moonlight
Chapter 16: Moonlight
The bonfire party in the evening was even more lively than the previous night. The students sang and danced around the leaping flames, and their laughter drifted far away in the spring night.
Bai Ke was absent-minded.
Her eyes drifted toward the lake again and again, her fingers unconsciously stroking the screen of her phone. Chen Yiyu's words, "After the bonfire party tonight, I'll wait for you by the lake," hung in her heart like an unfinished poem.
"Bai Ke, come and dance with us!" Lin Xiaoyu pulled her arm.
"I'm a little tired, you guys go ahead and have fun." Bai Ke forced a smile, his eyes unconsciously turning to the path leading to the lake.
Lu Zihan looked at her from a distance with complicated eyes.
After finally waiting for the bonfire party to draw to a close, Bai Ke quietly left the table and walked along the cobblestone path towards the lake. The moonlight sprinkled on the road, as if paving a silver path for her.
Her heartbeat quickened with her steps. This time, she decided not to back down. No matter what Chen Yiyu had to say, she would face it bravely.
The lake was quiet and deserted, with only the moonlight shattering into countless silver scales on the water. Bai Ke stood where they had talked during the day, waiting.
Ten minutes, twenty minutes...
As the night deepened, a cool breeze blew from the lake, making her thin coat rustle. She folded her arms and stood stubbornly where she was.
Her phone vibrated and she hurriedly checked it, her heart sinking instantly.
"Sorry, I have to leave for something urgent. - Chen Yiyu"
It was a short text message, even short of explanation. Bai Ke stared at the words, feeling his eyes burning.
He still broke his promise.
Just like leaving without saying goodbye in their second year of high school, just like turning a blind eye at the welcome party, just like wanting to say something but not saying it at the ringing of the New Year's bell. He was always like this, giving her hope, but then extinguishing it with his own hands.
"Is it because I'm going to Germany?" she murmured, her voice trembling in the night wind. "You don't even want to say goodbye properly..."
Finally, tears couldn't be held back. She squatted down, buried her face in her arms, and let the tears of grievance soak her sleeves. From her sophomore year of high school to her freshman year of college, two whole years of waiting and anticipation had turned out to be a one-man show.
"Bai Ke?"
Lu Zihan's voice came from behind. He walked quickly to her side, took off his coat and put it on her shoulders.
"What's wrong? Who bullied you?" His tone was filled with genuine concern.
Bai Ke hurriedly wiped away her tears and stood up: "It's okay, I just miss home a little."
Lu Zihan looked at her red and swollen eyes and sighed softly: "Is it because of Chen Yiyu? I heard that he had something urgent to do and went back to school first."
Bai Ke looked up suddenly: "Do you know why he left?"
"I'm not sure, I just saw him answer a phone call and leave in a hurry." Lu Zihan paused, "Bai Ke, some people are destined to be just passers-by in your life, don't worry about them."
His words were like the last straw, crushing Bai Ke's stubborn resolve. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she choked up, "I just don't understand... why is he always like this... If he doesn't care, why would he give me hope..."
Lu Zihan gently held her in his arms, his movements restrained and gentle: "It will feel better if you cry."
Bai Ke didn't push him away. She really needed someone to support her at that moment.
In the distance, the last ray of light from the campfire died down, and the resort fell into a deep sleep. The moonlight was still bright, but it could not illuminate the haze in Bai Ke's heart.
"Let's go back. We have to get up early tomorrow to return." Lu Zihan said softly.
Bai Ke nodded and let him walk back to the dormitory with her. At the door of the room, she returned the coat to Lu Zihan: "Thank you."
"I'm here whenever you need to talk." His eyes were so sincere that they were touching.
After closing the door, Bai Ke leaned against it, tears streaming down her face again. Her phone screen was still fixed on Chen Yiyu's text message, the cold words piercing her heart.
She slowly typed a reply: "Bon voyage."
After sending the message, she muted her phone and tucked it deep into her backpack. Some expectations were time to let go.
Outside the window, the moon quietly hid behind the clouds, and the night deepened. Bai Ke gazed at the hazy mountain silhouettes in the distance, feeling a part of his heart grow silent along with this unfulfilled promise.
At this moment, Chen Yiyu, who had hurried back to school, was guarding Qiu Luodi's bedside. Her forehead was bandaged, her face was pale, and she was still mumbling his name anxiously in her sleep.
He looked out the window at the same bright moon, his phone tightly gripped in his hand. The screen displayed the text message from Bai Ke. A thousand words choked in his throat, ultimately turning into a silent sigh.
The moonlight flows quietly like water between the two people, illuminating the unspoken regrets and unfulfilled promises.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
