Rebirth in a Shura Field, but in an Abstract Version

049 Was this your first kiss?

Chengdu Shuangliu Airport, August 26.

As an aviation hub in Southwest China, countless farewells and reunions take place here every day. Under the huge dome of Terminal 2, the place is bustling with noise, with announcements of boarding information constantly playing over the loudspeakers, mixed with the sound of suitcase wheels rolling across the floor, creating a very noisy atmosphere.

At nine o'clock in the morning, a group of six people arrived at the departure hall.

Walking in the middle were two young people dragging suitcases.

The boy, dressed in a simple white T-shirt and jeans, stood tall and straight, his eyes bright and clear; the girl, in an elegant dress, had long hair flowing over her shoulders, and was gentle and beautiful. Walking side by side, they were a perfect match, the kind of model students you'd only see in a university admissions brochure.

It was Wang Zhe and Song Zhiyi who were about to depart for Shanghai and Hong Kong.

Beside them were two middle-aged couples who were chatting incessantly.

"Son, don't mess around when you get there."

Wang Yuanshan wore a collared shirt today, and earnestly advised, "Although you have a little money now, it's for emergencies. Don't get carried away by the glitz and glamour of the big city. Especially those bars and nightclubs, whatever you do, stay away!"

Wang Zhe smiled and nodded, looking obedient: "Dad, don't worry, I know what I'm doing. I'm going to study, not to squander money."

Song Zhiyi, who was standing next to him, chimed in with a smile, "Uncle Wang, don't worry. Wang Zhe and I are in the same major, and I'll help supervise his studies. If he dares to skip class or go to places he shouldn't go, I'll be the first to report to you."

Upon hearing this, Wang Yuanshan's eyes narrowed into slits with delight: "Great, with Zhiyi watching over things, I can rest assured!"

At this moment, Wang Zhe's mother, Liu Wei, gave him another piece of advice: "However, college students are not high school students. Although studying is important, don't just focus on studying. College is also a small society. Make friends when you should, and have fun when you should. Youth is for enjoying life."

As she spoke, the look in her eyes when she glanced at her son clearly conveyed the same message—you're an adult now, and if you meet a suitable girl, it's fine to date. Of course, it would be best if you could date Zhiyi.

"Enjoying youth?"

Song Zhiyi blinked her innocent big eyes, looking completely bewildered. "Aunt Liu, what does it mean to enjoy your youth? Is it traveling, or joining a club?"

Her innocent and naive demeanor stumped Liu Wei.

Liu Wei originally wanted to hint to her son that he could try dating Song Zhiyi, but it wasn't appropriate to say it too directly in front of the girl's parents.

So the mother could only give a vague answer: "It's that, all-round development... clubs are fine, social practice and stuff like that are also good."

Song Zhiyi's mother chimed in, displaying her intellectual educational philosophy: "Yes, yes, all-round development. Today's college students can't just be good at taking exams. Look at Xiao Zhe, he got his driver's license over the summer, that's great! That's called skill development. In college, they also need to hone their interpersonal skills..."

While a group of parents were chatting away, Song Zhiyi subtly moved a step to the side, quietly gave Wang Zhe a wink, and pointed to his side and behind him.

Wang Zhe glanced back in that direction and immediately understood.

In that corner, there was the figure of a girl with reddish hair.

Wang Zhe suddenly clutched his stomach, instantly switching into acting mode: "Dad, Mom, Uncle and Aunt. I think I drank too much milk for breakfast, my stomach's a little upset, I need to go to the bathroom. You guys keep talking, could you keep an eye on my luggage for me?"

"Go on, go on, lazy donkeys on the millstone produce lots of shit and pee." Wang Yuanshan waved his hand.

Wang Zhe handed the suitcase to Song Zhiyi to watch over, then turned and ran towards the bathroom.

Song Zhiyi stood still, a well-behaved smile on her face, continuing to draw the attention of the two sets of parents: "By the way, Auntie, what clubs and activities are there in university? Could you tell me more about them...?"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

After running out of the sight of the two sets of parents, Wang Zhe did not go into the bathroom. Instead, he went around in a big circle and quietly crept behind the huge pillar.

There, a slender figure was huddled in a corner with her back to him.

Jiang Di clutched her phone tightly, seemingly waiting for a message from one of her best friends. Every now and then, she would peek halfway out into the center of the hall, then quickly retreat like a startled rabbit.

Wang Zhe tiptoed and walked up behind her.

"Hey."

He reached out and gently patted her shoulder.

"Ah!" Jiang Di was startled and turned around abruptly.

When the girl saw who was standing in front of her, her shock instantly turned into delight.

"Wang Zhe!"

She immediately opened her arms and pounced on him, hugging his waist tightly.

Wang Zhe was knocked back half a step by her, leaning against the cold pillar. He then smiled and hugged her, pressing her head into his chest.

"Why are you here?" Wang Zhe asked softly.

"Of course I'm coming!"

Jiang Di buried her face in his chest, her voice choked with emotion and thick with nasal congestion, "I can't bear to part with you... I haven't slept well for days, and the thought of you leaving makes me want to cry. I just want... I just want to hug you one more time."

Feeling the girl in his arms trembling slightly, Wang Zhe's heart softened.

He reached out and gently stroked her head as if soothing a small animal, combing her soft, long hair one stroke at a time, feeling the touch of her hair and her faint fragrance through his fingertips.

"Okay, okay, don't cry. It's not like you're not coming back. I'll be back during winter break. And didn't I say we can video chat every night? I still need to check your vocabulary memorization."

"That's different..." Jiang Di sniffed and lifted her head from his embrace.

Her eyes were red-rimmed, like a wronged rabbit, but they were surprisingly bright, reflecting Wang Zhe's image.

Looking at Wang Zhe's face so close to hers, she suddenly felt a surge of courage from who-knows-where.

Perhaps it was the atmosphere of parting that was too strong, perhaps it was Song Zhiyi's encouragement that had an effect, or perhaps it was because she wanted to leave a real mark before this summer ended.

Jiang Di stood on tiptoe, gripped Wang Zhe's collar tightly with both hands, closed her eyes, and awkwardly but eagerly moved closer.

"Well……"

Two warm, soft lips pressed together.

She lacked any skill, and even appeared somewhat stiff due to nervousness. That was the air of a young girl's naivety.

Wang Zhe was stunned for a moment.

He hadn't expected the girl to be so brave at the last moment.

But he didn't back down, nor did he try to deepen the kiss like a seasoned pro. He simply let her stay close to him gently, feeling her slightly trembling eyelashes brush against his face.

A few seconds later, Jiang Di suddenly shrank back as if he were suffocating.

The girl's face was so red it looked like it was about to bleed, and even her ears were burning. She kept her head down, her fingers nervously gripping Wang Zhe's clothes, not daring to look up at him, her chest heaving violently.

"This was my first kiss..."

Her voice was so soft it was like a mosquito's hum, yet it carried a hint of persistence and probing. She raised her eyes again, looking at him cautiously.

"Was it... your first kiss?"

Looking at the girl in front of him, who was eagerly waiting for an answer, Wang Zhe rubbed her head again and gently wiped her slightly moist eyes with his thumb.

"certainly."

He silently added in his mind: "That is, if we don't count the previous life and only count this life after rebirth."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.