Chapter 12: Autumn Excursion Diary (Part V)

Some things are said in jest, but how much truth lies within them is often difficult to discern, even for the one who speaks.

This question was prone to idle fancies and carried a strong temptation. He Tianran's Adam's apple bobbed, but after hesitating for a mere two seconds, he answered with resolute determination:

"If you were to truly agree, I would still choose Wen Liang."

Hearing this, Cao Aiqing did not show much disappointment. She looked at the ground with unusual calm and slowly said,

"Is that so... Then you must really like her..."

He Tianran took a deep breath, nodded, and said, "Hoo... Yeah... By the way, why did you ask that question?"

"Because I was curious." Cao Aiqing turned her head slightly and smiled.

"Huh?"

"Back then, our relationship was pretty good too, right?"

"Yeah."

"You said you had a crush on me for almost three years, and just as the distance between us was finally closing, you went and fell in life with someone else. I couldn't help wondering what on earth Wen Liang did to you to make you so devoted... and have a change of heart?"

She added a playful touch at the end.

In truth, this question was not difficult to answer.

"I like her... actually, for just one reason..."

"What is it?"

For the first time, He Tianran mentioned this relationship between him and Wen Liang to an outsider. The trauma hidden beneath this romance finally found an outlet.

He lowered his gaze and said in a low voice,

"She was the first person to actively walk into my world, as if she tore open a crack in the dark shell of my universe and let a beam of light shine through."

In the deep autumn sky over the mountains, clumps of white clouds drifted slowly like carded wool.

Cao Aiqing couldn't help asking, "Then... why didn't you stay together?"

"Do you believe that someone can suddenly vanish, and when they reappear, they have become an entirely different person?" He Tianran murmured to himself.

"I believe it!"

"You do?"

He Tianran had not expected Cao Aiqing to answer so readily.

"You, silly~ Aren't you the best proof? Ever since October, you've changed completely."

The girl spoke with total earnestness, leaving the boy dumbfounded into a chuckle. He listened as she continued:

"Still, come to think of it, when the person you like suddenly turns into what feels like a completely different person, it really is a hard thing to accept. So some changes in your personality are not entirely incomprehensible... However..."

She paused here, asking cautiously, "Is there truly no room left for reconciliation between the two of you?"

He Tianran shook his head. "I... no longer wish to like her."

Not that he couldn't, but that he was unwilling?

Cao Aiqing pondered this inwardly. She did not dare to pursue He Tianran and Wen Liang's story any further, fearing she might reopen the boy's wounds. The girl herself had only a hazy, superficial understanding of tender romance; she wanted to offer comfort, but had no idea where to begin.

Suddenly recalling something, she took out her phone, flipped through the screen, and said,

"There's something I've always wanted to tell you."

"What is it?"

"Originally, that day... Wen Liang asked me to buy sunflowers for you, intending to give them to you at the end of the evening party. But things were so chaotic at the scene, and I couldn't find you anywhere, so I had to take the flowers home and arrange them in a vase. Look..."

With that, she handed over her phone.

It showed sunflowers in full bloom resting on a desk. The sunlight was just right, the blossoms a brilliant golden yellow, turning toward the sun and blooming with magnificent splendor.

"Their flowering period is very short, and I didn't manage to give them to you in time. But some things don't necessarily have to be tightly grasped in your hands to be truly possessed. The precious part is that you witnessed the moment they blossomed—that is the best thing, right?"

Cao Aiqing's gentle words drifted softly into He Tianran's ears.

Not everything needs to be tightly grasped in one's hands.

Does that mean it's time to truly let go?

He Tianran's vision blurred slightly. He stood up, turning his back to the girl, his voice hoarse:

"Ahem... Let's... sniff... head up the mountain."

"Yeah..."

Cao Aiqing offered no further comfort. She quietly followed behind the boy, walking and stopping, stopping and walking.

The boy in front walked very slowly. Every few stone steps, he would pause. His back trembled slightly, and the sleeves of his hands frequently brushed across his face.

He made no other sound, simply repeating these actions over and over. Occasionally he would halt, lift his foot only to draw it back in hesitation, not daring to press forward, while at other times he would take two or three steps at once.

The girl simply accompanied him like this. Two small black figures slowly wound their way upward along the mountain path. The last warm sunlight of autumn spread tenderly across the earth, looking feeble yet intoxicating.

After walking for I don't know how long, He Tianran turned around. His expression seemed normal, save for his eyes, which were slightly red and swollen.

Beads of sweat dotted the girl's forehead. She looked up at him and asked,

"Why did you stop walking?"

He Tianran stared blankly for a moment, shook his head, and turned back around.

He resumed his journey, but from that fleeting look in his eyes just now, Cao Aiqing caught a sense of helplessness and bewilderment.

"That Wen Liang you're familiar with... did she suddenly vanish... in places where you couldn't see?"

He Tianran's footsteps froze mid-air for a second before he silently continued up the steps.

Then, he heard the girl behind him speak in a gentle voice—

"Don't worry, I will always be right behind you and I won't get lost. All you have to do is turn around and you'll see me."

Her words drifted on the wind into the dense mountain woods. The breeze rustled the yellowing leaves, seeming also to scatter He Tianran's tangled thoughts.

This was the only sense of peace he had felt in months.

"Do you want to... walk together?"

He Tianran asked carefully, and what he received in return was an equally cautious reply.

"May I?"

Cao Aiqing slowly walked to He Tianran's side, avoiding his face.

"You don't need to mind my emotions, nor do you need to worry about me. I can handle it," He Tianran said in a low voice.

Only then did Cao Aiqing steal a quick glance at him, not daring to look too long. She suddenly gave a soft snort of amusement and said,

"Actually, just now I kept wondering whether I should play a song called *Above the Moon*."

He Tianran widened his eyes. Cao Aiqing quickly poked out her tongue and averted her gaze elsewhere.

"After all, it's a great opportunity for revenge!"

"Shall I bite you back then?"

He Tianran's upper and lower teeth clicked together twice, making a rattling sound as he leaned his body a little closer.

"You wouldn't dare!!"

Cao Aiqing bolted away, protesting indignantly, "You always teased me like that whenever I cried!"

"If you ever suffer unrequited love, you'll definitely cry way worse than I did!"

He Tianran retorted, taking large strides forward. The two of them resumed their previous formation of one following the other, except this time, their steps were much lighter.

"I've never suffered unrequited love, and even if I did, I wouldn't let you see me cry! Hey, stop chasing me!"

Walking ahead, Cao Aiqing kept turning back without breaking her pace, presumably genuinely afraid that He Tianran had lost his mind and would actually bite her.

"I'm just walking my own path, how am I chasing you? If you have the guts, stop right there!"

"I won't!"

The two bantered and chased each other for a short while. Eventually, He Tianran grew somewhat tired himself, stopping to look around at the scenery. The surroundings were bright and clear. Not far away, sunlight filtered through the leaves into distinct beams. The mountain forest was quiet and deep, and a warm breeze swept by, carrying the scent of new life.

"Where are we? How come there's not a single person around?"

Cao Aiqing also noticed something amiss, walking over and asking in a hushed tone.

"It looks like... we took the wrong path up the mountain..."

He Tianran stood there with dark lines across his forehead.