Two reasons for the origin of fate, ten fingers clasped together in a dream, a drunken drink for a thousand years
"Are you awake?" Although Liu Che's gentle voice was not as arousing as in dreams, it always brought warmth and a sense of security.
"Well, how long have I slept?" Xue Jiuyue slowly sat up, tidied up her scattered long hair, and wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes.
"Not long after. You woke up after eating about thirty buns as big as your face."
Liu Che casually described the time using a joke they had told each other, which made Xue Jiuyue smile.
Then Liu Che asked again: "Dreaming again?"
"Hmm, that's strange. You didn't hypnotize me either. I also had dreams about my past life."
This is a pleasant surprise! "Oh? What did you dream about? This is good news, it means your consciousness has completely loosened up."
"It was also on a mountain top like this, also facing a full moon, but it was winter, and the whole world was covered in snow. I was practicing martial arts, and the husband in my dream came to see me secretly, bringing chicken legs and wine." Xue Jiuyue's story was very brief due to indescribable shyness.
"That's all? Any new discoveries? Or details?"
Xue Jiuyue thought about it carefully before answering slowly: "A new discovery, something I didn't have before, is that I was practicing, or rather, worshiping the moon. Oh, my name in the dream was Jiyue, which means worship."
"Anything else? Especially the details about the characters other than yourself in the dream. Is there anything special?"
"That's all. Do chicken legs and wine count? The chicken legs smell so good! The wine is delicious too, not spicy, not too strong, and it's so warm when you drink it hot." Xue Jiuyue smacked her lips as she spoke, as if she was savoring the taste.
"Hold on."
After Liu Che finished speaking, he went to search in his "treasure bag".
He came back soon, "Is that so?"
What was held in front of Xue Jiuyue was the same chicken leg as in her dream.
He took it silently, the warmth and fragrance brought out two lines of tears that spanned a thousand years.
Xue Jiuyue was completely overwhelmed by the uncontrollable flow of emotions. She choked out three words, "You're disgusting!"
"I'm sorry, what's wrong?" Liu Che was completely confused.
Liu Che's always humble attitude and his dazed expression at that moment made Xue Jiuyue burst into laughter.
"You've made it impossible for me to control my figure!"
"Oh!" Liu Che breathed a sigh of relief. "Then, what should we do?"
"I'll punish you by eating until you're fat! Any more? Either we each have one, or we split half!"
Liu Che smiled with relief, then held up a chicken drumstick like a magician. "I'm willing to accept the punishment. It's my great honor!"
Xue Jiuyue also raised her chicken leg and clinked it with Liu Che's hand, "Cheers!"
"Cheers!" Liu Che said, then added with a gentle smile, "Cheers, how can we do without wine?"
Then he magically handed me a thermos cup.
"You?!" Although she had witnessed a miracle that day, Xue Jiuyue was still speechless and choked by the surprise. But on second thought, she refused regretfully, "No, I need to drive back later! There is definitely no designated driver here."
"Don't worry, it's alcohol-free!"
The refreshing taste of ice cubes echoes the warmth in the dream. The two temperatures and two tastes eventually turn into the same taste, the same temperature, and the same emotions gently told and sung in the interweaving of illusion and reality.
"You drink too." Xue Jiuyue blurted out following the traces in her dream.
There was a pause of one second, one minute, ten minutes, or even less than one second, and someone broke in between the two of them.
Embarrassment? Joy? Or hallucination?
Liu Che seemed to stretch out his right hand naturally.
"Yeah, chicken legs go really well with a cold beer."
Liu Che's naturalness made Xue Jiuyue's embarrassment disappear. "Xiao Ming, you are really good at eating."
"That's right, only delicious food can't be let down!"
"Tsk, you're imitating me again!"
"No, I don't have that. This is my original creation."
"This is my original creation, beautiful, and Shi (Shi)! Don't let it down. To me, it has two meanings! Because my nickname is Xiao Shi, well, you can call me Xiao Shi from now on."
"Xiao Shi? Which Shi?"
Xue Jiuyue patiently explained, "The ten in one plus nine equals ten, but it's not the ten with a horizontal and vertical stroke, it's the ten with a capital handle."
"Oh, the 'Shi' as in 'pick up'. Does that have any meaning? It's not like my Xiao Ming who got it as a gift for topping up his phone bill, is it?"
"My dad said that the number 10 represents perfection. The day I was born was a full moon, but it happened to be eaten by a celestial dog. My dad said that the moon is incomplete and needs to be filled! So he named me Xiao Shi. I have worn a necklace in the shape of a crescent moon since I was a child, and my dad also had it set with diamonds to create a full moon."
"The moon is waning, but love makes it full! What a great father! No wonder they say a father's love is like a mountain."
…
Dreams, reality, and memories make this simple mountaintop meal rich and full of flavor, leaving a lasting aftertaste. With a mixture of enjoyment and reluctance, we bid farewell to this place where we admire the mountains, the moon, and the world.
As soon as she set foot on the path back home, Xue Jiuyue noticed that the low roadside lights were out, and her phone had run out of battery from taking so many photos that it wouldn't turn on. To reduce his load, Liu Che only brought his phone and watch.
Despite the bright light of the full moon, the steep and rugged descent was no match for Xue Jiuyue. Within a few steps, she'd already encountered danger several times. Liu Che, however, was unfazed because he knew the entire route by heart.
"Let me hold your hand and walk with you!" Liu Che extended his trekking pole.
It was a similar scene to that morning. However, this time Xue Jiuyue remained unmoved and instead asked a question: "When you said I was dreaming, did that mean my consciousness had completely loosened?"
