Finally, she said, “I…”
“Can I think about it overnight?”
Li Xia told Fang Zeqing about it. She said she was torn. Her parents had put in so much effort, but she didn’t know what to choose.
Fang Zeqing said, “Whatever you decide, they’ll understand. Think about what you want first.”
Li Xia said she didn’t know.
It wasn’t part of her plans.
Fang Zeqing said, “Getting a pet is all about fate too. Why don’t you head to a pet store tomorrow and take a look first, then decide?”
The next afternoon, Li Xia went to the pet store alone. For some reason, she felt a bit nervous. The store clerk approached and asked what she needed, but Li Xia shook her head, her eyes scanning the place.
Then, out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a lively, bouncing corgi puppy. It was pressed against the glass, barking at her.
Li Xia stared at it in disbelief.
As she watched, its appearance gradually overlapped with Bread’s when it was just a puppy.
Who said life has no cycles? If not, then Mom and Dad must have possessed the magic of love.
Just treat it as her selfish wish.
Just pretend she was raising two puppies—one living in her memories, the other right by her side.
Li Xia lifted her heavy feet and walked toward it.
–
When Li Xia received Fang Zeqing’s second gift, she had already told him about her new puppy.
She video-called him. “I named it Cheese, hehe—fancy, right? It’s super clingy.”
She asked what his gift was, and Fang Zeqing replied, “Suddenly, I’m not sure if it even matters anymore.”
It turned out his gift was a video he had designed and created himself.
Li Xia could hardly describe the weight of this gift. Just over a minute long, she watched it frame by frame—
Because every single frame featured a hand-drawn illustration by Fang Zeqing himself, each one depicting a puppy in a different pose or state. That’s when Li Xia realized why he had asked for all those photos of Bread before.
Moreover, without exception, every frame included Li Xia’s back.
Back views that Fang Zeqing had quietly captured at moments she never even noticed.
Across all the frames in the video, there were only her and Bread.
—When she returned to the hotel, Bread trailed behind her.
—When she strolled by West Lake, Bread bounded ahead of her.
—When she sat on a bench, Bread lay curled on her skirt.
—When she gazed at the sky outside a convenience store window, Bread’s little paws rested on her leg.
…
Li Xia watched with tears and laughter streaming down her face.
Bread had truly become an invisible breath of wind, yet it had brought her other precious gifts in its place.
Those little holes of sadness inside her had long since been lovingly mended by her family and her loved one, woven into the tapestry of her life.
At the video’s end, a line of text faded in.
Li Xia’s eyes burned as she read the words, each one piercing straight to her heart—
“Li Xia, there’s this trending topic online: what can your profession do for the person you like? I gave it some thought.”
“‘I could film a documentary of your life—if you’re willing.'”
–
Distance couldn’t conquer their honeymoon phase. Even on days apart, Li Xia and Fang Zeqing stayed connected through their phones, through the universe itself.
Just like before.
F: 【I sprayed the perfume you gave me today】
F: 【The Proust Effect is kicking in】
Li Xia smiled, pursing her lips.
F: 【The cactus seems to have grown a bit】
Li Xia: 【Have you been taking good care of it?】
F: 【Does talking to it every day count?】
Li Xia: 【What do you say to it?】
F: 【I miss you so much】
…
They had weathered many partings and just as many reunions.
Fang Zeqing had bridged the distance countless times to see her, sharing tender, intimate nights together.
He told her he was working hard.
“At what?”
“You’ll see soon enough.”
The only thing Li Xia knew for sure was that he was still charging across the wild frontiers of his idealism. Besides documentaries, he had started making feature films too. Whenever he got swamped, she would visit his set.
She loved watching Fang Zeqing at work.
“Very charismatic.”
“So captivating.”
That came months later, on a bright afternoon bathed in sunlight. Fang Zeqing had arranged everything and appeared in her city.
Li Xia only learned the full story afterward.
He had relocated his studio to her city and shared that he had won the film award he craved most.
He had finally emerged from his long years of submersion and hibernation, claiming his place in the field he loved—and standing side by side with the person he cherished.
Li Xia would always remember that day. She was still at the office when her phone lit up with a message from Fang Zeqing.
He wrote: 【Come downstairs】
Li Xia froze for a second, then dropped everything in her hands.
She bolted out of the elevator, through the lobby, and to the entrance.
From afar, she spotted Fang Zeqing standing there.
