22. Snowflakes in Flight
◎Liang Chuling's eyes will always be young, forever filled with both tears and smiles◎
Time is a silver bullet, shot from the south back to the north.
After exiting the high-speed rail station, the two went to pick up the cat together. Mentioning the cat, Liang Chuling perked up and clung to Li Xun's arm to look at his phone screen: "Check if the shop assistant sent a video today?"
Li Xun opened WeChat and saw three pinned contacts: Li Chi, Liang Chuling, and the pet boarding shop.
I opened the shop assistant's chat box, and the latest video was posted yesterday afternoon. It was very short, only a dozen seconds long. Chestnut was lying on the cat tree, and the shop assistant was playing with it. It wasn't very lively.
"Why does it seem listless?" Liang Chuling asked in surprise.
"Maybe it's because of the heat? Let's go now." Li Xun frowned a little, but didn't want to worry about it beforehand, so he tried to calm Liang Chuling down first.
Liang Chuling could only hope the car would leave quickly.
The shop assistant, a young man, seemed a little flustered when he saw that they had returned a day earlier than expected.
"Where are the chestnuts?" Liang Chuling asked impatiently.
The shop assistant led the two to Chestnut's deluxe suite.
Chestnut curled up on the soft cushion in the corner. Hearing the noise, its ears twitched, but instead of coming to greet the sound as usual, it just buzzed a few times.
Liang Chuling already sensed something was wrong and looked at it through the glass: "What's wrong with it? Is it uncomfortable?"
The shop assistant stammered, "It did sneeze and have a runny nose a few days ago. We thought it was probably just a cold. Domestic cats are hardy, so we gave it Synulox for two days. We didn't want to bother you while you were competing..."
"Give it medicine? It was sick and you didn't tell us? You gave it medicine and you didn't tell us?!" Liang Chuling's fingers trembled with anger.
Li Xun remained silent, his expression darkening.
He opened the door to the cat house, reached in and touched Chestnut's ears and nose, then pried open its mouth to take a look.
"When did it start?" he asked the shop assistant.
"It's been about four or five days." The shop assistant lowered her head as he looked at her. "It doesn't look better today, so we're planning to give her the medicine again this afternoon."
Li Xun didn't ask any more questions, nor did he want to argue there and frighten the other animals. He simply picked up Chestnut and put it in the cat carrier. Chestnut was unusually well-behaved, only rubbing against him. He zipped up the cat carrier, grabbed Liang Chuling who was still questioning the shop assistant, and walked out.
After leaving the pet store, I took a taxi straight to the Agricultural University.
Chestnut remained motionless in its carrier, not even purring.
"Master, please drive faster." Li Xun was also a little anxious.
As the car started, Liang Chuling took the cat carrier, held it in her arms, and stroked the listless body inside. Chestnut, who used to be so lively that even dogs wouldn't like her, was now eerily quiet.
She thought of the lost kitten again. She never saw the cat again, but the team that helped her find it told her it was probably dead and that she should try to think positively.
Liang Chuling was truly frightened, and tears involuntarily fell, landing on the cat carrier.
"Won't it be okay? Those people are so irresponsible... How did you even choose this shop? Why did we just leave like that?! It's all their fault, their responsibility!" Liang Chuling got angrier and angrier, finding it absurd. "Yeah! Why did we just leave like that?!"
Seeing her tears streaming down her face, Li Xun took out a tissue and turned to wipe her face. "Don't cry. I'm sorry, it's my fault. Let's take the kitten to the vet first, okay? It doesn't matter whose fault it is, the kitten is more important."
With red eyes, Liang Chuling reached out to him: "Then give me your phone! I want to see the videos they sent you these past few days!"
Li Xun handed her his phone. His phone had no password, so Liang Chuling opened WeChat and scrolled through the messages.
Looking back at the process from the result, there are indeed many flaws, and there are signs at every moment.
Starting a few days ago, the videos posted by the store clerk became noticeably shorter, and the chestnut in the videos became less and less active, spending most of its time sleeping, and reacting very slowly when occasionally teased.
It's easy to overlook if you're not looking closely, especially when looking through a screen.
"Look, look here, and look at this one too. He was just lying. His appetite had already decreased last week. How come you didn't notice when you're so observant?"
Liang Chuling grumbled, and tears welled up in her eyes again. But then she realized, why hadn't Li Xun noticed?
While in Shanghai, he was busy preparing for classes, performances, the main competition, and the exhibition competition. After receiving a special award, he even emailed a famous composer to discuss applying for a school portfolio. He was so busy that he barely had time to breathe.
All of this is because I want to turn to composing.
September is approaching, and Curtis's registration system will open soon. He's doing it all for that promise. All his energy and time are completely consumed by it.
Liang Chuling's resentment subsided, and she quickly changed her tune: "I know why now, because you were exhausted too. I shouldn't blame you."
