Love caught in a net (6)

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Chapter 6: Chance, Always Chance (I) – The Purple Love Trilogy (Prelude) – Peak’s Falling Monologue, D-flat Major

The boy shuffled his tired feet into the bathroom, a sharp fruit knife in his right hand and a crumpled up wedding invitation and lighter cupped in his left. Undried blood clung to both arms.

He leaned over the sink and looked at himself in the mirror – emaciated face, pale complexion, bloodshot eyes, dry, bloodless lips, disheveled hair.

The boy shook his head mechanically, ‘Never mind, people are dying anyway. Â’ Looking down, he scrutinized the knife in his hand.

Putting down the fruit knife, he placed the wedding invitation in the sink and lit the fire. The boy looked at the fire blankly, feeling the tears that had accompanied him for days. The red joy slowly burned into ashes and flew down to the floor, and his heart, which was supposed to be brilliant and bright, followed and melted into a pile of twilight ruins.

The corner of the red paper that was accidentally drenched in water was not burned away, leaving a hot gold lettering on it – ‘Jane’, the bride of the wedding.

The groom is not the one who loves her the most.

‘By the end of my life, all suffering will finally end with it.’ The boy is determined to seek death. His choice to slit his wrists is a protest, an accusation, a mockery of fate.

Suicide is a great expression of cowardice. Greatness is the resolute courage to sacrifice one’s life; cowardice is the deep-seated avoidance, cry and helplessness.

He couldn’t find a way back. The loss of that girl’s love has left the boy devastated. He couldn’t face himself, much less win her back. She was all he had, and all he had abandoned him. In the end, it was all for naught.

What the boys have is actually a void! Instead of accepting this fact, it would be better if they didn’t exist.

Nonexistent, no problem whatsoever.

Silly idea, isn’t it? But for the boy who is already in and out, it’s the only solution to the anguish and heartbreak.

Holding up the knife. He extends his left arm, palm up, fist clenched, and his slightly shaking right hand guides the blade to his left wrist. Closing his eyes and clenching his teeth, he made a vicious slash downward.

A groan escaped him at the pain. The boy dropped to the floor, his body pressed against the wall, his left hand resting on the edge of the sink. He gasped for air.

Dull blood spurted from the veins. The boy heard the sound of ‘da, da’ dripping as a blinding red rose before his eyes. The agony of the wound was nowhere near as painful as the ache inside him at that moment. Red turned to black.

‘Kay, I’m counting on you… for the rest…’ I hope you and Ru still have a chance to… reunite…’ The boy’s consciousness blurred. ‘Jane, bless you. If there is an afterlife, I don’t want to miss you again…”

The arm resting on the sink fell out of control from mid-air and draped silently against the boy’s leg. The fruit knife was left wordlessly attached to the feeble right hand’s grip. Soon, it, too, came loose.

The blood had been drained; the tears had dripped. He smiled.

The boy half-opened both eyes, and a smile like relief rose to the corners of his mouth as he didn’t move.

He, called Peak, is Kay’s lifelong friend. This story is about the music and poetry of love between them and them.

Peak’s life may have come to an end, but the first part has truly begun. THE…

＜The Dream Circle Dance of Feng and Jin

‘A chance encounter with a chance life’

You’re the only one I see on the stage of love.

Will you dance with me?

Let’s have a round dance.

Taking care of your hand in rhythm.

Our dancing shadows will travel through time and space

Interlocking projections in brilliant light

without ever stopping

You my love, please dance with me.

With you, eternity is just a synonym for emptiness.

The stars in the night shine brighter because of you.

I am the star.

For your undying light

’

The sound of urgent and noisy sirens came from the distance. Several black and white police cars braked violently and several police officers stepped out. Officer Lei, who was at the head of the car, looked up at the surroundings, frowned and said nothing, letting his colleagues who had arrived earlier lead the way.

The front door of Peak’s house was crowded with neighbors and curious people, pointing and talking – as if it was none of their business, purely for the fun of watching.

“Excuse me! Make way! We’re police officers!” Officer Ray yelled professionally, by way of driving away the onlookers of goodwill.

When more than twenty years of criminal police, was honored by colleagues as ‘old Lei’ Lei police officers, not encountered a few big cases – all kinds of homicide or suicide cases have seen a lot, can be said to be dealing with the case of veterans.

As soon as the new police officer Xiaoqi saw Lao Lei walk into the living room, he immediately saluted and reported: “Sir! The person who found the deceased is the new tenant, Ali. According to the results of the preliminary investigation – Ali came back from class and noticed something strange in the house; after looking around, he found the body of a young man in the bathroom next to the sink. After looking around, they found the body of a young man in the bathroom next to the sink. The identity of the man was confirmed to be his roommate, Feng, who had recently fallen out of love. The murder weapon used was a fruit knife that fell on the bathroom floor, so it was a suicide by slitting the wrists.”

The officer nodded, “Take me in to see the scene.”

Xiaoqi police officers quickly introduced Lao Lei into the bathroom, everything is still in the same state as when the crime occurred – the tiles around the bathroom were spray-painted with a variety of incongruous color blocks, yellow, green, purple, blue, red, as if arguing, telling the sadness. It was very sudden.

“What a weird painted ‘decor’.” The officer muttered, “It feels weird.”

He couldn’t help but be amazed by this, even though he was a layman in the arts.

Old Lei squatted down and looked around, “Young people often do stupid things when they can’t think straight. For the love of the trapped, can not escape, just die! But, Xiaoqi! But, Xiao Qi! There’s something wrong with this case! There’s something special about it…”

“The blood on the floor was scanty, but instead a semi-coagulated clot about one-third of the way down was sloughed off in the sink. The cause of death was probably excessive blood loss, leading to shock…”

The officer approached Peak’s cold body and took a closer look at his face – he looked to be in his late twenties, a time to squander his youth and enjoy his youth. Boys, a person to embark on the road of no return. Feng’s face was covered in frost, and he was a frighteningly white and decent-looking man. However, he does not go all night, the pupils of the pupils confused, the corners of the mouth of the remaining smile, poignant, reluctant to give up.

“A rather unnatural smile.” Old Thunder rose, “Perhaps it was his self-redemption?”

When the officer stepped out of the bathroom, he was greeted by police officers who handed him the belongings they had counted in the victim’s bedroom – two photographs, a stack of letterheads, and a bloodstained penknife for paper sculptures.

“Sir, there’s another piece of paper almost burned beyond recognition. It may be a wedding invitation, please take a look at it!”

Lao Lei took a look, beside the ashes of the paper, there was an unscorched red corner, mottled with the golden character ‘Jin’ – must be the girl’s name. Yes, the boy’s main reason for killing himself.

He looked through the photos. The first one was of Peak and a teenage girl, both dressed in high school uniforms, looking very intimate and smiling genuinely at the camera.

‘Kids nowadays… are still hugging each other in their school uniforms? Aren’t you afraid of being caught by the instructor?

The older man did not understand the thinking of the next generation and was unimpressed: ‘This photo has been kept for years, hasn’t it?

Another one. A solo photo of the same girl, with a clear and bright appearance, quite a Came-raface. ‘If I were twenty years younger, I would have been madly infatuated with her, too. It’s just that that boy was too impulsive…”

The officer circled around, intending to leave. Walking back to the bathroom for a final inspection, he noticed the bloodstains on the boy’s left and right arms, which turned out to be several lines of blood! It was probably engraved by Feng before he died – ‘The silk worm never dies, but the wax torch never dries up.

‘There’s always a day when the vows are broken, and when I look back, I’m not sure.’

After a closer look, Old Thunder couldn’t help but shake his head at the boys’ final choice. Facing the dead, he bowed his head in silent prayer for the peak, an old habit from years of handling criminal cases. As a sign of respect for those who have passed away.

“All right! It’s time to carry the dead away if the examination is almost done! It’s also good to notify his family to take care of the aftermath!” He left the aftermath in the hands of his subordinates and turned to exit the bathroom.

Officer Xiaoqi took a few love letters searched in his hand and watched them over and over again. When he saw Inspector Lei, he said with a puzzled look, “Sir, these letters sent to the deceased have all been torn off in small pieces, and all of them are signed parts. Looking at the handwriting, it should be written by a girl. But why? The deceased’s motive was that he didn’t want anyone to know who the sender was, and there was no need to destroy the evidence.”

Old Lei breathed out: “There are some things, it is better not to break the pot to ask to the end. We are police officers, not journalists. Perhaps the deceased wanted to protect his privacy, and did not want others to know her identity, so that he could protect her and avoid unnecessary trouble; perhaps he did not want to alarm the girl, and his family may not know of her existence. Didn’t we see a burnt invitation? It’s probably because she was getting married that the dead man did that, right?”

The crowd gathered at the entrance was chattering and peering in. The police officers asked the neighbors for information about the deceased and took notes – Feng was a third-year student at a university in central China, 23 years old and 175 centimeters tall. His parents were currently traveling abroad, and his siblings were all married. He was a simple, polite, lively and smart kid who was recognized by his neighbors as a good kid.

No one would have expected this to happen. There were sighs of relief from the neighbors who were usually close to the Feng family. Some parents even took this opportunity to teach their children that they should never try to kill themselves when they are emotionally frustrated.

Ray, who was standing by watching his subordinates record the situation, had a vision of the scene he had just seen, a classic picture of a well-crafted martyrdom. The lines of blood on the boy’s arm continued to float in and out of the officer’s mind. One word, one question mark.

He suddenly remembered the ‘why’ Constable Odd had asked. He didn’t understand either. There are too many ‘why’s’ in the world that are worth exploring, but not every ‘why’ has an answer. Old Lei’s only answer was to lament and mourn the life that had faded away so early.

The officer walked away from the uncomfortable place and got into the police car. “Let’s go back to the precinct first!” The car started, warning lights flashing and changing.

‘ The boy was actually smiling, death being such a cruel, sad thing. His face looked calm and uncomplaining. The oaths will be broken, and when he looks back on his love, he is at a loss-if he doesn’t hate her, why should he seek to die? Isn’t it good to live to love?” Officer Lei pondered.

