Episode 30

At the first fork in the road, the men and women separated. At the second fork, Su Hang looked at Shang HeXu and said: "I'm going right."

"Then I'll take the left." Shang HeXu tried to cooperate.

"Alright." Su Hang coldly nodded. He didn't say goodbye and directly left.

"Hey!" Shang HeXu suddenly called out. When Su Hang turned back around, Shang HeXu carefully asked: "If I end up finding Shen Xi before you..."

"Impossible." Su Hang impatiently interrupted. He took a few angry steps towards Shang HeXu and glared at him. "Mr. Shang, I'm married to Shen Xi. You better stop thinking such superfluous thoughts."

"The angrier you get, the more you expose your fear." Shang HeXu chuckled. "You forced Xiao Xi into marrying you for 3 billion yuan. In all honesty, you're worried that she's only good to you because she needs to repay you, right?

"Such things have nothing to do with you." As if he was directly stabbed at his sore spot, Su Hang mercilessly dropped this sentence, then turned around and left.

"I know It has nothing to do with me." Shang HeXu wryly said to himself. He didn't know what was wrong with him. He couldn't help but want to aggravate Su Hang whenever he talked about such things.

On the other side, Shen Xi was had already separated from the other two girls and was aimlessly wandering around town. The temperature difference between night and day was quite significant in the south. It would be sunny during the day and be pretty hot. It was enough to wear a thin coat. But when the sun sets, the temperature would drop rapidly.

Shen Xi deliberately changed into a down coat because of this. However, she was now also wearing Su Hang's scarf around her neck. She was a little hot, but in the end, Shen Xi didn't remove the scarf and only loosened it a little.

Shen Xi had always had a poor sense of direction, so she definitely wouldn't be able to leave on her own. So before they even entered the town, she had already resolved to just wander around until Su Hang came and found her.

The town's buildings had white walls and blue tiles, with the building's eaves covered in vines and flowers. Occasional barks could be heard from alleys. All of this gave her a sense of peace and tranquility. Shen Xi found this stroll to actually be quite pleasant.

"Young girl, do you want to try some?" An auntie selling spicy noodles saw Shen Xi approach and warmly greeted her.

"Yes." Shen Xi was feeling a bit hungry after her walk.

"You're from out of town?" The auntie chatted with her as she prepared Shen Xi's noodles.

"Yes."

"Travelling?"

"No, to visit some friends." Shen Xi answered.

"Here." Auntie put the noodles on a bowl and set it in front of Shen Xi. "Young girl, try some and see if it's good."

Shen Xi took a bite using some chopsticks and smiled. "Very delicious."

"What do you think, will my business thrive?" The auntie asked.

"You just opened?" Shen Xi asked.

"Yes." The auntie smiled. "Our mayor is planning on developing our town's tourism. A lot of you people came back to start businesses, so I also wanted to try and open a snack bar."

"Oh, well, you won't have any trouble. Your store is sure to become popular." Shen Xi boasted.

"By the way, have you seen the sign near the town gate?" The auntie asked.

"I've seen it."

"What do you think? Do you believe tourists would travel here for something like that?" The auntie was obviously very concerned about the development of the town.

"They definitely will!" Shen Xi nodded. "The legend is quite beautiful, and the town itself has its own unique characteristics. A lot of people will love it."

"That's good. The mayor summoned all the town's elderly people just to come up with that legend. It took them half a year to collect their stories and sort them out." The auntie proudly explained.

"It isn't made up?" Shen Xi wondered.

"There must be a reason for so many elderly people talking about such similar stories." The auntie said. "During the early years of our town, whenever a wedding occurred, the bridegroom and bride had to enter the town from opposite sides. There is no agreed meeting place, and in just one hour, they had to meet. If the bridegroom couldn't catch up to the bride's sedan, then they won't be able to get married. But customs like that are gradually abolished, so many of our youngsters didn't know we had such things."

"So it was like that." Shen Xi thoughtfully nodded.

"Our town is quite large, and the roads are like mazes. If two people just casually walk through the streets, it would be unlikely for them to meet. So when they do, we call it fate." The auntie said with a smile.

Shen Xi unconsciously touched the black cashmere scarf around her neck. She felt a little nervous. Would Su Hang be able to find her?

