Perhaps because she had exhausted herself emotionally the night before, Xia Yan didn't wake up until almost ten o'clock the next morning. She panicked, checked her watch, and sat up upright. She listened for any sounds downstairs. She wanted to go down to check, but she was afraid An Tianhe might not have left yet, which would be very awkward.
Hesitating back and forth, she agonized until after eleven before she finally pushed open the door, pretending to go to the bathroom to freshen up. In reality, she strained her ears to listen for sounds from downstairs. But except for her own frantic heartbeat, she heard nothing. She felt her heart sink, and a very bad premonition rising within her.
After a quick wash, she tiptoed down the stairs. The first floor was still silent. The front door was tightly shut, as if no one had ever been there. Xia Yan bit her trembling lips, holding onto a last shred of hope as she walked toward An Tianhe's bedroom. Her heart was pounding as she gripped the doorknob. A gentle twist, and the door opened. The bed was neatly made. The backpack, spear, and helmet he always used were gone, along with him. The room was empty.
Xia Yan's mind and heart went blank. Tears flowed uncontrollably, one after another. She thought she had cried enough last night, but when reality was so mercilessly laid before her, she felt a heart-wrenching pain. When the pain filled her lungs, a gasp escaped, and she trembled with despair—
"An Tianhe!! You bastard! you really left just like that? Was everything you did for me fake?!"
…
Over two hours after leaving the villa, An Tianhe suddenly felt an inexplicable palpitation. He looked back toward the villa, unable to shake the feeling of sadness.
That morning, he had deliberately dawdled until nearly nine before setting off, hoping Xia Yan would come out to see him off, or even ask him to stay. But she never appeared. It was just like when his goddess had left Longtan Town in the first group. She was probably living a comfortable life in Rongcheng now, unlike himself, who was struggling so hard, living day to day and always on edge.
Sigh, why was his path in love always so full of twists and turns? He didn't know when he would ever meet the right person, or if such a person even existed. An Tianhe's heart ached.
He looked up at the sky. The purplish-black clouds had faded a lot but still hung low and dense, stubbornly blocking the sun. They seemed to be getting even lower now. Damn it, is it going to rain? What a terrible start he thought. I need to find a place to take shelter from the rain. The road ahead was a rugged mountain path with no houses in sight. The only place was the small hut he had just passed. It seemed he had no choice but to turn back.
After two o'clock in the afternoon, the rain began to fall harder and harder, continuing until dusk before gradually letting up.
…
Xia Yan felt abandoned and alone in the villa, like a dandelion drifting in the wind, completely unsure of where she would end up. The uncertainty about how to survive and the fear of the future left her completely disoriented. She didn't want to eat or drink, just sitting numbly in the living room of the first floor.
When night fell completely, the last faint spark of hope in her heart was finally extinguished. She knew that An Tianhe was really gone and wasn't coming back. But she still couldn't accept this reality. One moment, she felt resentful and angry at his heartless departure; the next, she blamed herself for being too rigid, not leaving him any room to turn back and reconcile, which had led to this situation. Her heart was soon filled with sorrow and desolation, and tears silently fell again.
Xia Yan had never realized how empty and dark the first floor was at night. Her heart jumped at every shadow. It felt like unknown monsters were lurking in the dim corners, ready to pounce at any moment. Frightened, she grabbed a boning knife from the kitchen and dashed back to her bedroom. She lit several candles in one go, even lighting the scented candle left by the owner, hoping to soothe her frayed nerves.
Just then, a bolt of lightning suddenly streaked across the sky, brightly illuminating the room. Immediately after, a deafening clap of thunder followed, shaking the windows. All the candle flames flickered wildly. Xia Yan shrieked, dropping the knife and covering her ears with both hands. She curled up helplessly in the blanket, trembling.
The thunder rumbled away, seemingly fading, but the next second, a longer flash of lightning lit up the entire sky, turning the surroundings as bright as day. BOOM BOOM Two massive thunderclaps exploded almost simultaneously, making the whole house shudder. "Ah" Xia Yan screamed, her face pale with fright, wishing she could bury her head in the mattress. She subconsciously cried out in a low voice, "An Tianhe, come back quickly, please come back!"
Lightning steaked across the sky like giant cracks. An Tianhe, riding his tricycle at full speed, sped toward the house ahead. Even through his helmet, he could feel the power of the thunderclap. He was all alone, trying to make progress while the rain had temporarily stopped. He kept muttering prayers to the gods, begging not to be struck by lightning.
Finally, he saw the familiar villa behind the trees. He felt a sense of relief and sighed at his bad luck. The first day he left, and it was raining and thundering. To make matters worse, the backpack full of his daily necessities had rolled into the river during a desperate fight with a corpse and been instantly swept away. With no other choice, he had to grit his teeth and come back first, then figure out his next move.
Just as he rode the tricycle into the garage in the small courtyard, another thunderclap exploded, making him flinch. He quickly lowered the rolling shutter door by hand, then let out a long sigh and wiped the sweat from his brow. There was a side door in the garage that led directly into the house. Feeling a bit apprehensive, he took off his mud and blood stained jacket while preparing what he would say to Xia Yan.
…
In the lulls between the rolling thunder, Xia Yan's sharp ears caught the sound of an engine entering the courtyard. The sound was very familiar. She froze, sniffled, and her heart began to pound. An inexplicable joy started to spread through her body, but at the same time, she felt hesitant and afraid. What if... it wasn't him? Her back felt cold. Her hands fumbled on the bed for the knife, and upon finding it she grabbed it tightly.
She got out of bed and quietly opened her bedroom door, listening for sounds from downstairs. The person who entered didn't make the sound of rummaging around, which made her sigh in relief. The sound of dripping water seemed to be coming from the kitchen, as if someone was washing something. Summoning the last bit of her courage, Xia Yan slowly walked down the stairs.
Halfway down, she saw the man in a sports vest holding a flashlight, fumbling to strike a match. His movements were very familiar. Xia Yan was already trembling with excitement, but she still called out tentatively: "Who's there?!"
The man in the sports vest froze, then slowly turned around and replied, "It's... it's me, An Tianhe..."
Just then, a flash of lightning illuminated the room, and for an instant, they both clearly saw each other's faces.
An Tianhe hadn't expected to be discovered so quickly. He awkwardly scratched the back of his head, trying to think of how to deliver the speech he had prepared, when he heard a clang as metal hit the wooden steps. This was followed by the sound of footsteps thudding down the stairs, and with a gust of fragrant wind, a soft, warm body flew into his arms.
He reflexively wrapped his arms around her to steady himself. He heard Xia Yan's voice, slightly hoarse from crying, as she said, "You heartless bastard!! So you do know how to come back, you!!"
As she berated him, she pounded his chest and shoulders with her fists, her words choking, "So you do know how to come back, you still know how to come back..."
An Tianhe's mind went blank. He didn't know what had happened. Xia Yan's attitude had done a complete 180-degree turn from yesterday; she was like a different person. But subconsciously, he felt as if he understood everything. He held her waist firmly, feeling her softness, her body heat and the fresh, sweet scent filling his nostrils. At this moment, he felt that no matter how tiring the day was, it was all worth it.
*****
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