My wife and I see each other every day, we argue every day, and I have no intention of dying for her. What does “love” mean? I don’t get it. The way young people express themselves is too passionate to understand. If you die, it’s all over. Everything will be empty. There’s no such thing as love.

Walking up the steps of the police station, Lao Lei couldn’t hide his mental and physical fatigue. All he wanted to do was to go home, take a hot bath, apologize to his wife, and get a good night’s sleep… Tomorrow, he had to go to Beitou to investigate the case…

As the policemen retreated, a tall, thin young boy made his way out of the noisy crowd and quietly dropped a packet of envelopes into the mailbox at the Peak’s door. Without looking back, he walked toward the alley, his pace heavy and his face somber. No one paid any attention to him.

The heat of July, Yi Yi, was still strong as the sun was setting in the west. The boy walks alone with his hands in his pants pockets, his forehead beaded with sweat. He was wearing a long-sleeved blouse, which made him look forlorn and miserable.

Walking to the shade of the road tree, he stopped and raised his head to look up to the west. The sky leaked a reddish hue that burned like the boy’s inner sorrow. Bleeding brightly.

“Still a step late! Peak, the first thing you entrusted me with in your letter is done. I have put your suicide note into your family’s mailbox, and I believe your family will understand what you have done. As for the rest of the things, I will do them for you one by one. Please don’t worry and rest in peace!” The boy mumbled under his breath, speaking to Peak.

“Why do you refuse to let me see you one last time so that I can understand your thoughts? Feng, we’ve known each other for so many years, with how well we know each other, can’t you still trust me? Must you bring me eternal regret? Today is Jane’s birthday and the anniversary of your death…” He clenched his fists, his whole body twitching more than once.

Kay in self-loathing. God has played a big joke on him.

At noon, Kaiichi receives Feng’s farewell letter and suicide note and immediately travels north to Taipei in an attempt to stop the tragedy. Only, it was too late. He couldn’t even see him one last time. He pulled out Feng’s letter from his pocket, and his trembling hand almost couldn’t hold onto the envelope.

Opening the letter, Peak’s handwriting was still flowing and flying; however, the personnel was completely different. Kay finally resisted the urge to cry, and tear tracks crept up her cheeks. With her best friend’s face still in front of her and her voice echoing in her ears, Kai re-read the letter.

Remember the promise we made to each other forever? On that day, we made a promise in the wind – no matter what happens to either of us, we will never be sad for the other, not to mention not to shed tears! Moreover, we unconditionally promised to fulfill all the unfinished wishes for each other, in order to live up to the so-called manly passion!

Kay, when you read the letter, remember what we promised each other years ago, no crying! You should be happy for me. At least for me, it’s a real relief. I can’t forget the old legend you told me about the phoenix when I was a child: the king of birds, the phoenix, also known as the firebird, is said to metamorphose once every thousand years. It spends its entire life searching for the hottest fire in the world. When its life is about to end, it will throw itself into the fire without hesitation, sing a sad song, and let the flames consume and melt its body, becoming one with the fire. By means of immortality!

At the time when the fire is most rushing and fierce, a beautiful cry resounded through heaven and earth, and the whole body of the fire-bathed phoenix rose from the red flames, and in an instant, all the nine palaces in the heavenly realm were brightened by the crystal light! Everything loses its color!

Now, think of me as a phoenix born of fire! We have been friends for so many years, so I don’t need to say anything – you know everything about me. However, there are a few things that I would be grateful if you could do for me: a letter of resignation to my parents to console them; a red envelope to Jane’s wedding party to wish her a happy marriage – there is no need to tell her that I am no longer alive. I am in a great hurry, so I am obliged to you.

My feelings at this time are expressed in the following verse. You will understand.

The fire burns out my attachment to you

It burns no more than the original vow

I saw your face in the firelight.

tears in laughter and tears in tears (idiom); complaining while laughing

I would, but you wouldn’t.

Vaguely familiar and suddenly far away

You’re my obsession

The immovability of this life

This love will be the only one.

Immortal Phoenix, please give me the power of new life.

Please add wings to the fire that surrounds me.

Fly high with your wings to meet the first sunlight.

Soaring on the wind and never feeling sad

Love is the heaviest of burdens and now I lay it down gently.

Don’t ask me why it’s impossible to find an answer.

I came and went in style.

If there is a lifetime to count the remaining summers with you.

Lastly, I wish you the best of luck in finding a good girl who will genuinely be with you for the rest of your life, assuming that Xiao Ru can never be redeemed. What happened to Xiao Ru should be a growth for you, not a harm. Believe me, we will meet again someday, and this is the most important appointment I have with you.

I never want to be sorry, and I never go back on my word, do I? Don’t tell Jane about me, and let her marry happily! I don’t blame her, so I have chosen this path of no regrets. You know, Kay, I’ve always been ambivalent, but you’ve always supported me wholeheartedly in my final decision – and this time, I’m sure, it’s no different?

I hope we can renew our relationship in the next life.

friend

‘The Last Writings of the Peak’

Shedding more tears won’t help, Kai folded up Feng’s last wish petition. ‘You’re always so capricious! Always asking me to endorse you…! Who knew we were such good friends for so many years? I don’t know…’

He glanced at his watch, “Jane’s wedding is at 6:30pm. There’s not much time left and you have to hurry to get it done before it’s too late! Today is Jane’s birthday and her big day, and you’ve chosen this time to finish yourself off. Feng, you really know how to pick the right time…”

Kai immediately stopped the taxi, and without waiting for the driver to say anything, he blurted out, “Please take me to the ‘Yongfu Building’ on Zhongxiao East Road. Please drive faster, I’m afraid I won’t make it.”

“Got it! Traffic congestion will be pretty bad once we get to the end of the tip time, though.”

“Please try to hurry.” He was tired.

“All right!”

The boy leaned back and closed his eyes. The past was gone, as if it had repeatedly struck an already pitted heart. Kai remembered a song. It didn’t matter whose song it was.

‘What is love and what is helplessness’

Without words I seem to have understood

Walk slowly towards you and hold your hand.

I want to hold back my tears and say goodbye to you…”

The romances of Kai and Xiaoru, and Feng and Jin, then settle in dribs and drabs of its melody. Helplessness, chance, entangled in a marvelous purple color. A dull purple color.

After paying the money and jumping out of the car, the boys brushed past passers-by in a hurry, like a ghost in the middle of the night. He did not care to enjoy the bustling street scene, his mind from time to time reflected the sad face of Feng’s lost love, urging Kaida mission.

The elevator was full. The boy stepped slowly up the stairs, and even before he approached Jane’s banquet room, he could already feel the joy and happiness of the newlyweds.

Suddenly his heart throbbed as he stopped moving, ‘This should be the wedding ceremony for you and Jin, Peak! Why? ～Why? ~’Kaiji felt sorry for Peak’s aggression.

Why does love change? Why do people change? Isn’t the truth of love eternal?

Was there a time when even the truth became no longer the truth?

A phantom scene, the shared memories between Peak and Kai abruptly emerged and disappeared. It’s useless to reminisce, though. All the boy could do was to fall into the vortex of time and space… his high school days, the youth of sweat and vigor under the sun! Peak, Kai, Jin and Ru, the four of them met, fell in love, and split up, all condensed into this irreversible youth.

Feng and Kai have been inseparable since kindergarten, elementary school, and junior high school. Not only do they live close to each other, but they also went to the same school and had the same classes since they were young, and almost grew up in the same crotchless pants. Luckily, they split up in high school, but they still keep in close contact with each other. It’s too good to be true.

The two boys were standardized brothers in law, sharing the same blessings, ‘running around’ together in times of trouble, and getting beaten up together in accidents. Each other’s parents are also friends, often exchanging ‘education’ experience.

“I say, Kai! Look at how well-behaved and understanding other people’s Ah Fung is, you should learn from him.

“Kai’s mother praises Peak to her son’s face every chance she gets.

Oddly enough, Peak’s mom also praised Kaikai all the time: “Look at Kaikai, he’s working so hard! Feng, you should learn from him!”

So they did their homework together, played tricks together, got punished and scolded together, and neither of them blamed the other. Both parents agreed that they should ‘learn from each other’ anyway!

In their first year of high school, they were both sixteen years old. Feng is a multi-talented talent, good at literature, art and music; Kai is more talented and outstanding than Feng in schoolwork and sports. They were each good at something, and were instantly recognized as the best of the best.

It hasn’t been long since he started his sophomore year of high school, and the trend of off-campus socializing is gaining momentum. Feng was appointed as the head of the class recreation department, and was responsible for the ‘happiness’ of the entire class. Based on the experience of his seniors, he targets XX High School, which has a long history of being a ‘sorority brother and sister school’.

The boy wasn’t sure which class to pick, so he dragged Kai in after school to discuss it.

“Please!” Kai had an innocent look on his face, “Your class is having a sorority and I don’t have anything to do with it, so why are you looking to me for ideas?”

Peak spoke with authority: “Are we good brothers?”

“Count on it.” Poor Kai.

“If it counts, then you’ll have to help out both ways.” Kay almost fainted at that-it was such a lame excuse, wasn’t it?

The two men meditated for a while, and decided to pick a class at random and take the initiative to write a letter to invite them and try their luck.

If the person is not interested, or the ‘quality’ is too low, then make other plans.

Even if it doesn’t work out, there will be an explanation.

Naturally, Peak, who was a good writer, wrote the letter, and Kai ran the errands. Coincidentally, Jane and Ru were chosen to be in the first year T class.

“Huh? Jane, I got this letter from the class mailbox. The recipient of the letter is the prettiest Recreation Unit Leader in our class… isn’t that you?” Ru waved the letter in her hand and smiled sweetly, “It’s in a boy’s handwriting! Could it be a fake love letter? Hee hee hee…”

“You’re bad!” Jane snatched the letter from Xiao Ru’s hand, “I wonder which boring boy wrote it?” As she said that, she cut open the seal with a letter cutter.

“It must be the piggyback class from ‘that’ school that wants to get our class to bond. No mistake!”

Ru beamed.

