chsdbacks Page 160
Page 160
In the instant that cherry-colored pupils reflected the sky, those azure eyes also reflected that spring pink petal, which existed only in memory, remained clear even after countless fantasies, and was as silent as a cherry blossom in spring, falling beside me with fragrance and comfort.
Seeing Jiangcheng again, what would you like to say?
do not know.
Even though I had so many things I wanted to say, and I had imagined our reunion countless times, when I actually saw him, I couldn't utter a single word. It felt as if time itself had stopped, slowed down infinitely, and even the movement of his hair seemed excessively slow.
Even if you try your best to move your body, to move forward, to greet someone, to accuse or be angry... or even just to complain, you can't do it.
In the end, all the girl could do was reach out her hand with difficulty and gently shake it—
"Long time no see, Ah Cheng."
"yes……"
I don't know how he started speaking, how he said those words, or how he went along with it... In short, the boy seemed to be imitating him, and he made the same movements.
He raised his hand, waving it as if bidding farewell, as if trying to make up for their past separation—
"Long time no see, Kiana."
"How are you recently?"
……
……
……
They merely exchanged greetings and then fell silent, which had exhausted Kiana's ability to act amidst the mutual hesitation and stalemate.
Just like a button that simultaneously controls up, down, left, right, front, and back, pressing it will only tear your mind to pieces.
Jiang Cheng didn't know what to say. The young man, who prided himself on having extraordinary emotional intelligence, had now realized his shortcomings.
Awkward, extremely awkward.
Even the air seemed to freeze due to the sluggish atmosphere.
Two people who had finally managed to meet couldn't even exchange a single word with each other.
For Kiana, who had longed for this countless times, her inner emotions had accumulated to the point of collapse. Just as a high-quality object turned into a black hole, she was so oppressed by her inner attraction that she could not even speak. Her thoughts were so slow that it was as if she had infinitely activated the bullet time skill. Her whole body was stiff as if it had been washed by electric current.
Theresa, who was just observing, couldn't take it anymore—she could no longer endure what was happening before her. If Himeko and Bronya hadn't been holding her back with all their might, this girl, whose brain had been clouded by Yu Duchen, would have rushed up and grabbed Jiang Cheng's collar, loudly rebuking him for his indifference.
And so they patiently endured, continued to endure—until Jiang Cheng finally took the initiative to bring up the topic—
"Would you like to talk about your recent life?"
Let this be a way to make up for the separation between us.
Facing the boy's outstretched hand and invitation, Kiana took a deep breath and tried her best to maintain the same smile as before—she gently nodded.
"it is good……"
"OK……"
……
……
Jiang Cheng extended the invitation, and naturally, he was the first to speak, describing his recent life in as much detail as possible. He mentioned that since Changkong City, some things had happened that were not suitable to be said, and after blurring them out, he talked about his relationship with Mei, the difficulties and tediousness of asking to take over Destiny, and how annoying all kinds of rituals were.
He's still the same as before.
really...
Kiana stared intently at him, gleaming in the light from outside the door; at him, half-undressed, looking just as imposing as the bishop who had stood on the high platform; at him, still gentle and patient, still willing to listen, still willing to explain carefully.
The cold that had accumulated over the past few months, and even the chill of my solitary journey through Siberia, vanished in an instant—dispelled by that ray of sunlight.
She had once heard a saying—that people with icy hands will always meet someone with warm hands. In this long yet short journey of life, people may walk alone through one cold road after another, their fingertips covered in frost and snow, their hearts filled with endless loneliness. But fate will always arrange a warm encounter in its own unique way. When that person with warm hands appears, he gently holds your hand and slowly passes on the warmth. At that moment, it seems as if the whole world becomes gentler.
It is said that person's smile is like a ray of sunshine in winter, and the gloom in one's heart will be naturally dispelled just by seeing it. Those eyes must also be full of tolerance, which can make even the most hardened person, the one who wants to hide themselves like a hedgehog, let down their guard.
So it's true... I guess I only thought these things were untrue because I hadn't experienced them enough.
As for what Jiang Cheng is saying now?
What are you muttering?
What is it telling us?
Things like this are completely insignificant.
In those clear blue skies and in those burning pupils, as hot as flowing crystal, was the boy whom they could finally see after a long time, the boy they could finally look at each other in a place where they were alone.
That familiar profile, that deliberately serious expression, and that skin that looked even more delicate and refined than before.
His previously ordinary body seemed more proportionate, and he had more strength throughout his body, no longer as fragile as before.
She can even pull off such glamorous clothes. She really had the air of a leader when she was in the sunlight, except for a hint of weariness in her voice.
Bathed in the sunlight streaming through the doorway, the boy seemed to block out all the light with his profile, everything conforming to his side profile, even the fading sunlight following his direction, shining down along his face.
It was clearly long, black hair, the most ordinary and common color in the world. Only the outer layer and edges had a slightly transparent, timbre-like texture. The inner part was dark, and only in the deepest part of the forest could one find this kind of dull black hair. Yet each strand seemed to be shining, dyed and exuding a dark gold color. Even the figure became softer, and the whole person seemed to radiate light, conforming to the gentleness of the world.
It seems that nothing has changed, except...
I.
The girl watched and watched.
