During The Blizzard (Amidst A Snowstorm Of Love)

Canto 65: Beautiful Uncertainty

"Marriage is a beautiful thing... but the idea of surrendering so much of myself to another person? That makes my breath catch in my throat." - Anonymous

Translator: Wuxia Studio, Editor: M.H Lovecraft (Enochian_)

- - - -

Yin Guo stirred awake to the insistent buzzing. It wasn't her usual ringtone, but the shrill cry of Lin Yiyang's alarm clock. He must've set two, afraid he'd miss getting her up on time. The second one followed closely, a relentless double tap on the silence.

The harsh sound ripped her from a dream, leaving her pleasantly achy. The warmth of his embrace lingered on her back and thighs, a testament to a comfortable sleep. Disoriented, she blinked at the darkness. It was like stepping back in time, a replica of February's apartment down to the inky blackness.

A subconscious sigh escaped her lips as she turned, instinctively reaching out to wrap her arms around his waist. The familiar feel grounded her, a silent plea to hold onto this moment.

"Lost in a dream already?" Lin Yiyang's voice, a low rumble above her, teased gently. "Planning to sleep in all day?"

Yin Guo mumbled a sleepy reply, propping herself up on one elbow and letting his arm fall back onto the pillow beside her. "I thought I was back in your old place," she confessed, her voice thick with sleep.

"Rise and shine," Lin Yiyang's voice rumbled, a low vibration against her ear. "I'll take your training camp."

She turned in bed, her back to him, but not before a flicker of sadness crossed her features. Her hand instinctively reached for his chest, searching for the comforting rhythm of his heart.

"Actually, you seem like the most carefree one there," she murmured, her voice thick with unspoken emotions. "Yesterday, I saw you serving tea and it feels like, it's not you."

"It's me, I always wanted to offer your mom a tea," He squeezed her hair gently.

He explained further, his voice softer now, "The truth is, I've always wanted to compete, ever since I left. But I made a mistake in the past, by offering a tea to your   mom, it's my way to make things right."

Lin Yiyang, her back still to him, reached for her phone under the covers. The familiar weight calmed her a sliver. Flicking on the screen, she saw the late hour reflected in the glow.

With a final, tender pat on her back through the quilt, Lin Yiyang urged, "We gotta get going."

- -

Before they left, Jiang Yang emerged from the house, a date night etched on his face.
He held a piece of paper, a makeshift license plate.

"There you go, the car's all set."  He'd helped Lin Yiyang buy a car before leaving for China. Since he hadn't gotten pictures taken yet, it was still hidden in the garage, untouched.

"Ah, little brother," Jiang Yang greeted Sun Yao, who was overseeing some decorating work upstairs with a group of men.

Lin Yiyang, ignoring Jiang Yang's arrival, held a bag of cherries in one hand and the license plate in the other. "Stick it on the windshield?"

"Yup." Jiang Yang confirmed.

He passed the cherries to Yin Guo and then carried her suitcase downstairs.

Sun Yao, ever the charmer, greeted Yin Guo with a wide smile. "Sister-in-law!"

Yin Guo offered a polite smile to the men behind Sun Yao. She took a quick scan of the spacious second and third floors, their size a stark contrast to their old North City apartment. Surprise flickered in her eyes. She hadn't expected such a grand setup for his billiard hall.