Jin just read a few lines on the letter and immediately poofed out a laugh, “Xiao Ru, you guessed right Luo!

However, the boy who wrote the letter has a good sense of humor and sincerity, so he’s not a simple person! It should be fun to be in their class.” A good first impression.

Then, with Jane’s lobbying, escorting, and support, they all approved the fellowship program and gave Jane and Xiaoru full agency. Jane immediately wrote back to Feng with contact information.

“I heard back from the girls! Their class agreed! Great!” Peak was ecstatic and dancing with Jane’s letter. Kai was smiling along with him.

Peak picked up the microphone and dialed Jane’s phone number. He was so excited that even his heartbeat sounded happy and welcome.

“Hello~? Who are you looking for, please?” The girl’s delicate voice.

“Hello miss. May I ask you if Miss Jane is there?” His breathing was about to stop.

“I am. May I ask if you are…?” Peak was so lucky.

“Hello. My name is Peak, and I’m the guy who had the cheek to write to you and risked his life.”

Jane laughed, “It’s you, isn’t it? I thought you wouldn’t dare call…”

After a few pleasantries, they formally discussed the bilateral association and agreed to discuss the details at a western restaurant near Chongqing South Road this Saturday afternoon.

The next day, when Kai saw Feng, he couldn’t help but ask, “Have you contacted Kangle from the girls’ class at XX High School?”

“I’ll do it myself, not once OK ~okay~?” Peak raised the end of his eyebrows in a smug manner. “What’s more, I’ve already made an appointment with the other party to discuss the arrangement of the event.”

There were really no words. Kai nodded, “Where are you guys planning on meeting, huh?”

“○○ Western Restaurant. We agreed on the phone that we’d take care of the girls’ expenses. Then, wait at the door at 5:30 p.m.”

“Hey~ hey~, wait a minute. Peak, what do you mean by ‘we’…?” Kai felt that the situation was not good and quickly asked for the truth.

Peak kept smiling and said, “How can I leave you out of this good thing? Eating with a girl is a blessing from our past lives!”

“Ugh~, it’s not like I met you yesterday. You’re just looking for me to share the money spent on treats, right?” Kai really got on the wrong side of the boat.

“Just know. Why bother saying it? Are you going?” Peak was still smiling.

“I ~go~!” Kai couldn’t do anything about him. Can’t we just not go?

On the other hand, Jane, of course, refused to go to the meeting alone. After much deliberation, she simply dragged out Xiao Ru, and the four leaders held a preparatory meeting on time.

The meeting was over, and the two parties had a very pleasant conversation. Jane, too, was extremely impressed and interested in Feng’s eloquence and elegance; and Feng, on the other hand, had nothing but praise for her cheerfulness, loveliness, and beauty-which he had told Kay in confidence.

The association of their two classes went very smoothly and successfully. Did it have the desired effect? It’s hard to find out. On the contrary, Peak and Jin, the two organizers, built a bridge of friendship between them, and their goodwill towards each other increased day by day.

Chapter 6: Chance, Always Chance (2) – The Purple Love Trilogy – It was just that the way the two lovers met was very strange at the beginning – Kai often accompanied Feng to show up; Jane would invite Xiao Ru to ease the scene. Needless to say, the atmosphere – apart from being treacherous and ever-changing – always made Kai and Xiao Ru, the two decorative ‘big light bulbs’, feel like sitting on pins and needles, not knowing what to do with themselves. Daze?

Feng’s target had already locked Jane, his eyes naturally couldn’t leave her, and he had no time to care about Kai; and as a chaperone, Kai couldn’t let Xiao Ru be silent on the sidelines, that would make the girl even more difficult to deal with.

“Ru, do you want to talk to me?” Kai politely asked the girl sitting directly across from him, “Look, they’re talking so much.”

The girl looked at Jin who had a pleasant expression beside her and nodded: “Good! We need to find something to do, otherwise, it’s so boring!”

So, the two pairs of male and female students actually talked to each other, with separate barriers. Feng refused to let Kai insert himself into the conversation between him and Jane; similarly, Ru couldn’t cut into Jane’s conversation either. It was fine, she and Kai just made do and found something to do to kill time.

As time passed, Jane and Feng naturally agreed in their hearts that they were deeply in love with each other. Although they did not say a word about it, nor did they formally declare their love, in the drawer where they collected their hearts’ desires, each compartment was a complete storage of the image of the one they loved. Clear and innocent.

One day, Kay receives a call from Peak out of habit. This call composed the first stanza of the first chapter of the Dream Round Dance.

“Peak, what do you want to do this Saturday afternoon?” Kay would always ask this.

“Uh~, according to the usual practice, of course I asked Jane and Ru to come out together! You’re coming along too!” That’s the usual reply from Peak.

Kai’s voice was on the verge of tears, “Wow! You’ve asked me to come out as a ‘follower’ again! It’s not easy to be a zero candlelight, zero watt light bulb! While you and Jane were laughing and having a good time, Xiao Ru and I were just staring at each other, not knowing what it was like to see each other! It’s so hard. Now that it’s come to this, I can only lament the fact that I’ve made a bad friend!”

“What do you mean by ‘careless friends’? ～Peak said sternly, “I’m doing this for your sake. You’re home alone on vacation, aren’t you bored? I asked you to come out for a walk to save those good times that you have wasted! I am doing good!”

Kai didn’t know what to say to that, “You’re right anyway! My great talent.”

“Besides, Kai, didn’t you have a good talk with Kobato? You’re not losing out either!”

“Yes~ Yes~. Thanks for arranging and being kind.” Kai was always at a disadvantage.

“And what do you think of Jane as a person?” Asked the question to the point.

“Well, I personally think that Jane is a good match for you in terms of appearance, personality, talent, and ability to do things. By the way, don’t you like her very much? If you like her, then go after her! But once you catch her, don’t let go.”

Feng smiled, his tone rarely ‘shy’: “I know. In fact, the main reason why I asked Jane to come out was to ask her in person – ‘Do you want to be me’ officially.”

s girlfriend?’ .”

“So?” Kai cheered for his best friend, “You’ve finally gotten up the courage to face the direction of your heart, congratulations! But how will you show your sincerity?”

“I intend to wait for her to be released from school at noon on Saturday at the entrance to Jane’s school and talk it over with her. It’s a bit risky, however, I can’t think of a better way to do it.” He assumed a tone of resignation.

Kai scratched his hair, “You’re going to take the straight-forward approach? That’s fine.

Jane should be pleased.” The boy had no more creative approach.

“It’s good to have your approval.” Peak made a great determination, “Tomorrow, after class, I’ll order flowers and think carefully about what I should say. I hope she doesn’t give me a hard time…”

The boy said: “No, no, no! As the saying goes, “Those who are in charge are lost, but those who are watching are clear.

Jane feels so good about you that this will be a success! Don’t worry!”

“Eh! I’ll cheer!” Peak’s heart burned with exuberant courting spirit.

The next evening, Feng rides his bicycle to a flower store on Yanji Street. He stands in front of the window, puzzling over the choice of flowers.

The store owner probed his head and walked out, “This student, what kind of flowers do you want to buy for someone? How is the flower recipient related to you? Let me help you figure it out.”

“Do you have any special flowers?” The guy said, “I want to send flowers to a girl I’ve been dating for a while, to show her my long-buried love.”

The shopkeeper thought for a moment, “Yes! Purple rose is good. It represents the budding, unspoken love seedling, and also has the meaning of asking the other party what they think. However, this kind of flower is not yet common, you have to order early to facilitate the stock oh!”

Without saying a word, Peak said, “That’s it! How many should I order better?”

“Then… eleven – it means ‘love you forever’. As for the price, you should be able to afford it.”

He paid the deposit in advance, “No problem on the money front.” Wasn’t there another ‘behind-the-scenes money man’

The ever-generous Kay?

The owner wrote down: “Eleven purple roses. May I ask your name, sir? When are you coming to pick up the flowers?” She looked up and asked the boy.

“My name is Peak, and I’ll be coming by this Saturday morning to pick it up myself.”

After everything was done, the boy mounted his iron horse and walked away, singing and welcoming the reddish clouds of the approaching sunset. His heart was so full of admiration for Jane that it could no longer be filled with emptiness… That morning, Feng skipped his third or fourth class, made a special trip to the florist, brought back a bouquet of purple roses, changed out of his uniform, wrote a card, and then rushed to wait near the entrance of the high school where Jane was studying. The sharp-eyed Feng looked around, fearing that he would ‘alert’ the ‘specialty’ of this girls’ high school – the difficult and infamous female instructor.

Time passed by, and Peak waited with a bit of anxiety. It was twelve o’clock at noon, and there was still no sign of the school gates opening. He stared at his watch.

At 12:30 p.m., he finally saw the female students coming out of the hall in small groups, laughing and talking. Holding the flowers, he avoided the side of the school gate, lest he would be caught by the instructor and caught with the stolen goods, and then he could not even jump into the Danshuei River to clean himself up.

Jane and Ru walked hand in hand. After stepping out of the school gate and turning left, Xiao Ru spotted Feng waiting from afar, so she elbowed Jane, who was talking with her head down, and gave her a little push.

“It’s him, Jane. Huh? There’s a bouquet of flowers in his arms, too!” Once reminded, Jane then noticed the anxious Peak.

They walked quickly to the boys. Standing still, they looked at Peak in silence.

“What day is it? Peak?” Xiao Ru saw that Jin didn’t say a word, so she quickly dug up the topic: “This bouquet of purple roses is so beautiful! Who do you want to give it to?”

He laughed, “So what’s the point? Of course it’s…” Peak walked over to Jane’s side.

“For you.” Peak discreetly handed the flower forward, stopping in mid-air and waiting for the girl to take it. “Jane, you also understand─’roses are not to be given indiscriminately’. I would like to present you with a beautiful and colorful purple rose to represent my heart. Will you accept it?” The card was sandwiched between the roses.

Jane hesitated for a moment and held out her arm as if making a decision, “Thank you, Peak. I’ll let you break the bank.” Catching the half-bloomed purple flame.

