Snail Love: A Miraculous Love Across Life and Death
Girl Aiya is a clerk in a company. Recently, the company hired several new employees, among whom a handsome guy named Lin Feng attracted a lot of attention, capturing the hearts of many single female employees.
One evening, just after a light rain, Aiya finished work and walked on the cement path in front of the company, where she noticed a snail crawling in the middle of the road. Afraid someone might step on it, she picked it up and placed it on some tree bark by the roadside.
As she set the snail down and looked up, she saw Lin Feng. Smiling, Lin Feng said, "You're truly compassionate! Have you just finished work? I know of a nearby restaurant with delicious food; shall we have dinner together?"
Aiya always felt that Lin Feng had been looking at her with a peculiar gaze these days. Just as she was considering whether to go or not, Lin Feng suddenly suggested, "How about this, let's make a bet! Do you know how long it takes for a snail to crawl across this cement road? If I guess correctly, you'll join me for dinner, sound good?"
Intrigued, Aiya agreed.
Lin Feng placed the snail back on the roadside and declared that it would take thirty-two minutes for it to reach the other side.
Aiya found it unbelievable. To her surprise, after exactly thirty-two minutes, the snail had indeed crawled to the other side! Was it just a coincidence? Amazed, Aiya stared in disbelief and hurriedly asked Lin Feng how he had calculated it.
Shaking his head, Lin Feng said, "That's a secret! Since I won, shall we have dinner together?"
Lin Feng took Aiya to a nearby small restaurant. Aiya realized that whenever she was alone with Lin Feng, she became flustered, especially every time she encountered Lin Feng's intense gaze, her heart fluttered.
Following this, Lin Feng would invite Aiya for dinner every evening after work. Their relationship quickly blossomed. A few months later, they were inseparable and had become a couple, sharing a small rented house.
However, thinking about the future, Aiya couldn't help but worry. Her greatest wish was to have their own house in the city, but as junior employees, it seemed like a distant dream.
In the evening, Lin Feng took Aiya to an upscale restaurant. Halfway through the meal, Lin Feng took out a box and said to Aiya, "This is a gift for you!"
Opening the box revealed a set of keys. Lin Feng said, "You've always wanted us to have our own house when we get married, right? I had some savings, combined with money my family saved for me, so I bought a small house on Jianguo Road. It's an old-style bungalow with a small courtyard. As it's a second-hand house and quite old, it was affordable."
Overjoyed, Aiya went with Lin Feng to see the house after dinner. The house was a bit run-down and needed some renovation. Lin Feng suggested, "Let's move in and renovate it together. Once it's done, we can get married."
Afterward, Lin Feng handed over the property deeds to Aiya, where she noticed her name on all of them, leaving her a bit puzzled. Lin Feng explained, "This is my gift to you, so of course, it's in your name!"
Aiya suddenly thought of Lin Feng's parents who had also contributed financially. She asked Lin Feng when he planned to go see his parents. However, Lin Feng kept postponing it. This puzzled Aiya since they were already discussing marriage, and she had met Lin Feng's parents, but whenever she brought up meeting his parents, he always found excuses to avoid it.
After moving in, Aiya did some simple renovations on the house. She repainted it with a light green color and painted various colored flowers on the walls. From a distance, it looked like a vibrant plant.
The company was doing well, so they organized a party where all the employees attended. Lin Feng got drunk and couldn't be conscious afterwards. When Aiya hailed a taxi and mentioned going to 84 Jianguo Road, the driver looked puzzled, saying, "There's only up to 83 Jianguo Road, there's no number 84!"
Aiya then remembered that since moving into the old house, she had experienced issues with deliveries being sent to 84 Jianguo Road. With Lin Feng completely intoxicated, Aiya couldn't dwell on it and just asked the driver to stop at the intersection of Jianguo Road.
Shortly after, they began preparing for their wedding. Just then, the real estate company approached them, offering to buy their land for a large-scale development in exchange for a fully furnished three-bedroom apartment in a prime location and substantial compensation.
After careful consideration, Aiya became tempted. The offer was indeed enticing, and she wanted to discuss it with Lin Feng first. However, the company representative emphasized that the property deeds were in her name, giving her the final say. Worried that delaying could lead to a lower offer, Aiya consulted friends and legal experts who all agreed it was a golden opportunity. Subsequently, she made the decision to sell the house and land to the real estate company by signing the contract a few days later.
