Chapter 49
After dialing eleven numbers, what came through was a mechanical voice: "The number you have dialed is powered off. Please leave a message after the tone."
I froze. My throat dry, I forced out the words: "Shangguan, I... I'm not at the 'Underwater World'..."
After hanging up, I stood there in a daze. I'd said what I needed to say, but what difference did it make compared to saying nothing?
How could his phone be off? When Yang Yun called earlier, it was still on. How could it be turned off already? Not even half an hour had passed—Shangguan couldn't have reached the 'Underwater World' that fast. Unless... he was already nearby?
At that moment, I felt like a lamb on a spit-roast. I wanted to leave, yet I couldn't bear the thought of Shangguan falling into Yang Yun's trap. I wanted to rush over, yet I was afraid of seeing him.
After hesitating for about five minutes, I took a deep breath and finally hailed a taxi. Whatever—Shangguan couldn't eat me alive!
This was the longest hour and a half of my life. During that time, I asked to borrow the driver's phone several times to dial Shangguan's number, but every single time, it was powered off.
The closer we got to the "Underwater World," the faster my heart raced. There was fear, worry, and above all, confusion.
I was afraid to meet Shangguan, but I was even more afraid that something had already happened to him.
I was worried he'd corner me again, but I was even more worried about his safety.
When I saw Shangguan, how should I face him? But if something happened to him, what would I do?
My thoughts were in complete chaos. I shifted positions restlessly like a caged animal.
"Young man, rushing to see your girlfriend, are you?" the driver spoke up.
I managed a forced smile.
"Don't worry—if she really likes you, she'll wait. Take my wife, for example—she waited for me for two whole hours once. If I can be so bold as to say, if you want to make a life together, you need to be patient with each other. Sure, the guy should usually be the one waiting for the girl, but a girl should also be able to wait occasionally if her man is a little late. If she can't even wait for that, how is the relationship supposed to work later on?"
The driver kept on and on about his views on marriage and love. Unable to get a word in edgewise, I could only listen. Although I felt none of it applied to me, that word—wait—still made my heart stir.
Waiting... I sighed silently, and the weight in my chest only grew heavier.
Finally, we arrived at the "Underwater World." I got out, but had no idea how to find Shangguan. The "Underwater World" wasn't just that stretch of beach—it also included two hotels and a seafood market catering to out-of-town tourists, plus a villa district nearby.
The weather was still cold, and there weren't many visitors to the "Underwater World," though some tourists from out of town remained. Most of the visitors were young couples, and when they heard this beach was called the "Underwater World," they let out whistles of appreciation, then immediately became enchanted by the scenery.
I checked both hotels first—no sign of Shangguan. His car wasn't in the parking lot either. I took a walk through the villa district, but still nothing.
By now, dusk was settling in. Both hotels had turned on their colorful lights, the red and green glow adding an even more magnificent quality to the silver sand. There were even more tourists than during the day, and the beach had come alive. A few flower sellers were hawking roses.
It was then that I saw Shangguan. He was being accosted by a flower seller, a girl of十几 who kept trying to thrust a huge bouquet of flowers I didn't recognize into his arms. He refused at first, but when she wouldn't give up, he reached for his wallet. But the girl didn't want money—she only wanted him to accept the flowers.
"That would make a wonderful gift..."
Yang Yun's voice echoed in my ears once more. By pure instinct, I screamed: "Don't—"
A couple in the distance had just lit a sparkler. The crisp pop of the firework rang out at the same moment as my voice, and a burst of flowers bloomed in the dim night sky. Shangguan turned his head.
Bewilderment, joy, excitement... in that instant, the unmistakable emotions flickered across Shangguan's already-thin face. And in that same instant, white smoke began to rise from the bouquet in his arms.
The smoke was so obvious, yet he didn't even glance at it. His gaze locked onto me tightly, as if a starving beast were staring at its prey, or as if a father were looking at his most beloved child.
"Throw those flowers away!" I shrieked, and ran toward him.