Volume 1: The Ivory Tower's Happy Life Chapter 71: This Farewell is a Different Path

  The time pointed to 9:30, the fleet stopped in the parking lot of the airport, and a group from the municipal party committee, municipal government, and cultural department saw off the Zuo family. The newly built airport in this second-tier city was not large, and the farewell crowd filled the entrance. Accompanied by his two daughters, Zuo Nan was in high spirits, shaking hands with each of the city leaders to bid farewell. This time, it was a happy ending for both the host and the guest. The "Charm of Luzhou" project at the Folk Culture Museum, combined with the Tianji Aluminum Zinc Processing Project, had delighted several city leaders so much that they couldn't close their mouths.

  Zuo Xiying occasionally glanced around in the crowd, even tiptoeing to search for someone among the people entering and exiting the waiting hall. After several attempts, she still didn't see the person, feeling disappointed. Even after passing security checks, there was no sign of the person, and Zuo Xiying's disappointment turned to despair. Zuo Nan noticed his daughter's changing expression and subtly shook his head, thinking that this young girl's affairs were truly unpredictable.

  After passing the security check, they almost passed by in a daze. Entering the waiting hall, the noise of the crowd subsided slightly. Daughters Zuo Xirong and company staff had just helped Old Zuo sit down to wait when they suddenly spotted something unusual. From afar, at a bookstand in the waiting hall, wearing a white shirt and jeans, looking neat and tidy, Shan Yong was waving at him with an air of foolishness, as if he had been waiting for a long time.

  Zuo Xi Hong smiled and pulled her sister who was looking around everywhere, pointing and saying: "Isn't he coming? Look how anxious you are."

  Huh? As she turned her head, Li Xuan's worried expression gradually melted into a heartfelt smile, but the smile slowly solidified into a pouting anger. This guy, how did he get through security and sneak into the waiting area, making me worry for a while.

  They rushed towards each other, almost colliding, but the same awkwardness made them both stop in their tracks. Li Xiangying furrowed her brow, looking at Shan Yong's unfamiliar outfit, and smiled as she asked, "How did you get in?"

  "Haha, I have a classmate who does business here, he brought me in." Shuang Yong said with a smile. Looking at Zuo Xiying's long hair tied up and wearing a cowboy outfit, looking very refreshing, the two of them burst out laughing, it turns out they were dressed like a pair of cowboys.

  Every time we meet, there are many things to say, but when it's time to part, I don't know what to say. Perhaps neither of us is ready to start a relationship, nor are we prepared to deal with this separation. When our eyes meet, it seems like there are thousands of words to be said, yet both of us remain silent.

  He smiled and said, "Wait a minute, I'll give you a gift." He turned around and went back to the familiar bookstall, picked up something, and left Huiying looking at him in surprise. A hat and a bag, both shining brightly, were quite eye-catching. When he ran back, Shanyong smiled and put the hat on Huiying's head, and the bag was hung over his sister's shoulder. He looked at the effect with a smile, which was really not bad.

  Zuo Xiying wore a hat and couldn't see herself, but she could see the package. She touched it and asked in surprise: "Huh? Is this made of straw?"

  "Hmm, I made it, a limited global edition of Hermès." said Danyou proudly.

  Zuo Xiying burst out laughing, her eyes sparkling with delight. She took a closer look at the small package, which was half-shoulder length. One side of the bag had a floral pattern made from straw, while the other side had a "z" shaped logo - obviously an abbreviation of her surname. If it weren't for the material, the overall design looked like a genuine Hermès version. Zuo Xiying's eyes widened in surprise as she glanced at Shan Yong, whose expression was also one of suppressed laughter. Shan Yong explained, "This is the number one knockoff version, specially customized for Miss Zuo Xiying. Are you satisfied?"

  "It's barely passable, I suppose this embroidered diamond pattern should be just enough." Zuo Xiying said on purpose, pointing at the flower case and picking out flaws.

  "We don't produce diamonds here, do we? If we had such a local specialty, I would have embroidered it for you long ago." Danyong smiled and held back his laughter, then asked enthusiastically: "What about the hat?"

