Chapter 8: Houhai
Houhai
Xia Yang brought Qing Tian to his heavy motorcycle, handed her a helmet, and said with a raised eyebrow, “Put it on!”
Qing Tian looked at the helmet with some surprise, hesitating to take it.
Xia Yang didn’t wait for her reaction, directly stuffed it into her arms, then straddled the bike, started the throttle, and the motorcycle roared in place.
Qing Tian felt a little depressed. It seemed Xia Yang never asked for her opinion on anything he did, just doing whatever he pleased!
She stood there with a displeased expression, staring intently at Xia Yang. Xia Yang, looking at her like a sulking wife in the car mirror, curled the corners of his mouth upwards, his charming eyes forming beautiful arcs.
Qing Tian eventually relented and put on the helmet, straddling the bike. Before she could even get settled, the bike sped off. Terrified, she quickly wrapped her arms around Xia Yang’s waist, closing her eyes, afraid to open them! All she could hear were the buzzing of the motorcycle engine and the rushing sound of the wind!
Once she got used to it, she lifted her head and opened her eyes. She looked at the receding scenery around her, her hair fluttering in the wind, tangled like the vines of worry in her heart! It was all so confusing…
She then turned her gaze back to the boy in front of her, and cautiously rested her head on him. As she closed her eyes again, all she could see was Ji Xiangyu holding milk tea and looking at her!
These past few days, Ji Xiangyu had appeared before her unexpectedly, and each appearance had shaken her mind and body!
The whistling wind pulled her thoughts down and down. Coupled with Xia Yang’s sudden acceleration, Qing Tian momentarily cast all her worries aside. Following the rapid forward motion of the bike, the unprecedented thrill made her scream!
Qing Tian yelled loudly, clinging to Xia Yang’s back. At this moment, she desperately wanted to release the turmoil in her heart!
Xia Yang sensed Qing Tian’s scream through his back, his heart sank. He increased the horsepower, accelerating the bike even faster. The motorcycle sped along the empty road.
Qing Tian’s hands tightly gripped Xia Yang’s waist, experiencing a sense of speed she had never been able to feel before!
The motorcycle stopped at Houhai. Xia Yang took off his helmet, glanced at Qing Tian, and then walked towards the pier!
Qing Tian stood there, watching Xia Yang’s receding back. She couldn’t help but sigh inwardly, thinking that Xia Yang was a man with a story! And she, definitely, had even more stories!
The sea breeze, carrying a salty scent, blew onto her face. Her long hair danced in the wind as she squinted and followed Xia Yang!
This wasn’t her first time at Houhai, but it was the first time she had come with such a mood!
They say the vastness of the sea can relax one’s mind and body. After the speed and passion just now, she truly felt a sense of lightness!
Walking closer to Xia Yang, she sat down beside him. As soon as she sat down, Xia Yang started talking to himself!
He said, “No matter how bad my mood was in the past, I could figure everything out after staying here for a while!”
Qing Tian gazed at the boundless sea, facing the sea breeze, closed her eyes, and felt the cleansing of the wind. Then she slowly said, “This place can indeed separate one from the mundane world! Abandon everything…”
Xia Yang also closed his eyes, feeling the coolness of the sea breeze as it blew past.
After a long while, he said, “Abandon everything…”
It was as if he was answering Qing Tian’s question, or perhaps sighing to himself.
Time is like sand between one’s fingers; the harder you try to hold onto it, the faster it slips away! Unknowingly, the dim red hue of dusk began to paint the sea breeze, and the sun slowly sank on the other side of the sea.
Qing Tian held out her hand, looking at the moment the sun set through the gap between her middle and index fingers!
Xia Yang turned his head and gazed intently at the faint smile that spread across Qing Tian’s lips. Though subtle, it was enough to be endlessly memorable and unforgettable!
On the way back, it started to rain. Qing Tian thought that she and the rain had a special connection these past few days.
When she was little, she would always ask her grandmother why she was named Qing Tian. She felt a more gentle name would suit her better; Qing Tian was too sunny and didn’t fit her!
Grandmother always said, “Our Qing Tian must always face the direction of the sun, and live a happy and cheerful life!”
Later, Grandmother passed away, and she moved in with her Grandfather at her Uncle’s house. At that time, she was in elementary school and often asked her Grandfather why her mother had abandoned her and where her father had gone.
Grandfather would always wipe the tears from his face with his weathered hands. Qing Tian never got an answer from her Grandfather, and from then on, she never asked anyone about her parents, never mentioning anything about them!
Some tears are meant to be shed inwardly, some words are meant to be kept buried, and some memories are meant to be hidden away!
