Sun Rain Chapter 66
byChapter 66: Extra 2: The Years Between
That spring, Shi Meng received a new car, a gift from Fu Xuanliao.
Shi Meng’s birthday was in November, still months away, and they didn’t celebrate any particular anniversaries. When asked about the reason for the gift, Fu Xuanliao countered, “Can’t I give a gift just because?”
It seemed no one had ever decreed otherwise.
Shi Meng, understanding, shook his head. “Thank you.”
Perhaps not expecting Shi Meng to accept so readily, Fu Xuanliao couldn’t help but confirm, “You… you’re taking it?”
Shi Meng nodded. “Mhm.”
Fu Xuanliao thought to himself that he should have just given him the house key directly earlier, instead of resorting to those roundabout tactics. He then pulled Shi Meng toward the door. “Come on, let’s go see the car.”
After considering Shi Meng’s height, build, driving habits, and aesthetic needs as an artist, Fu Xuanliao chose a Panamera for him. Judging by his expression, the artist liked it very much.
Shi Meng got in for a test drive, stepping on the gas. Fu Xuanliao, who had just fastened his seatbelt, lurched forward violently, only to be yanked back by the brakes. His expression as he looked at the driver’s seat was nothing short of horrified. “Did you hit the wrong pedal?”
Shi Meng, who hadn’t touched a steering wheel in a long time, didn’t want to admit it. After pursing his lips for a moment, he said, “No, I just drive fast.”
Fu Xuanliao, who had once slept in Shi Meng’s car, naturally didn’t believe him. He pulled out his phone, scrolling as he muttered, “I’ll contact a driving school for you. Go for two days of rehabilitation first.”
Shi Meng refused to go, swiftly reaching out and snatching Fu Xuanliao’s phone.
Fu Xuanliao crooked his finger. “Hand it over.”
Shi Meng shook his head.
Forced to adopt a gentler approach, Fu Xuanliao sighed. “It’s for your own good. What if you cause an accident because you’re rusty?”
Shi Meng extended his right hand, clenching and unclenching his fist a few times. “It’s fine now.”
“What needs recovery is proficiency, just like your sketching practice.”
Shi Meng still shook his head.
When earnest persuasion failed, Fu Xuanliao had to put on a stern face and feign displeasure. “If you don’t give it back, I’ll…”
Before he could finish, a beautiful face magnified before his eyes, followed by a sudden chill on his cheek—he had been ambushed.
Shi Meng, who had kissed Fu Xuanliao countless times in his dreams, was having his first real-life practice. After the kiss, he was the first to feel shy, turning his head to flee, but Fu Xuanliao grabbed his wrist and pulled him back into the driver’s seat.
After a long, lingering kiss, Fu Xuanliao wrapped an arm around Shi Meng’s waist, his voice slightly hoarse. “Who taught you that trick?”
Shi Meng was not good at breathing during kisses. At this moment, besides his lips, his perpetually pale face was flushed with a nearly intoxicated brilliance. His eyes were brimming with physiological tears, and the upturned corners of his eyes were stained red.
Fu Xuanliao finally conceded, no longer pursuing where his little mushroom had learned these “heretical methods.”
At least these tricks were remarkably effective on him.
He nearly forgot to ask for his phone back, and when he spoke again, he threw all principles out the car window. “One day of practice is enough.”
Shi Meng was still dissatisfied with this result, turning his face away and remaining silent.
It wasn’t until Fu Xuanliao slowly added, “I’ll go with you,” that Shi Meng lifted the corner of his mouth, revealing a subtle smile in the sunlight streaming through the window.
Something unexpected happened on the day they were supposed to go to the driving school.
They were both about to leave when Fu Xuanliao received a call. Seeing his increasingly furrowed brow, Shi Meng knew they probably wouldn’t be going today.
Sure enough, after hanging up, Fu Xuanliao said, “Something came up at the company. I’ll drop you off first, and I’ll arrive later.”
Shi Meng asked, “How much later is later?”
He usually didn’t dwell on things, but when he pressed for details, it meant he was unhappy.
But Fu Xuanliao couldn’t say for sure how long he would be gone, so he just said, “I’ll be as quick as possible.”
Shi Meng didn’t press how quick “as quick as possible” was. When the car stopped, he didn’t wait for Fu Xuanliao to open the door for him; he got out himself, slamming the door with a resounding bang, leaving Fu Xuanliao with a back that clearly said, “I can’t be bothered with you.”