The boy gazed surreptitiously at the figure of the maiden. The roses she held perfectly complemented Jane’s characteristic grace and beauty. The blush on the cheeks of the girl who had just received the offering, the half-hysterical, half-joyful charm, the sweet smile that oozed honey–Feng wondered whether it would not be possible to capture a moment of eternity if Jane’s image were to be instantly sealed in a frame, and her beauty depicted with his own brush.

For a moment, a feeling of happiness never seen before welled up inside the boy’s heart for the first time. His eyes did not want to move more than half an inch.

Peak and Jane stood silent. This stalemate could be hard on Xiao Ru, the outsider!

While observing the two of them and looking around, she muttered, “Why hasn’t Kai, the ‘runner’ and ‘picker’, arrived yet? I can’t hold out much longer!”

Ru had just finished ‘shattering’ when she saw Kai running over to her in three steps, panting. The late arriving boy looked apologetic.

“Really, how dare you be late for a bike ride?” Ru gave the boy a small lecture, with a fierce wink at Kai in the process.

Kai wasn’t stupid, of course he noticed the ‘looking at each other’ pair of young boys and girls. “I’m sorry, it’s all my fault. Since Jin has already collected the flowers, let’s go eat first! Everyone must be hungry.”

The four of them proceeded along the street, the sensible Ru and Kai quietly leading the way. Feng and Jin walked behind them so that it was easier for them to whisper.

“Did you like the flowers I sent?” Peak asked carefully.

The girl answered more conservatively: “I like it. What a special rose! What new variety is it?”

“Oh! This was picked by my brilliant mind & keen intuition, it’s called Purple Rose.

It’s for a special you because it’s special enough.”

“Really oh?” Jane smiled shallowly, “You’re so good at guessing?”

“Jane, as the flowers are received, you should not mind opening the card I sent you more often and reading it, should you?

The poem on the card is my favorite!”

The young girl made a cute face at the boy, “Just look! I’m not afraid of you?”

“Here, I’ll hold the flowers for you.” Peak drew out the card and handed it to the girl.

Jane opened the card and saw that it read.

”Jane, at the first moment I saw you, I realized that we were destined to meet. Whether you are smiling, sad, silent or meditating, you have a spiritual beauty that I cannot resist. My mood weather, unconsciously synchronized with you – cloudy, sunny, windy, rainy, with the changeable you and dance. A round dance that never stops.

I want to be with you. To go on an adventure for our love together.

Wind your colors deep in my chest.

My heart is throbbing with the red of your purple and the flow of the drum.

I’m thinking of all the emotions that break through the sky.

Tightly tied to each other, obsessed and never parted.

’

The girl read the poem silently, and her cheeks immediately blushed. She saw right through the hidden secret in Kai’s poem – combining the first word of each line and the first word of each final sentence, she arrived at the key eight words. Peak’s real intention.

These eight words – ‘wind (Feng) heart misses tightly (Jin), deeply in love’ – are a trick often played by boys who love to write poems.

Jane thought to herself, ‘Oh no, I’ve been “tricked” again.’ What should we do?

“About the poem I wrote, please enlighten me.” Peak smiled mischievously. He knew the reason for Jin’s blushing reaction.

The young woman only said, “It’s well written! It is indeed a masterpiece.”

“Still like the poem?” He pointed to the card.

“Uh~!” Otherwise, what should Jane say?

Peak could not give up, “I said, roses can’t be given away casually; if they are given away, it shows my sincerity. Jane, I’m only asking you – are you willing to accept me? Will you be my girlfriend?

“The tone was rather earnest and deliberate.

The girl wanted to open her mouth, but stopped, and carefully returned, “Excuse me, do people have the right to refuse?”

The boy took Jane’s little hand and gently shook it, then showed a narrow expression: “How can that be? Roses and love poems are not to be given away indiscriminately; likewise, bouquets and poems are not to be accepted indiscriminately!

When you take it, it’s a ‘SayYes’! There’s no room for ‘No’.”

The girl was flabbergasted for a while, and immediately pulled her hand back, punching the boy several times, and screaming, “Okay, ah, ah! How dare you set me up? I won’t spare you!”

Peak sang ‘SayYes, MyGirl’, “Catch lo, your flowers.” Offering the bouquet back to Jane to hold.

Jane ringed up the purple roses and chased Peak around Ru and Kai’s perimeter. The laughter of the two of them brightened up the afternoon sky. Kai and Xiao Ru can’t help but look back and laugh at the chasing game between Feng and Jin.

The four of them dined and deliberated on where to go. The two older boys were in a frenzy.

“Freshwater!” Jane and Ru shouted in unison. “We want to see the ‘Sunset over the Fresh Sea’!

You can welcome the wind, ride the waves, and enjoy the color of the sea and sky!”

Peak raised his eyebrows, “You guys are really romantic. Good! Let’s go!” Totally in favor of the girls’ proposal.

The group then took the Temasek train and slowly drove to their destination. We talked and laughed along the way, not lonely at all. Students have a lot of time to spend, like a credit card with an unlimited limit.

Danshui Old Street is near the mouth of the Danshui River. Before the MRT Danshui Line was opened to traffic, this place still retained a simple and ancient style, a kind of local vitality, and could not smell the commercial flavor. The wind erosion of the embankment, the spots of the fishing boats , and the back and forth beat of the river tide do not change with time.

Jane, Peak, Xiaoru, and Kai stood together at the end of the tide embankment. They looked up in awe of the sacredness, magnificence, mystery, and greatness of nature.

The clouds against the black background, hard to hold up a round of sunset will be Shen. Red wheel lazily to the west step slowly, but also boldly river and sea junction wash coating proud use of color. The slightly drunken current quietly carries this blessing and rushes to the distant ocean.

The weary herons standing on one leg on the sandbar seem to be a group of tourists as well. They look greedily at this rare and wonderful landscape and cannot bear to return too soon.

Jane’s cheeks fluttered red, and Peak stole a sidelong glance at her. ”Jane in the setting sun, that slender figure, reveling in tranquility, is so elegant! If only I had brought a pen and paper… too bad!’

So the boy changed his choice. He quietly took her right hand, and Jane didn’t refuse. …love always comes after confession. The trip to Tamsui created a rapid progression in the relationship between Feng and Jane. They saw each other almost every day and missed each other all the time. They were inseparable.

Kai had a chance to laugh at Feng: “Uh, Feng, in my opinion, you and Jane were either sandwich cookies or freshly baked ‘twists’ in your past lives.”

Peak immediately returned Kai’s blank stare, a smirk on his lips. Happy as can be.

The boy always skipped school to pick up Jane from school. The two of them would walk along the paths in the park, snuggle up together, or find an iron chair to rest and chat. On Sundays and holidays, Feng reserved his most precious time for the young girl – spending time in the library and looking for new places to see and enjoy.

He doesn’t need Kai to be ‘in the way’ lah. In this world, only the boys and Jin were left.

Peak is always a busy man. He’s in the poetry club, the western painting club, the guitar club, and has to juggle a love song with a girl, so he’s just too busy to do anything else. He didn’t want to give up any of them. As a result, Peak no longer cared about his schoolwork and became known as the ‘Prince of Sabbaticals’.

His days are spent between love and clubs. The classroom seats were deserted.

At the end of the next semester, the boy’s three major subjects-physics, English, and chemistry-were dead, leaving no room for make-up exams. The boy resigned himself to the fact that he would have to repeat the year.

The boy’s personality becomes a bit more calm as he puts away his wild temperament. The girl understands how he feels about being punished for repeating a grade, and from time to time she takes the time to accompany him and cheer for Feng. Even though the road to love is strewn with thorns, their confidence in walking together remains unchanged.

The lotus pond of the South Sea Academy was the place where Jane most often stayed. She sat quietly on the boulders along the shore, counting the fields of green leaves, the pink lotus in full bloom, the new lotus roots waiting to ripen, or thinking about matters of the heart.

Her silhouette, the lotus bushes standing in the pond, and a few lines of improvised poems were all included in the sketchbook Yu Feng carried with him.

The white sand of the Shalun Beach is always imprinted with his and Jane’s footprints. Feng pulls the girl to chase the waves rolling on the beach, but not as agile as the waves, always fall half wet, the two will laugh at each other’s woe. To the sky, they sang the love song ‘Nothi-nggonnachangemylovefory-ou’, the blue wind dutifully accompanied. The song grew wings and floated in all directions. It grew farther and deeper.

Peak does not fail to live up to his natural talent, and he takes great pains to write love letters like no other. The boy’s skillful penmanship added interest to the old-fashioned, hard text, and boasted of his pride in writing. It is not unusual for a girl to receive three letters from Peak in one day.

The boy’s affection betokened great intensity. To Jane, it was an afternoon storm, intense and unrequited. The girl took it all in stride, without looking deeply into this unbalanced love. In contrast, the love that Jane gave to Feng was not as deep as the boy’s.

Perhaps calculating the amount of love given by both partners is not an objective scientific experiment. Is it true that a couple’s reciprocal response to each other has to be a perfect one-to-one ratio, as we all think? Ask your lover! The person they call him/her may only need a word of intimate care and a compassionate hug. It is far better than a castle of vanity piled up with 999 roses!

Peak’s love is too thick. Although it irrigates and nourishes Jane’s love, it positively increases the girl’s dependence – she doesn’t want to be alone, lonely and helpless, and in case she lacks something, she begs the boy to achieve it for her. This was the cause of their breakup – dependence.

Is dependence a virtue? Is it a lubricant for men and women? Or is it a trigger for change of heart?

No solution. Ask anyone.

“Jane, the happiest thing in my life is to be with you. With you, I am full of inexhaustible energy and courage; with you, I can break through even the greatest dangers; with you, the sweat of my struggles can be wiped away; with you, my success has meaning.” The boy stood on the stone steps of the Guandu Viewing Pavilion, with only Jin in his pupils.

The maiden gazed at him, her fingers stroking his jaw repeatedly, loving his vigor: “May our true love never fade away… Nothinggonnachangemyloveforyou…” and made a vow.

