When Cheng Xiao landed the plane back in Luzhou four days later, having flown the longest international return flight of her career so far, part of her mind was probably still half-way across the world, and it took until Gu Nanting asked, “Should we go home?” that she remembered she had sent all her things to his house, and now they would return to his apartment together.
She was no longer such a stranger to his apartment as she had once been, but now it was still strange to see her things displayed casually around the house. He had placed her model airplanes next to his - the bright colours she had added to her planes contrasting with the grim colours on his in such a way that made her laugh. When he showed her the bedroom, Cheng Xiao felt like her chest was filling up with warm air to see her spare captain’s uniform hanging next to his in the closet.
Gu Nanting wrapped his arms around her from behind and pressed a kiss to her hair. Then, he took her hand and said, “Come, I want to show you this.”
He led her to the room he was using as a home office, and there on the wall, he had put up the two maps of their flight routes side by side. The map that she used to record his flights still had that tear from when the movers had ripped it from the wall of the apartment opposite them.
“You haven’t updated this in a while,” Gu Nanting said, running a finger against the tape that she had used to patch up the tear.
“No,” Cheng Xiao answered. “Not since I moved the last time. At the time, it just felt…too much.”
Gu Nanting only nodded, and that was when Cheng Xiao realised he hadn’t updated her map either.
“You also stopped at around the same time?” she asked, though she already knew the answer.
Gu Nanting nodded again, but this time, he smiled. “We can start updating them again now, together? In celebration of your latest achievement?”
Cheng Xiao couldn’t help but break into a wide grin, before leaning to kiss his cheek. “That would be wonderful!” Then, a thought occurred to her and her face fell. “Oh, but I left my logbook at the office.”
“Wait here,” Gu Nanting said, before leaving the room. A minute later, he came back with his flight bag, from which he produced both his and her recent logbooks.
“You had this all planned out, didn’t you?” Cheng Xiao asked, giggling.
Gu Nanting smiled and placed the books on the table. “Of course,” he said. “I thought this would be a good way to welcome you home.”
Flight to You
She was no longer such a stranger to his apartment as she had once been, but now it was still strange to see her things displayed casually around the house. He had placed her model airplanes next to his - the bright colours she had added to her planes contrasting with the grim colours on his in such a way that made her laugh. When he showed her the bedroom, Cheng Xiao felt like her chest was filling up with warm air to see her spare captain’s uniform hanging next to his in the closet.
Gu Nanting wrapped his arms around her from behind and pressed a kiss to her hair. Then, he took her hand and said, “Come, I want to show you this.”
He led her to the room he was using as a home office, and there on the wall, he had put up the two maps of their flight routes side by side. The map that she used to record his flights still had that tear from when the movers had ripped it from the wall of the apartment opposite them.
“You haven’t updated this in a while,” Gu Nanting said, running a finger against the tape that she had used to patch up the tear.
“No,” Cheng Xiao answered. “Not since I moved the last time. At the time, it just felt…too much.”
Gu Nanting only nodded, and that was when Cheng Xiao realised he hadn’t updated her map either.
“You also stopped at around the same time?” she asked, though she already knew the answer.
Gu Nanting nodded again, but this time, he smiled. “We can start updating them again now, together? In celebration of your latest achievement?”
Cheng Xiao couldn’t help but break into a wide grin, before leaning to kiss his cheek. “That would be wonderful!” Then, a thought occurred to her and her face fell. “Oh, but I left my logbook at the office.”
“Wait here,” Gu Nanting said, before leaving the room. A minute later, he came back with his flight bag, from which he produced both his and her recent logbooks.
“You had this all planned out, didn’t you?” Cheng Xiao asked, giggling.
Gu Nanting smiled and placed the books on the table. “Of course,” he said. “I thought this would be a good way to welcome you home.”