In this bustling and busy city, Lin Xi is an ordinary cafe attendant. Her life is simple and peaceful, much like the familiar sound of wind chimes that greets her every morning as she opens the cafe doors. Lin Xi harbors a secret on her back—a stunning tattoo: blooming peonies and dancing swallows. This tattoo is not just a part of her body but also a deep-seated memory in her heart.
Three years ago, Lin Xi met him—Li Xuan—at a chance gathering. Their encounter seemed destined; that evening, with a gentle breeze and Li Xuan's warm, sincere smile, they quickly fell in love. Every corner of the streets bore witness to their love. Lin Xi remembers one day when they walked together in the park. Li Xuan picked a wildflower from the roadside and gently tucked it into Lin Xi's hair. In that moment, she felt like the happiest person in the world.
However, fate is unpredictable. On their first anniversary, Li Xuan received a sudden phone call that changed everything. His father had fallen seriously ill, compelling him to return to his hometown hundreds of miles away to care for him. On the day of their parting, Lin Xi saw him off at the train station, each toll of the platform clock striking her heart. Li Xuan held her tightly, whispering softly in her ear, "Wait for me to come back."
Days turned into weeks, with Li Xuan's messages becoming fewer and farther between. Lin Xi waited every day in the cafe, staring out the window, hoping for Li Xuan's return. As time passed, her heart grew heavier; each unanswered call and unreturned message felt like an invisible knife tearing at her heart.
Finally, one autumn afternoon, Lin Xi received Li Xuan's last message: "I'm sorry, I can't come back." Those few words felt like the final straw, tears streaming down her face, unable to express the pain in her heart. Later, she heard that Li Xuan's father's condition worsened, forcing him to stay in his hometown to care for his father, ultimately leading him to choose to let go of their love.
To commemorate their lost love, Lin Xi decided to etch those memories permanently onto her skin. She chose a tattoo studio and had their most beautiful memories—the blooming peonies symbolizing their love and the flying swallows representing Li Xuan's distant presence—inked onto her back.
Whenever Lin Xi reminisces about that love, her heart still aches faintly. Yet she knows those memories are not just painful; they represent the most colorful chapter of her life. Every time she sees the tattoo on her back in the mirror, she remembers the person who once made her smile so brightly and that bittersweet love that can never be revisited.