  Zuo Xiying took it off, and her eyes moved slightly. It wasn't just a simple weave, but rather like the unique brocade weaving of Luzhou, with layers of flower patterns on the hat's brim, showing great care and effort. Suddenly, she grasped Danyong's hand, which was calloused at the fingertips from pulling the loom. Danyong awkwardly withdrew his hand, and Zuo Xiying asked in a low tone: "Did you weave it last night?"

  "Hmm, otherwise I wouldn't be able to catch up with you. Wear it, or else your popularity will be too high when you turn back." Shuang Yong said with a smile.

  "I hate it, stop teasing me." Zuo Xiying rebuked, but Shan Yong was delighted to put it on her head. Looking at the eager, lingering, and reluctant eyes of Shan Yong, she finally couldn't hold back her passion. In an instant, she wrapped her arms around Shan Yong. Shan Yong was taken aback, looking at those fiery eyes, as if all thoughts had stopped, as if all distances had disappeared, leaving only one thing:

  Gently, come and kiss me.

  Just in this small waiting room, just as he was about to leave, the sudden tenderness made Dan Yong feel a little less anxious, but only for an instant, and then he also hugged his long-awaited sister, kissing her heavily.

  Kissing, like savoring the delicate and fragrant petals of a flower that is not an earthly flower, but a tender and charming flower, a passionate flower. Shan Yu stroked the soft and boneless shoulders and waist, embracing his beloved Shifu, in that intoxicating feeling that seeped into his heart, he wandered and indulged.

  Not many people in the waiting room, but quite a few people kept their distance from this couple, afraid of disturbing their passionate love.

  As they kissed, Li Xiang felt as if she was drifting in a dream-like state, half asleep and half awake. The thick lips and the invasive tongue seemed to surpass any delicious taste she had ever savored. The strong and solid arms were a sense of reliance she had never felt before. Perhaps this was the wonder of love, feeling like everything she could imagine, possessing it, replacing everything.

  Kissing, so passionate, even the onlookers had a certain woman subconsciously licking her lips, what a wet kiss. So invested. Until they heard the boarding announcement and slowly let go, the two bumped heads, and in Shuang's eyes, he saw his senior sister's gaze was a kind of shy intoxication, dazed, couldn't help but hold that delicate face, as if wanting to carve this smile forever into his eyes, leaving it in his heart. At this moment, being close to one's dreams was so near, a thousand words and phrases, all transformed into the dense love intention in each other's eyes.

  "Alas..." From a distance, he glanced to the southwest without looking and sighed, stood up and said with a smile to his eldest daughter: "A girl is not allowed to stay at home when she grows up."

  "Dad, isn't this good?" Zuo Xi Rong smiled and looked at the affectionate couple, helping her father up and calling out to her little sister. The shy Zuo Xi Ying and Shan Yong walked over hand in hand. Zuo Nan Xia smiled and said: "I didn't say it was bad, but we should pay attention to our image. I've been a romantic all my life, but I've never been so open about it."

  "Dad..." Zuo Xiying came up, coquettishly scolding him for a moment, supporting her father's arm, while Shan Yong foolishly followed behind. As they approached the ticket gate, Zuo Nan turned his head back and smiled: "Young man, you think it's easy to take my daughter away? Not that simple."

  "I'll try my best," said Shan Yong, which made the two women from the Zuo family burst out laughing.

  "Alright, when you've tried your best to satisfy me, then you'll have a chance." Zuo Nanxia laughed and teased Shuang Yong, who blushed bright red and didn't know how to respond. Zuo Xixi turned back, seemingly unable to bear it, and lightly kissed Shuang Yong's forehead. She took off the string of pearls from her wrist and put it on Shuang Yong's, waving goodbye as she walked into the corridor, disappearing from view while still making gestures with her hands and mouthing something. Suddenly, Shuang Yong understood: she was saying "be sure to call me..." He smiled and nodded in agreement.

  The person disappeared, the plane took off, although it was a farewell, there was no feeling of desolation. With excitement, he turned around and said goodbye to his friend who had brought him in, exited the airport through the ground staff entrance, got on his bike, and happily rode back to school...

  …………………

  …………………

  Cried when I went to school and left home.

  When I graduated and left school, I cried.

