Until My Soul Finds You Again - Chapter 9

Time has a strange way of moving.

Sometimes a single day feels unbearably long.

Sometimes months disappear before you even realize they’ve passed.

For Chen Mo and Su Qingyi, the months after their breakup felt like both.

They no longer spoke.

They no longer waited for each other outside the classroom.

No one saved seats.

No one shared umbrellas.

No one walked along the paths beside West Lake together.

On the surface, they had become strangers.

But no amount of distance could erase what still remained in their hearts.

As the final examinations drew near, the entire campus fell unusually quiet.

Students buried themselves in textbooks.

The library stayed crowded until closing time.

Conversations grew shorter.

Dreams grew heavier.

Chen Mo had changed.

He studied diligently every day.

He rarely joined his classmates for meals.

He avoided unnecessary conversations and devoted every spare moment to preparing for the future.

To everyone else, he looked more mature.

Only he knew the truth.

Every achievement reminded him of the one person he wished could witness it.

One evening, carrying a stack of books, he entered the library.

It was nearly empty.

He found a familiar seat in the corner and quietly began reviewing his notes.

Several minutes later, he sensed someone standing nearby.

He looked up.

Su Qingyi.

She held two books against her chest.

For a brief moment, neither of them spoke.

The silence felt strangely familiar.

Almost comforting.

Then she asked softly,

“Is this seat taken?”

Chen Mo glanced at the empty chair across from him.

“No.”

She sat down.

Just like she had done countless evenings before.

Both opened their books.

Both pretended to study.

Neither absorbed a single word.

The memories were too vivid.

The emotions too overwhelming.

Eventually, Su Qingyi broke the silence.

“You still come here every evening?”

Chen Mo nodded.

“It helps me concentrate.”

She smiled faintly.

“So do I.”

The quiet between them no longer felt awkward.

It simply felt like home.

After several minutes, Chen Mo finally spoke.

“You’ve been doing well.”

“So have you.”

“I’m trying.”

“So am I.”

The conversation was simple.

Yet every sentence carried unspoken meaning.

At last, Su Qingyi closed her notebook.

“Chen Mo.”

“Hm?”

She hesitated.

Then asked the question she had been carrying for months.

“Are you happy?”

His fingers slowly tightened around his pen.

After a long silence, he answered honestly.

“No.”

The corners of her lips trembled.

“Neither am I.”

Those four words quietly shattered the wall they had spent months building.

Chen Mo lowered his gaze.

“I thought staying away would make things easier for you.”

“It didn’t.”

“I thought you would eventually forget me.”

“I tried.”

She smiled bitterly.

“But I couldn’t.”

The library suddenly felt very small.

The distance between them disappeared without either realizing it.

Chen Mo took a slow breath.

“There hasn’t been a single day…”

He stopped.

His voice faltered.

Then forced himself to finish.

“There hasn’t been a single day that I stopped loving you.”

Tears immediately filled Su Qingyi’s eyes.

She lowered her head, afraid he would see them.

“I never stopped either.”

Neither spoke again.

Because words had become unnecessary.

After several moments, Chen Mo whispered,

“I’m sorry.”

She gently shook her head.

“I was angry.”

“I was hurt.”

“But I never hated you.”

He looked at her in surprise.

“You didn’t?”

She smiled softly.

“I understood.”

“You left because you thought it would protect me.”

“You just chose the wrong way.”

Those words struck him harder than any accusation could have.

Unable to control his emotions any longer, Chen Mo stood and walked toward the window.

He stared silently at the lights reflecting across West Lake.

Behind him, footsteps approached.

“Chen Mo.”

He slowly turned around.

Before he could speak, Su Qingyi stepped forward.

And wrapped her arms around him.

She held him tightly.

As though she feared he might disappear if she let go.

For a second, Chen Mo stood completely still.

Then his arms slowly lifted.

He embraced her in return.

“I missed you.”

Her voice was barely above a whisper.

He closed his eyes.

“I missed you too.”

Outside, the evening breeze rustled through the trees.

Inside the quiet library, time itself seemed to stand still.

After a while, they finally separated.

Neither moved very far.

Su Qingyi looked into his eyes.

“Don’t leave me again.”

Chen Mo nodded without hesitation.

“I won’t.”

“This time…”

“I’ll stay.”

“Promise?”

He smiled gently.

“I promise.”

They returned to their seats.

But something had changed.

The invisible wall between them had disappeared.

As they quietly resumed studying, Chen Mo glanced at her and laughed softly.

“So…”

“I guess we’re back to being something more than friends.”

Su Qingyi looked up from her notebook.

Then shook her head.

“No.”

He blinked.

“No?”

She leaned slightly closer.

This time, there was no hesitation in her voice.

“This time…”

“Let’s stop pretending.”

Chen Mo understood exactly what she meant.

For the first time since they had met, he chose trust over fear.

Outside the library, night slowly settled over Hangzhou.

Neither of them realized it then.

But this reunion was only the beginning.

Because their love would continue to break.

Continue to heal.

Continue to lose its way.

Only to find each other again.

Again and again.

Until the day fate itself decided there would be no more chances.