Volume 1, Chapter 128: He Is Kissing Her.

The living room lights were off, save for a pale sliver of moonlight filtering through the floor-to-ceiling windows, shrouding the entire space in a dim, hazy glow.

Because of this, Xu Zhi could not clearly see the man’s expression. Hearing no reply from him, her heart began to flutter with anxiety: would he think she was being too forward?

She quickly added, “I mean, I don’t talk in my sleep or snore, so I won’t disturb your rest.”

The two had shared a bed once before. Though not much time had passed, so many things had happened in between that Xu Zhi felt that night was now a distant memory. Still, she remembered the sense of peace and contentment she had felt in his arms back then.

Liang Jinmo remained silent.

In the dead of night, the room was exceptionally still. Feeling a bit awkward, Xu Zhi tried to salvage the situation. “Don’t overthink it, and don’t be afraid—I won’t do anything to you...”

At this, the man finally reacted. In the darkness, she distinctly heard a soft chuckle.

She paused, then heard his low, gravelly voice: “What could you possibly do to me?”

Xu Zhi thought to herself that was not necessarily true; she was quite formidable now. But she couldn’t scare him away at a time like this. She watched him carefully in the dark. “So... are you coming?”

Liang Jinmo’s response was to fold the quilt and rise.

Xu Zhi felt a weight lift from her heart.

The two went to the guest bedroom. Xu Zhi not only closed the door but also locked it. Back in bed, she found her nerves buzzing even more intensely with someone else beside her.

However... the bed was quite large—large enough that they could each have their own quilt without feeling crowded.

Liang Jinmo lay on his side, his back to her. She didn't like it. After staring at his shoulders and back in the darkness for a while, she couldn't help but inch closer, stopping just short of him, feeling a sense of longing. She had no idea what he was thinking; even this close, there seemed to be an unbridgeable chasm between them.

She whispered, “You’re in a bad mood today, aren't you?”

“No,” Liang Jinmo replied.

She went quiet. Liang Jinmo was the type of person who wouldn't tell you anything if he didn't want to. Just as she was feeling disheartened, she heard him speak again: “If your mother goes to Biancheng... what are your plans?”

Xu Zhi was stunned. “I haven’t thought about it yet. Besides, my mom hasn’t made up her mind.”

Liang Jinmo lay with his eyes open in the darkness, suddenly recalling that summer, before his birthday, when he had taken it upon himself to leave the Liang family home to find Gao Ying in a small town.

He arrived very late, around nine or ten, but he hadn't stood outside all night as the rumors suggested. By the early hours of the morning, Gao Ying had opened the door and let him in. There was a shirtless man inside—Gao Ying’s boyfriend—sitting on the edge of the bed smoking.

The room was so small that even with the window open, a strange, lingering odor remained. Gao Ying, who seemed to have just bathed, her hair still damp, tried to negotiate with him: “Go back tomorrow, okay? The Liang family is so nice, such a big house, and there are servants to wait on you. It must be very comfortable living there, right?”

Liang Jinmo sat on the sofa, saying nothing.

Adolescence was the time when his resentment was at its peak. His mind was filled with destructive thoughts; at that moment, he imagined himself going to the kitchen to grab a knife, heading to the bedroom to kill that man, and then killing Gao Ying...

No, maybe not kill Gao Ying. If she would die without a man, then he would just watch her suffer until the end.

But after the silence, he only whispered, “Mom.”

It was a word he hadn’t used in a very long time; he had never had the chance.

Gao Ying’s expression stiffened. She herself seemed unable to adapt to the role of a mother. She tried to feign affection: “You see... it’s so cramped here, and the school you’re attending isn’t any good. You’re smart—you’ve always been top of your class. It’s such a waste for you to stay in this small place.”

Liang Jinmo’s heart grew colder and colder. After a long time, he said, “Those servants don't wait on me. They purposefully throw away my meals. I haven't eaten all day yesterday.”

Gao Ying froze, and the entire space fell into a long, suffocating silence.

Daybreak came without them noticing. Gao Ying told Liang Jinmo to wash up while she went to the kitchen to cook. Her current boyfriend liked wontons, so she had learned to make them—and she made them quite well. She prepared a bowl for Liang Jinmo.

