Chapter 123: Gu Shiyan Declares His Feelings

Luo Xing finished her meal and returned to her room. She pulled out her phone as she usually did, but her heart wasn't in it. She had assumed that once her parents learned about Gu Shiyan, they wouldn't like him, nor would they want her to be with him.

But her mother had said, if it is truly someone you love, then you must pursue them. Perhaps you feel you cannot reach them; perhaps you want to give up. But if you cannot give up completely, then you must try. Do not let the years pass only to be filled with regret.

The phone, playing a video, slowly slipped from her hand. Luo Xing raised a hand to her chest. She looked out the window at the wintry night, a mix of rain and snow. In the long,漫漫 night, what was he doing?

The phone, cast aside, suddenly began to vibrate. The ringtone began to play.

"I knew it from the start you stole my heart..."

Luo Xing looked down.

— Gu.

Her eyelashes fluttered. Hesitantly, she reached out, her trembling fingertips tapping the answer button.

"Hello..."

The person on the other end seemed to have been exercising, breathing heavily. "That day, I hadn't finished what I wanted to say."

Luo Xing mumbled, "Yes, go ahead."

Her voice, though deliberately relaxed, still carried a trace of imperceptible dryness.

"I'm downstairs at your place."

Luo Xing’s pupils contracted. "How did you know..."

"I wanted to see you."

Luo Xing pressed her lips together, her fingertips gripping her phone case tightly.

"May I?" he asked again.

"Wait a moment." Luo Xing picked up her phone and stood up.

As she waited for the elevator, she kept asking herself: What do I really want? Will I regret this? The images of their past played repeatedly in her mind.

Ding.

The elevator doors opened. Luo Xing saw Gu Shiyan standing outside.

He wasn't wearing much, just a black turtleneck sweater, yet he wore it with effortless style. Before Luo Xing could speak, he pulled her into an embrace.

Luo Xing had just showered, and she smelled faintly of pleasant shower gel. Her fingers moved slightly; her first thought was actually a sense of relief that she had just bathed. She must smell alright.

"Luo Xing, there is only you in my heart," the tall man whispered, nuzzling against the softness of her embrace. "I will wait for your answer for as long as it takes. Please, don't rush to reject me. Don't give up on me..."

They stood there for a while. Luo Xing felt embarrassed, worried that someone might walk by at any moment. "Let's... let's go sit over there," she said, pointing to a bench in the lobby.

Gu Shiyan slowly released her but kept hold of her hand as they walked to the bench. Even after they sat down, her hand remained tightly gripped in his.

Luo Xing spoke softly, "You ran all the way here just for this?"

Both of them kept their heads lowered. Gu Shiyan swallowed with difficulty. "This is important. This is what I came to say. I originally wanted to wait until we were back in North City..." He paused, then said gently, "Don't you like snow?"

Luo Xing remembered then; she had indeed said that on the mountain that night. North City never snowed. The only time she had ever seen snow was when she snuck off to Beijing during her final year of high school to find Gu Shiyan.

"But today, it's just sleet," Luo Xing said quietly.

"It fits," Gu Shiyan replied. "It was raining that day, too."

It took Luo Xing a moment to realize he meant the day she had brought him an umbrella—the day he had first truly noticed her.

"You came dressed like this?" she asked, changing the subject.

Gu Shiyan glanced lazily at his thin sweater. "I took a taxi, but the traffic was bad, so I just... I ran. I didn't feel cold."

"Oh..." Luo Xing stood up abruptly.

Gu Shiyan hurriedly grabbed her hand. "Are you leaving?"

Luo Xing looked back at him. His long legs were tucked in awkwardly, his head tilted slightly upward, his hair dampened by the sleet, strands falling over his brows. He looked incredibly docile.

"No..." Luo Xing hesitated. "Wait here."

She went to press the elevator button. Gu Shiyan followed, but she pushed him back. "Didn't I tell you to wait there?"

Gu Shiyan’s thin lips turned downward, his eyelids drooping in a pitiful arc. "It's cold there."

"Wait there anyway," she insisted.

He pursed his lips, murmured a soft "okay," and turned to sit down. He looked at her, his eyes shining brightly. Luo Xing felt her ears burn and hurried into the elevator.

Her parents had already retired to their room, and the living room was quiet and cold; she didn't turn on the lights. She snuck into her room, locked the door softly, and searched around. Although her mother had packed some of her winter clothes, Luo Xing couldn't find anything suitable among the brightly colored down jackets. She finally chose the longest, largest one—a milky yellow coat—and rushed back down.

As the elevator door opened, Gu Shiyan was right there. He glanced at the jacket in her arms. "Are you cold?" He reached for her hand; it was warm. Luo Xing was wearing fuzzy pajamas and wasn't cold at all.

They returned to the bench. "This is for you."

As she handed him the jacket, Gu Shiyan handed her a bag. She opened it to find a pair of fuzzy slippers, a soft shade of pink. She was currently wearing her father's slippers, which were far too large.

"You want me to wear this?" Gu Shiyan asked, holding the jacket and looking skeptical.

"If you won't wear it, throw it away," she said.

"I'll wear it. I'm cold." Gu Shiyan smiled, stood up, and zipped the jacket all the way up. The coat, which reached Luo Xing's calves, barely hit his knees. The sleeves stopped at his forearms, and the zipper was pulled so tight it looked like it might burst.

"It's so warm," he said, hugging himself. "And it smells like you..." He leaned down, his eyes earnest and reflecting the light as he gazed at her. "Though it’s a bit tight when I lean down to look at you."

Luo Xing pushed his face away. Gu Shiyan laughed, his smile widening. He crouched down and took the fuzzy slippers from the bag to help her put them on.

The lobby lights were bright, casting their reflections against the glass doors. Outside, the snow was faintly visible, and the biting cold of the winter night slowly began to soften. Gu Shiyan placed her old shoes into the bag and set them aside.

Luo Xing felt the soft fur beneath her feet, warm and comfortable. She swung her legs, kicking his shin. When she looked up and saw his tall frame bundled into the small jacket, she couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"What are you laughing at?" Gu Shiyan asked, hands in his pockets. He no longer looked like the cold, unruly man he had been before; he looked positively comical.

Luo Xing’s smile widened, her white teeth showing, her eyes curving into crescents. As she looked up at him, her gaze was bright and clear.