Qi Lian and Yu Mo had arrived on an electric scooter.
Yu Mo had developed a fondness for the feeling of the wind while riding, so lately, Qi Lian would intentionally take her out for spins on the scooter. As long as it was something she enjoyed, there was nothing he wouldn't do to satisfy her.
This stretch of road was crowded, so the scooter couldn't pick up much speed.
Yu Mo had drunk half a mug of beer, and her face felt flushed. The evening breeze blowing against her was quite pleasant. She pressed her face against Qi Lian’s back, her arms wrapped tightly around his waist. Holding each other like this made them both hot, yet she insisted on it.
A thin layer of sweat broke out over Qi Lian’s skin, but he didn't say a word.
"You scared He Mei today. She’s timid," Yu Mo said. To make sure Qi Lian heard her clearly, she straightened her back and tilted her head up, pressing her lips close to his ear.
She felt Qi Lian’s body give a slight shudder.
Qi Lian turned his face slightly and let out a soft "hmpf" from his nose. "I scared her? Why would I bother scaring her? Does this have anything to do with her?"
"Exactly. She was just being kind enough to mention it, but with the way you looked, her face went pale."
"It seems the person who *should* be scared isn't afraid at all. Is it because you're incredibly bold, or just spoiled by my favor? You tell me."
Yu Mo’s head felt light and airy; she simply started giggling to herself.
Qi Lian asked her, "Who is this guy? Is he pursuing you?"
Who was Liu Zhiyan? Liu Zhiyan was the "Mark" from the WeChat messages last time. They had met twice. He wore glasses, carried a backpack, and wore quick-dry T-shirts. He wasn't exactly young, yet he possessed a kind of innocence and simplicity that didn't seem to belong to his age.
An idealist's passion is always particularly moving. Even though she knew it was against the rules, Yu Mo had still tactfully suggested he try another method.
She had said, "Your parents' professions are the kind banks like most."
When Liu Zhiyan stood up to leave, the top pocket of his backpack was gaping open. Since it was right under her nose, Yu Mo reached out and zipped it shut for him.
Liu Zhiyan turned back to look at her, the surprise behind his glasses impossible to hide.
Yu Mo smiled and said, "The zipper on your bag wasn't closed."
Perhaps it was that single gesture that unlocked the door to a dormant soul.
A few days later, near the end of the workday, Xiao Zhuang at the front desk informed her that someone was looking for her.
When Yu Mo went out to check, a tall man was standing at the entrance. She looked closely before realizing it was Mark. He was still in a quick-dry T-shirt with a black backpack.
Seeing her, Mark said very naturally, "Yu Mo, I'm taking you to dinner tonight."
His expression was so composed it was as if they ate together every day; it would have felt strange for Yu Mo to refuse.
Yu Mo wondered if this man was simply ignorant of social graces or just naturally overbearing. She smiled and said, "I haven't finished work yet. It might not be convenient."
"Then I'll sit there and wait for you to finish," Mark replied naturally, already heading toward the sofa by the door.
And so, Yu Mo didn't decline and shared a meal with him.
After that one meal, she realized he was simply pure-hearted. During dinner, he talked about his journey through Math Olympiad competitions from middle school through high school, his entire being radiant with excitement.
When he reached the high school years, he said, "I participated in my last one during my second year of high school. It was supposed to be fun, but that year, I was absolutely crushed by a first-year kid. I lost heart and retired. I'll remember that kid named Xue Shen for the rest of my life—he even winked at me."
Yu Mo couldn't quite remember what he said after that.
When Qi Lian asked who this person was, she joked, "A client! Just a client! He's not pursuing me; it might just be a secret crush."
Qi Lian squeezed the brakes, planting his long legs on the ground to stop the scooter. He looked back at Yu Mo, his gaze incredibly complex.
Yu Mo looked back at him, puzzled.
"Do a lot of people pursue you?" he asked suddenly after a moment of silence. The question made him feel a surge of anxiety.
He himself was the type who couldn't look away once he saw her, who couldn't be driven away even with a beating, who just hovered around her constantly. What if there were many others just like him? What if, one day, some bastard did something that actually moved her?