He held a small pot of blooming cactus, sunlight enveloping him without restraint.
He smiled at her and opened his arms.
Li Xia ran toward him, straight into the light.
Her heart pounded wildly.
Just like their first meeting.
“I know I’m really bothering her like this. Maybe I’m selfish, but Xia Xia has put up with my selfishness patiently. Speaking of which, it’s pretty ridiculous for someone my age to let a twenty-something drag me out. But she’s so pure-hearted, encouraging me with such sincerity that I often forget our age difference. She’s lively and passionate, bringing me strength and good moods, so I always call her Little Summer.”
That was what Lin Hong said during her interview.
Fang Zeqing understood perfectly.
Countless times, he had watched a stranger breathe new life into Lin Hong, helping her fulfill her dreams.
On some level, Fang Zeqing truly admired this person.
She seemed to possess a gentle yet vibrant life force.
Of course, he was grateful to her as well.
Grateful to this woman he had never met.
Lin Hong had been writing over these years, but crafting a book was a grueling ordeal for her. The story chronicled the joys and sorrows of a rural grandmother’s life in the village. She had to draw from her hometown, conduct interviews, and learn about local burial customs. It was a massive undertaking.
Fang Zeqing could see the pain she endured whenever inspiration failed her.
He desperately wanted to help, but he was powerless.
Sometimes, Lin Hong would sit alone in the courtyard, lost in thought until sunset. Her manuscript lay beside her; when inspiration struck, she would write a bit, only to tear it up if it didn’t satisfy her.
The world was so vast, yet the sound of her tearing paper rang out deafeningly.
Fang Zeqing would quietly pick up the pieces.
He worried she might slip into depression, but he couldn’t stop it.
It was then that he suddenly thought, “Mom, why don’t you call that young editor of yours? See if she can offer some advice and help you out.”
Lin Hong said she didn’t want to bother her.
Fang Zeqing felt she needed someone to pull her out of this rut. He didn’t know the editor, but right now, he needed her help. That was the first time Fang Zeqing used Lin Hong’s phone to message Li Xia.
He first asked if she had time and if it was convenient. Then he explained they had hit some snags and asked if they could chat by phone.
Her reply came quickly: 【Sure!】
Moments later, she called.
Fang Zeqing answered and heard a clear, sweet voice: “Hong-jie, good afternoon! Not going so well with the writing today?”
Fang Zeqing wasn’t one to get swept up in emotions.
But in that moment, he admitted it: some people just had a voice that made the day feel perfect.
–
He saw Li Xia again the previous year, when she first visited their home to see Lin Hong.
By then, Lin Hong’s book had been published and was hitting shelves, and her spirits had improved greatly.
One morning, Lin Hong mentioned they were having a guest. Fang Zeqing happened to have an online planning meeting, so after breakfast, he said he had work and wouldn’t come downstairs.
Lin Hong wasn’t pleased. “It’s not like I’m setting you up on a blind date. Why are you hiding like this?”
Fang Zeqing didn’t look back. “Haven’t you introduced me to enough already?”
Lin Hong huffed. “This one’s different. I wouldn’t even dream of introducing her to you.”
What made her different?
Fang Zeqing didn’t care to ask.
He draped his earbuds around his neck and scrolled idly on his phone as he headed upstairs.
Just then, the doorbell rang.
Lin Hong hurried to answer it.
“Hong-jie!”
He hadn’t seen her yet, but her voice rang out light and lively, like jade beads scattering on the floor.
“Hey, Xia Xia.”
Fang Zeqing stopped in his tracks.
From his angle, the door stood open, casting an irregular patch of pale golden light across the floor. Standing on the stairs, his view was limited; he could only see the sunlit hem of a clean white skirt.
Unconsciously, Fang Zeqing took a step back.
His line of sight widened.
He saw her holding a vibrant bouquet of flowers.
Unable to see her fully, he stepped back again, descending another stair.
In that instant, from afar, he made out the pretty, spirited face behind the bright blooms.
When she laughed and chatted, she came alive, vivid and fresh.
Just like her mood-lifting voice.
No—surpassing even her voice.
He stood there watching for a few seconds before slowly heading upstairs.
That same day, after finishing his work, Fang Zeqing glanced out the upstairs window and saw Lin Hong seeing her off at the door. She waved as she walked away. The sky was growing dark and overcast, rain on the horizon. When Fang Zeqing came downstairs, Lin Hong was just slipping off her shoes as she came back in.