She Said She Has Feelings For Someone - Chapter 63

Chapter 63: End of Main Story — Regrets Fulfilled.

When she woke up again, it was already past nine in the morning. Lu Shuyu wasn’t beside her, but voices were drifting in from the living room.

Xia Leshuang couldn’t help but smile. Indeed, the soundproofing in this old place really wasn’t great.

As soon as she stepped out of the bedroom, Lu Shuyu turned around from the dining area. “You’re awake? Come have breakfast!”

Having fallen asleep in a hurry after drinking too much wine the night before, Shuyu looked refreshed and energetic now, likely having just finished washing up. As Leshuang sat down, she added, “Finish eating, then wash up. We’re heading out!”

Xia Leshuang let out an “Ah?” and asked, “Don’t we need to tell Teacher Lu?”

Lu Shuyu waved her hand dismissively. “She’s busy. She left early this morning, saying she was going hiking with her girlfriends. Tsk tsk,” she shook her head, “Nowadays, those ladies are much more important to her than I am.”

Xia Leshuang didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She blinked and said, “It’s okay. To me, you are the most important.”

Caught off guard by the sudden flirtation, Lu Shuyu almost choked. “It’s early morning. Just eat your food.”

Despite her words, the corners of her mouth were twitching upward uncontrollably. Seeing this, Xia Leshuang tilted her head slightly, looking proud and happy.

…

After packing and heading downstairs, Lu Shuyu suddenly pulled out a car key. A white sedan nearby flashed its lights. Xia Leshuang belatedly realized that “heading out” didn’t mean going back to City B.

“Where are we going?” “Get in.” Lu Shuyu arched an eyebrow. “The itinerary is packed today. You’ll know when we get there.”

The scenery along the road grew increasingly familiar, but Xia Leshuang knew this was only the first stop Shuyu had planned.

“It’s a good thing I kept a spare key for you back then.” Hearing this, Lu Shuyu thought of another possibility. “The locks shouldn’t have been changed, right?” Xia Leshuang fell silent for a moment; she couldn’t answer that.

As they spoke, they turned into an alley and found her grandmother’s house. The lock on the door looked aged, but curiously, it wasn’t dirty at all.

“This door is a bit too clean,” Lu Shuyu said, touching it. Xia Leshuang was also puzzled. She tried the lock, and fortunately, it hadn’t been changed.

The two entered. The small courtyard was also very tidy, looking as though someone had been cleaning it regularly. “Maybe,” Xia Leshuang mused, “it’s because she has been here.” “Then that’s perfect,” Lu Shuyu nudged her gently. “Take a photo and ask.”

Since Xu Ruyue had decided to decouple herself from Xia Ye, regardless of how she planned to do it, it didn’t hinder Xia Leshuang from beginning to mend her relationship with her mother. Lu Huaiqing was very important to Lu Shuyu, so Shuyu hoped Xia Leshuang could also have the happiness that belonged—and should belong—to her.

“Okay.” Xia Leshuang nodded obediently, her eyes sparkling with a hint of nervousness.

She sent the message. While waiting for Xu Ruyue to reply, the two entered the inner rooms. Like the courtyard, the inside was spotless. The sticky notes Xia Leshuang and her grandmother had left for each other when she was a child were still on the fridge, untouched. The only change was likely the altar in the dining area.

A notification sound chimed. Xia Leshuang checked her phone and smiled. “It was her. She has been back. The altar was cracked, so she replaced it with a new one.”

Lu Shuyu looked at the photo on the altar. Xia Leshuang’s grandmother was named Xia Yunxiu. Her appearance matched her name—gentle and dignified. Following Xu Ruyue’s instructions over the phone, Xia Leshuang opened the third drawer and took out two sticks of incense.

“Since we’re here,” she handed one over, “let’s light some incense before we go.”

Xia Yunxiu had specifically requested to remain in the old house before she passed away. Consequently, Lu Shuyu felt a sudden surge of nervousness, similar to “meeting the parents.”

