Chapter 15: Paradise Lost
“But… but the party isn’t over yet… There’s still the awards ceremony… and…” An Baili racked her brains for excuses.
“But none of them are as important as An Baili.” Lu Li held the girl’s delicate hand. “Cinderella, it’s not midnight yet.”
An Baili felt tears welling up in her eyes. She forced a sweet smile and nodded obediently. She thought Lu Li didn’t belong to her tonight. He belonged to many people, to Wen Hupo, to Chu Jingyi, to Zou Yameng, but not to her, not now, not in the future. During the Sleeping Beauty performance, she felt like she was back in her first life, a helpless bystander, a stray cat longing for a home.
Lu Li led her out of the school and onto the bus. His stage makeup drew curious glances from the other passengers. An Baili happily licked his neck, like a clingy kitten. “Li, you haven’t removed your prince makeup yet.” Lu Li chuckled wryly. “I didn’t have time. I changed my clothes and came straight to you. If I were any later, we would have missed the last bus back.”
“It’s okay if we’re late…”
“It’s not okay.” Lu Li reminisced. “You used to love setting off fireworks. You were too scared to light them yourself, but you would still buy them excitedly, one box after another. It’s a pity that they banned fireworks in the city center in a couple of years, and my Baili never got to set off fireworks again. We have to take advantage of this opportunity and enjoy ourselves.” He gently flicked An Baili’s nose. “In public, aren’t you afraid of people gossiping if you’re so clingy?”
An Baili whined coquettishly. “I’m not afraid… I’m not afraid as long as you’re here…”
They got off the bus at Ping’an Square. Lu Li first bought a box of fireworks from a small shop by the roadside. It had the tacky words “Good Luck and Fortune” printed on it. The box cost 68.8 yuan. An Baili felt bad about spending Lu Li’s money and wanted to just buy two firecrackers.
The square was crowded with parents who had brought their children to set off fireworks. Lu Li and An Baili finally found a secluded spot. The smile never left the girl’s face. She happily opened the box of fireworks, took out a tube, thought for a moment, and handed it to Lu Li. “Honey, can you light it for me?” Then she pecked him on the lips. “Here’s your reward.”
I’m completely whipped by her… Lu Li sighed inwardly. He took out the lighter that came with the fireworks and lit the fuse. An Baili excitedly held the firework tube high in one hand, her shoulders hunched, her head tilted far away, looking like a scaredy-cat afraid of the fireworks exploding. A scaredy-cat who loved to play, that was An Baili. It was the same when they played games together. She would always be the first to die, and after dying, she would mess around and prevent Lu Li from playing too. Lu Li would scold her, but every time, the scolding would end up with them in bed.
Setting off fireworks alone should be boring, but An Baili was having a blast. Watching the fireworks explode in the sky, her eyes sparkled with a beautiful longing, as if she saw the fireworks as a symbol of something precious. Lu Li looked at the little village girl. Her delicate features and bright smile were captivating. She was the perfect embodiment of the phrase “lotus flower emerging from water.” He reckoned that if she just improved her temperament a little, even Wen Hupo would feel inferior.
After having her fill of fun, An Baili snuggled into Lu Li’s arms. “You should set off some too, it’s boring for me to play alone.” Boring? It didn’t look like it. Weren’t you having fun? Lu Li played with An Baili for a while, until they were both tired. They found a bench and sat down, watching the children playing in the square with seemingly boundless energy.
“Whew~” An Baili rested her head on Lu Li’s shoulder. “I’m so happy today~ I thought you had forgotten about me.” She smiled so widely that her front teeth were showing, a clear sign of her happiness. She suddenly stretched her neck and kissed Lu Li on the cheek.
“I haven’t even wiped off my stage makeup.” Lu Li said.
“I just wanted to kiss you.” An Baili giggled. “I can’t help but want to kiss you. I want to kiss you when we’re eating, when we’re sleeping, even when we’re in class.”
