Realizing something was amiss, Wen Tingxue immediately contacted Yu Wenli.
Yu Wenli chuckled after hearing her out. "Don't worry, they're fine. They turned off their phones because they were on a plane."
"A plane?" Wen Tingxue mused. "Where are they going?"
"Studying abroad."
"Now?!"
"Mm-hmm. By the time you sent your message, they should have just boarded."
From Ancheng to the capital, and then from the capital to country Y.
The flight, according to her calculations, should have been around five o'clock.
"That was so sudden," Wen Tingxue gazed at the hand rope on the table. A mix of emotions swirled within her. "What about his red string? Should I mail it to him?" This was his mother's memento. If she lost it, he’d probably kill her.
Yu Wenli was silent for a moment. "No need. He'll come to you for it."
"Oh..." The young girl drew out her words with a hint of dejection. Although her relationship with Chi Zerui was just so-so, she was very close to Luo'er. Suddenly, the two of them were going abroad. They had been talking face-to-face just last night.
After hanging up the phone, Wen Tingxue sent messages to both of them.
-
When the plane landed in country Y, it was past three in the morning in China. It was just seven in the evening here.
Chi Zerui, with bloodshot eyes from lack of sleep, stared out the window. From now on, he would live in this land. He felt absolutely no sense of belonging.
"Let's go." Hao Luor nodded his shoulder, his voice still groggy. "There's still so much to do." They had come so suddenly, and nothing had been arranged here yet.
Chi Zerui responded with a low "Mm," devoid of emotion. He then took out his phone and turned it on. There were many scattered messages. But his eyes immediately fell on Wen Tingxue's WeChat. He tapped it open.
[The hand rope has been repaired. I wish you a happy time abroad and look forward to your return.]
This was genuinely the longest message she had ever sent him.
Chi Zerui's lips curved into a smile, and he suddenly felt less exhausted. He just missed Jiangcheng a little.
[Mm, I'll be back.]
After sending the message, he stepped off the plane.
September, the start of the school year. The Academy of Fine Arts and the Conservatory of Music had similar start dates. Although Imperial University started a few days later, for convenience, Xu Kexin would travel with the two families.
Two cars were packed to the brim. With their parents around, Wen Tingxue and Yu Wenli naturally felt it inappropriate to be overly affectionate. Mostly, the young girl was too shy. On top of that, Wen Zhong'en was keeping a watchful eye. They barely spoke to each other during the journey, only exchanging messages on WeChat. But with their imminent separation, WeChat was no longer enough.
Thus, with Xu Kexin's help, they managed to get some alone time to talk.
"We'll be going our separate ways soon." The Academy of Fine Arts and the Conservatory of Music were not close to each other; in fact, they were on opposite sides of the city. At the end of this road, the two families would part ways.
Wen Tingxue sadly clutched his coat. "I suddenly regret not applying to the same school as you."
Yu Wenli reluctantly hugged his young girl. He pressed her against the car door, his voice hoarse. "Take care of yourself. If anything happens, you must call me. Don't try to bear it alone. And don't hide anything from me, or only tell me the good news. Do you hear me?"
"We're about to say goodbye, and you're still lecturing me!" The young girl huffily turned her face away.
"Then I won't lecture anymore. Let's kiss." Taking advantage of Wen Zhong'en helping Xu Kexin pick out a flower pot, Yu Wenli cupped the girl's chin and kissed her. A brief kiss, filled with reluctance and affection.
Academy of Fine Arts.
As soon as Wen Tingxue got out of the car, Yu Wenli's message popped up—
[One last thing: Don't casually add strange guys!]
Pfft. She could practically smell the jealousy through the screen.
[Okay.]
As soon as she sent the message, a gentle voice came from above her. "Classmate, are you here for freshman registration? I'm a senior student to show you the way."