nucmednet Chapter 395: Chasing the Light at Dawn
Chapter 395: Chasing the Light at Dawn
Heavy rain washed away the glass dome of Singapore Changi Airport, and Du Fei's palms, which were holding the ticket for rebooking, were already soaked with sweat.
The phone kept vibrating in his pocket, and Pei Luonan's messages popped up one after another like a death warrant: "The driver at Gate 2 will be waiting for you at the departure gate. Have you thought about what to say first?"
He tilted his head back and took the last sip of coffee. The bitterness spread across his tongue, but it was nothing compared to the tension and regret surging in his chest.
As the plane crossed the equator, the sea of clouds outside the window surged and boiled.
Du Fei stared at his blue stubble and red eyes reflected in the porthole, remembering every nerve that was pricked when he curled up in the corner of the bar last night and watched Jiuer's video over and over again.
Singapore's coastline disappeared under the thick clouds. Du Fei rested his forehead against the cold porthole, his thoughts flashing back.
He recalled the bar in Singapore, the whiskey flowing down his lips into his shirt collar, burning his skin with a stinging sensation; he recalled Pei Luonan's roar on the phone: "Are you going to spend your whole life guarding a few dozen photos of your back?" ...
Memories flowed uncontrollably, and every smile of Jiuer, every hesitant look in her eyes, were replayed in her mind.
As the flight attendant pushed the food cart past, Du Fei mechanically took the coffee and sipped it, the bitterness spreading on his tongue.
As the plane was going through turbulence, Du Fei took out the velvet box from his pocket.
Through the fabric, he could still feel the angular outline of the necklace - it was the result of three hours of repeated communication with the designer in a jewelry store in Singapore, while he stared at the constellation map drawn by Jiuer.
The three main stars of Orion's belt are inlaid with the brightest diamonds, but no matter how dazzling the gems are, they cannot compare to the Milky Way flowing in Jiuer's eyes when she looks up at the stars.
He stroked the box again and again, as if he could catch the happiness that was about to slip away.
When we landed in Huacheng, the October evening breeze, carrying the fragrance of osmanthus flowers, blew in our faces.
Du Fei rushed out of the gate dragging his suitcase. The driver sent by Pei Luonan was already waiting there with a sign with his name on it.
"Going directly to Miss Ling's house?" the driver asked as he took the luggage.
He touched the necklace box in his pocket, his Adam's apple rolling: "Let's go to the flower shop first and ask for ninety-nine champagne roses."
In the rearview mirror, the driver looked at his red eyes and determined look, and silently stepped on the accelerator.
The street scene outside the car window was rapidly receding, and Du Fei's heartbeat was getting faster and faster.
The phone suddenly vibrated, and Pei Luonan sent a message: "Jiuer and Chen Nan are on their way home and will be home in half an hour." This short message made his heart suddenly contract, as if he saw the picture of Jiuer leaning on Chen Nan's shoulder.
He began to rehearse in his mind what he would say when they met, and cold sweat kept coming out of his palms.
When the car stopped downstairs of Jiuer's apartment, Du Fei's hands, holding the bouquet of roses, were already soaked with sweat.
He looked up at the window of Room 502, but froze the moment he turned around - at the corner, Ling Jiuer was wearing an apricot sweater, and the sapphire necklace around her neck was shining coldly under the street light.
Chen Nan carried the shopping bags for her, and the two of them walked side by side as naturally as a real couple.
The fragrance of osmanthus mixed with the familiar jasmine scent on Jiuer wafted over. The thorn of the rose in Du Fei's hand pierced his palm, but he was completely unaware.
"Jiuer!" He heard his hoarse voice, which was filled with fatigue and anxiety after a long flight, and was also mixed with a barely perceptible tremor.
Ling Jiuer turned around suddenly, and the moment she saw who was coming, her face turned pale instantly.
Her eyelashes trembled slightly, and a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, but was quickly replaced by indifference.
