Chapter 116
I love you.
Amidst laughter and cheers, Zhan Xinyue could clearly hear the beating of her heart in her chest.
She saw several people in front of her stand up, their gazes fixed on the door. She saw Dudu seize the opportunity to toss aside her cards and clap her hands in amusement. She saw Ye Zi's eyes darting back and forth between the doorway and her face, her expression full of smiles…
Then, I shifted my gaze slightly to the side.
Through the back of Yi Qing's boyfriend, she looked into Shi Ziqian's smiling eyes, which she hadn't seen for several days.
“New Moon, I’m here,” he said.
Shi Ziqian's sudden appearance made the already lively atmosphere in the private room even more intense.
The guys in the dorm teased the two of them for a while, with Yiqing constantly lecturing them about being a model boyfriend and telling the boys present to take note.
After laughing and joking for a while, the group realized that the two of them probably had a lot to talk about, so they called to each other and went over to play cards, leaving the space by the sofa for them to be alone.
"Why are you here?" Zhan Xinyue asked, bowing her head in front of him. After not seeing each other for a week, she felt a shyness as if it were their first meeting.
Shi Ziqian said gently, "Things at home are almost settled. Last night I heard you say you were coming to Mount Tai today, and I figured I could still make it, so I came."
“Oh…” Zhan Xinyue kept her head down and took his hand. “Don’t you think it’s too rushed? There’s no airport here, and you have to transfer to a high-speed train in Jinan, which is quite troublesome.”
“No trouble at all, I drove here,” Shi Ziqian said.
Zhan Xinyue finally looked up. Upon hearing the words "drove over," she immediately took out her phone to check the navigation.
According to the navigation, it's a nine-hour drive from home to here.
Zhan Xinyue was getting a little anxious: "We still have to climb all night. You drove for so long and then climbed all night, how can your body take it? Actually, you really didn't have to rush here..."
Shi Ziqian ruffled her hair: "Everyone else has their boyfriends with them, it would be too irresponsible of me not to come."
A part of her heart suddenly softened because of those words, and Zhan Xinyue said softly, "Everyone's fine, we were just getting together to have some fun anyway, I'm going back tomorrow."
“But I really want to come,” Shi Ziqian said. “Xinyue, I’ve never traveled with you outside of Beijing before, and I don’t want to miss this opportunity.”
"There will be many more opportunities in the future..." Zhan Xinyue compromised and didn't continue, asking him, "Aren't you tired?"
"Actually, I'm not tired at all, because I only had one thought in my mind on the way here, and I couldn't feel anything else."
Zhan Xinyue looked at him, already knowing what he was going to say, and asked with pursed lips, "What is it?"
"I want to see you." Shi Ziqian pulled her into his arms, buried his face in her hair, and took a deep breath. "Xinyue, I miss you so much."
A familiar and gentle aura enveloped her, and the slight imperfection in her heart finally vanished in this embrace.
"I miss you too." Zhan Xinyue hugged him back, feeling a tangible happiness in her heart.
It's okay that you're not here, but it's so good that you came.
Because Shi Ziqian had been driving all day, everyone deliberately delayed their departure time so that he could rest for a while.
At 10:30, everyone was ready to set off on time. Dudu solemnly counted the number of people and announced loudly, "This is our first team-building activity with all members of our dorm and their families! Let's go!"
The group walked downstairs together. In the stairwell, Zhan Xinyue noticed that Shi Ziqian's eyes were always curved in a smile, and couldn't help but ask him, "What are you thinking about that makes you so happy?"
“I was thinking about the word your roommate just used.” Shi Ziqian held her hand, his eyes sparkling. “Xinyue, I’m your family.”
"Is that what you're laughing at?" Zhan Xinyue laughed too. "I'm also your family member."
The two looked at each other and laughed for a long time. Holding hands, they slowly walked into the night breeze. Zhan Xinyue suddenly felt that because he had come, even the wind seemed a little sweeter.
