Chapter 27: I’m Back
The Chu family’s private jet was manufactured by Shenzhou Aviation. The cabin was 25.45 meters long and 2.01 meters high, with luxurious interiors comparable to a high-end hotel. It even had its own bathroom and bedroom. This was Lu Li’s first time on a private jet. Watching Chu Jingyi expertly open the cabinets, he once again felt the vast class difference between them. Silly Goose excitedly showed him the retractable dining table, the TV remote control, and the smoking area at the end of the corridor, like a child showing off her toys.
In his past life, Chu Jingyi and her family died in a plane crash. Lu Li knew very little about the tragedy. He didn’t have much interaction with Chu Jingyi. One summer night, he saw a forwarded obituary in the class group chat and learned that the serious, even somewhat silly Class Monitor had passed away.
Looking at the beautiful girl in front of him, excitedly holding his hand, Lu Li’s heart ached. He couldn’t let this tragedy happen again.
Through the window, he could overlook the vast land of Shenzhou. The cityscape of Mulan City with its towering buildings became smaller and smaller in his vision, until it turned into a blurry patch of color. Humans had an inexplicable obsession with flying. Even though there was only endless silence and solitude above the stratosphere, people still yearned for romantic and tragic fantasies like Icarus. The clouds were white and fluffy, the sky bluer than what he saw from the ground. If it were upside down, it would be hard to tell whether this was the sky with swirling clouds or a vast ocean with rippling waves. Lu Li had always wanted to try opening the window and feeling the texture of the clouds with his skin. What did clouds feel like? Were they as intangible as water vapor or as soft as sponges?
He and Chu Jingyi were the only passengers on this private jet. Chu Xiaodong stayed in Mulan City to clean up the mess left by the previous administration.
“Yi Bao, do you often fly on this plane?” Lu Li asked worriedly, seeing the wings trembling in the airflow.
Chu Jingyi suddenly covered her mouth and giggled. “Lu Li is such a scaredy-cat. You’re actually afraid of flying…”
“I’m not afraid…”
“Liar Lu Li, your eyebrows are furrowed, how is that not afraid?” Silly Goose seemed proud to have found a weakness of his, her eyes crinkling into crescents as she laughed. “We don’t fly often, maybe once every year or two, for family vacations. Mom keeps saying that the annual maintenance costs are too high and wants to sell this big guy, but we haven’t found a buyer yet.”
Lu Li was indeed afraid, but not of heights. He was afraid that this plane would take Chu Jingyi’s life again.
“Yi Bao, promise me one thing, okay?” Lu Li’s expression was serious, so serious that Silly Goose was a little scared. “Try not to fly anymore, and even if you do, don’t fly on this plane, okay?”
It wasn’t really Lu Li’s place to say this, but Silly Goose still nodded obediently and said, “Okay…” She secretly observed Lu Li’s expression. This was the first time she had seen him look so gloomy. Usually, Lu Li might have a melancholic air, but it was a romantic kind of melancholy, detached from reality. This gloom was more like deep roots clinging to damp soil. Something must have happened that made Lu Li very sad…
Lu Li felt his pinky finger being poked by the girl. He looked down and saw her hooking her pinky finger around his. “If you’re worried, let’s make a pinky promise. I won’t fly anymore. Actually, I’m a little scared too…” She wasn’t afraid of flying at all. She was the most excited one when they boarded the plane. She only said that to reassure Lu Li. It wasn’t a big deal to not fly. After all, there was only one Lu Li.
When you love someone deeply, you can’t help but revolve around them. You think of them first when you encounter something good, and you’re afraid of passing on negative energy when you’re unhappy.
Lu Li’s heart warmed. He held the girl’s delicate hand, but Chu Jingyi suddenly pursed her lips and stared at him silently. Lu Li chuckled. “What’s with that expression?”
Chu Jingyi mumbled, “I’m afraid you’ll, you’ll do that again… I just like you… It doesn’t mean you can just… just kiss me…”
Lu Li felt a sense of embarrassment, as if his intentions had been exposed. He chuckled awkwardly. “Am I that kind of person?”
Chu Jingyi nodded vigorously. Lu Li looked away, a little disappointed. He realized that this girl wasn’t as easy to “fool” as before. The Yi Bao from before would be easily coaxed and become giddy with joy, so silly and adorable. Seeing Lu Li’s disappointment, Chu Jingyi felt a pang of guilt. She mumbled, “If… if you don’t skip class this semester, I’ll let you kiss me once… just once…” After saying that, she was too embarrassed to even lift her head.
Lu Li paused, recalling the sweetness of the girl’s lips, and felt a sense of satisfaction. Just one kiss for not skipping class? It seemed like a good deal.
“Just once?” He had to play along. Lu Li put on a sad face and sighed deeply.
“Sob… Two times at most, no more…” Chu Jingyi’s eyes welled up.
“How about three times?”
“Stop bullying me…” Silly Goose covered her face, unable to lift her head.
It was already four o’clock in the afternoon when they got off the plane. Lu Li said goodbye to Chu Jingyi for the time being and returned to the low-rent district alone, dragging his suitcase. Today was Thursday, so An Baili and Sister Yameng should be at school. An Baili was probably sleeping in class, while Sister Yameng was definitely training hard. After all, she was graduating early in a few months and would be joining the national second team for training. So he only had a few months left to spend with Sister Yameng?
Lu Li paused as he was about to open the door, realizing that the bitterness of growing up came faster than he had imagined. Growing up was a process of separation, separating from family, from oneself, from dreams.
He opened the door and was surprised to find that his room had been completely redecorated. The most eye-catching change was his bedsheet. It used to be light gray, but now it was sky blue. There was a new desk by the bed, with a newly bought desk lamp on it. All the old books and cardboard boxes had been cleared away, and the entire room was clean and tidy.
He opened the wardrobe and found that his spring and summer clothes had been neatly folded by Sister Yameng. There were a few mothballs in the corner of the wardrobe, and a photo was taped to the inside of the door. It was a photo of him and his sister from his second year of middle school. Sister Yameng in the photo was already a beautiful young woman, but the Lu Li in the photo was still a boyish teenager. Puberty was a magical time. In just a few years, a person could undergo earth-shattering changes.
Lu Li put away his suitcase and sent a message to his sister, who was about to finish school:
“I’m back.”
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