Chapter 3 I Miss You
Six months after Jiang Yi left the country, the city was blanketed in a rare snowstorm. Feather-like snowflakes fluttered down like countless white elves dancing in the air. Soon, the entire ground was completely covered.
The white blanket of snow stretched to the end of the sight, blending with the gray sky. Time seemed to have come to a standstill at this moment, and the whole world was so quiet that the only sound left was the sound of snowflakes falling to the ground.
Su Nian curled up in bed, enjoying a rare sleep in. Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains, casting a few golden beams on the floor, a stark contrast to the snowy scene outside the window.
It wasn't until the sun was high in the sky that he slowly got up. When he opened the bookstore door, a faint smile still graced his face. Last night, he had a warm dream. In the dream, Shen Ran was standing before him, still as handsome as he remembered, with tenderness in her eyes.
Shen Ran always watched him do all kinds of stupid things with a doting smile. Even when the dream was about to dissipate and he was about to wake up, Shen Ran still smiled, gently touching his head with his slender fingers, his voice full of intimacy, urging him to get up quickly.
Ling Shen packed up early in the morning, ready to head out for an inspection of a partner company. But as soon as he stepped outside, he was stunned by the snowy scene before him. The roads were already covered in thick snow, and vehicles were stuck, unable to move forward or backward.
He stood by the roadside, watching the driver anxiously try to start the car, only to have the wheels spin in the snow, sending up clouds of snow foam. Helpless, Ling Shen could only reschedule his inspection.
He asked the driver to drive the car back to the company first, and then he turned around and walked slowly forward along a sparsely traveled road.
He couldn't remember how long it had been since he had taken such a leisurely walk. In the past, his life rhythm was always led by Jiang Yi.
Jiang Yi loved the hustle and bustle of life, the deafening music and flashing lights of bars, the bustling crowds and the vibrant atmosphere of the streets. But the quiet alley before him, cold and peaceful, was one Jiang Yi had never wanted to set foot in.
At this moment, Ling Shen was stepping on the snow, listening to the "crunching" sound coming from under his feet, breathing the cool air, and there was a long-lost tranquility in his heart.
The copper bell at the door rang in the wind, making a clear and pleasant sound. Su Nian, who was busy at the bar, holding a loaf of bread that had just been put into the oven, heard the sound and immediately smiled warmly. He turned around as usual and said, "Welcome..."
But when he saw the person's face clearly, his smile froze instantly, and the next few words seemed to be stuck, unable to come out. He stood there, his eyes full of surprise and helplessness, staring blankly at the person who came.
It was not until Ling Shen pushed the door and walked into the bookstore, bringing in a gust of cold wind that blew in Su Nian's face, causing pain, that he came back to his senses.
He hurriedly gathered his emotions, tried to put a smile on his face again, and said in a calm tone, "Hello, sir."
Ling Shen walked into the bookstore, gently rubbed his red, frozen hands, and began to look around. The shelves were neatly lined with books, and countless stories seemed to be hidden between the yellowed pages.
The aroma of roasted bread lingered at his nose, mixed with the rich bitter aroma wafting from the coffee machine, immersed in the warm yellow light, which slowly relaxed his originally tense heart.
His gaze finally fell on the bookstore owner in front of him. He was wearing a simple white shirt, black trousers, and gold-rimmed glasses, and looked gentle and elegant.
The gentle smile on her lips made him feel dazed for a moment, as if he saw a familiar shadow in his memory, and his thoughts drifted away involuntarily.
Once upon a time, Jiang Yi was so gentle and refined, standing silently like a pine tree. But at some point, Jiang Yi became someone Ling Shen couldn't even recognize. He dyed his hair the trendiest color, sang the wildest songs, and completely lost his former gentleness.
Obviously, they had never been separated, but Jiang Yi had quietly changed his appearance without Ling Shen knowing.
The man standing before him now exuded an aura reminiscent of the Jiang Yi in his memory. He was so gentle and carefree, yet his features held a tenacity that Jiang Yi lacked. He was like a stalk of black bamboo, standing proudly in the world.
While Ling Shen was in a daze, Su Nian finally sorted out her feelings and called out again, "Hello, sir, do you want to buy a book?"
