Chapter Twenty-Two — Meeting at the Airport

The dishes were served quickly. Li Nanzhi originally intended to waive their bill, but Lu Xugao firmly refused. So, she sent over a few cups of silk-stocking milk tea on the house.

"Why didn’t you tell me earlier that she’s your cousin? Had me worried for nothing," Yan Lu said, half annoyed as she sipped her milk tea.

"Didn’t I introduce you today?" Lu Xugao sounded aggrieved and confused. "Besides, what were you worried about?"

Naturally, Yan Lu wouldn’t admit to her earlier foolish misunderstanding—pride demanded as much. He might not be quite mature yet, but his honesty and openness were his charm. And, of course, his silly earnestness was rather endearing.

Yishu watched their playful banter, a soft melancholy rising within her.

If only he were here.

Lu Xugao carefully picked every bit of green onion out of the fish ball noodles, then meticulously peeled the skin off the roast goose, placing it all before Yan Lu.

Yan Lu smiled knowingly, her delight impossible to hide.

Halfway through the meal, the two of them, lost in their own world, finally noticed Yishu sitting alone. She’d barely touched her fried rice, though she’d drunk most of the borscht Yan Lu had ordered.

Yan Lu gently patted Yishu’s back. "Yishu, are you feeling unwell?"

Yishu bit her lip. "I’m fine."

Relieved, Yan Lu announced, "Then let me formally and grandly introduce my boyfriend—Lu Xugao!" She made an exaggerated gesture as she spoke.

Across the table, Lu Xugao looked at her with indulgent affection.

Yishu gazed at them. Wasn’t this the best kind of announcement? A glance, a smile—more eloquent than a thousand words.

When it was time to pay, Lu Xugao and Li Nanzhi chatted at the counter for quite a while.

Behind the counter, it seemed a man was sitting before the computer, probably tallying today’s earnings. His head was just hidden behind the monitor, only a few locks of hair visible.

In the main hall, only a handful of diners remained. Yishu glanced at the time—it was ten o’clock.

As she walked out the door, a few office workers from nearby came to order late-night snacks at the front.

Yan Lu and Lu Xugao hailed a taxi at the intersection and headed home together.

Yishu set off in the opposite direction, walking nearly three hundred meters to reach the bus stop. Studying the route map and schedule, she couldn’t help but laugh wryly—the buses had long since stopped running.

She retraced her steps to the intersection, waiting for a passing taxi.

—Yishu, are you asleep? If not, send me a message.

The brief chime of her phone shattered the night’s stillness.

Seeing the message from Xu Shixi, she couldn’t help but feel joy.

—I’m still awake. Why aren’t you sleeping yet?

Her phone rang.

"Why are you still up so late?" Xu Shixi’s voice was tired. "You only just recovered from your cold, and the weather in Cloud City keeps changing. Take care of yourself."

Yishu almost laughed at his parental tone, but warmth bloomed inside her. "I will."

A gentle breeze brushed by. Yishu pulled her coat tighter around her. The nearby streetlamp cast a yellow halo around her, dissolving softly into the night.

Pedestrians and cars had dwindled.

"What are you thinking about?" After a long silence, it was Shixi who finally spoke.

"I was thinking… thinking…" Yishu moistened her dry lips with her tongue. "I was thinking of you. Wondering when you’ll come back."

At last, she’d said it. Yishu felt a weight lift.

Missing you, longing for you, waiting for you. In the days with and without you, there was always a space in her mind left aching and hollow.

On the other end, Shixi stifled a laugh, but couldn’t keep the smile from his voice. "I may be a few days late, but I’ll take care of things here and hurry back."

Yishu nodded.

He heard the sound of her nodding.

"You’re outside?" Xu Shixi caught the roar of passing cars through the phone.

Yishu hadn’t planned to admit it, not wanting him to worry, but since he’d asked, she didn’t hide it. "Yan Lu invited me to dinner and introduced her boyfriend."

Shixi was silent for a moment. "Is that the same Yan Lu who went on a blind date with Siming?"

"Yes," Yishu replied.

He fell into silence again, reasoning that Yan Lu must have met her boyfriend after that blind date, while he and Yishu had connected before it. "When should we invite your friends out for dinner and make our relationship official?"

