Wait for you
It was the end of August, and the air still lingered with the sweltering heat of midsummer, but a hint of early autumn coolness could already be smelled in the mornings and evenings. Jiang Yibai's school was starting early, tomorrow.
Inside the room, the rarely used, now particularly unsightly suitcase lay spread out on the floor. Jiang Yibai was putting things in it, his movements much slower than usual. A few simple changes of clothes, his usual laptop, a few thick books on photography theory, and… He paused, then picked up the half-worn thermos that Lin Xiyan often used from the bedside table and stuffed it in as well.
Lin Xiyan sat on the edge of the bed, watching him clean up without saying a word. Bai Yan seemed to sense the unusual atmosphere as well, and he paced back and forth between their feet uneasily, rubbing his head against this and that.
The air was very quiet, with only the subtle sounds of zippers sliding and clothes rubbing against each other. This kind of silence made people feel more depressed than any noise.
Lin Xiyan's fingers unconsciously tugged at the sheets beneath him, pulling out a small wrinkle. He knew this day would come, and he'd always told himself it was a good thing, a fresh start. But when it finally arrived, watching Jiang Yibai gradually remove any trace of him from this room, the feeling of emptiness spread uncontrollably, like a tide, slowly flooding his ankles, knees, and chest.
He lowered his head and stared at the toes of his slippers.
Jiang Yibai zipped up his suitcase, making a soft, swishing sound that was especially clear in the silent room. He stood up, his gaze fixed on Lin Xiyan's lowered head. Her soft black hair drooped, and she was huddled up in a small ball, like an abandoned animal.
He walked over, didn't speak immediately, just stood in front of him. A shadow fell.
Lin Xiyan could feel him approaching, her breathing stagnated for a moment, and her head drooped even lower.
"Look up." Jiang Yibai's voice sounded above his head, still in an imperative tone, but much softer than usual.
Lin Xiyan hesitated for a moment, then slowly raised his head. His eyes were a little red, but he stubbornly refused to let the tears gather. He looked at Jiang Yibai, his purple eyes fixed on him intently, clearly reflecting his somewhat embarrassed appearance.
"Just a few days." Jiang Yibai said, his tone as calm as if he was stating an established fact, "I'll be back when school starts."
He said "come back", not "go see you".
Lin Xiyan murmured softly, his voice a little hoarse. He knew it was only a few days. Compared to the three years of high school when they were almost inseparable, a few days was nothing. But… this was the first time they were to be apart, in different cities, living without each other.
Jiang Yibai looked at him, trying to pretend to be calm but unable to hide his disappointment, and felt something tug at his heart. He wasn't very good at saying nice things to comfort people, so he could only reach out and rub the slightly red corners of Lin Xiyan's eyes with his fingertips.
"Is everything packed?" He changed the subject.
Lin Xiyan nodded: "...almost."
"Put your ID and admission letter together. Don't throw them around."
"Um."
"Message me when you get to school."
"Um."
"If Lu Panji and the others bother you, just block them."
Lin Xiyan's lips finally curved slightly at his words, a tiny arc like a stone dropped into a lake, creating a faint ripple. "...They won't."
Jiang Yibai snorted, noncommittal. His hand slid from the corner of Lin Xiyan's eye to his shoulder, squeezing it gently. His thin shoulder seemed a little stronger than when they first met.
"Take care of yourself," he said in a low voice. "Eat on time. The stomach medicine is in the side pocket of your schoolbag. Don't stay up too late at night."
Every sentence was a trivial reminder, which was very different from his usual concise and to the point style.
As Lin Xiyan listened, the bitterness in his heart grew stronger. He suddenly reached out, grabbed the fabric of Jiang Yibai's clothes at his waist, and buried his face in his chest. His movements were so quick and reckless that they seemed to convey a sense of recklessness.
Jiang Yibai's body stiffened slightly, then relaxed. He raised his arms and wrapped them around Lin Xiyan's thin back, pulling him into his arms. His palms gently patted his back, like soothing a restless child.
The person in my arms trembled slightly, but didn't cry out loud. She simply buried her face deeper into his, greedily breathing in his familiar scent: sunshine, clean laundry detergent, and a hint of his unique, reassuring scent.