Who wouldn’t be saddened by the simplicity and purity of first love? In the future, couples’ love mentors have been reminding the world of the relentless coldness of time and its equalization. Vows, under the challenge of the years, often become ‘the most sincere lies’, no longer a noble promise.

Weak oath of friendship, so easily by the reality of the circumstances of a punch down. From now on, I can’t afford it. Reduced to a nightmarish memory.

Is a vow but an incomplete sentence of love? …

＜Symphony of Fate between Kai and Ru.

‘Who binds us together and keeps our hearts apart.’

I can’t find out what’s in front of me.

I’ll cast you in my dreams

The symphony of life rises and falls with the baton of destiny.

The notes mock our union

The beat disturbs our obsession

The interlude declares our hesitation.

People are so small, so humble, so fragile.

The sky is so long, so empty, so vast.

The sky I hold is you.

Instead, you broke free.

Find another land of tenderness.

The music has stopped and you’re gone.

I don’t know if I deserve a standing ovation.

either one or the other

shed tears quietly

’

Xiao Ru and Kai’s first encounter was originally to fear that the date between Feng and Jane would go cold, and they showed up at the same time. Kai was set up by Feng and became a guest of honor, while Xiao Ru came forward to protect her best friend Jin.

As a result, Kai and Ru have been forced to become a couple. Should we thank Feng for being such a great matchmaker?

‘It’s all that Peak guy’s fault! If he’s dating his favorite girl, why does he drag me into this mess?’ Whenever Kai and Ru looked at each other in silence, he cursed Kai a million times. It’s a terrible thing…

Since he has become a light bulb and has been instructed not to interfere in his best friend’s relationship, the boy looks at the girl who is also in a difficult situation and is in the same boat, and feels sorry for her. Kay, who is not an eloquent speaker, can only force himself to open his mouth to make Xiao Ru feel better.

“Uh… I mean, Ru, aren’t you bored?”, “Ah… you look lovely today…” “Ah… you look lovely today, Ru…” This was the opening line every time, and even Kai himself couldn’t help but laugh at it – it was so useless.

The young girl was quite sympathetic to Kai’s situation. Careful and precocious, she would take the initiative to find a topic of conversation with the boys, although it was a bit tiring, but at least Kai did not feel left out.

But then it all worked out – Jane and Fung got married, leaving Kai and Xiao Ru alone. As they keep in touch and chatting, the boy gradually develops a crush on the girl – half pity, half admiration.

He liked Xiao Ru’s kindness, knowledge, thoughtfulness and maturity. Kai was like a little brother under care in front of the girl.

‘I don’t seem to deserve Xiao Ru. She’s so nice, I’m a childish person, and Ru has always tolerated me wholeheartedly. I, on the other hand, can’t give her anything…’ Kai, who lacked self-confidence, couldn’t muster the courage to speak his heart to a girl.

The boy stifled in his heart, really can not help it, had to reveal to the peak: “Do you think I and Xiaoru actually suitable for together? Feng?”

Peak smiled back at him: “Looking at you, I thought it was a big deal. Let me put it this way – love is what you want it to be. The so-called ‘family match’ is usually a kind of ‘economic class’ distinction, and it can’t stop two people from loving each other. As long as you share the same feelings and stand on the same ground, even death can’t deprive you two of your love. Love is all equal, Kai, don’t think about the question of match or no match!”

“Oh!” Kai nodded plausibly.

He could feel Peak’s current happiness-that strong bond of being with someone. Kai was more or less moved. The boy also wanted to taste the sweetness of love. Ru, who had always treated Kai well, had a lot to talk about with him – even the boys realized that they were talking to her more and more.

Feng’s opinion should be correct, right? However, from time to time, Kai, unsure of what to expect, had a thought: “Will she accept me, Ru? She…” was a series of questions.

No matter how much he thinks, he should take action. Seeing Feng’s ‘success story’, Kai finally made a decision – ‘I have to confess my love to Ru’, he doesn’t want to regret it, and it doesn’t matter if he fails.

And then what? Shouldn’t we prepare a gift to the girl to symbolize our sincerity? Kai thought that Feng had already sent flowers to Jane, so he couldn’t do the same thing – it would be nothing new! It has to be something different. Boys are not as romantic as Feng, so Kai was really thinking out of the box. It’s a head-scratcher.

‘There, why don’t I just make my own exquisite card and give it to Xiao Ru!’ Not a bad idea. ‘What’s the best material to use? …’

Kai rummaged through the desk drawers and began to look for the treasures he had collected and organized before. Hmmm, I see it! This one is guaranteed to fit the bill.

A dark red pinnatifid leaf with slightly curved leaf stalks, finely borne needles, and strands of russet bird feathers. Poetic. Kay was very pleased.

He flattened the layers of paper, carefully pasted the leaves, processed and drew some patterns, and made the card. Although it was not as good as Peak’s technique, it was already Kai’s limit.

Sprinkle with glitter to decorate and roughly complete! The boy holds the card high and nods his head to console himself. Huh? There’s something missing. He scrutinized the card again and again, and it turned out that Kai had forgotten to write a poem! A song that would touch Ru’s heart.

Poetry? What’s wrong with that? Kay thought to herself, ‘I’m not a Peak – and with a twinkle in her eye, inspiration struck. Oh, my God! I’ve never written anything like this before…’ and he couldn’t help but look sad.

I just wrote down the words ‘to Xiao Ru:’, but my brain was so frozen and knotted that I couldn’t squeeze out a verse. The boy stared at the ballpoint pen in his mouth.

Okay! I can’t do it without you. Kay has been working on it all night, but finally, she has her first piece of writing.

‘Carve a you in your heart

Let me always remember your laughter

I want to keep you.

I don’t care how long you stay.

It’s a promise I’ve made all my life.

I’m not good with words.

Hopefully, in the dumbest way possible.

Complete with my care.

I’m gonna take care of you.

Even if there’s no future.

I want to support you.

Even if no one understands.

I want to love you.

Until I burn to dust

’

The more I read, the more it doesn’t sound right. It would be a wonder if Peak didn’t laugh until he had a gasp or cramp when he saw this vomit-inducing creation! Kai couldn’t help but feel deeply discouraged and weak. He had done his best! He wasn’t satisfied, but he had to accept it! I’m sorry..!

Next, the boy planned to hand deliver the carefully completed card to Ru herself. His main concern was how Ru would react.

It won’t be politely rejected, will it?

Chapter 6: Chance, Always Chance (3) – Purple Love Trilogy The next day, the park in the evening. The park was located near Ru’s house, a place she must pass through whenever she came home from class. As soon as Kai got out of school, he came straight here to wait for her for fear of being delayed. The weather was chilly, and the shadow of a boy with a long-strapped school bag hovered in the clearing in front of the slide, kicking and flicking an empty Coke can with his toes.

Well, this would be the time frame when she showed up, right? Ru said so.

The cold temperatures of mid-winter brushed against his face, and he grasped the card he had just ‘protected his shell’ in his hand. The warmth conveyed from the card to his heart, Kai was a little nervous, anxious, always slightly hot on both cheeks, and unafraid of the power of the cold wind.

It was almost eight o’clock. Unstable wet winter changed its face, the air began to drizzle. The boy really can not help, quickly hide in the shade of the tree, in the gap between the leaves to dodge, see if you can less rain.

He looked at his watch, ‘It’s so late, and she hasn’t shown up yet. Oh, well, that’s okay, but then the rain came down to ‘cheer’ me up! It’s just pouring cold water on me! It’s really God’s will! Besides, Ru is so nice, there must be a lot of guys chasing after her! I don’t think you’re going to do that…” Kai was so distracted by the wait that he couldn’t help but think of something else.

Wait it out? Give up? The boy’s mind was in a fierce struggle. …

Suddenly, a familiar slender figure turned in from the corner, it was Xiao Ru! She walked quickly with her hand holding a lime green umbrella flower.

”It’s her! After waiting so long, I’ve finally waited!” As he was overjoyed, his heart let out a wild shout of excitement.

As the girl approached, Kai moved his feet slowly towards her. Kisaragi, who had returned late from the Western Painting Club event, didn’t pay much attention to her surroundings, as if she was thinking about something. Once the boys were standing in front of her, the girl looked up to see who was blocking her way.

Xiao Ru was surprised and asked Kai, “Why are you here? Why don’t you have an umbrella? It’s raining a lot! If you catch a cold in winter, you’ll be in trouble!”

The boy doesn’t care and says, “Anyway, I’m lazy and the umbrella is too heavy to carry.” Deliberate bravado and characterization.

“Really! So uncaring of your health!” The girl came to his side and sheltered him from the rain, “By the way, you came to me specially, is there something important? It couldn’t be that Peak and Jin had a fight with them, and Peak asked you to come over to ask for help from them, right?”

Kai smiled nervously, “No, it’s a personal matter for me. I… want to give this card… to you…. I…” Hastily and discreetly, he offered the card with both hands.

“Wow! ～” she exclaimed, looking at the cover alone, “What a beautiful card!”

Kay’s voice began to tremble somehow: “This… this is my… this is my… this is my… this is a token of my appreciation… please… please… please… please… take it…”

‘Huh, he doesn’t usually stutter like that.’ The girl wondered a little, ‘It’s not cold enough for that, is it?’

I don’t care. Xiao Ru looked at the design of the card in detail, read the content of the card, and raised her eyes to look at Kai in front of her. He was soaked to the skin, completely ‘watery’-all over his body.

‘Little fool! Is it worth sacrificing so much just to wait for me and send another card?

‘ Blame being what it was, the girl was still deeply touched, her eyes framed with a slight redness.

The young girl blinked, ‘Hmm? Is that all you have to say for yourself? You look so dumb…’ She was trying to tease him a little.

“Kay, did you make the cards yourself?”

The boy nodded desperately, as if he was afraid the girl wouldn’t believe him.

“So… you wrote the poem yourself?”

Kai nodded his head rather vigorously.

“Yeah oh?” She nodded along, matching his pace.

“Very good.” Xiao Ru glanced at the card in her hand, “Thank you for your heart, the card is really exquisite! Although, I really appreciate your thoughts; however, my mom has reminded me – boys and girls shouldn’t fall in love too early~!”

