4. Nostalgia
Deng Shilang thought about her years of immigration and her extensive knowledge of Italy. He really was nothing. The plane flew away from the top of Hong Kong's Handshake Building, the wind and flowers whistling past, and the old lovers parted ways.
They each continued their studies, gaining experience and knowledge. The world was dazzling, and the old love and joy could not compare to the current openness. They met again after five years, and as Liang Litang said, after graduating from high school and studying to the level of year 2, everything had changed.
Deng Shilang heard the door close, saw her back, and drove away. The radio was playing Jacky Cheung's "Love Has Gone," an old, sad song that felt out of place. He didn't like wallowing in such self-pity. He clicked on it and switched to an English song by a popular Hong Kong singer. Unfortunately, such a bright and light melody was about boyfriend material, advertising himself as the most suitable partner. He laughed at the English lyrics on the screen.
Someone honked the horn from behind. Hong Kong people are so efficient, driving and walking very fast, so he had no time to change the song. He turned the steering wheel and drove into the road, the OMEGA watch on his wrist reflecting the lights outside the window.
Yao Ling arrived back at Nathan Road late. She hadn't eaten much, but she'd drunk more than she'd eaten. After getting off the bus, she suddenly felt hungry, so she went to Qizai and bought a bowl of fish balls with ketchup, which she ate from a chair on the sidewalk. She hadn't been to Hong Kong in so long that she hadn't figured out how to get around. Plus, Hong Kong's streets are narrow, with numerous shops lining them, and street signs are hard to find. She had to call Liang Litang for help.
Liang Litang answered the call via WhatsApp and asked, "What's going on?"
Yao Ling bit the fish ball, one cheek puffed up, and said, "I can't find the place."
"Hayden didn't bring you back?"
"He dropped me off on Nathan Road. I looked around for a long time but couldn't find my B&B. Then I realized Nathan Road connects Mong Kok, Yau Ma Tei, and Tsim Sha Tsui, but I don't know which section it was." Yao Ling said coldly, "There was no point in talking to him. He ran away."
"You're here in Tsim Sha Tsui." Liang Litang noticed that there was a lot of tension between his ex and his cousin, leaving them out in the open. He regretted being so tactful and immediately said, "If I had known earlier, I should have taken you away. Send me your location and I'll pick you up now."
Yao Ling finished a bowl of fish balls, and Liang Litang appeared in front of her.
"I thought I could give you guys a chance to reminisce."
"I am indeed nostalgic, but it's just an average feeling." Yao Ling followed him into the alley with ease.
Liang Litang thought it would be better for him not to interfere, so he kept his mouth shut, took her to the B&B, and then went home alone.
After all the hassle, Yao Ling returned to the B&B at 1:30 in the morning.
She never needs to remove her makeup, having embraced the natural beauty of the Milan fashion world. Her skin is beautiful, fair, and she wears a touch of lipstick, but her natural aura carries it off. She's called femme fatale, perhaps because she loves wearing leather jackets and has long, straight black hair. This image minimizes unnecessary social interaction, keeping strangers at arm's length.
Being beautiful without realizing it is fake. Yao Ling already knew what her first boyfriend thought of her, especially from his compliments. Deng Shilang used to be generous in saying she was beautiful and that her hair looked good even when it reached her shoulders. She still remembered some of that, and she found she still spoke to him with the confidence and pride he had given her.
Yao Ling was lying in bed, scrolling through social media before going to sleep, and she came across a photo sent by Xiao Yu. The picture quality was a little blurry, but it recorded their youthfulness when they were in high school.
The night deepened, and the streets were still crowded. Driving from Central to Nathan Road required crossing the Hung Hom Cross-Harbour Tunnel, and from Nathan Road to where he lived, he also had to cross the Hung Hom Cross-Harbour Tunnel. He parked his car downstairs, his phone lit up, a message from his girlfriend. He entered the elevator and began replying.
[Gigi Chen]: Where are you?
【DChayden】: Downstairs. Why aren't you sleeping yet?
[Gigi Chen]: I’m thinking of you.
Deng Shilang smiled at the text, sent her an emoji, and went straight upstairs. When he got home, he found she had sent him five messages in a row, asking why he was home so late. He didn't want to hide it, knowing that concealing it would only lead to deeper misunderstandings. So he honestly said that his ex had returned to Hong Kong from Milan and had met up with two acquaintances.
Chen Lier could either continue to question or not reply. As expected, she didn't reply, but posted a song on Instagram, hinting at him to see it, waiting for him to admit his mistake and comfort her.
Deng Shilang quickly tried to coax her. Once he's committed to a relationship, he'll go all out to treat his girlfriend well. Aside from the incredibly difficult task of reaching for stars, he'll do everything he can. He believes that maintaining a good relationship relies on a man's dedication. He's a gentleman, and being considerate to his girlfriend is paramount. If he can't do that, he's unworthy of a relationship, as it will delay and drain his partner.
He didn't want to delay or exhaust others. This was the first lesson Yao Ling taught him.
After Deng Shilang finished coaxing Chen Li'er, he went to take a shower. After the shower, he put a towel around his neck, and his hair was slightly wet. While he was drying his hair, he glanced at his phone and received a photo from Xiaoyu.
He suspected it was a mass message because his high school classmate suddenly sent him a message with the same photo.
The photo was from a Fuji Polaroid camera, and it showed him and Yao Ling. She was leaning over the corridor railing, looking at the playground, while he leaned against the railing with his back to the playground, his eyes fixed on her. She was looking elsewhere, while he was looking at her.
Deng Shilang wasn't one to hold grudges. If there were no feelings, he'd let them go. Seeing her, he didn't harbor any resentment or regret. It was just that this photo reminded him of his feelings back then: he'd wanted to kiss her at school. And he did. He took her to a room where junk was piled, pushed her against the door, and kissed her until she clutched the hem of her school uniform. If the bell hadn't rung, he'd have nearly ripped her clothes off.
Even after so long, Deng Shilang still gets hard when he recalls it. Perhaps it's a situational memory, he still remembers how he pressed against her body to restrain himself, kissing her until her lips turned red and their breathing became disordered.
The sound of the hairdryer stopped, and Deng Shilang locked his phone, not looking at it anymore. The past was over, and there was no point in lingering on it. Breaking up with your first love, you'd initially be reluctant, but halfway through, you'd start to feel nostalgic. It had nothing to do with the person, but rather the feelings you'd given, the memories of their companionship. He knew the difference clearly; it was the abstract feeling, the ambiguity and affection of their youth, not her as a person.
It's three in the morning, and Yao Ling is still jet-lagged, having flown long distance and been through another tiring day, but she's still awake. She clicks on Instagram to check out her friends' Instagram stories. It's still evening in Milan, and they're either sharing pictures of the scenery and delicious food or showing behind-the-scenes footage from the photoshoot.
The strange thing is that after a group of igstory rounds, it will suddenly jump to a stranger, and it will be greeted by a screenshot of a Spotify song, "Flower Guardian" by Hacken Lee.
Yao Ling understood Chen Li'er's point. She didn't want to be mistaken for spying on her ex's current partner, which would be cliché and unrefined. She also didn't want to cause her ex any annoyance, thinking she was holding a grudge and entering into competition. However, Instagram had this display feature. She saw it, it was a coincidence that she saw it, and Yao Ling wouldn't explain.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
