Chapter 48: Dawn
“Are you willing?”
An Zhi was in a daze for a while. Her round and dark black almond eyes were blinking. She was looking at the pure white wedding dress and the gorgeous chapel. Her bright red and tender lips were slightly parted, and she was nodding foolishly.
“I… I’m willing.”
“Haha, what are you willing to do? How are the wedding preparations going?”, Su Xi’s fingertips were on An Zhi’s forehead. She had taken the tablet from An Zhi’s hand and had swiped the screen. She had roughly looked at a few of them. They were either luxurious and elegant, or romantic and exquisite. Each one was very expensive.
She had glanced at the silly girl in front of her. “I have to say, you’re really a fool. This is your love rival’s wedding, and you’re still picking it so carefully for them. A wedding is so expensive. Are you going to have to pay for them?”
Su Xi had scanned a few more. She had seen one she liked, and her dark black eyes had lit up. She had smacked her lips. “Tsk tsk tsk, I’m so envious of her. I thought I would be the first one to eat it. She’s even faster than me. I knew she was not a good person back then.”
“Huh? You only get married once. Of course it should be a little more perfect.”
An Zhi was empty-handed, and she had reacted for a long time before she had finally come back to her senses. Her fair and white earlobes were visibly red, and her cheeks, which were a little baby-fat, were slightly puffed out. The not-so-bright sadness in her heart had been replaced by a shame and an annoyance.
She had stared with her round eyes, and her voice was a complaint. “Why are you teasing me again, Xixi? You know I’m not happy…”
“Alright, alright. I was just teasing you since you’ve been in a bad mood.”
Su Xi had thrown the tablet aside and had held An Zhi’s arm and had shaken it. She had blinked her eyes. “Don’t be angry. We’re on the same side. If you want to get married, I’ll give you some advice another day.”
“Wh-What advice?”, An Zhi had blushed and had asked quietly.
Su Xi was by An Zhi’s ear, and the hot air was on her soft earlobe. The silly girl’s cheeks were flushed. “Su Yu is a very easy person to deal with. You just have to cry, make a fuss, and hang yourself. I guarantee he’ll listen to you.”
“No, no…”, An Zhi had shaken her head repeatedly, and her gaze was on the corner of the wall. Her fingers were on the hem of her skirt, and she was biting her lip. “I’m too embarrassed…”
“Oh, then forget it.”
“Anyway, there’s nothing special about getting married, right? It’s just wearing a soft and white wedding dress, with a veil, and dressing up beautifully. You’re showing your most beautiful self to the person you like the most. Then you walk down the aisle, and you watch as the person you like gets closer and closer to you. Then the master of ceremonies will personally hand your hand to him…”
Su Xi had reached out her hand and had stopped in front of An Zhi and had shaken it. Her fingers were as white as porcelain and were slender under the light. “He will put a ring on you in front of everyone and will lower his head to kiss your fingers. Tsk tsk tsk… it’s really not interesting at all. Don’t you think so?”
“Don’t… don’t say it.”
An Zhi had loudly interrupted Su Xi and had reached out her hand. Her face was so red that it was ridiculous. “Give me back the tablet. I haven’t chosen yet.”
“You don’t like Xia Qiange, do you… and you’re still so good to her.” Su Xi had sighed. The two of them had gotten much closer in these past few years, and she was helpless with An Zhi’s lack of understanding.
“Are you really stupid or are you pretending to be stupid? Or are you scared… so you want to run away? If you run away, you’ll have nothing.”
“I used to blame her. I don’t blame her anymore. Qian Ge, she… probably just likes Su Yu too much.”
An Zhi had raised her head, and her eyes were pure. She had poked Su Xi. “Then… what about you? You see that I’m stupid… and easy to bully, so you’re letting me have my way?”
“I just don’t want a bad woman to be so happy. Do you know what the two of them were doing yesterday?”
Su Xi had pouted and had looked up at the sky. The red sun was high, and the sky was clear. Qingchuan had entered early summer, and it had been sunny for several days.
An Zhi: “What were they doing?”
“Remember, if a man and a woman don’t come back all night, it’s definitely not a good thing. Do you guess how Nian Nian was made?”