The boy ‘ah!’ Gave a cry, “No~ it would~ right~?”

This moment is really ‘finished’ Luo! Kai’s face immediately lost the glow of hope, and his will sank. The whole person froze and did not say a word.

“Don’t be nervous yet!” Xiao Ru took out a kerchief from her school bag and softly wiped away the raindrops on the boy’s forehead, “I think that’s how he would answer my mommy-‘No.’ He and I are just very, very good friends.'”

She spat out the tip of her tongue, then smiled playfully and mischievously. Even if Kai was slow, he could tell that Xiao Ru was deliberately trying to make him happy again.

The girl’s reply was exactly the same as that of the heroine in the recent commercial for ‘Sea Bird’ shampoo – no wonder it sounded familiar to him. So…

Kai laughed aloud in reassurance, “I can’t believe you’re scaring me! Kohru.” The boy realized that the girl was finally willing to accept him as a big piece of wood.

“Thank you.” He spoke in a heavy tone, “The main reason I chose this dark red feathered leaf was to symbolize a stream of imagery. It is the feathered wing of the phoenix. Do you know the allusion about the phoenix?”

The girl smiled, signaling him to continue.

“I once heard my father tell me that the phoenixes feed exclusively on small dragons and snakes that are highly poisonous. When the poison builds up too much, they burn themselves in the fire on their deathbeds, until they are reduced to ashes. However, the newborn phoenix awakens from the solitude of death and spreads its wings once again to shine even brighter!”

Ru looked intently at the boy, unable to stop nodding her head in approval.

“And this red leaf represents my present. When I met you, it was like a phoenix bathing in fire, and my life was then reborn and brightened! Because of you, I am no longer lost, no longer the Kai of the past!”

The girl spoke softly: “Kay, I’m afraid… I… I’m not that good…”

“No, I say you do!” The boy held Ru’s hand obliviously, “You are the fire, the fire of my life.” His voice was so clear and soaring that the girl could not be calmed by the concomitant tremor of her emotions.

She then remembered that the two of them were still standing in the rain, and Kai was soaking wet that she should send him back to change into dry clothes. It would be bad if he didn’t catch a cold.

“Kay, I’ll take you to the bus.” Xiao Ru said seriously, “Health is the most important thing! If you get sick, how can you stay with me?” Urging the boy to hurry back, like a young lady.

The boy, of course, obeyed, happy to share the intimacy with the young girl under a small umbrella. They stayed close together, not caring about the size of their pace. No one wanted to be fast.

Xiao Ru inadvertently glanced at Kai’s side face and thought to herself: ‘Kai and Feng are completely different types of boys. Kai seems so pure, kind, and stubbornly cute, and can’t learn to pretend to be spontaneous, while Feng, on the other hand, sometimes seems to be cynical and doesn’t care about the consequences of his actions. I know Kai’s strengths very well. ….’

‘But how long can such a relationship last?’ The girl secretly sighed softly, ‘I decided long ago to study abroad after graduation; he, on the other hand, will be admitted to a first-class university in China. Distance tests the steadfastness and strength of love every time, is it possible for us to pass through this trial safely?”

Kai beside him didn’t notice the young girl’s uneasy expression. His carefree nature rather made Ru wonder if she was being too mediocre?

“Bye! Ru!” The boy stepping onto the bus said goodbye to the girl waving out the window.

“Uh~! Bye!” She laughed and swung her arms around, “Remember to take a hot bath and stay warm when you get back!”

“Dawn~ got~ it~!” The boys yelled happily.

The passengers in the car looked curiously at the young lovers. The boy was unimpressed. The bus pulled away from Ru’s eyes and she watched the bus.

As soon as she saw Kai off, the young girl headed back to her house. While curling her hair with her fingertips, she thought, ‘Why do you think so much from the beginning? How many couples would exist if everyone was so concerned about the outcome of their relationship? Ru’s mind was enlightened – let’s just keep things the way they are for now.

The rain, when did it stop? The young girl put away her umbrella. Without realizing it, the clouds had dispersed and the stars twinkled in the distance. Xiao Ru happily leapt to her feet. The road home, became so short.

Everything, her love for him, was bet on tomorrow. …

Congratulations! Kai and Xiao Ru finally got out of the hard life of playing the role of ‘light bulb’ on other people’s dates, and officially became part of the ‘lovers’, with free space to move around. However, a new problem arises.

Kay is seriously ‘inexperienced’ at dating, and as a result, doesn’t know where to go when it comes to holidays.

Xiao Ru didn’t say anything, her overall solution was──’Kai, why don’t you accompany me out? She said, ‘Kai, why don’t you go out with me? It turns out that during vacation, the girl likes to go outdoors to sketch and paint, and she always chooses places with beautiful scenery and easy to draw from.

The girl’s ingenuity saves a lot of thinking and headaches. The two of them also took the opportunity to visit all the attractions and amusement parks in the suburbs of Taipei – romantic, not to mention not having to spend a lot of money.

As a result, the sprawling grass of Waishuangxi swayed in the wind and lifted the waves, and they joined hands to have a bird’s-eye view; in the flower season of Yangmingshan, no matter whether it was cherry blossom viewing or azalea viewing, it was all very elegant and emotional, as if it were painstakingly depicted in watercolor paintings – the silhouettes of the people, and the scent of the flowers; and in the clear streams in Wulai and Pinglin, the boys and girls pushed the crystalline water droplets towards the sky to the best of their ability, and let the laughter be passed down to the grain lines on the streams and stones for all eternity.

With Xiao Ru, Kai’s life is full of fulfillment. He is a dedicated student, but once he gets a girlfriend, his schoolwork will inevitably be delayed. The girl is certainly lively and outgoing, but she also urges Kai to study harder and not to neglect his studies.

However, Ru persuaded him, Kai played the occasional trick and always clung to the young girl. The girl Rich patiently tried to convince him, not always effective. She could only smile and not force Kai.

“As I said, Kay, after I finish high school, I plan to go abroad to further my education and get a feel for foreign art. I think New York is an international metropolis, if that’s possible…” said the young girl, pouring out her dreams.

The boy interrupted her: “Xiaoru, I don’t want you to leave me. Besides, there are so many art-related departments in China, why do you need to go far away from home? Well, even if you have already crossed the ocean to America alone – first of all, the language and customs are a big problem; then, the financial problem, in order to pay for tuition and living expenses, you have to work part-time, and New York’s consumer index is high; lastly, the law and order in New York is not ideal, and it is very dangerous for oriental girls to be alone. I would be very worried about you if you were to go on this trip.”

“Kai, you have not imagined people to be too soft and incompetent!” Xiao Ru was unconvinced, “I have the right to pursue my ideals and freedom, and your restrictions make it impossible for me to breathe!”

“No, Ru! I didn’t mean it like that! I just care about you~, that’s all.”

He said it was aggravating. Little kid temperament, a little stubborn.

The young woman shook her head, “I understand. I can sympathize with your intentions, so we’ll talk about it later alright!” She refrained from irritating Kai with this topic for the time being, trying to avoid any unnecessary confrontation. After a while, the results of the university entrance exams were released, and Kai unfortunately failed, much to the surprise of his teachers and parents. Even though Ru tried to persuade and comfort him, she couldn’t get the boy’s mind off of it.

The sadness and embarrassment of the loser. More than that, I have no face to see my father and mother in the east of the river.

“So… Kai, what do you want to do next?” She frowned at her flabby-faced, depressed boyfriend, “You can’t just sit at your desk for the rest of your life and feel sorry for yourself, can you?”

The boy replied, “What else can I do? The only way is to retake the test.”

“Grace! That’s right! I’ll accompany you to Nanyang Street tomorrow to find a cram school to enroll in. As the saying goes, ‘a comeback is possible’! Don’t worry, you’ll succeed!” The young girl inspired Kai’s determination.

When Feng learned of Kai’s ‘amazing’ JEE results, he immediately called Kai: “I say, Kai, we really have a tacit understanding! Look, I’m repeating the year and you’re failing the exam, both of us are equally unlucky! What a coincidence! So, no matter how bad your situation is, just think of me as a ‘person from the same world’!” It was both a flirtation and a kind of reverse ‘motivation’.

“Peak, your way of comforting people is quite special. Other people pick the good things to say, but you pick the harsh things to say. Even though it’s helpful, it’s also made my heart ache for a long time. Thank you for your bitter words, I will definitely keep them in mind.” Kai smiled bitterly, accustomed to the amusement of old friends.

Anyway, we’re two of a kind. Peak and Kai are fighting their own battles.

Kay focused on preparing for the retake of the exam and spent all her time cramming and cramming. Naturally, the time spent with Ru shrunk drastically – only one week of vacation was left. They had to study and endure the loneliness.

The young girl is about to leave her high school student life, and the burden of her studies has become much heavier. In particular, she is mainly responsible for the planning and production of the ‘Graduation Art Exhibition’, and also has to rush to paint her graduation work, often busy until late at night and still can not sleep well. But she didn’t forget to cheer him up.

Xiao Ru is under a lot of pressure, while Kai is full of grievances due to his re-taking of the exams. They can’t see each other often, and they have a lot on their minds, but they can’t talk about it – they close their hearts and don’t talk about it.

“What the hell have you been up to? I can’t even get you on the phone lately?” The boy held for himself, “Where were you when I needed you?”

“Kay, you’re not the only one in my life, I have to live for myself too!” The young girl protested: “I’m preparing for the school’s graduation artwork exhibition, and I tend to work until the middle of the night! I can barely breathe! You know what? I’m really tired!”

Kay was so annoyed that she simply didn’t say a word, and the two of them were at loggerheads.

‘He’s still growing up, why does he have to force himself to keep my man? I can’t keep him all the time.’ Xiao Ru really felt heartbroken, asking herself if it was worth it to give so much?

Yes, he was no longer grateful-he took what the girl did as a given, as a matter of course.

Love, not charity; much less a Christmas present.

Kay since she’s only thinking of herself. Well, what about her? Why not?

