Chapter 81 More than seven years later, "I made a wish related to you..."
Jiang Yueming suddenly stood up from the sofa, startling Lin Cuiqin and Tiantian who were standing next to him.
"What? Was there an earthquake?" Lin Cuiqin asked hurriedly, thinking that Jiang Yueming was about to run away.
He really was going to run away.
But it wasn't to escape for his life; it was to meet someone.
"I'm going downstairs to see my aunt. Lele wants to see me for a bit, something's up." Jiang Yueming grabbed a coat and headed out without hesitation.
"Jiang Yueming, you haven't finished telling the rest of the story yet? What is it about? And Brother Leshan, I want to go play with him too!" A sweet voice came from behind.
Jiang Yueming rushed downstairs, not having time to answer. And indeed, he couldn't answer. He'd heard this story since childhood; even if it hadn't happened in eight or ten years, it was still the story. As for her going to find Li Leshan, that was out of the question. Jiang Yueming couldn't let Tian Tian ruin their time together.
"Lele!" Jiang Yueming rushed downstairs and immediately saw Li Leshan standing at the bottom of the stairs. In the dim light, his face was somewhat indistinct.
"Why are you here!" Jiang Yueming exclaimed with delight.
“Grandma is asleep, I wanted to come and see you.” Li Leshan gestured to him.
Jiang Yueming stomped her foot, and the motion-activated lights on the stairs turned on. The stairwell on the first floor was a mess, with all sorts of things piled up together—bicycles, electric bikes, sacks full of plastic bottles, you couldn't tell whose they were.
By the light, Li Leshan could see what he was wearing: just a coat over a black sweater. Judging from this, it was clear that Jiang Yueming had grabbed whatever clothes he could find in his haste to come down, probably without even caring how thick they were.
"Aren't you cold? Why are you in such a hurry to come down?" After signing the sign, Li Leshan was about to take off his clothes. He was wearing thick clothes, so he could take off a layer for Jiang Yueming.
"Don't take it off, don't take it off. I'm not cold," Jiang Yueming hurriedly said. "I'm really not cold. Touch my hands, they're still warm."
“Let’s chat for a while in the stairwell,” Jiang Yueming said, pulling Li Leshan’s hand and finding a sheltered spot where no one could see them. “No one will come down on New Year’s Eve.”
Li Leshan followed him to a small open space at the stairwell, past the scattered bicycles, and found a corner where they could sit and get some fresh air, but there was hardly any light in this corner.
"Aren't you going to do your homework tonight?" Jiang Yueming blurted out without thinking.
Li Leshan glanced at him calmly, but didn't answer. It wasn't until the man realized what he'd said and quickly corrected himself, "I'm not, it's just...that..."
“I don’t necessarily have to do the problems.” Li Leshan said in sign language.
"Isn't it necessary to do the problems?" Jiang Yueming's mind was in a daze. To him, this was almost equivalent to, "I absolutely have to see you."
Li Leshan stopped doing his homework and memorizing his books, and came to his building on New Year's Eve. Wasn't he just determined to see him?
Yes, this self-strategy method is a very advanced approach no matter when you look at it.
"Do you think there will be fireworks tonight?" Jiang Yueming asked softly.
"Do you want to see it?" Li Leshan asked.
“I didn’t really want to,” Jiang Yueming said again. “It’s mainly because I didn’t get to watch New Year’s Eve with you.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Li Leshan pulled a box of sparklers out of his pocket. They were the kind that would light up slightly when lit, and they were very pretty. So, these kinds of fireworks were usually for young girls. In fact, he had brought them for Tian Tian.
"You bought this for Tian Tian, didn't you?" Jiang Yueming could tell.
Li Leshan smiled, made a "shh" gesture, signaling Jiang Yueming not to tell Tiantian. Then he took out a small box of matches from his pocket, rubbed the matches against the side of the box, and lit one.
The sight of two big boys holding tiny fairy wands is both heartwarming and a little strange.
Jiang Yueming found it novel; he had never played with this when he was a child, but Xu Qing always played with it and would always carry it around him.
“I still have a question,” Jiang Yueming said softly, “what was the wish you made on the Lijiang Bridge back then?”
Actually, Jiang Yueming regretted asking the question as soon as it was asked. His wish back then was to get into Shishi High School and study with Li Leshan. That wish didn't come true, possibly because he blurted it out.
But even after so much time has passed, Jiang Yueming is still curious about what Li Leshan's wish was back then.
"Tell me first whether you've achieved it or not?" By the last bit of firelight, Jiang Yueming looked into Li Leshan's bright, clear eyes.
“We’ve achieved… half of it,” Li Leshan said.
Jiang Yueming was puzzled now. She was already curious, but now she was even more curious. "How can it be half? Can a wish be split in two?"
Li Leshan nodded.
“That’s fine too, at least half of it.” Jiang Yueming smiled. Although he didn’t know what the wish was, he would do his best to help Li Leshan. “How long will it take to fulfill the other half? Can I help you? If so, how can I help you?”