“You go first,” Shuyu whispered, taking the incense. “Show me how.” Xia Leshuang laughed. “What is there to show? Grandma was very easygoing.”

She pulled Lu Shuyu to stand beside her and lit the incense. “Grandma, Leshuang is here to see you.” After placing the incense, she put her arms around Lu Shuyu. “This is Shuyu, my girlfriend. Isn’t she pretty and cute?”

Lu Shuyu felt her skin go tight with nerves, but she couldn’t argue. She forced a smile. “Hello, Grandma. I’m Shuyu, Leshuang’s girlfriend.”

The hand on her shoulder slid down to her hand, helping her plant the second stick of incense. As the incense burned, a delicate fragrance filled the air. The elderly woman in the photograph smiled kindly and warmly.

Xia Leshuang held Lu Shuyu’s hand. “Grandma, don’t worry. We will be happy.”

…

When they locked the door and came out, Lu Shuyu’s legs felt a bit weak. She had lost all the bravado she had when they first set out.

“You really are something,” Lu Shuyu said, still shaken. “Coming out to a deceased elder just like that?” She was genuinely afraid the grandmother would get angry and haunt her dreams for “kidnapping” her granddaughter.

Xia Leshuang wagged a finger in front of her face with a serious expression. “No, Grandma was very progressive. Back then, there was a family in the alley whose daughter ran away with a female classmate. Grandma told me then that it wasn’t strange for a girl to be with another girl. People connect through wisdom and the heart; any kind of emotion can arise. As long as you don’t hurt others and know how to carry responsibility, who has the right to care?”

Lu Shuyu was impressed. She couldn’t help but give a thumbs up. “Grandma was truly a grand woman!” “Of course~” Xia Leshuang put her arm around her as they walked out. “So, where to next?” Lu Shuyu’s spirited energy returned. “You’ll know when we get there!”

The next leg of the journey was quite long. Xia Leshuang began to suspect that Lu Shuyu didn’t actually know where the place was either. Especially seeing her stick strictly to the GPS and repeatedly checking for updates, it was clear the route was entirely unfamiliar to her.

It wasn’t until they crossed the bridge over the river that Xia Leshuang realized where they were. Today the sky was clear, the river was surging, and the scenery was pleasant. Emotions flooded her heart, eventually turning into joy and anticipation. The promise that was ten years late was finally going to be fulfilled.

Fifty minutes later, they arrived at their destination. Jiangcheng was a small city near City S, famous for its hills used for “prayer blessings.” The most famous was Qifu Mountain, which was a homophone for “Praying for Blessings.” Perhaps because of this, its reputation for answered prayers was the strongest.

“Good thing it’s not a holiday,” Lu Shuyu said, scanning the electronic tickets. “Otherwise, we’d have to queue.” “It’s okay. I’d wait with you until dark,” Xia Leshuang said softly.

Lu Shuyu looked up, but she only saw total sincerity in Leshuang’s eyes. Her heart stirred. Perhaps these “flirtatious lines” were truly just Xia Leshuang’s honest thoughts. Because she loved her, she wanted to express it every moment and catch every word Shuyu said.

“Fine,” Shuyu laughed, hooking her arm into Xia Leshuang’s as they walked in. “This really is something a couple can do.” The person beside her laughed. “I want to do a lot more. I want a long-term relationship.” Lu Shuyu chuckled. “No problem. I’ll find you in our next life too.” A warmth spread across her hand—Xia Leshuang had hooked her pinky finger with hers. “Okay, it’s a promise. I’ll find you in the next life.”

The incense altar of Qifu Mountain was right by the mountain path. After walking for about five minutes, they saw a few citizens offering incense. They bought two sets of incense from the shop—the simplest set of three sticks. They didn’t ask for six or nine as they might have in their youthful grandiosity.

Wishes are always plentiful when you are young. But as you grow up, you realize that instead of hoping for the gods to bless everyone, it is better to hope that you are strong enough to have the ability to protect the people around you.