Fu Xuanliao was stunned for a moment, then found it amusing. The little mushroom used to only react to anger by falling silent, but now he would slam things.
That was good. If he was in a bad mood, he should show it. It was better than bottling it up.
Fu Xuanliao thought that he must continue to indulge him and bring back Shi Meng’s original small temper. At the same time, he floored the gas pedal toward the company, hoping to return quickly, lest Shi Meng smash the new car he had just given him.
In reality, Shi Meng was quite careful with his possessions and had no interest in smashing cars.
He had even less interest in driving practice.
Fu Xuanliao had arranged everything early. The instructor was a middle-aged man who wasn’t easily agitated. Knowing Shi Meng had a license but hadn’t driven in a long time, he patiently led him through the driving mantras a few times.
Shi Meng was the impatient one. He didn’t want to be here in the first place, and Fu Xuanliao wasn’t around. He took the wheel, drove two laps, and quickly regained his feel for driving. He told the instructor he was leaving.
The instructor, paid to do a job, didn’t dare delay and asked Shi Meng where he was going. Shi Meng casually replied, “To a painting exhibition.”
There actually was an exhibition today, which he had planned to attend with Fu Xuanliao after practice.
Shi Meng took a taxi home. His mind was filled with “one pull, two step, three shift.” When he reached the elevator, instead of pressing the button for upstairs, he went down to the underground garage and moved his new car, which hadn’t officially been on the road yet.
Practice driving, and go see the exhibition along the way.
It was only a dozen kilometers, not far. Even with traffic at a red light, it only took half an hour to arrive.
The exhibition hall was small but exquisitely decorated, with arched doorways and dark green wallpaper accented with contrasting colors, easily calming some of the anxiety in his heart.
Shi Meng often visited exhibitions, but not with the intention of appreciation or study. He would look longer at anything that pleased his eye, and the standard for “pleasing” depended entirely on his mood.
Most of his irritation had dissipated, but the frustration of his disrupted plan remained. Shi Meng lost interest after one circuit and ordered an iced Americano at the cafe next to the hall.
He thought Fu Xuanliao’s last-minute cancellation was surprising enough, but he didn’t expect an even greater surprise to occur in this quiet, artistic setting.
Meanwhile, Fu Xuanliao sped all the way, quickly dealt with the company matters, called a short meeting with several department heads, and was anxious to leave.
He even turned away the finance department head who wanted to show him the quarterly report, telling him to email it and he would look at it later.
Since Fu Xuanliao took over the company, the work atmosphere had become increasingly relaxed and pleasant. One fearless person teased, “CEO Fu is in such a rush, where are you hurrying off to?”
Fu Xuanliao turned his face, smiling faintly. “If I don’t leave soon, I’ll finish all the work myself. Should I just fire all of you?”
Everyone chuckled knowingly, exchanged a few jokes, and then dispersed to focus on their work.
On the way back to the driving school, Fu Xuanliao called Shi Meng, but there was no answer. He then called the driving instructor and learned that Shi Meng had left after two practice runs and hadn’t said where he was going.
He was angry after all.
But when Shi Meng was angry, he usually hung up immediately or blocked the call. He never just let it ring.
He called twice more, still no answer. Fu Xuanliao’s brows furrowed, realizing the situation might not be so simple.
In reality, Shi Meng had no idea his phone was ringing because, in the chaos, he instinctively found a table and dove underneath it, leaving his phone on the cafe table.
It seemed unbelievable, but a relatively small art exhibition had encountered an armed robbery.
Perhaps the goal wasn’t robbery, as the gun only fired once, and it was shot into the air, injuring no one.
Shi Meng quietly lifted a corner of the tablecloth to peek out. He saw the staff and customers squatting on the ground with their heads covered. The young man, carrying what looked like a hunting rifle or a homemade gun, stood in front of a painting, seemingly examining it.
He couldn’t see clearly from a distance, but Shi Meng noticed the man clenching his fists, looking furious. Before he could ponder the source of the anger, the man raised his hand, ripped the painting off the wall, and violently smashed it on the floor.
That wasn’t enough to vent his frustration, so he added a few kicks.
Now Shi Meng understood. Either it was jealousy turned pathological, or there was a hidden motive.
It was often said that only a thin sheet of paper separated an artist from a madman; a slight thread of greed, anger, or delusion could plunge them into frenzy.
