6 Have you ever regretted it?
The warm air from the air conditioner slowly blew away the chill from Liu Yuwei's body. She raised her hand, took off her coat, and handed it to Jin Lang. "Thank you!" Jin Lang leaned slightly, his gaze not lingering on her for long. He simply said, "Put it in the back seat." "Lao Zhang, let's go to Wangjiang New Garden first. The roads are slippery in the snow, so go slowly." The car started slowly and drove steadily down the road. Liu Yuwei turned around and sat down. Just as she fastened her seatbelt, she noticed that Jin Lang had unexpectedly added a box of medicine to his hand. Then, he pulled a small bottle of mineral water from his pocket. He handed her the medicine and water together, his expression calm, his voice impassive and commanding. "Take the medicine." Liu Yuwei instinctively reached out and took it. Her eyes fell on the box—acetaminophen extended-release tablets. The moment she saw those words, her heart skipped a beat, her nose ached, and those forgotten memories came flooding back. Seeing her staring at the medicine box for a long moment, Jin Lang assumed the medicine wasn't right for her condition. He explained, "Besides ibuprofen, this is the only thing the takeout pharmacy has. If you can't take it, forget it." His tone slowed slightly, a hint of discomfort in his voice, as if he were trying to hide something. Jin Lang remembered a time when Liu Yuwei had a high fever. He'd followed common sense and bought ibuprofen, only to find she'd spent the entire afternoon vomiting after taking it. It was from that incident that he learned that some people were actually allergic to ibuprofen. Liu Yuwei said nothing, simply unscrewing the plastic bottle and tilting her head back to take a pill. The mineral water slowly flowed down her throat, not as cold as she'd expected, but with a hint of warmth. She belatedly caught a whiff of the familiar woody aroma from the bottle, and her heart tightened once again. "Thank you!" She lowered her head, her voice as quiet as a mosquito's, as if afraid those two simple words would betray the turmoil within her. She didn't dare look at Jin Lang, fearing her eyes would betray her feelings, so she simply closed her eyes and pretended to sleep. When people are vulnerable, their defenses are easily breached. Thinking back on our reunions, the first time we met, we were a kindhearted person and the owner of a lost phone, but we parted ways on bad terms, or rather, I fled. The second time, we were a star and a lucky audience member, sharing a heartfelt confession, but it was just a show. Today, we're Party A and Party B again, the roles shifting so quickly. Relationships change, just like clouds in the sky: even if they were once densely connected, they gradually disperse or change shape over time, never to return to their original state...
The warm air from the air conditioner in the car blew away the coldness on Liu Yuwei's body bit by bit.
She raised her hand, took off her coat and handed it to Jin Lang, "Thank you!"
Jin Lang turned slightly to the side, his eyes not lingering on her for too long, and just said lightly: "Put it in the back seat."
"Lao Zhang, let's go to Wangjiang New Garden first. The roads are slippery in the snow, so go slowly."
The car started slowly and drove smoothly on the road. Liu Yuwei turned around and sat down. Just as she fastened her seat belt, she saw that Jin Lang had a box of medicine in his hand. Then, he took out a small bottle of mineral water from his arms.
He handed over the medicine and water together, his expression calm, no emotion visible, and his voice carried an irresistible commanding tone, "Take the medicine."
Liu Yuwei subconsciously reached out and took it. Her eyes fell on the medicine box - acetaminophen sustained-release tablets.
The moment she saw these words, her heart suddenly shrank, a sour feeling rose in her nose, and those dusty memories came flooding back like a tide.
Jin Lang saw her staring at the medicine box in her hand for a long time, and thought that the medicine was not suitable for her condition, so he explained, "Besides ibuprofen, this is the only thing the takeaway pharmacy has. If you can't take it, forget it."
His tone slowed slightly, with a hint of discomfort, as if he was trying hard to hide something.
Jin Lang remembered a time when Liu Yuwei had a high fever. He followed common sense and bought her ibuprofen, but she ended up vomiting all afternoon after taking it. It was from that incident that he realized some people were actually allergic to ibuprofen.
Liu Yuwei said nothing, silently unscrewing the plastic bottle and taking a pill. The mineral water slowly entered her mouth and stomach. Instead of the expected icy coldness, it felt a hint of warmth. She belatedly caught a whiff of the familiar woody aroma from the bottle, and her heart tightened once again.
"Thanks!"
She lowered her head and spoke in a voice as soft as a mosquito, as if she was afraid that these two simple words would reveal the turmoil in her heart.
She didn't dare look at Jin Lang, fearing that her eyes would betray her inner feelings, so she simply closed her eyes and pretended to sleep. When people are vulnerable, the defenses in their hearts are always easily broken.
Thinking back on our reunion, the first time we met, we were a kindhearted person and the owner of a lost phone, and we parted ways on bad terms, or rather, I fled. The second time, we were a superstar and a lucky audience member, performing a heartfelt confession together, but it was just a show. Today, we're Party A and Party B again, the roles have changed so quickly.
