Short Romantic Love Story 2
She was a joyful and clear little river, flowing gently and lightly. She looked up at the blue sky, the white clouds, and smiled at the flowers dotting the banks. The world was so beautiful that she couldn’t help but play a melodious song of praise.
She loved the feeling of gazing at the blue sky, no matter where she went, she always felt that gentle connection, always accompanying her, never feeling lonely.
Why had the sky above her head suddenly darkened? Oh, it was that dim little bridge again. This bridge had been around for so long that even the river couldn’t remember when it first appeared or when it had almost been covered in moss.
But there was one thing the river was sure of: she didn’t like the bridge because it blocked her view of the blue sky. It was always so deep, dark, and depressing, like the stones that made it up, filled with endless sorrow and sadness, weighing the river down. So every time she passed by, she hurried, flowing quickly past.
Finally, one day, the river shared her troubles with the sky. To help the river resolve this issue, the sky stirred up a great storm. The river swelled and surged towards the bridge, crashing into it again and again, wave after wave.
The old, dilapidated bridge couldn’t withstand the river’s force and finally collapsed. For some reason, when the bridge fell, the river didn’t feel the slightest bit of joy or satisfaction; instead, her heart ached a little.
As days passed, even though the bridge was broken and no longer blocked her view, the river couldn’t help but slow down every time she passed by, looking around habitually. Without the bridge, something seemed missing in her life. With the bridge gone, people on both banks had to wade through the river, trampling all over her, disturbing her peace. Some feet were dirty and muddy.
The river began to miss the bridge more and more, her longing growing deeper each day. Exhausted by the daily disturbance of passersby, she could only sigh quietly at night.
She no longer felt like gazing at the sky or kissing the flowers. All she felt was regret and sorrow, so she prayed to the heavens, hoping the bridge would return to her.
At that moment, a cloud appeared in the sky, and on the cloud sat the Buddha, whom the river had longed to see in her dreams. The river quickly expressed her regret and wishes to the Buddha.
The Buddha listened and then said, “I’m sorry, I cannot fulfill your wish. It’s not that I don’t want to help you, but I simply can’t anymore.” The river looked at the kind Buddha in confusion, unable to believe that the merciful Buddha would refuse her request.
The Buddha sighed and said, “Let me tell you a story about a love that transcends lifetimes.” The river had a feeling the story was about her, so she listened intently.
The Buddha said slowly, “I don’t know how many years ago, there was a wall covered in morning glories. One little morning glory was very naughty and always wanted to see the scenery outside the garden. She grew hard and finally managed to climb over the wall. She was very happy, blooming more brilliantly each day. But she didn’t know that the wall behind her had fallen in love with her and silently supported her frail body.
She never looked back at him, even until she withered. He was unwilling to accept this, so he prayed to the Buddha to let him meet her again in the next life. In the second life, the morning glory became a little fish, and the Buddha granted his wish, turning him into the lake water that nourished the fish.
The fish grew happily in the water, and he was also very happy to watch her swim. The feeling of gently embracing her made him feel very satisfied, and he thought she would stay with him forever. But he was wrong. The fish grew up and left to explore other worlds, while he could only watch helplessly…”
The Buddha paused and looked at the river. Her heart was pounding, full of questions but too afraid to ask. The Buddha sighed again and continued, “In my time, I’ve never seen such a devoted soul. Do you know how many times he prayed to me?”
The river dared not speak, and the Buddha seemed to talk to himself, “I couldn’t bear to see him suffer so much, but he wouldn’t give up. This is the 500th time. The last time he came, I promised him one last chance; this is it.” The Buddha looked directly at the river and said, “You are that little morning glory, and the bridge was the wall that supported and loved you through 500 lifetimes.”
The river was overwhelmed; hidden currents swirled rapidly, making it hard for her to breathe or think. Somehow, a small jade bottle appeared in the Buddha’s hand. The Buddha said, “I’m here to return something to you. This contains his tears, one drop collected each time he prayed.
There are 499 drops in total, all shed for you. Now they are returned to you.” With that, the Buddha threw the bottle into the river, and the tears scattered, making the river’s heart feel like it was about to burst.
Suddenly, she saw each lifetime, how he loved her, missed her, guarded her, rejoiced, and despaired for her. She realized he was Lin from her last life, her best friend and brotherly protector. He always took care of her, helping her without complaint.
When she had conflicts with Feng and wanted to give up, he always persuaded her and comforted her. The river couldn’t understand and mustered the courage to ask the Buddha, “You say he loved me, but why did he always encourage me to reconcile with Feng instead of taking Feng’s place?” The Buddha replied, “I asked him the same question.
He said that after hundreds of lifetimes of searching and understanding, his love for you had become an unbreakable habit. Protecting you was his only mission and responsibility.
He loved you, but not to possess you, only to make you feel happier and more content. Do you know why he wanted to be a bridge trodden by thousands? It was to protect you from being disturbed, to let you live peacefully and happily.”
The river could no longer hold back her tears and surged up again, trying desperately to lift the broken bridge with her gentle body. The Buddha, feeling compassion, said, “Child, give it up. It’s useless. Look, his heart has completely shattered.
There’s nothing you can do.” The river sobbed and asked, “Will I ever have a chance to see him again?” The Buddha looked at her with pity and said, “I’m afraid not. He used all his reincarnations to meet you. This was his last chance; he cannot reincarnate anymore.”
The river’s trembling body gently caressed the broken bridge. She said softly, “Then I choose not to reincarnate either, to stay with him forever.”
The Buddha sighed, “Why must you suffer so? I only came to tell you to cherish what you have, don’t wait until it’s gone to regret. Treasure those you love and treat those who love you well to avoid regret!” The river said quietly, “I understand. I know what to do.”
Days flowed by, as quietly and persistently as the river beside the broken bridge. People finally tired of crossing the river daily and decided to build a new bridge.
On the day they started, they were astonished to find the river had dried up, while the abandoned bridge seemed alive, glowing with vitality. Curious, people went closer and discovered that the stones were filled with river water, gently rippling as if smiling at them. They cherished the stones and named them Water Agate.
Finally, water and stone were eternally united, never to be separated!
Thank you for reading! ” Sitestorys “
