Do I accept it...? Do I accept it...?
Of course I accept! Is there even a need to ask this question? Haven't I been working hard and making a big show of it through my actions?
"Dong, you've never said how you feel about me. Even five years ago, when you asked me if I wanted to be your boyfriend, you never said you liked me. Dong, I love you. What about you?"
Five years ago, why am I bringing up five years ago now? Five years ago, I had absolutely no confidence. He was so outstanding, and I was prepared to be rejected when I confessed to him. I didn't say I liked him because I could deceive myself into thinking I wasn't that deeply in love, so I wouldn't be sad.
I was so silly back then, I'm much cuter now.
"Dong, whether you believe it or not, I have to tell you, now, and five years ago, I've always liked you. Back then, we talked about everything and were inseparable. Your tomboyish way of doing things made me always think that I liked you, especially because you were my good buddy. But this kind of thinking made me unable to see my true feelings. Until the day you asked me if I wanted to be your boyfriend, I was caught off guard. Later, you started to avoid me intentionally or unintentionally, and then you disappeared completely. This change in you forced me to face my feelings for you more clearly. Then I realized that I actually liked you, but because we were too familiar with each other, I couldn't see it clearly. This made me regret it for five years. Dong, I'm sorry. I'm really happy to meet you again. Believe me, this time I won't miss you again."
I was surprised, to be honest, I was really surprised.
How could I not be surprised that such a beautiful mistake wasted so much of my youth?
And why would he reveal such a mental journey? Although Yu Mo had asked me before, "He rejected you five years ago, so why did he start pursuing you so relentlessly when he saw you again? Don't you find that strange?" But with my lack of experience and sensitivity to the pure theories of love, I really couldn't see where he had been chasing after me from the very beginning. Isn't it just like An said, after so many years apart, everyone has changed, and suddenly you discover this and that, and then you fall in love?
I thought that made a lot of sense, so I didn't ask any more questions. Could there really be some additional plot developments?
I glanced at him.
"Dong, do you love me? Tell me what you're thinking. I want to hear it." He looked at me earnestly and said in a low voice.
Seeing him like this, I suddenly felt very moved.
So I honestly, overcoming all difficulties, with righteous indignation and unwavering determination, told them.
"Then why don't you come to find me?"
I do love him, that's true, but this question has to be asked. After he finished saying all that, he asked me, "Do you love me?" I said, "Yes." Then he asked, "Will you marry me?" I said, "Yes." Doesn't that turn my 25-year-old romance into a "landmine-filled romance novel"? No matter what the male lead does wrong, he just apologizes to the female lead and everyone's happy. Although Shao Yuzhe didn't do anything wrong except for his misjudgment, I still feel it's not worth it.
So I looked at him with a wronged expression.
I'm twenty years old and a junior in college. Even if I hide and don't come out, my university is such a huge, imposing place on the vast land of our country, it's not hard to find me. Okay, even if he/she is in a different city and can't come over, I have a bunch of my dorm phone number, mobile number, and email address posted on my high school class website. Okay, even if I haven't updated those numbers in a long time, there's still a group of "real people" who can "appear" at any time and can be used at any time—my high school classmates with whom I'm still in contact, I can find me through them.
It's not hard to find me; you're clearly not sincere.
So I changed my attitude and started looking at him angrily.
“I…can’t say it.” He frowned, then rested his head on my shoulder; I couldn’t see his expression.
I didn't understand for a moment what it meant to be unable to say it.
“That day I told you, ‘I’ve always thought of you as a brother, but I have a girl I like.’ Then you hung up the phone without saying anything. After saying those words, how am I supposed to go back and tell you that I like you?”
"Then you're giving up." It would hurt me to hear that so easily.
He straightened up, looked at me, ruffled my hair, and looked very aggrieved.
"Besides, you only asked me if I wanted to be your boyfriend, you didn't say you liked me. It's kind of silly, but I can't help but think the worst."
Looking at him, I don't know why, but he seemed a bit like he was cheating. I never thought that Shao Yuzhe, who was so outstanding and almost perfect in my eyes back then, would lose confidence because of something like this. I suddenly laughed.
"Do we all think that relationships from our student days are easy to forget?" I said.
If I take a step back and think about myself, and realize that I didn't persevere back then, that I ran away after being rejected, that I hid far away and didn't dare to see him, and that I thought that no one could predict what would happen in the future, and that I would forget about it sooner or later, then was it wrong of me not to try?
Although everyone seems to be making excuses for themselves, and the excuses tend to be a bit far-fetched, what does it matter? I love him now, and I believe he loves me now too. What happened wasn't an unforgivable problem. Knowing this is enough. Why make trouble for yourself with trivial matters from the past? It's not like writing a trendy, vulgar novel and having to go through all sorts of twists and turns for yourself.
I love him, and I want to be with him.
I realized the crux of the problem, and gave a symbolic smile.
"And now?" he asked with a smile.
"I love you, in the past, now, and always," I said.
Five years have passed, and finally, with the right timing, location, and people, I've spoken out.
It's really not easy.
"So, what about the future?" He wrapped his arms around my waist, as if this answer was not enough to fully satisfy him.
His somewhat cautious expression made his face look a little aggrieved.
They seem easy to bully...
