Chapter 24.3 - Bamboo 竹叶
Taking advantage of the break, He Shouzhen sneakily asked, “Uncle, why were you and Sister Shen holding hands today? By the way, it must be hard for you with one hand in a cast; it must feel so frustrating!”
He Suye didn’t even look up, “The plural of ‘glass’ is ‘glasses,’ and ‘visit’ was misspelled. You’ve been very distracted lately, little rascal.”
He Shouzhen was not willing to give up, taking a pencil and doodling on He Suye’s cast with it, “Uncle, stop changing the topic. When you hold hands, our teacher says that means you’re in love. So what does ‘get on the bus first and buy the ticket later’ mean?”
Finally putting down his pen, He Suye looked at him seriously, “Little rascal, when you take the bus, don’t you get on first and then pay the fare? ‘Buying a ticket’ is just a term used when there are no self-service ticket machines,” he muttered in his heart, “What kind of teachers are teaching at elementary school these days? They say anything!”
He Shouzhen only half-understood, and it wasn’t until Shen Xifan called them for dinner that he seemed to grasp the situation. He muttered to himself, “Although it makes sense, it still feels kind of weird.”
After dinner, He Shouzhen went to the living room to watch TV, leaving only the two of them in the kitchen.
The sound of running water in the kitchen was loud as Shen Xifan washed the dishes and pots. From time to time, she encouraged He Suye, “You go watch TV with the little rascal. It’s fine, I can handle this. Your hand still can’t touch water, you know? It’ll be bad if the wound gets wet.”
He Suye smiled helplessly, “It’s not that serious. Every time I’m sick, you all stop treating me like a doctor.”
Shen Xifan pouted, “Doctor He, please approach this accident with a scientific and rigorous attitude.” After saying that, she turned her head and gave He Suye an interested glance.
But as she wasn’t paying attention, the faucet was turned too far, and water splashed onto the sink and soaked her clothes. Even the bangs on her forehead were drenched in droplets. Shen Xifan looked quite a mess but couldn’t help but laugh, “Accident! Typhoon’s passing!”
He Suye also chuckled, looking at her with helplessness. He grabbed a tissue, but Shen Xifan couldn’t free her hands, so she obediently let him wipe her face. Her eyes were bright, full of laughter, a bit mischievous and somewhat shy.
When He Suye’s hand accidentally brushed her lips, a sudden flush rose on her face, like the morning glow of May—subtle yet intense.
His hand still held a soft, delicate trace of her skin, like cotton candy—soft, gentle. Was her taste as sweet and fragrant as cotton candy? His heart suddenly skipped a beat. He instinctively leaned forward slightly, just as the kitchen door was slammed open and He Shouzhen yelled, “Sister, I want some Cornetto ice cream!”
The flirtatious atmosphere was suddenly shattered. He Suye turned around and glared at He Shouzhen, who looked bewildered and cautiously asked, “Uh—Uncle, can I have some Kawaii ice cream? I promise I won’t complain if my stomach hurts.”
Shen Xifan didn’t seem to notice anything unusual and quickly responded, “Go ahead, but only one, okay?”
He Shouzhen hesitated, his big eyes blinking as he pleaded, “Uncle—”
He Suye laughed, “Why is the little rascal so well-behaved today, listening to me about everything? Fine, just one.”
He waved his hand, signaling for He Shouzhen to speak. The little boy stood on tiptoe, leaned into his ear, and whispered, “Uncle, did I ruin your good moment just now? When you stared at me, your face turned as dark as my dad’s.”
He Suye could only pat his head and hand him the ice cream, “Kids should stay innocent and cute, or else no one will love you.”
The kitchen returned to quiet again, with the water flowing softly. Suddenly, Shen Xifan spoke up, “Uh, my flight is the day after tomorrow. Could you… not come to see me off?”
“Why?” He Suye set down the chopsticks and placed them in the sterilizer, looking intently into her eyes.
“Because—because if I see you, I won’t want to leave.” She quickly explained, “It’s not that I don’t want you to see me off, it’s just that I can’t face saying goodbye.”
He Suye remained silent for a moment, letting out a soft sigh. His gaze made Shen Xifan’s heart tighten. “I… I really can’t handle it. I’m afraid I’ll cry, and it’ll ruin my image.”
After a long pause, he turned around and spoke, “Silly girl, I understand. Alright, I won’t go. But you need to be careful and safe on your own. Make sure you call me before you leave.”
With his back to her, Shen Xifan gently hugged him from behind, whispering, “I’m sorry.”
Sorry, I shouldn’t be so willful, unwilling to let you see me for the last time. But I’m so fragile, and I don’t want you to see my helplessness and longing.
At the airport’s international departure hall, Shen’s parents were with Shen Xifan, waiting in line at the security check.
Shen’s mother had red eyes and kept reminding her daughter of various things to watch out for. Shen’s father stood silently to the side, occasionally asking if she was hungry or needed something to drink.
Shen Xifan’s emotions were unstable as well. She had never been away from home since she was little, and even when she went to college, it was still in a nearby city. This was the first time she was separated from her parents, and it made her a little sad. She tried to force a smile and cracked a few jokes to lighten the mood, but eventually, she found herself choking up. She could only quietly wait in line for security.
Suddenly, she felt someone was watching her from a distance. Her instincts made her turn around and scan the crowd. Among the bustling people at the security checkpoint, she immediately spotted him. He had clearly promised not to come, not to see her off, yet here he was.
Her mind went blank, and she was overcome with the impulsive desire to run to him and hug him, without thinking about anything else. Just as she was about to take a step forward, her phone rang at the most inopportune moment. The message displayed read: “I’m sorry, I came after all. Don’t turn around, let me watch you leave. Remember, don’t look back. The scenery ahead is better.”
She smiled, her eyes already clouded with tears. Despite this, she still tried hard to make herself appear strong, even though that tiny bit of strength was shattered as soon as he arrived.
This man truly cared for her, cared for her so much that he had to sacrifice his own happiness to support her dreams.
In the waiting area, watching plane after plane take off, Shen Xifan finally realized that she was all alone. For the next year, there would be no parents by her side, no him accompanying her. She would only have herself to rely on.
She needed to grow, to grow alone.
Standing at the gate, holding her phone, the screen flashed with a new message. She opened it to find a message from Qiu Tian: “Shen Xifan, you leave and don’t even tell us. That’s not fair. Anyway, in exchange for the delicious seafood fried rice, I’ll secretly tell you—don’t be sad when you leave the sharp corners, don’t cry. Because when every kind-hearted girl is at her lowest, miracles always happen. Believe me.”
As she walked down the long hallway, through the green transparent glass, she saw workers and service vehicles coming and going. In the distance, a China Air flight had begun taxiing towards the runway.
Everyone had their own journey, everyone had something they needed to accomplish. Life was short, and sometimes, sacrifices had to be made to race against time.
The plane slowly moved down the runway. Suddenly, there was a powerful force, lifting off the ground, the immense power of flight. Her back pressed heavily against the seat, and as she looked out the window, she saw the plane had left the runway and was soaring into the sky. One more glance, and the airport had vanished from sight.
Her tense nerves finally relaxed. In her heart, there was only one thought: she had left. She had really left. The scenes that used to only appear in her dreams had now come true.
The past replayed in her mind like a movie, from the first time she met him, to the first prescription he wrote for her, to when he prayed for her safety, wishing for her peace and well-being, and finally, his farewell. Scene after scene appeared, unstoppable and impossible to avoid.
But she didn’t cry, nor did she want to shed tears. There was just a transparent liquid that disobediently slid down from her eyes.
He Suye, I really miss you, I miss you so much.
