SES Chapter 33 V2

“I don’t want to delay. I’m sorry, Mu Dai. I was supposed to drive you back myself, but I might…”

“No, no—it’s fine!” she cut in quickly. “Health comes first. I’ll just head back with Yiwansan and Cao Yanhua.”

“That’s probably best. Anyway… I’m really glad I met you, Mu Dai.”

Glad? Mu Dai didn’t feel glad at all. She looked up at the stars. If she looked down now, she’d cry.

The camels stopped, and the lantern flicked back on. Where were they? She didn’t know. Somewhere in this dry, lonely desert.

“Mu Dai, let’s take a break.”

She gave a quiet “mm” and mechanically dismounted. Her feet sank deep into the sand. Luo Ren patted the camel’s back, and both animals knelt obediently, steam rising from their breath. In this vast, cold desert, they were like warm, living armchairs.

Mu Dai leaned against one and pressed her face to its fur. The roughness scraped her cheek raw.

Luo Ren sat beside her, smiling. “What happened to all your energy?”

“I guess I’m tired.”

She didn’t want to look at him. Didn’t want to see his warm, cheerful smile while he talked so casually about the future—Ping Ting’s surgery, her recovery, how she’d get better and better.

Her nose stung. “I need to go back to Yunnan. I need to pack. Let’s go home.”

She stood up and took a couple of steps before suddenly being yanked back, collapsing into the sand.

Luo Ren was gripping her arm, his voice strange. “Why are you upset?”

Why did he have to ask?

Mu Dai was lost. After a moment, she muttered, “I guess… riding camels is tiring.”

“It’s not that. It’s not the cold or the wind. Why are you upset?”

He was still asking!

Mu Dai’s eyes were red. “Because as a friend, hearing someone say you’ll probably never meet again, of course it makes me sad…”

“You don’t have to keep saying ‘as a friend,’ or ‘from a friend’s perspective.’ I know we’re friends.”

Her voice wavered with frustration. “Then what should I say? You’re the one with no emotional awareness, cheerfully saying we won’t see each other again! Any friend would be upset hearing that. And you still have to ask why?”

There it was again. Friend.

Luo Ren took a deep breath. “Alright. Let me ask you another way.”

“…Do you want to see me again?”

The wind seemed to stop. The lantern glowed softly and dreamily. That same feeling came over her, like when he’d ruffled her hair.

Mu Dai bit her lip. After a long silence, she whispered, “Do you want to see me again?”

“…Yes.”

Oh…

Mu Dai lowered her head again. A long pause. Then, “Then… I guess I do too.”

“What if I said I didn’t want to?”

This time, she answered quickly. “Then neither do I.”

Luo Ren burst out laughing. After a moment, he reached over, took her hand, and placed a key into her palm.

“I rented a whole house in Lijiang,” he said. “I’ve been wondering if I should keep it or let it go. If everyone wants to see each other again, then Lijiang would be a great place for Ping Ting to recover too.”

“Of course, if you decide you’re too lazy to see me again, then do me a favor and return the place for me. It’s near Aunt Hong’s bar. As a friend, that’s not too much to ask, is it?”

…

Back at the hospital, Uncle Zheng was busy packing. Luo Ren had instructed him to transfer Ping Ting as soon as possible, so everything they’d brought into the room the day before had to be packed up again.

Halfway through, something flashed gold in front of his eyes.

What was that?

Uncle Zheng rubbed his eyes and slowly walked over to Ping Ting’s bedside.

There, in her hand, something was clenched tight. A tiny glint of gold chain peeked out between her fingers.