translated_Chapter 103

103: Couldn’t Find Us on the Marriage Tree, So I Hung Another One

“Qiu Ci, do you remember the last time we celebrated the New Year and went to the marriage tree?”

“I remember.” At that time, Jing Yueming insisted on hanging one, and Qiu Ci later went to great lengths to find it and take it down.

“After you left, I went there again, but I couldn’t find it, so I hung another one. Let’s find a marriage tree again this year.” Jing Yueming obviously didn’t know that Qiu Ci had taken it down in the first place.

“Still hanging them?”

“Yeah, oh right, there’s something else you don’t know.”

“What is it?”

“I’ll tell you when the New Year’s Eve comes.”

The two chatted to stay up late.

Around midnight, the fireworks outside the window became active and noisy.

“Happy New Year, Qiu Ci, you said you use the Spring Festival to calculate your birthday, happy birthday!” Jing Yueming was really as happy as a child.

“Happy New Year to you too. So, what did Little Jing want to say?”

The corners of Jing Yueming’s mouth curved up in a smile: “Happy New Year, Mr. Maple Leaf.”

It was the content of the letter, and also a sentence Jing Yueming said to the outside of the window that year.

“Happy New Year.”

“Mr. Maple Leaf.”

“Qiu Ci, it took me a long, long time to remember that one year, a Porsche was often parked downstairs in my building, it looked like your car.” Jing Yueming said, “Do you know how I found out?”

“How did you find out?” Qiu Ci had a pretty deep impression of those days.

“It was after we separated. I went downstairs to the apartment building, and I suddenly wanted to look up. That position just happened to see my balcony, such a good position. It was empty, and I remembered that there seemed to be a strange car here.”

So, after separating, he went to the marriage tree and the apartment they shared: “Where else did you go?”

“While studying in Italy, during my break, I also went to Paris, to the business school, to the post office. The French guy was tall and thin, with a handlebar mustache. He saw that I was Chinese and asked if that pile of letters was mine? I said, I wrote them, and I’ll write many, many more, and let him pack them up in a box.”

“Where else will you go in the future?”

Jing Yueming stopped talking, thinking in his heart: I’m not going anywhere, I’m staying by your side.

The New Year was over, and Zhang’s mother still made dumplings during the first month.

“In a few days, you and Little Jing will be leaving. There’s an old saying: dumplings for departure, noodles for arrival.” Zhang’s mother clapped the flour off her hands and said to Qiu Ci, “Your Uncle Li is leaving tomorrow, eat together.”

Uncle Li picked up a dumpling: “We Southerners don’t pay attention to this, it’s generally Northerners who like to eat it.”

Li Yuhang didn’t like it, so she boiled him a bowl of wontons separately.

Jing Yueming nodded: “Qiu Ci and I both like to eat dumplings.”

Qiu Ci really liked this little thing.

He ate a few more because he was greedy.

After Li Yuhang finished his wontons, he started playing games.

Uncle Li’s expression was close to anger, Qiu Ci said, “Yuhang, do you still want to play the piano?”

The child playing the game didn’t have time to speak, and Uncle Li couldn’t stand it anymore: “Qiu-gege asked you a question, you’re just playing games all day long.”

“Hey… I want to, old man.” Li Yuhang’s tone was full of perfunctoriness.

Qiu Ci didn’t say anything more.

Jing Yueming could see that Qiu Ci wanted to help him, but unfortunately this kid didn’t take the opportunity.

“What are you laughing at?” Qiu Ci asked Jing Yueming.

“Ah?” Jing Yueming finally reacted.

The next day, Uncle Li left.

Jing Yueming woke up and didn’t see Qiu Ci. He occasionally went out for a walk in the morning.

Qiu Ci’s coat wasn’t there either.

“Mom, what time did Qiu Ci go out?” Jing Yueming picked up a cold dumpling on the table and took a bite.

Zhang’s mother glanced at him: “He left with your Uncle Li.”

“Didn’t Uncle Li go to the county seat?”

“That’s right. Qiu Ci also left today, didn’t you know?”

Jing Yueming’s pupils shook violently, and he picked up his coat and was about to leave: “Mom, I’m leaving first too.”

While putting on his shoes, he dialed Qiu Ci’s number, but no one answered.

He called Uncle Li again, and after it was connected, he hurriedly asked: “Uncle Li, did Qiu Ci leave with you?”

“Qiu Ci, he came to the city with me along the way, you talk to him…” Uncle Li directly gave the phone to Qiu Ci.

“Little Jing…”

“Where are you going? Why didn’t you tell me!”

“I… there’s nothing to say.”

“Qiu Ci! Didn’t we agree that I would go with you?”

Qiu Ci was silent for a few seconds: “Stop it, I’m serious.”

“I’m serious too.” Jing Yueming rarely had a domineering force: “If you want to leave, fine, then say goodbye to me.”

“Jing Yueming!”

“Why don’t you dare to say goodbye to me?” Jing Yueming suddenly felt aggrieved again, was he never going to see him again? “Qiu Ci, I’m going to the Netherlands now too, I can definitely find you.”

Qiu Ci didn’t speak, but hung up the phone.

Jing Yueming put on his shoes and went out, found a taxi and went all the way to the airport, called Qiu Ci, showing that it was turned off: “Isn’t boarding this fast?”

It hadn’t even been four hours since the phone call ended.

Jing Yueming changed his flight on the way, but it was for a flight two hours later.

The longer he waited, the more anxious he became, his heart pounding.

He called one after another, but the phone was still turned off. Qiu Ci, don’t move so fast, okay?

In a hurry, he finally called Tsukimi Rin, one of the few common friends Jing Yueming had with Qiu Ci.

Tsukimi Rin answered quickly: “Jing Yueming?” She looked at the caller ID with some surprise.

“It’s me, Tsukimi Rin, Qiu Ci went to the Netherlands…” Jing Yueming’s tone was anxious and worried.

Tsukimi Rin keenly noticed: “…You know?”

“You know too? Do you have connections in the Netherlands? Or what should I do now, he’s so fast, I didn’t keep an eye on him…”

“Don’t worry, don’t worry, it’s more than half a month later, if you buy a plane ticket now, you’ll be there in two or three days.”

“His plane tickets were all changed temporarily, the action there will be faster.”

“No, the date he set is Qiu Shi’s death anniversary, it won’t change.”

That’s right, Qiu Shi’s death anniversary, ah, Ai La also died in the spring, Qiu Ci had planned it well.

Jing Yueming finally found someone he could confide in: “Tsukimi Rin, what should I do… I don’t want Qiu Ci to leave me.”

“Ai…” Tsukimi Rin sighed: “The pressure in his heart, there’s no way, if he wants to do something, no one can stop him.”

“Find a way, point me in the right direction, I really don’t want him to leave.” Jing Yueming had already said everything he could say, but Qiu Ci was too stubborn.

How could a decision made in five years be easily shaken by others?

“Let me think of a way, remember to find Qiu Ci as soon as you get to the Netherlands, contact me again if you can’t find him.”

“Okay.”

After hanging up the phone, Jing Yueming felt a rush of confusion, and went to the bathroom to wash his face with cold water.

What was Qiu Ci thinking when he looked at him?

The person in the mirror had regular features, thick hair, and maintained a good figure.

The twenty-five-year-old young designer, after the fashion trend, had actually been contacted by several big names, but he had refused them all.