Chapter 55

Chapter 55

Song Yuan blinked.

He wondered if his eyes were playing tricks on him.

But his racing pulse confirmed this was real—the person before him was truly Gu Jingchi.

Bursting with joy, Song Yuan pressed his hand against the glass.

The temperature outside was freezing. The moment Song Yuan’s hand touched the glass, his touch left a foggy imprint. Perhaps feeling the act was foolishly sentimental, he withdrew his hand almost immediately. Yet Gu Jingchi’s hand remained pressed against the cold glass, unmoving.

Song Yuan mouthed very softly, “Come in quickly.”

But he soon realized Gu Jingchi probably couldn’t hear him and fell silent.

Through the glass, Gu Jingchi mouthed words.

Song Yuan saw clearly—it was, “Wait for me.”

Though he couldn’t hear Gu Jingchi’s voice, this silent exchange felt like a scene from an art-house film.

The way a single line of dialogue slowly unfurled in the silence against a quiet backdrop inexplicably stirred his heart.

After saying this, Gu Jingchi withdrew his hand and turned to walk into the airport terminal.

The Hodgesburg airport terminal was small. In just fifteen minutes, Gu Jingchi was standing before him.

Afraid of waking the child on his shoulder, Song Yuan didn’t speak. He simply reached out, wanting to hold Gu Jingchi’s hand, but Gu Jingchi avoided it.

Song Yuan shot him a wounded look.

Gu Jingchi lowered his voice and said softly, “I’m chilled to the bone.”

“It’s fine.” Song Yuan didn’t mind. He reached for Gu Jingchi’s arm.

Gu Jingchi couldn’t refuse Song Yuan—deep down, he was just as eager to touch his beloved. Before Song Yuan could extend his hand fully, Gu Jingchi beat him to it.

“Cold?” Gu Jingchi asked him.

Song Yuan grasped his hand and shook his head. “No, it’s warm.”

He marveled at how, despite being out in the freezing cold for so long, Gu Jingchi’s palms were still so warm. The heat radiating from him was even warmer than any heating pad Song Yuan had ever used.

As the warmth spread through Song Yuan, he couldn’t resist repeating what he’d said earlier, “Your hands really are so warm.”

Finally, the ghost of a smile appeared in Gu Jingchi’s eyes. He used his other hand to gently touch Song Yuan’s face. “I meant you.”

Only then did Song Yuan realize he’d misunderstood Gu Jingchi’s words and flushed slightly. “Just a little.”

Seeing Song Yuan smile, Gu Jingchi’s tension finally began to melt away.

When the winter storm warning was first issued, Gu Jingchi had been in a meeting.

Domestically, they were distant from the worst of it, so they only got a cold drizzle.

But the mercury had dropped ten degrees within an hour.

If conditions were like this back home, imagine how much worse the situation was abroad, right at the heart of the storm.

Gu Jingchi called an immediate halt to the meeting. He told his assistant to email him the rest of the meeting notes and had his secretary apply for an emergency flight route with the aviation department, preparing to depart and pick up Song Yuan.

When he learned that Song Yuan's flight had diverted to Hodgesburg, Gu Jingchi's heart sank abruptly.

Hodgesburg is inside the Arctic Circle—a frozen wasteland with spotty signal at best. Aside from a handful of luxury estates, the place is practically off the grid. To make matters worse, Song Yuan didn’t speak any of the local Germanic dialects.

This was a nightmare scenario, and Song Yuan shouldn’t have to handle it alone.

The two-hour flight to the diversion airport was the longest of Gu Jingchi’s life. He kept checking his phone, refreshing the screen, but Song Yuan’s chat stayed stubbornly silent.

Half an hour had passed since he sent the message, yet Song Yuan still hadn’t replied.

Out of nowhere, Gu Jingchi remembered how he and Song Yuan first met.

Song Yuan had tearfully scolded him for leaving messages on read. At the time, Gu Jingchi had brushed it off as Song Yuan being dramatic and even suggested he find something to do if he was too idle.

Now, it hit him—he was the one who couldn’t stand radio silence.

"At least there’s an airport—small mercies, I guess."

"Yeah, the military’s sending a plane too. There’s no bad news on foreign media either."