Shi Meng deeply understood this.
Therefore, he observed for a bit longer, trying to figure out if the man was the former or the latter.
Just as he unconsciously leaned out, someone grabbed his other wrist from behind.
“Don’t go out.” The person had a deep voice. “It’s dangerous outside.”
For a full three minutes, Shi Meng couldn’t figure out how Fu Xuanliao knew he was here, let alone precisely under this table.
Fu Xuanliao didn’t intend to explain much. As he pulled Shi Meng back, he told him, “The police are already outside. We’ll be able to leave soon.”
Shi Meng’s brain managed to process two thoughts. He asked, “If the police are here, how did you get in?”
In such a situation, the scene should be sealed off. Forget people, not even a fly should be able to get in.
Fu Xuanliao replied, “I came through a tunnel.”
Realizing this guy was spouting nonsense again, Shi Meng gave him a cold glare.
Fu Xuanliao had no choice but to confess. “I arrived before the police did. I saw people running out and knew something was wrong.”
Shi Meng found him strange. “Then why didn’t you run with them?”
“Where would I run to?” Fu Xuanliao said matter-of-factly. “You’re still here.”
Shi Meng blinked, seemingly not grasping the cause-and-effect relationship between the two sentences.
He was used to being alone, used to facing all incidents by himself. He had only been truly together with Fu Xuanliao for a few months, which was far from enough time for him to change his mindset.
“I’m an adult,” Shi Meng said. “I can protect myself.”
When he said this, Shi Meng looked straight into Fu Xuanliao’s eyes, without the slightest hint of evasion, nor any sarcasm or teasing.
Yet, it made Fu Xuanliao’s heart clench, stung unexpectedly by a memory hidden in the shadows.
He remembered when Shi Meng used to follow him everywhere as a child. Back then, he would sometimes get impatient, turning around to tell Shi Meng, “You’re grown up now, stop following me all the time.”
But besides that, he had said other things too.
Fu Xuanliao tightened his grip, holding Shi Meng’s hand even firmer.
“I told you, no one can bully you anymore,” Fu Xuanliao looked at Shi Meng. “Not even me.”
As everyone knew, Fu Xuanliao’s greatest strength was keeping his word.
Later, upon hearing the police sirens, the armed man panicked and pulled the trigger, causing the gun to misfire. Without time to observe where the stray bullet was heading, Fu Xuanliao immediately embraced Shi Meng, turning his body to shield him with his back, acting as Shi Meng’s human shield without hesitation.
Fortunately, he wasn’t shot through. However, during the chaotic retreat, the hand Fu Xuanliao used to protect Shi Meng was scraped by an unknown sharp object.
He didn’t think much of it until he got into the car and touched the steering wheel, which was wet with blood. He opened his palm to see a cut about five or six centimeters long right in the center.
Shi Meng pulled out a few tissues to cover Fu Xuanliao’s wound, his mouth drooping and his brows furrowed, showing a hint of distaste.
Fu Xuanliao wanted to call a driver, but Shi Meng insisted on driving himself. He shooed Fu Xuanliao into the passenger seat, took the driver’s seat, and didn’t forget to remind him before starting the engine, “Press down on the wound. Don’t stain the new car.”
Fu Xuanliao: …
The car was more important than the person.
Once the car was moving, Shi Meng was uncharacteristically talkative, constantly bringing up random topics. Only then did Fu Xuanliao confirm that he was genuinely worried.
“The exhibition was nice.”
“Was it? We’ll go see it together next time.”
“There was an incident. They won’t hold it again.”
“They’ll reopen after a period of rest.”
“That person…” Shi Meng slowed his speech when mentioning the incident. “He didn’t intend to hurt anyone.”
“Mhm, I know.”
“How do you know?”
“His gun was a tool for self-preservation, not a weapon against others.”
“…Oh.”
The conversation paused briefly, then Shi Meng started again. “How did you know I was there?”
Fu Xuanliao originally intended to make a joke—”telepathy” was already on the tip of his tongue—but seeing Shi Meng’s serious expression, he decided to tell the truth. “There’s a tracker in your car.”
“You installed it?”
“…Yes.”
“Oh,” Shi Meng said. “You monitor me.”
“It’s not monitoring,” Fu Xuanliao explained. “I just worry.”
Shi Meng didn’t speak for a long time afterward.