The two of them embraced each other quietly in the gradually darkening room. The afterglow of the setting sun shone through the window, casting their shadows on the wall, stretching them out very long.
Time passes by every second.
In the end, it was Jiang Yibai who moved first. He sighed softly, put his palm on the back of Lin Xiyan's head, and rubbed his soft hair.
“I have to go,” he said. “If I’m any later, I’ll miss the high-speed train.”
Lin Xiyan's body stiffened, and the fingers gripping his clothes tightened, their knuckles turning white. After several seconds, they slowly loosened their grip bit by bit.
He took a small step back, lowered his head, and didn't dare to look at Jiang Yibai again.
Jiang Yibai bent down, picked up the heavy suitcase, and took one last look at the room. His gaze lingered on Lin Xiyan for a moment, then he turned around and walked towards the door.
Footsteps echoed in the empty room.
Lin Xiyan stood there, listening to the footsteps getting farther and farther away, feeling his heart sinking bit by bit. He bit his lower lip tightly, forcing himself not to look up, not to look at the back of the departing figure.
Just when he thought Jiang Yibai had walked out of the room, the footsteps suddenly stopped.
Then there was the slight sound of the suitcase's wheels resting on the ground.
Before Lin Xiyan could react, he felt a familiar breath of cool air approaching. He subconsciously raised his head.
Jiang Yibai returned and stood before him, so close that he could clearly count each of his eyelashes. His eyes were as deep as the violets of the night sky, churning with an emotion so intense it bordered on pain that Lin Xiyan couldn't understand.
The next second, Jiang Yibai leaned over, cupped his cheek with one hand, rubbed the corner of his lips with his thumb, and then, without allowing any rejection, kissed him hard.
This kiss wasn't teasing or soothing like usual, but instead filled with a long-suppressed, almost ferocious possession and... reluctance to let go. Her scorching lips, with their scorching warmth, ground and sucked, as if to devour his scent, his flavor, and even him, to carve him into her bones and blood, to carry him away.
Lin Xiyan was completely stunned, his mind a blank. He could only passively endure this sudden, desperate kiss. Deprived of oxygen, his legs and feet weakened, and he subconsciously grasped Jiang Yibai's arm, his fingertips digging deep into his skin.
I don’t know how long it was, but just when Lin Xiyan felt he was about to suffocate, Jiang Yibai suddenly let go of him.
Their foreheads pressed together, both breathing rapidly. Jiang Yibai's chest rose and fell violently, and a dark fire seemed to burn deep in his purple eyes as he stared intently at Lin Xiyan's lips, which were swollen and wet from being kissed, and his cheeks, which were flushed from lack of oxygen.
His thumb still lingered on the red and swollen area, stroking it very lightly, with an almost reverent cherishment in his movements.
"Wait for me." He spoke word by word in a hoarse voice, pressing his forehead against his.
It's not a question, it's not a request, it's an order, it's also an oath.
After saying this, he seemed to have exhausted all his strength, suddenly stood up, and looked at Lin Xiyan deeply, as if he wanted to firmly engrave his current appearance in his mind. Then, he turned around resolutely, picked up his suitcase, and strode out of the room.
This time, the footsteps did not stop.
The door was closed gently with a soft "click" sound.
The room fell completely silent. Lin Xiyan was the only one left standing there, stunned. Her lips still stagnated from the burning sensation of a hard kiss and the lingering scent of Jiang Yibai.
The sun set completely and the room fell into darkness.
He slowly raised his hand and lightly touched his slightly swollen lips with his fingertips. There, Jiang Yibai's last burning warmth was still imprinted.
Outside the window, the lights are coming on.
The city was still bustling, but his world seemed to have become quiet in an instant because of someone's temporary departure.
He slowly walked to the window and looked down. Not long after, he saw the familiar figure pulling a suitcase, walking out of the apartment door, blending into the bustling crowd under the street lights, and soon disappeared.
Lin Xiyan stood there and watched for a long time.
Until his eyes were sore, he murmured two words very softly to the deserted street:
"……Wait for you."
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