Lu Li originally fell face-down onto the sofa. Hearing her words, he turned himself over, found a comfortable position, and smiled, "Probably not just that."
Nan Wan looked at the familiar yet seemingly distant handso face and also smiled, but just faintly.
So, I gave all my youth to you.
A few seconds later, she moved her gaze away, took the baseball cap off his head, got up, and placed a pillow under his head, then went to turn on the heater.
Because it hadn’t been ventilated for a long ti, there was a bit of a damp sll in the house, mixed with the scent of alcohol from Lu Li, making it sowhat stuffy. Nan Wan pushed the window open halfway to let the air circulate.
After finding a paper cup, she rembered that the water in the dispenser was also undrinkable and walked into the kitchen to boil water.
Lu Li half-sat and half-leaned on the sofa, not knowing when the smile faded from his face, his gaze always following Nan Wan’s figure.
Through her, he seed to see the phantom of another person.
Smiling, with a playful pout, blinking, quietly reading a book, dancing gracefully on stage, shouting happily at the amusent park...
Each scene deepened the pain in his heart.
It felt like a needle was pushing inch by inch into the flesh, leaving no room to turn when hitting the bone, going straight in.
Thus, the pain intensified.
————
Ten minutes later, Nan Wan walked out of the kitchen carrying a cup of green tea, placing it on the coffee table to cool.
Then, she took out her phone from her bag, unlocked it, and went into the contacts to find Song Ming’s number.
Lu Li sat up, took a small paper box from his down jacket pocket with one hand, and intercepted Nan Wan’s phone with the other.
Then, before she could get angry, he put the small paper box in her hand.
Nan Wan looked at the paper box in her hand and asked, "What is this?"
"A belated birthday present."
Nan Wan tossed it back without changing her expression, "Thanks, but I only accept cash or bank transfers."
Lu Li patiently picked up the paper box from the floor, placed it in his palm, brought it in front of her, and raised his eyebrows, "The things inside are priceless. If you don’t believe , open it and see."
Nan Wan stared at the paper box in front of her for a long ti.
Took it and opened it.
An utterly ordinary box containing brightly colored candies, just like the ones hidden in her mory.
Candy tasted after pain always seems extra sweet.
Those nightmares that entangled her for twenty years weren’t so intolerable in retrospect because of these colors and that cleanly dressed boy.
"Happy Birthday."
Nan Wan placed the paper box on the coffee table, picked up the paper cup, and handed it to him, "Drink the tea, and I’ll call Song Ming to co and pick you up."
As if that montary distraction never happened.
The tea’s temperature was just right, not too hot or too lukewarm, "No need, I can do it myself."
"You’ve been drinking. Are you looking to die?"
Lu Li raised his eyes, seeing her obviously displeased expression, and laughed, seeming nonchalant.
Before she completely turned hostile, he wisely stopped.
His gaze fell into the vast night outside, his voice flat, "... Could be."
At this mont, Nan Wan couldn’t foresee that not long after, she would sit in the sa place, holding this unopened box of candies, peeling off the candy wrappers one by one.
Yet, she couldn’t taste any sweetness from any of them.
It took an entire night to let herself accept that fact.
No matter where in the world, among the living or the dead, she could no longer find the person who had accompanied her entire youth.
"You might not care about making headlines, but you should consider how long Song Ming has been scrambling around for you. If Huo Yihan investigates, the first to suffer will be him."
Lu Li was Huo Yihan’s company’s up-and-coming talent in the past two years. Although there was so camaraderie, businessn always prioritized economic benefits.
His repeated issues were certainly unwelco in the eyes of the company’s top brass.
It was a ti of career rise. If he got shelved, no amount of fans would be of any use.
Lu Li handed the tea cup back to Nan Wan, suggesting she pour another, "I can handle it myself, and I can go back by myself. Why are you worrying unnecessarily?"
Nan Wan closed her eyes, resignedly taking the cup.
As she walked to the center of the living room, there was a sudden knock on the door. Though there were only two knocks, in the quiet environnt, it was loud enough for those inside to hear.
For so reason, Nan Wan had a sense of foreboding.
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