After offering incense, they bought two prayer plaques from the shop, then began to climb the mountain to hang them at the summit. Qifu Mountain was a small hill with a gentle slope and an altitude of less than 200 meters. With few people around today and their fast pace, they reached the top quickly.

After hanging their prayer plaques in the temple, they came out and leaned against the railing to view the scenery of the Yangtze River below.

After a long silence, Lu Shuyu finally spoke. “Student Xia Leshuang, have you decided on your college preferences?”

Hearing this, Xia Leshuang dazed for a moment. Then she turned to face her and replied, “Probably one of the three major film academies in City B.”

The person in front of her also turned around. Her amber eyes held a few hints of cautious expectation. “Then I want to get into a school in City B too. I want to be able to keep coming out to play with you.”

Xia Leshuang’s eyes felt a bit stingy, but she smiled. “Okay. We’ll go to City B together and play together forever.”

Having received her answer, the smile on Lu Shuyu’s face widened, though a hint of nervousness surfaced. “I… I have something else to give you.”

However, the moment she opened her bag, the “time filter” shattered instantly as an autumn breeze blew past. The caution and nervousness vanished. Lu Shuyu laughed brightly. “I didn’t expect Teacher Lu to give us such a surprise.”

She was no longer playing the role of the Lu Shuyu from ten years ago. She briskly pulled an envelope from her bag. The envelope looked a bit old, with familiar handwriting on it: To: Student Xia Leshuang.

“This is—” Xia Leshuang realized, “that love letter?” Lu Shuyu nodded. “Teacher Lu lied to me. She didn’t burn it.”

This un-mailed love letter was one of their greatest regrets. Now that Lu Huaiqing had returned it, she clearly hoped they would fill in the gaps of their past and possess their future together forever.

Lu Shuyu looked up with a bright smile. “Xia Leshuang, are you willing to accept my love letter?”

…

Hello, Student Xia Leshuang.

Perhaps you are already familiar with my handwriting, but this time it isn’t a ghostwritten piece. It is me, wanting to confess to you.

I have ghostwritten many words praising you. If I think about them for a moment, they leap before my eyes. So, I will not praise you, otherwise, it would feel like plagiarism or a lack of sincerity.

I will only say that I like you.

From the moment you lost your first love but pretended to be strong, I fell for the you who fell in love.

And later, I couldn’t help but care about your every emotion and expression. I worried whether you had moved past the shadow of heartbreak, and I hoped you would be happy.

Slowly, just like that, I fell in love with you. I began to love you in secret.

I don’t know how long this feeling will last, but I know the distance between us is far. So, until this love disappears, I will continue to love you secretly.

Like this love letter that will never be delivered.

…

After Xia Leshuang finished reading silently, her gaze landed on the signature. The three characters for “Lu Shuyu” were the name she had wanted to see every time she opened a love letter.

Before she could say anything, Lu Shuyu took out two orange hand-woven bracelets from her bag. The sunstones sparkled in the light.

“The friendship bracelet I gave you back then,” she explained, “there was actually another one, with Teacher Lu.” “She just didn’t want our mother-daughter relationship to be too obvious, so she never wore it.”

Xia Leshuang realized that when she had pestered Lu Shuyu for a bracelet back then, it was why Shuyu had been conflicted.

“So, after thinking about revealing my feelings on your birthday, I re-wove this set. I hoped to have a real friendship with you—” Lu Shuyu paused. “No, a couple’s bracelet.”

Hearing this, Xia Leshuang took one of them and skillfully put it on Lu Shuyu, then extended her own hand. Once both were wearing them, Lu Shuyu held her hand.

The filter of time rushed back. They stood between the present and the past.

“Xia Leshuang, I like you. Are you willing to be my girlfriend?” “Lu Shuyu, I like you. From today on, I am your girlfriend.”

The regrets were finally fulfilled. Hand in hand, they stepped into the future.

— END OF MAIN STORY —