That was more than just a little late. He Lindi was being too modest.
Her phone lay on the coffee table. Chi Shuo flipped through the photo album as she talked to He Lindi.
The album started with photos from a competition four years ago and ended with pictures from the amusement park outing. That day, He Lindi had also taken photos of Chi Shuo, quickly developed them, and added them to this album.
There weren’t many photos yet, leaving many pages waiting to be filled. After all, in the years they had known each other, they hadn’t actually interacted that much.
On the most recent page, He Lindi had left a sticky note: Hope it gets filled soon.
Chi Shuo smiled. “This album is quite thick. It’ll take a long time to fill.”
“I figure a lifetime should be enough, right?”
Chi Shuo touched the album again, her lips curving. “Mm, enough.”
That night, Chi Shuo even hugged the album as she slept. After saying goodnight to He Lindi, she fell soundly asleep.
The days of their long-distance relationship weren’t easy, even somewhat agonizing. As the time for He Lindi’s return to Yun Cheng drew nearer, Chi Shuo grew increasingly anxious, wishing she could see He Lindi the very next second.
Fortunately, He Lindi was coming back today.
While heading to work that morning, the corners of Chi Shuo’s mouth kept uncontrollably curving upwards into a brilliant smile.
Fang Xiuxiu saw how happy she was and couldn’t help asking, “Shuo Shuo, why are you so happy?”
Chi Shuo paused for a second. “We get off for the holiday this afternoon. Aren’t you happy?”
It was a perfectly normal answer, and Fang Xiuxiu smiled too. “Happy.”
Xinyue Company’s Spring Festival holiday wasn’t just one week, but two, running from February 4th to February 17th. The 18th fell perfectly on a Monday.
Chi Shuo tapped at her keyboard and asked, “Are you going home today?”
“Yeah.” Fang Xiuxiu stared at her own computer screen. “My parents have been asking me constantly these past two days. Sigh, they keep asking what we’re eating for New Year’s Eve dinner tomorrow.”
Chi Shuo pressed her lips together. “That’s really nice.”
Fang Xiuxiu didn’t know Chi Shuo’s family situation and chuckled. “It’s alright. As long as I don’t see my family every single day, our relationship is much better. If we lived together all the time, I’d definitely argue with them.” She sighed again. “Family relationships need some distance too, just not too much. I moved out and rented my own place, but I still call or video chat them every few days, otherwise, they’d say I’m unfilial.”
Chi Shuo’s mood grew somewhat heavy, but she still curved her lips upwards and replied, “That really is nice.”
She couldn’t quite describe her inner feelings; perhaps it was a mixture of envy and dejection.
Envy for Fang Xiuxiu’s relationship with her family, and dejection over her own current situation with her mother.
Because of this conversation, Chi Shuo’s earlier high spirits dampened, and she spent the rest of the morning calmly.
At lunch in the cafeteria, she didn’t have much appetite. After just a few bites, Chi Shuo stared down at her phone, open to the WeChat conversation with her mother.
There weren’t many messages, just records of Chi Shuo transferring money and her mother receiving it.
Zeng Guai swallowed the food in her mouth. Seeing Chi Shuo looking dazed, she tentatively asked, “Shuo Shuo, is Didi on the plane now?”
“Yeah.” Chi Shuo looked up at her, a hint of a smile touching her lips. “She just boarded not long ago.”
Zeng Guai picked up another slice of meat. “Then is she picking you up after work this afternoon?”
“Mm.” Chi Shuo lowered her head again, looking at her phone.
Zeng Guai hesitated before asking, “Then why do you seem so unhappy?” She looked confused, and after asking, seemed to remember something. “Ah… sorry, Shuo Shuo, I…”
Chi Shuo waved her hand. “It’s okay.”
Zeng Guai slapped her own forehead. How could she have forgotten about Chi Shuo’s family situation?
People came and went in the cafeteria, but Chi Shuo and Zeng Guai’s table fell quiet, as if separated from everyone else by an invisible barrier.
