Late, but Right on Time — Chapter Six: Three Months Apart
At five thirty in the morning, the sky still hadn't fully brightened.
Lin Wanqing sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the suitcase already packed in her room. Suddenly, she was overcome by an indescribable sense of unreality.
She was really leaving.
Three months.
Ninety days.
A stretch of time that was neither particularly long nor particularly short.
Outside the window, the city was still immersed in the quiet before dawn. Only the occasional sound of cars drifted over from the distance.
She lowered her head and looked at the star bracelet around her wrist.
She had worn it ever since the day Shen Yanchuan placed it in her hand.
That tiny star was like a silent reminder.
A reminder that there had once been someone who, even after she left, still remembered what she used to like.
And a reminder—
That things arriving late didn't mean they were meaningless.
They had simply come a little later.
She picked up her phone.
The screen was still on the last message Shen Yanchuan had sent her the night before.
“Go to bed early. I'll take you to the airport tomorrow.”
She stared at it for a few seconds, then slowly smiled.
She replied.
“Okay.”
Just as she was about to put down her phone, the screen lit up again.
“Wanqing.”
“Hmm?”
“See you today.”
She stared at those three words, and her heart suddenly turned soft.
“See you today.”
She replied.
Then she stood and put the last few articles of clothing into her suitcase.
At ten past seven, Lin Wanqing dragged her suitcase out of the house.
The air downstairs carried the coolness unique to early morning.
She had assumed Shen Yanchuan would drive over.
But when she looked up, she saw him standing by the roadside.
He wore a simple black jacket and held a cup of hot coffee in his hand.
The moment he saw her come out, he walked over.
“Have you eaten breakfast?”
Lin Wanqing shook her head.
“Not yet.”
Shen Yanchuan handed her another paper bag.
“A sandwich.”
She took it.
“When did you buy this?”
“Half an hour ago.”
“Did you even sleep?”
He didn't answer. He simply took her suitcase.
“Let's go.”
Watching his back, Lin Wanqing suddenly felt her nose sting.
This man always seemed to be like this.
He hadn't known how to say things before.
Now, however, he had begun using his actions to slowly make up for everything that had once been missing.
She hurried to catch up.
“Shen Yanchuan.”
“Hmm?”
“You didn't have to take me. It's okay.”
“I know.”
“Then why are you still taking me?”
He stopped and looked back at her.
“Because I want to.”
She froze for a moment.
He turned around again.
“And besides, I don't want to let anyone else take you to the airport.”
Lin Wanqing couldn't help laughing.
“You're really good with words now.”
“Who taught you?”
“No one.”
“Then why couldn't you do it before?”
Shen Yanchuan was quiet for a second.
“Because I was afraid of saying the wrong thing before.”
She looked at him.
“You're not afraid now?”
“I am.”
“Then why say it?”
He looked at her.
“Because compared to saying the wrong thing, I'm more afraid of saying nothing at all.”
She didn't answer.
She simply walked silently to his side.
The morning light stretched their shadows long.
It was only a few steps together toward the car, yet she felt as if she had walked through many years.
They didn't talk much about parting along the way.
Shen Yanchuan focused on driving.
Lin Wanqing sat in the passenger seat, lowering her head to watch the streetscape flash past outside the window.
One familiar road after another fell behind them.
She suddenly realized that she was beginning to feel reluctant to leave.
Reluctant to leave this city.
Even more reluctant to leave the person beside her.
“Shen Yanchuan.”
“Hmm.”
“Will you really wait for me for three months?”
His hands tightened slightly around the steering wheel.
“I will.”
“What if I'm really busy with work and can't contact you every day?”
“It's okay.”
“What if I'm so tired that I forget to reply to your messages?”
“I'll wait.”
“What if I meet a lot of new people…”
She didn't continue.
But Shen Yanchuan understood what she meant.
He smiled faintly.
“You'll meet a lot of people. That's normal.”
“Then you're not afraid?”
“I am.”
“Then how can you be so calm?”
“Because I know that liking someone doesn't mean keeping her locked by your side.”
Lin Wanqing stared at him.
“I want you to go to Shanghai because you want to.”
“Not because of me.”
“I want you to come back even more because you still want to see me.”