Until a gentle breeze came and lifted the hem of her clothes and the ends of her hair.
It was as if I suddenly saw the excited and shocked boy on the roller coaster that day, or as if a bird was startled and spread its wings, disturbing the melancholy and lush forest.
Her messy short hair flew about in a chaotic manner, like treetops being whipped up by a strong wind, with branches and leaves swaying haphazardly.
Finally unable to resist any longer, and unable to kill time with her gaze, the girl broke the silence.
"Jiangcheng..."
"Was it because I failed to catch up with you back then? (Eight) Wu Ba Liu siling Wu Ling * Dream"
……
……
what?
All voices were interrupted—Jiang Cheng's emotions were instantly brought to their peak.
His mouth seemed to want to open, but after opening it, he didn't know what to say; he just stood there.
My once clear mind seems to have been burned away by a complicated process, leaving only a murky mess.
Thoughts, consciousness, and even ideas are all in a messy, unclear state; the tongue and teeth are practically locked in a chaotic battle inside the mouth.
However, the girl's voice continued.
She asked.
"If... if I had done the same thing as Raiden Mei that day, would our ending have been different?"
……
……
Jiang Cheng, who felt as if something had fallen to the ground deep inside him, clearly realized that he had completely lost control.
Why did it turn out like this?
Why am I so weak now?
There seems to be no reason like this. Ever since Mei confessed to me that day, I have been unable to be tough on the people around me.
But escaping into confusion and hesitation is pointless. No matter how much she doubts herself, time will still pass, and the girl will still ask the next question—blinking her eyes, which are already blurry with tears, yet she remains steadfast in her gaze at her own reflection.
Am I really your important friend?
"Really... do you consider me a friend?"
Yes—such simple words don't seem to be something to be said easily.
It wasn't that he really just treated Kiana as someone who passed through his life. The time they spent together was irreplaceable. Even with too many ulterior motives, in their daily gatherings, in those countless mornings when he saw her bright blue eyes sparkling with excitement as she greeted him with a "good morning," Kiana had long since become a part of his life.
He was simply not used to it—he found it difficult to face these layers of doubt, and could only open his eyes again after taking several deep breaths.
"You, Mei, and Sakura are all my friends."
It can be guaranteed.
That can be absolutely guaranteed.
These words were undoubtedly sincere and heartfelt.
Having been twice swayed by others because of his previous behavior—whether it was his gentleness or his cruelty—Jiang Cheng no longer lies.
The root of most problems lies in one's own falsehood. The best way to prevent things from getting to the worst point is to tell the truth without reservation.
However, after the words were spoken, what Jiang Cheng saw was not what he had expected—confusion was clearly etched in those blue eyes.
"Sakura...who is that?"
“She’s a lover I recently met.” Jiang Cheng once again displayed his astonishing emotional intelligence, revealing everything without reservation. “I’ll introduce you to her later. You’ll definitely become good friends with her. She has a really good personality… well, except for her somewhat crude methods. For something as important as confessing your feelings, she chose to use force.”
The words "lover" and "recently learned" are almost like a shock to the brain, as if someone is clenching a fist and smashing it hard into a young girl's mind and spirit.
Kiana barely managed to suppress her emotions by taking deep breaths and relying on the patience she had honed before, and she practically squeezed out the words through clenched teeth.
"What...do you mean?"
"Are you acting a little strange?"
Jiang Cheng, oblivious to the slight unease that something was amiss, didn't even have the right to refuse before being silenced by those eyes—
"Tell me if you still consider me a friend!"
"All of them! All of them!!"
……
Ahhh...
—I dare not lie anymore.
Even the blue in her eyes seemed to have been replaced by a faint shimmer of amber, which undoubtedly proved that the girl's emotions had reached the most dangerous edge.
...This at least symbolizes that Kiana isn't as sad as before; being angry is better than being heartbroken.
Jiang Cheng, struggling to make a guess, could only tentatively try out a way of comforting him that he hadn't tested before.
I used to always preach to girls when they were sad, which only made them focus on me. So now I'm trying not to say those nonsense things and just tell them the truth.
After all, he is used to whispering in other people's ears, "You're not that bad, please believe me, the problem isn't with you, please learn to blame others." What he fears and can't handle the most is a direct approach—a direct approach that he has never experienced in his past life and has only experienced a few times now, and he can't even develop resistance to it.
He had no choice but to speak frankly—he began to recount without reservation how he and Yae Sakura had met and the time he was forced into it.
……
……
……
"In short, that's how I met Yae Sakura. It was actually quite fantastical. As for what happened next, I thought my actions would make her hate me, but unexpectedly, after an incident, I was slightly injured and weak. Then I saw her appear and press herself against me..."
……
Ahhh...
So that's how it is...
So that’s what happened.
So that’s what happened.
A wave of dizziness and nausea washed over her. Even though she was sitting in the same spot—having been invited to sit down—it felt as if her body was suddenly so unsteady that her nerves were about to snap.
The boy was still recounting everything from the past, but the girl had no heart to listen anymore. No matter how gentle his voice was, she only felt nauseous.
At this moment, Kiana finally realized her shortcoming—she didn't directly pin Jiang Cheng to the ground and force him!
what……
what……
what……