The setting sun cast its warm yellow rays at a slant, elongating the slender silhouette of Ling Chuxia as she stood at the school entrance.
Shi Che drove up slowly, and, upon reaching the side of the school entrance, stopped the car, turned off the engine, got out, and with long strides, walked toward her.
Ling Chuxia’s hands were clasped lightly across her chest as she stood there quietly, occasionally glancing around, seemingly scanning for the person she was waiting for.
As he watched her, his black eyes unwittingly grew hazy. She had stood waiting for him at the school gate before. She always had little patience, craning her neck left and right like a curious duckling.
The corners of Shi Che’s lips curved up into a smile, lighting up his handsome face with a brilliance that fused with the warm yellow sunlight and shone even more resolutely.
When Ling Chuxia looked up, she caught Shi Che’s smile. Her eyes briefly froze in astonishment, as if dizzied by the sight. How long had it been since she saw such a gentle and understated smile from Shi Che—a smile that could directly warm one’s heart? Thus, she found herself staring at Shi Che, transfixed, until she finally snapped back to reality, and with a gaze lowered, murmured softly, "You’re here."
Shi Che nodded, his gaze settling firmly on her face, "Yes, what made you suddenly want to come here?"
On the phone, when she mentioned wanting to visit the school, he was quite surprised. Since their marriage, except for one time when he thought she was at school and had come by, she had never returned. And yet, she had asked him to accompany her to the school.
Ling Chuxia’s hand tightened slightly. Why come here? Because this place held their most beautiful memories—when they were young with the purest of smiles.
These days, she kept wondering, when exactly had she started liking Shi Che?
Then, image after image flooded her mind—scenes from childhood through to the present. Strangely enough, she had always regarded Shi Che as a friend, a good buddy. But when those memories slowly surfaced, her heart would flutter with excitement and happiness, and she’d feel an inexplicable sweetness—a sensation she had never encountered before.
It turned out, she had fallen for him back then.
However, at the time, she was too naive and ignorant to distinguish whether her feelings were love or friendship. Moreover, she knew Shi Che and her elder sister were seen as a perfect match, so she never allowed her thoughts to stray in another direction.
Then, her love came so late, too late for her to tell him, "I love you, I have loved you for a very long time."
Unnoticed, a hint of moisture appeared in Ling Chuxia’s eyes, and a touch of sourness crept into her throat. She suddenly lowered her head, swallowing down the bitterness, and managed to bend her lips into a smile before she spoke with a hoarse voice, "It’s been a long time since I’ve seen the school, so I thought I’d come to visit. Shall we go in?"
There was still a hint of suppression in Ling Chuxia’s voice. Shi Che’s black eyes intensified with a glint of puzzlement, but before he could speak, Ling Chuxia’s hand suddenly reached out and grasped his. Without hesitation, she pulled him toward the campus.
At the moment Ling Chuxia’s hand clutched his, Shi Che’s entire being jerked in shock, his eyes incredulously widening as his gaze blankly fell upon their linked hands.