Paper Lover At Old Town Bookstore Chapter 56
byFast forward three years
His fingertips traced the cold window edge, and the sycamore leaves outside the window fell again. In a daze, it had been nearly three years since he was sent to a neighboring city with a transfer order.
25 years old is not too old, but it is as if the fast forward button has been pressed, filled with too much intense past.Thinking of Xu Xingruo, it was the light that suddenly hit the eyes when he was young, and the heartbeat was as pure as the summer evening wind, with the youthfulness and recklessness that had not been shed; thinking of Yang Changwen, it was the disguised form of his pressing step by step, those inexplicable pulls, like a mess, entangled and making people breathless; and now, Song Zhili’s imprisonment is the ultimate suffocation and paranoia, all the excitement in the past has been crushed into the silence day after day in front of him.
Song Qiusheng leaned against the window and closed his eyes, feeling overwhelmingly tired.The passion and impulse of the year gradually cooled down amid repeated betrayals, calculations, and imprisonments.
He no longer wanted to struggle, no longer wanted to resist, no longer even wanted to escape.The love and hate that once made him toss and turn, and the people and things he tried his best to protect, all became blurry and distant at this moment.
He just wanted silence.
Like a deep pool of water, it no longer makes waves; like a dead tree, it no longer strives for spring glory.There is no need to face Song Zhili’s morbid possession, no need to pay attention to the disputes between Song and Xing’s family, no need to bear anyone’s expectations and calculations, just quietly spend some time of your own.
But this little wish turned into a luxury in this golden cage-like villa.Song Zhili’s footsteps came back downstairs, heavy and familiar, like a shackle, pulling him back to reality again.
Song Qiusheng slowly opened his eyes, and the glimmer of light in his eyes was completely extinguished, leaving only a peaceful desolation.
Perhaps, silence has never been a choice, but a helpless compromise when there is no way out.
But he still wanted to try, in this small place, under Song Zhili’s eyes, leave an inch of pure land for himself, so that his exhausted heart could take a breather.
At the breakfast table in the villa, Song Zhili handed over the cut steak. I took the knife and fork meekly, with just the right amount of dependence on my fingertips.A trace of satisfaction flashed in his eyes, and he reached out and stroked the top of my hair: “I’m so good all of a sudden.”
I lowered my eyelashes, hiding the confusion in my eyes, chewing tasteless food, and heard his nagging instructions in my ears – it was just that the roses in the villa were blooming again, and the new servants were quick and agile, but they never mentioned the storm outside.Only the news broadcast at 7 o’clock every night can give me a glimpse of the outside world.
In the social news section of that day, the wedding scene flashed by. The groom was Yang Changwen, and the bride, wearing a white wedding dress with a smile as bright as a flower, was Li Qinglian.
My fingers holding the remote control tightened slightly, and my heart seemed to be gripped by something.Once upon a time, Yang Changwen’s entanglement used to annoy me, but now when I see this scene, I can only sigh.
Not long after, the news also reported the death of Li Qinglian – she was subjected to long-term domestic violence by her husband Yang Changwen, and finally died in the wedding room that once symbolized happiness.In the camera, when Yang Changwen was taken away by the police, there was still a trace of indifference on his face.I stared at the screen blankly until Song Zhili turned off the TV and took me into his arms: “Don’t watch these bad things, it will affect your mood.”
I leaned on his shoulder obediently, but my heart felt desolate.It turns out that even if it deviates from the trajectory of the original work, the fate of some people still cannot escape the tragic undertone.
Later, I heard sporadic news about Zhang Biling from Song Zhili’s occasional phone calls.
With a hint of disdain in his tone, he said that Lin Zhiqing was ignorant and had given up on the Song family’s bright future and insisted on being bound to that woman Zhang Biling. Now that the two of them have joined forces, they have become somewhat famous in the neighboring city.
As I listened, a faint smile unconsciously appeared on my lips – at least, they were happy.
But after looking through all the news and magazines I could get my hands on, there was still no news about He Ping An and Xing Qingru.