The relationships between people will change, just like the clouds in the sky. Even if they were once densely connected, as time goes by, they will gradually disperse or change shape and can never return to their original appearance.
Thinking of this, Liu Yuwei felt an indescribable bitterness in his heart.
As the drug slowly took effect, the pain gradually dissipated, and Liu Yuwei's mind regained clarity. The car was completely silent, with only the faint hum of the engine.
She tilted her head, slowly and carefully opening her eyes to look at the person beside her. He also seemed to be resting, his eyes tightly closed, but his brows were slightly furrowed, as if hiding something unspeakable.
Liu Yuwei's fingers moved unconsciously. In the past, she always smoothed his brows without hesitation, and every time, he would smile and hold her hand.
The lights from the window flickered on his face as the car moved forward, a crisscross of light and shadow, like watching a silent, old-fashioned film. Time had sculpted his features into ever-more three-dimensional forms, with smooth lines running from his high nose to his sharp jaw. His lips were slightly pursed, a hint of red tinging them.
His sleeping face seemed to have sealed away his previous aloofness and in the light and shadow, it added a touch of gentleness that was heart-warming.
Liu Yuwei's eyes seemed to be attracted by a magnet, greedily examining this familiar yet unfamiliar man.
At this moment, he was no longer the glittering, unattainable superstar on the posters, but just an ordinary person who felt tired and troubled like herself. She had never felt that the two of them were so close.
Liu Yuwei didn't expect Jin Lang to open his eyes suddenly. She didn't have time to hide the strong emotions in her eyes, and she just ran straight into his gaze.
There was a misty light in his eyes as he looked straight at her, full of tenderness, just like the morning when he woke up from a dream many years ago.
She was fixed in Jin Lang's gaze, and the two looked at each other silently in the quiet car. Liu Yuwei felt that she could even feel the warm breath coming out of his nose.
In a trance, it seemed as if a time machine was moving, and nothing had changed, except that I had moved from a warm bed to a narrow carriage.
The red light came on, the car stopped, and the slight shake brought Liu Yuwei back to reality. She blinked in panic, coughed, and quickly looked forward, trying to hide her embarrassment.
"Are you feeling better?"
Jin Lang spoke softly, breaking the slightly awkward silence with a hint of concern.
"Well, the painkiller is working, thank you."
"You said thank you a lot today."
He smiled, and there seemed to be some unspeakable emotions hidden in his smile, which made Liu Yuwei unable to understand.
She was speechless for a moment, not knowing how to respond. The ambiguous atmosphere just now was still lingering in her mind, making her confused and disoriented.
The silence of her waking hours made every moment extremely torturous. She bit her lower lip and asked in a low voice, "Can we play some music?"
When the driver saw that she made the request and Jin Lang did not object, he turned on the radio that he often listened to.
Liu Yuwei wiped the breath off the car window with his fingers. The snow outside the window was getting heavier and heavier. The roofs in the distance were completely covered. The complicated world instantly turned into pure white.
"Welcome to the Beijing North Traffic Music Radio Channel. I'm the host, Momo."
"Is it snowing where you are today? Some say snow is a love letter from winter, and every snowflake holds romance and longing. Who are you enjoying the snow with right now?"
"Here's today's first song, 'Snowman' by Sia. I hope you like it."
"Don't cry snowman don't leave me this way
A puddle of water can't hold me close baby.
I want you know that I'm never leaving
Cause I'm Mrs. snow till death we'll be freezing"
The music flowed, and the female singer's voice was deep and magnetic, like a key that opened the door to the past in Liu Yuwei's heart.
It was also the winter of their breakup. In December, the streets of Berlin were already filled with Christmas cheer. The massive Christmas pyramid on Alexanderplatz shone ablaze with lights. Neon signs flashed everywhere, and the cheerful "Jingle Belle" played in shopping malls and street vendors alike. Everyone's face was filled with the joy and lightheartedness of the approaching holiday.
But Liu Yuwei felt like a lonely ghost, wandering alone in a world that didn't belong to her. She desperately wanted to escape this bustling yet incompatible atmosphere, so she casually opened the door of a small bar.
The quiet inside contrasted sharply with the clamor outside. Liu Yuwei sat alone in a corner, the bar's resident singer's voice softly drifting into her ears.
She listened carefully to the lyrics; it told a story of a snowman's love. In fairy tales, snowmen could elope to the North Pole, sheltered from the scorching sun. Amidst the ice and snow, their love would never melt. It was clearly a song of happiness and hope, but to Liu Yuwei, it sounded filled with sadness.
The tense nerves and suppressed emotions finally found a breakthrough to vent. She covered her eyes and sobbed softly. She knew she should give up her fantasy and try to accept that he would no longer exist in her world.
At this moment, the familiar melody of the song sounded in his ears again, like a friendly yet cruel reminder, warning Liu Yuwei not to be blinded by this moment of warmth.
She kept her eyes fixed on the window, where the snowflakes were falling, but the snowy scene before her gradually became blurred. She hurriedly raised her hand to quietly wipe away the tears that were slipping down her face, fearing that a loss of composure at this moment would make all her previous efforts go to waste.
