Chapter 15: The End of First Love

The highest virtue is like water; still waters run deep. This romance and time-travel novel is updated and released here, just for you.

Chance meetings by the waters, like milk blending with water, always intertwine.

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Xue Zuining abruptly opened her eyes. The red marks she had left herself on the small desk calendar now loomed in her vision like a curse.

How could she, bearing the title of "girlfriend," forget that tomorrow was the day Chen Sang was returning from abroad?

"Why do you look so troubled? Did you have a quarrel?" Mrs. Xue observed her daughter's expression, which betrayed not joy, but a helpless confusion. She unconsciously tightened her grip on Zuining's hand.

Zuining realized her slip, and as she hesitated over how to respond, the door to the hospital room was suddenly pushed open.

"Hope I'm not interrupting?" Dr. Li entered with a beaming smile, nodding to both.

"Of course not," Zuining stood up, offering a gentle smile. "Please, have a seat."

"No need," Dr. Li waved his hand. "I've just come to perform one last routine check on your mother before her transfer."

Zuining nodded in understanding and stepped aside, waiting quietly.

Soon, the hospital transfer procedures were completed, and everything seemed tranquil, as if in the calm before a storm.

When Zuining stepped out of the Xishan Sanatorium and turned around, she saw her mother gazing down at her from the third-floor balcony. She raised her hand in farewell, letting sunlight bathe her surroundings.

In the car, Chu Ci lowered the window and saw the woman walking past, then glanced up at the balcony silhouette. He instructed the driver, "Follow her. Stop at the next intersection."

A long shadow stretched across the street. A black car suddenly stopped beside Zuining's white canvas shoes, and through the lowered window she glimpsed the refined face of a man.

Chu Ci opened the front passenger door, stepped out, and opened the rear door. "Miss Xue, I am Chu Ci. We spoke on the phone this morning."

"I know. May I ask what this is about?" Zuining felt an instinctive aversion to everything connected to that man.

A seasoned businessperson could easily discern her concerns, and Chu Ci smiled reassuringly. "No need to be nervous, Miss Xue. I merely wanted to see you home safely. It's not wise for a young woman to walk alone in such a desolate area."

"Sorry, I was just..."

"I understand," Chu Ci stepped back, giving her space. "Please, get in."

Faced with his courteous insistence, Zuining could only comply.

The winding mountain road offered beautiful scenery, but hurried travelers rarely stopped to appreciate the blossoming flowers.

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"Ladies and gentlemen, DZ1256 from Paris to City A will land in fifteen minutes. Please wait patiently. Ladies..."

In the bustling airport hall, the melodious voice rose above, swirling and fading.

Zuining watched the hands of her watch circle as her heart eagerly counted down the time. Her hands, tense and excited, were clasped before her, her gaze roaming over the enormous LED display.

Suddenly, a vibration came from her small bag.

Zuining glanced at the flashing numbers on her phone, checked the time, steeled herself to hang up, but the screen went dark on its own. Soon after, a text arrived, terse and direct.

Answer the call, or you’ll regret it.

As the vibration came again, Zuining almost dropped her phone in shock.

"Hello..."

"Learning to obey?" Lu Huaining's voice came coolly, "Be good, or you'll suffer."

"I know..." Zuining replied, moving toward a corner.

"Good." Lu Huaining glanced at his watch, the polished surface reflecting the warm sunlight. "Have you picked up your old flame yet? His flight should have arrived by now."

His indifferent tone chilled Zuining's spine. Her eyes swept her surroundings, breath stilled.

Three seconds later, "You had someone follow me!"

"Follow you?" Lu Huaining snorted. "Naïve Miss Xue, when have you ever seen a hunter relentlessly pursue prey already in hand? At most, I’m just asserting my ownership."

Listening to the righteous, sly arguments on the other end of the line, Zuining ground her teeth in frustration.

"Don't worry, I'll still give you a chance to break up." Lu Huaining's cold eyes surveyed the bustling city below, as he took a drag of his cigarette and exhaled gently. "Remember to enjoy yourself."