The air fell silent for a moment. Li Leshan turned his head to look at him and stared for a long time, so long that Jiang Yueming felt a little embarrassed.
"Will it take a long time?" Jiang Yueming asked again. Was this wish actually difficult? Or was there nothing he could do to help?
Li Leshan nodded. "Yes, it will take a lifetime."
The wish he made needs to be proven over a lifetime to see if it has come true.
Jiang Yueming was stunned for a moment, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly. This wish would take a lifetime to fulfill.
What kind of wish is it that requires a lifetime to fulfill?
Going to university? That only takes three years, and theoretically it shouldn't even take three years.
A good job? This doesn't seem like something you can hold onto for a lifetime.
A house and a car? That doesn't seem right either.
"Lele," Jiang Yueming said, a little puzzled, "You made a really big wish. What was it about?"
“I made a wish…” Li Leshan looked into his eyes and told him what he had wished for on the Lijiang Bridge that year, “a wish related to you.”
Outside, the lights of countless homes shone brightly, the surrounding buildings a testament to reunion and joy. Jiang Yueming squinted, feeling something rush to her mind.
The scene on the Lijiang Bridge flashed through his mind back then. Even today, he could still hear those words like "I want to get rich" and "I want to find a partner"... along with his own words "I want to get into Shishi High School," all surging in Jiang Yueming's mind.
So far away, so long ago. So long that Jiang Yueming can't even remember the specific scene, only that there were many people and it was very crowded. So long that Jiang Yueming only learned today that a long time ago, Li Leshan made a lifelong wish about himself.
His heart pounded, and Jiang Yueming couldn't help but take Li Leshan's hand and kiss it gently. The hand he touched felt warm.
"Lele, I'm willing to spend my whole life fulfilling your wish." Jiang Yueming's voice was a little hoarse.
One lifetime, two lifetimes, this lifetime, the next lifetime.
No matter what it is, no matter how long it takes, no matter what it takes, Jiang Yueming is willing.
A cold wind began to blow into the stairwell. Li Leshan held Jiang Yueming close, so they wouldn't be so cold. He lowered his head and gently rested it against Jiang Yueming's neck, repeatedly recalling her words from earlier, and finally nodded almost imperceptibly.
"Are you cold?" Jiang Yueming ruffled his hair. Although she was still reluctant to let him go, they had already been in this cold stairwell for quite some time. "Shall I take you home?"
Li Leshan shook his head in his arms.
His hair brushed against Jiang Yueming's neck, causing a slight itch where it touched.
"I won't see you off too far. I'll go back as soon as I see you enter the building," Jiang Yueming said.
As he stepped out of the building, Jiang Yueming pulled his collar up. He glanced up at the balcony above; it was empty.
Indeed, it would be strange if there were anyone around at this time. So after confirming that there was no one around, he tightened his grip on Li Leshan's hand and put it in his pocket, feeling an indescribable sense of security.
"I am so happy right now." Jiang Yueming walked very slowly, wishing that time would slow down and that this moment could last a little longer.
"I feel like I've never been happier than I am now." Reflecting on the past years, Jiang Yueming recalled them carefully, and truly, there had never been a time when he was happier than now. He held Li Leshan's hand tightly, feeling the warmth of his palm, and stepped towards the New Year, the future lying at their feet.
This distance was so close that it ended before they had walked much. It was so close that it caught them off guard, and Jiang Yueming was reluctant to let go.
"I'm leaving." Jiang Yueming hugged Li Leshan tightly.
Li Leshan smiled at him, his mouth wide open, a rare smile of his. "There will be even happier times."
“Okay,” Jiang Yueming waved his hand, “Lele, Happy New Year.”
"This year, I may have a wish related to you."
The moment the words left his mouth, fireworks suddenly exploded in the sky above the third alley. It was unclear whose fireworks they were, but they seemed to have come from the direction of the alley entrance. The dazzling fireworks filled the air, as if celebrating something—the arrival of the New Year, and the beginning of a new life.
Facing the wind, Jiang Yueming ran all the way home. He had walked this road for three years, five years, and would walk it for another seven or ten years. But no matter how many years he walked it, the memories this place held for him would only grow deeper. There were memories of the three alleys, but even deeper were the memories of Li Leshan, buried deep in his heart, waiting to surge forth at any moment.
The wind blew against him, lifting his bangs. The hem of the boy's clothes fluttered in the wind, yet his back grew increasingly resolute. This distance between home and home was only two minutes away, and he no longer needed to run. Over the years, he had traveled back and forth, running countless two-minute stretches.
As the cold winter was about to pass and the new year began, an unexpected guest arrived at the Third Alley. No one could have imagined that for the next seven years, they would continue running without a moment's rest, and that such a moment would never return.
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Author's Note: Something's going to happen in the next chapter! (Rubbing hands together) (Runs away)
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