“Nian Nian… making a person?”, An Zhi had lowered her head, and she had murmured.
The wind was gentle. After a while, Su Xi had heard that the wind that was blowing in her ear was hot.
“Hmm? You really don’t want to?”, her fingers had slid over her sweaty palm.
An Zhi had shrunk back, and her ears were very hot, and her heart was burning soft.
Her throat had swallowed, and she had licked her dry lips. Her expression was eager, and she was also a little hesitant. She had lowered her head and had looked at the complex scar on her wrist, which had made the originally fair and white a flaw. “Su Xi, do you really not care about these things? You loved him so much before. You even… I don’t even dare.”
“I care. I think I care more than any of you. But I’m a person who has died twice. What else can I hope for?” Su Xi had lowered her head and had fiddled with her fingertips. Her voice was very light, like a murmur. “Greed is human nature. There’s nothing to be ashamed of. To get some things, you have to lose others. But I really love him. I’m reluctant. I don’t want to gamble anymore.”
An Zhi had shaken her head, and she was a little bewildered. “I don’t understand. I’ll just continue to choose the wedding venue.”
“What’s there to choose? Let them worry about their own wedding. It’s good enough that we don’t cause trouble. Otherwise, they’ll really think we’re easy to bully.” Su Xi had thrown the tablet aside and was staring at An Zhi’s silly and cowardly look. She was so disappointed that she couldn’t make a sound. “My training class is only once. It’s a one-time offer.”
Su Xi had jumped off the rooftop. She had not taken a few steps when her hand was immediately grabbed by the girl who was chasing after her.
“I… I’ll listen. I’ll listen, okay?”
She had lowered her head and had not dared to look at anyone. Her voice was suppressed, and it was trembling. Her fingers were pinching, and she was like a good baby who was asking a teacher for advice at school.
“Um, I know how to cry. I’m a little afraid of the pain of hanging myself. As for making a fuss… how should I make a fuss?”
…
The wedding was set for after Nian Nian’s birthday. Taking advantage of the May Day holiday, they had sent away a few old people, and Nian Nian had also been happily taken out for a trip by them.
Father He and Mother He had both left. He Mu Qing had insisted on staying. The reason was that the scenery in Qingchuan was good, and she had also chosen to go hiking in a scenic area. Because Xia Qiange’s health was not good, and she had had a stomachache after she had come to Qingchuan, she had to rest at home.
A girl going to a deep mountain and wilderness, He Mu Qing knew that Su Yu would not be at ease with her, and sure enough, he had gone with her. She still remembered the resentful and gloomy look of someone who was lying in bed, and her heart was triumphant. For the first time, she felt that she had won a round.
Being passive… will only lead to stagnation.
The next day, they had carried their bags and had entered the continuous mountain range. They had managed to get on a bus on the side of the road. It was almost dark, and the sunset was dyeing a red halo on the edge of the dark and black forest.
The sunset was like a fire, and the mountain was bleeding.
He Mu Qing was propping up her chin and was on the window. The mountain range outside the window was continuous, and it was high and low and rugged. The mountains were connected to the mountains, and there was no end in sight.
The bus had passed over a high mountain, and in the next second, it had entered a gentle farmland. The villages and the platforms were continuous, and the green and lush crops, and the scarecrows were crookedly standing in the fields, and a few houses were scattered, and the smoke from the cooking was rising.
The mountain road was winding, and the road was also bumpy. The excitement had also disappeared. Before they had reached the guesthouse they had booked, He Mu Qing had gotten carsick on the way. Her whole body was weak, and she had been leaning on him and had been sleeping for a long time. She had finished the rest of the journey with a peace of mind.
The dim and yellow car lights were illuminating the front. The car had honked a few times, and the driver had said that they had arrived.
“We’re here…”
He Mu Qing had opened her sleepy and hazy eyes and had seen his half-bright and half-dark profile in the night. Her voice was soft. “Oh, have I been sleeping for a long time?”
Su Yu had shrugged, and the layer of cloth that she had been sleeping on had already dried, and a slightly darker color block was on it.
She had blushed, and she had tucked the messy hair by her ear. “Hehe, I’m sorry.”