Before Li Xun could say a word, he watched her expression change rapidly, from angry accusation to self-reflection in just a few seconds.
A part of his heart softened, and he realized that he was indeed unable to resist her innocence and purity.
If they blame you, they will definitely blame you, and they'll be perfectly justified in doing so.
Once I've figured it out, I'll definitely tell you right away, without any hesitation.
At the agricultural university, the doctor gave Chestnut a thorough examination: "Don't worry, it's not a big problem. It's a respiratory infection with some inflammation. The medicine you took before wasn't quite right, and the dosage might not have been sufficient. I'll prescribe some medicine; go home and feed it to Chestnut on time, keep it warm, and observe it for a few days. It should be fine."
Liang Chuling and Li Xun both breathed a sigh of relief.
"Are you really alright?" Liang Chuling asked anxiously.
"Don't worry, little girl, kittens are very resilient." The doctor smiled and began writing the prescription. "However, for future pet boarding, you should still find a more reliable place and communicate promptly if there are any problems."
After getting the medicine, the two people and the cat got into a taxi again, this time heading home.
Liang Chuling held Chestnut, who had regained some of its energy, beaming with joy, and rubbed her face against its head.
"You scared me to death, you little kitty!" She turned to Li Xun and said, "Luckily, you're the one who raised it. If I had, it would probably be doomed."
Li Xun watched her huddled together with the cat. The light and shadows from outside the car window swept across her smooth face and the furry cat's face. Liang Chuling's eyes still showed traces of crying, but at this moment she smiled without any gloom.
He thought, it is indeed very clear.
Liang Chuling's eyes will always be young, forever filled with both tears and smiles.
--
That evening, the two of them and their cat watched a movie together at Liang Chuling's house using a projector.
It was Liang Chuling who suggested it; she wanted to spend more time with the cat.
Li Xun was worried that it would be unsafe for Liang Chuling to go home too late after watching the movie, and since Liang Chuling had recently stopped letting him drive her, he decided to watch the movie at Liang's house. Just then, Madam Liang also went out.
The movie started.
The bright Los Angeles sunshine, the saturated colors, and the prelude to jazz music begin.
Liang Chuling hugged a cushion, while Li Xun leaned against the other end of the sofa, relaxed, glancing at her profile out of the corner of his eye as it shifted between light and shadow. Chestnut came over, rubbed against Liang Chuling, and then climbed onto her lap, curling into a ball.
“It seems to really like this spot.” Liang Chuling reached out and scratched Chestnut’s chin.
"Because it likes you." Li Xun was neither too close nor too far from her, the light was enchanting, and his voice became a sound line—a real line—piercing through the air and entering Liang Chuling's ears. It inexplicably gave her a feeling of ambiguous pain.
In the movie, Mia and Sebastian meet, their paths cross, and they dance, sing, and talk about their dreams in the city night. The scenes are vibrant; when Sebastian plays the piano in the bar, Liang Chuling's fingers are also tapping out a melody on the sofa. Li Xun sees this.
Liang Chuling watched the famous duet on the screen—they twirled gracefully under the starry sky of the Griffith Observatory, their feet not on the floor, but on the Milky Way.
Cameras spun around them, and the whole world made way for their love.
The Los Angeles depicted in the film is like an endless summer dream.
The sunlight was always golden, the swimming pool shimmered with a jewel-like blue, and the silhouettes of palm trees were set against the pinkish-purple sunset. Mia ran through the streets in a pale yellow dress, while Sebastian played the piano under the fluorescent lights.
Every scene is so beautiful it's almost unreal.
As the movie ended, "City of Stars" played again, exceptionally slowly and with an air of loneliness.
The sound of traffic outside the window is like the real world breathing.
Liang Chuling stared at the scrolling subtitles on the wall and suddenly said, "I don't understand."
Li Xun turned to look at her.
"I don't understand why they broke up. They clearly still love each other, and they could have been together. Couldn't they have solved those problems?"
“Sometimes separation isn’t because there’s no love, but because the way we love is wrong. Or, because our lives are going in different directions,” Li Xun tried to explain.
“But if you like someone, shouldn’t you support their direction?” Liang Chuling looked at him. “Just like if you want to do something, I will support you. And vice versa. Why let dreams separate two people?”
Looking at her serious expression, Li Xun suddenly smiled: "You're right. But reality is often more complicated than movies. People change, environments change, priorities change. What you think is most important today may not be tomorrow."
“If things change, then let’s change together,” Liang Chuling said matter-of-factly. “If you like someone, you should say it; if you want something, you should go for it. If you feel the other person is going in the wrong direction, tell them. If you’re going in the wrong direction yourself, then correct it. Why wait five years?”
She paused, then said firmly, "We won't do that."
Li Xun looked at her with light, delicate eyes, yet with a deep and weighty gaze.