Liang Jinmo sat at the table. He hadn't had a warm meal in so long that he ate it very, very slowly. Gao Ying rarely cooked for him; she wasn't skilled at it, and he didn't know when she had learned to make wontons.

It was strange. The person sitting across from him was his mother. He had spent ten months in her womb; her blood flowed through his veins, yet she felt increasingly like a stranger. She was like the entire world within his sight, yet she kept him forever locked out.

He suddenly felt as though the last remaining connection he had to this world was as wispy as smoke, about to vanish. His eyes grew hot and swollen from the steam of the soup, his vision blurring, and he felt as if he, too, were about to disappear.

While he was eating, Gao Ying took a call—it sounded like Liang Zhengguo. Gao Ying spoke honestly: “Yes, he’s here with me. Why don't you send someone to pick him up... Fine, I was just saying. If you won't pick him up, forget it. Why be so nasty about it... I’ll take him to the station in a bit and let him go back himself.”

Later, when Gao Ying took him to the station, he was very calm. Gao Ying had bought only one ticket and placed it in his hand. She didn't say anything else. Just before the bus pulled away, she knocked on the window and handed him the water and snacks she had just bought.

Liang Jinmo actually felt he shouldn't take them; he should have refused with dignity, but he didn't. He took the plastic bag.

He had nothing left but these things. The bag contained cold water and biscuits—it seemed this was all Gao Ying could give him. It was his birthday that day, though Gao Ying didn't seem to remember at all.

He returned to Beicheng in the afternoon under the scorching sun. As he was about to enter through the side gate of the villa complex, he ran into Xu Zhi.

Xu Zhi saw him from across the main gate. Their eyes met, and her first reaction was to glance around to see if anyone was watching. It was too hot, and there were few people on the road.

Seeing him about to enter, she called out, “Hey!”

Liang Jinmo ignored her. She trotted over and, in a fluster, shoved a small box into his hand. Before he could see what it was, she whispered, “These chocolates were brought back from abroad by an aunt of mine. They’re delicious. I only have two boxes, so I’m sharing one with you. Don’t let anyone see!”

He didn't react; he didn't even take it.

Xu Zhi tore open the plastic bag in his hand and shoved the box inside, then emphasized, “Don’t let anyone know I gave this to you! Especially Liang Muzhi!”

Having said that, she acted like a thief and hurriedly turned to walk into the residential complex.

Liang Jinmo looked down and saw the item she had stuffed into the bag. It was indeed a box of chocolates. The writing on it wasn't English, but a language he couldn't read. He held the box for a long time; it had been frozen, but it gradually warmed up in his hands under the blazing sun.

Ever since the flashlight incident, she had always been like this—occasionally slipping him small things, always in secret. He had always felt she was like a gust of wind, arriving suddenly and leaving just as quickly.

But... it was strange. It was his birthday, and she had given him a box of chocolates. He didn't like sweets, but for many years afterward, he would recall the taste of those chocolates.

In truth, they were very much like Xu Zhi: a mixture of bitter and sweet, something that made one crave more, yet left one feeling a bit uncertain.

He was immersed in his memories when he suddenly heard a faint sound behind him. He couldn't help but turn over. “Why aren't you sleeping...”

Before he could finish, he found himself face-to-face with Xu Zhi in the dark, at very close range. He was stunned to see she had moved so close.

Xu Zhi felt a bit embarrassed, but it was dark, so she knew he couldn't see her blushing. The night encouraged certain things. She bit her lip and gathered her courage: “Even if my mom goes to Biancheng, I won’t go. I... I want to be with the person I like.”

She wasn't sure if Liang Jinmo was upset because of this, but since he had asked, he must care, right?

Her tone became more solemn: “I choose you, Brother Jinmo. From now on, I will never give you up for anyone or anything.”

In the darkness, he blinked slowly, his Adam's apple bobbing. The air was so quiet that even their breathing was clearly audible. Xu Zhi hesitated for a few seconds, then asked, “Can I... can I hold your hand? Just holding hands is fine...”

She wanted to get closer to him but was afraid he wouldn't want it. Just as she was feeling anxious, the tiny bit of light before her eyes vanished without warning. Darkness encroached, and her lips were touched with tenderness.

Her mind went blank until she felt him gently sucking on her lips, and she realized he was kissing her.