Reunion
The ocean currents surged and churned, and the salty sea breeze swept across their faces, causing the trench coats of the men on the cliff top to flutter loudly.
The sound of shoes scraping against rocks and gravel came from behind. Wen Xubai knew who it was, so he didn't turn around to look.
Ruan Xing seemed to rub the mud off his feet with some disdain. His meticulously styled hair was disheveled by the strong wind, and even the cigarette in his mouth was almost blown away.
Holding the cigarette case, he walked to Wen Xubai's side, casually picked out a cigarette and handed it to Wen Xubai, but Wen Xubai shook his head.
Ruan Xing wasn't surprised. He put the cigarette pack in his pocket, then took out a lighter and shouted as he lit it, "Quit?"
"Hmm," Wen Xubai replied indifferently; he had already given it up long ago.
Staring silently at the boundless, surging sea before him, his pale eyes were now utterly calm.
After a long silence, Wen Xubai slowly spoke, "...Is there any news?"
"Ha, I thought you weren't going to ask anymore." Ruan Xing grinned, but after trying to light the lighter for a long time, he still couldn't get it to work. As soon as the lighter produced a small spark, it was immediately and mercilessly blown away by the sea breeze. After several failed attempts to light it, he finally rubbed his hair in frustration, stuffed the lighter back into his pants pocket, and then exhaled the smoke from his mouth.
The finest cigars were swept towards the sea by the gale, like slippers, and finally fell silently into the ocean without even a splash.
After all, such a tiny thing is nothing more than a drop in the ocean compared to the vast and boundless sea. Once it goes in, there is no hope of ever "getting out". It can only be swept away by the turbulent waves and drifted to an unknown destination.
Cigarettes are like this, and so is Qi Zui.
Ruan Xing tidied his hair again, looked at Wen Xubai who remained expressionless, thought for a moment, and then shook his head truthfully: "The day he fell into the sea was during high tide, and the current was also flowing back in. By the time the rescuers arrived, it was too late. Now that so much time has passed... I'm afraid it's unlikely he'll make it..."
He really wanted to tell Wen Xubai that for three whole years, they hadn't seen a single person, whether alive or dead. Qi Zui's body had probably already been devoured by the sea sharks.
But he was also afraid that Wen Xubai might do something outrageous after hearing the news. After all, Wen Xubai had just woken up in the hospital and, upon hearing the news of Qi Zui's death, was so anxious that he disregarded his own health, frantically tearing off all the life support devices on his body and desperately trying to find the person himself.
If he hadn't just narrowly escaped death and been so weak that he collapsed in the ward after only a few steps, attracting the attention of the on-duty medical staff who forcibly put him back on the bed and injected him with a sedative, a major disaster could have been averted. Otherwise, given his condition at the time, he probably would have died on the way to the hospital before even leaving.
For a long time afterward, Wen Xubai couldn't bear to hear the name Qi Zui. Anything related to Qi Zui, no matter how small, would cause him to lose control. Once he recovered a little, he was eager to be discharged from the hospital and then searched for Qi Zui's whereabouts day after day, year after year.
Now, three years have passed, and there is still no result. However, Wen Xubai's emotions are gradually calming down, and now he can talk about "Qi Zui," the former secret, in front of him without any expression.
The calmer Wen Xubai was, the more uneasy Ruan Xing felt.
He knew how much Qi Zui loved Wen Xubai, and he knew even more how much Wen Xubai loved Qi Zui. Their relationship had long since transcended life and death. Now that Wen Xubai was so calm and composed, it was hard for him not to wonder whether Wen Xubai had truly let go of everything or was simply hiding all the pain in his heart.
Unexpectedly, after Ruan Xing finished speaking, Wen Xubai simply hummed in response and did not ask any further questions.
Ruan Xing paused for a moment, then sighed softly, reached out and patted Wen Xubai's increasingly thin shoulder, comforting him, "Don't worry, we haven't found the body yet, so there's still a glimmer of hope. I'll continue to send people to keep an eye out..."
"No need," Wen Xubai said calmly.
"What?"
Ruan Xing thought he had misheard, but when he turned around, he saw Wen Xubai calmly repeat, "No need."
"Not needed? What's not needed?" Ruan Xing was still incredulous, his eyes wide. After a long while, he slowly revealed his guess: "Not looking anymore?"
Wen Xubai's eyelashes drooped slightly, the sea breeze ruffled the stray hairs on his forehead, revealing a faint scar above his right eyebrow. His distinct eyelashes trembled in the wind, whether from the wind or from the trembling of their owner.
The man parted his thin lips slightly, but his voice was firm and resolute as he said calmly, "I'm not looking anymore."
