The abnormal chilly sunlight of May pervaded the air with cold. Xiao Mi wore a thin chiffon dress, her body trembling, coughs restrained from escaping her lips. Her complexion was ashen, only her cheekbones held streaks of sickly red.
She stared intensely at Yi Tang Yao.
Her hands were tight, balled into fists. She took a deep breath, to allow this pocket of air to deeply, deeply penetrate into her lung. As long as she found the diamond in the fountain, would he really be happy? A smile broke out from the corners of Xiao Mi’s lips, and then, her breathing lightened. Then, let him be happy......
“Someone jumped into the fountain!”
A passer-by within the square cried out in alarm! Those who heard him spun around towards the direction he spoke of—
To see a girl in a green dress wading forcefully within the 1m deep pool. Sprays of water from the fountain taps gushed her head-down, her dress soaked, with the thin chiffon of her dress plastered against her body. She seemed to quiver, giving the impression that she would faint in an instant.
Under the sunlight.
In the fountain.
A girl was deluged by splashing, cold water
Her light emerald figure suddenly resembled a strand of grass, about to be washed away by the storm. She bent over, as if feeling for something at the bottom of the pool. Bit by bit, she searched meticulously. Every time she dipped herself into the water, it seemed to drown her in its midst.
Water......
So, so cold......
Xiao Mi could no longer see anything in front of her. Vapours of sunlight, mists of water; everywhere is water, everywhere is freezing cold. She could only rely on her fingers to grope at the bottom. Tiny, tiny diamond, where are you, come out, will you? Her breaths were burning hot and scant. Jets of water assaulted her unyieldingly, and she was soaked from head to toe. She couldn’t open her eyes, as water besieged her in waves.
Tiny, tiny diamond, where are you......
Xiao Mi dived into the water.
Her dress and hair lightly buffeted onto the surface; her fingers felt the bottom in the icy cold water......
Tiny, tiny diamond, where are you......
When Xiao Mi leapt into the water, she made a splash.
A spray of water landed on the back of Yi Tang Yao’s hand.
His hand hung loosely and leisurely beside his thigh. After some time, his fingers suddenly trembled. He restrained it, yet, his fingers trembled again and slowly tightened. He inhaled, trying to laugh it off. But, his fingers were already balled into a fist.
A long period of time passed since the water dried off Yi Tang Yao’s hand.
In the fountain pool, Xiao Mi finally straightened. She waved her hand, jets of water raining down on her body with a clear transparency. Within the white curtain of water, her ecstatic smile seemed to impale the air straight into his heart. She waved at the faraway him, shouting something. But the fountain was too loud, and her voice was inaudible.
Yi Tang Yao took a few steps towards her.
Before he could make clear on what exactly he wanted to do, he had already winded across the fountain, his hand outstretched towards Xiao Mi.
The sound of the fountain was deafening.
Xiao Mi stood in front of him, sodden. Her pathetic state resembled a fish out of water. Water trickled down her entire body.
Yi Tang Yao’s hand hovered in mid-air.
Gazing at his hand, she froze, and raised her head to stare at him. A feeble smile quietly blossomed from the corners of her lips. Then, she extended her hand—
The two hands inched closer......
Fingers touching......
Her fingers were freezing......
His were scalding hot......
All of a sudden, Xiao Mi fell straight back into the water. “Bam—“A huge wave of water surged out from the pool!
* * *
The hospital was saturated with people, the corridors chaotic. Doctors and nurses hurried along; patients wandered; visitors paced about; hospital beds were pushed around. Wei Guo Guo and Cheng Yuan rushed into the hospital breathlessly, hustling through people who blocked their paths. Three floors, east end, into ward 302.
The door to the ward jolted open!
“Xiao Mi!”
Wei Guo Guo shrieked as she bolted into the room. A sudden call that Xiao Mi was admitted to hospital and that they had to come over, without an explanation on her condition and why she ended up there, before the line was cut off. Along the way, both she and Cheng Yuan were so worried, they couldn’t manage a word between them.
As the door closed, Cheng Yuan saw that there weren’t doctors or emergency equipment, and her heart relaxed. She understood now that Xiao Mi’s condition shouldn’t be critical.
Wei Guo Guo propelled herself to the front of the bed, screaming.
“Xiao Mi! Xiao Mi! How are you feeling now?!”
Xiao Mi laid quietly on the bed, her hair damp and complexion paler than the white of the pillow. Her lips held a purplish tinge. She slept deeply, her right fist clenched.
A drip was suspended beside her bed.
Fluids trickled slowly along the tube into her thin wrist, which seemed to hold an unknown scratch mark.
“Be quiet, she’s sleeping.”
Cheng Yuan whispered, and pulled the frantic Wei Guo Guo away from the bed.
“Oh.”
Wei Guo Guo glanced at Xiao Mi, and lightly tiptoed to a corner furthest from the bed. Huu, she hoped she hadn’t disrupted her sleep.
The ward fell into an abrupt silence.
The air seemed to contain only Xiao Mi’s frail breaths in her sleep.
Wei Guo Guo’s gaze shifted from the hospital bed, and it was then she realized in shock. There’s someone else in the ward!
Yi Tang Yao leaned on a wall, in the corner, distanced approximately three to four metres from Xiao Mi’s bed. His hands were loosely tucked into the pockets of his jeans, his gaze dark. His face was casted in the shadow of the room, his expression obscure.
Wei Guo Guo marched over, pointing at him. “Right, Xiao Mi went out for a date with you today, didn’t she? What did you do to her, for her to end up in hospital?!”
Yi Tang Yao seemed to be swallowed into the darkness.