Chi Shuo pressed her lips together, thinking for a while. After leaving the cafeteria, she said to Zeng Guai, “Zeng Jie, you head up first. I need to make a call.”
There was no need to guess who she was calling. Zeng Guai nodded. “Okay, I’ll head up then.”
Chi Shuo took the elevator down to the first floor, exited the office building, and sat down on a bench by the roadside. After taking several deep breaths, she finally called her mother.
After waiting for perhaps ten seconds, her mother finally answered.
Chi Shuo swallowed, nervously starting, “Mom.”
Her mother didn’t respond. Chi Shuo lowered her head and said again, “I’ll come back tomorrow.”
The early February weather was already showing signs of warming up, but the wind was still rather fierce. Chi Shuo touched her own face and continued with her third sentence, “I went to the mall yesterday and bought a gift. I’ll bring it to you tomorrow.”
She had gone for a stroll at the mall yesterday after treating Xia Zhou and the others to dinner.
Her mother still made no sound. Chi Shuo brushed her hair back and sniffled. “Mom, if you don’t want me to come back, just say so.”
After speaking, Chi Shuo fell silent, waiting for her mother’s reply.
After a long moment, her mother finally uttered two words: “Come back.”
Her tone was stiff, but Chi Shuo finally curved her lips into a smile. “Okay.”
After hanging up, Chi Shuo realized tears had unknowingly welled in her eyes. If her mother had hung up directly or refused to let her come back, these tears might have fallen onto her clothes.
They fell now anyway, but Chi Shuo wasn’t as sad anymore. She composed herself, wiped away the tear tracks, stood up, and went to the bubble tea shop to buy herself a drink.
At 3:30 PM, He Lindi sent a message saying she had arrived back in Yun Cheng.
There were still two hours left before work let out for the holiday. Chi Shuo waited eagerly. Because the holiday was approaching, Xinyue hadn’t assigned too many tasks, giving Chi Shuo more free time to message He Lindi.
Finally, 5:30 arrived, and cheers erupted from the office area.
There were too many people heading out. Chi Shuo didn’t feel like squeezing through the crowd, so she drank a glass of water with Xia Zhou and the others at the company before slowly leaving.
Chi Shuo wasn’t heading to the first floor, but down to the B1 underground parking lot. Soon, she bid farewell to Xia Zhou and the others.
As the distance to He Lindi shortened, Chi Shuo’s lips couldn’t help but curve uncontrollably. Her mood felt like a freshly opened bottle of soda, fizzing with happy bubbles.
B1 arrived quickly. Chi Shuo exited the elevator with the others and headed towards He Lindi’s car.
Actually, ‘walked’ wasn’t quite right; ‘ran’ wouldn’t have been an exaggeration. Before long, Chi Shuo spotted the car she had driven many times.
The parking spot was slightly secluded. She slowed her steps, trying to calm her breathing, but her racing heartbeat still hadn’t returned to normal.
She didn’t rush to pull open the driver’s side door, instead walking around to the passenger side.
The passenger side window was down. He Lindi wasn’t hiding either; she was leaning against the open window, waiting for Chi Shuo.
Soon, Chi Shuo stood before her.
He Lindi’s eyes curved into crescents. In the dimly lit parking garage, she looked into her girlfriend’s eyes. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
Chi Shuo took another step forward, closer to He Lindi, and replied, “Just seeing if my Didi Mei Mei has changed at all.”
He Lindi raised an eyebrow, tilting her head up slightly as well. “So, have I changed?”
“Yes.”
“Where?” He Lindi pressed.
“You’ve made me like you even more.”
“Ew…” He Lindi rubbed her arm. “I got goosebumps.”
Chi Shuo chuckled softly. “Is it that serious?”
He Lindi reached out again, cupping Chi Shuo’s face. “How could it not be serious?” she said. “It’s been a week since I heard you say it to my face.”
Her hands were a bit cold. Chi Shuo shivered, pulled He Lindi’s hands down, held them in her own, and blew warm air onto them. Then, she leaned her upper body forward and, maintaining that posture, kissed He Lindi’s lips.
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