Du Fei stumbled forward two steps, his suit wrinkled and his beard stubbled, but his eyes were fixed stubbornly on Ling Jiuer's face: "I... I just came back from Singapore. Can we talk alone?"
"Who are you?" Jiuer raised her chin, her voice as cold as ice. "What do you want from me? I have a boyfriend. It's not appropriate to chat with a stranger casually, right?"
She deliberately held Chen Nan's arm, but her fingertips were trembling slightly.
These words hit Du Fei's heart like a heavy hammer. His lips moved, but no sound came out.
Chen Nan felt the trembling in his arm, patted Ling Jiuer's hand calmly, and said softly: "I'll go back first, you two can have a good chat." Then he handed the shopping bag to her.
Jiuer looked at Chen Nan's departing back with mixed feelings in her heart. She didn't turn around until his figure disappeared around the corner. She turned around and looked coldly at Du Fei who was feeling uneasy in front of her.
As the elevator ascended, the air seemed to freeze.
Jiu'er turned her back to Du Fei, and Du Fei looked at her slender figure, and countless memories came to his mind - not long ago, he had also watched her back silently like this, hiding the surging love in his heart. At this moment, the elevator was so quiet that he could hear the sound of their breathing, each breath like the drumbeat of their heartbeat.
The door opened and the warm yellow light poured in, but it couldn't dispel the coldness around Jiuer.
She casually threw the shopping bag on the sofa, turned around and sneered, "Tell me, Mr. Du, what excuse are you going to use to push me away this time? Are you too busy with work, or do you think I'm not good enough?"
Du Fei stood at the entrance, feeling awkward like a child who had made a mistake. "Jiu'er, I know I was wrong. I shouldn't have escaped and let you endure all that pain alone..."
"Endure pain?" Jiuer suddenly laughed out loud, a hint of sadness in her laughter. "Do you know how it feels to see the person you like ignore your feelings again and again? Do you know how ridiculous it is to know that your messages will fall on deaf ears, but still lie to yourself and say 'he's just busy'?"
Her eyes gradually turned red. "Every time I tried to get close, you retreated." Jiuer's voice trembled. "Now that you see someone else is by my side, you come back to claim your sovereignty? Why?"
Du Fei took a step forward, but stopped at Jiuer's vigilant gaze.
He took out the velvet box from his pocket and his hands were shaking as he opened it.
"This necklace is designed based on the Orion Nebula you drew. I was afraid I couldn't give you peace, but now I understand that true cowardice is not daring to face your own heart. I was afraid of losing, so I chose to give up, but I didn't realize how much harm this caused you."
"Enough!" Jiuer turned her face away, not wanting him to see her red eyes. "Regret? Do you know how many tears I've shed these days? I was alone looking at my phone late at night, waiting for your message, waiting until I fell asleep. I saw you being indifferent to me time and time again, but you still lied to yourself, you're just not good at expressing yourself."
She grabbed the necklace and threw it to the ground. "What's the point of saying this now? Can a broken heart be mended with just a few apologies?"
Du Fei looked at the debris on the ground and suddenly knelt on one knee.
"Jiu'er, I know I deserve to be hated and scolded by you.
But can you... give me another chance?
Let me tell you everything I missed and should have said.
Let me use every day from now on to make up for the injustice I have caused you these days.
I don't want to be the one who only guards behind your back. I want to stand by your side openly and tell you that I like you, very, very much. "
Jiuer's tears finally burst out, she turned around, her voice choked but still stubborn.
"Opportunities are not something you can get just by asking for them. From today on... you have to pursue me again. If you can't catch me, then never show up in front of me again!"
After saying that, she walked quickly towards the bedroom. The moment she closed the door, Du Fei heard suppressed sobs.
Du Fei sat on the sofa, looking at the mess on the floor, but felt a glimmer of hope.
The moonlight from outside the window poured in, illuminating this belated confession.
He knew that this journey of chasing the light had just begun, but at least he had the courage to stand in the sunshine and love her openly. In the days to come, he would use his actions to prove that he was worthy of Jiuer's love, and make Jiuer believe again. Their story was to be continued.