Crossing the Clouds and Sky to Fall in Love with You - Chapter 60

The weather was nice today.

I temporarily put my vocal practice and ukulele aside to rush to school for class. Since it was the final semester of my senior year, none of my classes were scheduled for 8 a.m. My earliest class was at most 10 a.m., and after that one session, I could go home and catch up on sleep.

After the trip around the island, I seemed to have rediscovered my love for “writing.” I’ve now gotten into the habit of writing a few words in my notebook every day to record my feelings, occasionally sketching little figures. It’s as if this has become another form of connection between Siqi and me, apart from taking photos… Speaking of which, I’m glad I didn’t impulsively throw away all the notebooks she was planning to clear out; I’ve kept quite a few mementos…

My phone suddenly vibrated. Probably a new message?

I flipped it over to look… it was Saya, the senior student?

Saya: ‘Xiaoxiao, hurry and check the fan page!’ A second message immediately followed after I unlocked the screen. ‘Siqi’s!’ I was about to ask which fan page…

Siqi’s?

I scrolled to my own feed. A few swipes down, and I suddenly discovered—

*

An update?

Siqi’s fan page was updated?

A photograph.

The morning sunlight sprinkled onto a massive airplane wing, staining it with a warm, moist golden sheen. Just this photo, and unusually, without any accompanying text.

Is this… an airport photo? I stared at the posting time: just now, around ten o’clock.

I screamed right there! Right in front of all the classmates and the teacher!

“Classmate, what’s wrong?” The sixty-something-year-old teacher pushed up his glasses, completely startled by my reaction! The other students were the same; their expressions made it seem like they were looking at a psychiatric patient!

“I’m sorry! I—I have something important! I’m sorry!” I covered my mouth, threw everything into my bag, and dashed out of the classroom.

Is this real? Is it real?

Siqi updated her page?

I know she has a habit of scheduling posts… but after an incident nearly three months ago? Why would she schedule a post at such a strange time?

She’s the only administrator of her fan page. Neither I nor Tao Yian could have done this!

So it means she’s back… she’s alive!

Oh my god! I can’t believe it! If she really is back!

It’s already 10:40 a.m. She should be heading back first, right? If she took that photo, it looks like it was around seven or eight at the most. So, based on the time estimate, she must be home now!

I ran back to our room like I was sprinting a hundred meters. It’s been a long time since I ran this fast; I was completely out of breath climbing the stairs, but for the sake of confirming and seeing her sooner, it didn’t matter!

I ran up to the third floor, flung open the room door, and rushed in! “Siqi…”

No one. The room looked exactly as it did when I left.

She’s not back yet? Has she not arrived, or… did she purely set the wrong time for the scheduled post? That can’t be true, can it?

After my hopes were dashed, what awaited me was overwhelming disappointment.

I wiped away my tears and reopened the fan page. Already, concerned netizens were leaving comments underneath, constantly asking: ‘Is it really Chu?’ ‘Is it really Chu?’ ‘Is it really Chu?’ ‘Resurrected?’ ‘Returned from the ordeal! (Confetti)’ and other congratulatory or questioning remarks.

I scrolled through older posts, confirming again that this was her first post in over three months. But… only a photo and no text. It wasn’t like her at all.

“Is it really you?” I murmured to my phone, remembering the paper airplane I had tossed on the riverside lawn.

I stood there stunned for about five minutes, tried sending her a message, but it was still in an offline state. To calm my frantic emotions, I walked into the washroom.

I splashed some cold water on my face, forcing myself to regain some composure.

“Don’t be too optimistic, and don’t be too pessimistic, Yu Xiaoning!” I stared at myself in the mirror, realizing my hands and feet were still trembling from agitation. It wasn’t certain whether she had simply scheduled the post, so I tried my best not to overthink things…

But as I walked out of the bathroom, I distinctly heard the sound of the lock turning.

Once, twice… the door being pulled tightly outward, the instant the lock was opened. My heart seemed to stop.

The door was pushed open.

***

Walking in was a woman who looked so much, so much like Siqi.

She carried the big backpack she’d left home with, a smile gracing her lips as she stepped inside. She was wearing a black, tight-fitting, sleeveless top paired with her usual white, ripped-up denim jeans… a total summer outfit!