She was a woman with a very strong mind. If the time came, she would dump him without a second thought, just like she had dumped her ex-husband. What would he have left to keep her then?
The mere thought of that possibility made his heart tremble. He gripped Yu Mo’s arms tightly, his squeeze making her knit her brows.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
He leaned over, pressing his forehead against hers. He closed his eyes tightly for a moment and whispered, "If anything happens, tell me. Just... stay with me."
*Don't leave me,* he said in his heart.
He turned back around, started the scooter, and said to Yu Mo, "Hold on tight. I'm taking you somewhere fun."
Yu Mo pressed against him, tightly hugging his lean waist.
They followed Lotus Avenue straight ahead, gradually leaving the lotus flowers and the crowds behind. The scooter's speed climbed higher and higher; the wind blowing against her face changed from a gentle caress to a rhythmic slapping.
Yu Mo’s heart rate accelerated. She shouted loudly, "Why can this scooter go so fast? Isn't there a speed limit?"
Qi Lian didn't look back, shouting back just as loudly, "I unlocked it!"
The wind tore his voice away in all directions.
Lotus Avenue was already on the edge of Jinning. Driving east along the road, the city was soon left behind, and the sides of the road began to transform into mountain forests and open fields. The late rice of the south had not been planted long ago; the seedlings were only as tall as chives.
"Where are we going, Qi Lian?" Yu Mo asked, looking at the dark, looming wilderness on either side.
"Little Bud, do you trust me? At any time, do you trust me unconditionally? Do you believe that I would rather die myself than fail to protect you?"
This question was wilder than the wind in the fields. As it passed through her mind, it left her thoughts in a state of beautiful disarray.
She trusted him. It was strange—this certainty, she didn't know where it came from or when it had begun.
She shouted toward the open wilderness, "I do!"
Qi Lian twisted the throttle, and the scooter surged forward even faster, reaching its absolute limit. Yu Mo hugged him even tighter, as if he were the only piece of driftwood in this floating world. Her adrenaline spiked; in this moment, she was willing to live or die with this man.
The scooter's speed gradually slowed as it turned into a small path off Lotus Avenue. The path had no streetlights; only the scooter's headlight revealed the rice paddies alongside. After driving a few dozen meters, the surroundings suddenly became lively with the rising and falling chorus of frogs.
Qi Lian stopped the bike, pulled out the key, and took Yu Mo’s hand to lead her forward without a word.
They went down a small slope. Qi Lian turned back to lift Yu Mo down. Before them appeared a small pond, the water's surface reflecting the starlight like a mirror. By the shore stood a crooked willow tree. The "croak-croak" of frogs and the "chirp-chirp" of summer insects harmonized together.
There was no moon that night. Everything between heaven and earth was blurred and indistinct, save for the distant, flickering lights of Lotus Avenue and a small village in the opposite direction.
Yu Mo gripped Qi Lian’s arm tightly. Her heart was racing, and fear made her senses exceptionally sharp; her fingers dug into his arm. Qi Lian’s face was hidden in the darkness, his features unreadable, leaving only a vague silhouette. She tried her best to see his expression.
Qi Lian reached up to touch her face, his lips hovering near her ear as he spoke. "Are you scared, Little Bud? Have you ever tried this?"
His voice was husky and seductive, carrying a roguish tone different from his usual self.
Yu Mo couldn't help but shudder. Her mind went blank. She knew something was about to happen—a game for "bad children."
Qi Lian whispered against her ear again, "Don't be afraid. Just give yourself to me."
Yu Mo couldn't stop a slight, continuous trembling.
Qi Lian unfastened the long work jacket tied around her waist and spread it on the ground.
In the next second, the world spun. Yu Mo found herself facing the starry sky. The wild grass beneath her pricked her back slightly through the fabric. When she turned her head, her nose nearly brushed against the thatch, and she caught the pungent, spicy scent of wild chrysanthemums.
Her body was as taut as a drawn bow; a single pluck of a string would have played a whole melody.
Qi Lian hovered over her. She couldn't see his face clearly, only feeling his heat and hearing his raspy voice.