Admittedly, she couldn’t be that selfish. For the sake of both of them, Ru’s future career was being planned – a dream that she was ready to turn into a reality. ….

＜The Wedding March of Jane.

‘Purity adorned in a fluttering white veil

You my bride.

So dazzling, so glorious.

The admiration and blessing of the congregation

It’s a cat’s-eye stone on your chest.

But it’s my teardrops that shine.

I was silent and invisible among the guests.

The shoulder of a bystander who can’t suppress a sob

The flowing sorrows are hard to get rid of

Wedding in progress.

A constant reminder of the beat

I’m not the groom.

It won’t be me.

’

That night, Xiao Ru specially asked him to meet him at the park near his home. It was still a night of falling rain. The same scenery, two different moods.

The boy prepared himself early. What was meant to happen was always inevitable. He forced himself to be calm and approached the girl, looking at her.

The young girl with tearful pupils seemed to wait a while, “You’re here? Kay, I asked you out to tell you something, a big decision.”

“Go ahead, Ru. I can probably guess a thing or two.” Kai’s eyes blurred.

He’d rather believe that it was rain.

The girl smiled, unnaturally, “I’ve decided to go to the US for further studies. Will you come to the airport to see me off before I board the plane?” She wanted answers, an end to her feelings.

“I won’t be going. I have more important things to do.” A bright answer. A little cruel.

Ruu’s voice trembled: “I guess so.” She gave up.

They were silent for a while. Just looking deeply at each other.

“Then… Kay, let’s break up!” She blurted out the words she’d been considering, “Give us as much space as we can!”

The boy nodded painfully, “I have no problem with that, assuming it’s best for you.” The belated generosity could no longer bolster Ru’s desire to fly.

“Goodbye. Bye…” “Bye…” Not much more to say.

The dashing off of hurt feelings. The hopelessness of love. Youth.

It was 1990. A sad spring.

In the summer of the same year, Kai enrolled in the Department of Statistics at National Cheng Kung University in Tainan, while Feng entered the Department of Economics at Tunghai in Taichung.

At the same time, Xiao Ru also left for the US to fulfill her dream of Jin becoming a new member of the society… Perhaps he should not be so possessive, should not force the girl to submit to his will, should not act too unmanly, and should not be too calculating about trivial matters. Comparative love often ends up in a bidding war, and can easily become the last word in love affairs.

Kaida could have waited for Hou Xiaoru to return home – but he didn’t. The boy lost the courage to choose, ignoring what the girl meant to him. It should not be a one-way possession, but a mutual respect.

Young, reckless love, in vain, lays down the elements of remorse and bears bitter fruit.

Tracing the present and caressing the past. Thinking back, Kai sighed inadvertently, ‘There are too many things that have passed away that can never be revisited. If I hadn’t treated Ru the way I did in the beginning, my life would have been a lot darker in the future…”

Hate. I hate myself for being too cowardly. I let go of my hand, but I can’t call back the love that is far gone.

Since the beginning of the school year, Kai has been living at the school, unwilling to talk lightly about traveling north to Taipei for fear of being touched by the scenery – a corner of his mind he doesn’t want to venture into. The boy is no longer active, willing to hibernate in the shadows, alone, regretting his bad decisions, remembering the bright years, and sinking into a state of loss.

Tainan is some distance away from Taichung, and Kay practically lives ‘in isolation’ and ‘without competition’

He tries not to keep in touch with Feng. The boy had heard that Feng was still the strongest and most active in the East China Sea, so there was no need to quarrel with him.

One day, Kai suddenly received a call from Jane.

“Kai, have you seen Feng lately? He seldom comes back to Taipei to see me anymore…” the young girl was very unhappy with Feng, “What is in Feng’s mind?”

“I understand, I’ll help you talk about Peak. Don’t worry.” He tried his best to soothe Jin’s unhappy emotions.

So Kai had to grab the microphone and call Feng: “Feng, what are you doing? Why are you so busy that you can’t go back to keep Jane company? Missy is not happy! You have to be more attentive to her!”

“It can’t be helped! I’m now the president and vice president of several clubs, and just running the activities alone makes me too distracted! There’s only one person, you can’t just break me up into seven or eight parts and use my legs to accompany Jane.” Feng felt sorry for Jane.

In Ru’s absence, Kai had to act as a mediator and buffer between Peak and Jane. The assorted flavors of sandwich cookies.

Winter 1991. Rainy afternoon. Feng traveled far to Tainan to pick up Wang Kai.

Peak splits his head and says, “Everything I had with Jane is in the past. Kay.”

“You~” Kai couldn’t believe it, “You’re bluffing, aren’t you? It’s not April Fool’s Day!

I don’t believe it.” The change was too quick.

“The reason is simple.” Feng calmly replied, “Because I don’t have time to accompany her, so Jane’s coworkers took the opportunity to capture her heart.”

Kai screamed, “How can that be? Jane shouldn’t be that kind of person!”

“There’s no such thing as ‘should’ or ‘shouldn’t’ when it comes to things like feelings.” Peak sighed, “It was meant to be. When she needed someone to be with her and I wasn’t able to do what she wanted, wouldn’t someone else come and take her place? It’s a wonder she didn’t bring up the breakup! I don’t blame her.”

Speaking of which, things had been foretold. In September, Mr. Feng took the time to visit Jane in Taipei. When he stepped into Jane’s room, he saw a newly purchased Snoopy dog doll on the bedside.

The boy pretended not to move and asked her, “Who was so nice? And gave you a big toy dog.”

“No! It’s just a birthday present from a coworker.” Her words flickered.

Feng felt that there was something strange going on. But it was inconvenient to pursue it further.

Less than two months after the incident, Jane really asked for a breakup.

“Why?” That was all Peak said. He admitted to himself that he owed the girl too much.

“You don’t care about me anymore! When I suffered a lot in the company, it’s not that I couldn’t find you; even if I did, you just advised me a few times, just perfunctorily! Didn’t you see the dog doll in my room? It was a gift from a male colleague. It was for him that I wanted to separate from you, I admit!”

“When I was in trouble, he helped me out and even went out of his way to take on a lot of responsibility; he was considerate and listened to me. These are the things you used to do, now? Last time when people were sulking and you were nowhere to be seen, he accompanied me for a night of distraction.”

“Last week, he finally told me that he liked me and asked me if I would let him pursue me. I thought about it and said yes. My relationship with him has grown steadily, and I’m content. I only wish that you would let go of me.” Jin surprisingly showed a look of relief.

Peak is silent for a moment and nods in agreement, “Good.” Mournful and sincere.

Even if there were a thousand things to be done. He was sure that Jane’s heart, could not stay. Feng loved Jane very deeply. He could not keep his promise to take care of her; Jane made a painful choice and, with mutual respect, informed Peak – how could a boy dare to disagree?

Loving someone doesn’t necessarily mean you have to stay together forever. All Feng wanted was for Jane to have a better life than him. Eight months later, Kay thought that Fung had gotten over this embarrassing grief. What she never expected was that Feng’s infatuation would drive her to the brink of extinction!

Kay didn’t know what else to think. Picking up his paused footsteps, the steps leading up to Jane’s wedding banquet room would always be finished. The boy settled down, lifted his heels, and climbed upward.

”Since it’s Jane’s wedding banquet, there’s absolutely no reason for Xiao Ru not to attend. In case I see them, can I pretend not to care? Or do I have to make a false social call?’ The boy didn’t know how to face Jane and Xiao Ru.

He walked over to the gift receiving area, pulled two red envelopes out of his pocket, handed them to the hostess, and signed the names of the boy and Peak on the autograph silk cloth, while another hostess guided Kai to the bride’s friend’s area. The boy looked around the room and saw the situation at a glance. B…

The prelude to the wedding march was heard throughout the venue, and the groom slowly walked into the venue from the entrance, holding Jane in his hands.

The lovely little flower girl pulled on the train of the bride’s gown and followed in her footsteps. The best man and Jane accompanied the bride. All the decorations and arrangements were made to emphasize the bride’s beauty.

The bride pulled a cannon, confetti splattered; applause and congratulations drowned out the background music. In Kai’s eyes, he was just a set piece – most importantly, he was here to fulfill Peak’s dying wish. The rest was nothing.

The bridesmaid was there, and it was really Ru, whose beauty was not inferior to that of today’s key players. Kai couldn’t help but look smitten and mesmerized.

‘If Feng gets married, I will be the best man; of course, for Jane’s wedding, I will ask Xiaoru to be the maid of honor. It has been three years since we parted, and Ru and I have not changed, nor have Feng and Jane, so what has changed?’ The boy shook his head, isn’t the past like dust and wind?

The ceremony proceeded normally, and soon the feast began, with dishes being brought to each table.

He didn’t bother to strike up a conversation or chat with the neighboring guests, the food in his mouth tasted like chewing wax, and Kai just wanted to see Jane face to face and say Peak’s ultimate blessing.

”This is a play I’m playing for Feng. Hopefully, the tacit understanding and righteousness between us will sustain me until the last moment.’ He would keep his promise.

Kai listened to the talk of the guests around him – words like ‘man and woman’ and ‘a match made in heaven’ – and the boy couldn’t help but sneer inwardly.

”These two are not worthy at all! How can the groom compare to the bride’s condition! They’ve been together for less than a year, so how can they understand what true love is?’ He felt rather unworthy of Peak.

After the bride exited the stage to change into her dress, she accompanied the groom from table to table for a toast. They walked to the guest table where Kay was seated. The moment had finally arrived!

The table of guests stood up. The newcomers exchanged a few pleasantries with the others first, and Jane noticed Kai and looked to him, waiting for the boys to speak.

Kai stabilized himself, “Jane, I wish you happiness. I came up from Tainan in a hurry, so I didn’t bring any expensive gifts. You know I don’t drink alcohol – here, with this glass of rosé in my hand, I’d like to express my feelings. I wish the two of you to be respectful to each other, to grow old together, to be in love forever, and to have a son soon!” I didn’t expect that he would be able to make up a big line.

The groom politely replied, “Thank you!”

Jane looked around the table and said hesitantly, “Kay, where is your other half? Why… why… is he not here?”