"Let’s wait a bit longer," Yishu said softly, lowering her eyes in thought.

"How long?" Shixi pressed, stubbornness in his tone.

"At least until my brother finishes his college entrance exam," Yishu answered, wondering if she was just stalling.

"So, we’ll make it public when I’m back? The timing is perfect."

She heard the excitement in his voice.

Yet, she couldn’t name the feeling in her heart. Was it insecurity? After all, he was outstanding, remarkable, exceptional. Surely, beautiful women flocked to him. Though he’d claimed that for thirty years, his heart had remained untouched—was that truly possible? Since being together, trust was growing, suspicion diminishing, but not yet gone.

"…Alright," Yishu murmured.

She had to admit, in his absence, life had lost its color and turned dull and gray.

Time slipped by, and soon it was early June. After Yihui finished his college entrance exams, he stayed home for two days before heading out to find a summer job. He refused to attend the class’s mandatory teacher appreciation banquet—not because of the 300-yuan contribution, which had to be paid regardless, but because the homeroom teacher had hinted that it would affect graduation certificates. "Your teachers have worked tirelessly for three years. Are you really so stingy about 300 yuan? Then what diploma do you expect to receive, what university to attend?"

"Yihui, you don’t need to rush into a part-time job now—there’ll be plenty of opportunities to work in the future," Yishu said, pulling back the curtain. "Didn’t you always want to apply to the Academy of Fine Arts? Take advantage of the summer to practice more."

"I need to think about it," Yihui muttered, head buried in his arms. "My math is too poor; I probably won’t get in. Besides, tuition and living expenses for the Academy are a huge burden."

Leaning against the wall, Yishu wanted to say, Don’t worry about the fees, I have some savings, or I’ll make money to support your studies—but the words stuck in her throat.

Yihui sighed wearily. He’d had enough of classmates, enough of school, enough of teachers, enough even of studying. Would university be any different? Not really—the components and elements were all the same.

"You must go to university! Even if it’s just a vocational college," Yishu insisted, coming closer. "Do you know how tough the job market is now? It’s nothing like when I graduated. These days, the minimum requirement is a college diploma."

Yihui seemed to take her words in, offering no argument. He got up, forced a smile at Yishu, grabbed his backpack from the chair, opened the door, and left.

Xu Shixi’s flight was scheduled for the afternoon; in about two hours, he’d arrive at Yundong Airport.

From Jinlan Complex to Yundong Airport, it was an hour’s drive without traffic.

Yishu washed her face, studied herself in the bathroom mirror, then picked up the powder compact on the sink. With a brush, she lightly dusted some powder onto her face.

She rarely wore makeup—almost never. This set had been a gift from Yan Lu, who’d told her that women should know how to dress up, not just for someone else’s appreciation, but to please themselves.

In truth, Yishu’s skin was fair, almost translucent. Under the lights, it appeared almost too pale.

By the time she arrived at the airport, the overcast sky had already deepened into night.

It was her second time at the airport, and the vast emptiness still made her feel dizzy. She searched the electronic display for Shixi’s flight.

The refresh rate was a little slow.

Found it—ten minutes to arrival.

Yishu stood there in a daze as announcements for departing flights echoed through the hall. Crowds surged toward the boarding gates, disappearing through the departure channels.

From the other side, new arrivals streamed in, and the waiting crowd became a noisy, chaotic throng. Yishu was surprised; celebrities rarely visited Cloud City—what distinguished guest was causing such a commotion?

"Yishu—"

His voice drifted over from afar.

She turned, and he strode quickly toward her.

"You’re back."

"I’m back."

Yishu gazed at him, mesmerized. In just a few days, he looked more haggard; stubble shadowed his upper lip and chin.

How prickly!

He kissed her.

It was her first kiss.

Yishu froze, staring at him in shock. A rush of warmth swept over her. She covered her face and hurried outside.

Wait—Shixi caught her hand. "Sorry, I couldn’t help myself." His brows furrowed, dark eyes misty. "Are you angry?"

Yishu shook her head awkwardly, still feeling stiff and shy.

Her heart was glad, delighted, but she was too bashful to say so.

Xu Shixi, who claimed thirty years of singlehood, was clearly no stranger to romance; Yishu’s girlish shyness said it all. He slid his hand from her arm to her fingers, holding her as they walked out together.