Translator: Lynn
A complete twelve-hour flight.
Upon arrival in Paris, it was already evening in the local time.
There was no picturesque sunset, no fairy tale hues; the entire city resonated with raindrops splashing across the ground.
The air was chilly and damp, the wind rustled in the ears, and the phone in the pocket displayed a black screen due to a drained battery.
Fortunately, the organizer awaited anxiously at the door with a prominent sign, accompanied by numerous fans who had gathered to witness the event.
In their eyes, “Li Weidu” and “Prosperous Technology” represented a mysterious black technological force from the East.
The expansive virtual world, super-realistic characters, and the game’s scenery and natural light sources in “Prosperity” left them in awe. The groundbreaking technology effectively addressed the problem of dizziness, and it significantly extended the maximum game time, a feat yet to be replicated by foreign counterparts.
The black limousine advanced slowly, with a long-legged, attractive woman in red offering champagne attentively. Vice-President Chen engaged the audience, conversing one-on-one with the reception staff.
Li Weidu appeared fatigued, leaning against the window in silence. The golden effervescent liquid reflected a pair of weary eyes surrounded by bloodshot lines.
Suddenly, the red-clad beauty across from him spoke in French.
Beside her sat a handsome young man with blond hair and blue eyes, holding an unlit cigarette in his mouth. He fumbled in his pocket for a lighter. Startled by her loud shout, he turned the cigarette on his finger and obediently stowed it away.
…
Before the car accident, Ji Kai’s cigarette-handling movements resembled his, exuding a cool and carefree demeanor.
He tapped his fingertips on the bottom of the box, swiftly extracted a cigarette, and executed an elegant circle in the air. A brief gleam passed, and the rich, mature, and alluring scent of tobacco permeated the air.
“Look at you! How many days has it been since your body started to deteriorate?”
Li Weidu didn’t actually approve of Ji Kai’s smoking.
Yet, whenever Ji Kai was teased by him, a mischievous smile adorned his face, reminiscent of a playful child caught in the act. He couldn’t bring himself to scold him anymore, even envying the cigarette he toyed with, gently touching it between his lips…
It seemed to bring him genuine joy, and most of the time, he smoked without regrets.
Miss him.
…
The night before his departure, Li Weidu sent numerous red envelopes to the “Take Medicine to Fight East China Hongxing Gang.”
Privately, he stamped each recipient with a message: “Please take good care of him for me during these two weeks.”
Prevent fires, thefts, and Zhu Ling.
Jiang Xiaobai: Brother Weidu, just be patient. At Christmas and New Year parties, we’ll ensure Brother Kai doesn’t drink too much!
Li Weidu: “!!!”
Checking the calendar on his phone, he realized the business trip duration was unbelievably hectic – two weeks, precisely encompassing Christmas. They wouldn’t be able to spend the last day of the entire year together?!
Not being able to countdown to New Year’s Eve together, share a kiss, and set off fireworks…
He couldn’t live without it..
…
The limo didn’t head straight back to the hotel; instead, it took Li Weidu and his entourage directly to the organizer’s reception.
Engaging in the exchange of drinks, the industry elite maintained a cold demeanor, visibly uneasy throughout the entire process. By the time they returned to the hotel, several hours had elapsed.
Upon entering the room, Li Weidu swiftly plugged in the charger, pacing back and forth impatiently, frustrated by the sluggish startup of his device.
The screen finally illuminated, revealing a message from Ji Kai.
“Have you arrived?”
Several hours passed without a response, leaving Li Weidu perplexed. Did he fall asleep before my arrival? Isn’t he concerned about me potentially getting lost or encountering robbers or terrorist organizations in Paris?
Li Weidu’s fragile heart shattered on the spot.
Earlier that day, if he hadn’t coincidentally been driving down a one-way street or hadn’t been driven mad by a car honking behind him at a green light, Li Weidu might have stopped, stormed into the tea shop, and overturned Zhu Ling’s table.
Yet, when he returned, the two individuals in the tea shop had vanished.
Upon arriving home with a sense of impending doom, Ji Kai was busy chopping vegetables in the kitchen. He wore the pink bear apron that Li Weidu had impulsively purchased at the supermarket one day.
What puzzled Li Weidu the most was the inexplicable sensuality that seemed to emanate from the vulgar and mysteriously worn apron.
He wanted to ask why Ji Kai met Zhu Ling, but the words remained unspoken. Glancing briefly through the car window, Ji Kai appeared to smile at Zhu Ling.
Li Weidu wasn’t entirely certain, but he felt deeply wronged. Why would he smile at him? Don’t smile at him!
You are mine, you are mine, you are mine!
Zhu Ling, go to hell, Zhu Ling, go to hell, go to hell, die!
Li Weidu held a large square pillow, curled up on the red velvet sofa, lost in thought. The hotel had an art theme, adorned with pop-style celebrity portraits on the walls, and a French edition of “Norwegian Wood” lying on the table.
In a meadow, a cute little bear approached.
Embracing its warm body, they rolled down a hill covered with clover.
“I like you the most.”
“To what extent?”
“Like a bear loving spring.”
Ah, how much he missed him.