"Yes, that's right."
"So should some of my symptoms also improve accordingly?"
"Theoretically, it should be."
"How about we test the results?" Xue Jiuyue's burning face was hidden in the night, but her shy, almost inaudible voice still revealed her inner feelings, "Just pull me."
Liu Che's keen hearing led him to retract his cane. He smoothed his hair from his forehead and, as steadily as possible, extended his fair right hand. The moonlight highlighted the soft lines, emitting a warm glow. He arranged three crescent-shaped scars in sequence, scooping up a pool of memories and strengthening his courage to break free from the cocoon.
Xue Jiuyue's trembling left hand crawled along this journey across mountains and seas. The more she expected, the more disappointed she became. Even the slightest touch between her fingers still stirred a wave of pain, wiping away this first time that was destined to be remembered.
"I'm sorry, are you okay?"
Xue Jiuyue held back her tears and felt it carefully - it hurt a little more than in the morning, but it was much better than before.
"It's okay, try again!"
This time, Xue Jiuyue was not as cautious as last time. Instead, she mustered up her courage and directly grasped Liu Che's thumb tightly.
The pain was still like an electric shock, but it was bearable. Xue Jiuyue persisted, not letting go of the life-saving straw in her hand, as if she was grabbing the reins tightly to tame a violent horse.
Finally, the sharp pain was smoothed out by his delicate hands, a dull discomfort that seemed to exist only to assert itself, like in the morning, like every month. This was his warmth, the warmth coming from his palms, like the "hot pack" he always used, soothing and alleviating the dull pain.
Xue Jiuyue took a deep breath and forced herself to suppress her joy, "Let's go."
"Is it okay?" His usual gentle voice trembled with excitement.
"Um."
The path down the mountain was smooth and familiar, their joy muted by the hand-holding. Xue Jiuyue, unsure how long it would take, had completely adjusted to the situation. She paused, silently loosening her clenched hand, yet maintaining contact, fearing it would be lost. Then, she fumbled to clasp their fingers together.
"Let's go."
These were the last two words Xue Jiuyue could say - she was completely immersed in the ocean of happiness.
So this was the feeling, a thousand times stronger than before, a world of difference. Xue Jiuyue remembered Shu Xiaoxian's description: "It felt like he wasn't holding my hand, but my heart, my soul." No, not exactly the same! That real, undeniable sense of security, stability, and warmth pierced through all distance. This was our heartbeat! This was the fusion of our souls!
Years of dreams and longings made tears burst out again, rushing towards the night sky, scattering into stars, competing with the full moon for brilliance, whispering and shouting...
Yesterday's overloaded body and emotions were replaced by a sweet pillow. Perhaps because I relaxed too much, when I woke up, I needed "hot spring water to wash away the fat" to dilute the shy dream.
A new day brings with it the sight of flowers more vibrant than yesterday, the sound of birdsong more melodiously, the joy of watching the carefree swirling of clouds across the sky, and the gentle, innocent breeze by my ears. Everything is as hopeful as the rising sun. Quietly leaning into the fleeting moments of time, more than just my body feels soothed.
With a bit of anticipation, Xue Jiuyue deliberately moved her hand down a few centimeters as she took the coffee from Ke Yike. The familiar pain from deep within her soul made Xue Jiuyue barely hold back a scream. She quickly withdrew her hand, startling Ke Yike so much that he almost spilled the coffee.
Some disappointment, like clouds dotting the azure sky, isn't quite so complete, but isn't that a kind of beauty? ——Perhaps intimate contact is limited to Liu Che.
As the sun rose higher, guests gradually arrived in groups of three or four. Afraid of interrupting her reminiscence, Xue Jiuyue put on an awkward face. It was as if the warmth of spring continued to linger in this world until she accidentally saw the autumn snow.
At first, Qiuxue had come with the wind, and her absence hadn't been abrupt, leaving no trace in Xue Jiuyue's mind. But now, the wind had gone, leaving Qiuxue clutching her face, weeping uncontrollably.
Because of that conversation, Xue Jiuyue felt that perhaps she was the only one who could help Qiu Xue.
"Hello, can I sit down?"
Qiu Xue covered her face, perhaps nodding. After a long moment, she forced back her tears and looked across at Xue Jiuyue. Unlike her usual elegance, her makeup was smudged, and tears still silently flowed from her swollen eyes.
Xue Jiuyue handed over a tissue and asked softly, "Would you like to talk about it?"
"He left and went back to his own home, a home without me... and I, have no home..."
The sentence is only a few words long and is disjointed, but it contains a tragic story and two different endings.
She had speculated before, and even secretly thought that this was retribution when she and Lin Yiyi were discussing it earlier. But as she got to know more, and heard the answer, Xue Jiyue felt a pang of heartache.
Before Xue Jiuyue could finish her words, the desire to confide in her stopped her sobs. "He apologized to me, saying it was all his fault! He accepted the beating and the punishment, and he would accept my compensation or my quarrel! Even if I ruined his reputation, he would have no regrets. But what's the point of saying sorry? What's the point?"
The tears and heartache couldn't be stopped easily. The scars were exposed, and it took a while to wipe them away before the words could continue. "What's the point of making a fuss? I once thought it was love. If I go all out, will I be worthy of my original feelings? But if I remain indifferent, will I be worthy of myself? Even if I forgive him, at most it will be another woman besides his wife who forgives him. At most, he might feel a little guilty when he sees me and thinks of me! But who will forgive me?"
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