“Tap, tap.”
The crisp sound of high heels lit up the ceiling lights one by one.
Moving forward along the corridor, in the small space near the elevator lobby, a returning university student was bent over, organizing her luggage.
“Dragging their feet, will they ever finish?!”
The university student looked up to see a woman in a white gauze dress, her skin deathly pale, walking toward her with her head down.
The ceiling lights lit up one after another with her footsteps, getting closer and closer.
“Wah! A ghost!!”
She was so scared she immediately bolted toward the stairwell.
“Why did I agree to such a childish, boring promise! Tch!”
Su Xixia glanced helplessly at the stairwell, then turned and leaned on the windowsill by the elevator.
It felt like black smoke was practically billowing from her entire body.
Recalling the conversation between Li Mingshan and An Zhi, she was inexplicably shaking with anger.
“What does ‘continue to like you’ even mean? You’re going abroad, yet you still talk about liking someone. If you want to break up, just say it decisively. Why leave him with lingering hope? That woman really is still a little princess.”
Even as she said this, she was blaming herself in her heart for agreeing to “play the game” with her.
‘If I keep hiding in his embrace, I’ll be afraid that one day he won’t like me anymore. He wouldn’t like me like that.’
An Zhi had said this once while they were bathing together.
‘I also want to be able to stand up bravely for him when he encounters difficulties one day, like you can. Not just tremble in fear.’
‘So… I want to leave him for a while.’
If that’s the case, I’ll snatch him away immediately.
Su Xixia opened the window and looked toward Sucheng University.
A cold wind brushed against her face.
‘I haven’t planned… to break up with him yet. If I don’t say it, he’ll definitely be unable to let go of me.’
‘So, do you want to make a promise with me? I will break up with him, but until I come back, you can’t take him away. When I return, we’ll compete fairly, okay?’
Remembering An Zhi’s words, Su Xixia couldn’t stop the fire from rising within her.
“Do you really think I’ll obediently keep the promise? Aren’t you afraid I’ll trick you into breaking up with him and then rightfully take him for myself?!”
She vented her complaints to the air outside.
“It’s not like I haven’t done that sort of thing before. Why would you trust me, even giving me a chance…”
“Forget it! Even if I don’t snatch him, if he comes to me on his own, it doesn’t count as breaking the promise!”
After saying that, she closed the window and turned around, only to see the university student from earlier peeking at her from the hallway.
“What are you looking at? I’m not going to eat you,” she said.
“Ah, not a ghost.”
The university student walked up in small steps.
“You’re so pretty up close, Miss! My mistake!”
Su Xixia looked at the university student.
She had a delicate, fresh look, with emerald green eyes as lively as jadeite.
The twin ponytails swaying behind her radiated a youthful energy, giving off a very easy-to-get-along-with vibe.
“Do you live here?”
“Mm, I’ll be moving in soon. Miss, do you know ‘Li Mingshan’?”
“Huh?”
Those emerald green eyes seemed harmless, as if she’d just asked casually.
It was unclear where she had heard Li Mingshan’s name.
“You are…”
“Oh! I heard about him from a senior at the university. I really like his work. I just graduated and moved here, wasn’t sure what to talk about with people. That was abrupt, sorry.”
“It’s fine, you can go.”
Su Xixia shook her head, watching her walk deeper down the hallway, feeling a wave of doubt.
Maybe she’s one of Mingshan’s juniors?
She didn’t pay it too much mind.
To avoid disturbing the other residents, she sat on the steps of the stairwell and played with her phone.
—
I walked out of the bathroom with An Zhi and sat on the messy, disheveled bed, relaxing my sore and weary body.
“……”
No one spoke.
We quietly watched the sunlight shifting angles through the window.
The warm air blowing on our still-damp skin carried away the lingering heat from within our bodies.
After passion comes parting.
We both knew this.
It’s so frustrating…
“Which airport are you going to?”
I broke the silence.
“Shangdu International Airport… Mom texted me. It’s one o’clock now, time passed so quickly…”
From morning until now, just how long had we been at it?
“I need to be there before three. It’s almost too late.”
“Mm.”
She nodded but didn’t get up immediately.
“Still feeling sad?”
“A bit.”
“I’m very satisfied… These past few days with you were very happy. This, I’ll take good care of it!”
“Ding-a-ling~”
An Zhi took out the snowflake ornament I gave her from her hoodie pocket.
It emitted a dazzling light in the sunshine.
“No matter how far I go, it won’t melt. Until the day I come back… it’ll be the same.”
“An Zhi… Mm, take good care of it.”
She wore a forced smile on her face.
This time, it was her comforting me.
“When I miss you, I’ll take it out and look at it. I’ll wait for the day we meet again.”