Ever since Liu Yuwei deliberately turned away, Jin Lang's eyes had been fixed on her. Her hair fell softly behind her, and her shoulders were slightly tilted, as if to build an invisible wall between them.
According to the plan, today was supposed to be their first meeting. He had carefully planned many opening lines. He wanted to ask her why she could fall in love with someone else so easily. Why was it she who first said she liked him, but now he was the one who couldn't forget her.
But an unexpected encounter broke all expectations.
Inside the luxury business car, music filled my ears, the singer's gentle voice seeming to speak from the heart. The sun will always rise, the snowman will eventually melt, and even at all costs, I cannot hold on to fading love.
Jin Lang looked at Liu Yuwei. She seemed to be in a state of stillness, with only the subtle movements of her hands proving her restless state of mind. The medicine box she was clutching tightly was already dented. Then, she raised her arm, her hand seeming to gently stroke her face.
He couldn't see her face, but his intuition told him that Liu Yuwei was crying. Strangely, he felt inexplicably happy at this moment. No matter how time passed, the love and hate they once had could still stir ripples in their hearts.
...
Outside the car window, night had completely enveloped the city, the darkness swallowing up the last shred of light. The buildings on both sides of the road gradually became familiar under the dim streetlights.
As they were about to reach their destination, Jin Lang took a deep breath and said, "Liu Yuwei."
"Hmm?" She turned around, her expression as calm as the surface of a lake, without any ripples.
"Have you ever regretted it?" Jin Lang spoke slowly, with a barely perceptible tremor in his voice.
This question, like a seed buried for years, finally broke through the ground. All the resentment, longing, and confusion were condensed into these few simple words. He needed only one answer, one that would either bring him complete relief or allow him to continue sinking into despair.
Liu Yuwei's eyes were stunned for a moment, and her pupils dilated slightly. She never thought that he would ask the question so directly, which had been bothering her for many years.
If it had been just now, accompanied by the soft and sad music, she would have lost her composure upon hearing these words. At this moment, she could only feign composure, her fingers unconsciously tugging at the corner of her clothes.
The car stopped steadily at the gate of Wangjiang New Garden. Liu Yuwei didn't answer, she lowered her head and unbuckled her seat belt.
"Thank you for bringing me back."
When she opened the car door, the cold wind blew in her face instantly, and she subconsciously raised her hand to tuck her hair behind her ears.
Jin Lang rolled down the car window, and the cold wind rushed into the car, blowing the strands of hair on his forehead into the air and making his thoughts messy.
He just watched her back as she walked further and further away, without blinking.
There was a thick layer of snow on the ground. Several children who had just finished school were laughing and chasing each other in the snow, and the broken snowballs splashed up a cloud of snow mist.
Liu Yuwei was walking when she suddenly stopped and turned around. The black car was still parked there with the windows rolled down. Although she couldn't see Jin Lang's face clearly in the dark from a distance, she could feel that he was looking at her at that moment.
She paused, tapped the ground with her toes, and jogged back to the car as if she had made a great decision.
Jin Lang's eyes were fixed on Liu Yuwei. Seeing her walking towards him again, his heart was pounding. His hands unconsciously grasped the edge of the seat, like a prisoner about to face the judgment of fate.
Liu Yuwei stood in the snow, the snowflakes on her body gleaming in the light of the street lamp. A warm smile bloomed on her face, and that expression was just like the one she had every time they met in the past.
He waited expectantly for a reply. The other party's red lips parted slightly, and all he heard were six simple words: "Jin Lang, have a safe journey."
The voice was soft, but it was like a bombshell, hitting my heart hard.
Then she turned and left again.
Saying goodbye is a very cruel thing, but in the adult world, saying goodbye is the norm.
…
Jin Lang stared at her departing figure, unable to recover for a long time. He slowly raised his hand, placed his finger on the window button, and slowly closed the window, a bitter self-mockery on the corner of his mouth.
It was not an answer, not a greeting, not a blessing. He understood that it was the most thorough farewell.
The phone lit up, it was Shen Cheng.
"Hey, what's up?"
When I picked up the phone, the voice was eerily calm.
"I finally remembered. When we met, I felt that Lawyer Liu looked a little familiar. She was your girlfriend from college, right?"
"I was wondering why you've been so celibate these past few years. Turns out you've fallen deeply in love. So, you went to great lengths to find someone, how's the progress?"
Shen Cheng's voice came out from the microphone, full of excitement and gossip, and he was completely unaware of Jin Lang's depression at the moment.
There was continued silence on the other end of the phone. Just when Shen Cheng thought there was a problem with the signal, he heard Jin Lang's calm and low reply.
"She said it went smoothly."
Then, there was a beep and the call was hung up.
Jin Lang stared ahead, his thoughts drifting away. If he hadn't deliberately entangled himself, perhaps the two of them would really be like two parallel lines, never to intersect again.
Author's Note
Lazy Cat on the Cloud
author
01-29
I personally recommend Snowman to everyone
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