Ling Shen snapped back to his senses and touched the tip of his nose, somewhat embarrassedly. The aroma of baking bread grew stronger, stirring up his already empty stomach, and he instinctively covered his abdomen.
Su Nian took in this scene, a gentle smile playing on her lips. She neatly picked up the bread and placed it on a plate, then poured a cup of coffee and brought it to the table by the window.
"If you don't mind, try it. It's free." Su Nian smiled and waved to Ling Shen. The sunlight shining through the glass cast a halo around Su Nian, which made Ling Shen, who originally wanted to refuse, sit down at the table for some unknown reason.
As the soft bread touched her tongue, Ling Shen's eyelashes fluttered. The coarse wheat, deliberately preserved during baking, burst forth between her teeth with the scent of the wilderness. The dense, buttery interior resembled a cloud soaked in morning dew, while the honey-filled heart nestled within its folds burst forth like a sudden burst of golden fireworks, exploding with gentle sweetness on her taste buds.
He subconsciously let out a satisfied sound, and the bitter aroma from the rim of the coffee cup came in at the right time, and the caramelized aftertaste and the sweetness of the bread collided to create a wonderful balance.
Ling Shen didn't bother to talk, devouring the bread in a few bites. His hungry stomach was soothed. He slowly picked up the coffee, sniffing the aroma, but his eyes never left Su Nian, who was busy with her work.
Ling Shen's Adam's apple rolled up and down, his fingers unconsciously stroking the raised vine pattern on the edge of the plate. The water droplets on the wall of the glass soaked the tablecloth, but he was completely unaware, his eyes following Su Nian's figure.
When the man stood on tiptoe to pick up the book, a piece of pale skin was exposed on the back of his neck, like a bamboo branch covered with snow; the action of wiping the bookshelf had a certain sense of ritual. When his fingertips swept across the gold-embossed title of "Love in the Time of Cholera", he suddenly paused and folded the cloth neatly.
The unique scent of ink from books mixed with the aroma of bread and coffee permeates the small space, as if everything is frozen here, and people's restless hearts slowly calm down.
The bitterness of the coffee made Ling Shen frown slightly. He sighed softly and left the bookstore quietly.
I don’t know how long it took, but when Su Nian finished his work and looked back, the person sitting at the table had left for a long time.
Su Nian put down the book in his hand and slowly walked to the table. He stroked the bread crumbs on the plate with trembling fingertips.
I suddenly remembered what Chen Ran always said, "A good dessert should be like a hug." And the brown residue at the bottom of the cup seemed like a tiny lie told by fate.
God knows, when Su Nian saw the man pushing the door open, the dim light of the desk lamp outlined a similar figure, and the hot name surging in his throat almost broke through the shackles.
The trembling fingertips dug deep into his palm, and the sharp pain woke him up from his trance - the person in front of him was wearing Shen Ran's favorite camel coat, but the burgundy scarf wrapped around his neck pricked his eyes and made them sore.
He was always smiling, and the look he gave him was always doting, but the person in front of him was not like that, the alienation and strangeness in his eyes almost overflowed.
But he still had a selfish desire, even if it was just to look at that similar face for one more minute, even if it was just to see the person who had passed away long ago.
Su Nian lowered his head and stared blankly at the plate, his mouth, which had always been smiling, was now filled with bitterness.
In his memory, Shen Ran always liked to gently tap his brow with his index finger, saying that when he frowned, he looked like a cat with its fur standing on end. Everything seemed like yesterday, when he and Shen Ran sat under a tree and imagined their future.
A tear unexpectedly fell from the corner of her eye. Su Nian raised her head and closed her eyes. The image of Shen Ran lying there at the end reappeared before her eyes. The smell of disinfectant, the shrill beep of the monitor, and her hands gradually becoming cold...
These memories came flooding back like a tide, but they could never cover up the heat surging in my eyes at this moment.
He clutched the silver necklace on his chest tightly. The ring engraved with "S&R" hurt his skin, as if this could put the longing that was about to burst back into his heart.
"Chen Ran, I miss you." These words mixed with sobs scattered in the air and were instantly swallowed up by the hum of the coffee machine.
Su Nian lowered his head and wiped the water marks on his cheeks with his sleeves, but he couldn't wipe away the salty taste that remained between his fingers - that was the most familiar taste he had tasted after Shen Ran left.
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