Gu Jingchi tuned out the doctor’s chatter, but his anxiety didn’t ease; instead, it grew heavier.

He kicked himself for not going with Song Yuan.

The second they landed, Gu Jingchi bolted past his assistant—coat forgotten—to find Song Yuan.

The blizzard hit like a freight train. Once Gu Jingchi stepped off the tarmac, visibility plummeted.

Blinded by snow, Gu Jingchi stumbled ahead on muscle memory alone, repeating Song Yuan’s name silently in his heart with every step.

The weight in his chest didn’t lift until he saw Song Yuan through the glass.

Gu Jingchi hadn’t expected to see Song Yuan like this when they reunited.

Song Yuan sat shivering in thin layers, his coat now swaddling a kid. He’d turned his bony shoulder into a pillow for the boy on the hard metal chair, looking every bit like an older brother.

Gu Jingchi had braced for tears, for locals taking advantage of Song Yuan’s lost-in-translation panic.

But in reality, Song Yuan was braver than he had thought.

Song Yuan gave Gu Jingchi’s hand a weak squeeze. "Didn’t mean to scare you," he murmured.

Then he explained, "Service here’s crap. Swore I texted you—turns out it never sent."

Gu Jingchi folded him into a hug, lips brushing his hair. "It’s okay. As long as you’re safe."

Song Yuan’s breath hitched.

He’d been just as scared as anyone else staring down disaster.

Freezing temps, no way to communicate, the embassy a world away—any one could’ve broken him. Facing this alone was truly difficult for Song Yuan.

Yet for some reason, in that moment, he suddenly remembered the interest survey he had seen on the plane earlier.

He thought of Gu Jingchi, of how even in his loneliest moments, he had still reached out to help those in need.

The thought steadied him like an anchor.

When he saw the mother and child in need, Song Yuan didn't hesitate to step in to help.

This surprised even Song Yuan himself.

He felt he was becoming more and more like Gu Jingchi.

*

Gu Jingchi arrived with supplies dispatched by the Gu family.

Gu Jingchi’s usual entourage of secretaries and assistants were busy distributing food and puffer jackets. The assistant closest to Song Yuan was also there, so busy he could barely breathe or even drink water.

Song Yuan heated a cup of water and brought it to the assistant.

The moment the assistant saw Song Yuan, his tired face brightened instantly.

"Thank you!"

Song Yuan glanced at the supply boxes at his feet. "Let me help too."

Before the assistant could respond, Gu Jingchi pulled him back first.

"They’ve worked in Northern Europe before and have received disaster response training," Gu Jingchi said with a frown, clearly opposed to him helping. "It’s dangerous outside. You can’t go."

Song Yuan soothingly patted Gu Jingchi’s arm. "I’ll just help inside the hall. I won’t go out."

Gu Jingchi remained firm. "You’re already exhausted. You need rest."

Song Yuan knew Gu Jingchi was thinking of him.

But he didn’t change his mind. He said quietly, "I am a little tired, but you’re here, aren’t you? As long as you’re with me, I don’t feel tired at all."

Gu Jingchi didn’t budge at his coaxing.

Song Yuan turned up the charm. He hugged Gu Jingchi’s arm and gently shook it. "Come on, Jingchi, you know you’re the best~"

Gu Jingchi couldn’t refuse Song Yuan’s request, but he was still uneasy and wanted to go with him.

Just then, the secretary suddenly called out to him.

"Mr. Gu, we’ve got a signal. The hotel manager has agreed to our request for exclusive use," the secretary said, phone in hand, awaiting Gu Jingchi’s instructions.

Gu Jingchi gave the secretary a blank look.

—Since when was he this clueless?

Was this even something that needed asking?

The secretary shivered under that gaze.

Taking pity on the secretary, Song Yuan playfully nudged Gu Jingchi back. "Go take the call."

Pointing at the bare Christmas tree in the airport hall, Song Yuan said in a lighthearted tone—

"Hey Santa, I’ve got a wish. I don’t want to sleep on the floor tonight. Make it happen for me."

"Santa" was helpless. With a sigh, he tousled Song Yuan’s hair. "Be careful, then. I’ll come find you later."

"Okay!"

