Qian Meigui felt Song Sheng caressing her cheek in the morning. When her eyes opened, she saw him staring into her eyes, gently and intensely, like he was careful yet greedy at the same time. Their faces were so close that their breaths entwined, sharing the same air. His eyes darted all over her face as if he appreciated every pore, cell, and biological makeup that made her who she was.
Outside appeared to be dawn, just before the sunrise. Qian Meigui smiled, glancing at him. She could see his freckles up close, the yellow hues of his eyes, and the sharp lines of his face. He wore a white t-s.h.i.+rt, and his black hair hung loosely over his eyes. She reached out slowly, daring, to touch his face. Even though he confessed to her, she was still hesitant, not believing the fact that he was indeed hers. Qian Meigui was in Song Sheng"s arms, and yet she felt like she was in a dream that she would wake out of abruptly.
"What"s on your mind?" he asked her with the deep throatiness of the morning.
Qian Meigui smiled, "Nothing," she said to him, caressing the roughness of jaw.
Afterward, she snuggled in his arms once more. Just before they went to bed last night, she had called Jinyi, making up an excuse as to why she never came home. Song Jinyi then said she would tell their father that she wasn"t coming home, just before hanging up.
They snuggled for an hour without saying much, only appreciating the quiet moment between them. Qian Meigui then rose out of bed to leave, but Song Sheng caught her by her waist. She turned to face him, blus.h.i.+ng as she gritted her teeth, shooting him a "What are you doing face."
"Where are you going?" he asked her.
"I have to go home and go to school after," she said.
Song Sheng grunted, expressing as if he did not want to separate from her. Qian Meigui"s lips curled. "Will you miss me that much?" she asked, playfully. Song Sheng immediately reddened. He then covered his face with his hand, looking away from her.
Between his fingers, he peaked at her; his gaze was piercing, fathomless as if he could see right through her. Indeed, she was reluctant to go too, even if they would soon see each other again. Is this the honeymoon phase many spoke about? Qian Meigui wasn"t sure as she never had a boyfriend before.
Boyfriend?
Was Song Sheng her boyfriend?
At the thought, she flushed immediately.
Song Sheng was lying on the bed, propped up by an elbow, smirking as if he read her thoughts. "Why are you blus.h.i.+ng?" he asked her with a knowing smile. Qian Meigui clenched her teeth, crossing her arms, pouting and ignoring the question.
Qian Meigui then picked up her purse from the floor and began to walk away when Song Sheng asked behind her, "Can I pick you up later?"
Qian Meigui turned to him, smiling. "Mhm," she said. She left the bedroom and the apartment to make way to her cla.s.s. She would have given him a good-bye kiss, but she was afraid that it would turn into something else, then it would lead her being late for cla.s.s. Therefore, she continued to leave the complex as she drove back home.
Upon arrival, Song Rui wasn"t home. Qian Meigui then dressed and prepared to go to cla.s.s. She figured that perhaps she could get away with sneaking around, as long as he and Yang Rei kept busy.
After dropping by the house, she took the transit system to get to school. She went to her regular cla.s.ses, listened to instructors, taking notes. After half a day, she decided to go to her school"s ma.s.sive library. She looked over her notes on victimization and criminology when Song Sheng texted her, saying he was on her way to her school.
Qian Meigui engrossed in completing her study sheets when someone dropped a takeout bag in front of her face, half an hour after messaging him. She glanced up at the tall figure who wore a pair of a black club masters sungla.s.ses and a dark green long coat over his clothes; his hair neatly combed to one side. He then proceeded to take out some desserts, placing them on her desk.
When she continued to study, he pa.s.sed some of the desserts to her. Without trying to be disruptive of her revising, he picked up a book and read it alongside her quietly. Qian Meigui felt warm all over. "Can you even read through those sungla.s.ses?" she asked him.
Holding the book in his hand, he looked towards her. He flashed a white smile, reaching out to ruffle her hair. "Of course I can," he said. Qian Meigui smiled back, continuing to work while eating the snacks he brought.
An hour pa.s.sed when Qian Meigui leaned back into her chair, hanging her left arm loosely over the side of her chair, tired. Without glancing away from his book, Song Sheng grasped her hand, intertwining their fingers together. Qian Meigui glanced at him and looked around the s.p.a.ce.
There were many people around them, groups of students collaborating over tables, others studying independently with earbuds in their ears. Most of the library were people speaking in a hush, breathes and whispers filling the s.p.a.ce. But she looked towards her side, where the man she longed for was holding her hand under the table, reading a book, wearing sungla.s.ses to mask his face.
By the way, the media portrayed him, he was becoming more prominent, and people could recognize him if they glimpsed at him well. Although not many did not know who she was, there was still no way of openly showing their affection for each other. It was about their family; it was about people thinking she was Song Mei when she was Qian Meigui. Therefore, their relations.h.i.+p was a secret.
Feeling upset, Qian Meigui moved her chair closer to him. She then leaned on his shoulder, exhaling deeply. Song Sheng did not move much, but he tightened his grip on her hand, understanding how she felt.
In the afternoon, the library closed. Qian Meigui decided to give him a tour of their school around the quad, giving him the histories behind particular buildings and statues. He listened to her diligently until they stopped for food at an on-campus restaurant filled with students. They found a spot where they ate, talking about Song Sheng"s day at work. When they finished, they went back to the quad to see the vast field of gra.s.s and surrounding gardens. They found a spot to sit on, despite no one being around. They laid down next to each other on the gra.s.s, talking.
"When did you start liking me?" Qian Meigui asked him suddenly.
Silence.
Song Sheng removed his gla.s.ses since it was nearly nightfall. The sky dyed into an array of deep blues and purples, almost black. "Do you really want to know?" he asked her gently. Qian Meigui propped herself from her elbows, "Yes," she responded eagerly, curiously.
Song Sheng sighed, feeling defeated. He felt like it was no use hiding it from her now that he confessed to her.
"You were eighteen years old when I came home from a night out with my campus buddies. You kept calling me persistently, sending messages, asking if I was okay. I thought it was annoying," Song Sheng began with an irritated, yet playful tone. Qian Meigui frowned.
"But then I came home; it was nearly 5 in the morning. You were sleeping, crouched down by the stairs, waiting for me," Song Sheng paused. "The thing is, my parents weren"t home around much, as you know, and as the oldest, I had to take care of everyone. But no one looked out for me."
Qian Meigui listened to him attentively. Ever since she joined the family, she recalled that Song Sheng was someone they all relied on, for homework, for meals, for support. That is why he grew up so reserved, devoid of emotion. He never had anyone there for him, but he was there for everyone else.
"You were there for me, Mei, and I loved you since then, for so long," he admitted with a soft, husky tone.
Song Sheng confessed what harboured in his heart for years. He felt better when he admitted it, but he began to feel puzzled when Qian Meigui started to cry. He reached out, tugging her in his embrace. Song Sheng then soothed her with calming words until she stopped. With her glazed, doe eyes, she glanced up at him. "Sheng," she called out to him.
"Hm?" he responded.
"Know that I love you too, unconditionally, ceaselessly, for who you are," she admitted with a sad, desperate tone.
Song Sheng was surprised. He confessed to her the other day because he wanted to convey his feelings. Song Sheng did not expect her to return the same affection. He kept his distance, hoping to win her over through time. But perhaps she loved him, too, for so long that it was difficult to hold back. It was only now that they could admit it to each other when hope seemed lost.
The two then held onto each other, embracing, under the stars.