Endless Fall

She waved away the image that appeared in her mind and said without thinking, “You’re very good. You don’t need to prove yourself.”

Pei Zhi’s smile widened. “Really?” He suddenly closed the distance between them. “Tell me how good I am.”

“The seafood is getting cold.”

!!

“Change the topic? Looks like I’m not good enough.”

Lin Jiao didn’t fall for his trap. “Be serious.” She stuffed a prawn into his mouth. “Don’t talk.”

Her face was even redder than a prawn’s shell. Pei Zhi was afraid that he would tease her too much to make her angry, so he let her off for the time being and thought about discussing this matter in the future.

He followed her gaze and looked at the LCD screen. Occasionally, he would ask about the plot and unknowingly finished dinner with her.

“Pei Zhi.” Lin Jiao waited for him to clean up the coffee table before pulling him to sit on the sofa. “I’ve thought about it.”

Pei Zhi met her serious eyes and stopped acting frivolously.

He took her hand and gestured for her to continue.

“I want to start over with you.” She held his warm hand. “What happened before was too sudden. Although we’ve been through a lot, that was when I lost my memory.”

Pei Zhi was not surprised at all.

He leaned over and hugged her waist. “Jiaojiao, I don’t want to start from being friends with you. Can we skip this stage?”

“I didn’t say I wanted to be friends with you.” Lin Jiao gave him a look to let him understand.

She coughed lightly. “Do you understand?”

“Get married directly?” Pei Zhi pretended not to understand. “I have to find a good wedding day.”

“In your dreams.”

“Isn’t that so?” He grabbed the hand that was pinching his waist and said, “Then do you want me to woo you?”

“Yes.” Lin Jiao’s heart raced, but she looked calm.

Pei Zhi smiled and agreed. “Alright.” He indeed hadn’t confessed his love to her seriously.

“Pei Zhi.” Lin Jiao looked at his face and asked what she wanted to know the most at this moment. “When did you fall in love with me?”

“Four years ago.”

“Four years…” Her eyes glazed over as bitterness and joy welled up in her heart.

Pei Zhi said, “To be precise, it was on your twentieth birthday.”

#

On June 29, four years ago.

The night breeze was cool and filled with stars. The crabapple trees planted on Peach Creek Road were rustling in the wind.

A few bright petals floated towards the entrance of Xuan Shang Club and landed on Pei Zhi’s shoulder, who had just gotten out of the car. He looked sideways and waved them off with his slender fingers before following the waiter to the second floor.

That day was Lin Jiao’s birthday.

Zhou Yanshen and Pei Yilan kept calling him in the afternoon to urge him to come, but he still came late.

He walked along the stone path towards the karaoke room. When he approached the corner, a graceful figure bumped into his arms.

She was wearing thin summer clothes, and he could feel her soft body through the fabric of her shirt. For a moment, he was in a daze.

Lin Jiao retreated in time.

The light on her left poured down and landed on her fair skin, adding a luster to her fair skin.

She looked up at him, her clear eyes like a lost deer in the forest with a trace of panic. “Uncle, did I hurt you?”

“No.” Pei Zhi’s expression was calm. “Where are you going?”

“Bathroom.”

“You are going the wrong way.”

“What?” Lin Jiao turned around at his signal. When she saw the sign, her face burned even hotter.

She pointed back. “Then I’ll…”

“Go ahead.” Pei Zhi walked into the karaoke room with the birthday gift for her.

His appearance made the room quiet for a moment.

Many of Lin Jiao’s female classmates stole glances at him. Seeing Zhou Yanshen move to his side, they started whispering again.

“I thought you weren’t coming.” Zhou Yanshen put his arm around his shoulder, reeking of cigarettes and alcohol.

“You just started?”

“It’s been going on for an hour.”

Pei Zhi took the cup from him and glanced at Pei Yilan, who was singing.

He leaned over and held the dice cup. Before he could have a round with Zhou Yanshen, he was distracted by a gust of wind on his left.

Lin Jiao walked to the table and chatted with her classmates. With her back to the LCD screen, she watched as they took out the cake.

The candles were lit, and the birthday song sounded.

She pressed her palms together and made a wish. When she leaned over to blow out the candles, her red dress fluttered slightly, leaving a ripple.

“Happy birthday!” Several cheers sounded after the candles were blown out. Their applause drowned out the song.

Lin Jiao cut the cake and handed it to them one by one.

...

When it came to Pei Zhi, she smiled respectfully and cautiously. “Uncle, try it.”

“Thank you.” Pei Zhi gave her the gift and said, “Happy birthday.”

Seeing that it was almost midnight, Pei Zhi picked up his phone and patted Zhou Yanshen’s arm. “I’ll get going first.”

“So early?”

“I have something on tomorrow.”

“Alright.” Zhou Yanshen looked up, his gaze wandering around the private room. “Jiaojiao isn’t back yet. See if you can find her and ask her to come back.”

“What happened to her?”

“I think she went to make a call.”

Pei Zhi looked around the corridor but did not see anyone.

He walked towards the garden and his gaze landed on the figure by the lawn. Seeing her squatting on the ground, he quickened his pace.

“Lin Jiao?” He squatted down. Before he could ask, the corner of his shirt was grabbed.

...

“Are you here to look for me?” Lin Jiao’s eyes were misty. She was obviously drunk.

“Alright, let’s go back first.”

“No!” She stood up and took two steps forward unsteadily before falling into his arms. “Did you hear that?”

Her warm breath spread out on his chest, and the heat penetrated his shirt and tickled his skin like a feather.

The numb itchiness made Pei Zhi uncomfortable.

He held the hand around his waist. His Adam’s apple bobbed involuntarily.

“I’m asking you.” Lin Jiao was unhappy with his silence. She frowned and repeated, “Did you hear me?”

“Hear what?”

“There’s singing.”

Pei Zhi pulled her away. “You’re hallucinating.” In less than two seconds, she leaned against him again, wanting to dance with him.

He sighed and held her right hand to twirl her.

As she twirled, the red dress floated in the air like a blooming flower, making everything around her seem like a background.

Her black hair flowed like a galaxy under the moonlight, unknowingly messing up his heart.

“Why don’t you dance?” Lin Jiao, who was dizzy, stopped and let him hold her waist. “It’s fine if you don’t know how to dance. I’ll teach you.”