After closing the photo album, Xu Yuan sat on the bed for a long time, sighed, wiped away tears from the corner of her eye, and put the album back in its place.
Looking at her watch, she realized it was already past 9 PM.
“Did you send her away?”
Xu Yuan pushed open the door. The room was dimly lit, and she saw Xu Xingchun standing quietly by the window. Hearing the sound, he turned his head.
Like many families with unspoken words, they sat quietly facing each other.
Xu Yuan gazed at Xu Xingchun, feeling a bit uneasy for some reason, “You’re almost ready, right? Are you leaving tomorrow?”
“Mm.”
Licking her dry lips, Xu Yuan’s voice was strained, each word difficult, “Actually, many things don’t need you to handle them. Let the past be the past…”
Losing control of her emotions, Xu Yuan quickly grabbed a glass of water and brought it to her mouth to cover her loss of composure.
Xu Xingchun glanced at her, maintaining his still posture, silently lowering his head without further reaction. “I know.”
After a while, Xu Yuan put down the glass, “Xiao Chun.”
“Mm.” His eyes were deep.
“…It’s nothing.”
Before leaving, Xu Yuan said, “I’ll take good care of grandpa. He’s old and can’t handle more stress. You should take care of yourself too. Try to finish the matters at hand, so you can live a good life in the future.”
Driving the car to a parking garage near the airport, Fu Xueli made a call to tell Fu Chenglin the location, asking him to have someone drive it away.
Xixi was waiting for her in the departure lounge, dragging a large suitcase.
When she saw Fu Xueli arriving late, Xixi was almost in tears, hurriedly rushing over, “Sister Xueli, I thought you were going to miss the flight. I called you so many times but you didn’t answer.”
She looked more excited than if she’d seen God.
“I’m here now, aren’t I? I was driving just now.” Fu Xueli took off her sunglasses, unconcerned, looking around, “No paparazzi, right?”
“There shouldn’t be.” Xixi’s smile suddenly appeared, “It’s good that you’re here, it’s good that you’re here.”
They were first transferring to Shen City, then flying to Paris.
As soon as they arrived in Shen City, it started raining, and sure enough, there was an announcement about flight delays. By late at night, Fu Xueli was extremely tired when she finally boarded the plane.
Outside the plane window, all the night scenery blurred into blocks of color.
Lost in thought, her heart feeling as heavy as a quartz clock, Fu Xueli wondered:
Is time passing too quickly?
Or rather.
The time spent with Xu Xingchun passed too quickly, so fast it seemed to flash by in the blink of an eye.
Recalling the events of the past few days, she remembered their parting, when he leaned down, held her chin, and kissed her mouth with single-minded focus.
The dizzying, weak-kneed happiness of that half-forced kiss contrasted sharply with the bitterness of their separation now. Without him by her side, Fu Xueli felt empty, unbearably so.
Longing seeped into every pore, tormenting her.
With nothing to do in her idle time, her mind was filled with thoughts of Xu Xingchun. Shaking her head, Fu Xueli put on her headphones and started watching a random movie.
An old film from 2004.
At the beginning of the film, a dialogue caught her attention.
“This is the only way to leave. I don’t love you anymore. Goodbye.” “What if you still love him?” “Then I wouldn’t leave.” “You’ve never left someone you loved?” “Never.”
Beside her, Xixi was already sound asleep. Fu Xueli took a bottle of water to drink.
There was a line in her heart.
“There’s always a moment, everyone has such a moment. In that moment, you feel you can give everything, you can surrender to it, you can’t resist. I don’t know when your moment was, but I bet you had one too.”
The screen paused on that second, as if infinitely extended. Putting down her hand, Fu Xueli felt her heart tighten.
In life, there are always some magical moments that allow one to understand many things in an instant.
Her heart overflowed with sweetness and bitterness, along with an unfamiliar sense of responsibility.
Belatedly, Fu Xueli was actually a little afraid that Xu Xingchun was now taking revenge on her. First suppressing, then elevating her, lifting her high only to drop her mercilessly to the ground.
Just like she had done before.
Using the gentlest methods, indulging her willfulness and selfishness. Only to realize in the end that it was all just her undying dream.
If only time could stay at the moment when Xu Xingchun loved her unreservedly, how wonderful that would be.
