Chapter 13
The director's office door closed behind him, and his words weighed heavily on Ling Peng's heart. For the next few days, he felt as if he were trapped in an invisible quagmire. Work flowed as usual: reports, meetings, project discussions—he never missed a beat, his efficiency so high that it even drew the attention of his colleagues. But only he knew that something within him was constantly churning furiously.
Expatriate. Shenzhen. Two years.
These words swirled in his mind day and night. He knew rationally that this was the company's standard path for cultivating key personnel and a necessary step for career advancement. But emotionally, another voice was sharply protesting.
He thought back to the three months that had just passed without her. The days of relying on the weather forecast and calculating the time by texting, the anxious nights spent staring at the phone screen, waiting for a simple reply, the days when a single voiceover from another man had made him panic, even rushing to school anxiously to see her... In just three months, with only a certain return date known, he had already tasted the bittersweet mixture of longing and uncertainty.
This time, it was two years. Over seven hundred days and nights, thousands of miles apart. Her final two years of college were a time when her world was rapidly expanding, filled with endless possibilities. More outstanding people would appear around her, a more exciting life would captivate her. Why would he ask her to stay in a relationship that was still undefined and so far away?
He couldn't imagine if he left with the vague feeling of "you know, that's all" and returned two years later, would he still be able to find his place by her side? Would the Zhao Jinglu who shone so brightly on the stage, showed her talent in her professional field, was kind and clear-headed, have already been discovered and embraced by others?
This thought was like an icy needle, piercing through all his hesitation and so-called "patience".
He couldn't wait any longer. He had to leave his mark on her, and he had to give himself a clear answer that would sustain him through two years of being apart. Even if that answer required him to risk her rejection, it was better than living in suspense, suffering day and night from a thousand miles away.
After figuring this out, Ling Peng took action almost immediately. He took half a day off and drove straight to Beijing Sport University.
The afternoon sun was shining brightly, and the campus was filled with a vibrant atmosphere. Ling Peng hadn't sent a text message in advance. He relied on his memory to find the teaching building or training hall where she often went in the afternoon, and then called her.
"Hello?" Zhao Jinglu's voice was a little breathless, as if she had just finished exercising.
"Where?" Ling Peng's voice was deeper and faster than usual because of nervousness and determination.
"Huh? I just finished dancing and am resting in the corridor next to the rehearsal room. What's wrong?" Zhao Jinglu was a little confused. He was usually busy with work at this time.
"Stand there and don't move. Wait for me." Ling Peng said, hung up the phone without waiting for her response, and strode towards the rehearsal room.
Zhao Jinglu held her phone, bewildered. Something seemed off about his tone. Had something happened? She stood up and looked toward the intersection.
A few minutes later, Ling Peng's tall figure appeared at the end of the path. He was dressed simply in a shirt and trousers, as if he had come straight from the office. He walked briskly with an unwavering determination, his forehead even beaded with sweat from his brisk pace. His eyes locked onto her, and he walked straight towards her.
The setting sun cast a long shadow behind him, and his eyes were focused and burning, causing Zhao Jinglu's heart to skip a beat for no reason.
"What are you doing..." Before she could even ask, Ling Peng had already stopped in front of her. He was so close that she could clearly see the intense emotions surging in his eyes and the slightly heaving chest.
He took a deep breath, as if he had made up his mind. He locked his eyes with hers, interrupted her, and spoke directly. His voice was a little hoarse due to nervousness, but it was very clear:
"Zhao Jinglu, you asked me before who I like. I told you the answer."
Zhao Jinglu was stunned, her heartbeat suddenly accelerated, and she didn't understand why he suddenly brought this up again.
"Now," Ling Peng's gaze remained unwavering, as if he were determined to burn his boats. "I don't want to wait any longer. I want to know your answer."
He paused, each word coming out of his heart, heavy and hot.
"Would you like to be my girlfriend?"
"..." Zhao Jinglu was completely stunned, her eyes slightly widened, looking at the man in front of her who seemed to have used up all his courage and even had a desperate look in his eyes.
This was so sudden. Hadn't he been afraid of hearing the answer, interrupting hastily, and then tacitly never bringing it up again? Why, after all these days, was he suddenly coming over here, demanding an answer in such a formal, so... decisive way?
A trace of doubt and confusion flashed through her mind, and she subconsciously asked: "You...why did you suddenly..."
"Because I need to know." Ling Peng interrupted her, his tone urgent and sincere, "I need a clear answer, now. This is very important to me." He couldn't explain the overseas assignment, but he urgently needed this identity, this confirmation, to calm his heart as he was about to go on a long journey.
Seeing the undisguised desire in his eyes and the subtle vulnerability beneath, Zhao Jinglu suddenly understood something. She recalled his meticulous and cautious care over the past few days, and his unusual nervousness and anxiety at this moment.
Her original playful thought of "letting him love her for a few more days" vanished instantly under his serious and passionate questioning. The answer was already clear in her mind.
She raised her head slightly, meeting his burning gaze. Her cheeks gradually flushed, but the corners of her mouth slowly lifted up, forming a gentle yet firm arc. She nodded gently, her voice not loud, but clear enough:
"I do."
These three simple words are like the sound of nature.
Ling Peng's tense nerves relaxed instantly, and a huge, regained ecstasy swept over him like a tsunami! His heart seemed to be about to jump out of his chest, and an indescribable excitement and satisfaction filled his whole body.
Without any hesitation, he suddenly reached out and hugged her tightly in his arms!
He had imagined this hug countless times. The moment he saw her shining on the stage, the moment he heard her voice on the phone, every late night when he missed her. Now it was finally happening.
Her body was even more slender and softer than he had imagined, warm from exercise and with a faint fragrance, fitting perfectly in his arms. He held her so tightly, as if he wanted to rub her into his bones and blood, as if only in this way could he confirm that all this was not a dream.
Zhao Jinglu took a slight step back from his sudden embrace, then lost herself in his firm, warm embrace. His arms were strong and powerful, his chest broad and warm. His heartbeat carried through the fabric of his clothes, rapid and powerful, pounding against her eardrums. An unprecedented sense of security and happiness enveloped her tightly.
She closed her eyes and gently pressed her cheek against his shirt, feeling the tense muscles and hot body temperature beneath the fabric. She reached out and carefully hugged his waist back.
Occasionally, passing students would cast curious and kind glances at them, but neither of them noticed. It was as if the only sounds in the world were their heartbeats and breathing.
Ling Peng buried his face in her hair, greedily breathing in her scent. His voice was low and hoarse, filled with incredible joy and a hint of trembling: "I can finally...finally hold you like this."
Zhao Jinglu nodded gently in his arms, her voice muffled but full of sweetness: "Yeah."
At this moment, all the temptations, anxieties, waiting and long secret loves have found the best destination.
The setting sun cast a warm golden glow on the two people hugging each other, and their long shadows dragged on the ground, intertwined together, as if they could never be separated.
Ling Peng was immersed in immense happiness, but his decision to travel far away also became clear and firm. He hugged her tightly, knowing that he had to tell her another piece of news. But it was no longer an unbearable fear, because they were now "us."
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