The Healing Sunshine (一厘米的阳光)

Chapter 25.1 - Joined Pulses (1)

This was a hypothetical situation.

Gazing at the side profile of Jì Nuannuan's face, Jǐ Yi thought, what if Nuannuan had never broken up with Xiao Jun? What sort of trajectory would her life have ended up taking then? If... her own closest playmate since childhood had not been Jì Nuannuan, then Jì Chengyang would never have had the chance to appear in her life either. What would her growing up process have been like then?

In the beginning, all of us will believe that we have merely started a relationship, but in many cases, what it actually affects is the course of our entire life.

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Jì Nuannuan had simply wanted to pour out what was on her mind; there really was no central thought to what she was saying.

Jǐ Yi conversed with her while keeping an eye on the news. From time to time, she would dial Jì Chengyang's mobile phone number, but it was still endlessly that message stating that his phone was powered off. All this time, the ringing of the telephone in the living room had not ceased either. They were all calls from various places, inquiring about everyone's safety. Each time the telephone rang, Jǐ Yi would give a start and then listen attentively to determine who was calling.

One time, two times, more than ten times, more than twenty times...

Eventually, she lost count of just how many phone calls had come in. Still, when the telephone's ring resounded once again, she stared unblinkingly as Jì Nuannuan's mother picked up the receiver. Suddenly, Nuannuan's mother cried out at the person on the other end of the call, "Where are you? Are you safe? How far from Chengdu are you?"

Jǐ Yi abruptly sprang to her feet.

Nuannuan's mother listened into the receiver for several sentences. Gradually, her expression loosened, and her first smile since last night at last appeared. Turning, she beckoned to Jǐ Yi. "Xixi, come."

Jǐ Yi ran over and took the receiver. "Hello?"

Her heart was hammering rapidly. Her chest was tight. She could not even really get a clear view of what was in front of her.

"Xixi." Jì Chengyang's voice echoed out from the telephone receiver. "I'm very safe right now."

"Where are you?"

"In Dazhou." Jì Chengyang knew she definitely would not know where this place was, so he quickly added, "It's within Sichuan province but not in the severe disaster zone. I lost my mobile yesterday during the earthquake, and I've been busy this whole time helping to evacuate sick patients. It's really chaotic here, and it's only now that I've gotten the chance to call you." These words of his resolved all of Jǐ Yi's questions.

Map of Sichuan province showing the approximate location of the epicentre of the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. Jǐ Yi is currently in Chengdu (circled in blue) while Jì Chengyang is in Dazhou (circled in green)

"You're at a hospital?" Jǐ Yi caught that key piece of information.

"Yes." Jì Chengyang did not try to avoid this point and instead clarified even more, "One of the interviewees is staying in this hospital. After the earthquake, this place became really chaotic, so I've stayed here until now."