'SEE YOU MORNING' 042 Land of Tenderness

After days of constant traveling, they could finally enjoy a good rest this weekend. The bitterest part of winter had passed, and the ice and snow on the roof began to melt under the sun. Woken by the steady dripping of water, Li Haojun found the sun already high in the sky. He had woken up before dawn earlier, then drifted off again and slept until broad daylight. He had a dream, most of which he could no longer recall. The only thing that stayed in his mind was a woman with a severe head wound, likely a colleague. He was unsure if she was his girlfriend. A long gash split her scalp, which definitely needed stitches. He patted his pockets and found only a few hundred yuan in loose change on him. He asked if she had a bank card, and fortunately she did. He offered to take her to the Chemical Industry Hospital, yet she insisted on going to the Science Hospital. What strange names for hospitals they were.
Lost in thoughts about this bizarre dream, Li Haojun looked over at Qin Wenjing beside him. Her back was turned to him, and her shoulders lay exposed above the quilt, looking chilled. He pulled the quilt up gently and tucked the edges around her neck.
Qin Wenjing reached out to hold his hand and rolled over, snuggling close to him. She was awake all along. She glanced at him, then closed her eyes once more.
Li Haojun raised his hand and brushed the strands of hair from her face back behind her ears. He gazed quietly at her features, trying to dig up faint memories related to her. Why did she cling to him so deeply? Could there be a karmic bond between them from a past life? He longed to relive those distant moments.
His soft fingertips traced the curve of her brows. Her sleek, glossy black hair brimmed with youthful vitality. The back of his ring finger brushed lightly across her cheek. She kept her eyes shut, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.
When his fingers slid down to her neck, she turned her head and buried her face against his chest. Against her fair skin, her black hair stood out in sharp contrast, stretching from her cheeks down to her neck and shoulders. Li Haojun rested his hand on her chest, feeling the rise and fall of her breath. As he savored the warmth of her youth, he couldn't help but sigh, wishing his own workplace offered such pleasant perks. Qin Wenjing had once said they had spent well over a decade together, and Lily had also mentioned working alongside him in his younger days. He had served the company since he was much younger. Perhaps his current age made him grow indifferent to the role the company had assigned him.
It was a lazy morning inside the bright little room. The two of them let the news play in the background as they leisurely prepared their meal. Instead of quick simple dishes as usual, they decided to make lamb and radish soup, which took quite some time. After finishing all the chopping work and putting the ingredients into the pot, Li Haojun washed his hands and wrapped his arms around Qin Wenjing's waist, simply enjoying the quiet companionship. Qin Wenjing wore cute heat-resistant gloves, skimming foam off the soup and adding seasonings little by little. Recalling how awkward they had been when they first woke up together in this kitchen, Li Haojun marveled at how swiftly time flew.
"Do you remember the day I first woke up? It has been almost a year now," he said, holding her from behind and gently stroking her waist and hips.
"I do," Qin Wenjing turned around, her smile as bright as a young girl's.
Li Haojun leaned in to kiss her cheek, tightening his arms around her waist, shoulders and chest. He breathed in her scent, feeling as if their beings had merged into one.
"Hey, that's too tight," Qin Wenjing wriggled playfully. She then looked back at him, her eyes crinkling with pure happiness.
"I'm sorry. When I hold you like this, it feels as if you are a part of me."
Qin Wenjing fell silent for a long while, watching steam curl up from the simmering pot before she spoke softly.
"I am."
The news continued to broadcast in the background, covering local town affairs including labor education for those who had violated rules and laws. With spring drawing near, offenders were usually sent to work on farms. Their personal information was made public with no privacy spared. Public affairs were managed by cold computer programs, impartial yet unyielding. The basic system was uniform across all regions, while local communities could adjust details according to their own customs. Without proper feedback mechanisms, both individual and collective behaviors would spiral into extremes. For ordinary people, such extremes often resulted in spoiled, immature adults. Still, residents would not readily abide by rigid rules alone. Therefore, the social system built on these regulations also guaranteed basic living necessities: food and shelter. For this reason, most people accepted the names announced on the broadcast without complaint.
"I think I remember we were called to take part in this last year," Li Haojun suddenly recalled.
"We were, and we are again this year. It happens all the time. You were away from home each time, so I turned the requests down. We are not actually required to join in. Strictly speaking, we do not belong to their social system, even though we live quite close to them."
"So you were slacking off," Li Haojun teased, shaking her gently. "Admit it."
Qin Wenjing turned to face him, the smile fading from her face. Her voice was soft and low.
"What do I care about all that when you are not here beside me?"
Hearing the loneliness in her words, Li Haojun could almost feel the emptiness she had endured back then. He pulled her tightly into his arms, hoping his heartfelt affection could travel back through time to comfort the lonely her of those days.
The pot lid clinked and bounced as steam pushed against it, completely forgotten by the two lovers locked in an embrace.
What was meant to be breakfast had long turned into lunch. Qin Wenjing was in a playful mood. She styled her hair into a high side ponytail, with long bangs framing her cheeks. She carefully applied pale pink lipstick, tied her hair with a matching Hello Kitty hair tie, and put on a white loose-sleeved cropped blouse paired with pale blue low-rise skinny flared jeans.
Amused by her earnest effort to dress up, Li Haojun took her hand and led her to the dining table. He posed like a waiter and gestured politely.
"Your highness, please be seated."
He let go of her fingertips only after she sat down. Then he served the soup and staple food, arranged the tableware neatly in front of her.
"Miss, please enjoy your meal."
Li Haojun sat down across from her, met by her delighted smile. Yet traces of the earlier melancholy still lingered in her expression. She smiled, then pressed her lips together and bit her lower lip.
Li Haojun knew her emotions were easily stirred. He feared his words had brought tears to her eyes again. He quickly walked over, pulled her head into his embrace.
"Don't cry. I'm right here with you." She looked up at him, tears already brimming in her eyes.
Before long, she buried her face fully into his chest, letting all her tears flow freely onto his clothes.
Her head and shoulders trembled, breaking his heart. Li Haojun held her closer than ever, as if squeezing out every breath in his lungs. Their skin touched, their bodies intertwined and their souls connected. For a moment, his heart seemed to stop beating, replaced by an endless stream of tender love, peaceful and unchanging.
Time stood still. When his heart began to beat again and he drew a new breath, he whispered softly beside her ear.
"Do not fear. I will stay by your side, even in the next life."