"You're really not going to look for him anymore?!" Ruan Xing was shocked and reached out to touch Wen Xu's smooth forehead. "Are you delirious from the fever?"
Wen Xubai frowned slightly, took a step back to avoid the sudden touch, and then gently brushed down the stray hairs that had been lifted up, saying earnestly, "No."
"Over the past three years, you have put in so much effort to help me find the best, Ruan Xing. I am very grateful to you." As they looked at each other, Wen Xubai's eyes shone with a gentle light, sincere and earnest, which made Ruan Xing unable to help but be stunned.
But then Xu Bai continued, "But that's enough. It all ends here. Qi Zui is dead. I had been unwilling to believe it before, but three years have passed. Even if I still don't want to believe it, I have to accept this stark truth."
"Qi Zui once told me, 'One must always look forward.' If he's watching over me from heaven, he probably wouldn't want me to be trapped in endless fantasies..."
Ruan Xing was stunned by these candid words. He thought: How come this is different from what is shown in TV dramas? Shouldn't these words be said by "outsiders" like them, and then the protagonist refuses to believe them and tries to dissuade them repeatedly?
But now, looking into Wen Xubai's clear eyes, he knew that the other party was not joking.
Ruan Xing covered his mouth in disbelief, hesitating to speak under Wen Xubai's indifferent gaze. After a long while, a thousand words were stuck in his heart, but in the end, they turned into a solemn pat. Ruan Xing asked, "Have you put it down?"
"Yes, I've put it down."
“Sigh,” Ruan Xing patted Wen Xubai’s shoulder with a sigh of relief and said cheerfully, “That’s more like it. People can’t always be trapped in the pain of the past. Only when you are happy and joyful can Qi Zui die in peace, right?”
"Hmm." Wen Xubai nodded for the first time in a long time.
"Want to come with me to the cemetery to visit him in a few days?"
"No, thank you."
Why???
"I'm leaving."
"Huh?" Ruan Xing asked in shock, "Where are we going?"
“Jincheng. My aunt and nephew are there, and I have to go take care of them.”
Ruan Xing paused for a moment, racking his brains for a long time before finally remembering and saying, "Oh, Wen Xuyao's son?"
“He is Fang Yue and Zhou Yi’s son,” Wen Xubai corrected.
"Okay, okay, whatever you want," Ruan Xing waved his hand, his worries suddenly dissipating.
Fortunately, Wen Xubai still has relatives alive and some means of support, so his life will not collapse the moment Qi Zui leaves.
"When are you leaving?" Ruan Xing asked.
"the day after tomorrow."
“Okay.” Ruan Xing nodded. “Then keep in touch with me. If you encounter any difficulties, call me anytime. I will definitely help you.”
"Okay." Wen Xubai rarely showed a smile, and looked at Ruan Xing, saying, "Thank you."
Ruan Xing was stunned by his smile and it took him a while to react. Just then, a work call came in, urging him to return to the company immediately. Before leaving, Ruan Xing waved to Wen Xubai on the cliff top and smiled at each other.
Wen Xubai's smile finally faded only after Ruan Xing's car disappeared at the end of the road.
After leaving the cliff, he went to a law firm to ensure that some of his assets could be distributed smoothly after he left.
The lawyer, wearing thick-rimmed glasses, looked at the terms in front of him, then at the young and healthy man before him. After hesitating for a long time, he finally spoke up and advised, "Well... sir, would you like to reconsider? Signing this now... seems a bit too early."
"No need," Wen Xubai replied calmly, and signed his name with a wave of his hand.
With the contract clearly written in black and white, it is now legally binding.
As Wen Xubai left the office, there was a commercial street right next to it. Feeling a bit cold, he loosely draped the plaid scarf around his neck, then put his chilly fingers into the pockets of his large trench coat and slowly walked forward.
Just as the restaurant was bustling with people, a young girl handing out flyers weaved through the crowd. After countless failed attempts, her flyer was finally taken by a pair of slender, fair hands.
The young girl was overjoyed, and the frustration on her face vanished instantly. She looked up at the kind-hearted man in front of her and was suddenly dazzled by his exquisite features.
It wasn't until Wen Xubai felt a little embarrassed by her gaze that he asked in confusion, "I...Is there something on my face?"
"Ah...no! No! No!" The little girl finally realized what was happening and quickly waved her hands. Wen Xubai smiled helplessly, and the little girl blushed instantly. She quickly changed the subject and began to introduce the dishes on the menu: "Look! This is a new dish in our restaurant, Italian meat sauce spaghetti! And this, mushroom cream spaghetti! Oh, if you like Chinese food, you can also try our signature dish, classic plain noodles!"