As Song Yuan walked away, Gu Jingchi felt a pang of inexplicable sadness.

Song Yuan didn’t need to rely on him anymore—he’d become his own capable person.

But then again, rather than feeling disappointed, Gu Jingchi would rather see Song Yuan pursuing his passions.

Song Yuan deserved to be surrounded by that glow about him.

Gu Jingchi contacted the hotel, confirmed everyone could check in, and updated the military team.

The rescue team leader nodded in agreement. "I concur. Though the blizzard has weakened, all indicators show it’s unsafe to take off within the next ten hours. For everyone’s safety, we must relocate the passengers to a place with stable electricity and water supply."

The leader thought Gu Jingchi was an absolute godsend.

Their team unanimously decided to report this back to their country and get the media to praise this good Samaritan. "Sir, may I have your name?"

Gu Jingchi’s gaze remained fixed on Song Yuan, so he didn’t notice the leader addressing him.

He turned back and deadpanned at the man before him.

"Santa."

The leader: "..."

Everyone else: "..."

*

Finally, after being stranded for six hours in the storm, the passengers were transferred to safety.

The hotel thoughtfully sent courtesy vans for them.

Everyone stood up, overjoyed, the euphoria of survival rippling through the crowd.

"Big brother," a little boy suddenly stopped in front of Song Yuan. Tilting his head up, he shyly pulled a candy from his pocket and pressed it into Song Yuan’s palm. "Thank you."

Only then did Song Yuan realize—this was the same boy who’d slept on his shoulder earlier.

His face lit up as he crouched, smiling at the boy and gently pinching his cheek. "Be good, and don’t disturb your mom’s rest, okay? She’s been through a lot."

The boy didn’t seem fluent in English, but he carefully recited his prepared line and obediently replied, "I—I will! I’ll be good."

Nearby, Gu Jingchi lowered his eyes and watched Song Yuan.

Song Yuan looked beautiful.

From every angle, Gu Jingchi always thought so. In his eyes, Song Yuan was sweet-natured, gorgeous, and effortlessly drew everyone’s attention wherever he went—completely captivating.

The thought made Gu Jingchi suddenly want to be worthy of him. He wondered if he should be gentler, at the very least not as cold as before.

Otherwise, no one would believe they were a couple when standing beside Song Yuan.

But he wasn’t quite sure what "gentle" really looked like yet.

Just then, the little boy craned his neck further. He looked at Gu Jingchi and suddenly spoke a perfect sentence in a Nordic tongue—one Gu Jingchi couldn’t understand.

It dawned on Song Yuan that the boy was from Northern Europe.

He didn’t know what the boy had said, but he knew it had to be something outrageous.

Because the boy’s mother suddenly wore a look of pure delight—eyes round, mouth hanging open—before letting out a noise caught between exasperation and amusement after a beat.

With a helpless look at the pair, she finally spoke.

"..."

Still speaking a Nordic language, Song Yuan couldn't understand a word. But somehow, he sensed the tone sounded like an apology.

Song Yuan quickly turned to Gu Jingchi, calling out like he was summoning a magic conch, "Translate, translate! Is she apologizing?"

Gu Jingchi didn’t immediately tell Song Yuan what she had said. He ducked his head a little and switched languages, answering the little boy’s question in English so Song Yuan could understand too.

"I am his husband."

Song Yuan froze, not expecting that answer.

Now he could probably guess what the little boy had asked.

The woman in front of them didn’t seem surprised at all. She smiled naturally and let out a cute little noise.

The boy, who didn’t understand English, looked up and asked innocently but earnestly, "Mom, what does 'husband' mean?"

The woman had initially wanted to dodge it with a laugh, but the boy was insistent. When he didn’t get the answer he wanted, he asked again.

After a moment’s thought, the woman came up with a simple analogy. "Think of Daddy. Daddy is Mommy’s husband."

The boy gasped in understanding, and he promptly blurted out a new question, "Do you kiss each other too?"

Song Yuan: "..."

Kids these days...

What kind of nonsense are they spouting?

With a fresh young mind, the boy quickly blurted out another question, "Will you have babies later?"

Gu Jingchi: "..."

Song Yuan was stunned for two seconds before a rare, flustered look crossed his face.

"Th-th-that’s..."