Su Yu had smiled and had said helplessly, “Let’s go. Put away your luggage. We have to get up early tomorrow.”
On the way, he had asked with a whim, “How many rooms did you book…”
“One.”
She was taking pictures everywhere, and the small mountain village that was in the night had a different flavor. The wind was filled with the fragrance of flowers, and the sound of birds and insects was in her ear. She had remembered the days when the two of them had gone back to the village to see their grandparents when they were children.
Climbing trees, weaving flower wreaths, catching crickets… many things that were about to be forgotten had been slowly found by her.
“Just one? Then… it’s really not easy to book a guesthouse here.”
“It’s not easy to book. So there’s only one bed…” He Mu Qing was squatting on the side of the road and was picking wild flowers. She had not paid any attention to him. “And it’s a local guesthouse. There’s no sofa…”
Su Yu had suddenly been choked, and he had not been able to speak for a long time.
He had coughed twice and had stopped. He had turned his head. “The restaurant here is not closed yet. Let’s have some dinner before we go back to the guesthouse.”
…
It was very early the next day. They had packed up and had set out before the sky was bright. The chickens were sleeping in their coops and were not crowing.
They were in the crowd of people who were going with them. The birds were singing and the flowers were fragrant all the way. The sound of the city was gradually covered by the howling of the mountain wind and the swaying of the forest leaves. The soul was as if it had been washed.
On the way, Su Yu had wanted to help He Mu Qing with her bag, but she had refused him. He had been stunned for a moment and had asked her if she was angry. He had said that he had not meant it on the bed yesterday.
He Mu Qing had blushed, and she had touched her lips. She had glared at him, and she had cursed him a few times with a fierce and fierce voice. She had turned her head and had run up the mountain. The tourists around them had all laughed, and they had all teased Su Yu for not chasing his girlfriend back.
When he had chased after her, he had already reached the halfway point of the mountain.
The mountain was very high. The scenic area had perfected the originally old and dilapidated mountain stone steps. There was almost not much of an ancient style to be seen. The mountain was filled with a thick water vapor, and the mountain was shrouded in a mist. The green leaves and branches were seeping with a cold and icy dew. Vaguely, there was a murmur of a Buddhist sound in the wind. A temple had been built in the scenic area at the halfway point of the mountain, and the buildings were hidden in the mountain mist. The incense was flourishing, and the pilgrims were constantly coming and going.
Su Yu had asked her if she wanted to offer a few sticks of incense. She had graduated, and she had to ask for a good position.
He Mu Qing had shaken her head and had said with a righteous tone that she was a medical student, and she was a firm believer in science. She had never believed in these things. Superstition could not get her a career, let alone realize her wishes. Everything had to rely on herself.
He had had to give up. He had walked around a patch of a forest and had climbed the last section of the stone steps. The road had come to an end.
He was standing on the highest peak of the jumping mountain. He had opened his arms, and a fierce and mighty wind had come from a distance. The mountains were undulating and were spreading, and the green forest was like a green wave, and it was rolling up a big wave.
The sky was clear, and the mountains and rivers were far and wide.
There were many people who were taking photos on the wide platform. Su Yu had pulled He Mu Qing and had gone up to the viewing platform. The wind had suddenly become a little stronger. She had not held on very well, and she had almost fallen backwards.
He had grabbed He Mu Qing’s arm and had pulled her with force. She had immediately fallen into his arms, and the two of them were tightly pressed together. The tip of his nose was rubbing against the ends of her hair, and their breathing was audible.
He Mu Qing had been startled, and her face was frightened. Soon, she had found that her hand was held very tightly. She had looked at Su Yu. His dark and thick messy hair had been blown up by the strong wind, and his eyes were slightly half-squinted. His jawline was neat and mature, and his face was gentle. His nose was handsome and high.
“Stand firm…”
She had stared at him in a daze, and she had lost her voice.
“Have some candy.”
Su Yu had seen that her face was pale, and he had thought that she had low blood sugar. The candy wrapper had been lifted, and it had been handed to her mouth.
“Oh, okay.”
He Mu Qing had come back to her senses, and she had bitten the candy into her mouth. It was mango flavored.
The two of them were shoulder to shoulder, and their hands were still holding each other.