She was smart enough to use a roundabout way of referring to Peak as her ‘other half’ to avoid any unnecessary embarrassment. Kai knew it in his heart, but he didn’t need to point it out.

“Oh, ‘she’ has something to do at the moment, so she’ll be leaving now. However, she explained to me─to wish you all the best. ‘She’ is really nice, it’s fine.” He told a big lie with good intentions, “Jane, the groom is nice!”

The groom thanked the guests and then led Jane to honor the guests at the other table. Kay breathed a sigh of relief.

‘Comparing Peak with the groom, the former is just one more stable job. Jane, will you be happy because of this? Why don’t you give Feng a chance? Besides, no one knows who you will be happier if you marry, let alone have a chance to compare. God is so unfair! The more the society progresses, the farther away the true love is!” Kay sat down and thought, ‘That’s not right! Could it be that Feng didn’t want to leave a chance for Jane to go back on her words?

Half an hour later, the party broke up. The boy followed the departing guests toward the exit. He had accomplished Peak’s wish, and Kai had no regrets. It was dark, so he planned to take a bus to Songshan Station and catch a train back to Tainan.

Standing by the sidewalk crossing, he was getting ready to cross the street. No more hang-ups.

“Wait a minute! Kai~!” The voice that had touched his heart and had broken it stopped Kai in his tracks.

He turned back and gazed at the girl in front of him. Xiao Ru, the swirls on her cheeks were still there, and her smile was still as sweet as ever.

“Ru, it’s been years since I’ve seen you. When did you come back to Taiwan?”

She tossed her long hair and fiddled with it, “About a year and a half ago. Now I’m working as an advertising designer, and I’m doing pretty well. What about you and Feng?”

He’s hiding the truth. “It’s the same old story with me and him. We’re students! There’s nothing wrong with that. As long as you and Jane are happy, we’ll feel more at ease.”

As soon as they saw Xiao Ru, their past love affair came back to them, and they were silent for half a day. Kai remembered that he still had to catch the bus, and did not want to stay long. Today is already sad enough.

“I’ve got to get going. Otherwise it’ll be too late to get back to Tainan.”

“Let me walk you to the bus.”

“No, sorry to trouble you. Besides, you’ve been busy all day, you should go back to rest earlier.” Kai politely refused Xiao Ru’s kind offer.

As he turned to leave, Kai suddenly remembered something he wanted to say to Xiao Ru, but after swallowing for a while, the words still didn’t come out. Only a dry ‘see you again’ popped out from his lips.

”I didn’t have the time to open my mouth back then. Nowadays, forget it~!’ Kai thought slyly.

It’s still a green light. Peak was in a hurry and couldn’t care less. After saying goodbye to each other, he walked quickly across the street without looking back, not paying much attention to the traffic.

A left-turning bus came rushing by, heading straight for the front of the route Kay was walking!

“NO! Kay~! There’s the car! Watch out!” Ru shrieked, trying to get the boys’ attention.

The boy looked up, but it was too late! The bus ricocheted off his torso and Kai flew to the other side of the road and landed hard! Blood immediately covered his face.

Ru cried and ran over, straining to pick up his upper body, “Kai~! Kai~! Pull yourself together! Kai~!” She smoothed the hair on his forehead and looked at him sadly. His handsome face was stained with blood from the impact – the man she had loved with all her heart and soul.

The girl called out to the crowd of onlookers, “Ambulance! Excuse me! Somebody call an ambulance! Hurry up!” She hugged Kai tightly in excitement.

Her tears brought Kai back to consciousness. The boy opened his eyes feebly, but his eyes still had some of their former splendor, “Xiao… Ru…, it’s no use. I can’t do it anymore… If I can die in your arms, I will have lived my life to the fullest..! By the way, there’s a letter in my breast pocket. It’s a promise I made to Feng. You’ll understand when you read it… You should be happy for me.”

“Xiao Ru, I have kept my promise. He didn’t lie to me – ‘One day I wish for a thousand lifetimes, but in the next life I fear I will be bound by my promise, so remember it’! I only wish that in the next life, the four of us can renew our unfinished relationship…” He coughed up a mouthful of blood.

“Stop talking! Kay! The ambulance will be here soon! Don’t say unlucky things!” She took hold of Kai’s left hand.

“I… want… to say…. Ru, you’re still so beautiful and charming. I’m very happy.”

“Kay! You’re so disobedient!” The girl was in hot tears and kept shaking her head.

“There are some words that I wanted to say just now, but I swallowed them in my mouth. In the past, it was all my fault, I was sorry for you, I didn’t know how to cherish a girl as good as you! You want to leave, but I did not retain you! Do you know how much I regret?”

“Kay, you rest quietly. When you recover, I’ll listen to you for as long as you want. Okay?” She coaxed the boy who was already extremely hurt.

The boy smiled weakly, looking so sprightly and open in Ru’s eyes, even though he was traumatized. The Kai she knew.

He took a deep breath, “Ru, you haven’t changed, you still spoil me like that. When you read that letter, you will understand – those memories of our embrace together. I believe, I have always believed that the person who loves Jane the most is Feng, and the person I love the most is still you!”

The boy closed both eyes and fell asleep forever. The hand that tied him to Ruu was also loosened.

“No! NO! Kai~!” Ru cried out in pain, shaking the boy vigorously. The slightly warm body did not respond.

“No… I don’t want to..! I don’t want to…” The girl’s indulgent cries created ripples of misery on the bustling Zhongxiao East Road…

“Too much to say, too late.

Too much to do.

I’m not meant to be with you in this life.

In the next life, I’ll only love you.

The sound of the parting rain is drifting in and out of my ears.

Standing in the rain, you’ll always be in my mind.

I can’t give you any more flowers in my hand.

The true love of this life will be reserved for you endlessly.

Farewell, my love.

’

＜End Credits＞Renewal

The following morning, Jane and her husband had breakfast together, snuggling up and reveling in the sweetness of their new marriage.

“Jane, listen up! There’s a social news report: last night there was an accident on Zhongxiao East Road where a bus hit and killed a pedestrian, and the driver was brought to justice for speeding and causing death by negligence! The victim was said to be very young! And the accident place is very close to where we invited guests. Guess, could he have been a guest at that time?” The man said.

“Let me see, it can’t be that coincidental, can it?” The wife grabbed the paper and accidentally dripped ketchup from her sandwich onto the page near the news of the crash. “Oh, no, I’m glad I only got part of it. But the dead man’s name and age are all covered up!”

She drifted her gaze to a news item next door, except for ‘Young man kills himself in love frenzy’

The rest of the leak was a reddish color outside of the shrugging headline. It was supposed to be the death of Peak.

“Really! More and more people are committing suicide these days! I can’t understand what those people are thinking.

“I’m sorry,” Jane chimed in, putting down the newspaper and eating her breakfast by herself. …

At this time, Ru had just finished reading the letter Peak had left for Kai. She opened the window and welcomed the early morning sunlight. Peak’s and Kai’s faces seemed to be smiling at her from afar at the same time.

”You two oh~, you were like this three years ago and still are after three years. Perhaps there are many things that Jane and I cannot understand thoroughly, like your views on relationships. …’ She wiped away the tears that were about to fall, ‘How many thoughts have you left behind for me instead, as if you were big urchins, laughing and giggling your way into our lives? I promised you that I wouldn’t tell Jane the truth…”

In mid-May of the following year, Jane was blessed with twins. Her husband excitedly informed his friends and the world, and of course, Xiao Ru was no exception. As soon as she learned the news, she rushed to Cathay Hospital and presented a bouquet of purple roses to Jane, who was a new mother.

Purple roses have long been Jane’s favorite flower.

The pride of being a mother was undeniable as Jin Yi carried the babies in both arms. After arranging the bouquet of flowers, Xiao Ru got close to Jin Yi to see the faces of the babies.

“Yeah? That’s funny! These little cutie-pie brothers learned to hold hands so quickly? They’re quite affectionate!” Ruu said in amazement.

Jane smiled : “Special enough, right?”

The two little babies saw Xiao Ru and laughed very happily, not afraid of life at all. Xiao Ru looked at them for a while and suddenly had a thought!

Their eyes! It’s as if I’ve seen them somewhere before ….

There it is! It’s Peak and Kai! Unless…

“Jane, the two little babies are beautiful! Especially the eyes. Did you notice who their eyes look like?” Ruu couldn’t stop staring at them.

Mother said proudly, “Of course! Of course she has my big eyes! If it’s my husband’s, I’ll get him for it!”

Ru laughed out, “You’re really confident, yeah!”

“There’s one more thing. My husband had a master from a fortune-telling center do the math-our baby boys need to recognize a godmother so they can grow up and be healthy. I think it’s you, Ru.

I won’t comply if anyone else does! Just say yes, won’t you?”

Xiao Ru nodded, “Of course!” She reached out her soft fingers to tease the little babies’ tiny hands.

”Kai and Peak, it looks like you guys have descended back into the world again! You’re really true to your word.”

The girl remembered the allusion to the fire-bathing phoenix, ‘I think the story isn’t over yet oh…’

The purple roses by the window silently dripped the remaining morning dew…

End of Chapter 6, End of Part 1

＜(a)

The first installment of this series is finally over. I would like to thank my friends who provided me with true stories: Xiaoya, Zhiqing, Kongci, Evening Forest, Ah Ren and Panther, without your help, this article would not have been completed!

Again, I would like to thank all my friends and friends who have written or spoken to me to encourage and support my work. Your encouragement is the driving force and source of my creativity, and I would like to thank you all for it! Due to the large number of people, it is not convenient to list them all, please forgive me! Readers are always the creator’s teachers and friends!

I wonder what you think after reading these six chapters of the story? Did you find the answer you were looking for about love? Whatever it is, I think you will be able to find a way out of your confusion.

If you have any comments, suggestions, or corrections, you are welcome to email me. Of course, if you have a real life love story that you would like me to memorialize in writing as the second installment of this series, you are more than welcome to do so.

May all lovers in the world be united in love.

Dream Builders Finished on

May, 1989