Fu Xueli’s eyes began to burn.
Before, she was willful. Now, she would never gamble again.
She originally thought she wouldn’t be able to sleep, but when she woke up, they had already arrived in Paris. For several days in a row, she felt especially energetic doing things.
She watched a few fashion shows and shot a music video.
Meanwhile, a minor incident occurred back home. Some gossip news was released from an unknown source. A paparazzi had captured photos of Fu Xueli hugging an unknown man. Although blurry, as a rising star with some popularity, it had stirred up quite a discussion on social media platforms. Various media outlets were speculating about who this man could be.
There hadn’t been any PR management online yet.
Tang Xin called, furious, “What’s going on with you?”
At the time, Fu Xueli was painting her nails in the hotel. She said carelessly, “It’s nothing.”
Tang Xin was speechless, exploding with anger on the other end of the phone, “What do you mean nothing?! Your career is on the rise, didn’t I tell you to be careful?”
“No matter how much it rises, can it rise to the sky? Anyway, I’m almost thirty, so what if I get photographed? I’m not afraid.”
Fu Xueli couldn’t be bothered to argue with her, “Let’s leave it at that. When facing reporters, I don’t even know what I’ll say. Worst case, I’ll just quit the entertainment circle.”
After the New Year, tasks were especially heavy.
While discussing business, Xu Tao pushed open the door, “Let me notify you of something. We just got a call that provincial leaders are coming to inspect our work today.”
He also introduced the woman behind him, “This is the newly transferred beauty, called Wenwen. She’s very capable. If you need anything, just ask her to help.”
Everyone was applauding and cheering, while Xu Xingchun sat alone in the corner, supporting his forehead with one hand, flipping through files.
He went out on duty himself in the afternoon.
Accompanying him were Xu Tao, Wenwen, and an intern.
They were all talkative. As soon as the intern got in the car, he couldn’t sit still, chattering non-stop with Wenwen, appearing very friendly. He was extremely outgoing, and as they chatted, they even got to the topic of relationships.
Xu Tao teased, “Kid, what kind of girl do you like?”
The intern answered honestly, “Pretty ones.”
Xu Tao smacked him on the head, “How shallow of you.” He then turned to ask Xu Xingchun, “What about you, Captain Xu? What kind do you like?”
Xu Xingchun was driving. He answered, “Pretty ones.”
The car was quiet for a moment, and this time it was the intern’s turn to laugh.
Xu Tao shook his head and laughed too. After laughing, he suddenly sighed, “I remember I had a captain before. When he was sent to Yunnan for training, he had a beautiful girlfriend who followed him there. But our captain directly persuaded her to go back. One night, this grown man was drinking and crying, holding onto me.” His tone was somewhat sad.
“Why?” The intern’s eyes widened.
Xu Tao pointed at the police uniform on his body, the epaulettes, “Because this is more important than anything else.”
The cigarette smoke choked his lungs, causing him to cough uncontrollably.
In their line of work, they really couldn’t casually get married. Once something happened, it would be the shattering of two families. And no matter how good someone is at waiting, patience will eventually wear thin.
“Want one?” Xu Tao offered a cigarette.
Xu Xingchun waved his hand, refusing.
“Oh? How come?” Xu Tao patted his arm.
He said calmly, “I’m trying to quit lately.”
Under the night sky, Shen City displayed its prosperity everywhere. But the roads were a bit congested at this hour.
Wenwen hadn’t spoken. She was a little curious about Xu Xingchun, but afraid of offending him if she looked too long.
So young, yet in such a position, with a powerful personality, yet still gentle and cool, polite and thorough. Even the most ordinary things he did were pleasing to watch.
Like driving, or conversing with people.
His appearance didn’t seem like a meek yes-man either. Just right, any more would be dangerous, any less wouldn’t be calm enough.
“There’s a good movie showing recently, want to go watch it together?” The intern turned to chat with Wenwen.
Xu Tao chimed in from the side, “Young people make friends so quickly. Go on, Wenwen, it’s rare to have some leisure and entertainment.”
Wenwen was about to ask if Xu Xingchun wanted to go, when she saw him lower the car window, looking outside lost in thought.
Following his gaze.
Under the gorgeous sunset clouds, a giant poster hung on the department store, with a female celebrity on it, breathtakingly beautiful.
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