Wen Xubai looked at the little girl's finger pointing to a large picture of plain noodles on the menu, but shook his head helplessly and said politely, "I'm sorry, I'm just not very hungry right now. I'll take this for now, and maybe I'll come back to try your dishes in a while."
Seeing Wen Xubai's warm smile, the little girl blushed again and nodded vigorously, saying, "Okay, okay, then welcome to visit again next time."
Wen Xubai smiled slightly, put away the menu, and silently walked away.
Passing by a boutique, the dolls in the window turned into a pair of rabbit dolls with bows tied in their hair. They had chubby little faces, pink little noses, and ears that drooped together as if holding hands, looking adorable.
Wen Xubai stood at the window for a long time, but a strange thought suddenly popped into his mind: none of them were as cute as those little bears.
His thoughts suddenly returned, and Wen Xubai was startled. He saw that the sales clerk in the store seemed to have noticed him and was about to walk towards him.
Before the salesperson could try to sell him anything, Wen Xubai quickly fled.
He finally breathed a sigh of relief as he walked through bustling streets, through quiet tree-lined paths, and through alleys teeming with people, until he finally stood before that incredibly old iron gate.
As Wen Xubai reached into the trench coat pocket, he suddenly froze.
Where's the key?
He clearly remembered taking his keys when he left the house.
Wen Xubai refused to believe it and searched both pockets carefully again. He did find something with a cold touch, but unfortunately, it wasn't a key.
Could it be that I was walking too fast and dropped it on the way back?
Wen Xubai suddenly felt a little tired. He leaned against the dusty door, slowly covered his face, slid down, and squatted on the ground. His mind raced, trying to find any trace of memory about the key that might have been lost.
Just when I was at my wit's end, I suddenly heard an old voice in my ear: "Oh! What are you doing sitting here again?!"
Wen Xubai was taken aback. He looked up abruptly and saw an unfamiliar old woman he had never seen before.
When the old lady saw him, a hint of surprise appeared on her wrinkled face. "Oh my, who are you? I thought it was that kid from before!"
That kid from before? Wen Xubai was a little dazed by this sudden surprise.
"Is it... Qi Zui?" he blurted out.
"Oh dear, I don't know his name! Anyway, he's a tall and handsome young man!" The old lady waved her hand and asked suspiciously, "What, are you his friend? He hasn't lived here for a long time. I haven't seen him in ages. I guess he moved away a long time ago!"
Wen Xubai understood her implication and asked with some surprise, "Did he... often stand in a daze at the door before?"
"You're absolutely right! Such a big young man, I don't know why he has this kind of quirk. He can't even lie down properly at home, he just has to lie here! I asked him what he was doing here? He said he was waiting for someone! But it's been so long, I haven't seen him waiting for anyone at all!"
"Oh dear, he looks about the same age as my grandson! What if he gets sick from being exposed to the wind and sun every day? If you're his friend, please help persuade him not to come again! These days, with such advanced technology, what methods could he use to find someone? Wouldn't that be better than waiting here in vain? Why risk his health?!"
"How long ago was this?"
"How long ago?" The old lady thought for a moment, "Oh, I'm too old to remember clearly, it seems... it was about three years ago."
Three years ago? Wen Xubai was suddenly stunned.
"Oh right? What are you here for?" The old lady looked at Wen Xubai with suspicion. "Hiss... You wouldn't happen to be the person that kid is waiting for, would you?"
Wen Xubai was taken aback, a sense of unprecedented panic rising within him. He instinctively shook his head, saying, "No... I'm not..."
"Then what are you doing here?" the old woman asked suspiciously. "You wouldn't... be a thief, would you?"
As she spoke, the old woman was about to shout, "Help! Arrest him!"
"No, no, no! I'm not! I'm... I'm..." Wen Xubai hesitated for a moment, then suddenly regretted his earlier denial. But no matter what, he had to cover up his lie first. So, he quickly said, "I'm the landlord here!"
"Landlord?" The old lady finally stopped shouting, looked the well-dressed young man up and down, and seemed to believe him a little: "Then why aren't you going in? What are you doing sneaking around here?"
"I...I lost my keys," Wen Xubai said with difficulty.
"Oh, you young people, you're so careless! Always so forgetful! Losing your keys one day, your wallet the next. We old folks are always so worried about you youngsters!"
Seeing the old lady's indignant expression, Wen Xubai didn't know how to refute her.
After the old lady finished speaking, slapping her thigh, as if she had finally felt relieved, she suddenly shoved a dark bag into Wen Xubai's hand, then patted her thin chest with a righteous air and said, "It's a good thing you met me today!"
"Come on, let me tell you, go downstairs and turn right! Go through two alleys, there's a hardware store there! They can unlock locks! Since you're going there anyway, could you help this old man throw out his trash while you're at it? I'm going home now."
