The words Yu Qingxue had spoken to Gao Sijin moments ago clung to his heart like maggots gnawing at bone, slowly eroding him. His head broke the water’s surface again. Supported by Yu Qingxue, he made his way, step by step, toward the coast. Even if everything he saw was a lie, at least one thing he could confirm as real: Tsukiyuki Rio’s feelings for him.
Rio…
Gazing at the vast, pale moonlight and the bone-chilling cold that seeped through every night, the moonlight cascaded like water onto the sea, while twilight was adorned by the stars. Tsukiyuki Rio should still be on the plane with her family right now. Had she really hurt him?
The tender, loving memories of their past days together were still vivid in his mind. Gao Sijin’s heart hadn’t fully believed Yu Qingxue’s words, but of course, he hadn’t completely dismissed them either. Yu Qingxue, just like Rio, was a girl who sincerely loved him. If their feelings were fake, then it could only mean they were natural-born actresses worthy of an Academy Award.
His hand involuntarily touched the spot Yu Qingxue had greedily kissed moments ago. Her lingering warmth and fragrance still remained there. What in the world was he supposed to do from now on…
“Sijin, don’t forget, okay?”
Yu Qingxue raised her finger, making a “shush” gesture.
“Don’t worry, Qingxue. I’ll remember it all.”
“Take this!”
Just as Gao Sijin was trapped in the quagmire of Yu Qingxue’s words, unable to free himself, water suddenly splashed against his back. Yu Qingxue, wearing a violet evening gown, stood gracefully in the sea. They had made their way back to the shallow water zone.
“You idiot.”
“You looked so listless, I just wanted to wake you up. Aren’t you going to thank me?” Yu Qingxue said, then scooped up more water to splash across Gao Sijin’s face.
Earlier, there had been a fleeting moment when he thought Yu Qingxue might have drowned. In that instant, Gao Sijin had truly felt sorrow for her. For the first time in his life, he had tasted the bitter agony of being so close to death, feeling the anxiety of being surrounded by utter helplessness. Yet this girl had only been toying with him from the start, had even forcibly kissed him, and had talked about a whole heap of troubling things.
Gao Sijin felt his little temper couldn’t take this.
“You still dare provoke me? Watch me teach you a lesson today!”
Though furious, the corner of his mouth involuntarily curved into a faint, barely perceptible smile. He angrily splashed water toward Yu Qingxue, as if he were a sea god trying to summon a wave to swallow her whole. Unfortunately, Yu Qingxue simply took a step back to dodge it.
“Idiot, is that all you’ve got?”
“Don’t try to provoke me, or don’t say I was bullying you later!”
How childish. Honestly, like a little kid.
Gao Sijin silently mocked his own current behavior. Yet Yu Qingxue was so beautiful and adorable, but at the same time, such a scoundrel that it made people grind their teeth in frustration. Water splashed wildly across the sea surface, thoroughly soaking both of their clothes. The fabric of their expensive evening wear turned completely semi-transparent, and Yu Qingxue’s skin was as fair as solidified cream. She raised her head and launched a counterattack.
“Towering Waves!”
“Burning Rage!”
“Sijin, taste my high heel attack!”
“I’ll dodge!”
Drenched from head to toe, they still hadn’t had their fill. Just then, a row of headlights lit up along the coast. Led by Morgana, the maids stepped out like secret agents from a spy film, smoothly opening and closing the car doors. Each maid wore a standard maid’s long skirt as they walked toward the beach.
Meanwhile, Gao Sijin and Yu Qingxue were still completely absorbed in their water fight, unable to pull themselves away.
“What in the world are you two doing?”
“Can’t you see? We’re passionately frolicking,” Yu Qingxue declared proudly, even splashing water at Morgana.
“What an idiot.”
Morgana got a face full of water from Yu Qingxue, but she didn’t seem particularly angry. At the very least, she hadn’t seen Yu Qingxue do anything inappropriate to Gao Sijin. That way, she could still give Lady Tsukiyuki Rio an honest report.
“Grown adults, acting like children.”
“A man’s joy is just that simple. Don’t you agree, Sijin?”
“Stop joking. I don’t even like playing water fights. Qingxue was just being childish and dragged me into it,” Gao Sijin said, pretending to be serious. “Besides, Qingxue, you’re not a man either.”
“Forget it. As long as you two were just playing in the water here, I won’t pry any further.” Morgana glanced at the waterlogged clothes on Gao Sijin and Yu Qingxue. “If I’d known you were coming to play in the water, you should have at least brought swimsuits.”
“It was a spur-of-the-moment idea. Anyway, tonight was super fun! Morgana, you should join the water fight too. How can you come all the way to the beach and not properly enjoy the sea? Sijin doesn’t have classes tomorrow either. We can play late into the night.”
“Not interested. Pull Lord Sijin and Qingxue ashore. Playing like this so late at night, it’d be bad if they caught a cold.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
Four maids stepped forward with elegant, steady strides, immediately grabbing hold of Gao Sijin and Yu Qingxue in the shallow water zone and hauling the two of them up to the sandy beach. A few more maids arrived with clean clothes and had Gao Sijin and Yu Qingxue change into them. Unable to argue with the maids, they were left with no choice but to comply.
A refreshing breeze blew across the sea. Morgana recalled the last time she had come here to Tokyo Bay: it was to dispose of Feng Na’s body. Not long ago, that had been. She cast a deep, meaningful look at Yu Qingxue, hoping she wouldn’t follow in Feng Na’s footsteps.
“Have you cleared your minds enough by now?”
“Mhm, totally satisfied.” Having changed into a white T-shirt with ultra-short denim shorts, Yu Qingxue wore a cheerful smile. “Playing with Sijin makes all my worries vanish. It’s just a shame he’s not my hubby.”
“You’re not suited to be a lover. With your goofy personality, you’d easily end up as just a bro,” Gao Sijin lied.
In truth, when Yu Qingxue had kissed him earlier, an impulse had surged from deep within his heart. He had wanted to simply lose himself in the soft, jade-like fragrance of her embrace. If Yu Qingxue ever got serious, her charm rivaled that of Tsukiyuki Rio. One was elegant and serene, the other seductive and alluring.
——Whoosh!
The night sky came alive with dazzling splendor, fireworks blooming like fire trees and silver flowers.
The maids were setting off fireworks along the coast, shattering the profound depth of the night. The stunningly beautiful fireworks were as fleeting yet unforgettable as a frightened swan.
“Hey, Sijin, it’s so beautiful!”
“Yeah, it really is.”
Gao Sijin stole a glance at Yu Qingxue’s profile from the side. How could the brilliant starry sky ever compare to you?
The silent monologue in his heart weighed heavily on him. Rio had only left that very morning, yet now, Gao Sijin couldn’t help but find himself caring about Yu Qingxue…
Had his memories been tampered with?
When he was sinking into the sea just before, Gao Sijin remembered seeing a brief, fleeting memory of standing together with Yu Qingxue. Perhaps everything she’d said was true.
If the very first person he fell for really was Yu Qingxue… what was he supposed to do about it?
As he was lost in thought, Yu Qingxue’s hand gently grasped his. Her palm felt a little cold, but it brought him a measure of peace.
He would worry about future matters when they came. Right now, he wanted to enjoy the fireworks together with Yu Qingxue. This feeling, at least, could never be a lie.
