Chapter 35 (1/2)

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Xia Feng seldom left work on time, but tonight he had the rare opportunity to leave early. He didn’t know why, but he couldn’t wait to see Yu Dong, so he drove to her radio station and listened to her broadcast.

As Yu Dong said her closing remarks, Xia Feng’s eyes kept straying towards the building doors. Finally, he saw Yu Dong walking out with a scarf around her neck.

“Yu Dong!” Xia Feng got out of his car and waved at Yu Dong with a smile.

At first, Yu Dong looked around cautiously, but when she realized that it was Xia Feng, she ran towards him.

“How come you’re here?” Yu Dong asked.

“I just felt that I haven’t picked you up in a while.” Xia Feng adjusted Yu Dong’s scarf that had become undone due to her haste.

“I drive myself to work every night, why do I need you to pick me up?” Yu Dong laughed.

“But I want to!” Perhaps it was because of the dim lighting, but Yu Dong felt that Xia Feng’s eyes looked very gentle tonight.

Yu Dong didn’t know if it was the way Xia Feng looked at her, or if this atmosphere was lacking ambiguity, but she became somewhat uncomfortable. She lowered her head, scuffing the ground with her shoes.

A woman’s feelings were strange. When they don’t like someone they can boldly flirt with the person, but with someone they like, they would get nervous and shy.

Yu Dong had started to care about Xia Feng, so she began to overthink things.

She began to like Xia Feng more and more, if one day this relationship doesn’t meet her expectations, she would be devastated. Yu Dong had long been worried about this.

But she never thought about this idea for very long, as she felt uneasy at the mere thought of it.

So like in her previous life, she would exhaust all her strength so that she wouldn’t have the energy to think such depressing thoughts.

Yu Dong truly didn’t want to be pessimistic, she didn’t want to lose Xia Feng, didn’t want to treat him as an objective. She just wanted to be happy with him.

“What are you thinking of?” Xia Feng lightly knocked on Yu Dong’s head.

“Ah…” Yu Dong raised her head, and her round eyes were bright. “I’m not thinking of anything.”

“Then what are you doing with your head down?” Xia Feng obviously didn’t believe such an obvious lie.

“I was laughing.”

Xia Feng looked at her, puzzled.

Yu Dong smiled and said: “You came to pick me up so I’m happy. But I don’t want you to know and find out that I’m so easily flattered.”

“You…” Xia Feng couldn’t help but laugh. He took Yu Dong’s hands and asked, “Are you feeling cold?”

Yu Dong shook her head.

“Let’s go take a walk!” Xia Feng said.

Yu Dong was a little surprised at this but she didn’t refuse; Xia Feng must have something he wanted to say.

The streets were quiet, they were particularly empty at this early hour. Occasionally, a taxi would pass by them, deliberately slowing down to see if they needed a cab.

Xia Feng, holding Yu Dong’s hand, walked along the straight road aimlessly.

“I haven’t gone out walking like this for a long time.” Xia Feng suddenly said. “It’s so quiet!”

“Do you like the silence?” Yu Dong asked.

“It feels calm!” Xia Feng thought that he could somewhat enjoy this kind of tranquility.

“But I don’t like it very much.” Yu Dong looked at the distant neon signs, her voice a little bleak, “It makes me feel lonely.”

She didn’t know why, but at this moment Yu Dong felt a heavy sense of desolation. She felt like a lost bird, trying to find its way home, like a wanderer who had been away for a long time.

Tightening his hold on Yu Dong’s hand, Xia Feng turned towards her and said,  “I’ll accompany you.”

“Un!” It might’ve been because her past life was tainting her current emotions, but Yu Dong’s answer was somewhat strained.

“Today the hospital asked us to submit the duty sheet for the upcoming New Year’s holiday.” Xia Feng changed the topic, “I’m not going to be on duty this year.”

Yu Dong brightened at this. “Then you can relax and rest.”

“Yeah!” Xia Feng nodded, then asked her carefully, “So…can we take this chance and visit my father-in-law and mother-in-law?”

Yu Dong froze at this. Her eyes widened in shock and there was some joy, but her expression also held a complex look as she gazed at Xia Feng.

“What’s wrong?” Xia Feng asked softly, “Are you unwilling?”

Yu Dong hurriedly shook her head. “I’ve been waiting for you to take the initiative and mention this yourself.”

This time it was Xia Feng’s turn to be stunned. He was a little guilty as he told Yu Dong: “Sorry, I was being incompetent, I should have asked earlier.”

Yu Dong shook his head again.

“If I forget important things like this in the future, you must remind me.” Xia Feng said.

“I don’t think you’ve properly thought this through!” Yu Dong said. After all, they didn’t get married because they fell in love. Yu Dong wasn’t sure Xia Feng’s feelings for her had reached this level of intimacy.

Properly thought this through? He had always thought that any misgivings he had during the early days of their relationship were well-hidden. Xia Feng now realized that Yu Dong had actually known about them the whole time and simply didn’t pressure him.

Yes, she had always been mindful to the feelings of the people around her; trying to do what she wants to do but never forcing her ideals unto others.

“Yu Dong, you know…is there anything you want to ask me?” Xia Feng held both of Yu Dong’s hands and looked at her in the eye.

Perhaps his warm hands tightly holding hers gave her the necessary courage.

“You…do you like me?” Yu Dong asked, her eyes stormy.

Ever since Yu Dong realized that she really liked Xia Feng, she had become more and more afraid to ask this question. If he answered no, Yu Dong can no longer stay at his side.

She was so afraid that she would end up experiencing her past life again.

Her rebirth made Yu Dong’s body younger, but her soul was still scarred by 10 years’ worth of loneliness. Sometimes, as a person grows older, they become more and more fragile!