When he spoke again, he changed the subject. “Does your hand hurt?”
Fu Xuanliao was somewhat flattered. He clenched and opened his fist a few times, saying, “It doesn’t hurt much.”
Shi Meng looked unconvinced.
Fu Xuanliao regretted it immediately. It was a rare opportunity to show weakness; how could he say it didn’t hurt? He should have cried out in pain, said he was dying, that the pain made him unable to open his eyes or breathe, and that he needed Meng Meng’s kiss to feel better.
Perhaps his inner thoughts were too loud, because when they stopped at a red light, Shi Meng suddenly said, “Your hand, put it here.”
Fu Xuanliao thought he wanted to look at the wound again, so he extended it for him to see. Unexpectedly, Shi Meng held his forearm, leaned down, and pressed his soft lips against his palm.
The kiss was devout and careful. After kissing, he tried to act as if nothing happened, offering an excuse. “Last time, you did the same thing.”
He was referring to Fu Xuanliao’s surprise kiss on the bus in Xuncheng.
Strangely, he hadn’t felt much at the time—he was always one to own up to his actions—but recalling it now, he felt a little embarrassed.
“Yeah,” Fu Xuanliao said, lacking confidence. “Did it work well?”
He expected Shi Meng to roll his eyes or scoff at his “shamelessness.” Instead, Shi Meng thought for a moment, then lowered his head and kissed him again. This time, the contact lasted longer, long enough for Fu Xuanliao to feel the warmth transmitted through the thin layers of skin.
It turned out Shi Meng’s lips were also warm, provided the contact lasted long enough.
After an unknown amount of time, Shi Meng lifted his head, awkwardly imitating him. “Did it… work well?”
It was more than just “well.” Fu Xuanliao felt like he was flying, and two weeks later, at the party held under the guise of his birthday, he still felt a little giddy when the topic came up.
Gao Lecheng said, “Old Fu is amazing, daring to rush into such a dangerous situation.”
In Fu Xuanliao’s view, that was nothing. He raised his hand to show everyone. “This is the most amazing part. A long cut like this, and it healed itself without going to the hospital.”
“Oh,” Gao Lecheng drawled, playing along. “Which immortal descended and breathed a healing breath on it?”
Shi Meng couldn’t listen anymore. He got up and found a quiet corner. Unlike usual, he didn’t pull out paper and pen to draw. Instead, he rested his head on one hand and poked at a small ornament on the table with the other.
Fu Xuanliao, having finished showing off, followed him and watched for a while. “What are you thinking about?”
Shi Meng ignored him, hooking his finger to flip the glass bottle clamped between the iron frame. Pure white, crystal sand flowed down in a fine stream through the narrow gap in the middle.
Seeing Shi Meng stare intently, Fu Xuanliao said, “We should buy one for our house too.”
Shi Meng shook his head.
It looked expensive, and the act of chasing the passage of time was lonely, not fun.
As if hearing his inner thoughts, Fu Xuanliao leaned in closer, deliberately lowering his voice. “Then should we just take this one home?”
Shi Meng’s shoulder twitched; he was startled. “That’s stealing.”
“How can something done openly be called stealing?”
Only then did Shi Meng look up, seeing the bright smile on Fu Xuanliao’s face. It was hard not to feel a surge of annoyance at being teased.
He picked up the hourglass from the table and abruptly shoved it into Fu Xuanliao’s arms. “Then you take it.”
He stood up and walked toward the crowd, but after two steps, he turned back, distancing himself. “I don’t know you.”
Jiang Xue, who was sitting back at the table and couldn’t stop laughing at their childish exchange, said, “If you two don’t know each other, then how did this guy surnamed Gao and I end up together?”
Gao Lecheng immediately sat up straight, wary. “Even without them, we would have ended up together.”
Fu Xuanliao scoffed.
After dinner, to save trouble, they played Truth or Dare again. When it was Fu Xuanliao’s turn, because of his slightly arrogant tone earlier, Jiang Xue gave him a deadly question.
“Who was your first kiss with?”
Fu Xuanliao was speechless. “You know the answer.”
Jiang Xue blinked. “Who knows? I don’t know.”
“So who was it?” Gao Lecheng fanned the flames. “Was it that person, or this person?”
“Who else could it be?” Seeing the situation spiraling out of control, Fu Xuanliao quickly interjected. “It’s the person right next to me.”
