Chapter 36
At night on Jeju Island, the sea breeze gently flows in through the open windows of the B&B, blowing away the remaining heat of the day, bringing the gentle sound of the distant tides and the tranquility of the orange grove at night.
After a long afternoon of playing, both of them were starving. Ling Yao waved his hand and ordered a table full of takeout—smooth, dark noodles with soybean paste, golden, crispy fried chicken, and the local specialty seafood pancakes and sweet rice soup. Lacking fine tableware, they spread out their food in disposable containers on the low table in the living room. They sat cross-legged on the soft carpet, their backs against the sofa, eating without any formality.
A slow-paced romantic Korean drama played on TV, with the hero and heroine gazing lovingly at each other on the beach. Su Rui was so engrossed in the drama that she slowed down her slurping of noodles. Ling Yao glanced at the screen, then at Su Rui, her cheeks puffed out but her eyes fixed intently, and decided it was much more entertaining than the show itself.
He reached out mischievously, using the tip of his chopsticks, which was soaked in sauce, to smear it on Su Rui's face. Su Rui shrank back in fright, almost spilling the sweet rice sauce, which made Ling Yao burst into laughter. In the end, Ling Yao stuffed the largest fried chicken leg into Su Rui's hand without hesitation.
"Eat more. It hurts my hands when I hold you." He said with disdain, but his eyes were indulgent.
Outside the window was the unfamiliar nightscape of an island, while inside was the lingering aroma of food and the person she loved. Su Rui bit into the juicy fried chicken, watching Ling Yao's soft profile outlined by the light of the TV, her heart filled with a simple yet profound sense of happiness. Was this the feeling Ling Yao had described, "more like home"?
The next day, they went to the famous white sand beach. The sea water appeared clear blue-green under the sun, and layers of white waves gently spread over the fine powder-like sand and then slowly receded.
Su Rui took off his shoes and stepped barefoot on the cool, soft sand, closing his eyes comfortably. Ling Yao looked at his childish appearance, smiled, and casually kicked off his shoes.
The two of them strolled slowly along the shoreline, leaving behind two sets of footprints, one deep, one shallow, one large, one small, side by side. These footprints were soon gently smoothed out by the incoming seawater. The sea breeze ruffled their hair, bringing with it a salty, freeing scent.
Ling Yao's hand reached out naturally, grasping Su Rui's. Unlike the reassuring grip on the plane, this one was more relaxed, with the open, intimate warmth of lovers. Su Rui's heart skipped a beat, her fingers curling slightly before she squeezed him tighter. The sound of waves, the wind, and the warmth of their palms woven into a silent symphony.
As they walked, Su Rui's attention was drawn to the scattered shells on the beach. He let go of Ling Yao's hand and squatted down like a child on a treasure hunt, carefully selecting the small shells that had been washed smooth and round by the sea. Occasionally, when he found one with a unique shape or a pearly luster, he would happily hold it up to show Ling Yao.
Ling Yao stood aside, his hands in his trouser pockets, the sea breeze blowing the strands of hair in front of his forehead. He looked at Su Rui's rare lively appearance, with a gentle smile in his eyes that he himself had not noticed.
"Ling Yao," Su Rui suddenly stood up, holding a few of the most beautiful shells in her hands, looking at him with sparkling eyes, "Let's... take a picture?"
Apart from the large group photo like the graduation photo, they don't seem to have a formal photo of just the two of them.
Ling Yao raised an eyebrow, seeming a little surprised, but didn't refuse. He took out his phone and switched to selfie mode. Su Rui nervously moved closer to him, their shoulders touching, the vast blue sea and sky in the background.
Ling Yao looked at Su Rui's slightly stiff expression on the screen, suddenly grinned, quickly turned his face to the side, and his warm lips unexpectedly pressed against Su Rui's slightly hot cheek.
“Crack!”
The shutter clicked, freezing the frame. In the photo, there was the azure sea and blue sky, Ling Yao's smirk as he'd succeeded in his prank, and Su Rui's eyes widened, her face flushed, and she looked bewildered and stunned. The sunlight shone down on them, making everything incredibly bright.
"You...!" Su Rui reacted, her cheeks flushed, and she reached out to grab the phone. Ling Yao laughed and raised the phone high, his other hand casually holding Su Rui's shoulders to prevent him from "attacking": "This one is good, this one!"
Returning to the B&B in the evening, Su Rui carefully cleaned the shells she'd picked up that day and spread them out on the table to dry. Under the warm yellow light, the shells shone with a soft, natural sheen. "Why are you picking up these junk?" Ling Yao muttered, but he still walked over and sat down, picking up one and holding it up to the light. "You can make a wind chime," Su Rui whispered, her eyes gleaming with anticipation. "Hang it by the window, and when the wind blows, it'll make a sound, like the sound of the ocean."
Ling Yao looked at him seriously and said nothing more. He found a strong fishing line and a small wooden stick, and the two of them, head to head, began to clumsily but with great patience, drill holes in the shells one by one, thread the line, and tie them to the stick.
The process wasn't smooth. Ling Yao's fingers weren't nearly as nimble as when he played ball, and the knots were always crooked. Su Rui was also extremely careful, afraid of damaging the fragile shells. But neither of them lost patience. Occasionally, they exchanged smiles, and the air was filled with the unique aroma of handmade materials and a peaceful warmth.
When the last shell was tied, Su Rui gently lifted the wooden stick, and the white, brown, and slightly pearlescent shells collided gently, making clear and pleasant tinkling sounds of varying pitches, like miniature waves singing.
They hung this unique wind chime by the window of their guesthouse's living room. As the evening breeze blew, the shell wind chimes gently spun, their ding-dong sounds echoing through the quiet night, as if encapsulating the romance of the ocean and the memories of this summer within this small handmade creation.
Su Rui looked at the swaying wind chimes and whispered, "Whenever you hear this sound in the future, you will think of this place." Ling Yao stood behind him, his arms naturally wrapped around his waist, his chin resting on his shoulder, looking at the night outside the window and the tinkling wind chimes, and said "hmm".
The sea breeze, fried chicken, group photos, wind chimes... every detail of Jeju Island is endowed with eternal meaning because of the person next to you.
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