173 A Short Farewell

March 24, 20XX (Sunday)

Various Places

Zhao Yang sat on his wheelchair with the most massive frown on his face. One week passed so fast, and now he was in the airport saying a short farewell to Mei Li. Damn it all. He was not going to cry! He was a thirty-three-year-old man, who made a business from scratch, he needs to toughen himself up!

"Remember to take your medicine at the right time. Don't skip it again like before." Mei Li started to lecture him. His mother was at his back holding his wheelchair. His family had decided that he would stay at Zhao Manor so they can watch over him in Mei Li's place against his wishes. He was a thirty-three-year-old man, and he can take care of himself without help.

"You have to sleep at least eight hours a day to heal your injury, so don't stay up all night doing work." Mei Li patted his arm. Yang nodded, firmly. The painter was forcing herself to calm her emotions. She loved so many people, but it was the first time it made it physically hard to leave someone behind as if the gravity decided to force her feet to stay rooted beside him.

"...and remember to text me and call me should you feel like it." Mei Li lean down to kiss his cheek, Yang choked up.

Yang's frown deepened as he joked which doesn't seem like one with his deep and serious look, "Don't miss me too much."

This time it Mei Li that choked up and her tears was not easy to control as it dropped. Yang immediately handed her his handkerchief and said, "If I forget to mention it today, you are beautiful."

The tears in Mei Li's eyes poured down like waterfalls. Even Mother Zhao had dabbed the edge of her eyes. Her son was so eloquent in this time, and then Yang delivered the blow that made Mei Li wept, "You are beautiful tomorrow too. For every day that I am not with you, let me remind you seven times. You are beautiful on days you wear your thrifted clothes. You are beautiful without makeup. You are beautiful on days you make a hot mess of yourself. You are beautiful when you think you aren't. You are beautiful even when you cry this ugly. You are beautiful even when I don't tell you that you are. You are beautiful every day."

Both Mother Zhao and Mei Li cried like babies. Mei Li hugged him so right after that, and he reciprocated with equal strength. This farewell with her was hard. This would be the first time they would be apart after spending every day together for the past months together as boyfriend and girlfriend. He knew her one week in Milan would pass by fast, but he didn't want to spend a week apart from her. Yang was starting to hate Milan, a little. After they met at Paris, Milan had called Mei Li. Now, Milan still called to Mei Li. He vowed the next time she would girlfriend Milan it would be with him and her last name would be changed to Zhao so he can make Milan see that he wins in the end.

Yang let Mei Li cry for a bit and ushered her into a private rental plan so she can travel without any link to his name. Of course, he did no tell Mei Li about this fact. Mei Li walked into the plane after kissing his mother farewell and doing the same to him. She hugged him again after walking the two steps. Yang had to push her back to the airstairs, so she was forced to walk the distance... and he thought he had it hard.

Mei Li waved frantically at them before she watched them take cover inside the hanger so the plane she was on could embark. Mei Li's tears began to fall again when the place where she had come from became smaller and smaller as the plane ascended. A crew had given her tissues because the handkerchief that Yang had given to her was so precious, she didn't want to use it. The piece of cloth had his fragrance on it, so she planned to keep this on her person at all times. If she feels a little homesick, she would take it out and smell it since the smell reminded her of being at home with Yang.

Mei Li froze at her thoughts when she realized that she had thought that home and Yang almost seemed synonymous. She was falling fast for him, and she did not know if she was capable of braking. Yang was just too amazing for her not to do so. He was capable of understanding her moods and was accepting with her past. Yang was not perfect, but he has almost become one.

"Miss Wu, CEO Zhao had asked us to give this to you." A female crew said while handing her a paper box with a handle and a pastry shop's logo on the side.

Mei Li sniffed her tears away as she received it, saying a grateful, "Thank You."

Mei Li doesn't know what to see inside. It was probably some sweets for her to try of it could be her favorite. When she opened the box, she was delighted to see three slices of strawberry cheesecake and a note saying,「Strawberry to comfort you. Good luck and always take care.」

Hours were spent between doing nothing and sleeping.

When Mei Li disembarked and connected into the Airport's free wifi, the first thing she received was a weibo message from Yang saying,

「Hurry back home. I miss you.」