"We won’t," Gu Jingchi suddenly interjected. "Because I already have a baby. I’m raising him right now."

The woman holding the child immediately looked like she was fangirling hard.

"Wh-what are you saying...?" Song Yuan reacted strongly to Gu Jingchi’s answer.

That’s beside the point! The point is, he’s a man!

The passenger shuttle for those stranded was about to depart. A police officer blew a whistle, directing the crowd to disperse and urging them to board quickly.

"We have to go now," the woman said, taking her son’s hand. "Say goodbye to your brother."

The boy obediently waved at Song Yuan. "Bye-bye, brother!"

After the mother and son left, Song Yuan poked Gu Jingchi, looking dead serious as he accused him of his absurd behavior.

"Gu Jingchi, did the cold freeze your brain?" Song Yuan snapped. "That’s ridiculous. How could you lie to him?"

Gu Jingchi should have taught him the actual facts of life. What if the boy really misunderstood?

Ignoring his complaint and not finding his own behavior absurd in the slightest, Gu Jingchi replied, "I didn’t lie. You really are my baby."

Song Yuan’s face went bright red instantly. He rejected Gu Jingchi’s claim outright. "No fair."

Gu Jingchi suddenly called his name, softly and gently. "No cheating. I promised you."

That night when Song Yuan got drunk for the first time, he clung to Gu Jingchi and babbled endlessly.

His endless murmuring kept Gu Jingchi awake all night.

But he couldn’t bring himself to interrupt Song Yuan.

That night, Song Yuan had mumbled sadly, "All the other kids at the orphanage became someone’s baby. Only I didn’t."

Gu Jingchi suddenly realized the person in his arms had gotten upset. Even though it had been years, the memory still surfaced when his rationality slipped, disturbing Song Yuan.

Gu Jingchi’s gaze softened. He didn’t want Song Yuan to be stuck with this hang-up for the rest of his life.

So he decided it was necessary to create new memories for Song Yuan—ones that would replace the painful ones.

*

"Baby."

Sitting in the shuttle bus heading to the hotel, Song Yuan turned the word over in his mind.

The bus was warm and rocked gently. Chewing on the word, Song Yuan eventually drifted off.

Worn out after the ordeal, he was utterly drained. This place was nothing like the travel vlogs—it was brutally cold and unforgiving, where a moment’s carelessness could lead to hypothermia or snow blindness, leaving one lost in the wilderness.

The children’s cries were loud. Every time Song Yuan heard them, he instinctively frowned and wanted to flee, as if the sounds had some magic power that dragged him back to his childhood—

When all the other kids in the orphanage had become someone else’s babies, leaving only him behind, those same cries would echo down the hallway. He was always terrified, shaking under his blanket.

It wasn’t until many years later that he realized those cries had been his own.

Song Yuan didn’t want to see the little boy cry. He took the child from the young woman’s arms and rocked him to sleep, just as he had done for the younger siblings who came after him.

But it was only now that he realized—he’d been jealous all along.

Envious of the feeling of being cared for.

He had always thought no one would ever call him that in this lifetime. Yet that idea got wrecked fast.

*

All passengers arrived safely at the hotel.

That night, communication with the outside world was restored.

For a while, exclamations, cries, and cheers erupted.

Song Yuan thawed his phone with a hand warmer. Once it powered on, he immediately plugged it in to charge and sent messages to his friends to let them know he was safe.

It was already past midnight back home, but Jiang Ming called him right away, sounding like he was choking up.

Jiang Ming wailed, "I regret it so much! I shouldn’t have rushed you onto that flight, wuwuwu..."

Song Yuan comforted him, "Look on the bright side. If it weren’t for this diversion, I wouldn’t have seen Hodgesburg. And it’s not your fault."

Jiang Ming still felt guilty. "Wuwuwu, I’m coming to help too... I’ll find a way over."

Song Yuan was blown away by his resolve and had to use every trick in the book to talk him out of it.

Most of his friends were night owls, up late biting their nails. Only after confirming Song Yuan was safe did they finally exhale.

Song Shenyu also called to check on him, with thinly veiled sarcasm aimed at his utterly irresponsible fiancé, Gu Jingchi.

