193: Chapter 193 The Last Meal

He paused, his gaze sweeping across everyone.

"Especially... well, anyway, thank you all for not holding my behavior against me."

He finished speaking and quickly sat back down, as if he had completed an arduous task.

Lin Xi sat quietly, hugging her knees. She was like an onlooker; she had connected with everyone, but those connections weren't deep, and she wouldn't even call them beautiful memories.

But why did she feel like crying now?

When their eyes fell on her, she just shook her head slightly, signaling that she didn't want to speak.

However, she raised her hands and clapped softly, her gaze passing over everyone in turn before lingering briefly on Shen Yanzhou.

He was her goal, but they were simply destined to be apart.

Suddenly, she felt so envious of Rong Shuwan sitting beside him. Seeking but not finding, versus finding without seeking.

That described the two of them perfectly.

Jiang Miaozhu smiled and stood up, her style as crisp and straightforward as ever: "I'm not that sentimental. Just one sentence: I'm glad to have met you all. If you come to my city in the future, remember to look me up. There'll be plenty of wine!"

She raised the half-finished beer bottle beside her in a toast to the air.

She tilted her head back and took a large gulp, looking free-spirited and cool, which drew a few cheers.

Xia Ningle stood up next. Her voice was thin and soft, just like her.

"I... I'm very grateful to everyone," she said, habitually twisting her fingers slightly.

"I was originally very shy, but everyone here has taken such good care of me. Brother Chen Yu always makes delicious food for us, and although Brother Yanzhou always teases me, he helps me out of tough spots too..."

"Wenhan is very good to me, but I won't say much about that." Xia Ningle's cheeks suddenly turned red.

This caused everyone to start heckling her playfully!

Even Xiao Wenhan couldn't help but blush.

She recounted the small kindnesses, her voice gradually choking up.

"And Su Su, you're the one I'll miss the most. You're really so wonderful and super gentle!"

"I'll miss everyone so, so much..." She covered her mouth, bowed deeply, and quickly ran back to her seat, burying her face in Su Lingyin's shoulder.

Su Lingyin gently patted her back and comforted her, "There, there. It's not like we'll never see each other again. We can still meet up often."

"Waaah, I know, but I just can't bear to leave everyone. I really want to cry!"

He Yunshen was also somewhat moved and said, "This has been a very unforgettable experience. We come from different places and have different personalities and habits. Being able to live together like a family for so long is a great stroke of fate."

He glanced at Chi Zhao, whose eyes were still red, and then looked at everyone else.

"Even though the show is ending, I hope this friendship won't dissipate. Let's... keep in touch in the future."

All eyes turned to her, some bright and some dim.

Su Lingyin had been sitting quietly all along, the firelight dancing on her soft profile.

She just stared at the burning bonfire for a long time, as if she could see the microcosm of all those past days in the leaping flames.

"I've always felt that fire has a life of its own."

She spoke softly, her voice as gentle as a dream, yet it reached Chen Yu's ears clearly.

"It burns, emitting light and heat, and then it goes out, just like our meeting."

She turned around, her gentle gaze brushing over every face. That look held too many things: reluctance, gratitude, and a sense of treasuring what they had.

"We are like sand blown together by the wind, coming from different shores, yet on this beach, we shared a time flavored with barbecue, sea breeze, and... the saltiness of tears."

Everyone listened to her speech in silence.

As she spoke, she was the first to let out a small smile.

"Whether it was the noise or the laughter, thinking about it now, it's all sparkling. I will remember tonight's bonfire and I will remember everyone in The Cottage."

Her voice gradually took on a thicker nasal tone, but she still tried her best to keep it steady.

"I'll also remember this sea and these waves."

She took a deep breath of the cool sea breeze, as if she wanted to inhale all of this into her lungs and store it away.

"Parties must always end, and fires must always go out."

She paused, her eyes shimmering with tears, yet a smile blossomed—a smile that was incredibly warm and bright in the firelight.

"But our hearts, which have been warmed by each other, will keep beating and remember all of this."

"Goodbye isn't meant for a final farewell."

She said softly, as if giving a final concluding remark.

"It's so that we can have a better reunion in the future."

No one had expected that the always quiet and reserved Su Lingyin would say such things.

After an unknown amount of time, Chen Yu picked up his guitar again.

He didn't sing; he just improvised, softly plucking the strings.

Soothing, scattered notes flowed out like moonlit waves, gently lapping at everyone's heartstrings.

Chi Zhao used the tissue He Yunshen had given him to carefully wipe his face. His nose and eyes were still red, but his emotions had leveled out significantly.

He Yunshen patted him on the back, and a silent reconciliation was reached between the two.

Rong Shuwan's fingers unconsciously traced the sand, sketching a melody that no one else could understand.

Xia Ningle leaned on Su Lingyin's shoulder, her soft sobbing gradually ceasing.

Xiao Wenhan opened another bottle of beer and handed it to Shen Yanzhou beside him. The two clinked bottles silently.

Lin Xi still held her knees, her gaze vacant as she looked at the distant sea where darkness met the moonlight, a very faint, tranquil curve lingering at the corners of her mouth.

The bonfire gradually died down. The flames no longer leaped, turning into a pile of steadily burning red coals that continued to radiate heat.

The night grew deep.

Parting was imminent, but at this moment, they were still together, warmed by the same light and enveloped by the same sound of the sea.

They shared this brief yet eternal, sand-like golden time of their lives.

...

The next day, early morning.

The closer the parting, the earlier one wakes.

The more one wishes not to part, the faster the parting arrives.

"This is the last meal Chen Yu is making in The Cottage. Everyone, cherish it," Shen Yanzhou said with emotion.

"Why make it sound so tragic? If you want to eat, just come to my house. Do you think I wouldn't cook for you?" Chen Yu gave him a sidelong glance.

"Haha, that's true. Given our relationship, I want to eat..." Shen Yanzhou listed a long string of dishes.

Chen Yu narrowed his eyes and said, "We are ending our friendship right now."

Shen Yanzhou was stunned for a moment, then the two looked at each other and laughed.

The girls had finished packing their many bags.

The guys helped carry them down the stairs.

He Yunshen still remembered the weight of Lin Xi's luggage; it was not something he could easily handle.

Shen Yanzhou's eyes were also filled with a smile.

Over a month had passed in a flash.

Time really flies so fast!

It felt like a dream.

However, he had luckily gained friends and his own lover.

"Shuwan, eat more."

Shen Yanzhou said to Chen Yu as if showing off, "I have someone to cook for me!"

Chen Yu retorted, "What do you have to be proud of? A real man is supposed to cook for his girlfriend."

Shen Yanzhou was left speechless.

"Hmph! You're just jealous of me!"

Rong Shuwan, however, said, "I'm actually quite envious of Su Su."

Shen Yanzhou: "..."

You're all bullying me!

"Hahaha!"