He said, "You're very excited, sweetheart."
Yu Mo reached out blindly to cover his mouth.
The starry sky and the willow branches swayed in her vision. The wild grass rubbed against her back with a rustling sound. Her slender, bamboo-shoot-like fingers dug deep into the muscles of Qi Lian’s back.
From the distant village, a dog suddenly barked, followed by another and another, a continuous chain of barking that sounded like rapid drumbeats in the pitch-black night. This "Song of Breaking the Formation" caused Yu Mo to abandon all her defenses.
Qi Lian’s large hand pressed her down as he whispered in her ear, "I'm here, I'm here, Little Bud. Don't resist."
A sudden gale blew through the tall grass, bending a patch of delicate green.
Qi Lian was covered in sweat. He quickly pulled Yu Mo up and helped her straighten her clothes. This feeling—as if only the two of them existed in the entire universe—was soul-stirring. They both felt the lingering echoes of the moment, an indescribable wave of emotion, as if they had reached a place neither had ever been before.
They held each other tightly. Only in this embrace could the world be reduced to the sound of insects and the beating of their hearts.
A long time later, Qi Lian asked in a hoarse voice, "Did the ground hurt you? Are you uncomfortable?"
His large hand stroked from her hair down to her back.
Yu Mo wrapped her arms around Qi Lian’s neck, hiding her face against his hot, sweat-dampened skin. His artery pulsed strongly against her cheek. She shook her head.
Qi Lian picked up the clothes from the ground and, still holding Yu Mo, walked steadily back toward the path. He couldn't even bear to let her feet touch the ground.
He placed Yu Mo on the back seat of the scooter, tied the jacket around her waist as before, kissed the top of her head, and started the engine to turn back onto the road.
On the way back, the scooter was no longer racing like the wind. The night had grown late, and the temperature had finally dropped. The cool breeze on her face felt soothing all the way to her heart.
Suddenly, Qi Lian spoke up. "Little Bud, hold me tight. You can't fall asleep. I know you're tired."
Yu Mo jolted, pulling her blurring consciousness back.
Qi Lian still didn't feel at ease. He stopped the bike, untied the jacket from her waist, and used it to bind their waists together. The jacket wasn't quite large enough, so the knot was a struggle to tie, leaving them both slightly breathless from the tightness.
He folded Yu Mo’s hands over his waist, patted them, and commanded, "Hold on tight."
Yu Mo murmured "Qi Lian" behind his back but said nothing else.
The sweat on Qi Lian’s face and the dampness of his clothes were gradually dried by the night wind. His eyes were focused intently on the road ahead. Behind him was his woman, holding him without a shred of defense. He felt his heart fill with the wind, swelling like a sail, and words began to pour out of him uncontrollably.
"I love you, Little Bud. If God let me choose only one thing in this world, I'd choose you. Between you and me, I'd still choose you. Remember what I'm saying today. Don't forget it for the rest of your life."
Yu Mo pressed her head against his back and remained silent.
Qi Lian was baring his heart and soul, offering up his very essence, yet the person listening gave no reaction at all. He felt a hollow, wind-swept black hole open in his chest.
"Say something. Did you hear me?" he pressed.
"I heard you. I'll remember," she said.
The wind whistled loudly, and the surroundings were deathly silent. In the end, she still gave him no response.
*I'll wait a bit longer,* he told himself. *One day, I'll make it so she can't leave me either.*
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
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薛慎 | Xue Shen | The student who defeated Mark in a Math Olympiad.
晋宁 | Jinning | The city where the story takes place.
莲花大道 | Lotus Avenue | A major road on the outskirts of Jinning.
小朵儿 | Little Bud | Qi Lian's intimate nickname for Yu Mo (lit. Little Blossom/Bud).
解锁 | Unlocked | Refers to bypassing the factory speed limit on an electric scooter.
破阵曲 | Song of Breaking the Formation | A metaphor for a decisive or intense moment, often used in a military or musical context.
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Echoes of Lotus District | Chapter 51 | Only the Two of Us | Novela.app | Novela.app