The group strolled leisurely along the long queue until they reached Mount Tai. Only then did they belatedly realize a problem: when planning their trip, they had completely forgotten to consider the terrifyingly large crowds that would result from a major national holiday like National Day coinciding with a famous tourist attraction like Mount Tai.
From a distance at the foot of the mountain, everyone was taken aback by the endless queue of people. No one was prepared for so many people waiting to set off, even at nearly 11 p.m.
However, there was no other way but to wait in line.
The group chatted enthusiastically at first, but then Yiqing's boyfriend brought up his plans to set up his own studio. Surprisingly, Shi Ziqian seemed interested and asked, "What kind of business does your studio plan to do?"
"I'm a programmer, so I can't do anything else. I'm planning to get into software development. I feel there's still a market gap in this area in China."
Shi Ziqian thought for a moment and said, "We can talk about it in detail when we have time."
This topic didn't last long and quickly shifted to other things. After everyone had been slowly moving up the mountain with the dense crowd for over an hour, by the time they reached the first building along the way, the previously energetic people had begun to look somewhat listless.
Looking at the building, everyone's spirits lifted again, until they noticed several large characters written on it:
Ticket window.
Yi Qing looked blank: "So we queued for an hour before we finally got a chance to enter?"
"It seems so..."
After a few groans and a long wait in line, the group finally bought tickets and officially entered the Mount Tai scenic area.
Zhan Xinyue had originally imagined the night climb to be a thrilling adventure, and she had even worried about potential dangers along the way. But when everyone finally entered the gate at the foot of Mount Tai and began to squeeze up the wide, flat, and densely packed steps, she had no such thoughts left.
Who would have thought that the mountain path on Mount Tai at midnight would be more crowded than the stairwell before morning exercises in school?
The group had been calling out to each other not to get separated, but they were quickly scattered by the crowd. After walking a short distance, only Shi Ziqian, who was holding her hand tightly, remained walking side by side.
Zhan Xinyue turned her head to look at him, and Shi Ziqian happened to be looking down at her as well. The two exchanged a glance in the crowd and laughed at the same time.
"It's so crowded," Zhan Xinyue said.
"Yes, it's so crowded," Shi Ziqian said, "but it's also very happy."
It was truly a wonderful experience. At midnight, we squeezed into the crowd to climb for the sunrise, like a collective adventure.
Swept along by the crowd, Zhan Xinyue could only cling tightly to Shi Ziqian. She looked at their clasped hands and said with a smile, "Don't you think we look like a young couple in love, secretly holding hands while we're squeezed into the stairwell?"
Shi Ziqian thought for a moment, as if pondering, and then held her hand even tighter.
Zhan Xinyue secretly smiled with her head down. Early love... What would it be like if she were to fall in love with Shi Ziqian?
It seems like we don't need to sneak around in a crowd to hold hands. Since we're deskmates, we can probably just do it during class...
Zhan Xinyue quickly shook her head to stop her wandering thoughts.
We were all minors back then, so I can't think about it anymore.
After climbing countless steps, the two reached a small platform where the crowd had dispersed considerably and was no longer so congested.
The two found a step to sit down and rest for a while. Shi Ziqian took out a water bottle from his bag, opened it, and handed it to her. Zhan Xinyue took a sip and then handed it back to him, saying, "You should have some too."
Shi Ziqian took it, his gaze lingered on her moist lips for a moment, and then he lowered his head and kissed her lips.
Zhan Xinyue was momentarily distracted, but when she came to her senses, he had already sat up straight as if nothing had happened. She quickly looked around, and thankfully it was dark, and since they were sitting in a corner, no one was looking their way.
"What are you doing? What if someone sees you..."
Shi Ziqian looked at her and smiled gently: "Don't we look like a young couple secretly kissing on the side of the playground after evening class?"
Zhan Xinyue realized that he was responding to what she had just whispered in the crowd.
Zhan Xinyue asked in surprise, "How did you know that people were secretly kissing on the back playground at night?"
"I don't know." Shi Ziqian looked away, his voice lower. "But I've fantasized about what it might be like if we were in a relationship."
