Chapter Sixty-Nine: Our Future

“Has the prince not kissed you yet? How did my Sleeping Beauty wake up so soon?” Gazing at Lele, who had just opened her sleepy eyes beside me, I couldn’t resist lowering my head to gently nibble at her earlobe. Dawn had already broken, but neither of us showed any intention of getting out of bed.

“You’re so cheeky, Piggy Bei!” Lele turned and wrapped her arms around me, her flushed face pressed tightly against my chest. “Do you remember the promise you owe me?”

I shifted my body upwards, sitting up slightly. “Yes, go ahead.”

“If one day… I mean, if someday I die, you must promise me—you mustn’t forget me, and… and you mustn’t do anything foolish…” Lele murmured, as if talking to herself.

Hearing this, I frowned. Before Lele could finish, I promptly covered her mouth with my hand. “Piggy, why are you saying such nonsense when everything’s fine?”

Lele struggled to pry my hand away, then sat up as well, quietly leaning into my embrace. “People all go through birth, aging, sickness, and death—sooner or later, whether in a few years or decades, the day will come. I’m afraid I might leave before you do, so… just promise me, all right?”

“Lele, you really think too far ahead. Fine, I promise you.” Smiling, I playfully tapped her nose, taking her words as nothing more than the silly question of “If we fell in the water, would you save me or your mother first?”—I didn’t dwell any further.

“That’s not enough. You have to swear!” Lele stared at me earnestly, refusing to let it go so easily.

“Why so serious?” Under Lele’s relentless insistence, I had no choice but to raise my hand in surrender. “I swear!”

Only then did Lele sigh as if a great matter had been settled, and so we sat there side by side, motionless at the head of the bed.

“Xiao Bei.” Lele suddenly broke the silence, reaching out to gently shake my arm.

“Yes?” I turned my head toward her.

“I want to be your wife,” Lele declared, catching me completely off guard.

“What!” It was so sudden that my mouth hung open for ages, unable to close. “We’re… we’re still students, and… and I’m not even old enough yet…”

“Don’t you want to?” Lele stared at me intently.

“No… no, of course I want to! It’s just… my family…” I stammered, unable to form coherent sentences.

“My dad dotes on me most—he won’t object!” Lele insisted, her face full of determination.

“But… but why rush? We’re both so young. We can wait… wait until we graduate, it’s not too late then!” I was completely unprepared for this, and for a moment, truly didn’t know what to do.

“My dad’s coming back to the country soon. When the holiday comes, I’ll take you to my house…” Lele lifted her head, gazing at the ceiling, a hint of shy anticipation spreading across her face.

“Meet… meet the parents? Isn’t that a bit fast?” Suddenly, an inexplicable fear gripped me: the thought of sitting before a stranger, like a criminal on trial, the awkwardness alone made my skin crawl.

“Maybe… maybe we could get engaged first,” I gently nudged Lele’s head with my forehead, suggesting a compromise. “When I graduate, we’ll get married.” I wasn’t sure what my family would think, but given their previous good impression of Lele, I doubted they’d object.

Unexpectedly, Lele began to cry softly without warning.

“What’s wrong? Don’t cry!” I hurriedly wiped the tears from her cheeks.

But the more I spoke, the more distressed Lele became, until she was a bundle of tears. Her face, streaked with tears like a flower in the rain, her eyes brimming and hazy—it stirred both tenderness and love in me.

I didn’t know why Lele was crying, so I was at a loss for words to comfort her.

After a long while, Lele finally stopped, wiped her tears fiercely, and forced a smile onto her face. “Piggy Bei, do you know? I’m just happy, overwhelmed with joy!”

Was that really the truth? Perhaps only Lele herself knew the answer…

According to plan, today I was to take Lele to my school. After leaving the hotel, we headed straight for the bus station.

Although it was Sunday, it was still early, so we hadn’t encountered the rush of students returning to campus. On the mid-sized bus to school, Lele was bubbling with excitement, chattering nonstop the whole way.

Leaving the city, passing through the countryside, entering the mountains…

After touring the campus, it was still early, so I accompanied Lele up Penholder Mountain. In the temple atop the hill, watching Lele’s devout figure as she prayed, a strange warmth welled up within me.

On Monday morning, Lele had no classes, so she decided to stay one more night and leave the next day.

After dinner, I walked with Lele around the campus. Passing the stadium, I pointed to the stands beside the podium and mused, “The stars here are truly beautiful! Whenever I’m troubled, I come here alone, sit quietly, stare up at the sky, and think of nothing. After a while, my worries just drift away.”

Lele raised her head to gaze at the sky, then sighed with a hint of regret. “Too bad it’s cloudy tonight—no stars to be seen.”

“But I see something more beautiful than the stars.” I grinned mischievously, teasing Lele with a secret.

Not catching my meaning, Lele looked around for ages, finally asking, “What is it?”

“Silly, it’s you,” I tapped her forehead lightly.

“Oh, so you dare call me silly? Piggy Bei, you’re doomed!” Lele waved her little fist at me, feigning fierce anger, as if to strike.

…

Looking back on the path we came,
There’s always a tangle of feelings,
We struggled so hard,
Only to reach this moment.

The pain of being misunderstood,
Unable to reach love’s pure land,
It was you who helped me cross the conflict,
Who accompanied me through storms and obstacles on this journey.

If only happiness could be seen from the start,
Not lost among others’ scrutiny and whispers,
Perhaps I wouldn’t have seen love so clearly,
But I want to hold your hand tightly.

If this is love’s journey,
Maybe the road is destined to be thorny,
But I don’t regret choosing this path,
Your love makes me deeply feel
The meaning of being alive.

Sometimes I don’t want to look back,
Too many tears and confusion along the way,
But with you, I’ve become brave.

I never regret choosing this road,
Because your love lets me see
The happiness of living.

…

Finally, the time for farewell arrived. In the waiting room, a girl was playing Liang Jingru’s “The Road” on her phone. The pure, slightly torn voice carried by the graceful melody swept me away.

How I wish we could walk this road together forever, until the day our hair turns silver. Perhaps the happiness of holding hands and growing old together is simply this.

(Chapter revision completed on September 19, 2010)