Chapter 157: Gone for Four Years
For some inexplicable reason, Lin Shuo had suddenly become much busier lately. Not only did he have no time to pick Xiaoxiao up from work, but he would also return home late into the night, reeking of smoke and alcohol. Xiaoxiao had originally left Nina and returned to Jasmine Dynasty in high spirits, eagerly anticipating a dinner with her boyfriend. To her dismay, the food had grown cold, yet Lin Shuo was still nowhere to be found. When she tried calling, his phone was switched off. This dampened her cheerful mood completely, and after taking just a few hurried bites, she cleared the table and turned on the television.
The screen was filled with annoying commercials, and before long, Xiaoxiao drifted off to sleep out of sheer boredom. The four walls hemmed in a thick, encompassing darkness, with only the television's glow illuminating her solitary figure. The shifting light flickered in tandem with the faint audio; the world was so lively, yet all she embraced was a desolate dream.
Lin Shuo gently turned the key in the lock, only to be greeted by total darkness. Treading softly, he changed his shoes and switched on the light. Roused by the sound, Xiaoxiao woke up with a start. Forgetting even to put on her slippers, she ran barefoot down the stairs and threw herself directly into Lin Shuo's arms, clinging to him like a frightened little bird.
"What's wrong?" Lin Shuo asked, affectionately ruffling her hair. With a hint of playful reproach, she asked, "Why was your phone turned off? I couldn't reach you at all!" He explained that the battery had died, then took her hand and led her away from the entryway. Trembling slightly, she said, "I had a dream. I was trapped in a complicated maze. I could clearly hear you calling my name, but no matter how I tried, I couldn't find my way out. I thought I was lost..." She tilted her head back to look at his face, wanting to etch every feature deeply into her mind, terrified that one day she might even forget what he looked like in her dreams.
The moonlight was serene; outside, swallows were gathering mud to build their nests, and the emerald cypress trees whispered softly in the breeze. Lin Shuo leaned against the sofa with Xiaoxiao nestled in his arms, his warm palm enclosing her hand. He spoke in a gentle, soothing voice, "If you had a piece of bread in your hand, don't eat it. Just follow the breadcrumbs, and I will always find you."
His tone was as tender as someone telling a fairy tale destined for a happy ending to a child, completely unaware that even if a story had a botched, terrible ending, no one would ever demand a refund.
She knew that not everything in life ultimately tilts toward perfection, but she loved hearing comforting prayers. Even if she didn't quite believe them, listening to them over and over made them sink in eventually.
As if catching the foul scent of bad omens fermenting in the air, she said worriedly, "To return to your side, I walked this road for a full four years. I'm not afraid of you being in the North while I'm in the South; what I fear most is that after crossing mountains and waters to love you, you might no longer be here."
He fell into a long, dazed silence, at a loss for how to describe his tangled emotions. He had never imagined that Xiaoxiao would be so insecure, her dependency on him even greater than before. He wanted to cherish it, yet struggled to find a way to express it. After a prolonged stillness, he decided to take another step forward.
"Will you save tomorrow afternoon for me, please?"
Though she had no idea what he wanted to do, she agreed all the same.