Meanwhile, Su Hang hadn't been as relaxed as Shen Xi. He had been desperately looking for Shen Xi the moment he separated from Shang HeXu, and thus, he was covered in sweat. As he looked at the winding roads and similar buildings, Su Hang finally realized what Shen Xi had meant when she called the town a maze.

Clutching his coat in his hands, he awkwardly leaned against a wall on an intersection. Several locals noticed that he was lost and approached him to offer their help, but Su Hang shook his heads and refused all of them.

By the time the sun began to tilt to the west, Su Hang had already searched for five full hours. He didn't bother eating lunch at noon, but he did buy a bottle of water when he got thirsty.

Su Hang was getting frustrated. It's been five hours. Shang HeXu was more familiar with this town...had he already found Shen Xi?

It was almost 4:00 p.m., and it was starting to cool off. Shen Xi stood next to a newly opened gift shop and was beginning to get worried. Where was Su Hang?

"Shen Xi."

A male voice sounded out from behind. Shen Xi turned around, a smile on her lips, but the moment she saw the person who called out, her smile immediately slipped.

"Senior Shang HeXu." Shen Xi greeted.

"Alone?" Shang HeXu casually asked.

"Un." Shen Xi nodded.

"It seems that we met first." Shang HeXu chuckled. "Did you have lunch yet?"

"Yes." Shen Xi answered.

"YingYing that girl....she's really mischievous, ah." Shang HeXu said with a wry smile. "Anyway, it's getting dark. We should go."

"No." Shen Xi shook her head. "You can go first. I want to stay here a little longer."

"Waiting for Su Hang?" Shang HeXu asked, a little stunned.

"Un." Shen Xi nodded, a little embarrassed.

Shang HeXu looked at Shen Xi's bright eyes. Just now, when she turned around and saw him, her eyes dimmed for a moment. Was it because she thought it was Su Hang who had found her at first?

"Do you really believe in the legend, or do you think the mayor is making things up?" Shang HeXu asked.

"Senior, I'm going over there. I'll see you later." Shen Xi didn't know how to answer him, so she simply smiled and hugged the little thing she bought from the gift shop closer. She turned around and ran into a random alley.

Shang HeXu stood there, watching Shen Xi's figure disappear. A cheerful Christmas song was playing in the distance, its lyrics telling him that he should let go. Even if the legend was real, and he and Shen Xi were predestined...the person she was waiting for wasn't him.

On another nearby path, Yun Shu, who had arrived only minutes after Shang HeXu, saw the whole thing. She saw the joy in Shang HeXu's face when he found Shen Xi, then the deep sadness in his eyes when Shen Xi refused to leave with him. Yun Shu wanted to turn around and go. She stepped back but then decided to give herself another chance.

"Hey!"

She walked over and patted Shang HeXu on his shoulder. Shang HeXu turned around in surprise and saw Yun Shu.

"What are you so absorbed with?" Yun Shu asked, fully knowing the answer.

"Nothing." Shang HeXu shook his head.

"Then.....we met each other first?" Yun Shu asked.

"Un, we did." Shang HeXu replied.

"According to the legend, we're destined to be together. I guess it's fate, ah." Yun Shu said, exaggerating.

"didn't you say this morning that it was nothing but a gimmick?" Shang HeXu joked.

"I just walked around for five hours straight. I found you after so long, so I think there must be some kind of fate involved." Yun Shu said.

"You're just like YingYing." Shang HeXu sighed. "Let's go, let's go."

"Un." With a bitter smile, Yun Shu left the town with Shang HeXu behind her.

Six hours later.

The sun had already set, and the town was getting dark. Su Hang held a local had drawn for him, and the pen another local had lent him. He put the map on the ground and saw the town's eight trigram structure.

Su Hang figured out his position, quickly found the nearest road that led to an area he hadn't been in, then stood up. Looking up at the setting sun, Su Hang was anxious to get going. But even after he searched the last corner of the town, he still didn't find Shen Xi.

Where was she? Had she already left?

A deep sense of fear and powerlessness came as the sky darkened. It was just a game of hide and seek. But why did he feel like he was about to lose Shen Xi? This was just like when he was young. He came back to the school gates where he had previously found Shen Xi, but he always saw Shen Xi leaving in the opposite direction, away from him. This time, did you also forget that I was looking for you?

Six and a half hours later.

