The Short Distance Between Us

TSDBU: [5]

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[5]

Just a street away from the amusement park was B City's night market.

The stamina and energy required to conquer those rides were tremendous so they went here to fill their stomachs with street food. Today was the perfect occasion to spoil themselves caring less of how their elders would warn them that street food was unsanitary.

Yan Guang knew very well how Xiao Weiyuan has a big appetite. He couldn't wait to see the people's reactions after noticing how much he could eat!

Right away, Xiao Weiyuan went to a noodle stall and ordered two big servings.

As expected, the stall owner couldn't help but ask- "Young man, are you sure?"

Xiao Weiyuan nodded impatiently making Yan Guang laugh.

After finishing the noodles, the stall across was selling fried dough sticks.

The noodle stall owner's eyes widened. Unbelievably, the young man wasn't satisfied with just his noodles.

Was it not appetizing enough. Dejectedly, he questioned his skills a bit.

From eating two big servings of noodles and Fried Dough Sticks to eating Chinese Dumplings and Glutinous Rice Balls... Xiao Weiyuan stuffed himself full only stopping after his stomach was a little uncomfortable.

"Hahaha~" Yan Guang kept noticing the protruding little belly.

Xiao Weiyuan was a little piglet. One who is very cute.

There was a small mountain in B City...

The city government made hiking trails and viewpoints within the mountain to make it that tourists could have a good look at the city turning it into a tourist spot.

The mountain has been 'modernized' with small cottages as rest spots and fancy wooden bridges. Walls that were erected for safety were turned into inspiring murals.

They had been on this mountain before.

Xiao Weiyuan looked at the sky and realized that night was approaching. He wanted to reach that place before sundown.

He stopped at one particular viewpoint and sat on the bench that directly faced the horizon.

The sun was close to setting resembling a half-moon. A shame that he didn't have the time to savor it.

Their eyes were glued to it, wallowing at the beauty that was slowly vanishing from their eyes.

"Isn't it pretty? We should come and see the sunset here more often." Yan Guang's tone was low reflecting the feelings that he carried in his heart.

"Ah Yuan... there's no need to work too hard." he continued with a frown. "You know that I dislike it when you don't take care of yourself."

"Since you can cook, don't settle for fast food. Find time to cook as much as you can. Li Weimin kept asking you to hang out with him. If you care about your friendship, don't keep turning him down anymore..."

"Even if I can't take care of you anymore since I'm leaving, I know that you can live a good life. You'll meet new people... make a lot of new friends. Maybe even find someone else..."

"But if I can be selfish.... can I ask you to not find that someone so soon? Maybe in a year... five years... make do with ten?"

"Yan Guang."

"... w-what is it?" he was very aware that he sounded ridiculous.

"Do you remember when we came here for our first date?" the sun had fully set and the skies were now dark yet his eyes didn't leave the horizon.

"Of course I do." that memory was very vivid.

As his favorite person, Yan Guang wanted to show Xiao Weiyuan his favorite place.

He was a man who had spiritual ties with nature. He was often teased as an old man because of his particular interest in botany, mountainous landscapes and the like.

As a young man who was born in a bustling city who had such interest, the small mountain of B City was the closest to his safe haven.

Here they watched the sunset together, held their hands for the longest time and shared the most heated kiss they ever shared.

He could never forget something precious. He dare not to.

"I remember it very clearly..." Xiao Weiyuan's words left his mouth like a whisper.

His hands left the bench and so did his feet as he approached the stone railings. He leaned, arms crossed onto the surface of the railings. There was a slight chill in the wind.

Yan Guang followed closely... he noticed how a strand of Xiao Weiyuan's hair was stubbornly sticking on his eyelash so he reached to pull it away.

"I went to the amusement park with you today and we chose to ride on all the intense rides. We spent a lot of time together there."

Yan Guang: "You were very ruthless. You didn't even give me a break!"

"We didn't go to the Ferris wheel since I remember how I forced you to sit with me and we stopped at the peak. I thought we were very lucky back then however you became unwell afterward. I really liked how tightly you held my hand the but I was more worried about your health and shouted at the conductor to let us down."

"Then we ate at the night market. We bought two big servings of noodles and ate fried dough sticks. We didn't stop there, there were Chinese Dumplings and some Glutinous Rice Balls..."

Yan Guang: "Ha.ha.ha... the stall owners made a lot of funny faces."

"We climbed up the mountain before sundown and now we're here... just like the first time..."

Yan Guang: "Very much like the first time..."

With courage, Yan Guang widened his palm and waved it in front of Xiao Weiyuan's eyes.

Xiao Weiyuan couldn't still see him.

Well... he was a wandering spirit so it was a given.

"Yan Guang..."

Yan Guang: "What is it?"

"I m-miss you..." heartbroken, Xiao Weiyuan couldn't endure it anymore.

He let out a deep breath to regain his composure but it only made his tears fall.

It was ironic yet he couldn't laugh as he bit his lips to hide the painful moans while his tears rapidly clouded his vision. His hands tightly grabbed his chest as the dull pain pierced his heart leaving it hollow.

Every breath was painful.

Yan Guang couldn't keep his smiling facade after hearing his sobs. His spirit was mourning as he desperately tried to wipe away the tears no matter if his transparent fingers passed through skin.

"Don't cry... it'll all be better soon... alright?" but his ghostly whispers couldn't reach him.

"How can you leave me like this? why did you leave me behind... ahh... "