  For the students who have not experienced many things, they can't help but express their emotions with tears at this moment. The bus heading to Linfen and Yuncheng has just stopped in front of the dormitory building, and a burst of crying sounds has already erupted. It's the brothers sleeping on the upper and lower bunks embracing each other, unable to bear the separation; it's the sisters who have sat together at the same desk, holding hands and sobbing uncontrollably.

  "Take care, call me when you get home."

  "Take care of yourself too, come visit us when you have time."

  "I really didn't think it would be graduation so soon..."

  "Take care along the way..."

  A group of boys surrounded a classmate who was about to leave, and the girls also came down. When they met, their eyes were red and on the verge of tears. The farewell ceremony was in progress when Lei Dapeng drove up in his Honda, stopped the car, and opened the back door. Wang Huating got out from the passenger seat, and both of them carried a drink each, calling out to Zhao Hui's Li Baochun to bring some snacks from the trunk. They moved everything onto the bus, but Lei Dapeng looked unimpressed, shouting at his classmates: "What are you crying about? You're going home, not to your grandma's house! What's there to cry about?"

  This remark ruined the good atmosphere, and no one was polite today. Originally not provoking Lei Dapeng, he suddenly punched out a sentence: "You heartless and ruthless guy." He kicked again and scolded another sentence: "You damn it, you have no feelings with everyone."

  Someone else kicked, but Lei Ge pointed and said "Teacher Ren is here." Everyone turned around, and Lei Da Peng quickly slipped away from the crowd. It was a false statement, but unexpectedly, Ren Qun and Department Head Wang Hengbin really came from afar. Half of the students had already arrived, and another commotion broke out as a group of students surrounded Teacher Ren and Department Head Wang, mostly girls with tears in their eyes. Ren Qun's eyes were soft, as he patted this one and that one, his eyes red as he cried along with the female students. The unspeakable words all converged into a single phrase: "Take care!"

  "Take care along the way."

  At the back of the car, Wang Huating's eyes were red, holding the hand of class monitor Ding Yizhi. Ding Yizhi was still so serious, but with a hint of sadness in his tone, he turned around and looked at the class, saying softly: "You take care too, I'm lucky to have met you in college."

  "I'm the same, but luck is also misfortune, after all it's still goodbye." Wang Huating forced a smile, feeling quite desolate.

  "If I could meet you again, I would have the courage to say it." Ding Yizhi carried his things and finally said it after four years. Wang Huating smiled and said: "Thank you, actually I'm not worth your effort."

  "He's even less worthy of you like this." Ding Yizhi said, carrying his luggage onto the bus, with a very complicated look in his eyes. Wang Huating was slightly stunned, knowing that "he" wasn't referring to Lei Dapeng, that was just a joke. But if it was referring to him, perhaps the class monitor had already known who it was in her heart.

  But what can be done, the whistle sounded, the second brother got on the bus, Ren Qun's head teacher was in tears, shaking hands and sending him off, "take care" repeating over and over again. This scene is heart-wrenching, even Lei Dapeng was deeply moved, sniffling his nose, almost bursting into tears, wiping his eyes. Someone pulled on his sleeve from behind, when he turned around, he didn't know when Dan Yong had arrived. Lei Dapeng was unhappy, glaring at the usually admired Egg Brother and scolding: "Heartless, no feelings... a cold-blooded animal."

  "I sent him away, and I didn't delay, isn't he gone yet?" Dan Yong explained, but unexpectedly, the smug expression on his face at this time was not quite matching the scene. As the car drove away, his cheerful tone had not dissipated, even Si Mu Xian was displeased, saying: "Boss, you should at least put on a bitter face, what's making you so happy?"

  "Am I happy? No, I'm not."

  Shan Yong stared with his eyes, explaining, but still reeling from the passionate and wet kiss with his senior sister. His smile and raised eyebrows made everyone feel uncomfortable, and several people snorted in disdain. Usually, during group activities, he would appear at the beginning but not at the end, and this time was no exception. When it was time to disperse, Zhao Hui, Li Baochun, Chen Fulai, and Wang Hengbin left together, while their class advisor, Ren Qun, went to the girls' dormitory to see other students. Lei Dapeng and Si Muxian sat in the car, and Shan Yong suddenly realized he was being isolated. He called out to the last familiar figure wearing a floral dress, but immediately regretted it. Wang Huating turned around, her expressionless face asking, "Are you sure you didn't mistake me for someone else?"

