Eternal Prologue
Time flows by calmly, and three years have passed in the blink of an eye.
In a modern office building in the S City High-Tech Park, Jiang Qi had just finished a meeting with investors. Wearing a well-tailored dark shirt, his posture was increasingly upright, and his speech displayed a wonderful blend of the vigor of a young entrepreneur and the composure of a researcher. His quantum computing application project, after overcoming initial difficulties, was on track, securing Series B funding and beginning to show promise in its specific field. At this moment, he was looking down at his phone; on the screen was a photo Su An had just sent—a magnificent sunset outside the window of the B University library.
"Did the meeting go well?" the assistant asked from the side.
"Okay." Jiang Qi put away her phone, her face expressionless, but a fleeting tenderness appeared in her eyes. "Book me a high-speed train back to City A for tomorrow night."
Meanwhile, in the graduate student dormitory at B University, Su An closed his laptop. He had successfully defended his master's thesis a week ago, and the cultural media company that had seen his potential during his part-time job had formally extended him a full-time offer as content planning director. He didn't accept immediately, but instead took a few days off to go home and have a good time with Jiang Qi. His articles began to be published in more prestigious publications, gaining a stable readership, and his writing became increasingly steady and insightful.
He glanced around the small room he'd lived in for three years. The bookshelves were crammed with books, and several potted plants on the windowsill were thriving. This place held countless nights of his engrossed reading and video chatting with Jiang Qi. He picked up his phone and messaged Jiang Qi: "See you tomorrow."
Their home, the apartment they had painstakingly furnished in City S, was bathed in the glow of the setting sun. The living room was spacious and bright, with one wall lined with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, crammed with Su An's literary works and Jiang Qi's technical books, coexisting in a strange harmony. The sofa was soft and comfortable, and the rug was a warm color chosen by Su An. The greenery on the balcony was lush and verdant, and a chubby orange cat was curled up and dozing on top of the cat tree—it was the stray cat they had adopted, named "Qi An." Jiang Qi was responsible for its health management, while Su An was responsible for its mental well-being (and providing treats).
This space, though small, is filled with the atmosphere of life and their shared imprints.
Meanwhile, in the city where they were born and raised, Jiang Zhao was driving his flashy SUV, speeding towards Lin Jun's company. He was now the project director of that sports and culture company, and the several large-scale events and mass fitness activities he was in charge of had been very successful. He had shed much of his youthful exuberance and gained more of the competence of a professional, but when he smiled, his eyes were still bright and spirited.
Lin Jun had just left a multinational video conference. He stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window in his office, overlooking the city at dusk. In three years, he had steadily risen through the ranks in the family business, becoming a leader among the younger generation thanks to his outstanding business acumen and composed demeanor, his temperament increasingly restrained yet powerful. He loosened his tie, picked up his phone, and on the screen was a photo of him and Jiang Zhao skiing in Hokkaido last winter, Jiang Zhao smiling like a child in the picture.
They lived in a high-rise apartment in the city center, decorated in a modern minimalist style, but always filled with fun and quirky gadgets that Jiang Zhao bought (such as a huge retro game console and an indoor basketball shooting machine). Lin Jun's study was meticulous and orderly, while Jiang Zhao's "game corner" was always bustling with activity.
On Friday evening, Jiang Qi and Su An returned to their home in S City one after the other. As the door lock turned, Su An pushed open the door and was immediately embraced by a warm hug. Jiang Qi had arrived an hour earlier than him.
“You’re back.” Jiang Qi gently rubbed her chin against the top of his head.
"Mmm." Su An hugged him back, the familiar and reassuring scent of his body wafting to her nose.
The orange tabby cat "Qi'an" walked over with elegant steps and rubbed against Su An's trouser leg. Su An bent down and picked it up, and the cat purred contentedly.
There was no deliberate celebration; this night was just like countless other ordinary nights. Jiang Qi was preparing dinner in the kitchen, his movements practiced and efficient—after years of living independently, he was no longer the boy who could only cook instant noodles. Su An, meanwhile, was nestled on the sofa, editing a manuscript on his laptop. Occasionally, he would glance up and see Jiang Qi's tall, upright figure bustling about in the kitchen, filling his heart with a quiet, enduring sense of satisfaction.
After dinner, the two snuggled on the sofa to watch an old movie, while the orange cat curled up on Su An's lap and dozed off. Outside the window, the lights of this bustling city never went out; inside, they enjoyed a quiet moment that belonged only to them.
"Is the company urging you to go back?" Su An asked softly.
"Next Monday," Jiang Qi said, putting her arm around his shoulder. "What about you? Have you decided yet?"
“I want to take that position,” Su An said. “Although the pressure will be greater, the opportunity is excellent. And…” He paused, his voice softening, “it’s close to you.”
They've long since passed the stage where they need to be together all the time, but living in the same city, breathing the same air, and sharing everyday trifles remains their deepest longing.
Jiang Qi lowered her head and kissed his forehead: "Okay."
Meanwhile, in Jiang Zhao and Lin Jun's apartment, the scene was completely different. Loud electronic music blared from the stereo, and Jiang Zhao and Lin Jun were engaged in a "fierce" Street Fighter match in front of a retro game console.