“You never think about anything serious.”
“Hehe…” She leaned closer and pecked him on the lips again. “I don’t want to be serious.”
She wrapped her arms around Lu Li’s neck and said dreamily, “I’m so happy now. I wish I could live like this with you forever. I’ll never make you angry again, never make you unhappy. I’ll see you when I wake up and see you when I go to sleep. We’ll set off fireworks together, go grocery shopping together…”
Lu Li’s heart was touched. He hugged her. “It will be like this from now on.” They wouldn’t repeat the mistakes of their past lives, neither he nor An Baili.
More fireworks soared into the sky, exploding into brilliant golden flowers against the night sky. An Baili’s eyes welled up as she stared at the fireworks. “Honey, if one day I go to a very, very, very faraway place, will you miss me?” What kind of silly question was that? Lu Li chuckled. “Why would you go to a faraway place? How far could it be?”
“Just a very, very faraway place.”
“Then I’ll go find you.” Lu Li said matter-of-factly. “I’ll bring that poor little thing back, or she’ll be crying alone again.”
“What if I go to the ends of the earth, to a place you can’t find?”
“As long as you’re still in this world, I’ll find you. If I can’t find you today, I’ll keep looking tomorrow. If I can’t find you tomorrow, I’ll look the day after. I’ll keep looking, keep looking… I’ll definitely find you.”
“What if… I mean what if, this poor little thing goes to heaven?” An Baili leaned against Lu Li’s shoulder, her nose tingling.
“I’ll go find you there too.”
An Baili couldn’t help but cry. “What if you can’t find heaven?”
Lu Li’s tone changed, no longer light and gentle, but serious. “Even if I can’t find it, I’ll keep looking. I’ve lost this poor little thing once, I can’t lose her again. And the poor little thing will also try to come back, right?”
An Baili wanted to say something else, but she was interrupted by the sound of fireworks exploding. She stared blankly at the fireworks filling the sky, her words caught in her throat. When the fireworks subsided, An Baili buried her head in Lu Li’s arms and sobbed, “Lu Li… I love you so much…”
“I love you too.”
The word “love” was heavy, but also sincere. Lu Li gently stroked the girl’s hair. “Don’t go too far, it’ll be hard for me to find you.” An Baili burst into tears. “I won’t go… I won’t go… I’ll never leave…”
Lu Li held her tightly, speechless.
The young man’s eyes were deep and unfocused, as if he was lost in thought. Suddenly, he spoke, his voice abrupt. “Baili. What’s your price?”
Bang! Whoosh! Crack!
For a moment, only the sound of fireworks filled the air. Time seemed to have stopped. An Baili stammered, “Wh-what pr-price?”
“You’re sleeping longer and longer every day, your energy is getting lower and lower. This has been going on for a long time.” Lu Li’s eyes were dark, the usual starlight replaced by an abyss, like Wen Hupo’s. “And your behavior has changed drastically since the end of the National Day holiday. The first time I noticed it was the day I had that conflict with An Gulai. When Secretary Long asked about our relationship, you were quick to clarify. I didn’t think much of it at the time. But since then, you’ve been actively pushing me towards the Class Monitor. Even the fact that she flew to Mulan City must have something to do with you, right? Baili, this isn’t like you.”
“And whenever I mentioned taking you to the hospital for a checkup, you never gave me a straight answer…”
He felt An Baili trembling in his arms and his voice softened. “Baili, what’s the price of your rebirth? You already know, don’t you?”
An Baili buried her head deeper. “I… I don’t know…”
Lu Li kissed her hair. “No matter what the price is, we’ll face it together, okay?”
He heard An Baili sobbing softly. He didn’t say anything more, didn’t press her further. He just held her quietly, letting her tears soak his shirt. He had made up his mind. No matter what happened, he would never abandon this poor girl again. Fate, price, even if he had to shed every drop of his blood, he would protect this poor little thing.
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