Wen Xubai was about to speak when the old man waved his hand to stop him: "Oh, no need to thank me! The residents of Huaihua Lane are all incredibly warm-hearted! Consider that bag of trash your way of thanking me! Goodbye, young man! We'll meet again someday!"
As he spoke, the old man put his hands behind his back, hunched over, and hurried upstairs, leaving Wen Xubai looking bewildered, carrying a bag of unexpected trash, standing there in the wind, looking disheveled.
Wen Xubai: "·······"
Wen Xubai clapped his hands and looked up at the sky speechlessly after neatly throwing the garbage bag into the trash can.
The sun has already set, and it will soon be dark.
Oh well, respecting the elderly and caring for the young is everyone's responsibility.
Anyway, there's nothing urgent for him to do today. At night, when there are few people around and everyone is asleep with their lights off, it will be easier for him to get things done without being disturbed.
Gripping the cold, sharp object in his pocket, Wen Xubai shook his head, sighed softly, and turned to walk into the alley the old woman had indicated.
After wandering around and getting lost countless times, he finally found the so-called hardware store.
The storefront was small and dilapidated, but Wen Xubai suddenly felt that the storefront looked somewhat familiar.
It wasn't until they went inside that Wen Xubai suddenly realized: "Oh, this is the shop where he and Qi Zui bought the air conditioner fan wheel." The owner, who was eating rice from a bowl bigger than his face, looked up.
The boss clearly recognized Tai as well, hurriedly swallowing the rice in his mouth. Zhang reached out and greeted him with a smile, "What's wrong? Is the air conditioner broken again?"
Wen Xubai: "...No, I just lost my house key and would like to ask you to help me unlock it."
"Oh dear, this..." The shopkeeper looked at the rice bowl in his hand with some difficulty. After a long while, he looked up at him and tentatively asked, "Are you... in a hurry?"
Wen Xubai: "...No rush, you eat first, I'll come back later."
"Okay, okay! It won't take long, just five minutes! I'll be right there!" The boss immediately smiled and said, "Oh, by the way, have you eaten yet? Want to grab something to eat together?"
Seeing the owner's warm hospitality, the proprietress even prepared to go in and get bowls, but Wen Xubai, who was not used to eating with strangers, quickly declined, saying, "No need, I've already eaten."
"Oh, is that so...? Then please wait a moment! I'll be right there!" The boss immediately began to devour the food!
Wen Xubai had no interest in watching others eat. Since the restaurant was a bit stuffy, he simply lifted the thick crystal curtain at the entrance and decided to go out for some fresh air.
As soon as he stepped out of the shop, it was already getting dark. A gentle breeze carrying the fragrance of locust blossoms brushed against his face. Wen Xubai closed his eyes and took a deep breath, feeling refreshed and invigorated.
As his thoughts gradually calmed down, Wen Xubai suddenly felt a sense of longing and took several deep breaths, as if he wanted to infuse the fragrance of the locust blossoms into his lungs forever.
I'll never smell such a fresh floral fragrance again...
Just then, amidst the rich floral fragrance, a hint of meat sauce and a touch of scallion wafted into Wen Xubai's nostrils...
The familiar aroma made Wen Xubai freeze abruptly. He had completely forgotten that the noodle shop... was also near this hardware store...
As if possessed, Wen Xubai couldn't control his steps, and his pace quickened as pale white petals drifted down from the roadside!
Not far away, behind the stove where smoke was rising, a tall figure was faintly visible, head bowed, intently kneading dough; his features were obscured…
For some reason, Wen Xubai's heart suddenly began to pound. At this moment, his legs felt as heavy as if they weighed a ton, and with each step, his heart pounded harder. When he finally reached the figure in black, he opened his mouth, only to find that he couldn't utter a sound.
He was terrified...
He was afraid that the person before him might not be the one in his heart... Even more afraid that this was just a dream he hadn't yet awakened from, and that the slightest touch would shatter it all...
He hesitated, his slender white hand hovering in mid-air, the words stuck in his throat...
The man in front of him, who was kneading dough with his head down, seemed to notice his presence and slowly raised his head.
Suddenly, the world fell silent, time seemed to stand still, all the passersby on the street disappeared, leaving only the two people by the stove staring at each other, the air suddenly freezing.
With his strong, straight features, tall and sturdy build, and those bright, smiling eyes... Wen Xubai felt as if his heartbeat had stopped at that moment.
Then a warm touch came, and his hand, which had been hanging in mid-air, was grasped in a large palm. The man looked into his eyes, which were filled with his image, and grinned, "Guest, what would you like to eat?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
