The Train Bound for Spring

On April 30th, the day before the Labor Day holiday, the city's train station unsurprisingly saw a peak in passenger traffic.

Sunlight streamed down from the glass dome of the waiting hall, illuminating even the fine dust particles in the air.

Passengers dragging suitcases of all sizes weaved through the hall, creating a bustling sea of people.

Lu Yan steadily pulled the blue suitcase full of their luggage with one hand, while holding Aemeath's hand tightly with the other.

Among the massive crowds traveling during holidays, young people make up a significant proportion, and various colors can be seen frequently in the crowd.

Ahead of them, going through security, was a girl with long, emerald-green hair, while in the queue at the ticket gate next to them, there was a boy with short, silver-gray wolf-tail hair carrying a guitar case, looking down at his phone.

Aemeath's long, smooth, silky pink hair didn't stand out in the colorful crowd; instead, it was like a bright touch of spring, naturally blending into the vibrant city.

Occasionally, passersby would cast admiring glances at them, mostly because of their exquisitely beautiful features and outstanding demeanor.

"Please show your ID and scan your face at the gate." The emotionless electronic announcement played on a loop.

The line moved forward little by little until it was finally their turn.

Lu Yan swiped his ID card first and passed through the gate, then stopped at the exit, turned around and looked at Aemeath.

Aemeath pulled out her brand-new ID card from her wallet, an ID card that she had hardly used since getting it.

Her name, 'Aemeath,' was clearly printed on the card.

She placed her ID card flat on the sensor area, looked up, and stared directly at the camera in front of her with her golden eyes.

"Beep, verification successful." The green indicator light illuminates, and the barrier slides open to both sides.

Aemeath strode through the gate and grabbed Lu Yan's arm. "Let's go! A-Yan!"

Seeing her overjoyed expression, Lu Yan's smile deepened.

He took her soft hand in his own, held it firmly, and pulled her into the flow of people heading to the platform.

The two followed the long procession onto the high-speed train and found their seats in carriage number five.

It refers to seats A and B in the sixth row.

"You sit inside." Lu Yan turned to the side, using his body to block the crowd jostling in the aisle, and protected Aemeath as she went in first.

Aemeath obediently sat down in the window seat, watching Lu Yan lift the suitcase and carefully place it into the overhead luggage rack.

Then he sat down in the aisle seat next to her.

The air conditioning in the carriage was on full blast, and the light sweat he had just gotten outside was quickly wiped away by the wind.

Not long after, with a slight push, the train slowly pulled out of the station and began to accelerate.

The view outside the window changed from gray platform pillars to towering buildings, and then gradually to green trees and birds rushing past.

The journey home has officially begun.

The carriage gradually quieted down, with most people closing their eyes to rest or looking down at their phones, while a few were using laptops to handle work.

Lu Yan took a white Bluetooth earphone case out of his pocket.

He opened the lid, took out one of the left earpieces, and handed it to Aemeath.

"Want to listen to some music?" he asked softly.

Aemeath turned her head, looked at the earphones he handed her, smiled, and her eyes lit up.

But she didn't take it; instead, she naturally leaned her head closer, tilting it slightly to the side.

Lu Yan immediately understood, a gentle smile curving his lips. He gently inserted the white earphone into her left ear, his fingertips brushing against her small earlobe, causing Aemeath to shrink her neck and tremble slightly.

He then put the other earphone on his right ear.

Lu Yan opened the music player on his phone and pressed play.

A soothing prelude with a unique rhythm resonated in both of their ears simultaneously.

Accompanied by a tech-themed background soundtrack, a slightly deep and magnetic male voice broke the tranquility of the intro:

"Starts race with us and does roll..."

(Ride and surge forward with us...)

"We still run run run..."

(We're still running, running, running...)

The futuristic beat and lyrics are just like a high-speed train speeding across the land, carrying an impulse to rush headlong into the distance.

However, Aemeath listened to the lyrics, a strange ripple stirred within her.

Was she running? Yes, she was always running.

But now, she feels as if she has reached the perfect end.

Just as Aemeath was feeling sentimental, the music in her headphones took a turn.

A clear and gentle female voice quietly rose, like a spring breeze caressing the surface of water:

"Run back till you feel so right..."

(Running towards the homeward journey, until the place my heart desires...)

Just then, the scenery outside the window suddenly underwent a dramatic change.

The train emerged from the long tunnel, and the view suddenly opened up.

The once monotonous green mountains and fields were suddenly filled with large swathes of dazzling golden yellow.

The blooming rapeseed flowers, shimmering with dazzling gold under the azure sky, spread freely across the rolling hills and crisscrossing fields.

A gust of wind blew by, and even through a thick layer of soundproof glass, Aemeath could see the spectacular sight of those golden waves of flowers rolling in the wind.

"A-Yan! Look!" Aemeath couldn't help but exclaim, nudging Lu Yan's hand with her elbow.

She pressed herself against the car window, her hands gripping the glass, her golden eyes reflecting the boundless, brilliant sea of golden flowers outside, her gaze sparkling with surprise and awe.

Sunlight streamed through the car window, falling on her face and casting a soft, warm glow upon her.

Her long pink hair seemed to glow in the sunlight, blending with the golden light outside the window to create a stunning picture.

"And rolling on through the night... You are my morning light..."

(Never ceasing, never stopping, you are my dawn's light...)

As the lyrics faded, Aemeath seemed to be suddenly touched by something.

Aemeath turned her gaze away from the car window and looked at Lu Yan beside her.

Lu Yan wasn't looking at the scenery outside the window; his gaze remained fixed on Aemeath the entire time.

Seeing the smile on Aemeath as she looked at the sea of flowers outside the window, he felt a surge of joy in his heart.

Their eyes met in the cramped space between the seats.

They didn't need any words to communicate; Aemeath understood the emotion in Lu Yan's eyes, and Lu Yan also saw the emotion in Aemeath's eyes.

The music in the headphones reached its climax, and the woman's penetrating voice rang in their ears:

"No love will ever change..."

(This love will last forever...)

A sweet smile appeared on Aemeath's lips. She didn't look at the beautiful sea of rapeseed flowers outside the window anymore, but instead leaned her body and gently rested her head on Lu Yan's broad shoulder.

"A-Yan, it's so nice." She slowly closed her eyes, feeling the warmth from his shoulder and his familiar scent, and murmured softly, "Before, paper airplanes had nowhere to land. Now, your shoulder is just right."

Lu Yan's heart skipped a beat, struck by her suggestive words.

He turned his head and smelled the delicate fragrance emanating from her hair.

He adjusted his posture slightly to make Aemeath more comfortable, then reached out his right hand and took her small hand resting on his lap.

Lu Yan intertwined his fingers with hers, then pulled their clasped hands onto his lap and gently covered them with his other hand.

"Okay, then don't fly anymore." Lu Yan's voice was low, his face filled with a smile and endless doting affection. "My shoulder is only for you."

The train outside the window continued to speed by, and the golden rapeseed flower fields receded into the distance like a flowing scroll painting.

In this corner of the carriage, time seemed to slow down.

The two listened to the same song together, leaning close together.

Aemeath listened to Lu Yan's steady heartbeat and the soothing melody in her headphones, she gradually relaxed and felt drowsy.

Her breathing gradually became steady and even, like a cat finally returning to its own nest, and she fell asleep peacefully on his shoulder.

Lu Yan turned his head and gazed quietly at her beautiful sleeping face and slightly parted pink lips, then tightened his grip on her clasped hands.