Back in the hotel room, Wen Ran received a message.
It was from Mo Xiuchen.
Just like the first text she received from him, it was only two characters long. However, these two characters were worlds apart from the content of the first message.
Perhaps it was unsureness or testing the waters, the earlier "hello" was imbued with unfamiliarity and courtesy.
But at this moment, Wen Ran was locked onto the two words gracing her phone screen, absent of punctuation and context, with emotions surging within her like tumultuous waves.
How long had it been since she had heard him call her this way?
And how long had it been since she had seen him address her in such a manner in text messages?
It felt like a century had passed, and only in the depths of midnight dreams could she hear him murmur "Ranran."
She was reminded of every instance when he held her, tender yet passionate, murmuring, "Ranran," in a low soothing voice. Tears inexplicably started sliding down her cheeks.