The car fell silent for several seconds.
She turned to look out the window.
Tears slipped quietly down her cheeks.
Shen Yanchuan didn't call her out on it.
He only turned down the music inside the car.
They arrived at the airport.
Shen Yanchuan took her luggage out of the car for her.
Standing in front of the entrance, Lin Wanqing suddenly didn't know what to say.
It was only three months.
Yet in this moment, she felt as if she were saying goodbye to someone incredibly important.
“Remember to tell me when you arrive.”
Shen Yanchuan said it.
“Okay.”
“Don't work too hard.”
“I know.”
“Don't stay up too late at night.”
“I know.”
“Eat your three meals regularly.”
Lin Wanqing couldn't help laughing.
“Are you my boyfriend or my dad?”
He paused.
“I'm not your boyfriend yet.”
Her smile stiffened.
“Yet?”
Shen Yanchuan looked at her.
“You never rejected my pursuit.”
Her heart suddenly began beating faster.
“When did I agree?”
“You didn't.”
“Then you…”
“So I'm still pursuing you.”
He said it as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Looking at him, Lin Wanqing suddenly didn't know whether to be annoyed or laugh.
“You really are…”
Before she could finish, Shen Yanchuan suddenly reached out and gently smoothed back the hair the wind had tousled.
The movement was light.
Yet it instantly quieted her.
“Wanqing.”
“Hmm?”
“Go.”
“Don't let me become the reason you pursue your dreams.”
“What I want to be is—”
He paused.
“The first person you want to share them with after you achieve them.”
Her tears finally fell.
She quickly lowered her head.
“If you'd been this good with words before, maybe we wouldn't have broken up.”
Shen Yanchuan looked at her.
“So it's still not too late.”
She raised her head.
Their eyes met.
In that moment, she suddenly wanted to hug him.
But in the end, she only held out her hand.
“Then…wait for me to come back.”
Shen Yanchuan looked at her outstretched hand but didn't take it.
Instead, he gently pulled her into his arms.
His embrace was restrained.
He didn't hold her tightly.
Yet it made her feel safe.
Lin Wanqing rested against his shoulder.
His familiar scent brought back memories from many years ago.
Back then, she had leaned against him like this too.
It was just that they had both believed the future was long.
Long enough for them to love slowly.
To speak slowly.
To wait slowly.
They hadn't known that the thing life made easiest to lose was “later.”
She closed her eyes.
“Shen Yanchuan.”
“Hmm.”
“I'll miss you.”
He answered quietly.
“I will too.”
After the plane took off, Lin Wanqing sat by the window.
The city gradually grew smaller.
The high-rises became rows of little blocks.
The roads became thin lines.
As she gazed outside, she suddenly remembered the way Shen Yanchuan had stood inside the airport.
He hadn't tried to stop her.
He hadn't said, “Don't go.”
He hadn't even said, “I'll miss you so much.”
He had only told her:
Go.
Only then did she truly understand.
Real love wasn't making someone stop and stay with you.
It was knowing they were heading somewhere farther away and still being willing to believe they would come back.
She lowered her head and looked at the bracelet.
The star flashed once in the sunlight.
She smiled.
The weather in Shanghai was even more humid and stifling than she had imagined.
After arriving at the branch office, Lin Wanqing didn't rest for long before beginning to familiarize herself with the new work environment.
The three-month assignment looked like nothing more than a work transfer, but in reality, it was much busier than she had expected.
A new team.
A new project.
A new supervisor.
Every day was packed full of work.
On the first day, she still remembered to message Shen Yanchuan first.
“I've arrived.”
He replied quickly.
“Thanks for your hard work.”
“Are you adjusting okay today?”
“A little tired.”
“Then get some rest early.”
Looking at his messages, she couldn't help smiling.
The second day.
She was so busy that she didn't think of her phone until ten at night.
Shen Yanchuan hadn't rushed her.
There was only one message.
“How was your day?”
The third day.
She didn't get off work until one in the morning.
His message was still waiting on her phone.
“Good night.”
The fourth day.
She was so busy that she even forgot to eat lunch.
It wasn't until evening that she saw the photo Shen Yanchuan had sent.