"You had to make a forced landing, and where is he? Off somewhere, even skipping company meetings. I never expected him to be this unreliable. I shouldn’t have let you—"

Gu Jingchi leaned back on the sofa, curling his fingers to lightly brush Song Yuan’s cheek. Feeling ticklish, Song Yuan whispered for him to stop.

Song Shenyu: "..."

After a few seconds of silence, the other end spoke again, as if inviting humiliation. "Is someone with you?"

Song Yuan answered frankly, "Yes, Gu Jingchi is right here."

A few seconds later, Song Shenyu muttered, "Rest well," and hung up.

Song Qiao also called him.

Ever since attending Song Yuan’s project defense, Song Qiao had suddenly become studious, actively participating in community work and making many friends, no longer as hot-tempered and reckless as before.

Well, most of the time.

When he heard about Song Yuan’s forced landing, he insisted on coming to be with him.

"Calm down? How am I supposed to stay calm? What the hell is the airline doing? Can’t they even predict something like this?!"

Song Yuan regretted calling Song Qiao. He’d barely praised him for a few minutes before he reverted to his old impulsive self.

Left with no choice, he borrowed Gu Jingchi’s phone to call Song Shenyu, asking him to calm Song Qiao down.

On the fourth day of the storm, the terrifying wail of the wind outside finally subsided.

At the same time, the outside world brought good news—the storm was about to end.

Joy spread like wildfire among the stranded passengers, lifting everyone’s spirits.

In those short four days, Song Yuan had made many new friends from all over the world.

As things settled down, Song Yuan often joined the procurement team for supply runs in town, though most of the time, he went with Gu Jingchi.

Their departure came sooner than expected. The night before leaving, Gu Jingchi suddenly took Song Yuan’s hand and led him somewhere.

In the polar circle, night swallowed the day almost instantly, sometimes so fast that Song Yuan wondered if there had even been daylight that day.

Song Yuan asked, "Where are we going?"

Gu Jingchi held his hand, occasionally giving it a gentle squeeze. "We’re here."

In this foreign snow-covered land stood a grand church, looming like a sentinel from the frozen ground.

A group of five- or six-year-old children sat inside, singing. Their pure voices echoed under the vaulted ceiling, creating a downright magical atmosphere.

Gu Jingchi took out a velvet box from his pocket and slowly opened it in front of Song Yuan. Inside lay a pair of silver wedding rings, gleaming under the church lights.

Song Yuan’s breath caught. He had known about the proposal for a while, but it still took his breath away.

"I should’ve given this to you much earlier." Gu Jingchi thought they might be the strangest couple on Earth—having been together for so long, their marriage certificate had yellowed, yet the rings remained unworn.

Gu Jingchi said softly, "Sorry I’m late."

Song Yuan shook his head, thinking Gu Jingchi had a selective memory. If he hadn’t run away, the rings would’ve been on their fingers long ago.

Tilting his head up, he asked innocently, "Can I put it on for you?"

Gu Jingchi caressed his face. "I should be asking you that."

Perhaps from speaking foreign languages for so long, Gu Jingchi’s voice carried a deep resonance that sent vibrations through Song Yuan’s chest every time he heard it. It was beautiful, heart-stirring.

Song Yuan shyly offered his hand and whispered a small "thank you."

Gu Jingchi held his hand, carefully and reverently sliding the ring onto his finger.

Though it wasn’t their wedding, Song Yuan cheerfully offered his blessing. "Gu Jingchi, happy marriage."

In that foreign snowbound land, Gu Jingchi pulled Song Yuan into a deep, unhurried kiss.

There were no flowers, no music—only endless snow and night. But there were sacred promises, boundless devotion, and most precious of all, they had each other.

The church bell suddenly tolled, its deep bronze tones reverberating across the wilderness.

Every resident of Hodgesburg paused, compelled by the resonant peal, their gazes turning toward the church.

Coincidentally, the day Gu Jingchi proposed to Song Yuan was the spring equinox.

From this day onward, the sun’s direct rays would move toward the northern hemisphere, bringing 24-hour daylight to this land.

A congratulatory message arrived from the Royal Greenwich Observatory over a hundred kilometers away.

The frigid north had truly cleared.

—The End—

Contents | Previous Page