“You’re home! That’s great… Just got back to Taiwan, and spring feels so hot here!” She smiled wryly, closed the door, and found an empty spot to put down her pack.

Am I dreaming?

The woman in front of me looks too much like Siqi… I was completely unprepared, and I didn’t know how to react.

I scrutinized her. Compared to the Siqi I remembered, her hair was longer, back to the shoulder-length I first saw her with. Her skin was darker, which accentuated her athletic physique. Her motions while organizing her gear were so familiar and practiced.

“Are… are you Tao Siqi?”

She frowned, glancing at me with a suspicious look. I read the long-unseen indulgence and faint helplessness in her eyes. “Have you not seen your girlfriend for so long that you’ve forgotten what I look like?”

My eyes began to well up. “What’s your birthday?”

“January twenty-seventh.”

“Blood type!”

“AB, of course!”

“What’s your brother’s name? How tall is he? What department is he studying in now?”

She stood up, hands on her hips, with a “are you kidding me” expression, then quickly rushed over and hugged me.

“Is this enough confirmation? I’m Siqi, your Siqi… I’m sorry for making you worry. I’m back. I kept my promise to return to your side.”

It’s real.

Her embrace, it’s her… she has appeared before me, safe and sound, and smiling!

“Siqi… It’s you, it’s you!” I hugged her tightly, as if trying to merge her into my body. “Oh my god! I’m not dreaming, am I? I wondered why I kept dreaming of you! I couldn’t dream of you…” Tears surged, constantly rolling down my cheeks, but… I was so happy I didn’t know how to react—perhaps I couldn’t express it at all.

Oh my god! This… In that instant, I silently thanked every deity I could think of. Thank you for bringing Siqi back—the most important piece of the puzzle in my life. Thank you!

“I dreamed of you often! I kept wanting to contact you, but I couldn’t… You all must have thought the worst, right?” She choked up, gently kissing my hair. “I’m sorry for making you worry, my Xiaoning, I’m sorry…”

My fingers dug into her back; she must have felt the pain, but she didn’t even flinch.

I was still shaking, every cell in my body seemed to be shouting. My love… she’s back!

She proactively lifted my face, and like the most intense, scorching flame, she ignited the purest passion on my lips. She carried me onto the bed. We clung tightly to each other, so close there was not a single gap left. I cried continuously, endlessly, but these were the first tears of joy I had shed in these difficult and distressing three months.

I kissed her, listening to her heartbeat, feeling her warmth, her breath. Only this way could I confirm her existence; she was here, alive, in front of me.

She explained the reason she survived the ordeal. I listened but didn’t understand—in fact, I simply gave up trying to comprehend it. She had indeed experienced an avalanche, but fortunately, her team had not been directly hit by the disaster. Even so, she was stranded on the mountain for several days and was injured during the retreat.

The injured place was none other than her world-traveling feet. She stayed in the guide’s small village to recuperate, and this delay lasted over two months.

“It was difficult even to use electricity there, let alone have internet or external communication. Even the satellite phone failed.”

It wasn’t until ten days ago that she finally packed her bag and rode a mule down the mountain with the traveling villagers. She wasted no extra time and took the fastest flight back to Taiwan.

As soon as she got off the plane, she took that photo with her camera and finally used her computer to upload the update—that’s the origin of the picture.

I gasped, wiping away my tears for the umpteenth time. “So, you didn’t succeed in your challenge, did you?”

“After accidentally falling into a mountain gorge, the only thing I could think of wasn’t whether I could summit, but whether I could come back safely!” She laughed and sighed, kissing me deeply while I was in her arms. Her hand was trembling. “I was afraid I would never see you again.”

“Do you know? I finally, finally accepted the possibility that you might have left; because of that, I went on a trip around the island alone during the winter break… to fulfill our dream and promise.” I bit my lip, tears of relief slipping down my cheeks.

“You went around the island?” She opened her mouth in surprise.

“Yes! With your D90 and my ukulele. It took two weeks to complete a full circle.”

