Chapter Four / Section One: Parting
The wind waited for the clouds to return, for half a century. The wind said she was tired of waiting, so she abandoned the clouds and wreaked havoc everywhere. Finally, the clouds summoned rain, which awakened the wind.
The day Haiyang took Xiong Yingguang to Nanning International Airport was the same day Jing Mo Ran was discharged from the hospital. Jing Mo Ran's arm had suffered multiple cuts to the blood vessels and flesh, but after three months, the wounds had finally healed.
Haiyang was waiting in the car. Cang Ruoxi and Lu Xiyao pushed and pulled Xiong Yingguang into the car.
Xiong Yingguang kept looking back with reluctance. She thought that before she left, Jing Moran would come to stop her and say those words that moved her heart and made her reluctant to leave.
“Xiong Yingguang, you’re not still hoping he’ll come, are you…” Lu Xiyao asked.
“He will, I believe he will!” Xiong Yingguang answered firmly.
At this moment, she desperately wished that Jing Mo Ran could hold her tightly in his arms like he used to, never letting go. Looking into his eyes, which held a mixture of emotions, she saw the love slowly fading away with time. Xiong Ying Guang longed to go back to the past, to cherish every moment spent with him, yet she couldn't face the hardships of reality.
“Xiong Yingguang, after you get to Yantai, Shandong, you should be able to gradually forget him and find someone to replace Jing Moran,” Cang Ruoxi comforted her.
"What? Someone to replace Jing Mo Ran? Cang Ruoxi, are you kidding me? No one in this world can replace Jing Mo Ran, and no one can possibly take her place in my heart." Xiong Yingguang had been protecting Jing Mo Ran all along.
She knew that no one in this world could replace Jing Moran. No matter how far apart they were, or how long the rest of their lives were, without him, nothing would be complete. Anyone else trying to replace him was simply delusional.
“Xiong Yingguang…” Lu Xiyao was speechless for a moment.
"Tell me, why are you all like this? Jing Moran and I did nothing wrong! Why are you separating us? Tell me!" Xiong Yingguang was agitated.
“I’m sorry, Xiong Yingguang, your mother insists that you leave…” Haiyang said in a low voice.
Hearing this, Xiong Yingguang felt utterly devastated. She had thought that if she were just a little more stubborn, she could overcome the obstacle and win Jing Mozhan's embrace and love. But now, it was all just a pipe dream, and her eyes were filled with disappointment.
She knew Jing Mozhan would come, but for them to be together was nothing but a foolish, laughable delusion. Could he tolerate her small selfishness, so that neither of them would have regrets or pain? Let's cut ties cleanly before leaving any wounds, and each go our separate ways. Only in this way can we live a life free from suffering. God said that the best way to avoid pain in relationships is not to get too involved, not to take others' kindness for granted. Only in this way can one obtain a final, guilt-free answer and complete liberation.
A familiar voice came from behind. Xiong Yingguang turned around reluctantly, only to find that the familiar voice belonged to that familiar boy.
Jing Moran's arm was wrapped tightly in gauze, and there were still small cuts from IV drips on her hand. She was drenched in sweat and panting as she shouted, "Xiong Yingguang! You...you stop right there!"
"Haiyang, he's here." Xiong Yingguang's heart was filled with mixed emotions of joy and sorrow. She was happy to see Jing Moran, but this might be the last time. Once he went to Yantai, Shandong, she didn't know when they would meet again.
Ocean couldn't bear to let Xiong Yingguang leave like that, so in the end, he let Xiong Yingguang and Jing Mozhan spend some time alone together.
Jing Mozhan, having just recovered from surgery, rushed to see Xiong Yingguang. He knelt down and begged Mu Xinghe to let him see Xiong Yingguang, knowing that the next meeting was far away, so he had to seize this hard-won opportunity.
"Jing Moran, you fool, why aren't you resting in the hospital? What are you doing here looking for me?" Xiong Yingguang scolded.
“I’ve come to see you. This is perhaps the most unforgettable moment for us. I wish time could stand still here. I wish I could stay with you like this. Xiong Yingguang, don’t forget our promise,” Jing Moran said.
Xiong Yingguang saw Jing Mozhan take out a rag doll and hand it to her. The rag doll was a bit ugly, but it was Jing Mozhan's handiwork, mended and patched. He knew he couldn't keep Xiong Yingguang, so he could only make a pair of rag dolls, forever treating his heart so cruelly.
"Jing Moran, I'm only going to be gone for seven years, are you really that reluctant to part with me?"
"No, no. Xiong Yingguang, this is my phone number. Remember to call me when you get to Shandong." Jing Moran couldn't keep up the act any longer. Looking at Xiong Yingguang's face, he would be heartbroken and burst into tears.
Jing Mo Ran turned her head away from Xiong Ying Guang, but tears still streamed down her face.
"Jing Moran, are you crying?"
"Why would a grown man like me cry? I didn't cry."
"If you're not going to cry, why won't you look at me?"
"Look, I didn't cry." Jing Moran wiped away her tears and turned to look at Xiong Yingguang.
"Xiong Yingguang, let me look at you a few more times. Also, could I take a picture of you? Because I'm afraid..." Before he could finish speaking, Xiong Yingguang guessed Jing Mozhan's thoughts.
"Go ahead and take pictures if you want, don't be afraid, I'll be back."
Jing Mo Ran only remembered that day; Xiong Ying Guang's eyes were filled with feigned strength. He had always known that Xiong Ying Guang also couldn't bear to part with him. It was only seven years; it wasn't like they would never see each other again. Why make it seem like a life-or-death separation?
That day, Jing Mozhan turned around and saw the hibiscus flowers falling, and he also saw Xiong Yingguang smiling and waving as she got into the taxi, a scene he could never forget.
That day, they parted, each carrying with them the memories they left for the other, living the rest of their lives in pain and unease. They simply couldn't let go; even though they fell in love with others over the years, they would always keep each other in their hearts.
Jing Mozhan would never forget the scene of hibiscus flowers falling throughout Yongzhou. He thought it was the best answer God could give him. After pursuing her for so many years, all he got was a blank sheet of paper. And even if there was a blemish, that blemish was Xiong Yingguang's name, forever etched in his mind. He could never forget her. If he had known the ending would be like this, he shouldn't have taken it seriously in the first place, shouldn't have developed feelings for her.
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