“Mm. We’ll meet again.”
What else could I do besides go along with her?
“Mingshan, let’s break up.”
!!
So this is what she wanted to say.
This time, it wouldn’t be like before, where there was a misunderstanding about a “de facto breakup.”
She formally proposed breaking up with me.
“Mm.”
I couldn’t refuse.
“But I’ll be dating this!”
An Zhi suddenly stood up and lifted the string of ornaments, shaking it before my eyes, then hugged it to her chest.
“Until the day I see you again, then I’ll break up with it!”
What does this mean?
“I have a boyfriend! It will always support and encourage me, so don’t worry.”
This was her expressing her feelings to me, expressing her determination to miss me even when we’re apart.
Say something!
“I… I’ll support you too, no matter how far apart we are. I’ll work hard to become better, I won’t lose to you.”
“Mm! I believe you. When we meet again, I’ll be completely different from how I am now. Look forward to it, Mingshan!”
A smile unconsciously appeared on my face.
She seemed to notice this and finally got up to start getting dressed.
I also put on the clothes scattered on the floor, planning to take her to the airport.
Arriving at the entrance, I heard noise coming from outside.
“…Let go of me! Not here.”
“Impossible… Who is it? What’s your relationship with her?”
Su Xixia seemed to be shouting something, mixed with the questioning voices of men.
The Wings Star World matter was resolved.
Who could possibly be looking for us now?
“Mingshan…”
An Zhi walked to my side and pressed down on the door handle.
“It’s probably my mom.”
As soon as the door opened, I saw a man across the hallway gripping Su Xixia’s wrist, not letting her move.
The onlooking residents were stunned, standing frozen in place.
“She’s out now, let me go!”
She yelled.
“Miss An Zhi, your mother sent us to pick you up. Time is running short.”
Another man, wearing a suit and tie, immediately bowed respectfully upon seeing An Zhi, then saw me.
“You are…”
“I’m Li Mingshan, you could say… her friend. I’d like to take her to the airport. Is that okay?”
“No. Ms. Xu instructed no companions. Please stop right there.”
The man frowned.
“But…”
“Please understand our work. Not bringing unrelated persons is also for Miss An Zhi’s safety.”
“……”
How did they even find us?
Did someone from the Wings Star World leak information…
Do I not even have the right to watch An Zhi board the plane?
“An Zhi! Time to go.”
A woman walked over from further down the corridor, wearing a cowboy hat and sunglasses, her face unclear.
“Ms. Xu, why did you come up personally?”
The man looked apprehensive.
“It’s dangerous.”
An Zhi saw her, let go of the corner of my clothes she was holding, and lowered her head.
“It’s Mom.”
“I just wanted to see what kind of place my daughter was living in. Hah, a man living in an apartment like this is indeed not proper! Keeping other women too! An Zhi, come with me quickly! Don’t contact him again in the future!”
She faced Su Xixia, then turned her gaze toward us.
You could almost feel the icy stare piercing through the sunglasses.
“Mom… you didn’t need to come.”
An Zhi reluctantly took two steps forward, slightly turning her face toward me.
Is that Xu Shijie?
Her posture was even more upright than on the TV screen, and her every movement exuded an invisible pressure.
“Auntie Xu, I… can I take your daughter to the airport?”
I mustered the courage to ask.
“What are you standing around for? Take her away.”
But Xu Shijie didn’t even glance at me, instructing the men to push An Zhi toward the elevator.
“Mom, Mingshan just wants to see me off…”
“Does he look like a proper man to you!? Dressed in rags, and with another woman! You’ve been deceived by him and don’t even realize it!”
“He’s not like that…”
I stood dumbfounded at the doorway, watching helplessly as An Zhi’s figure grew distant and disappeared into the elevator.
“Mingshan, you took too long! I was trying hard to stall them, did my best.”
The now-freed Su Xixia walked over with a pitiful expression.
“Sigh, my hand is so sore, why did he have to use so much force!”
“Xixia, thank you. Are you coming?”
“Huh?”
Before she could answer, I sprinted with all my might toward the stairwell entrance.
“Hey! I’m coming too, wait for me!”
Su Xixia’s voice rang out from behind.
Rushing desperately downstairs, I saw An Zhi get into a luxurious black car.
With the roar of the engine, the car quickly disappeared from my sight.
“Whew—whew—how could I possibly outrun the elevator?!”
Su Xixia caught up right behind me.
Gasping for breath, I said, “Let’s go, to the train station. We’re going to Shangdu!”
And hailed a ride-hailing car.
No matter what, I didn’t want such a hasty farewell.
No matter what, I wanted to see An Zhi board the plane with my own eyes, watch her fly into the sky.