tell at a glance that he had endured inner torment and grown up alone.
Lin Xili raised her tear-filled face and looked at him, her voice slightly aggrieved, "I didn't have an appetite because you didn't cook, so I ate very little."
These simple words encapsulate the unpleasant taste of food experienced by dining alone over the past two years.
Huo Nanchen's heart felt as if it had been squeezed hard, a mixture of bitterness and warmth.
He lowered his head, their noses touching, their breaths mingling. "Yes, I'll cook for you from now on."
At this moment, all words seem superfluous, and all reason has been burned away.
Huo Nanchen tightened his grip on her cheeks, held the back of her neck, pulled her slightly closer to him, and then kissed her deeply on her still trembling red lips.
This kiss was different from the one that had just been kissed down the steps, a kiss filled with ecstasy and confirmation.
It was deeper, more urgent, and carried a strong possessive desire to devour her and integrate her into its very being.
It also carries a crazy desire to make up for all the lost time through the most intimate contact.
His tongue pried open her teeth, conquering and plundering, drawing in every breath from her mouth, and conveying to her all the joy and love he felt after surviving the ordeal.
Lin Xili warmly greeted him, wrapping her arms around his lean, scarred waist.
Her fingertips gripped the skin of his back tightly, as if to confirm that every inch of him was real.
The doctoral gown had been completely stripped off at some point and was now lying on the floor mixed with the light blue shirt and black trousers.
The moment their skin touched, they both trembled slightly.
His body, though scarred, remained firm and warm.
Her body was slender and supple, yet it exuded a vibrant vitality and an eagerness like rain after a long drought.
Lin Xili stood on tiptoe, wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, and pulled him towards her.
"Huo Nanchen, go to the bedroom, I want you, right now."
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