Jiang Yao swung her head around, looked at her hand in Lu Xingzhi’s, and gently rocked it back and forth. She then asked, “Do you have a wish? Every time we leave each other, I want to fulfill one wish you have.”
She just wanted to make him happy.
He looked at her with an astonished expression. After a brief moment of thought, he nodded. “Sure!”
Before Jiang Yao could ask, he stooped down and whispered, “Call me hubby.”
She stopped in her tracks and scratched her flushed ears. She asked again in a soft voice, “This is your wish?”
“Yep.” He nodded earnestly. “Don’t tell me you can’t fulfill this one simple wish?”
Astonished, Jiang Yao thought it was something along the lines of asking her to come to visit as soon as winter break started, or maybe something about letting him have his way in bed at night. She did not expect it to be something so… simple.
After returning to her senses, she broke into a smile and called out sweetly, “Hubby…”
This was her first time being so affectionate as she called him endearingly.
She saw his eyes flutter as he broke into a wide grin and pinched her cheeks, begging for more. “Do it again! Do it again!”
Clasping onto his arm, she relented, “Hubby… Hubby!”
Even though she did not understand why he wanted it so adamantly, there must be a reason for it, and she was contented.
With the boarding ticket in her hand, they stood at the back of the boarding line, inching forward with the rest of the passengers.
There seemed to be a lot of people, but in just ten minutes’ time, it was her turn.
She handed the boarding ticket to the gate agent just as Lu Xingzhi patted her head. “Your hair will be longer the next time we meet.”
“Mm.” She nodded.
“Come here, I want to hug you.” Lu Xingzhi opened his arms and waited for her to enter his embrace before clutching her tightly. So tightly, he willed for her to stay forever and ever.
The gate agents were patient and smiled at them after they finally emerged from their embrace. Even then, Jiang Yao rubbed her nose, all embarassed.
Lu Xingzhi waited until Jiang Yao’s flight had taken off before leaving the airport.
She had just left, but everything in the car reminded Lu Xingzhi of Jiang Yao.
Instead of driving off immediately, he rolled down the window and sat in the car with a cigarette in his mouth, reminiscing Jiang Yao’s sweet and alluring voice.
The cigarette butts piled up into what resembled a tiny hill with an empty cigarette box joining the fray at the end.
Lu Xingzhi cocked his head sideways and recalled her puffy eyes and red nose when she walked through the gates, constantly looking back at him.
A while later, the car left the airport and merged into the busy traffic, disappearing from view.