Even sitting in the dark, Zhan Xinyue could feel her face suddenly burning. She wanted to say something, but Shi Ziqian had already turned his head and leaned over to kiss her again.
It was a long kiss. At first, Zhan Xinyue could still see his clear eyes, but later her mind went blank and she could only feel his lips and tongue, his breath slowly engulfing her.
"I really want to kiss you like this on the side of the playground when no one is around." Shi Ziqian's voice rang in her ears, and the faint magnetic feeling made her heart tingle. "I've wanted to since high school."
He loosened his grip slightly, staring at her slightly parted lips due to her uneven breathing, and kissed her even more deeply once more: "Or, it's okay if there are other people around."
For most of the journey afterward, Zhan Xinyue was in a daze, her mind a little oxygen-deprived, and Shi Ziqian led her step by step uphill.
Shi Ziqian, on the other hand, was in great spirits, and his smile never faded.
I thought the climb would be very long overnight, but it didn't seem to be.
Hand in hand with Shi Ziqian, they walked until dawn broke, and the two finally arrived at the mountaintop platform.
Sunrise was still a while away, so Zhan Xinyue took off her coat and handed it to Shi Ziqian, then went to the restroom.
With such a large crowd, even the restrooms required queuing. Zhan Xinyue stood at the back of the line, took out her phone, and sent a message in the group chat, wanting to ask where everyone else was.
After sending the message and exiting, she noticed a new message from Dai Yun in her message list. When she opened it, she saw that it had been sent last night, but the signal was poor due to the large number of people on the mountain, so she only received it now.
The message read: New Moon, I want to talk to you about something.
Zhan Xinyue casually replied: What is it? Speak.
She thought Dai Yun was probably still sleeping at this hour, so she didn't pay much attention to it after sending the message. Unexpectedly, she received a reply almost immediately.
Dai Yun: Do you remember the day I told you that we were planning to have a class reunion before the start of the semester?
Zhan Xinyue glanced at the time and exclaimed in surprise: "Are you up or still awake? It's not even six o'clock yet."
Dai Yun: I'm getting up and getting ready to go to the study room... There's no way around it, the exams for this major at our school are so tough I'm practically unrecognizable. That's what they call choosing the right major – you're always on the verge of the college entrance exam.
Zhan Xinyue sent a mournful emoji before replying to her previous message: Class reunion, remember? What's up?
Dai Yun: It was during the gathering that day that everyone casually started talking about you, and I mentioned that you got into A University, and I also casually mentioned that you were dating Shi Ziqian. You don't mind, do you?
Zhan Xinyue: It's okay, so what if I said it? It's not like it's anything shameful.
Dai Yun: That's good. I thought it was your private matter after all, and it wouldn't be appropriate to disclose it to others casually.
Then came another message: Speaking of which, I remember you and Xie Wanzhi used to have a pretty good relationship. Did you two have some kind of conflict later?
Zhan Xinyue hadn't seen this name in a long time, and subconsciously frowned: What's wrong?
Dai Yun: I don’t know if it’s just my imagination, but I felt that Xie Wanzhi’s face turned very ugly after I said that, and she left alone before finishing her meal.
Zhan Xinyue was a little annoyed and replied: Don't worry about her, she's just an insignificant person.
After replying, she put her phone away and went into the bathroom.
She doesn't want to hear anything about this person anymore, especially not during such a happy time.
The slight irritation in her heart didn't last long; it vanished as soon as she came out of the restroom and saw Shi Ziqian.
Shi Ziqian remained in the same spot, sitting on the stone platform with the two of them in his arms. The clouds and mist reflecting the glow of the sunset over the mountain peaks behind him seemed to blend into the landscape painting.
Zhan Xinyue gazed at him from afar, and suddenly felt a sense of disorientation.
When she first met him, he was like this, sitting quietly in the school security room with his clothes in his arms, easily capturing her attention.
Even now, Zhan Xinyue still doesn't know why he was there that day, and perhaps he never will. Too much time has passed; he himself probably has no recollection of it at all.