Her eyes instantly sparkled with captivating radiance. “It’s a shame I wasn’t there with you… but I’m truly happy. You didn’t give up everything because we lost contact; instead, you realized our agreement.” She stroked my back. “I love you… Xiaoning, I’m proud of you!”

“I am too, proud of you,” I said, glad I had the chance to speak. “I love you. No matter what, I don’t want to lose you again.”

“Mmm. From now on, my journey has you, and your side…”

“Has me.” We said in unison, then smiled at each other.

The restless heart finally found a place of stability.

*

News of her safe return quickly spread back to the Tao family, the publishing house, and among friends. Everyone considered her survival a miracle.

Only I believed that perhaps my wish had come true, the wish carried by that paper airplane.

We naturally cherished this rediscovered happiness. I knew she wouldn’t stop moving, but at least after returning from the ordeal, she would stay by my side for a while.

One time, she came to ‘Tropical Night’ to listen to us sing. Afterward, as she drove me home, she suddenly said, “I’m thinking, maybe I should move to a different apartment?”

Jumping from her conversation about reconciling with Tao Yian to this was a bit too sudden, wasn’t it? “Why? And are you sure you want to move now? I’m almost graduating.”

She smiled. “It’s precisely because you’re graduating that I’m thinking this way. Our current student apartment isn’t suitable for us anymore. You’ll continue to stay here after graduation, right?”

I hadn’t completely decided yet, nor had I seriously discussed it with my parents. “Mostly, yes.” But I definitely wanted to stay by my girlfriend’s side; the distance between the North and South was too much for us.

“So! Let’s find another place to live. Find somewhere more comfortable, quiet, and with good soundproofing so you can practice singing.”

“And it has to have an elevator!” So Tao Yian can drop by anytime!

She understood what I meant right away. She frowned slightly. “Hmm! We’ll have to see about that condition!” I burst into laughter. He’s already in a stable relationship with the senior; do you really need to be this jealous? “I absolutely do not want my brother, the busybody, to have the right to visit me whenever he wants! So, that condition is temporarily reserved!”

Anyway, most new buildings have elevators. I was curious to see how she would find a “more comfortable” place without one!

After a moment of silence, we held hands while waiting at a red light. “Hey! So… I think I’m taking my graduation photos tomorrow.” I blinked, staring at her with anticipation. “And I can take some memorable photos in the graduation gown!”

“Oh!” She held the steering wheel with one hand, casually stepping on the gas pedal. “And then what? What are you scheming in that little brain of yours?”

“Me? Scheming? I’m just thinking… do you want to use your expertise and come take photos for me, Yi-ting, and some other classmates?”

“If you do that, your classmates will recognize our relationship, you know? And what if someone finds out I’m Chu?”

“You’re so tall and so handsome; it would be hard for them not to recognize you! How about I get the others from ‘People-Faced Fish’ to come over and ‘pull aggro’ so they won’t swarm you?”

“Pull aggro? Speaking of which, Xiaoxiao should be more popular than me now!”

“No way! Don’t tease me like the senior students, okay?” I poked her arm. “Come on! I want you to take my picture.”

She gave me an indulgent look. After a few seconds of silence, she finally relented. “Alright! I’ll definitely come and take beautiful photos of my dear girlfriend in her graduation gown. Is that better?”

*

The ID photos were just wearing the cap and stole, sitting in the studio for the photographer to snap a shot. It felt like nothing.

However, once we put on the graduation gowns, the graduation atmosphere was completely amplified! Most students just took out their phones and started shooting, but only I—

“Okay, look this way…” She meticulously directed our poses and formation, fully showcasing her talent as a professional photographer! Even the continuous clicking of the shutter sounded impressive. “Good! One more shot, perfect!”

Only I had a dedicated professional photographer! But Siqi was also very nice and occasionally helped other classmates take pictures.

The photos taken by a professional photographer were different, and because she was tall, the angles she could capture were truly unique compared to those of us with average height.

She looked so beautiful when she was taking photos.

She was still in her black, tight-fitting, sleeveless top and tight-fitting flared jeans—stylish and beautiful. Oh, and she had cut her hair short again. I have to admit, after getting used to her short hair, I was a little unaccustomed to it when she first returned!

