Mr. Lizard Outside the Window - Chapter 60
Chapter 60: Transforming into a Lotus
The piano music swelled, the notes light and delicate.
Dong, dong, dong… like the footsteps of winter, approaching slowly from afar.
Banxia's fingers trembled on the strings, a tingling sensation spreading through her arm.
After a long moment, the violin joined in, its voice hesitant, tentative, like a feather drifting on the wind, merging with the piano's melody.
A tear welled up in her eye, but she blinked it back, her jaw clenching as the violin's voice soared, a torrent of rapid notes, a flurry of arpeggios, like a sudden blizzard.
The piano followed, its steady rhythm unwavering, matching her speed, her intensity, the two instruments intertwined, a perfect duet, a storm of music raging across the stage.
A vast, desolate landscape, a world of ice and snow, a figure emerging from the blizzard, beautiful and ethereal.
Banxia's heart, which had been floating, adrift, now settled, her feet firmly planted on solid ground.
She turned and saw him. Her Xiao Lian.
Ling Dong, sitting at the piano, met her gaze, their eyes locking, a shared smile, a silent acknowledgment of their reunion, their rebirth.
And then, the tear she had held back finally escaped, tracing a path down her cheek.
The audience noticed the shift in the music, the second movement now warmer, more intimate, the lyrical adagio a comforting presence amidst the storm, like two lovers huddled together in a small room, the wind and snow raging outside, the fire in the hearth burning brightly.
And in the third movement, the music became joyful, optimistic, two figures walking hand in hand through the snow, one helping the other up when they stumbled, their laughter echoing in the crisp winter air.
The music gradually softened, the harshness of winter fading, the promise of spring in the air, the violin and piano, their voices entwined, disappearing into the silence, a single ray of sunlight lingering on the stage.
In that moment, the audience and the judges were united in a single thought: A perfect match! Their music is so beautiful!
No one questioned why a pianist of Ling Dong's caliber was accompanying her.
The concert hall buzzed with excitement, the murmurs of appreciation mingling with the thunderous applause.
"Her violin playing alone was incredible! I never expected this!"
"Their duet is… magical! I almost knelt down to listen!"
"They're both amazing musicians, but together… they're even better! It's like… they complete each other! I don't know how to describe it! The most perfect duet I've ever heard!"
Banxia bowed to the audience, then turned, her heart still pounding, the warmth of the music flowing through her, the bittersweet memories fading, replaced by a quiet joy.
Ling Dong reached out and took her hand, his fingers warm and firm, his grip reassuring, and led her off the stage.
The audience erupted in a chorus of "Awwws," their surprise and delight echoing through the hall.
Shang Xiaoyue and Qiao Xin exchanged glances, stunned. Then, Qiao Xin quickly took out her phone and sent a message to Pan Xuemei: "You should probably start practicing that flute-playing-upside-down trick."
Pan Xuemei, receiving the message: "？？？？"
Backstage, Ling Dong held Banxia's hand, leading her through the waiting room, down the winding staircase, along the brightly lit hallway, and out the back door of the concert hall.
It was late afternoon, the sky ablaze with sunset colors.
Banxia, coming back to her senses, stopped him at the doorway, preventing him from stepping into the sunlight. "Are you… sure this is okay?" she asked, her voice filled with concern.
He smiled at her, his face as pale as snow, then turned and stepped into the light, the golden rays of the setting sun illuminating his face, his body, like a beautiful dream.
Banxia leaned against the wall, her mind still reeling. "Wait… I'm a bit dizzy. Just… give me a moment."
Ling Dong bent down. "I'll carry you," he said.
"No, no, it's okay. There are too many people," Banxia protested, her cheeks flushing.
The campus was crowded, and his face… well, it attracted attention.
They were already drawing stares, just standing there by the back door of the concert hall.
He looked at her, a hint of grievance in his eyes. "But you used to carry me everywhere."
Banxia laughed. "That's different."
She knew, logically, that he and Xiao Lian were the same person. But after all this time, the one she had held in her hand, carried in her pocket, the one who had shared her bed, her secrets, her life, had been the little black gecko.
Now, seeing that familiar flicker of vulnerability in Ling Dong's dark eyes, she felt a sudden surge of… recognition, a reconnection to the Xiao Lian she knew and loved.
They had only a few days left, a few precious moments stolen from time, their intimacy heightened by the knowledge of their impending separation, the passion of their lovemaking a stark contrast to the polite formality of their current interaction.
She took his hand, his pale skin warm against hers in the golden light of the setting sun.
He's really back, she thought, a wave of happiness washing over her.
"Let's go home. I'm hungry."
"I'll cook you something. What do you want?"
His voice, his appearance, were different, but the tenderness in his voice, the warmth in his eyes, were the same.
"Let's eat out tonight. I've always wanted to have a proper dinner with you," she said, not wanting him to work, not after… everything.
"Alright. What do you want to eat?"
It was a cold winter night in Rongcheng, the perfect weather for hot pot.
