“Don’t be mad at me, Ah Jun. When you see me, you give me such a cold look, telling me to leave. It breaks my heart. I ran out of the Celestial Mansion into the rain, feeling abandoned by the world. I’ve felt this way before, a long, long time ago. You have no idea how much I care about you. I’m a fool; my mind was all jumbled, but all I could think of was you.”
Fu Xiaotang was barely aware of what she was saying, words flowing uncontrollably as she listened to herself speak. She was glad because Fang Junjie hadn’t disappeared this time; he was listening quietly. What a comforting dream. “Ah Jun, I think, I like you, I really, really like you.” After saying this, she smacked her lips like a child who had just eaten candy, ready to turn over and continue sleeping. “I’m done talking; you can go now. Bye.”
The person by the bed didn’t disappear this time; instead, he let out a low laugh, sighed softly, gently turned her body back, then with one hand shielding her eyes and the other turning on the light, the room brightened. Fu Xiaotang blinked, closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, she saw the familiar hand blocking the harsh light. She hugged the hand, pulling it down, revealing Fang Junjie’s face, smiling gently, his eyes bright with a mix of regret, self-reproach, and a touch of understanding joy and emotion.
The two just looked at each other, saying nothing, until tears slowly welled up in Fu Xiaotang’s eyes, rolling down her cheeks and falling onto the bed. Fang Junjie sighed almost imperceptibly, cupping her face with his hands and gently wiping away her tears. In a low, almost threatening voice, he said, “I’ve always been one to stick to my word, and the only time I’ve ever respected public opinion seems to have been in vain. From now on, I’ll revert to my autocratic ways. Whether you agree or not, you must, and you can only have eyes for me. If you dare to be distracted by someone else again, I…” He suddenly stopped, looked at her intently for a while, then leaned down almost reverently to kiss her eyelids before burying his face into Fu Xiaotang’s neck, whispering into her ear, “I’m sorry, forgive me!” Overcome with emotion, Fu Xiaotang tightly embraced his neck, tears streaming uncontrollably.
