Sheng Yize shifted his gaze her way and stared at her with those twinkling, bright eyes, which made her swallow involuntarily.
“You think I should have looked for you?” He snorted like a tsundere.
He said no when he said yes. How annoying…
Venting her sarcasm inwardly, An Xiaxia pouted. “Fine, you shouldn’t have. I was just flattering myself.”
“Oh? Are you saying that you were looking forward to seeing me?” Sheng Yize raised an eyebrow.
That hit the nail right on the head, which made An Xiaxia bite her lip uneasily.
Both Qi Yanxi and Sheng Yize smoked cigarettes of that brand, but her first reaction was: that person had to be Sheng Yize.
The balance in her head was already tilting toward Sheng Yize.
“What if I said… I was?” An Xiaxia whispered, her voice swept away by the wind blowing in through the window.
“What was that?” Sheng Yize narrowed his eyes intimidatingly.
An Xiaxia tried to brush it off. “I heard mosquitos. Close the window!”
She turned in bed, facing away from Sheng Yize.
Sheng Yize darted a look at the mosquito repellent setup in the corner of the room, his lips curling into a smile.
There are things I’d like to keep from you for the rest of your life.
–
The following day, Sheng Yize took An Xiaxia home.
It was that apartment he used to live in on his own.
The moment An Xiaxia walked in, she felt like she had traveled back in time.
The flat looked exactly the same as seven years ago when she had lived here.
Something clicked in her head. She then took a tour of the flat in her bare feet.
The comics she used to read were neatly arranged on a wooden bookcase by the window; the fridge was filled with her favorite snacks which, from the date on the packaging, had all been made within the past two months; the calligraphy copybook he made her practice her handwriting with lay in the study with Sheng Yize’s portrait drawn on the front page and a line beneath which read, “Sheng Yize, you moron!”…
Countless details reminded her of the past.
“Has someone… been living here this whole time?” An Xiaxia asked, her lips quivering.
Sheng Yize darted her a suspicious look. “I have. What are you thinking?”
He went to get some water and An Xiaxia followed closely behind him, tugging at his clothes and asking in a soft voice, “Sheng Yize… are you that into me?”
“What do you mean by ‘into’?” He tried to use dry humor, but it only made An Xiaxia awkward. “You…”
“I am that into you.”
The sweetest words in the world were never something flashy or florid. They were those said by the person that you just happened to like.
Heart pounding, An Xiaxia asked in bewilderment, “What do you like about me?”
She wasn’t good enough for him. She wasn’t smart or perfect. How could she deserve him?
Sheng Yize sipped at his water, then said calmly, “Xiaxia, I never understood your sense of inferiority. You’re a wonderful girl and you’re every bit worthy of my affection. There’s no need for you to act cowardly or doubt yourself. It’s not that I was drawn to some of your good qualities, but that you’re everything I like.”
Sheng Yize shifted his gaze her way and stared at her with those twinkling, bright eyes, which made her swallow involuntarily.
“You think I should have looked for you?” He snorted like a tsundere.
He said no when he said yes. How annoying…
Venting her sarcasm inwardly, An Xiaxia pouted. “Fine, you shouldn’t have. I was just flattering myself.”
“Oh? Are you saying that you were looking forward to seeing me?” Sheng Yize raised an eyebrow.
That hit the nail right on the head, which made An Xiaxia bite her lip uneasily.
Both Qi Yanxi and Sheng Yize smoked cigarettes of that brand, but her first reaction was: that person had to be Sheng Yize.
The balance in her head was already tilting toward Sheng Yize.
“What if I said… I was?” An Xiaxia whispered, her voice swept away by the wind blowing in through the window.
“What was that?” Sheng Yize narrowed his eyes intimidatingly.
An Xiaxia tried to brush it off. “I heard mosquitos. Close the window!”
She turned in bed, facing away from Sheng Yize.
Sheng Yize darted a look at the mosquito repellent setup in the corner of the room, his lips curling into a smile.
There are things I’d like to keep from you for the rest of your life.
–
The following day, Sheng Yize took An Xiaxia home.
It was that apartment he used to live in on his own.
The moment An Xiaxia walked in, she felt like she had traveled back in time.
The flat looked exactly the same as seven years ago when she had lived here.
Something clicked in her head. She then took a tour of the flat in her bare feet.
The comics she used to read were neatly arranged on a wooden bookcase by the window; the fridge was filled with her favorite snacks which, from the date on the packaging, had all been made within the past two months; the calligraphy copybook he made her practice her handwriting with lay in the study with Sheng Yize’s portrait drawn on the front page and a line beneath which read, “Sheng Yize, you moron!”…
Countless details reminded her of the past.
“Has someone… been living here this whole time?” An Xiaxia asked, her lips quivering.
Sheng Yize darted her a suspicious look. “I have. What are you thinking?”
He went to get some water and An Xiaxia followed closely behind him, tugging at his clothes and asking in a soft voice, “Sheng Yize… are you that into me?”
“What do you mean by ‘into’?” He tried to use dry humor, but it only made An Xiaxia awkward. “You…”
“I am that into you.”
The sweetest words in the world were never something flashy or florid. They were those said by the person that you just happened to like.
Heart pounding, An Xiaxia asked in bewilderment, “What do you like about me?”
She wasn’t good enough for him. She wasn’t smart or perfect. How could she deserve him?
Sheng Yize sipped at his water, then said calmly, “Xiaxia, I never understood your sense of inferiority. You’re a wonderful girl and you’re every bit worthy of my affection. There’s no need for you to act cowardly or doubt yourself. It’s not that I was drawn to some of your good qualities, but that you’re everything I like.”