Upon Lin Feng's return, Aiya picked him up at the station and took him to a high-end restaurant, where she explained the house-selling situation. Expecting Lin Feng to be ecstatic, she was shocked when he exclaimed, "As a normal person, your actions are correct. But have you ever considered that for a snail, its shell is its home and also its life? Without its shell, the snail would lose its life."
Confused by the sudden mention of a snail, Aiya didn't understand the significance. Abruptly, Lin Feng stood up and left the restaurant. Concerned, Aiya followed, only to find Lin Feng had disappeared.
In the following days, Aiya struggled to contact Lin Feng. All his usual contact methods were suddenly inactive. Frustrated and heartbroken, Aiya found herself dealing with a runaway groom situation she never imagined would happen to her.
Translation:
As Lin Feng could not be found, Aya's mood remained gloomy. Seeing this, a colleague suggested visiting an exhibition at the museum over the weekend and persuaded Aya to go along. While walking through the museum, Aya's attention was captured by a small exhibit—an amber piece that was as transparent as crystal, containing a snail inside!
Snails are known to be nocturnal, avoiding the active phase of resin secretion, and although they move slowly, they often manage to avoid resin, making snail amber extremely rare. This particular snail was several times larger than usual. As Aya approached for a closer look, she was astonished: the snail's shell was a light green color adorned with vibrant flowers!
Considering the pigments, hues, and painting technique, could this be the same paint she used on the old house on Jianguo Road? If it was painted artificially, it seemed inconceivable—it couldn't have been applied to the shell of a snail through the outer layer of amber!
An attendant nearby explained, "This amber was a rare treasure in the museum. However, two months ago, a light green color appeared on the shell of the snail in the amber, along with various flowers painted on it. Upon observation, we believe these colors were recently added. Yet, based on common knowledge, this should not be possible. We dare not damage the amber, so we are unable to research the snail inside."
After returning from the museum, Aya couldn't shake the feeling of familiarity with the large snail in the amber. Lost in thoughts, she seemed to see a figure approaching incessantly. Upon closer inspection, it was Lin Feng. Looking at her, he said affectionately, "Do you know, before that snail amber was sent to the museum, it had seen you once, but you didn't notice. I am that snail. With that glance, I fell in love with you. It is love that gave me life. I know your wish is to have a house. I can't offer you much, but I can fulfill that wish for you. For a snail, the shell on its back is its house, which is that old house. But you know, once a snail loses its shell, it cannot survive. That house was sold, and I lost my shell..."
Aya tried to grab him, but a sudden shiver woke her up. Was it all a dream? Remembering the bet before her first meal with Lin Feng, Aya finally believed that the words in her dream were true, explaining how Lin Feng knew even the speed at which a snail crawls.
The next morning, Aya went to the museum. She faintly noticed what seemed like tears in the eyes of the snail. Just a day later, although the snail's shell remained colorful, it appeared dim, as if it had lost its spirit.
What to do? According to Lin Feng's words, the old house must be repurchased for him to return. With real estate companies having their plans, would they agree? In the following days, the snail's shell grew increasingly dim, causing Aya deep concern.
On this day, Aya overheard someone chatting, mentioning, "Have you heard? There are many old houses in the Jianguo Road area, and the government is planning to develop it into a tourist zone, prohibiting new construction and any demolitions."
Aya was overjoyed and hurried to the real estate company. They had bought a large plot of land but were not allowed to start construction. Worried about this, when they heard someone wanted to buy back the house and land, they agreed without hesitation.
After settling the house and loan repayment, along with a pile of other tasks, three days had passed. Aya moved into the old house, feeling a warm atmosphere envelop her. Suddenly, memories of the days spent with Lin Feng flooded back.
Just as she finished organizing her belongings, the doorbell rang. Opening the door, she was greeted by Lin Feng's smiling face. Aya was filled with excitement. Lin Feng smiled and said, "Finally, I'm back! I still owe you a wedding, and a lifetime of moments!"
Upon hearing this, Aya laughed through tears. Yes, with Lin Feng back, in this shelter that could shield her from the storms, the beautiful flower of love had finally blossomed!
Originally posted 2024-04-08 15:00:05.