"The future..." I thought about it carefully before answering him, "The future depends on the situation."
I deliberately dragged it out for a long time, and it was funny to see his slightly anxious expression.
Upon hearing the answer, he suddenly smiled happily and said, "Dong, now I'll answer your question: why I'm treating you to dinner today."
Oh right, I almost forgot.
"Dong, this restaurant is where my parents met, and it's also where my father proposed to my mother. So I originally wanted to propose to you there, but I ended up running into my parents by accident."
Oh, I see. Huh?
Then he hugged me tightly, and before I could even understand what was happening, he was already kneeling on one knee, holding an open brocade box in his hand, inside which was clearly a ring.
"Dong, I won't miss this opportunity again. Marry me, okay?"
Proposing... or kneeling on one knee...
"Marry me." He took my hand and repeated it, his expression devout and without any impurity.
Proposing...
After traversing countless mountains and rivers and overcoming numerous dangers and difficulties, Shao Yuzhe finally proposed to me.
I looked up and saw that the weather was clear today, with stars and a moon. I looked down and saw a ring and a man kneeling on one knee.
And he loves me, and I love him too.
Then why should I stand there?
"I promise you." Watching Shao Yuzhe carefully slip the ring onto my finger, I felt a sense of accomplishment.
I am so happy.
I'm so happy! God finally opened his eyes and looked at me.
So even the next day, when Hayakawa Noriyuki appeared at my door as promised for my second cooking class, the happy smile on my face still hadn't faded.
"What did you eat?" he asked, frowning and staring at me for a long time.
"For breakfast, milk, bread, jam, and eggs." That's really nutritious.
"It's expired." He actually used a declarative sentence; this kid's asking for trouble.
He ruined my good mood, and I finally managed to wipe the smile off my face.
He proposed to you.
With that one sentence, the corners of his mouth twitched up again.
"The ring is beautiful, congratulations," he said expressionlessly.
He actually said something that sounded like something a normal person would say, so I couldn't help but observe him to see if something was wrong.
"Are you alright?" I asked cautiously.
"He seems to have a slight fever. Yesterday, You threw him out of his house and he got caught in the rain." He remained expressionless.
I knew it!
"Why don't you skip class today and go home to rest? Health is the foundation of everything," I said. He glanced at me, and there was actually a hint of emotion in his eyes, which gave me goosebumps. I swallowed the words "So don't infect me."
Wait, it rained yesterday, I think it was around 3 a.m.
Don't ask me why I know so much; I'm not allowing people to have insomnia.
"What did you do to him?" I felt my voice trembling.
He didn't say anything, but poured himself a cup of tea and covered his hand with it.
Forget it, it's a matter of cultural differences. He dares to say it, but I don't really have the courage to listen.
Seeing his pitiful appearance, the meddlesome nature of Cancerians surged up again.
I took his temperature and sure enough, he had a fever, and it wasn't low. So I had him lie down on the sofa, wrapped him in a blanket, and took out the leftover cold medicine from last time. It was the same strong-tasting fever reducer that the hospital director prescribed for me. After learning that he hadn't even had breakfast, I actually cooked him a bowl of porridge.
I'm destined to be a workaholic, and what's worse, I'm actually quite self-aware of it.
Thinking about this makes me sad.
So I decided to change this habit; there's no time like the present, so I'll do it today.
So I picked up the phone and dialed Kurosawa Yu's cell phone.
“Nuan Nuan,” he seemed surprised to hear my voice.
I took a deep breath and then spoke into the receiver at the loudest volume I've ever heard in my life.
"Hayakawa Noriyuki has a high fever that has turned into pneumonia and he is dying. He is at my house now. I'll give you ten minutes. You still have a chance to see him one last time."
Then, without waiting for him to say anything, I hung up the phone without hesitation.
So handsome.
Seven minutes.
In just seven minutes, my doorbell rang. I couldn't help but marvel at how the relentless efforts of the knife-cut noodles had finally dragged a law-abiding, well-mannered, shy boy with a baby face who could have been dressed as a sporty 28-year-old into the water.
You should know that my fastest time to get from my home to Ji'an's store is fifteen minutes.
"Nuan Nuan." Kurosawa Yu looked at me with a complicated expression as he opened the door. If what Shao Yuzhe said was true, that he used to like me, then his expression now was spot on.
...This problem can be ignored.
I looked at him with pity, stepped aside, and pointed to the body of Noriyuki Hayakawa on the sofa...
Hayakawa, who had taken his medicine and drunk some porridge, lay motionless on my small sofa. When I covered him with a blanket, I also covered his face with the blanket to lighten the mood, so that he would look more like a corpse.
Believe me, Hayakawa's body under the blanket was still rising and falling with his breathing, so I was just doing this to set the mood, not to write a prime-time drama script.
Kurosawa Yu looked at me with a puzzled expression, then pulled the blanket down, probably afraid that he would suffocate.
He was very worried and felt guilty; you could tell.
I don't know how far their relationship has progressed. Hayakawa goes without saying, but judging from Kurosawa's behavior, I personally feel that they are clearly mutually attracted. So why are they still at an impasse?
Just as I was thinking this, Kurosawa suddenly stood up with a look of regret and walked towards the door next to me.
"He ran away?" I asked, opening the door for him as I did so.
He stood there, stunned.