Yao Jingjing had once hoped to miss the train, so that she would have a reason to stay in Spring City and let the man beside her spend more time with her. Her heart, still shaken, needed soothing; she needed a strong chest, arms as hard as iron to protect her frail body, and the warmth of his heartbeat to melt the blood that had frozen in fear.
In terms of distance and time, after such a delay, it was indeed very likely that they would miss the departure time. However, Qingmu drove like he was flying an airplane, and the roads at night were extremely cooperative, with almost no obstruction along the way.
What a blockhead!
At the entrance, Yao Jingjing was plunged into despair once again.
The station was brightly lit. The bright light silently beckoned to travelers, as if saying, "Come in, come on in. Here you'll find the home you long to return to, the dream you seek, and the distant place you yearn to visit..."
Outside the station, the night was pitch black, the stars and moon were dim and lifeless, as if they were saying that the celestial palace was lonely and the Palace of Vast Cold was cold, so it was better to stay in the human world and enjoy its prosperity.
But where is the prosperity of the human world now?
Yao Jingjing recalled the beautiful lights and graceful willows by the Green Lake; she remembered the couples strolling hand in hand along the lake; she remembered Yu Meiren whispering in Qingmu's ear and laughing so hard she almost fell over; she remembered Qingmu's silly, wooden laugh, which made her feel flustered and confused.
Perhaps, that is the splendor of the world.
"Go on in, the train is about to leave." Qingmu had been standing there like a wooden statue, handed the suitcase handle to Yao Jingjing.
Yao Jingjing didn't reach out to take it, but instead looked down at her toes and said, "Do you know why I'm rushing home today?"
Qingmu honestly replied, "I don't know."
Yao Jingjing said, "My mother is sick, very sick. She hopes I can get married soon. You know, I'm usually very busy with work, either on a plane, on my way to a flight, or attending company training. Among the men I know, besides pilots, there are only a few frequent flyers. So I haven't had a boyfriend yet."
"Some people say, 'Flight attendants! How could you be single?' Others think our private lives are so decadent! Actually, we live quite simply. We're just flight attendants on an airplane. Nobody thinks they're angels just because they're flying in the sky."
"My colleagues and girlfriends often invite me to so-called high-society parties, but I don't like those kinds of occasions. They seem luxurious and elegant, but they're actually incredibly vulgar. They only judge a woman by her looks and think that because they have enough money and status, they have the right to possess her beauty. After going a few times, I never went again."
Yao Jingjing kept babbling on and on, stomping her toes on the ground as if there was an insect on the ground that she could never kill no matter how hard she tried.
"Most of my girlfriends are in relationships now, and there are very few of us still single like me. I'm my parents' only daughter, and they're always worried about me. They always say that if I don't find a boyfriend soon, I'll become an old maid."
Yao Jingjing chuckled self-deprecatingly and exhaled softly. The night wind blew, feeling a little chilly.
"I used to always go against their wishes; I wouldn't go on blind dates even when they asked me to. In my heart, love is a sacred thing. Fate must have already arranged things; it will arrange a romantic encounter for those who are truly destined to love each other."
She looked up at the sky, her face showing utter fascination and longing. The sky was hazy and gray, and the light from the spotlights in the station square was diffused in the night fog.
"I often think that my destined lover must be a very special person, unlike anyone else. He will suddenly appear in front of me one day in the most special way, making my heart beat faster, and making me never forget him."
"Then, we'll meet again in a very unexpected way, just like in the script. If it weren't for fate, how could there be such a coincidence?"
"We looked at each other. Just like that, I looked at him, he looked at me, and our eyes told each other, this is the person I've been waiting for. Then we ate together, went shopping together, and watched the night view of Green Lake together..."
As she spoke, her expression suddenly darkened.
"But my mother is sick. I've been busy with work and haven't been able to take good care of her, which I feel really bad about. Her only wish now is that I settle down and find a good partner. I had two days off from work this time, so I could go back to see my mother, and they arranged a blind date for me. I heard the guy works at a bank and is a good catch."
"I can't refuse this time; it would break my mother's heart too much. I don't know how much longer she has to live..."
Yao Jingjing began to sob softly, two crystal tears sliding down her cheeks. She gently wiped her eyes, then chuckled, "Am I silly? Talking to you so much like that! Actually, I just wanted to say..."
"I want to say that if God truly has eyes, He should immediately send my lover to me, preventing me from boarding the train and going on that blind date. I don't need his sweet words, his promises, or any vows of eternal love. I just need him to say, 'It's too late today, don't go and read the book,' and I will follow him without hesitation. From then on, wherever he goes, I will go!"
She smiled, but her nose was still twitching. She looked up at Qingmu with a very serious expression, her clear eyes, just washed by tears, filled with expectation.
Qingmu stood there like a log, the night wind making his already messy hair look even more disheveled.
Silence is like the clouds on the horizon, gathering and dispersing without a sound. You never know what kind of weather will follow the silence.
The night grew increasingly desolate, the distant mountain shadows were hazy, and the moonlight quietly spilled down, like a fairy draped in white robes. The stars remained silent, not even blinking, as if waiting for some moment to arrive. Only Qingmu's trench coat rustled in the wind, as if responding on his behalf.
Suddenly, a whistle sounded in the distance, and another high-speed train pulled into the station, its rumbling sound clearly audible in the darkness.
"Let's go in, the car's about to leave," Qingmu said.
Yao Jingjing's body trembled slightly, and her raised face gradually froze in the night wind. She slowly lowered her head, took the suitcase handle from Qingmu, and turned around slowly.
The wheels at the bottom of the box made a heavy rolling sound on the Dali tiles, like the sorrow of parting.
Qingmu stood silently, watching the girl's retreating figure. Something struck his heart hard.
As Yao Jingjing walked through the turnstile, she suddenly turned around, waved vigorously at Qingmu, and shouted loudly, "Mr. Qingmu! Thank you!"
Qingmu waved to her. As he waved, he felt a cold sensation on his shoulder and realized that it was still soaked with the girl's tears.