Evanescent Dreams

30. The Next Stop

Standing still in the middle of a wide street, Chen Siyun stared at the movie ticket in her hands. 

What changed? Not long ago I was moved by even a slight glance of him. Now I have these movie tickets in my hand, movie tickets, but...

From a distance, Chen Siyun saw a figure running towards her. The footsteps echoed loudly in unrestricted bursts. It was as if a force was propelling her forward.

As the person's features came into view, she saw that her vibrant gaze was fixed straight ahead. 

"Xingren?" 

Lin Xingren glanced at her and quickly came to a stop. 

"Si-Siyun," she bowed down and managed to catch her breath. Her legs were covered with dust and mud. 

"Wh-what are you doing here?" Lin Xingren straightened herself. 

Chen Siyun subconsciously hid her hands with the movie tickets behind her back. "I..."

Her face contorted with self reproach and a touch of embarrassment. Why am I still hiding? 

She showed the movie tickets to Lin Xingren. "I'm going to watch a movie...with Zhao Zihai."

"Nice!" Lin Xingren brightened. "You like Zhao Zihai, right? You can finally get closer to him!" 

Chen Siyun shrugged and looked down at her feet. "Can I? "

Will I ever be close to Zhao Zihai? 

"Why not? I mean, he may be childhood friends with Liu..."Lin Xingren darted her eyes, "and a lot of girls. But still, why not? I mean-" 

"I don't think someone like him will ever want to get close with someone like me," Chen Siyun's voice quivered. She had finally given away her deepest thoughts to Lin Xingren. Her sense of inferiority, leaked not to her, but the whole flashing-lights world around her. 

"I-" Lin Xingren grew silent on the spot. "It's not like that."

"I've gotta find Ye Zhen."

They waved to each other in awkwardness. 

Tap-tap

Why am I still like this?

 Lin Xingren feet grew weighty as she took a few steps forward to carry on with her own journey. 

Finally, she clenched her fists and turned around. Chen Siyun had not moved. 

"Move, Siyun! Do you also not want to get close with him? Do you not?" she called and nodded at her before she propelled herself to continue her run. She had hinted the truth to Chen Siyun, and to herself.  

---

Has Xingren realized her next stop?

With Xingren's encouragement, and his support, Chen Siyun slowly moved herself to the cinema entrance. 

Zhao Zihai wasn't there yet, so she sat quietly on a bench outside the entrance. There, she could raise her head to see the stars dimly glow on the evening sky with her earphones on. 

You're My Garden played in her ears. It was the same touching romantic song she heard with him the other night, before he had confessed. 

A smile found itself on the corners of her mouth and she imperceptibly swayed her head. 

A while passed, and she looked down at her phone. The movie had already started. 

She looked up again and her melancholic smile gradually drifted away. 

Zhao Zihai, still in his athletic apparel after playing basketball with his friends, stood a few steps away from her, looking at his phone.