Chapter 46
The No. 218 bus slowly pulled up, its dark brown body emblazoned with an advertisement for Dongling Park, a place they used to frequent. Xu Chen boarded first, dropped in two coins, then turned back to wait for her by the door, just as he had done countless times before.
The window seat was still empty. As Li Muxue sat down, a breeze drifted in through the half-open window, making her hair stick to her cheeks. Xu Chen reached out and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, his fingertips brushing against her earlobe. They both paused for a moment, then smiled simultaneously.
"Do you remember? In our senior year of high school, we took this bus, and you said the 108 steps to Dongling Park were very high and tiring to climb, and you even carried me up." Li Muxue looked out the window at the street scene, her voice as soft as the wind: "Later, we sat under the old city wall for an afternoon, and you said that Dongling was the mausoleum of Nurhaci, the founding emperor of the Qing Dynasty, and that there might still be a trace of dragon vein left..."
“I remember.” Xu Chen turned to look at her. Sunlight streamed through the car window and fell on her face. After a year, he gazed at her intently once more. He noticed that she had become even thinner in the past year, and her brows held a depth he had never seen before, which made his heart ache even more.
The bus crossed the bridge over the North Canal, its body swaying gently, like a giant cradle soothing the two reunited people. Li Muxue slowly leaned on his shoulder, her arms wrapped around his, her face full of sweetness.
"You..." The two spoke almost simultaneously, then stopped at the same time.
"You go first," Xu Chen said softly.
Li Muxue turned her head, her eyes glistening with tears, a shy smile playing on her lips: "Nothing, I just wanted to ask... when is your summer vacation?"
"Late August, around the 27th or 28th. What about you? How long are you coming back?"
"Xu Chen, we've all gone back to our respective schools since the start of the semester." Her voice was muffled; "I'm afraid that this time it will be like last time, with us hundreds of kilometers apart, and I won't even be able to hug you when you're sad."
Xu Chen tightened his arms around her, pulling her closer, his chin resting on the top of her head, inhaling the faint scent of locust blossoms in her hair.
“No, I won’t,” he said softly. “I will try to visit you at your university at the end of each month, if conditions permit, even if it means taking several train rides.”
"Let's forget it," Li Muxue looked up at his serious expression and shook her head helplessly, "It's too much trouble, let's just make a phone call instead."
"The final stop, Dongling Park, has arrived. Please exit from the rear door." The bus screeched to a halt, and the announcement echoed in the empty carriage.
Dongling Park is located on the outskirts of the city, and because of its remote location, it is rarely visited. As they stepped off the bus, a wave of heat mixed with the fresh scent of grass and trees washed over them. The park was indeed tranquil, save for the tireless chirping of various birds, each call seeming to call their names. They walked slowly along a path shaded by trees, their hands never letting go, as if letting go would cause the other to disappear.
They stopped beneath a massive birch tree, planted when the mausoleum was first built, at least four hundred years old. The tree cast a dense shade, with sunlight filtering through the leaves, creating dappled patterns of light.
"Do you remember this place?" Xu Chen asked.
“Of course I remember.” Li Muxue leaned on his shoulder and said softly, “That spring in our senior year of high school, we skipped a day of class under this tree. You said that once we got into university, we would be free.”
Xu Chen smiled bitterly: "Yes, I thought that once I was free, I could hold onto what I wanted. But in the end, I still couldn't hold onto you. I lost you for a whole year!"
"And now?"
Li Muxue raised her head, looking at him intently with a hint of timid expectation, yet also with an undeniable courage: "Xu Chen, do you... still want to hold on to him now?"
"think!"
Xu Chen's answer was simple, concise, and resolute...
(To be continued)
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