It was a bowl of porridge.
“Your stomach used to be sensitive. Remember to eat when you're busy.”
She stared at the photo for a long time.
Finally, she replied with one sentence.
“How do you remember that?”
The other person didn't answer until a while later.
“Because I've always remembered.”
She didn't reply again.
She only pressed the phone against her chest.
Time passed slowly.
One week.
Two weeks.
One month.
Their contact gradually became a daily habit.
A “Good morning” in the morning.
An occasional photo at noon.
A “Good night” before bed.
It wasn't passionate or dramatic.
Yet it was like an invisible thread, tying two people separated by a great distance together.
Lin Wanqing began to grow used to wanting to share interesting things with him first.
When she found a delicious restaurant, she would take a picture and send it to him.
When she saw a sunset, she would send it to him.
Once, she even saw a cat by the roadside that looked a lot like Shen Yanchuan and took a picture to send him.
“Look. It looks like you.”
He replied.
“What part of it looks like me?”
“That look on its face like it doesn't want to deal with anyone.”
“Am I really that cold?”
“You used to be.”
“What about now?”
Lin Wanqing stared at the message for a long time.
Finally, she replied:
“Now…you're gentler.”
The other person didn't reply for a long time.
Not until more than ten minutes later.
“Only with you.”
She stared at the screen, and her heart skipped a beat.
That night, she tossed and turned in bed.
No matter what, she couldn't fall asleep.
At last, she admitted one thing.
She really seemed to have fallen for Shen Yanchuan again.
Not in the past.
Now.
But feelings starting over didn't mean every problem had disappeared.
On the thirty-seventh day, Lin Wanqing was in a meeting at the office.
Her phone suddenly vibrated.
It was an unfamiliar number.
She didn't answer.
After the meeting ended, she called back.
A woman's voice came from the other end.
“Am I speaking with Lin Wanqing?”
“I am.”
“I'm a friend of Shen Yanchuan's.”
She froze.
“Hello.”
The woman gave a small laugh.
“My name is Xu Anran.”
At the sound of the name, Lin Wanqing suddenly felt it was familiar.
She seemed to have heard it at some company gathering before.
“What can I do for you?”
There was a brief silence on the other end.
“I want to talk to you about Yanchuan.”
Her heart slowly sank.
“What about?”
“You probably don't know.”
“Know what?”
“He's recently taken over a very important project.”
“That project may require him to go abroad for a year.”
Lin Wanqing froze.
“A year?”
“Yeah.”
Xu Anran's tone was complicated.
“And he still hasn't decided whether to go.”
“Why not?”
“Because of you.”
Lin Wanqing tightened her grip on the phone.
“This is his work. I don't want to interfere.”
“But he's already given up an opportunity once because of you.”
She fell silent.
“Wanqing, I'm not trying to drive a wedge between you.”
“I just think that if you really care about him, you should know.”
After the call ended, Lin Wanqing stood in the hallway for a long time without moving.
It was the first time she realized that the distance of three months wasn't the only problem they needed to face.
There was also the future.
Her future.
His future.
And their future.
That night, she didn't contact Shen Yanchuan first.
But he quickly noticed something was wrong.
“What happened today?”
“Nothing.”
“You're lying.”
She stared at the screen.
Finally, she asked:
“Do you have an opportunity to work overseas?”
The other end fell silent.
A few seconds later:
“You know?”
Her heart sank.
“So there really is one?”
“There is.”
“How long?”
“One year.”
“Are you planning to go?”
Shen Yanchuan didn't answer right away.
She waited a long time.
Finally, he sent one sentence.
“I haven't decided yet.”
“Why?”
“Because of you.”
Tears fell without warning.
She bit her lip.
“Shen Yanchuan, don't give it up because of me.”
“I don't want to become a burden in your life.”
He replied quickly.
“You've never been a burden.”
“But you can't give up your opportunity just because we've started over.”
“What about you?”
“What?”
“Would you give up your opportunity in Shanghai because of me?”
She froze.
“I…”
“Wanqing, neither of us should give up ourselves for love.”
“I don't want you to change your life for me.”
“So don't ask me to do that either.”
She sat on the edge of the bed, tears streaming down her face.
She suddenly understood.
