[Spirited Away] River of Time

? 1.

The bathhouse was steamy, and the eaves were dripping with melted snow.With a slap, it landed on the face of the girl standing in the corridor holding the bathtub.Chihiro raised her hand and rubbed it.

At this moment, Chihiro was standing in the vermilion corridor.In front of her eyes, the setting sun intensified the color of blood, and the vast sea and sky showed a purple blue color.There are looming railway tracks in the sea.In the falling snow, the sky occasionally has a line of pearly white.

That's a cruising dragon.

Night fell.The red and white lights in the washi paper lanterns light up one by one.The curtains of the izakaya-like restaurant hang down, phantoms flutter, and the aroma of food is tempting.

In the thick steam, row after row of ghosts of the gods walked across the snow, leaving little luminous footprints behind.They appeared from the ship, mighty and mighty, and drifted across the arch bridge to the oil house.It's freezing outside, but the steam is steaming in the bathhouse, like a paradise.

"Why doesn't this customer have a bath maid?"

"Xiao Ling! You are in charge of that—"

"Get hot water ready for that customer!"

"Little Qian, pour the dirty water out of the porch!"

……

Ten years later, the work will be much more arduous than before.Chihiro was so busy that her back ached, and at the same time, there was a piercing pain in her fingers.It turned out that I had chilblain, and I put it in a hot bath without nursing care, and some of it turned red.

After finally serving a god, the frog bath girls all rushed to grab the gold, and Chihiro cleaned up the aftermath in the empty bathhouse.He was concentrating on scrubbing the dirt in the basin, but his hand was gently held.

The familiar touch feels like an electric current passing through, making Chihiro's heart beat faster.

"It hurts." Bai Long held her hand with one hand, and took the bathtub and sign for her with the other hand and put them on the ground. He said in a pitiful tone, "Let's take a rest first."

Saying that, he took out a plaster from his pocket, unscrewed the cap, and gently wiped the yellow viscous liquid on Chihiro's hands.The pain suddenly eased a lot.

The clamor was cut off by the white steam.In the empty bathhouse, only the warm bath water flowed over Chihiro and Bailong's ankles.

Chihiro blushed and said, "Thank you." Then he asked, "How did you know I was hurt?"

"I saw it when I passed by just now, you were rubbing the wound on your hand."

Bai Long still lowered his head.The neat short hair hangs down, revealing white earlobes and a handsome side face.The long eyelashes fluttered with a blink, casting a small shadow on the eyelid.

So beautiful... Chihiro would sigh in her heart every time.

When I saw him when I was a child, I thought he was so beautiful that he was almost neutral.Ten years later, that kind of beauty showed the unique heroism of men, irresistible handsomeness, strong and soft at the same time.This kind of familiar and unfamiliar temperament made Chihiro unable to look away after reuniting after a long absence.

"Why are you looking at me like this?" Bai Long suddenly raised his head and smiled, "Is there something on my face?"

"No, no..." Chihiro said hurriedly, wanting to wave his hand, but found that his hand was still in Bailong's hand.

Even if you don't speak, you can still feel the ambiguous atmosphere at this time, which is slightly different from ten years ago. It permeates the steam in the bathhouse, like a dark night fragrance.

"Your hand...is different." Bai Long held her hand and looked at her with complicated eyes.

In the past, her hands were snow-white, petite and slender, with no blemishes except for the mark of holding a pen on the middle finger and index finger of the right hand, and the nails were in good shape.

But now, her hands have a little callouses, obviously after a lot of wind and frost and labor.Presumably, spent a difficult time there.Returning to the oil house, she will be enslaved by Granny Tang...

Suddenly, a "goo" sound broke the beautiful atmosphere.Qian Xun covered her stomach, but Bai Long smiled and took her hand: "Let's go, I'll take you to the restaurant street to eat something."

"Go to restaurants and streets to eat?" Qianxun was worried, "Will I become a pig like my parents?"

Bai Long smiled: "With me here, what are you afraid of?"

The promenade of the oil house was shining with golden light, and the bathers and frogs crawled all over the ground to pick up gold grains.Xiaoling seemed to have glanced at them not far away.

Everyone seems to be used to them holding hands from time to time.Chihiro was a little shy at first, but gradually relaxed.

On the other hand, Bailong, when he held her hand and stared at her, his eyes were full of tenderness - when he looked away, his expression was calm, even a little lighter than before.

After leaving the oil house, snowflakes came, and Bailong took an oil-paper umbrella from the porch.He opened the umbrella on his own, and seeing Qianxun looking at him thoughtfully, her gaze was as soft as a deer, he couldn't help smiling: "Aren't you coming in?"

"Oh... oh!" Chihiro hurriedly got under the umbrella and smelled the familiar fragrance of the river.She hugged his arm.At such a close distance, she was a head shorter than him and could only reach his chin.

Bai Long let her snuggle up.She looked calm, but quietly sniffed the fragrance of her hair.It is the fragrance of flowers in summer, which belongs to Chihiro alone.He has engraved it in his heart from a long time ago.

The snow fell heavily, and they left the oil house side by side under the umbrella.The arch bridge is covered with fine ice, and a train whizzes by under the bridge.The faint headlights illuminated the figures of the two from bottom to top, and then quickly dimmed.

Bailong thought for a while and asked, "Qianxun, are you... all right?"

"Very good." Chihiro smiled, "Even happier than when I was there."

"why?"

"Because...you!" The tone was thin and angry, as if Bailong asked the question knowingly.

Bai Long's heart softened: "Qianxun..." Touching the girl's hair, he said softly, "You know that's not what I'm asking."

"Oh...the mess at home and school." Chihiro lowered her head, with melancholy in her eyes, "I am very concerned, but more of it is powerlessness. There is still an unsolved case between my parents. As for school, I am about to graduate No matter how I submit my resume, there seems to be no response."

When it comes to reality, Chihiro is extremely troubled.She puffed up her cheeks in frustration, feeling a little inferior: "I'm a useless person."

"I never think so." Bai Long said without hesitation.

"That's because you don't know Chihiro Ogino in real life. She's ugly, her grades are mediocre, and she can't do anything well... I'm just too ordinary." Chihiro is very self-aware.

Bai Long shook his head disapprovingly: "But I think you are very noble."

Chihiro was surprised.For the first time, she heard someone describe herself as "noble".

"Because, everything Chihiro does is to help others." This is Bailong's answer.

Chihiro was taken aback, then smiled: "What's the point! It's so simple, many people can do it..."

"Because it's simple, many people can't do it." Bai Long said seriously.

"I still don't think it's a big deal—"

Saying so, Chihiro is actually very happy.White Dragon is enough.For Chihiro, the praise of the boy beside her is a hundred times more important than the evaluation of anyone in the world.

Under the oil-paper umbrella, Chihiro stared at the side face of Bailong.His lips had a dazzling curvature, and a slight blush appeared on his delicate and white side face.There seems to be a gorgeous colorful bubble under the umbrella, and everything around seems unreal.

He kissed her eyes... Would she dare to stand on tiptoe and kiss his cheek now?

The moment she stood on tiptoe, Bailong turned his head, "Qianxun, what do you want to eat..."

The voice was cut off by the petal-like lips.

Originally, Chihiro only wanted to kiss his side face, but she didn't expect to kiss his lips directly, and was taken aback at this moment.She hurriedly jumped away: "Yes... I'm sorry! No... I didn't mean to..."

Fortunately, a voice "saved" the bewildered Chihiro:

"Is it Mr. Bai?"

☆、Announcement

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