The warmth that never fades
After returning to Shanghai, Lu Ye and Qi Chen placed "Looking Back" on the display shelf of Chen Ye's study, next to which were photos of Gu Qingci and Gu Qinghe, and a small note that read "May every longing find its home."
Business at the study gradually picked up, with most visitors coming from the old town and some young people interested in old stories. Some came to read books, some to listen to Lu Ye and Qi Chen's stories of obsession, and some to seek help—for example, an old lady wanted to find her daughter who had been separated from her for decades. Lu Ye and Qi Chen helped her search for information and eventually found her daughter's whereabouts.
Every morning, Qi Chen would arrive at his study half an hour early, brew coffee, and sort the old books on the shelves. Lu Ye would arrive a little later, bringing buns and soy milk from the breakfast stall at the corner of the alley. The two of them would sit at a wooden table by the window, eating breakfast while planning the day's activities.
The study was quiet in the morning, with only the rustling of pages and the occasional ringing of a bell. Lu Ye would sit behind the counter, sorting through newly collected old items, while Qi Chen would wander among the shelves, helping customers find books and occasionally stopping to chat with them about their old books.
In the afternoons, Lele would come to the study after school and sit on a small chair by the window to do her homework. After finishing her homework, she would pester Qi Chen to tell her stories about the stuffed rabbit, or ask Lu Ye to draw her a stick figure. Chen Zhe would also come often, sometimes bringing freshly made snacks, sometimes helping them organize the bookshelves, and occasionally bringing new clues to old items - for example, he once found a Republican-era radio in a scrap yard in an old alley, and hidden inside it was a yellowed postcard with the words "I'm waiting for you in Nanjing" written on it.
Following the clues on the postcard, Lu Ye and Qi Chen tracked down the owner – a woman in her nineties. She had worked in Shanghai in her youth and had agreed to meet her lover in Nanjing, but they lost touch due to the war. They helped the woman find her lover's descendants, reuniting the two after decades.
At night, after the study closed, Lu Ye and Qi Chen would sit on the floor, flipping through the storybook in the study, jotting down the stories they had encountered that day. Sometimes, they would chat until late at night, discussing past experiences, future plans, and unfulfilled promises—like going to see the sea together, traveling to an ancient town, and collecting more old things together.
Once, Researcher Zhou came to the study, bringing a bottle of homemade osmanthus wine as a token of his gratitude for their previous help. The four of them sat around the table, drinking the wine and eating Chen Zhe's snacks, chatting about their stories. Moonlight streamed in from the window, illuminating every corner of the study and the smiles on everyone's faces.
"Time flies," Researcher Zhou said with a smile as he took a sip of osmanthus wine. "I still remember the first time I met you. It was when we were investigating Su Qingyuan's case in Jingyuan. Lu Ye was very timid back then, but now he can handle things on his own."
Lu Ye's face flushed slightly. He glanced at Qi Chen beside him and said with a smile, "Qi Chen taught me all this. He taught me how to identify resentment, how to resolve obsessions, and how to become strong."
Qi Chen held Lu Ye's hand, gently stroking his fingertips with his fingertips, and said in a gentle voice: "You are very brave. I am just by your side, accompanying you."
Chen Zhe and Lele looked at them and laughed. Lele raised the juice cup in his hand and said loudly: "I wish Brother Lu Ye and Brother Qi Chen will be together forever, and I wish Chen Ye's study will always be lively!"
Everyone raised their glasses and clinked them together, making a crisp sound. The aroma of osmanthus wine spread in the air, mixed with the woody fragrance of old books, forming a unique flavor, the flavor of Chenye's study, and also the warm flavor that belonged to them.
As the night deepened, the friends gradually left, leaving only Lu Ye and Qi Chen in the study. They cleared the table and sat by the window, looking out at the old alley. The lights in the alley had gone out, but the light in the study was still on, like a warm beacon, illuminating the old alley late at night.
"Do you still remember the first time we met in the ancient town?" Lu Ye leaned in Qi Chen's arms and asked softly.
Qi Chen nodded and reached out to ruffle his hair: "I remember, you were looking at the stars in the courtyard of the inn. I asked you if you were looking for something, and you said you were looking for something that would make you feel at ease."
Lu Ye smiled and looked up into Qi Chen's eyes: "Now I have found it, it's you, Shen Ye Study, and these friends around me."
Qi Chen lowered his head and kissed Lu Ye's forehead, his voice full of promise: "From now on, I will always be with you, Chen Ye's study will always be here, and our friends will always be here."
The wind blew gently outside the window, the copper bell rang softly, and the old books on the bookshelf swayed slightly, as if answering their promise. The story of Chenye Bookstore continues, and their love will be like the stories in these old books, forever warm and never faded.
In the years that followed, Chenye's study welcomed countless people with stories and solved countless hidden obsessions. Lu Ye and Qi Chen walked through spring, summer, autumn and winter together, watched the sea together, visited ancient towns together, collected more old things together, and together filled the storybook of Chenye's study with thicker and thicker stories.
Their lives are free of earth-shattering events, but filled with a steady stream of warmth. Morning coffee and soy milk, afternoon sunshine and old books, evening stories and companionship, and the people around them who care about them, constitute their most precious happiness.
And those former obsessions, those unresolved wishes, and those heartwarming stories are all treasured on the display shelves of Chenye Study, recorded in storybooks, and gently echo through the years, telling everyone who comes here: love and warmth are always the key to unlocking all obsessions, and are also the power that supports us to move forward.
The light in Chen Ye's study will always be on, waiting for everyone who seeks warmth, and waiting for everyone with a story. And the story of Lu Ye and Qi Chen will also be like this light, forever bright and warm.
over.
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