The wind was blowing through the forest, and the green waves were rising and falling.
In the face of the great power of nature, it seemed that even feelings had become pure and flawless. The two thin lives were insignificant. They were pure, and they were relying on each other. The heavy and thick mist had made them bewildered. They had waited for several years, and in the end, the wind had blown away the mist that was enveloping their lives.
Although the road ahead was still full of mountains and ridges, their hearts were clear. They understood that no matter how rugged the road ahead was, what was waiting for them was always a rising red sun, and the dazzling sunlight was enveloping them as they moved forward.
The road was still very long.
“Do you know when I fell in love with you?”
He Mu Qing had suddenly turned her head and had asked him. Su Yu had thought for a long time and had said several possible answers, but she had refused them all, and she had said that they were not right.
“Then I really don’t know…”
Su Yu had smiled bitterly and had shrugged.
“You have no emotional intelligence, and you’re also a coward. How can anyone still like you?” She had pouted, and she was not happy.
“Tsk, I even wrote a diary about my unrequited love for you back then. Now that I think about it, it’s really a waste.”
It seemed that the more she thought about it, the angrier she got. She had turned her head away and had ignored him, and the hand that was holding his had also been let go.
Su Yu had lowered his head and had smiled. He had sat down next to the girl, and his voice was low and gentle. “I haven’t written any unrequited love diary. Maybe it was very blurry at that time, so blurry and weak that it couldn’t be recorded in specific words.”
“Although I don’t know if it was earlier than you, I don’t know if that counts. Now that I think about it…”, he had touched his nose with some embarrassment, and his earlobes were slightly red. “At that time… I should have liked you, right?”
His voice was not loud, and it was almost suppressed by the sound of the wind. But she had still heard it clearly.
The wind had messed up her hair. He Mu Qing just felt that her body was stiff, and she couldn’t use any strength. All the vibrant blood in her body had rushed into her blood vessels and had returned to her heart. The overly strong load on her heart had made her heart throb.
She had opened her mouth, and it was a long time before she had found her own voice in the wind. The first syllable had been swallowed by the wind, so she had raised her voice, but the base was still weak.
She had asked a very stupid question. “Why didn’t you tell… tell me?”
Su Yu had turned his eyes, and a pair of clear but no longer see-through eyes were under his messy bangs. He was looking into the distance.
“I was insensible at that time. Anyway, it’s not the same as before. Maybe it was just for a moment. It’s not okay now. Whether it’s with you, or with them, it’s not that I haven’t thought about it. I’m afraid you’ll think I’m frivolous, and I don’t want to make you guys cheap.”
Yes, it’s not the same as before. People will change.
It would have been better if it had been a little earlier. This sentence had given her an indescribable taste. It was sour, and it was very astringent, and it was not clear whether it was sad or happy.
She had suddenly opened her mouth. “Su Yu… do you know what I’ve hated the most since I was a child?”
“What?”, he had looked at her with confusion.
“I hate it the most that you claim to be a year older than me, and you’re always telling me these self-righteous nonsense. I actually don’t listen to a single word. It was like that before, and it’s even more so now.”
These arrogant and unreasonable words were said very naturally by He Mu Qing, as if she had found her old self again. She had looked at him, who had been forced to be speechless by her unreasonableness, and he had been stammering for a long time and couldn’t speak. She had curled her lips, and her smile was smug and flamboyant.
She had looked at his pale face. “Why is your face so pale?”
“No. I’m just angry with you. Why are you still so stubborn?”
“Is that so? I’ll take another look.” She had leaned over.
“I said I’m fine.”
Her voice was firm. “I’m a doctor. Listen to me.”
“Why are you so close? I’m not having low blood sugar. A piece of candy will do.” Su Yu’s hand was in his pocket.
She had said, “I have some here too…”
“Huh? Where did you get it?”, he had opened his mouth, and his voice had been blocked, and he had almost choked. “Wuwu…”
The lips were soft, and the candy was a little hard. It was mango flavored.
He Mu Qing had stood up with a smug look, and she had licked her lips, which were sticky with the juice of the candy, and she was not yet satisfied.
She had patted the dust and was in high spirits.
“Let’s go. Let’s go back.”