This time, they really were different from before.
Before, their love had been two people clinging tightly to each other.
Now, their love was being willing to give each other freedom even when they were afraid of losing one another.
She asked softly:
“What if you go overseas?”
Shen Yanchuan answered.
“I'll come back.”
“A year is a long time.”
“I know.”
“We've only just started over.”
“I know.”
“I'm scared.”
The other end of the call was quiet for a long time.
Then he said:
“I'm scared too.”
“But I don't want to miss you again just because we're afraid.”
Lin Wanqing laughed through her tears.
“You're really awful.”
“Why?”
“Because whenever I'm about to give up, you make me believe in you again.”
He said quietly:
“Then believe in me one more time.”
She closed her eyes.
“Okay.”
Two months passed.
Lin Wanqing's work gradually settled into a rhythm.
The project she was responsible for had also made significant progress.
On Shen Yanchuan's end, he officially decided to accept the overseas project.
The assignment would last a year.
His departure date was two weeks after her return home.
The day she learned the news, she didn't cry.
She simply sat quietly by the window.
She suddenly thought of how strange life was.
After finally finding their way back to each other, they were about to face a new distance again.
But this time, she didn't want to run away.
Because she knew.
Distance wasn't the problem.
The real question was whether they were still willing to choose each other.
That night, Shen Yanchuan called.
“What are you doing?”
“Looking at the city lights.”
“By yourself?”
“Yeah.”
“Do you miss me?”
She smiled.
“A little.”
“Only a little?”
“A lot.”
A low laugh came from the other end.
“Me too.”
The two of them quietly listened to each other's breathing.
Lin Wanqing suddenly said:
“Wait for me to come back.”
“Okay.”
“I have something to tell you.”
“What?”
“I'll tell you when I get back.”
“Can't you tell me now?”
“No.”
“Okay.”
He didn't press her.
Because he knew that whatever she wanted to say had to be important.
The day before her assignment ended, Lin Wanqing stood on the roof of the office building.
The city lights stretched into one continuous sea across the night.
She took out her phone.
Opened her chat with Shen Yanchuan.
And sent only one sentence.
“I'm coming home tomorrow.”
A few seconds later, he replied.
“I'll be waiting for you.”
She looked at those words and smiled.
This time, she wasn't afraid.
Because she finally understood.
Sometimes, “home” wasn't a place.
It was a person.
Someone who would wait for you where they were, no matter how far you went.
The next day, the plane landed.
Lin Wanqing dragged her suitcase out of the airport.
From far away, she saw Shen Yanchuan.
He stood among the crowd.
There were no flowers.
No over-the-top surprise.
He simply watched her quietly.
She walked over.
He took the suitcase from her hand.
“Are you tired?”
“A little.”
“Are you hungry?”
“A little.”
“Did you miss me?”
She looked at him.
“A lot.”
Shen Yanchuan smiled.
“Me too.”
She suddenly reached out and hugged him tightly.
This time, she was the one who took the initiative.
Shen Yanchuan froze for a second, then hugged her tightly in return.
She rested against his chest.
Breathing in his familiar scent, she felt tears quietly slide down her cheeks.
“I'm back.”
He said softly:
“Welcome home.”
She closed her eyes.
Only after a long while did she say softly:
“Shen Yanchuan.”
“Hmm?”
“There’s something I want to tell you.”
“What?”
She lifted her head and looked into his eyes.
“I don't want to miss you again.”
Shen Yanchuan's eyes trembled faintly.
“So?”
She smiled through her tears.
“So…let's start over.”
He didn't answer.
He only lowered his head and gently held her.
In that moment, she suddenly felt that the distance of three months had never truly separated them.
Because two people who truly mattered to each other would keep drawing closer in their hearts, even when separated by a thousand miles.
And the love that had once arrived late finally reached them right on time, after they had both learned to cherish it.
They simply didn't know yet.
Another trial was waiting for them.
Shen Yanchuan was about to go abroad for a year.
And Lin Wanqing would soon face a choice she had never imagined.
Would they really be able to walk all the way to the end together this time?
No one knew.
But at least for now,
they had clasped each other's hands.
And this time, neither of them let go.
End of Chapter Six.