They sat at a small table by the window of a hot pot restaurant near the campus, the steaming broth bubbling between them, their heads close together as they chatted and laughed, their chopsticks reaching for the same pieces of food, a comfortable, easy intimacy.
The frosted window, the fragrant steam, the warmth of the food, the gentle clinking of their chopsticks… it melted away the coldness, the shadows, the lingering pain and uncertainty, their clasped hands a silent reassurance, their eyes reflecting the warmth of their shared love.
"I thought… you were gone," Banxia whispered, her voice barely audible.
"I know," Ling Dong said, his hand reaching across the table to cover hers. "I was there, on stage, watching you."
I was there, beside you, listening to your music, your lament, your farewell song, he thought.
He had thought he was dying, his body dissolving, his spirit fading, a formless light hovering above the stage, watching her play, her music a heartbreaking requiem.
No one else in the audience had seen him, but he had felt her… awareness of his presence, her music shifting, becoming a lament, a song of mourning, a comfort to his fading soul.
He had felt himself rising, drifting, his consciousness fading.
And then, he had woken up, back in his old room, the curtains drawn, the air stale and dusty, his naked body lying on the bed where he had first transformed.
He had sat up, his heart pounding, stumbled to the window, and pulled back the curtains, the sunlight streaming in, illuminating his pale arm, a human arm, no scales, no claws.
He had turned to look at the clock on the wall, its hands moving steadily, relentlessly.
Her performance wasn't over yet.
"So you… got dressed and came to the concert hall?" Banxia asked, her voice filled with wonder, after he had told her everything. "Your house is… near the school?"
"It's just across the longan grove. You pass it every day on your way home from school."
"Really? Then…"
She stopped, distracted by the excited chatter from the next table.
The restaurant, near the campus, was popular with music students, their voices loud and boisterous, their youthful energy overflowing.
"Have you heard Red Lotus's new song?"
"That guy is a machine! How does he write so much music?! Let me hear it!"
"What's it called?"
"It's a unique blend of opera and pop music. 'If I Only Had Seven Days'."
Banxia's eyes widened, and she looked at Ling Dong.
She quickly checked her phone. Sure enough, a new song by Red Lotus had just been released on both V-Station and Red Orange.
But the timing was… strange. It had been uploaded while he was… disappearing, dissolving into light. He hadn't had time to upload a song.
She was about to play the song when Ling Dong covered her hand with his.
"Let's listen to it on the way home," he said, his pale cheeks flushed, perhaps from the steam of the hot pot.
He had thought he was dying, so he had poured his heart into the song, a final message for her, a farewell gift.
Now, sitting here with her, he felt a sudden surge of embarrassment.
As they cycled home, Banxia listened to "If I Only Had Seven Days," her earphones blocking out the noise of the city.
Unlike the mournful, melancholic tone she had expected, the song was surprisingly upbeat, a whimsical, almost operatic piece that painted a picture of a strange and fantastical world where human lives lasted only seven days.
In a matter of hours, children learned to walk, to run, to sing, playing and laughing in sunlit rooms, their voices echoing with joy.
By the second day, they were young adults, finding their soulmates, their love blossoming, their hearts and bodies entwined, cherishing every moment, the days and nights a blur of shared happiness.
Time flowed like a river, the sun and moon rising and setting, years passing in the blink of an eye, their love deepening, their bond strengthening, their hearts and minds as one.
And as the seventh day approached, their hair turning white, wrinkles appearing on their skin, their youthful energy fading, they would walk hand in hand, their heads touching, their smiles gentle, their hearts filled with peace, their love an eternal flame.
Banxia cycled through the quiet village, the evening breeze tugging at her hair, the melody echoing in her ears.
And at the end of the song, a soft voice whispered a message, a love letter from a dying man:
Seven days is too short, yet also… long enough.
To have known you, to have loved you, even for a single day… is an eternity.
Don't grieve for me, Banxia.
I love you. My love, always and forever.
Back at the apartment, Banxia took off her earphones and her shoes, her heart heavy.
"That song… I wrote it because I thought…" Ling Dong began, but she interrupted him with a kiss.
The lights went out, and in the faint glow of the keyboard, their bodies entwined on the bed.
She reached for a cable and tied his wrists to the headboard.
"Banxia," he began, his voice husky.
She wrapped her arms around his waist, her face buried in his neck, her tears hot against his skin. "Don't… don't ever leave me again," she sobbed. "Promise me you won't leave."
His tense muscles relaxed, and after a long moment, he whispered, "Mm-hmm."
"But what about… Xiao Lian? Will I… never see him again?" she asked, her voice thick with tears.
A scaled tail slowly reached out from the darkness, wrapping around her arm.
So sweet ❤️
ReplyDeleteYAYYYYYYYYYY
ReplyDeleteFINALLY
RAHHHHHH
I FEEL SO AGGRESSIVE NOW
MY PAINFUL DAYS ARE OVERRRRRR
AHHHHHHHH
o(≧口≦)o