Zhang Xiaotao followed behind Chen Xiao. They had just met, and while she was initially delighted, now that they were alone together, she suddenly felt a little nervous.
How exactly should I define my relationship with Chen Xiao?
To be honest, I was just being bullied when Chen Xiao suddenly appeared out of nowhere, kicked the villain away, and held me in his arms. The warm sense of security I felt in that instant was truly intoxicating!
And then there was Chen Xiao's heroic figure on the ship, stepping forward in times of crisis to save so many people... On the island, those thugs came to the deserted island, and her group of elderly, weak, and women were likely to be killed. But Chen Xiao suddenly stood up and bravely fought them off with ruthless methods. In the end, Chen Xiao's tall figure, covered in blood, stood there, and that image was etched deeply into Zhang Xiaotao's heart like a knife carving!
And this young man, he's probably no older than me… In the deserted island cave, he nearly died, but why did he remain so calm and composed in the face of death? That composure and serenity seem beyond the simple measure of "bravery." Even in his dying moments, the faint smile on Chen Xiao's lips seemed to have never faded…
Such a mysterious young man...
"What are you thinking about?" Chen Xiao looked around the room, then at the scenery on the hillside outside. Turning around, he saw Zhang Xiaotao deep in thought, her expression complex. He walked over, gently placed his hand on Zhang Xiaotao's shoulder, and asked softly, "What's wrong?"
“You…” Zhang Xiaotao raised her head, her expression complicated: “Chen Xiao, who exactly are you?”
I never asked this question on the ship, nor did I have the chance to ask it on the island, but now I've finally asked it.
Without a doubt, Chen Xiao's formidable skills on the ship were almost superhuman, and he also possessed a detached air even in the face of death. Zhang Xiaotao already understood that this guy was no ordinary person; he was mysterious.
Chen Xiao smiled, pulled Zhang Xiaotao to sit down, and the two sat side by side under the eaves, gazing at the distant hillside. Chen Xiao said softly, "My name is Chen Xiao, and I just turned eighteen this May... Hehe, don't glare at me, I'm really not even nineteen yet, a little younger than you. I'm from N City, and right now, I'm still studying at Kidd College in N City. In my spare time, I work as a manager at a coffee shop. My parents have both passed away, and I don't have any relatives visiting. Uh... I just live with a few friends now."
Chen Xiao spoke softly, briefly recounting the details of her identity that could be revealed.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Xiaotao's expression became even more peculiar!
Under nineteen?! A student? Working at a coffee shop?!
It's hard to associate the man who stepped forward in times of crisis, protecting so many elderly, weak, and women like a guardian angel, with this identity...
After hesitating for a long time, Zhang Xiaotao raised her head and stared at Chen Xiao: "There are some things I think it's better to make clear to you."
Chen Xiao touched his nose, but his eyes softened even more: "Yes, I understand."
“I…” Zhang Xiaotao took a deep breath, mustered her courage, but still felt a little guilty—it was really ridiculous. On the island, she had already said that she would live and die together, but now she felt guilty instead.
Trying hard to compose herself, Zhang Xiaotao bravely met Chen Xiao's eyes and said, "I like you, no... I... I love you!"
Chen Xiao wasn't too surprised; everything he'd experienced on the island didn't need to be explained in words. He nodded: "I know."
"And you? Do you like me?" Zhang Xiaotao originally wanted to ask "Do you love me?", but for some reason, when the words reached her lips, she was a little afraid, so she changed "love" to "like".
Chen Xiao looked at Zhang Xiaotao. She had a clean and pretty face, with bright, lively eyes that radiated the youthful energy of a young girl.
And... I remembered the first time we met, in the elevator. She thought I was Japanese and deliberately cursed at me in Chinese with that mischievous, playful smile.
And... um, right, this girl also claimed that she was "wearing two pairs of underwear".
Chen Xiao's silence immediately made Zhang Xiaotao panic. She was only twenty years old and had little experience in relationships. His silence after she expressed her feelings naturally put her under immense pressure.
Seeing the fear flash in Zhang Xiaotao's eyes, Chen Xiao sighed inwardly.
Putting aside all other factors, the bright and cheerful girl before me...
She was willing to die for him!
She was willing to die with him!
Perhaps many couples, in the heat of the moment, make vows of eternal love and say such things.
But among the millions of men and women in the world, how many can truly do that when faced with a real situation?
The person before me... They truly held me in their arms, uttering those three words, as if making a vow, "I won't leave!"
After a few seconds of silence...
"Yes. I like you." That was Chen Xiao's answer: "I like you!"
Upon hearing this answer, Zhang Xiaotao seemed to suddenly deflate, experiencing a kind of exhaustion as if she had just survived a disaster, her tension finally fading and she relaxed completely.
She sat there blankly for a while, then suddenly jumped up, hopping and skipping in front of Chen Xiao, pouting, and exclaimed aggrievedly, "This is so unromantic!!!"
She suddenly reverted to her true self, reverting to the mischievous girl from the elevator. She reached out and gently pinched Chen Xiao's arm, then pouted like a little girl: "So unromantic! You know what? I've always fantasized about my love story since I was little. When I confess my feelings, it should be..."
She suddenly became speechless, stammered a few words, and then said defiantly, "I don't care! It should be ten times more romantic than the current scene!"
As she spoke, looking somewhat dejected and disheartened, she plopped down beside Chen Xiao, resting her chin on her hands and muttering dejectedly, "Sigh...this is so boring...I like you, do you like me? Yes! Wow! It's that simple, so bland..."
Looking at the girl beside him chattering away like a magpie, Chen Xiao suddenly felt a surge of tenderness and pity.
He remembered those days in the cave, her lips cracked, yet she saved the precious fresh water for herself. He remembered how she used her fingers, raw and bleeding from the rough sand, to bring sand crabs to his mouth… and how at night, she gently held him, mortally wounded and weak, as they slept against the cold cave wall. The chill of the cave walls was blocked by her delicate, soft body, allowing him to peacefully enjoy the warmth of a girl's embrace…
I've been on the verge of death several times, and every time I wake up, the first thing I see is this face!
Thinking of this, Chen Xiao suddenly made up his mind, stood up, ignored Zhang Xiaotao's exclamation, put one arm around her neck and the other under her knees, gently lifted her up in his arms, and then leaped onto the roof.
On the pointed rooftop, Chen Xiao held Zhang Xiaotao in his arms as they sat on the eaves. The sun was about to set, casting its rays across the lush green trees that dotted the mountainside with some unidentified flowers and plants.
Zhang Xiaotao's face was flushed, her breathing was a little rapid, her head was resting in Chen Xiao's arms, her eyes were a little intoxicated, and she looked up into Chen Xiao's eyes.
"You like romance, don't you?" Chen Xiao's voice sounded incredibly gentle in Zhang Xiaotao's ears.
Then, he suddenly released one hand and waved it gently.
Zhang Xiaotao felt a blur before her eyes, and suddenly countless flowers, grasses, and leaves floated up from the plants around the house. The countless green leaves and pink flowers were lifted up by an invisible force and floated around the two of them, dancing in the sky like countless butterflies.
The setting sun cast its rays, embracing the man and girl's figures closely. Zhang Xiaotao felt utterly intoxicated, lying in her beloved's arms, surrounded by fluttering flower petals. Her heart pounded wildly like a deer's. At this moment, she felt she could die content!
Chen Xiao looked into Zhang Xiaotao's eyes. The girl was already as gentle as water, her body soft in Chen Xiao's arms, her eyes as clear as water.