"Take this! Hao Yougen!" Jiang Zhao shouted.
Lin Jun remained expressionless, his fingers deftly manipulating the controller, unleashing a combo that knocked Jiang Zhao's character to the ground.
"No, no! Jun-ge, you're cheating!" Jiang Zhao lunged at Lin Jun to grab the controller, but Lin Jun dodged him with a laugh. The two wrestled and ended up falling into the soft carpet together.
The music was still playing. Jiang Zhao, panting, looked up at Lin Jun's smiling eyes and suddenly stopped acting up. He reached out, hooked his arm around Lin Jun's neck, pulled him down, and kissed him.
After the passion subsided, they lay side by side on the carpet, looking at the soft glow of the ceiling lights.
"Let's go to S City next weekend?" Jiang Zhao suddenly said. "I haven't seen my brother and Su An in a long time."
"Okay," Lin Jun replied, her fingers unconsciously twirling Jiang Zhao's hair. "I'll arrange a time."
On Saturday morning, sunlight streamed gently into the bedroom through the sheer curtains. Su An woke up in Jiang Qi's arms, gazing at his peaceful sleeping face, his long eyelashes casting soft shadows beneath his eyes. He gently got up, intending to prepare breakfast, but Jiang Qi reached out and pulled him back into his embrace.
"Sleep a little longer." Jiang Qi's voice was hoarse from the early morning, and she pulled him closer.
In the end, the two of them prepared breakfast together in the kitchen. A simple fried egg, toast, and milk. They sat at the table, sharing the same jam, exchanging a few words occasionally, but mostly just quietly keeping each other company. The orange cat jumped onto the table, trying to steal a slice of toast, but Jiang Qi gently lifted it away.
After dinner, Jiang Qi received a work call and went to the study. Su An, meanwhile, nestled in the beanbag chair on the balcony with his laptop, enjoying the warm sunshine and lush greenery as he continued his writing. The sound of keyboard typing, the faint low murmur of a phone call coming from the study, and the cat's contented purring blended together to create the background noise of the home.
In the afternoon, they decided to go see a movie. Like countless ordinary couples, they walked hand in hand through the bustling weekend mall, bought a large bucket of popcorn, and shared it in the dimly lit theater. After the movie, they went to a nearby supermarket to buy groceries for the following week, discussed what to eat that evening, and had a small argument about which brand of yogurt to buy.
These ordinary, almost trivial daily routines form the fabric of their lives. There are no earth-shattering events, but they contain the deepest happiness.
When Su An returned home in the evening, while unpacking the things he had bought, he felt a small, hard box in Jiang Qi's coat pocket. He paused, seemingly realizing something, his heart skipped a beat, but he didn't take it out immediately.
That evening, the video call request in the four-person group rang on time. The screen was split into four windows: Jiang Zhao and Lin Jun in their lively apartment, and Jiang Qi and Su An in their cozy home.
"Brother! Su An! We're coming to find you next weekend!" Jiang Zhao announced excitedly.
"Welcome." Jiang Qi nodded.
Lin Jun smiled as he watched the natural understanding between Jiang Qi and Su An on the other end of the screen: "Looks like someone's life in S City is pretty comfortable."
Su An smiled somewhat embarrassedly.
They chatted about their recent lives, shared funny stories, and planned their get-together for next weekend, just like those same boys who used to laugh and joke around in the classroom. Only the topics had changed from exams and games to the minutiae of work, the future, and life.
After the video ended, the apartment fell silent again. The orange cat licked its paws on the cat tree. Su An sat on the sofa, watching Jiang Qi's back as she heated milk for him in the kitchen, and suddenly felt that this was the best future he could imagine.
Jiang Qi brought over the milk, handed it to him, and then sat down beside him. He didn't look at Su An, but gazed at the dazzling night view of S City outside the window. He remained silent for a moment, and then, as if he had made up his mind, took out the velvet box that Su An had touched during the day from his pocket.
He opened the box, inside were two simple and elegant platinum band rings, with the initials of their names and the year they met engraved on the inside.
Jiang Qi turned his head, his deep eyes shining like stars under the lamplight. He looked at Su An, his voice low and clear, carrying his unique, unquestionable seriousness:
“Suan,” he said, “let’s get married.”
It's not a question, it's a statement. Just like his style back then, direct, firm, yet full of sincerity.
Su An looked at him, at the two rings shimmering with a warm luster under the light, at the deep sea in Jiang Qi's eyes that melted only for him. There was no surprise, no hesitation, as if this moment had been marked long ago in their life's blueprint.
He reached out his hand, his fingertips trembling slightly, yet with an unwavering strength, and gently placed it in Jiang Qi's palm, revealing a smile brighter than the starlight outside the window.
"good."
The ring was slowly slipped onto Su An's ring finger, and it fit perfectly. A gentle and precious kiss landed on Su An's ring-adorned finger, and also touched his lips.
Outside the window, there are countless lights, an endless starry sky, and a broader future that they are about to explore together.
Their story began in the innocent classroom of high school, withstood the test of time and distance, and finally settled in this quiet corner, transforming into an eternal promise of intertwined fingers. This is not the end, but rather the beginning of a more real and heartwarming chapter in their lives.
This is an eternal prologue about love, growth, and companionship.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