Fortunately, this time the answer was definite. She knew clearly that he was sitting there waiting for her.
After two lifetimes of twists and turns, she finally came together with him, the person she had liked since the first time she met him in her teenage years.
Zhan Xinyue stared at him for a while before walking step by step to his side and asking gently, "Are you sleepy? Do you want to lean on me and sleep for a while?"
"I'm not sleepy, I'm full of energy right now." Shi Ziqian pulled her to sit down facing the faint morning light. "Look, the new moon, the sun is about to rise."
A faint glow of dawn was already appearing on the distant horizon. The two sat side by side, their fingers intertwined, admiring the vast and magnificent morning view from the mountaintop.
"New Moon," Shi Ziqian suddenly called her name.
"I'm here," Zhan Xinyue replied.
"New Moon," he called her softly again.
“I’m here,” Zhan Xinyue repeated. She turned her head to look at him. Shi Ziqian’s profile was exactly the same as she remembered. He had long, dark eyelashes, a straight nose, and a faint mole on it. Everything about him was exactly how she liked him.
Shi Ziqian turned around, his gentle gaze fixed on her eyes, and said earnestly, "I love you."
Zhan Xinyue smiled: "I love you too."
Shi Ziqian smiled, his eyes crinkling, "I love you more than you love me."
Waiting for the sunrise atop a high mountain, whispering sweet nothings to her lover beside her. Zhan Xinyue felt she couldn't imagine a more romantic scene than this.
She laughed for a while, and suddenly a dialogue from a picture book she loved as a child popped into her mind. Overwhelmed with childlike innocence, she pointed to the rising sun ahead and said, "I love you as much as you go from here to the sun."
"Really? That's a lot." Shi Ziqian kissed the back of her hand. "Then my love for you is as much as the distance from here to the sun and back."
More and more people gathered on the mountaintop, all crowding around to wait for the sunrise. The air was filled with noise and commotion, but Zhan Xinyue felt that her heart had never been so peaceful and content.
“After we come down the mountain, let’s not go back to school with them. We still have a long holiday. Let’s drive to a more distant place together, just the two of us,” Shi Ziqian said.
Zhan Xinyue nodded: "Okay."
She looked down and played with his hand. There was a faint scar on his beautiful knuckles, but it didn't look bad at all; it was just a unique little mark on his body.
Besides, she had already thought that his scar would be perfectly concealed when he wore a ring in the future.
Shi Ziqian was staring intently at her lowered eyelashes when he suddenly felt a cool sensation on his fingers as something metallic was being put on them.
"Couple's rings," Zhan Xinyue said.
Shi Ziqian lowered his head and carefully examined the identical rings on their fingers for a long time.
Amidst the clamor of voices and the crowded throng, Zhan Xinyue could only hear Shi Ziqian's voice beside her, echoing in her ear as if piercing through time.
"New Moon, let's get married after we graduate, okay?"
Zhan Xinyue raised her head and looked into the distance. At that moment, an orange sun was slowly rising, illuminating thousands of miles.
“Okay,” Zhan Xinyue said.
--------The End---------
[Author's Note]
That concludes the main text. Finally, it's finished before Singles' Day! Haha!
This is my first time writing, and I'm not sure if I've told Xiaoyue and Xiaoqian's story well. I can only say that I tried my best, and I hope you all like it. [Cat emoji]
During this long update process, I encountered many problems, such as writing very slowly and updating extremely inconsistently, and having too much content to explain in the middle, which made the plot very drawn out... So I am very grateful to the friends who still persevered and finished reading this story despite all this. Thank you! (bows)
I'll be updating with some purely sweet side stories from time to time, such as the wedding, and the daily life of raising a child after marriage (referring to the grown-up child Xiaoyue), while also explaining some of her past life's story [hugs].
P.S. My next book will be a short, sweet story. It won't be very long. I plan to learn from my mistakes and finish the entire draft before updating. If any of you are interested, please add it to your favorites. Love you all! [laughing emoji]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