Shi Meng let out a surprised “Ah” upon hearing this.
Gao Lecheng got excited. “See, see? The person involved didn’t even know.”
When the neck of the bottle pointed at Shi Meng, he was asked the similar question, “Who was your first love?” Shi Meng was about to try his old trick of choosing Dare to avoid answering, but Fu Xuanliao quickly moved far away, giving up the chance of being kissed to force him to answer.
Shi Meng rarely blushed, and even his triggers for shyness were more unusual than others’.
After much hesitation, having no other choice, he resorted to appropriation under everyone’s gaze, simplifying the answer. “…Beside me.”
Jiang Xue, sitting to Shi Meng’s left, clapped her thigh, enjoying the show. “So Meng Meng’s first love was me!”
Fu Xuanliao’s gloom lasted until after the party, when he saw a brand new Cullinan parked downstairs, the metallic angel on the hood, signifying its worth, gleaming brightly.
Shi Meng lightly pointed at it, saying it was his birthday gift for him.
His heart rate quickened a bit, startled. When he recovered, he felt a pang of distress. Fu Xuanliao suddenly realized, “No wonder you were desperately taking commissions a while ago.”
As they spoke, Shi Meng had already opened the passenger door and sat down, giving Fu Xuanliao a calm look, his voice equally steady. “The commission fees weren’t much. I was already rich.”
Fu Xuanliao: …
Was this what it felt like to be kept by a rich person?
Opening the door and getting in, his simple act of lifting his leg had the effect of a new emperor ascending the throne. Fu Xuanliao calculated the car’s specifications and price, regretting that he hadn’t given Shi Meng a car of equal value, thinking Shi Meng preferred to be low-key.
But maybe it wouldn’t have mattered. If he had given a five or six million yuan car, Shi Meng might have aimed for ten million.
This was Shi Meng’s stubborn competitiveness, and also his way of being good to people.
The romance between men was just this simple and unpretentious.
Fu Xuanliao accepted it gladly and decided to visit several new properties before Shi Meng’s birthday next month.
The only thing more expensive than this car was a house.
The new car hit the road, driving through the cool autumn night air of Fengcheng all the way up to the nearby mountains.
In a secluded spot, the thin night mist melted the distant mountains and forests into mottled dark green, like randomly flowing color blocks spread across a canvas.
They shared a long, lingering kiss in the car, just like the last time. He forgot who initiated it.
After the kiss, Fu Xuanliao chuckled softly. “Is this some kind of new car blessing ceremony?”
Shi Meng leaned in and bit the mouth that spoke nonsense.
It was a fierce bite, reminding Fu Xuanliao of the previous incident. He couldn’t help but ask, “If I were called back to the company by a phone call right now, what would you do?”
It was just a hypothetical question, but it made Shi Meng’s eyes turn cold, even revealing a hint of sharpness.
“I spoke to your father,” Shi Meng said. “It won’t happen again.”
Fu Xuanliao was completely unaware of this. “You spoke to my dad? What did you say?”
Shi Meng spoke with a matter-of-fact tone. “I told him not to always call you in for overtime during holidays.”
Fu Xuanliao was speechless for a moment. “What did he say?”
“He said it was for your own good.”
“…”
“I said I would be good to you.”
Shi Meng showed no expression when he said this, only looking at Fu Xuanliao with his clear, black-and-white eyes.
After a long pause, Fu Xuanliao finally found his voice. “Did he believe you?”
Shi Meng neither shook nor nodded his head. “That’s none of his business.”
“It’s enough that I’m good to you.”
People always said that Shi Meng was terrifyingly insane. They were immersed in their own small worlds, turning their backs on the outside, deviating from reality, being willful, obsessive, possessive, and relentless until they achieved their goals.
Fu Xuanliao once thought so too, but now he was immensely grateful that Shi Meng had chosen him. All the good and the bad were directed at him.
And it came fiercely, pulling him recklessly into that small world. From then on, he couldn’t hear the noisy clamor of the outside world; Shi Meng was the only gravity pulling him down.
It allowed him to enjoy the thrill of control, and also to be willingly and thoroughly controlled.
Fu Xuanliao couldn’t wait another moment. He gripped the steering wheel, ready to start the car.
“Where are we going?” Shi Meng asked.
“To install a tracking system on this car too,” Fu Xuanliao said.
Shi Meng placed his hand over Fu Xuanliao’s injured hand, intending to stop him.