Zuining let her hand fall, dazed. Faces passed by, each with their own expression, making her dizzy. Her legs gave way, and she collapsed onto a nearby bench.

A pair of navy canvas shoes circled her bowed figure, their owner settling easily in the seat behind her.

"Excuse me, miss, are you waiting for your boyfriend?"

The clean, cheerful voice was like radiant sunlight flooding Zuining's gloomy heart. She looked up in disbelief to see that familiar face emerge from beneath oversized sunglasses.

"Miss Ning, your reaction makes me think you’ve just seen a terrorist." Seeing her spring to attention, Chen Sang grinned, arms open. "Give me a warm hug!"

"Chen Sang..." Zuining felt her voice tremble uncontrollably as she called his name. As she willingly fell into his embrace, it was as if a lost wanderer had finally found the way home.

"Chen Sang, hold me, hold me tight..." Zuining sorrowfully foresaw that this hug might mark the beginning of farewell, or perhaps their ending. She breathed him in greedily, determined to seal her lover's scent forever in her memory.

Chen Sang laughed, tightening his embrace, his forehead lightly pressed against her hair. "Silly girl, when did you become so clingy?"

She said nothing, only holding him tighter.

"My, showing off your love in public—everyone knows you're the perfect couple, but must you torment us lonely souls?" The young man who spoke had a sunny face, punching Chen Sang on the shoulder. "Come on, be as affectionate as you like!"

Zuining awkwardly withdrew from the warmth of his arms. As she looked up, the boy teased loudly, "Wow, sister-in-law’s blushing!"

"Get lost!" Chen Sang elbowed him in the chest. "You guys go ahead, I have things to do." He tossed his backpack at the feigning-weak youth.

Before Zuining could process what was happening, she found herself being led away by Chen Sang, running across the square, her senses filtering out everything else.

"Where are we going?" In the taxi, Zuining couldn't contain her curiosity. Chen Sang gave her a mysterious smile. "It's a secret!"

"So stingy!" She stuck out her tongue, just as the driver announced, "We're at Luoxia Mountain."

Zuining jumped out, eyeing the modest hill, then turned to Chen Sang. "First thing after landing, you want to go hiking? Luoxia Mountain—have you missed Chinese sunsets after being abroad?"

"Silly girl!" Chen Sang tapped her nose and took her hand, walking up the winding mountain road. Cars passed by, and some offered them a ride to the summit, but Chen Sang politely declined.

Zuining raised her hand overhead, fine beams of sunlight mischievously filtering through her fingers onto her sweaty forehead. She smiled, but bitterness lingered in her heart. "If only time could stay at this moment forever."

Her wistful words made Chen Sang stop abruptly. He took her other hand, his gaze earnest. "Miss Ning, that's not quite right. It should be—if our future could be as perfect as this moment."

Zuining was about to speak when suddenly she felt herself lifted into the air. Eyes wide, she saw Chen Sang turn, carrying her toward a narrow mountain path.

"What are you doing?" She protested, beating his arms, but he only held her tighter.

"Shh—I'm taking you on an adventure," he reassured her with a comforting look.

Zuining was momentarily dazed, raising her head to see playful squirrels darting through the treetops, as if announcing the arrival of strangers. The narrow path bore Chen Sang's footprints, marking their journey, bearing witness—or perhaps, bidding farewell.

When they finally emerged from the lush forest, breathtaking scenery greeted them at the summit. Zuining, her feet finally touching the ground, rushed eagerly into the open space, dancing in the wind.

Suddenly, familiar arms wrapped around her.

Chen Sang pressed her shoulder, his gaze admiring the natural beauty below, his voice reverent and firm. "Ning, do you know why I carried you along that muddy path?" He smiled, planting a kiss on her flushed cheek. "Because for this exhibition, my mentor painted Luoxia Mountain. He told me that if lovers walk through that place hand in hand, they will surely find happiness."

His words made Zuining's body stiffen, the height beneath her feet giving her pause. Pain flickered in her eyes, as a cruel voice sliced through her heart, leaving it bleeding.

"Chen Sang, let's break up."