Lu Tian finished the breakfast his wife prepared and changed into comfortable clothes fit for a morning run.
He wore a plain white shirt with a light grey hoodie and black joggers. After putting his running shoes on, he smooths his uh fixed hair back and covers it with a black beanie.
At first, he couldn't confirm which path his wife took, but seeing that the back door is unlocked, he believes she took the trail near the back patio.
However, instead of following her steps, he leaves out the front door.
He takes the path opposite from her as it circles to the back. He concludes that his wife will not take the way she took and continue towards the island's front.
She is a person who enjoys excellent sceneries, so without a doubt, she will take her time before they leave.
Through the path trees surround on either side, Lu Tian jogged with ease as the trees partially block the sun from him. The path he took starts from the right of the villa and goes down to the ocean. It then loops around the front of the island before joining the path in the back.
After jogging a few miles, he slows down his pace to walk. His breathing was rapid, but his entire person was calm.
He turns his head to the ocean at his side then scans his surrounding with a frown.
"Was my calculation wrong?"
He had already jogged three miles into the path, and never once did he see his wife.
"Did we miss each other by chance?"
No, they couldn't have.
He tells himself and picks up his pace. He continues to jog in the direction of the back. However, like before, he was still unable to spot his wife's silhouette.
His heart that was beating loudly beats louder, and an unexplainable feeling rises inside Lu Tian. He no longer jogged in pace but ran like his life depended on it.
Everything was too quiet.
What if something happened to his wife? Why didn't he take the path she took? Why is he such an idiot for making a stupid decision?
Question after question storm inside his head as he reaches the back of the island.
His eyes search quickly but carefully, and still unable to find his wife, he curses inside. He had already reached the path he was supposed to take, but why can't he see her.
He also made sure to check his surrounding for anything amiss.
Confused and worried, he continues on the same path. However, he stops halfway.
What if his wife returned to the villa the same time he left?
Knowing the path would take longer to reach the back of the villa, he decides to cut through the trees for a shortcut.
Just as he was about to turn for the trees, he spots a familiar silhouette in the distance.
Yue Ling was sitting on a small rock that settled between two larger rocks. If one did not look carefully, they would miss her.
At the sight of her, Lu Tian's legs turned weak, and he loses balance.
However, he was quick to steady his posture and escaped falling. If he had, he would have looked like a weak idiot.
Anyone who saw him this way must have thought it was from all the running he did, but that wasn't it. His legs turned weak from relief.
"She didn't leave me."
He exhales deeply and turns away from the direction he was about to go. Just as he took one step, he sees Yue Ling suddenly stand up from where she was sitting.
His steps froze in place, and he decides to wait for her. He figured that she would finish her walk by taking the path he is standing from the opposite side since she walked from the opposite side.
However, to his surprise, Yue Ling reaches for her sandals and headed in the direction away from him.
" …"
Lu Tian was at a complete loss by this. Is something wrong with him? Why are all the decisions he makes bad?
He stares at his wife's departing figure for a split second, then gives chase. He thought about running after her but watching her figure from behind, he couldn't bring himself to do so.
She looked free and away from the world as the waves touch her bare feet like an immortal taking a morning stroll in the mundane world.
His steps were slow, but he efficiently decreases the distance between them. His line of sight never left her as the waves coming in played like music in the background.
He unknowingly glances down and sees her footprints. A smile curls on his face, and he softens with a sigh.
For some reason, he has been reminded of so many things that happened between them.
Like this moment, he couldn't help but think back to the day he walked with her at the beach in City Z. The beach she told him about her 'curse.'
And like that day, he is also following behind in her footprints now.
Each time the waves come onto the shore and wash away her small footprints in the sand. However, when the waves return to the ocean, his more extensive footprints cover her steps.
He walks calmly behind her and engraves this moment in his heart and mind.
Every moment of her was worth engraving inside him.
And like this, he will never lose sight of her as long as he follows her footprints.
However, a part of him wishes for her to turn around and see him. To know that he is always behind her.
A light breeze picks up, and he stops moving. It was as if his wish had been heard because his wife suddenly stopped walking.
His heart seemed to have stopped along the way, and he held in his breath without realizing it.
He watches her slowly turn around, and their eyes met like star-crossed lovers finally meeting after years apart.
Yue Ling had been unaware of the man following her. She took a short rest on the rock to recover since her legs were still sore from last night.
Once she felt her strength returned, she decided to head back. She thought about continuing the path she took but not wanting her legs to give up on her halfway. She headed in the direction she came from since it was shorter.
However, having taken only a few steps, she started feeling pain in her legs again.
She turned to see how far the villa was, and that was when the wind picked up.
She cursed inside for not tying her hair and moves the front to the back of her ear. When she didn't see the villa, she also cursed again and clicked her tongue. This meant she still had a long way to go.
And that's when she noticed the man behind her.
She was no doubt taken by surprise when their eyes locked on another.
"Tian?"
She turns to face him and felt she was missing something. Why is he staring so hard at her? Is he angry because she woke up first?
"When did you get here? Why do you sneak up on me without making a sound?"
Lu Tian kept an indifferent expression but inside, he was screaming with happiness.
His wish came true, and his wife finally took notice of him.
"I was doing my usual morning run."
He clears his throat and walks towards her to close the distance between them.
"Then I saw you."
He stops a foot away from her and glances at her from head to toe. His lips pursed, and he touches his chin.
"I've been thinking about the note you left. I'm quite impressed."
Yue Ling furrows her eyebrows with a confused expression.
"What do you mean?"
Lu Tian's indifferent expression replaces with a huge grin.
"You're stamina is quite strong since you're able to walk this far."
" …"
Silence filled the air as Yue Ling was struck dumbfounded.
Lu Tian played it coolly by teasing her, but he gave Yue Ling an idea.
She returns his smile with a smile that reached her eyes. She takes his
hand and gently caress the back like it was her most prized possession.
"My stamina is good, but unfortunately, it is not as great as yours."
She places his palm on her cheek and gazes up at him with puppy eyes.
"You see, I walked so far that I can't go on anymore. Can you share some of your stamina with me and give me a piggyback to the villa?"
Lu Tian didn't think much about her words and chuckles. He moves his hand away and turns his back to her before squatting down.
"Hop on. My stamina exists only for yo."
Yue ling felt terrible for tricking him, but thinking about her aching body thanks to his stamina, she gets on his back.
"You said it, so don't go back on your words."
It is only fair that he takes responsibility for last night. She gave an inch by taking charge once, but he took a mile by tossing around for hours.
Oblivious to her thoughts, Lu Tian was thrilled to carry his wife on his back. He once saw a scene like this in the tv dramas his mother and cousin watched. He also heard from the two women that it was a romantic thing to do.
However, unlike his romantic view of their situation, if he knew the real reason why his wife wanted him to carry her, he probably would have thought otherwise.