Liang Chuling, oblivious to his gaze, continued, "If I like someone, I'll always like them. If I want to be with him, I'll try my best to be with him. Those 'what ifs' in movies shouldn't exist at all, because if you really want something, you won't let those 'what ifs' happen."
She spoke with such earnestness and naivety, like a little animal that hadn't yet learned to be afraid, announcing its own rules to the vast world.
Li Xun looked at her. A beam of light from the projector swept across Liang Chuling's face, illuminating her stubborn eyes.
She was angry, angry at the separation of the lovers in the movie, angry at the regret that could have been avoided.
Li Xun felt a softness in his chest. He reached out, gesturing for Liang Chuling to take his hand, and Liang Chuling did indeed place her hand on his. Li Xun held it tightly: "Great job, little genius."
Liang Chuling blushed at the sudden action: "Why all of a sudden..."
"You're right." Li Xun still had a smile on his lips. "If you like something, you should say it. If you want something, you should go for it."
"Then what are you laughing at?" Liang Chuling looked at him suspiciously.
"I'm laughing at how cute you are," Li Xun said, then changed the subject before she could retort. "But what makes a movie so moving is precisely because it shows those imperfections. It's imperfections that make people grow, and it's imperfections that drive people to become better people. If all the problems were easily solved, it wouldn't be 'LaLa Land,' it would just be an ordinary romantic comedy."
Liang Chuling thought for a moment: "You mean, regret makes the story more profound?"
“Yes.” Li Xun nodded. “Perfect love only exists in fairy tales. Love in reality is always accompanied by compromise, missed opportunities, growth, and change. Movies present regrets in a beautiful way, not to make you sad, but to help you understand. Some things are precious because they cannot be possessed.”
As Liang Chuling stared at the now-black screen, her mind still replayed those dazzling scenes that could have been hers, like a grand but fleeting fireworks display that illuminated the night sky before vanishing.
She finally said, "I don't like regrets."
No one likes regrets. But regrets are a part of life.
"Let's not leave any regrets," Liang Chuling said with childlike conviction.
Film is the art of creating dreams. It packages regrets into works of art, allowing people to watch, feel, and shed tears from a safe distance before leaving and returning to reality.
In reality, there is no such perfect lighting, no such coincidental encounter, no such poetic separation—but in reality, there are other things.
Liang Chuling stretched and said, "It's still early, let's look at something else?"
"You decide." Li Xun was very agreeable.
“Okay, then I’ll find a scary one!” Liang Chuling was eager to try.
Liang Chuling picked a horror movie, but she didn't want to watch it anymore after watching half of it.
To avoid appearing unreasonable, she insisted on dragging Li Xun to practice the piano, saying, "You'll have another assessment soon, so you absolutely can't let your guard down, right, Li Xun?"
Li Xun had no choice but to ask, "What do you want me to play?"
Moonlight streamed into the living room, falling on the chestnut's fuzz, creating a feeling of cleansing everything. The chestnut dragged its shadow forward in the moonlight.
"moonlight?"
The melody is soothing and tranquil, tinged with a touch of melancholy, like a stream slowly flowing under the moonlight—
This is Li Xun's "Moonlight".
The light spreads slowly, and the night descends gently. All things grow in their own season.
This is his expression.
His "Moonlight" is about waiting.
"Is it waiting? I can hear the emotion of waiting," Liang Chuling asked uncertainly.
"What a clever little genius! It's about waiting."
Why wait?
All one needs to do is wait.
Waiting for the seeds to sprout, waiting for the wounds to heal, waiting for the storm to pass.
Liang Chuling seemed to understand Li Xun's meaning, yet also seemed not quite...
She was too lucky to appreciate regret or understand waiting.
In her world, waiting and hard work are contradictory, while hard work and results are synonymous.
Therefore, we should strive for everything; how cowardly it would be to wait idly.
Therefore, Li Xun did not say what he wanted to say.
He is willing to wait.
We await the complete calming of the storm in Liang Chuling's heart caused by her family, and the sedimentation and clarification of her dependent affection, until her pure and sincere heart finally emerges.
He was waiting, waiting for the appointed time to arrive.
He has plenty of patience.
Because she is Liang Chuling, she deserves the best process and outcome.
--
After that, the two watched movies together several times. Liang Chuling could only watch movies at home because she always liked to make strange noises and imitate all the sounds that appeared in the movies. Li Xun secretly recorded her with his phone.
One day, Aunt Zhang was singing while working, and Li Xun recognized the song as "Take Care". So that evening, he pulled Aunt Zhang to join him, and the three of them watched "Mountains May Depart" together.
The more Liang Chuling read, the clearer she seemed to understand what Li Chi meant by "subjective perfection."
Because music is so special, unlike any movie, it is completely self-expressive, and every piece of music is always only related to emotions.
Six months ago, Liang Chuling seemed to Li Chi as somewhat unreasonable and thoughtless.
In just six months, Liang Chuling grew a heart, a heart that pointed upwards, like a vertical seedling.
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