He looked up, gazing into the distance across to the restaurant. The sky gradually dimmed, his vision no longer clear; he could only faintly make out Ling Chuxia on her phone replying, but he could not see the expression on her face anymore.
The phone finally made another beep.
It had only been a few dozen seconds, but for Shi Che, it seemed like an exceedingly long time had passed; he looked eagerly at his phone.
He saw Ling Chuxia's reply: "Mhm, I... don't want to be alone. It's been a long time; I've always been alone on my birthday."
Perhaps it should be said that she had been alone for a very, very long time, so long that loneliness had been etched into her heart. And yet, hidden deep down, there was still a longing.
Longing for the night to grow still and quiet, for a gentle knock on the door five minutes before midnight.
But she knew it was no longer possible. It would never be possible in this lifetime.