After He Pingan was rescued by Lin Zhiqing, he seemed to have disappeared from the world; and after Xing Qingru took control of the Xing family, he rarely appeared in the public eye, and only occasionally financial reports mentioned the trends of the Xing Group.
Are they okay?Did He Ping’an escape safely?Is Xing Qingru’s power stable?Countless questions swirled in my mind, but I couldn’t find any answers.
As the days passed, the roses in the villa bloomed and faded, and the servants changed batch after batch.
I wore the clothes Song Zhili chose, ate the food he prepared, and watched movies and walked with him obediently, like an exquisite puppet.
Sometimes, I would sit by the window and look at the unchanging scenery outside the window, suddenly in a trance.How long have I been in this novel?Three years?Five years?Or longer?The shock when she passed through the book, the determination to change the fate of the heroine, the love-hate entanglement with Song Zhili, and He Pingan’s protection…these unforgettable memories seem to be gradually blurring in the obedience and silence day after day.
I will even forget that I am a book wearer and that all this is just the plot of a novel.I began to get used to this cage, to Song Zhili’s existence, and to this isolated life.
In the penthouse apartment on a rainy night, the neon lights of the city were shining outside the floor-to-ceiling windows. Only a warm yellow wall lamp was turned on in the room, which stretched the shadows of the two people.
He Ping’an held Xing Qingru’s wrist, his knuckles turning white from the exertion, and the emotions he had suppressed for many years surged in his eyes – the grievances of being misunderstood, the unwillingness to give up, and the anger deliberately provoked by Song Zhili, all turned into surging love at this moment, gushing out.”Qingru, I have never forgotten you.” His voice was hoarse and firm, with a hint of trembling, “I didn’t leave of my own free will; I didn’t attach myself to Qiu Sheng just to climb high. I just want to live, and I want to stand in front of you one day and tell you how much I love you.”
Xing Qingru froze, her heart beating uncontrollably as she looked at the man in front of her who had lost his youthfulness and whose eyes were full of stubbornness and affection.
Over the years, she deliberately suppressed her inner feelings and concentrated on her career, thinking that power could fill all the vacancies. But when He Pingan revealed her heart without reservation, she discovered that the memories that she had forcibly sealed had never really disappeared.
“You…” She was about to speak, but He Pingan leaned over and blocked her lips.This kiss was filled with extreme longing and forbearance, as if all these years of longing and waiting were integrated into this moment.Xing Qingru didn’t resist. Her body responded before her reason. She raised her arms and put her arms around his neck, letting him lead her to sinking.
He Ping’an picked her up horizontally and walked towards the bedroom step by step, moving eagerly but cautiously, as if treating a lost treasure.”Qingru, believe me, this time, I will not let you down again.” He whispered in her ear, his breath hot, “I want you to know that you will always be the most important in my heart.”
The light in the bedroom was ambiguous and lingering, and clothes were scattered on the floor.He Pingan’s movements were full of passion that had been suppressed for many years, and every touch was full of power and love. He kissed her eyebrows, her neck, and told her affection over and over again in her ears, turning all misunderstandings and grievances into the tenderness and passion of this moment.
Xing Qingru closed her eyes, felt his body temperature, and listened to his confession, the defense in her heart completely collapsed.
Those years of estrangement and deliberate alienation disappeared at this moment.She could clearly feel his love, his sincerity, and the feeling of being cherished and held in the palm of her hand.
Extreme pleasure swept over them like a tide, drowning the two of them.Xing Qingru couldn’t help but moan softly and snuggled tightly into He Ping’an’s arms, feeling his strong heartbeat, as if she had found her final destination.
Years of suppression and waiting finally paid off at this moment, and all the grievances and unwillingness turned into happiness and satisfaction at this moment.
The rain is still falling, but it seems to have become the most beautiful background sound.In the bedroom, the two of them hugged each other tightly, breathing intertwined, and their eyes were filled with tenderness and determination that they had never seen before.
They know that the past is past, and they will walk hand in hand in the future, never to be separated by anyone or anything again.