Chapter 7 Moonlit Re
It would not have been proper to leave now.
I walked up to the veranda and sat down opposite him.
"Long time no see."
He studied me in the moonlight. After a long pause, he suddenly asked something unrelated.
"Just classmates?"
I was slightly taken aback. It took me a moment to realize he was referring to the answer I had given that afternoon when Gu Yan asked about our relationship.
"I thought after dating for three years, even if we broke up, I could at least qualify as your ex-boyfriend."
I pressed my lips together.
"I was afraid you wouldn't want others to know about us."
"No." He lowered his eyes to look at me. His pupils reflected my image.
I had thought that reuniting after so long would involve some small talk about the past.
But it did not happen.
Pei Yuchuan said nothing. He simply looked at me with lowered eyes, emotions I could not read swirling in his gaze.
It was late autumn, and the air was cool. A cold wind blew by, and I shivered.
He took off his jacket and draped it over my shoulders.
His scent washed over me, so long missed that it made my nose sting.
I suddenly remembered more than three years ago in that small rental apartment.
There was no heating in winter, and it was freezing cold. We could only warm each other by cuddling close.
He would rub his hands until they were warm and gently cover my icy feet.
Smiling, he would share the little things that had happened, and I would fall asleep to his low, gentle voice.
The memories from the past surged up all at once. The person in those memories overlapped with the Pei Yuchuan in front of me.
I looked at him.
"I heard from Gu Yan that you have your own house and live outside with Pei Xi."
"Yes. We were not planning to stay here, but Pei Xi insisted on spending the night, so I went with it."
I thought of the sweet little girl from the afternoon. After hesitating again and again, I could not help asking.
"Is Pei Xi doing well? She must recognize people by now. Does she cling to you?"
Pei Yuchuan did not answer immediately. After a moment, he sighed softly.
"You are only asking about her? Not about me?"
"Do you not want to know how I have been these three years?"
I wanted to ask, but I had no right to.
Besides, I could guess some of his past from the bits Gu Yan had let slip.
The garden was silent, filled only with the soft sound of osmanthus petals falling.
Fortunately, he did not press the issue and told me about Pei Xi's recent life.
"She is doing very well. Her personality is like yours—lively and cheerful. She learned to recognize people early, and now she clings to me a lot."
"But she has one small worry." He looked at me and said softly, "Pei Xi really misses her mom. She has always hoped to meet her mom."
"After seeing you today, she was very happy."
His tone was even, but it made my heart ache strangely.
I had missed her for many years too.
Every time I saw a little girl her age on the street, I would think of her.
When shopping and spotting a pretty little dress, I could not resist buying it, imagining how cute she would look in it.
But I had filled an entire closet, and still could not send them to her.
Last year, when Gu Yan took me to the temple to pray for fortune, I secretly prayed for a safety charm for her.
I did not ask for her to be well-behaved and sensible, just that she grow up safe and healthy.
I looked at Pei Yuchuan and asked tentatively.
"I have some things I want to give Pei Xi. Could you help me pass them on?"
"Since you want to give them to her, she will be happier if you deliver them yourself."
The evening breeze tousled the hair on my forehead. He suddenly leaned in closer.
My body tensed immediately, and I held my breath without thinking.
He reached out and tucked the loose strands behind my ear, just as he had done countless times before.
The warmth of his fingertips felt the same as always, sliding from my cheek to my ear.
My heart suddenly beat wildly, pounding painfully against my ribs.
I heard him ask,
"Gu Yan will not be back so soon. Shall I take you to dinner first?"
My phone rang then.
It was a message from Gu Yan.
"Wen You, on my way to the company earlier, I ran into my brother's fiancee."
"My sister-in-law is so beautiful. She was picking out a tie for my brother at the mall."
"I heard they are very much in love. They have been engaged for two years, and it looks like the wedding is coming up soon."
Those few lines brought me back to reality in an instant.
Pei Yuchuan already had a fiancee. The gap between us was even larger now. We should stay out of each other's lives.
I handed the jacket back to him, pretending to be calm.
"No need. I am not hungry."
"Then shall I show you around the estate?"
I shook my head.
After three years, the maturity and coolness about him seemed even more attractive than in my memories.
And in this vast, dimly lit place, it was easy for buried feelings to grow wildly.
I was scared of this loss of control.
So I made an excuse and hurried back to my room.
Afraid of running into Pei Yuchuan again, I did not go out anymore.
I had planned to wait for Gu Yan, but she did not return for a long time. I fell into a hazy sleep.
I did not sleep well that night. I had several dreams.
The people in them were sometimes Pei Yuchuan, sometimes Pei Xi.
When I woke up, the pillow was damp.
Gu Yan still had not returned. She said she had a sudden business trip and would be back the next day.
I packed my bags simply and prepared to leave.
This trip had actually been worthwhile.
At least I had seen Pei Xi.
The gifts I had saved for her no longer had to gather dust in the closet. Gu Yan could deliver them for me later.
It was just a shame that yesterday's meeting had been too brief. I had not gotten a proper look at her.
As I was thinking that, I suddenly saw a delicate little girl standing at the door.
She was wearing a little dress and looked up at me with eager eyes.
"Mom, today is my third birthday. Can you spend the day with me?"