After one round of photos, we found a shady spot to rest. Yi-ting kept pestering her with questions about photography until her ‘sweetheart’ came to fetch her and successfully pulled her away! Honestly, even a good friend shouldn’t steal my girlfriend’s attention!

“Someone’s face doesn’t look too happy, hmm?” Yi-ting had just left when the sharp-eyed Siqi immediately teased.

I didn’t hide it. “Hmph! Who wouldn’t want alone time with their girlfriend? Who wouldn’t mind seeing their girlfriend constantly chatting with a friend?”

She chuckled and ruffled my hair. I looked up to meet her gentle yet passionate gaze, feeling my entire heart melt.

“Your face is really red. Are you okay?”

“You’re the one who’s red! You went to the Himalayas, and you still haven’t gotten used to Taiwan’s humid and muggy weather!”

I pulled out a tissue to dab her forehead, which earned me a smile.

I was holding my ukulele in my lap. The instrument had stolen quite a few scenes during the photos. Some classmates encouraged me to sing, but I politely declined.

Because this song was for her. “Siqi, I’ve been practicing a new song recently.”

“Is it ‘The Eternal Scene’?”

“Of course not! I sang that song all the way through my trip around the island, okay?” I tore off a piece of paper and quickly folded a paper airplane. “Did you know that you can make a wish on a paper airplane?”

“I’ve heard of it.”

I handed her the paper airplane. “My sister taught me this song, and it’s about paper airplanes. I once wrote both our names on a paper airplane, hoping you could safely return to my side…” I picked up the ukulele again and strummed a few chords. “I feel that longing and hope are the reasons our love took flight again!”

She played with the paper airplane, raising an eyebrow. “Longing and hope?”

“A plane brought you to me, didn’t it?” I looked up, my gaze moving past the treetops to the blue sky and white clouds overhead. “Otherwise, think about it! We didn’t know each other before, and our living environments were so different. There’s no way we should have ended up together.”

“I think ‘fate’ is enough to explain it. We were always meant to be together.”

“You’re so old-fashioned!” I laughed and nudged her. “This song is also the tune that kept me hopeful during my waiting and frustration. I haven’t sung it in front of fans since I mastered it. Do you want to hear it?”

Her eyes curved into a smile, and she was very cooperative. “Of course! My Xiaoning is singing, and only for me.”

I cleared my throat. “Listen carefully!” I played the familiar melody and looked up to sing—

” Looking up at the morning sky, I hope today”

(I can spend with a smile, I quietly wished)

(Sometimes the rain falls, and tears overflow)

(On days things don’t go as planned, let’s try again tomorrow)

(Life is a paper airplane, carrying wishes, flying away)

(In the wind, with all its might, it just moves forward)

(More than competing for distance, how it flew and where it flew)

365 (That is the most important thing. Now, follow your heart, 365 days)

(The dream I keep having is of another me)

(A dream where I can do whatever I want, freely)

(How many stars can be seen? Is it a night where nothing is visible?)

(When I feel down, I should talk to someone)

(Life is a paper airplane, carrying love, flying)

(Everyone looks up at the wings spread with confidence)

(Even if you don’t know how to fold it, somehow you learn to make it fly)

365 (That is hope, that is the driving force. Ah, let’s enjoy it, 365 days)

! (Fly away! Let’s try to fly!)

! (Fly away! Let’s try to fly!)

! (Fly away! Let’s try to fly!)”

Having sung the song in one breath, I met her gaze with a smile.

She was choked up. I don’t know how much of the Japanese she understood, but she took a tissue to wipe my tears, gently embracing my shoulder. “That was beautiful… I never thought a paper airplane… could have such great power! To help you emerge from the most difficult low point.”

“That is hope, that is the driving force!” I quoted my favorite lyric, leaning into her embrace to find a safe place to rest.

Her large hand played with the paper airplane. Finally, I encouraged her, “Make a wish? Then let’s see how far it can fly?”

She gripped the wing, closed her eyes for a moment, and then gently threw it.

A light breeze came, sending the airplane far, far away. I heard the soft whisper of the wind, her heartbeat, and instantly understood what she had wished for.

We tightly held onto each other, watching the high-flying paper airplane. It kept flying, kept flying…