10:00 AM, Imperial Capital Airport.
Yan Heng spotted Zhu Yaya at a glance among the bustling crowd. Her face was full of anxiety as she looked around.
She came after all!
Yan Heng sighed softly and pulled his suitcase toward her.
Zhu Yaya had panicked the moment she stepped into the massive airport. Moreover, it was the start of the university term. A large number of students had arrived at the airport, carrying their hopes for the future, ready to head to their respective universities. Many students were also flooding into the Imperial Capital with their luggage in tow.
Zhu Yaya's eyes were as red as a rabbit's. She squeezed into the crowd without hesitation. Her shoulders were bumped by passersby several times, and her little white shoes were stepped on, leaving several dusty footprints, but she didn't care at all. She only wanted to find Yan Heng.
What should I do? What should I do?
She couldn't find Yan Heng!
The tears brimming in Zhu Yaya's eyes finally spilled over.
She hadn't hugged him yet.
She hadn't said goodbye to him yet.
She hadn't asked him when they would meet next.
...
Amidst the coming and going crowd, Zhu Yaya hugged her arms to her chest, lowered her head, and cried loudly.
She couldn't find the boy who had always been by her side.
"Yaya."
Zhu Yaya heard the familiar voice and looked up. Yan Heng was right in front of her, just over a meter away.
Zhu Yaya fought back her tears. Before Yan Heng could even speak, she stepped forward, hugged him, and buried her face in his chest.
Yan Heng had never had any resistance against Zhu Yaya's tears. He frantically let go of his luggage, hugged her back, and clumsily comforted her.
"What's wrong? Don't cry, I'm still here." Yan Heng gently patted Zhu Yaya's back.
"When... when are you coming back?" Zhu Yaya sobbed, letting out a soft hiccup.
"Give me five years."
"Five years?" Zhu Yaya lifted her head.
"Yes. Yaya, I have some things I absolutely must do. So, for these five years, you won't be able to see me or contact me."
"Why won't I be able to contact you just because you're going to college?"
"Because I have to do something very dangerous. To protect you from being discovered by the bad guys." Yan Heng chuckled softly and lightly pinched her red, teary nose. "I remember you said you would wait for me, right?"
"Mhm." Zhu Yaya nodded vigorously.
Zhu Yaya sniffled and tried hard to put on a fierce expression. With red eyes, she said, "But if you fall for someone else, then I won't wait for you!"
Yan Heng couldn't help but laugh. He looked down at Zhu Yaya, his expression turning serious, and enunciated every word clearly, "Yaya, I only like you."
Yan Heng finally brought their hidden feelings to light.
He confessed to Zhu Yaya.
Zhu Yaya's heart was pounding wildly, but she still grumbled, "Who can predict the future? What if you meet a Li Yaya, or a Liu Yaya? What if you meet a whole bunch of beautiful and interesting people?"
"Then I will spend my entire life proving to you that my love for you is real," Yan Heng said straightforwardly, without a moment's hesitation.
Zhu Yaya stared at him intently. His eyes were completely filled with her reflection. A flower suddenly bloomed in Zhu Yaya's heart.
"I'm the one who's worried! Five years is plenty of time for you to meet someone better than me. Will you really keep waiting for someone who might not send a single message?" Yan Heng countered.
"I won't," Zhu Yaya wiped the tears from her face with the back of her hand, her gaze firm. "I will wait for you."
The two gazed at each other for a long time.
Time slipped away bit by bit. Zhu Yaya knew that Yan Heng had to board his flight.
She hugged Yan Heng tightly, the pleasant scent of soap on him washing over her. Suddenly, she recalled the scene of when she first met Yan Heng, that handsome boy radiating brightly in the sunlight.
She whispered, "Goodbye, Yan Heng."
After saying that, she pulled out of Yan Heng's embrace and walked away without looking back. She knew Yan Heng was watching her retreating figure. But she didn't dare turn her head. She was afraid that if she looked back, she wouldn't be able to bear letting him go.
It wasn't until Zhu Yaya was sitting in a taxi that the emotions she had been desperately suppressing were released without any restraint. Her body trembled as she cried out loud, tears streaming down her face.
Zhu Yaya's life seemed to return to how it was before she transmigrated into the book. Yan Heng had left, and Murong Beichen and Xu Chun were no longer at Scott High School. The novel's plot paused here; the next mission wouldn't begin until five years later.
In five years, Xu Chun would make a gorgeous return to the country and once again become entangled with Murong Beichen. In five years, the boy Zhu Yaya loved would also return and slip a beautiful ring onto her finger.
The people around her all noticed that something was off with Zhu Yaya lately. She was much quieter than before. She still smiled, but her smiles weren't as radiant.
Her desk-mate, Xu Baoying, poked Zhu Yaya's arm with the end of her pen. "Yaya, what's wrong with you lately? Are you okay?"
Zhu Yaya smiled just like she used to and said, "I'm fine!"
"But you..." Xu Baoying hesitated.
"It's nothing. It's just that we're in our senior year of high school now."
Xu Baoying knew this wasn't the real reason, but Zhu Yaya clearly didn't want to talk about it. So, she didn't press further.
Zhu Yaya poured all her energy into studying. She ground through test paper after test paper every day, as if doing so could lessen her longing for Yan Heng.
When Yan Heng was around, Zhu Yaya had been carefree and oblivious. It wasn't until he truly withdrew from her life that she realized all the little details she usually ignored. Only then did she understand that Yan Heng had completely merged into her world, and just how much she cared about him.
Zhu Yaya would check Yan Heng's QQ several times a day. His profile picture hadn't lit up since the day he left. Zhu Yaya still sent him messages, telling him about all the things happening in her life, complaining about how boring the math teacher's classes were, sharing her joy at seeing a rainbow, or expressing her thoughts on recent social news. But Yan Heng never replied a single word.
Even so, Zhu Yaya did this every day, acting as if Yan Heng was still right by her side.
Her senior year flew by in a flash, and soon it was time for Zhu Yaya to take the college entrance examination. As someone who had already taken the exam once before, Zhu Yaya handled this test with ease. When she walked out of the examination hall and saw Zhu Jianjun and Zhao Jing standing at the school gates waiting for her under the scorching sun, she remembered how she had waited for Yan Heng in the exact same way last year.
A trace of sorrow flashed through her eyes.
When Zhu Jianjun and Zhao Jing saw Zhu Yaya, their eyes lit up, and they hurried over to greet her. Zhu Jianjun handed her a bottle of mineral water, while Zhao Jing took the clear pencil case from her hands. Afraid of affecting Zhu Yaya's mindset for her remaining exams, the couple didn't ask her how she did, and they didn't even mention the exam during dinner. It was Zhu Yaya who brought it up first.
"Mom, Dad, get ready to throw a massive celebratory banquet!"
Zhu Jianjun and Zhao Jing: ???
Zhu Yaya said unhurriedly, "Your daughter is going to get into Imperial Capital University."
Zhu Jianjun and Zhao Jing looked at each other in shock.
