Chapter 101
Su Rui had received the exact news from the police. Ling Yao had passed away. Every word on the phone was like a hammer, crushing him to the ground. He didn't cry or break down. Instead, he calmly booked the next flight to Jeju Island. It was as if an invisible force was pulling him back here, back to where everything seemed possible.
It was evening when the plane landed in Jeju Island. The salty, damp sea breeze, carrying the unique sweet aroma of citrus fruits, wafted over us, just as Su Rui remembered that autumn.
He checked into a quiet guesthouse overlooking an orange orchard, his simple luggage in hand. After dropping off his belongings, he strolled toward the tangerine grove he remembered. It was harvest season, and the branches were laden with golden, heavy oranges, gleaming with a warm, full glow in the setting sun. The air was filled with a rich, alluring sweet fragrance.
He stood under an orange tree, looking up for a long time, then reached out and carefully picked one of the largest and roundest oranges. The peel was cool and had a slightly bumpy texture.
He slowly peeled the orange, the clear juice splashing on his fingertips, exuding a richer fragrance. He broke off a segment, put it in his mouth, and took a light bite.
In an instant, the rich, sunshine-flavored, extremely sweet juice filled my mouth, and it was exactly the same wonderful taste in my memory.
However, Su Rui's brows slowly furrowed, and his eyes quickly turned red, gathering an uncontrollable layer of tears. He lowered his head, looking at the remaining orange in his hand, as if talking to himself, or whispering to someone who was no longer there, his voice so soft that it was almost blown away by the wind:
“…So sweet…”
It was such a sweet fruit, but when it landed on his tongue, all that was left was an endless, heart-wrenching sourness.
Those words were like a switch, shattering the shell of composure he had maintained. Without warning, tears began to fall, streaming down his cheeks, onto the orange in his hand, and onto the dirt beneath his feet.
He didn't make any crying sound, just shed silent tears.
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