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墨書 Inktalez
Lin Xu stood at the entrance of Nanjing Dapaidang, took a deep breath, and pushed the door open. The familiar aroma enveloped her, stirring countless memories within her.
"Lin Xu! Over here!" sister Ling ’s voice called from a corner, breaking her reverie.
Lin Xu smiled and walked over, taking a seat across from sister Ling. "Long time no see, sister Ling."
sister Ling looked Lin Xu up and down, exclaiming, "Wow, after ten years, you’ve become even more beautiful. I heard you’re doing well in Beijing?"
Lin Xu chuckled softly, about to respond when sister Ling ’s phone suddenly rang. She glanced at it, surprise flashing across her face.
"Look who it is!" sister Ling handed the phone to Lin Xu. "Ye Feng, remember him?"
Lin Xu's heart skipped a beat as she forced herself to remain calm while taking the phone. On the screen was a photo of Ye Feng with an unfamiliar woman, both looking quite close.
"Oh, it’s him," Lin Xu said, striving to keep her voice steady. "How is he doing now?"
sister Ling replied excitedly, "I heard he’s doing great in Shanghai. This is his new girlfriend; she’s really pretty."
Lin Xu nodded silently as she returned the phone to sister Ling. She felt something churning inside her but couldn’t quite identify the emotion.
"Hey, Lin Xu," sister Ling suddenly lowered her voice. "I saw on your Weibo that you’re still secretly following Ye Feng. It’s been ten years; why haven’t you contacted him?"
Lin Xu froze for a moment before shaking her head with a smile. "No need for that; we’re not friends anymore."
sister Ling pressed on, "Oh come on! I can tell you’ve been thinking about him all these years. Why not reach out?"
Lin Xu's smile faltered as her heart raced. " sister Ling, don’t say that. We’ve long since moved on; we each have our own lives now."
sister Ling sighed. "Lin Xu, you’re just too strong-willed. Sometimes in matters of the heart, you need to let your guard down."
Lin Xu lowered her gaze to the teacup on the table and whispered, " sister Ling, some things are better left in the past."
Back home, Lin Xu lay in bed tossing and turning, unable to sleep. sister Ling's words felt like a thorn embedded in her heart. She took out her phone and inexplicably opened Ye Feng's Weibo.
The latest post featured him with that girl, captioned: "Every day with you is the best." Lin Xu stared at the photo, a mix of emotions swirling within her.
"Ye Feng, you’re doing so well now," Lin Xu murmured to herself. "And what about me? What am I doing?"
She scrolled through her own social media feed filled with images of overtime work, social gatherings, and various events. Suddenly it dawned on her that for all these years she had been working tirelessly to prove she was better off than Ye Feng. Yet now she felt an overwhelming sense of emptiness and failure.
"What am I even trying to prove?" Lin Xu buried her face in her pillow as tears streamed uncontrollably down her cheeks.
The next morning, Lin Xu submitted her resignation letter. She decided to return to her hometown and reevaluate her life.
Upon arriving home, Lin Xu found her father drunk again, sprawled on the sofa fast asleep. She sighed and was about to head to the kitchen to prepare dinner when her father suddenly woke up.
"What are you back for?" her father asked drunkenly. "Don't you have a high-paying job in Beijing?"
Lin Xu took a deep breath and replied calmly, "I quit my job. I want to come back and rest for a while."
"Quit?" Her father sat up abruptly. "Have you lost your mind? You just walk away from such a good job?"
"Dad, I'm really tired," Lin Xu tried to explain. "I need time to think..."
"Think about what?" her father interrupted. "Do you think you're still eighteen? At your age, you're still pondering life?"
A surge of anger welled up inside Lin Xu. "And what about you? You spend every day drunk and dreaming— is that the life you want?"
As soon as the words left her mouth, Lin Xu regretted them. Her father's face turned an ashen shade, and he staggered to his feet, pointing a shaky finger at her. "You ungrateful girl! How did I raise such an ungrateful wretch?"
Lin Xu turned and ran into her room, slamming the door behind her. She leaned against it, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably.
"Why? Why has my life turned out this way?" she murmured to herself, feeling an overwhelming sense of confusion and despair.
At that moment, her gaze fell on an old box on her desk. It contained items from her high school days, something she had carried with her but rarely opened.
Lin Xu walked over and gently opened the box. Inside were some old photographs and letters. She picked up a photo of herself with Ye Feng at their high school graduation. The two of them were smiling brightly, as if the whole world belonged to them.
"Ye Feng..." Lin Xu whispered, memories flooding back like a tide.
She recalled a conversation they had during high school. They had just finished an exam and were sitting on the steps by the playground.
"Lin Xu, what do you want to do in the future?" Ye Feng had asked.
After thinking for a moment, she replied, "I want to be a writer and tell stories that touch people's hearts."
Ye Feng laughed. "Then I must be your first reader."
"Really?" Lin Xu had asked in surprise.
"Of course," Ye Feng said earnestly. "Let's promise each other that ten years from now, no matter where we are or what we do, we'll support each other's dreams."
Looking at the photo now, Lin Xu suddenly realized that she had been running away all these years. She had avoided her dreams, avoided her feelings for Ye Feng, and even avoided facing her own heart.
"I can't keep living like this," Lin Xu wiped away her tears and made up her mind.
The next day, Lin Xu told her father that she had decided to switch majors and apply for graduate school in the Chinese Department at Peking University.
"Are you crazy?" Her father looked at her in disbelief. "You want to give up finance to study literature? Do you think you're still eighteen?"
Lin Xu took a deep breath and said firmly, "Dad, I know you're worried about me. But I don't want to live under that kind of pressure anymore. I want to follow my heart and do what I truly love."
Her father remained silent for a long time before finally letting out a sigh. "Have you really thought this through?"
Lin Xu nodded. "Yes, I’ve made up my mind."
Seeing the determination in his daughter's eyes, her father suddenly felt a wave of pride and comfort wash over him. He patted Lin Xu on the shoulder. "Then go ahead; your dad supports you."
Lin Xu was moved to tears and hugged her father tightly.
A few months later, Lin Xu began her new life as a student. She felt as if she had been reborn, filled with passion and anticipation every day.
On New Year's Day, Lin Xu accompanied her cousin to watch a school performance. While they were looking for their seats, Lin Xu suddenly heard a familiar voice.
"Next, let’s welcome our distinguished alumnus, Ye Feng, to share his learning experiences with us."
Lin Xu's heart raced as she looked up and saw the familiar figure on stage. Ye Feng stood confidently, smiling as he began his speech.
Lin Xu sat there in a daze, listening to Ye Feng speak eloquently. It suddenly dawned on her that all these years, she had never truly let go of her feelings for him.
"Lin Xu, are you okay?" her cousin asked with concern.
Snapping back to reality, Lin Xu forced a smile. "I’m fine; just... reminiscing about some old times."
After the speech concluded, Lin Xu hesitated about whether to say hello. Just then, Ye Feng turned his head, and their eyes met.
Time seemed to freeze at that moment. Lin Xu noticed a flicker of surprise in Ye Feng's eyes before he broke into a gentle smile.
"It’s been a long time, Lin Xu," Ye Feng said softly as he walked over.
Lin Xu felt her heart racing; she took a deep breath and tried to keep her voice steady. "Yes, it has been a long time."
The two stood facing each other, and the ten years that had passed seemed to crystallize in that moment.
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