Visa On Arrival Chapter 12

Driftwood

The footsteps stopped about three paces away from her.

You’re here! Qi Ranyue’s voice was very soft. The corners of her eyes curved into crescents, her cheeks puffed out slightly, and the corners of her mouth turned up in a faint smile.

Chen Rong braced her hands against her knees, her chest heaving violently. Fine beads of sweat broke out on her forehead as she gasped for air.

She didn’t say a word, but her eyes were fixed intently on the other woman. Her gaze was burning, piercing through the damp mist to land directly on Qi Ranyue’s face. A sense of throbbing agitation seemed to pass through their meeting eyes and into Chen Rong’s heart.

Qi Ranyue shifted to the side, clearing a small space.

Come here!

Chen Rong sat down.

Can I hug you? Qi Ranyue asked, staring straight into her eyes.

A breeze blew in from the lake, mussing her hair and unsettling her heart. Chen Rong froze for a moment, her heart thumping as if it were about to leap out of her chest, before she pulled the girl into her arms.

Qi Ranyue’s face pressed into the crook of Chen Rong’s neck. She could smell the scent of Chen Rong’s body wash as she reached out to wrap her arms around her neck.

The two of them just held each other like that.

On a bench under the moonlight.

By the lakeshore that shimmered like scattered silver.

Qi Ranyue took a deep breath and exhaled, her warm breath puffing against Chen Rong’s neck.

Then, in a muffled, somewhat unsteady voice, she said, You smell so good.

????

Chen Rong instantly stiffened.

Qi Ranyue slowly released her, moving back half an inch to create a small distance.

Qi Ranyue looked into her eyes and suddenly smiled.

I can see myself in your eyes.

Qi Ranyue raised a hand to touch her face. Her fingertips were very cold, carrying the chill of the lake deep at night. The touch was light, like a dragonfly skimming the water, leaving behind circles of ripples in Chen Rong’s heart.

Did I scare you? Qi Ranyue lowered her hand, her gaze returning to the lake. I thought that after those few days of Zen meditation, I would be able to find peace of mind and face the results calmly. Sigh, I guess I overestimated myself.

Yueyue, I need to explain something to you! Chen Rong looked at her.

Qi Ranyue didn’t turn back, still watching the surface of the lake.

Explain what?

I feel that worrying too much about the future only makes the path beneath your feet blurry. Choosing to stay here was my own decision; it’s what I’ve always wanted. Furthermore, in my professional field, the market size and the connections I’ve accumulated here are indeed more beneficial to me. Chen Rong paused as if organizing her thoughts, then looked at her with a direct gaze, speaking seriously word by word. Right now, I only want to follow my heart. Everything else can just take its natural course!

After listening, Qi Ranyue didn’t respond. She simply remained silent and held her hand out in front of Chen Rong, palm upturned, as if waiting for something.

????

Qi Ranyue’s hand hung in mid-air. Seeing that Chen Rong was still looking confused, she stopped waiting and spoke directly, her tone frank. The bracelet.

If you didn’t bring it with you, then I don’t want it anymore. Qi Ranyue withdrew her hand and deliberately pulled a long face, shooting her a sidelong glance with a hint of feigned annoyance.

Chen Rong seemed to react instantly. She nimbly pulled it out of her pocket, used her other hand to spread Qi Ranyue’s palm open, and placed the bracelet in her hand.

Put it on for me. Qi Ranyue pouted slightly, a small curve that hid a hint of triumph.

Chen Rong lowered her head and solemnly wound the bracelet around her wrist. Her fingertips carefully adjusted the tension and smoothed it out gently, as if completing a very important ritual.

Are you angry? Qi Ranyue whispered, looking down and fiddling with the newly fastened bracelet.

What do you think? Running away from home, disappearing, smashing things, getting drunk, and… Chen Rong’s voice trembled with every word as she looked at the gauze on the girl’s wrist.

Qi Ranyue didn’t offer an excuse. She simply leaned against her and acted spoiled. Just forgive me, okay? Her voice trailed off with a soft, pleading lilt.

I was just too sad. Are you going to lecture me now? Aren’t you going to comfort me? Qi Ranyue huffed and turned her face away.

Finally, as if she had made up her mind, she began to pour out the things hidden in the depths of her heart bit by bit.

Actually, I already knew when I was very young. But, I just wasn’t entirely sure. I had to know the truth. So, after I came back that day, I went to the hospital to get the paternity test. It turns out it was all true.

Chen Rong sat there quietly listening to her speak, without interrupting or questioning her.

Her expression softened bit by bit, but her brow furrowed tighter and tighter. An uncontrollable heartache overflowed from the corners of her eyes and brows, like a tide slowly washing over her entire face.

Do you know? What I find even harder to accept is my biological father. Qi Ranyue suddenly stopped. Her throat felt as if it were blocked by something, and she couldn’t force out the next words. Tears began to flow uncontrollably and silently, one after another.

She sniffled and took a deep breath, her shoulders rising and falling with the inhalation. She slowly exhaled, and only when her breathing stabilized did she speak: It’s Qi Yihuai.

When Chen Rong heard this news, her entire body froze. Her pupils dilated slightly, the color drained from her face, and she shook her head in disbelief. Her lips moved, but no sound came out.

That paternity test was actually between me and Qi Yihuai. I’m actually the product of his affair. I can’t accept it. I feel like I’ve let Auntie Ruan down. She’s been so good to me, yet I’m her husband’s illegitimate daughter. I’m so miserable. I feel like I’m a sin.

As soon as she finished speaking, Qi Ranyue could no longer hold it together. She suddenly covered her face, her shoulders shaking violently. Suppressed sobs escaped from between her fingers—whimpering, trembling, crying out all her grievances and pain.

But… but he acted like nothing was wrong, letting… me… spend time with Auntie Ruan. How could he… how could he do that? I even find myself disgusting. She spoke while crying, her voice broken and intermittent from the tears, every word forced out of her throat.

Yet she still wanted to finish speaking, as if afraid that in the next second, she would lose the courage to say it. I used to wonder why I… why I was so lucky growing up. Even my instructors… were so good to me, always helping me… Disgusting… it’s so disgusting.

Halfway through, she suddenly covered her mouth and bent over sharply, retching violently. Her stomach was in turmoil, but she couldn’t throw anything up.

Chen Rong had heard too much tonight—so much that her mind went blank. She stood frozen in place, her eyes overflowing with a thick, inseparable heartache. She didn’t know what to say, so she simply reached out and tightly embraced the shivering girl.

A drowning person grabbing a piece of driftwood.

In reality, what truly holds you up is never the wood itself, but the buoyancy of the water, the air in your lungs, and your legs that haven’t stopped kicking.

The wood is merely a point of leverage, a temporary fulcrum. If you treat it as the only shore, it will become the rope that binds your hands and feet.

Often, what traps us is not the drowning, but the mistake of mistaking the driftwood for the shore.

When a great wave hits, if you let go of the driftwood, your body actually floats upward.

Floating doesn’t require such a tight grip. It turns out that living sometimes only requires believing that the water will not abandon you.

People are like that. What traps them is never the abyss, but the obsession with treating the driftwood as the shore. Only by clutching it too tightly do they end up being dragged down.