  It's so cold, that voice made Dan Yong feel a little nervous, and he said with a hint of annoyance: "What's wrong, it seems like everyone is targeting me today?"

  "You said it was ten o'clock, but you're late again." Wang Huating said. As soon as she mentioned this, Shan Yong pouted, but unexpectedly Wang Huating asked another question: "Did she leave?"

  "Hmm." Shan Yong nodded, his eyes suddenly wide open, this tacit understanding was really not great.

  Two people from being close to becoming distant, it's probably because of this reason. It's hard to hide anything when you're with an astonishing beauty like Sister Wang, let alone someone as showy as Shan Yong. But this reason is precisely the inexplicable one. At this moment, facing Wang Hua Ting's clear eyes, Shan Yong suddenly felt a kind of fearful timidity, and the scenes from Cuoma Township flashed through his mind, making him feel deeply ashamed.

  At a loss for words, Wang Hua-ting smiled and said, "I thought you'd come up with some excuses, but I didn't expect you to be too lazy to even tell lies."

  "What's wrong with that, I just like her, so I went to the airport to see her off." Shanyong said, looking at Wang Huating, but not knowing which nerve was misplaced, and added another sentence: "I also like you, if you leave, I'll go see you off too."

  "I'm so honored, it seems I really can't forget you." Wang Huating said with a smile. Xian Yong looked at her expression and thought she was being flirtatious, but unexpectedly, Wang Huating's face turned frosty again, and she said lightly: "Don't misunderstand, my meaning is, I never planned to remember you in the first place."

  With a single word, Dan Yong's eyes widened in shock. He flicked his energetic horse tail and shouted to Lei Da Peng: "Da Peng, go get a few more boxes of drinks!"

  "Alright, you're coming too." Le Dapeng started the car and pulled Si Mu Xian back in, then picked up Wang Hua Ting. He reversed the car and playfully let out a fart on Dan Yong's butt before laughing loudly and driving away. To be honest, Egg Brother had been neglecting his brothers lately, not going fishing with them several times when invited, which made Le Dapeng complain more than once.

  This time, Dan Yong was really annoyed, standing stupidly in place for a long time. Perhaps the position in one's heart is not that big after all. Once you let go of one person, you can't let go of another. These days, he couldn't stop thinking about his teacher sister day and night. Only now did he realize that he had neglected the feelings he unintentionally developed for Wang Huating in Cai Ma Xiang. The result didn't need verification; Wang Huating's attitude already told him all the answers.

  I was stunned for a long time, but when I saw the pearl on my wrist, I couldn't help but put it to my lips and kiss it, and then smiled to myself. It seems that my skills in flirting with girls have regressed, in high school I could handle two or three at the same time, now I'm so flustered by just one. But maybe this is a good thing.

  The result of no result is often the result of university love affairs.

  At an unintentional moment, he looked up at the sky again, and couldn't help but whisper his senior sister's name repeatedly. He didn't know if Zuo Xiying on the plane was thinking of him with the package she carefully made for him. In the vastness, there seemed to be a thread of thought that could make up for all the disappointment brought by separation.

  Another two buses were sent to Jinbei, and in the end, only local students and two teachers who were not in good spirits were left. They dispersed gloomily, one by one. Lei Dapeng took a car full of people to see them off, leaving Dan Yong alone, pushing his bike. He rode back to the school gate, feeling a bit reluctant to leave. From the dormitory where he had lived for four years, he went to the playground where he had played for four years, and then to the tiered classroom where he hadn't attended many classes. Under the sculpture, he stood in thought for a long time. It wasn't until much later that he walked out of the school gate along the shaded road. The people had dispersed, and the cars had driven far away. Perhaps not long from now, there will be many unfamiliar faces added here, and everything that happened before will gradually be forgotten.

  Everyone has left, and I should leave too. As Dan Yong got on the bus, he inexplicably turned his head to take one last look at his alma mater. For this school that he had complained about countless times, there was an unprecedented sense of nostalgia in his eyes. When he turned back around, the streets were like a shuttle weaving through the crowds, and his disordered thoughts made him feel lost, adding another layer of confusion to his nostalgia.

  The way back home is right in front of me, but I don't know where the road of life that I'm about to step on is leading...