…
Unbeknownst to Li Weidu, Ji Kai hadn’t slept at all despite the seven-hour time difference. He waited for Li Weidu to confirm his safety, but the message didn’t come.
Repeatedly scrolling through Moments, he noticed a post from Mr. Chen, the second-in-command vice president of Prosperity Technology.
“Paris in the rain, so romantic, I love it~love, love, love,” accompanied by nine consecutive shots of neon street scenes on a rainy night.
“Mr. Li in the rain, so handsome~Flowers, flowers, flowers,” with various long-legged back views of Boss Li and the intense, dissatisfied eyes that glanced back.
Isn’t this confirmation of a safe arrival?
But why no response to my text message? …Lack of manners!
In two days, I’ll go there myself and take care of you!
…
In reality, a week ago, upon learning of Li Weidu’s European trip, Ji Kai had discreetly applied for a passport and an expedited visa.
Logically, it should have been processed in two or three days at most. Originally, he had thought of surprising him by parachuting in at the right time…
However, his self-confidence was now wavering.
What if, in the end, he still thinks the little goblin is better and is only momentarily swayed by my professed “liking”? Perhaps, now that the excitement has subsided, he’s regained sobriety and wants to retract it, but how can I face that?
…
Ji Kai possesses the ability to fall asleep even before the mountains collapse. The next day, I woke up very early. It was a dark winter morning as I turned on the light, hurriedly washed my face, and strolled to the living room in my new pajamas.
Upon opening the refrigerator, a golden light illuminated several plates of different nutritious breakfasts wrapped in plastic wrap. Heart-shaped ham, plum-shaped carrots, and rice balls with smiley faces made of seaweed were as vibrant, exquisite, and opulent as the displays in a luxury hotel’s cabinets.
Regardless of how absent-minded the little puppet might be or how oddly the program might be messed up, I still worried that once he left, the rest of the family would neglect breakfast. …Isn’t leaving behind so many delicious foods an expression of love?
Ji Kai squinted, observing the crooked smile on the egg cake, and chuckled softly. Truly, Li Weidu was remarkable—a person who could provide enough motivation to overcome all obstacles, infiltrate his world desperately, and then pull him to your side for a hug.
While love couldn’t be forced, it was certainly worth trying. Ji Kai always felt that since Li Weidu and the little goblin could break up, the three feet of ice wouldn’t last forever. Li Weidu’s later desire to be with him shouldn’t be a temporary move or impulse.
It didn’t matter if he couldn’t completely forget about the goblin for a while. Ji Kai was determined to prove that he treated him better than his ex.
Picking up the phone, still with no reply, after some contemplation, I deleted and modified, eventually crafting a text message that consisted of only four big characters. Various versions of “I miss you” could actually be replaced by these four simple words. No trace, no loss of face. These four words were called – “What are you doing.” Hmm.
Simultaneously, the communication software indicated the receipt of a voice message from Li Weidu. “Are you up?”
“…I wanted to call you, but I was afraid you were still sleeping.”
“If you get up, can you call me? I miss you so much.” A long, long time later, the debate about who missed whom more that day and who messaged whom first remained unresolved.
Anyway, when Ji Kai heard that voice, his heart slowly overflowed with sweetness. Li Weidu, on the other hand, responded to a simple “What are you doing?” with the corner of his mouth twitching to hold back an upward arc.
While dialing Li Weidu’s number, a few soft sounds on the glass diverted his attention to the window. Ji Kai was stunned to see a silvery, dark white.
…
Upon opening the door, the air instantly turned into ice mist, and a fresh blast of cold air hit his face. It was like a pure-color painting had been spread out. Crookedly piled dead branches, short fences, and shrubs were covered, resembling a cluster of small round mushrooms.
“It’s snowing here!” The streetlights were still on in the early morning, and the snowflakes fluttered like fireflies, creating a particularly beautiful sight. The silver moon had not yet set, hanging in the dark blue sky, and the moonlight was enchanting.
“It’s snowing here,” he repeated, feeling that he might have caught Li’s unique convulsive nervousness. Probably because the moonlight was genuinely beautiful, and the morning snow was truly white.
And he couldn’t wait to share all this with him.
As for the allusion that the Japanese writer Natsume Soseki translated “I love you” as “The moonlight is beautiful tonight,” over the years, the mainstream explanation had been “the unique reservation of the Japanese.” Ji Kai had always believed that the sentence was “implicit” until this moment.
Suddenly, he felt, no, it’s not subtle at all.
“The snow is soft” and “the moonlight is beautiful”—these were obviously the simplest and most straightforward expressions of love in the world. I miss you. Just listening to your voice fills my heart with tenderness. I greedily want you by my side right now, sharing the endless snow and moonlight with me.
I probably just like you that much.
I have the courage to not feel darkness or cold, nor fear any ups and downs, setbacks, uneasiness, or confusion in the future.
“…I’ll go find you in two days.” He couldn’t help but reveal the hidden “surprise.” As the little puppet listened in a daze on the other end of the phone, the bright pink hues of the morning glow slowly appeared in the eastern sky.
Please let me know if there are typos/mistakes in the chapter.
Support me on ko-fi if you like what I do^^