He lowered his eyelashes, as he did in many shy moments, and whispered, “It’s already… installed.”
Fu Xuanliao was stunned at first, then sincerely praised him. “Well done.”
If madness was contagious, then they should be mad together. It would be best if only the two of them remained in the world, undisturbed by others.
Fu Xuanliao still started the car, preparing to turn around.
Shi Meng asked where they were going again. He said, “To find a bed.”
The intense, overflowing emotions urgently needed to be vented through vigorous activity.
Shi Meng, who shared the same thought, grabbed his hand, slightly loosened his grip, then held on tighter.
His voice was still soft, tinged with the hoarseness of desire. Shi Meng’s eyes were clouded with moisture. He told Fu Xuanliao, “Here, is fine too.”
It was a command, and also an invitation.
Deep in the mountains, the breathing of the grass and trees mingled with the intense rising heat.
Afterward, Shi Meng leaned lazily against the flattened seat, using his finger like a paintbrush to wipe away a streak of condensation on the car window, turning his head to look outside.
Seeing this, Fu Xuanliao was inexplicably reminded of a New Year’s Eve years ago, when Shi Meng looked out the car window at the rapidly receding scenery, his breathing so shallow it seemed he might vanish.
A moment of panic made Fu Xuanliao hold him tight, trying to confirm again, “Tell me, who exactly was your first love?”
He wanted to use this to grasp him, to lock him firmly in his arms.
Fu Xuanliao had never felt such a desperate need to hear Shi Meng say, ‘You, it was you.’
‘From beginning to end, it was always you.’
But Shi Meng had learned bad habits. The little mushroom who never cared about worldly affairs had touched secular love and learned the common trick of keeping people guessing.
He curved his lips. “What do you think?”
Fu Xuanliao needed to hear him say it himself. “What I say doesn’t count. You tell me.”
Shi Meng narrowed his eyes, yawning. “I forgot.”
“I don’t believe you.”
Shi Meng couldn’t help but let out a small, amused puff of air.
Fu Xuanliao felt childish after saying that. After a moment of silence, he still wanted to hear it. “How about we try to remember…”
Before he could finish, Shi Meng pressed his index finger against his lips.
“Shh—” When Shi Meng lowered his voice, it had a unique allure that made it hard for anyone to refuse.
He winked at Fu Xuanliao, a plea and a command. “Leave some props for me too.”
The hourglass reversed, like time suddenly turning back.
Everyone said Shi Meng was crazy, but Fu Xuanliao knew that all the thorns he put up were tools to protect himself, not weapons to harm others.
This was his rare ability, as a perfectly ordinary mortal, to empathize with the lofty artist.
Naturally, there was no reason not to accept the small reservation the artist kept after making so many concessions.
“Alright, I surrender.” Fu Xuanliao sighed, sounding helpless. “If you won’t say it, I will.”
Afraid the other person wouldn’t hear clearly, he spoke slowly, word by word. “My first kiss was you, and my first love was also you.”
We are open and honest. Neither of us stole, nor snatched.
Shi Meng pretended not to understand his underlying meaning, indulging in his newfound imitation. “I don’t believe you.”
Fu Xuanliao, having dug his own hole, wasn’t annoyed. He turned his body and pressed down on Shi Meng. “If you don’t believe me, let’s try again.”
His tone was serious, his expression solemn, as if he genuinely intended to prove it this way.
Shi Meng was also serious. “But you just surrendered.”
Fu Xuanliao raised an eyebrow. “I said I surrendered. I didn’t say I disarmed.”
Shi Meng paused, then realized the meaning of “disarmed.”
He lifted his leg to kick him, but Fu Xuanliao caught his ankle and placed it back on his waist. “The mountain road is bumpy. First love, hold on tight.”
Shi Meng was already trying to escape because of his shamelessness, and the new title made him even shyer. Unable to flee, he opened his mouth, just as he had before, and bit down on Fu Xuanliao’s shoulder.
Even if it bit deep enough to show bone, leaving an indelible mark.
After all, a shoulder that could be relied upon and injured was worthy of a first love, and worthy of the long years ahead.
Author’s Note:
Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!
There will be another parallel world extra later, which might be quite long and will be updated in parts for free reading.
Also, a new novel, Rumor, has opened on the neighboring site, scheduled to start updating at the end of October. If interested, please bookmark it. Thank you~