Morning light at the fishing hut
Lu Ye was awakened by the faint scent of osmanthus.
His eyelids felt as heavy as if they were glued, and he struggled to open them a crack. The first thing that caught his eye was the mottled ceiling of the fishing hut. The sunlight filtered through the worn window paper, casting tiny golden specks on the wall. Mixed with the dust floating in the air, it looked very much like the first time he and Qi Chen woke up in the inn in the ancient town.
"woke up?"
A familiar voice echoed in his ears, carrying the warm scent of freshly cooked food. Lu Ye whipped his head around to see Qi Chen sitting on a wooden stool beside the bed, still wearing the same black coat—except the cuffs, previously corroded by the black mist, had been carefully mended with the finest stitches, a technique he was familiar with. Qi Chen held a white porcelain bowl in his hand, a few dried osmanthus flowers floating in it, and the steam curled toward his face.
"Qi Chen..." Lu Ye's voice was very hoarse, as if it had been rubbed by sandpaper. He subconsciously stretched out his hand, and when his fingertips touched Qi Chen's wrist, he froze instantly - that was real temperature, with a hint of sandalwood, not the illusory touch of the shadow in the bell, but the living temperature where he could clearly feel the beating pulse.
Qi Chen placed the bowl on the small bedside table and took his hand in his. The calloused palms brushed against his fingertips, the same feeling as before. "Don't move," Qi Chen said softly, his eyes fixed on his bandaged shoulder, his brows furrowed slightly. "The old fisherman said your wound is quite deep and has been contaminated by seawater. You need to rest for a few days."
Lu Ye's tears suddenly fell. It wasn't sadness, but the relief he'd been holding back for so long. He took Qi Chen's hand, pulling him closer. His nose brushed against the fabric of his coat, and he smelled the familiar scent of sandalwood mixed with osmanthus. His throat felt clogged. "Are you really back? I wasn't dreaming?"
Qi Chen smiled, his eyes still bloodshot, but brighter than ever. He reached out and wiped Lu Ye's tears, the warmth of his fingertips landing on his cheek, burning him to the bone. "This isn't a dream, Xiao Ye. I'm back, and I'll never leave you again."
He picked up the white porcelain bowl on the bedside table, scooped a spoonful of porridge with a spoon, blew it cool, and then handed it to Lu Ye's mouth: "The old fisherman's house has dried osmanthus flowers. I cooked it according to the method my master used to cook. Try it and see if it is the sweetness you like."
Lu Ye opened his mouth and drank the porridge. The aroma of osmanthus spread on his tongue. It was sweet but not greasy, exactly the same taste as he remembered Master Mo's cooking. Last winter, when he and Qi Chen found Master Mo's notes in a used bookstore, Qi Chen had said, "When I get back, I'll make you some osmanthus porridge." Now, that promise had finally come true.
"It's delicious," Lu Ye's voice was choked with sobs, "It's even better than the last time I smelled it in the used bookstore."
Qi Chen scooped another spoonful of porridge and handed it over, his eyes so gentle that tears could drip from his eyes. "If you like it, eat more. There's more in the pot. The old fisherman said that the fish in Wangchuan Sea are fresh. I'll go catch two this afternoon and make fish soup for you to nourish yourself."
Over a bowl of sweet osmanthus porridge, the two chatted about the days since they'd separated. Qi Chen said that when he was in the bell, he could see everything Lu Ye did—he saw him organizing props in the Shenyuan secret room, saw him go to Jinling to find Shen Yurong's theater tickets, saw him helping Xiaoya assemble a doll at the toy factory. Every time Lu Ye spoke to the bell, he could hear it, but he could only worry in the bell, unable to do anything.
"When I saw you crying in the Old Alley Bookstore," Qi Chen's voice lowered, and he gently squeezed Lu Ye's hand with his fingertips, "I really wanted to hug you, but I could only sway in the bell. I hope you can feel me there."
Lu Ye's heart felt like it was soaked in warm water. He took Qi Chen's hand and placed it on his chest: "I can feel it. Every time the bell rings, I know it's you responding to me, so I never give up."
In the afternoon, the old fisherman came to the fishing hut with a basket of fresh sea fish. When he saw Qi Chen, he was stunned for a long time before smiling and saying, "Young man, your lover is finally back? I always heard you talking to a bell before, and I thought you were lonely for a long time."
Qi Chen took the fish basket with a smile and handed the diving equipment and the peace bell he had borrowed back to the old fisherman: "Thank you for your help. If it weren't for you, I might never see him again."
The old fisherman waved his hand, his gaze fixed on the Wangchuan Sea outside the window. "Don't thank me, it's your sincerity. Look, the sea fog has dissipated today, and Lanyin's singing has also stopped. She and her lover can finally be together."
Lu Ye followed the old fisherman's gaze and saw the sea surface of Wangchuan Sea was azure blue. The sun shone on the waves, shining with golden light. There was no thick fog as before. Seagulls in the distance flew over the sea, making crisp calls, and the whole place was peaceful.
"They will continue to listen to her singing in another place." Lu Ye said softly. Qi Chen held his hand and nodded slightly.
In the next few days, Lu Ye recuperated in the fishing hut. Qi Chen would go fishing at the beach every day, come back and cook fish soup for him. At night, he would sit by the bed, flipping through Master Mo's notes, or telling Lu Ye about the details he saw in the bell that Lu Ye didn't know - for example, when Lu Ye was staring at Qi Chen's pen in the secret room of Shenyuan, he would secretly put the pen to his chest and hold it for a while; for example, when Lu Ye went to Wangchuan Garden to see the lotus, he would put Qi Chen's notes on the stone table, as if he was reading it with him.
"I know you've been waiting for me," Qi Chen rested his chin on the top of Lu Ye's head, his voice gentle, "From now on, it's my turn to wait for you. When your wound heals, we'll go back to Shanghai together, open Chen Ye's study together, and fulfill those unfinished promises one by one."
Lu Ye leaned in Qi Chen's arms, listening to his heartbeat, closing his eyes with a smile on his face. He knew that this wait that spanned life and death had finally had the best possible outcome.
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