Novel Bin Chapter 366: The Glorious Years (9)
On the way back, Su Zhinian still said nothing.
However, perhaps he was too eye-grabbing, when they passed the half-closed barbeque stall, the middle-aged woman glanced several times at Su Zhinian. The song ’Love Rumored to Have Come Back’ was still playing.
"The kind of hurt of wanting to meet you, but also fear of meeting you, makes my long for you even more;
"I can only keep you in my heart;
"Only keep you in my heart."
When they turned back into the first alleyway, the song became much quieter.
"Your voice, your silhouette, your hand, I swear I never once forgot;
"As to you choosing your present lover, I can only say I’m a little sad;
"I really put my heart and soul into waiting."
When the song completely disappeared, Song Qingchun managed to catch a glimpse of Su Zhinian’s car from inside the alleyway.
After they exited the alleyway, Su Zhinian pulled out the car key. As he prepared to open the car, he saw an old man pushing a cart in front of them. The old man was probably going home from the nearby night market that was closing. There were two sticks of pink-colored cotton candy poking out from the cart.
Su Zhinian called after the man without hesitation. "Sir, how much for the cotton candy?"
The gentleman stopped and told Su Zhinian the price. "One for 10 RMB."
Su Zhinian reached into his pocket habitually and realized he had forgotten to take his wallet in his hurry to leave. He climbed into his car to scrounge up all the coins he could find, and after a brief calculation, they added up to 20 RMB. He bought the two cotton candy sticks and passed them to Song Qingchun, who was shivering by the roadside.
When they were back inside the car, Su Zhinian turned the heater up to its maximum and soon the car became warm again.
Song Qingchun, who was in the passenger seat, held the cotton candy, one in each hand. She took a bite from the one on the left and then another from the one on her right.
Su Zhinian saw this through the rear-view mirror, and his eyes started to get dreamy. Even 17 years later, he could still see the shadow of her younger self.
The alleyway that they had been to was the place where they first met, seventeen years ago; it was where their story began.
At the time, to stop her from crying, he had pulled her hand and brought her to the nearby supermarket to buy her two lollipops using all the money he had on him.
And today, even though it didn’t cost him everything he had to purchase those two cotton candy sticks, it did cost him everything he currently had on him.
He had returned to that alleyway throughout the years, just to stand there and wait for her to appear, but she never did.
He had been hoping that, one of these days, as he stood there, she would suddenly appear.
However, his hope didn’t once come true; she had never returned to that spot ever again.
The only reason he had taken her there that day was to fulfil his own selfish dream, to give him the last opportunity to lie to himself.
When Song Qingchun licked the cotton candy in her right hand, she noticed Su Zhinian was looking at her through the rear-view mirror, and her movement stopped. She followed his gaze in the mirror, and her eyes eventually landed on the cotton candy in her hands. After some contemplation, she raised one of them close to his face, asking, "You want a bite?"
When Su Zhinian heard her, his first reaction was surprise before laughing earnestly, a laugh that softened the frigid presence around him. Just like so many years ago, he didn’t reject her offer and lowered his head to take a bite out of the cotton candy.
The sweetness of glucose spread through his body, but deep down in his heart, the pain became even more bitter and pronounced.