Chapter 87
"Cheng Jiamo, I love you, I love you so much."
Not long after He Qingzhao made the call, personnel from relevant departments quickly arrived in Quanshui Town to repair base stations, cables, and rescue those injured in the earthquake.
The final investigation revealed that the base station had been deliberately sabotaged.
In the afternoon, He Qingzhao received a phone call and hurriedly left Quanshui Town. He left in such a hurry that he didn't even say goodbye to Cheng Jiamo.
After Cheng Jiamo finished her work, she didn't see He Qingzhao. She only learned from others that he had already left.
She took out her phone and looked at it. She didn't see any missed calls from He Qingzhao, nor any messages from him. After hesitating for a long time, she finally couldn't resist sending him a message.
Little Jasmine: [Why are you walking in such a hurry?]
Cheng Jiamo received He Qingzhao's reply at 9 p.m., after she had finished washing up and was lying in bed when she received the message from He Qingzhao.
H&M: [It's okay.]
H&M: [Don't overthink it, goodnight.]
Cheng Jiamo looked at He Qingzhao's nickname, which was still "H&M". She wondered if he had never changed it over the years, or if he had changed it back after meeting her.
She had given up hope, but the earthquake last night and what He Qingzhao said in the car rekindled her spirit.
Cheng Jiamo wanted to ask He Qingzhao, "Are you going to Quanshui Town again?"
She edited and deleted the short sentence, hesitated for a long time, and ultimately didn't ask it.
Beijing North South Garden.
He Qingzhao lay on a recliner under the eaves, staring at the words "typing" in the chat box. After a long time, the "typing" message disappeared, but he hadn't received anything.
He lay on the chair with his eyes closed, his hand holding the phone drooping down.
The sweet, soft voice of a young girl rang in my ears.
"When I was young, I loved Roman columns and flying buttresses, and I loved the most luxurious cathedrals. Now, I only love gardens with winding corridors and the gentle and upright He Qingzhao."
"He Qingzhao, I really love you so much, I want to never be separated from you for the rest of my life."
Soft, moist lips pressed against his face, kissing his lips.
He Qingzhao opened his eyes, his gaze filled with the cold, clear stars. A draft of wind blew into his chest, making him feel cold and empty inside.
He picked up his phone and deleted the contact labeled "Baby". This was the first time he had deleted Cheng Jiamo; in the past, it was always Cheng Jiamo who deleted him.
After deleting the messages, he threw his phone away, closed his eyes, and looked as if his eyes were on fire.
The night breeze blew, scattering the tears at his temples.
His prominent Adam's apple bobbed rapidly.
If the spring breeze has a heart to pity the flowers, may I be young again?
If time could turn back to when he was twenty-four, he would pick up the girl on the ground on that rainy day and say to her, "Don't be afraid, I'm here."
If time could turn back to when he was twenty-seven, he would have carried her home on that snowy night and said to her, "Cheng Jiamo, I love you, I love you so much."
Whether it was love or obsession, it no longer matters.
He had to let go.
At the age of thirty-six, he lost Cheng Jiamo.
-
The earthquake in Quanshui Town was not very large and did not have a nationwide impact. The casualties were not very serious; only some old houses collapsed.
The two buildings that collapsed at Quanshui Middle School in the epicenter were already old buildings. The school did not suffer any losses after the collapse. The sanitation workers cleaned up the construction debris, which freed up an open space for the school and expanded the playground area.
Cheng Jiamo's daily life was the same as before, simple and ordinary, except that she would often think of He Qingzhao late at night.
He hasn't been back to Quanshui Town for two months since he left the day after the earthquake.
After preparing her lesson, Cheng Jiamo looked out the window at the starry sky. A plane flew overhead, and she suddenly remembered the scene when He Qingzhao took her to the Badaling Great Wall to watch the drone light show during her university years.
The drone light show that night was more beautiful than any fireworks she had seen in her nineteen years.
At Guo Xiang's sixteenth birthday party, Yang Guo presented her with a unique fireworks display that burned away Guo Xiang's entire youth thereafter.
From then on, Guo Xiang settled down on Mount Emei, where she was always accompanied by a solitary lamp and devoted her life to Taoism.
Their first encounter at Fengling Ferry was a lifelong mistake, a single glance at Yang Guo sealed their fate.
And she was the same.
When they first met in Taijing, He Qingzhao, dressed in a white suit, stood under the Bodhi tree, worshipping Buddha with an elegant demeanor, as if a true Buddha had descended to earth.
His radiant, jade-like presence shone into her heart, and for the next ten years, it lingered thereafter.
Later, during the countless nights she spent passionately entwined with He Qingzhao, whenever their emotions reached their peak, she both longed to see his clear, jade-like eyes become lost and dreamy, yet feared that he would truly become lost and dreamy.
In the years since they separated, it's not that no one has pursued her; there have been many, but she finds it hard to fall for anyone again.
As the saying goes, you shouldn't meet someone too amazing when you're young, or you'll regret it for the rest of your life.
Cheng Jiamo picked up her phone and sent a message to He Qingzhao.
Little Jasmine: [Are you asleep?]
But she discovered that He Qingzhao had deleted her.
After a long pause, Cheng Jiamo came to her senses and tried calling He Qingzhao, but couldn't get through. She didn't know if something had happened to He Qingzhao, or if he simply didn't want to talk to her anymore.
That night, Cheng Jiamo slept very restlessly, in a daze, constantly having dreams.
After finishing breakfast, Cheng Jiamo made herself a cup of coffee.
She doesn't usually drink coffee because she has a sensitive stomach and coffee makes her feel very uncomfortable.
