He didn't want to think about anything else, he just prayed for the love that would soothe and nourish his soul.

Cheng Nianzhi did not feel that the path he had walked before was shrouded in gloom.

He also couldn't understand why others wept for his experiences and beat their chests in despair over his misfortunes, as if they felt more empathy for him than he did.

The first time he listened, he pretended to be moved, but after a while he just got bored. The umpteenth time his mother touched his head and hugged him while crying, her tears fell on his legs.

The fabric of the jeans left a warm feeling on my skin.

There was a spilled cup on the coffee table. The weather was sunny, and cicadas were chirping incessantly outside the window.

Cheng Nianzhi remembered everything, but that was all.

"Mom, don't be sad, I really don't remember." Cheng Nianzhi didn't know how many times he had told this lie, and he also remembered that no matter how many times his mother told him, she would never take it to heart and would repeat it endlessly next time.

It's like a tacit understanding.

Cheng Nianzhi didn't even know how to help her parents get rid of their grief and remorse.

He has been back home for many years, but the atmosphere at home is still sometimes gloomy and sometimes cautious.

Cheng Nianzhi tried to become the child they envisioned, the child they had never seen, but in the end, all he got in return was, "Sigh... if that hadn't happened back then, Nianzhi would definitely not be the way he is now."

What would I be like? What would I be like if that kind of thing had never happened to me?

Why do we always have to search for the image of a child who never existed?

That image never appeared, and it's impossible to be sure what it looked like; it's probably the image that parents and relatives have in everyone's mind.

Perhaps it doesn't have a definite shape at all, just an illusion, an existing illusion that is constantly comparing itself to itself...

Cheng Nianzhi had no other feelings, only confusion: everyone clearly saw him as he actually existed, but sometimes it was as if they didn't see him at all. He had pondered this for many years but still couldn't understand why.

But Lu Liruan saw it; she saw it with her own eyes, and it was herself right now.

It is the self that has emerged from the past, the self that she praised.

You like me a lot, don't you...? No, I like you so much...

Because what you see is the real me, approach me, attract me, understand me, and warm me.

So, my falling in love with you was destined.

This kind of love is a brilliant, immortal, and ever-renewing flower that blooms in places where emotions have withered and dried up.

The moonlight, like a silver blade, pierced the lukewarm night.

The sound of rain outside reached his ears, and Cheng Nianzhi tightened his arms around her, though the old wound in his chest was still throbbing.

But he didn't know how else he could express it. Even though the callus rubbed against him and stung when he breathed, the sensation transmitted to his nerves was an addictive happiness and pleasure.

Lu Liruan was embraced by him, surrounded by Cheng Nianzhi's breath. In her dizziness, she looked down and saw the tips of his ears, which were tinged with pink, peeking out from his hair.

When only a breath remained between them, Lu Liruan suddenly snapped to her senses: What did she want to do?

Just now, I actually wanted to kiss him!

A feeling of dizziness spread through her mind, making Lu Liruan's vision appear as if it were a kaleidoscope.

what happened?

The pity and compassion in my heart have long since changed their flavor. They are now disguised as indifferent observers, but inside they are burning with passion, as if they are about to boil.

Like a sealed kettle spout finally forced open by the force, the hot steam rises, and that moist, natural feeling instantly fills every part of your body.

I...I like him.

Lu Liruan was at a loss because of this irrefutable fact, like an ostrich forced to pull its head out of the sand.

A wave of panic followed...

What happened? What should we do?

How... how could I possibly like my mission objective?

"Li Ruan?" Noticing the girl's body suddenly stiffen for a moment, Cheng Nianzhi raised his head slightly in confusion.

Lu Liruan didn't want him to see her expression, which must look like she'd seen a ghost, so she quickly covered his eyes.

"what happened?"

"It's nothing... I'm a little unsure what to do," Lu Liruan murmured.

"Huh?" Cheng Nianzhi didn't understand what she meant.

"I mean, how should I treat you in the future?" Lu Liruan sighed deeply and patted Cheng Nianzhi on the back with a hint of resentment.

"After getting to know me, Li Ruan, do you no longer like me?" Cheng Nianzhi pulled down Lu Li Ruan's hand, looking at her with a focused yet slightly helpless gaze. Although he was smiling, Lu Li Ruan felt that he looked very sad.

Lu Liruan now gets a shiver when she hears the word "like".

"How could this be..." Lu Liruan sighed in resignation. Oh no, she really liked him so much. When you start to feel sorry for someone, your feelings for him are already extraordinary, so subtle that you can't even realize it yourself.

But Cheng Nianzhi deserves it.

Falling in love with him is a wonderful thing, something worth savoring, and... something that's unavoidable.

"I'm thinking of treating you better in the future, so good that... you'll feel that your fate is a little better, and that the world is a little better."

It's already very good, so good that it's like a light, colorful bubble blown from soapy water, floating away from everything with a light and beautiful touch. The only thing to fear is that it will break without warning.

“Okay, I’m waiting for Li Ruan to treat me well.” Cheng Nianzhi’s eyes smiled like crescent moons: “Li Ruan, don’t lie to me, I take everything you say seriously.”

"I'm not lying..."

Later, for some reason, perhaps due to overworking her brain, Lu Liruan drifted off to sleep on the sofa.

When she woke up again, the aroma of food wafted into her nose. Through her still-sleepy eyes, she could see the light reflecting off the living room chandelier. Cheng Nianzhi's voice came from the kitchen: "Li Ruan, get up and eat!"

Everything is fine, making one feel incredibly happy from the bottom of their heart.

When I saw Cheng Nianzhi downstairs, the rain that had been falling all day finally stopped. My shoes made a "plop plop" sound as I stepped into the puddles, and the air was crisp and fresh.

Lu Liruan stood under the dim streetlights, watching Cheng Nianzhi's figure move forward. He paused at the corner, turned around, and waved. She couldn't see his face clearly, but she was sure he was smiling.

Lu Liruan recalled the day she went up the mountain, the same dim light, and Cheng Nianzhi waiting for her. What was she thinking when she rushed over to hug him?

When exactly did I start liking him?

What was he thinking?

Lu Liruan clenched her fingers tightly. Cheng Nianzhi must like her too, right?

It wasn't that Lu Liruan was narcissistic, but rather that once she stopped deceiving herself, she could see things very clearly.

How could he like me too? How could he possibly like me?

What exactly was the original storyline for him?

But Lu Liruan is unwilling to think about this issue now. I am the one who is involved in his life. I accompany him, understand him, and like him.

Of course he could like me.

A secret and willful possessiveness welled up in Lu Liruan's heart that she herself was unaware of.

Although she didn't know what the future held, Lu Liruan clearly understood that she would be very sad if he didn't like her.

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