A romantic dusk, a romantic library, and two romantic people.
Time itself seemed to have become an illusion.
To avoid disturbing her reading as much as possible, Gao Sijin tried his best to remain quiet.
But with just that one fleeting glance earlier, Gao Sijin’s heart and mind had been completely stolen. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, he had fallen in love at first sight with the girl sitting opposite him.
Gao Sijin pretended to flip through the pages absentmindedly. The wind, ill-timed, seeped in through the half-drawn curtains. Black characters on slightly yellowed paper sketched out story after story. How he wished his heart could melt into the book’s tale, to laugh and cry with its characters, but he couldn’t.
Stealing glances at her, his heartbeat wavered with each look. Gao Sijin tried to calm his anxious heart, but it was as rebellious as an adolescent, hammering incessantly against the walls of his chest.
The kimono girl’s dark red eyes browsed the content with relish. He wondered if she empathized with the melancholy of the male lead in 《Crime and Punishment》, or if she felt fulfilled by the story’s dramatic twists and turns.
Unconsciously, Gao Sijin found himself captivated by the elegant way the kimono girl read, forgetting to turn his own pages. He just watched her read quietly, as if she were the library’s most enchanting treasure.
Perhaps the kimono girl before him would never know his true feelings, and he didn’t want her to, because it was too pathetic. Once today ended, the fate between him and the kimono girl would vanish, and even in her hippocampus, she wouldn’t retain a memory of someone sitting opposite her in the library today.
But whether she remembered or not didn’t matter. At least at this moment, Gao Sijin would remember. That was enough.
“Hello.”
The kimono girl suddenly put down her book, her sparkling eyes gazing at Gao Sijin, which startled him into a jolt.
Even though she was such a stunningly beautiful kimono girl, why did a feeling of fear arise in that instant when their eyes met?
“What’s wrong?”
“Were you looking at me just now?”
She asked bluntly.
“No, I was thinking about something.”
Gao Sijin’s throat felt a little dry. Speaking in front of her, his tongue felt as if it had gone numb.
“My apologies.”
“No, it was my fault for interrupting your reading.”
Gao Sijin, holding the books he had carefully picked from the shelf, stumbled over to another seat, leaving her the spot by the window nearest to the plum blossom tree outside. If he had stayed there, he might have truly made her uncomfortable.
In the end, he fled.
Though he yearned for love, he dared not hope too much.
From a distance, her back view was captivating, her hair floating in the breeze.
Besides the fragrance of plum blossoms, there seemed to be another scent mixed in.
Could it be her natural scent?
Gao Sijin had gone out to seek inspiration, and now his heart was filled with the desire to write. That heart-stopping moment was enough to become eternal in the world. He couldn’t wait to go home and write until the end of time and the rocks crumbled to dust.
“Are you leaving?”
When Gao Sijin stood up, the kimono girl suddenly asked.
Gao Sijin hadn’t expected her to speak to him again, so he nodded:
“Yes, I’m heading back.”
“Take care.”
Gao Sijin met her gaze and saw her eyes blinking like a kitty’s, shimmering with a faint glow.
Parting like this gave Gao Sijin a sense of guilt akin to abandoning a stray cat.
He really wanted to take her home…
“If I never see you again, I wish you good morning, good afternoon, and good night.”
Leaving the Tsukiyuki Private Library, the sky outside had already darkened. Lamp after lamp lit up in succession, like a river of stars.
Walking alone along this street filled with the charm of old Tokyo, looking up at the moonlight, was a leisurely delight like never before. The only regret was that he hadn’t exchanged contact information with the kimono girl, or at least asked her name.
Would there be a chance to see her again?
Tokyo was so big, the odds were probably slim.
At this thought, Gao Sijin couldn’t help but feel a bit lonely.
By seven in the evening, he was feeling hungry. Yu Qingxue had mentioned earlier that she wouldn’t be home for dinner, so Gao Sijin ordered some pan-fried dumplings at a nearby Chinese restaurant. They tasted good, though a bit mild—probably adapted to local tastes.
The owner was a hearty northerner. Upon learning that Gao Sijin was from Northeast China, he generously added two free side dishes. Looking at the packed restaurant, it was no wonder his place was thriving.
After being well-fed and satisfied, it was time to go home and write.
Just as Gao Sijin stepped out of the restaurant, he saw a silver BMW i8 parked in the nearby lot.
A familiar voice sounded by his ear.
Yu Qingxue leaned coolly against the wall. Her long, slender legs under her skirt were wrapped in black stockings, her feet in red high heels that symbolized passion and freedom. A fitted trench coat perfectly displayed her graceful, slender waist.
“What are you doing here?”
“Picking you up to go home, Master Gao.”
Though there was a distinction between men and women, Yu Qingxue didn’t seem to care at all. She draped an arm over Gao Sijin’s shoulder, letting him feel her warmth and touch up close.
“By the way, how did you know I was here?”
“What’s so hard about that?” Yu Qingxue took out her phone. “It’s the information age. I have you as a friend, so I can just use my phone’s location to find you.”
“I see.”
“Got inspiration now?”
“Yeah, I pretty much found it.”
Yu Qingxue pulled Gao Sijin into the car and floored the accelerator.
Gao Sijin was tormented by her habit of speeding.
“Where did you go earlier?”
“The Tsukiyuki Private Library.”
“Oh, that library has quite a comprehensive collection. You have good taste.”
“Qingxue, I might be in love.”
“You’re finally interested in me?”
Yu Qingxue’s lips curved up, looking a bit smug.
But Gao Sijin didn’t look at her; he just stared out the window at the Tokyo night scene flashing by like a revolving lantern.
“It’s not you.”
The BMW screeched to a sudden stop. Without the seatbelt, the inertia might have thrown him out.
“Qingxue?”
Yu Qingxue was still smiling, but there was a hint of something off about it.
There was no surveillance from Young Lady Tsukiyuki in the car.
In the car, she could do anything to Gao Sijin, and of course, she could drive to a secluded grove where no one would know.
But now was not the best time.
“I thought the person you liked was me. When I heard it was someone else, it really surprised me.”
“Sorry.”
“You don’t need to apologize. Who you like is your freedom.”
Yu Qingxue stepped on the gas and continued driving.
Though her words said she didn’t care, a tinge of melancholy lingered between her willow-like brows.