However, she had to drink coffee to stay awake while proctoring the exam today.
After the morning exams ended, Cheng Jiamo put away the exam papers and returned to her office. Just as she sat down, she received a call from an unfamiliar number located in northern Beijing.
Thinking it was He Qingzhao, she quickly answered, "Hello."
Zhong Qi: "Little Momo, do you still remember me?"
Cheng Jiamo paused for a moment, then recognized Zhong Qi's voice and replied awkwardly, "I remember."
Zhong Qi said, "Come to northern Beijing when you have some free time during your holiday. He Qingzhao has left you the courtyard house in Nanyuan and Houhai. Come and sign the papers."
Cheng Jiamo's heart skipped a beat: "What do you mean?"
Zhong Qi: "Didn't you see the news?"
Cheng Jiamo's heart pounded even faster. She was filled with panic and fear, and her voice trembled as she said, "No, I didn't see it."
Zhong Qi: "Two months ago, He Qingzhao resigned from his position as chairman of Jingkun Group."
Cheng Jiamo: "What happened?"
Zhong Qi: "The leak of the 918 military project that he organized and developed back then has been brought up again, and he was forced to resign and accept the investigation."
Cheng Jiamo: "But that wasn't his fault. Wasn't it Zhao Qingman who framed him?"
Zhong Qi: "Too many people want him to fall into the mire, or even want him to die. Besides his political enemies on the road to officialdom and business, the person who wants him to die the most is his stepmother."
“Back then, his stepmother got pregnant, but his father didn’t want the child and made her have an abortion. However, his father claimed that He Qingzhao didn’t allow them to have the child. Since then, his stepmother has been trying to kill him.”
"His car accident was orchestrated by his stepmother. Shortly after the accident, after the New Year, his father was sent to Jiangcheng to investigate a corruption case."
“Imperial envoys have always been dangerous. Even if they don’t kill you, they will ruin your reputation. No matter how much He Qingzhao hates his father, they are still father and son. They share the same fate, and he has no choice but to protect his father.”
"In the five years after you left, He Qingzhao didn't go looking for you or dare to see you, because he was afraid that you would be implicated or framed again."
"The base station in Quanshui Town was damaged on the day of the earthquake two months ago. Someone wanted He Qingzhao to die there."
Cheng Jiamo asked worriedly, "Where is He Qingzhao? Where is he now?"
Zhong Qi: "He has already gone to the United States and is in court with Rames."
Cheng Jiamo asked, "When is he coming back?"
Zhong Qi: "He asked me to apologize to you, saying that he can no longer protect you and that you should forget about him when he was twenty-four."
Cheng Jiamo's voice trembled with tears: "Tell him that I won't forget, and I can't forget! I will wait for him, until he comes back."
Zhong Qi smiled bitterly: "Xiao Momo, don't wait anymore. This time he's fighting alone and might not be able to come back. Even if he does, he'll probably be in his forties or fifties. Don't waste your youth on him."
Cheng Jiamo's voice choked with emotion: "Brother Zhong, tell He Qingzhao that I'll wait for him for two years. On my birthday two years from now, let's meet under the Bodhi tree at Yunfo Temple in Taijing. If he doesn't come that day, then let's pretend we're not meant to be."
Zhong Qi hung up the phone and tossed it to He Qingzhao: "Old He, you only have two years."
He Qingzhao gave a bitter smile: "If I lose two years from now, you will go and keep the appointment in my place."
Zhong Qi: "I'll go to the appointment in your place? Why would you ask me to go in your place? What would I want to see her for?"
He Qingzhao smiled and patted Zhong Qi's shoulder: "Take one last look at her for me."
-
Cheng Jiamo didn't go to Beijing. Zhong Qi came to Quanshui Town with a lawyer to find her and persuaded her to sign the house gift contract.
After signing the contracts, Cheng Jiamo locked both copies in a safe. She still didn't go to Beijing; going there would only make her more upset.
Two years later, Cheng Jiamo had just finished teaching a full class of students.
She resigned from her position as a teacher at Quanshui Middle School and bought a plane ticket to Beijing, Thailand.
At sixteen, she returned to her home country from the capital of Thailand with hope.
At thirty, she flew to Beijing, Thailand, full of hope.
Both times it was because of He Qingzhao.
He Qingzhao's words back then, "If you can get into Peking University, we'll have a chance to meet again," illuminated her bleak youth.
Returning to Thailand after fourteen years, Cheng Jiamo's feelings were complex, a mixture of painful memories and deep-seated sweetness.
After resting at the hotel for one night, she took a car to Yunfo Temple the next day, which was her birthday.
Yunfo Temple is a royal temple, magnificent and grand, with a thriving incense offering.
Cheng Jiamo stood under the Bodhi tree, looking up at the lush Bodhi leaves.
Sunlight filtered through the leaves, falling on her and making her appear as elegant and gentle as jade.
Suddenly a familiar voice sounded behind me.
"One leaf, one Bodhi; one flower, one world."
His voice was deep and warm, just like it was back then.
Cheng Jiamo turned around abruptly and saw He Qingzhao wearing a white suit and a top hat, walking towards her with elegance and composure.
The sunlight shone on his tall and upright figure, bright and gentle, just as it had in the past.
Fourteen years ago overlapped with the present, and she saw that elegant and refined young nobleman again.
He Qingzhao walked up to her, took off his hat with one hand, bowed to her politely, and hugged her: "Happy birthday, baby."
[Author's Note]
"If the spring breeze has pity on the flowers, may I be young again?" This line comes from "Ode to the Gray Beard" by Li Zhiyi, a poet of the Song Dynasty.
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