Shen Xi looked around at the people lighting lanterns in front of their doors. The pedestrians were thinning out, and the road became quiet. She stood on the street alone, and suddenly, she was scared. In this quaint town, Shen Xi felt that there was a ghost in every dark alley. Biting her lip, she angrily complained: "Where are you? Why aren't you coming to me?

Seven hours later, it was dark. Even with the lanterns, people wouldn't be able to see three meters away from them. It would be even more challenging to find someone.

The rules of the game said that when it turns dark, you could ask the locals for help in getting out. Shen Xi most likely left already.

Su Hang knew that Shen Xi probably left town ages ago and that he was simply looking fruitlessly. But even if there was only a one in a million chance that Shen Xi was waiting for him, Su Hang will continue to look for her. He took out the map and looked for every place Shen Xi could have gone through with the road she took. He oriented himself, then ran.

Seven hours and ten minutes later.

Shen Xi was beginning to feel a little tired, so she sat down on an arched bridge nearby, intending to rest for a while. A passing man kindly asked: "Young girl, are you lost? Do you need help in getting out?"

"No." Shen Xi shook her head. "My husband will pick me up in a moment."

The man nodded, then left.

Shen Xi began to feel slightly cold and wrapped the scarf around her neck more firmly. She looked up towards the stars and murmured: "If you don't come, I'm going to end up catching another cold."

Seven hours and thirty minutes later.

Su Hang ran by a small river. Looking at the river bank, the whirling shadows of the trees made him unable to see properly.

"Shen Xi."

"Shen Xi."

Su Hang shouted as he searched.

"Young man, did you get separated from your friends?" Seeing that Su Hang was in such a hurry, a warm-hearted woman couldn't help but ask. "Why don't we go to the town leader and ask him to broadcast for you."

"No, thank you. I'll find her myself." Su Hang refused the auntie's help and ran. He didn't dare shout anymore though, in fear that another kind local would offer to broadcast again.

Su Hang was tired and hungry, but his steps never faltered. Despite the cold, he was sweating. He ran step by step until music drifted into his ears.

"Jingle bells, jingle bells..."

Su Hang suddenly looked up and saw a little white light on an arched bridge not far away.

Shen Xi had been waiting on the bridge for half an hour, cold and bored. She took out the crystal music box she had bought in the gift shop and wound it up. Shen Xi listened to the music and stamped her feet to combat the cold. She was so cold she almost couldn't bear it. But Shen Xi didn't dare find a place to keep warm. She was afraid that if she went indoors, Su Hang wouldn't be able to find her.

Thump, thump, thump...

Hearing the rapid footsteps approaching, Shen Xi turned her head, her eyes full of expectation. Su Hang ran and was soon in front of Shen Xi.

"Why did you come just now?" Shen Xi got up. Sounding wronged, she continued: "I've waited for you for so long...."

Shen Xi suddenly made a sound of surprise as Su Hang pulled her into his arms and tightly hugged her.

"You waited for me! You waited for me!" Su Hang kept repeating this, disbelief and happiness in his tone. He held Shen Xi even more tightly.

Having been hugged to close, Shen Xi could smell the sweat on Su Hang. She raised her head and saw the sweat dripping from the hair behind his ears. The anger she had instantly disappeared. How anxious he must've been, running so hard that he managed to sweat despite the cold weather.

"Yes, I've been waiting for you!" Shen Xi replied.

"Shen Xi, I love you."

Su Hang ran around town the entire day. Every time he passed a road or an intersection, he would feel afraid that he had missed Shen Xi. Every minute, every hour of not finding her made that fear even stronger. He had honestly felt that Shen Xi had left.

So when he saw Shen Xi on the bridge, he thought he was dreaming. He didn't believe that she was really in front of him until Shen Xi angrily complained.

Then he realized something incredible. Shen Xi had been waiting for him.

This simple fact got him to abandon all his previous worries. No matter how troubled his birth, his background, or his childhood was, as long as Shen Xi was waiting for him, it was enough.

Su Hang cupped Shen Xi's face with both his hands and did something he probably shouldn't have in the middle of a bridge in a town they were both unfamiliar with.

The moment their lips touched, both of them felt fireworks.

*****

Confession, confession, let's have some fireworks...

Don't think I don't know that it isn't the confession you people want to see, but the sexy time!