Wei Guo Guo continued to shout. “Hey! Xiao Mi treated you so well; running 10,000m for you, writing a thesis for you, she even wore the thin dress you gave her...... Don’t you know she’s sick? She had a high fever! 39 degrees! I refused to let her go, but she insisted, and was even worried about making you wait. She set off early before 10! Tell me! What exactly did you do to her!”
“Guo Guo!”
Cheng Yuan hissed. She told her to be silent, yet she still screamed her head off. Yi Tang Yao is incorrigible; everyone in Sheng Shu knows that. Hopefully, Xiao Mi would learn from this lesson and wake up from her mistakes from now on.
Wei Guo Guo clasped her mouth in shock. Aiya, she forgot everything in anger. She shot a death glare at Yi Tang Yao, suppressing an infuriated growl from her lips.
Yi Tang Yao still wore an indifferent expression. He didn’t look at Wei Guo Guo, and didn’t seem to hear her talking as well. The rims of his eyes were dark, his lips tight.
All of a sudden—
His body straightened, and he started walking in the direction of the bed.
“Hey! What are you doing?!”
Wei Guo Guo hastily blocked him from advancing with her hands. Does he want to hurt Xiao Mi again? Yi Tang Yao pushed her hands away, and positioned himself beside Xiao Mi.
“Awake?”
His voice was hoarse.
Wei Guo Guo hurried over as well, and lowered her head. Sigh. Xiao Mi laid quietly, as her eyelids fluttered. It looked as if her eyes contained morning’s dew; they were slightly moist.
Xiao Mi struggled to sit up, her eyes flitting from the anxious Wei Guo Guo to the concerned Cheng Yuan, who stood a little further away. She whispered feebly.
“Thank you. I’m fine.”
Wei Guo Guo panicked, and pushed her back onto the bed, with a yell. “How can you be fine? Would you be in hospital if nothing happened?! Tell me, what has Yi Tang Yao done to you?!”
“Nothing. I’m really fine.”
Xiao Mi squeezed out a weak smile, then, her gaze fell onto Yi Tang Yao.
She stared at him.
Giving him an angelic smile.
Her voice was ethereal. She enunciated to him—
“I found it.”
She strained to lift her left arm, her tightly clenched fist uncurled to reveal a diamond; a minuscule, tiny diamond. Maybe it was because she held it tightly for too long, the diamond etched a small but deep bruise in her palm.
Yi Tang Yao’s gaze was riveted on that diamond.
The diamond in her palm suddenly radiated beams of hypnotizing light!
* * *
Dusk gradually enveloped the land.
Two ivory buildings, built in European-style with garden features, stood face to face, separated by a road. Under the dizzying sunset, the fields of fauna in the two gardens were dyed in a gentle tint, their fragrance bathed in a light foam.
As Pei You parked his car, prepared to step into his house, he saw that the neighbour’s door was left ajar, yet the inside of the house was dark.
Pei You knocked on the door and entered, probing as he walked. “Mother Yi? Yao? Anyone home?”
No one answered.
The living room was so silent it seemed as if no one was there.
As Pei You’s eyes adjusted to the surrounding darkness, he found Yi Tang Yao sitting in his spacious French leather sofa, his eyes closed.
Pei You walked over and sat beside him, patting his shoulder. “Hey, what are you thinking about?” It’s rare to see Yao this distracted.
Yi Tang Yao jolted awake, his eyes opened to see Pei You, someone he had grown up with since young. His lips curved as a greeting. Then, he started to fall into yet another trance. His handsome features abruptly held the helplessness of a child.
Pei You studied him closely. “I heard from Director Ren, you went to the hospital today?”
“Mm.”
“Heehee, that’s rare.” Pei You stroked his nose with a grin. “Wouldn’t you die than step into the hospital? Yet, you went there on your accord today.”
Yi Tang Yao fidgeted, his expression awkward.
“I heard, you were carrying a girl in. Your expression was panicked, yelling and commanding for the director to examine the girl himself.” Pei You started laughing. “Yao, you’re in love, aren’t you? Congrats.”
“Director Ren is such a bigmouth!” Yi Tang Yao cussed, his face reddened.
“Who is that girl? You have to introduce her to me someday. Heehee, to have been able to make our Young Master Yao this tense.” Pei You teased him, but his face contained a gentle ecstasy.
“No. She’s nothing but a lunatic.”
Yi Tang Yao’s voice sounded inspirited.
“Lunatic?” Pei You was even more curious now. What lunatic, could make Yao this awkwardly shy and nervous.
Yi Tang Yao fell into silence again.
His face held a strange demeanour. There seemed to be a sparkle in his eyes, but it was mingled with confusion, struggle and exasperation.
His fingers grazed something subconsciously.
Pei Yi scrutinized, and realized that it was that small diamond, shimmering between Yi Tang Yao’s fingers.
“Eh, why did you take down nose stud?” Yao wore it for a very long time; Pei You even had the inclination that the diamond had become a part of Yao.
Yi Tang Yao surveyed the diamond.
The luminescence of the diamond sparkled amidst the dim of the house.
For a long time—
Yi Tang Yao mumbled. “You, if someone told you—she likes you; as long as you’re happy, she’s willing to do anything. And, she really puts her words to action, no matter how unreasonable they are......”
“So it’s that girl?”
“Mm.”
Yi Tang Yao rested his head on the couch, his eyes shut. He embedded the diamond into his palm. “But, why? I’ve always been fierce to her, abominable; there’s shouldn’t be reason......”
Pei You listened on quietly.
“You, I don’t know......”
“Do you like her?” Pei You smiled.
Yi Tang Yao pondered for a moment.
“I don’t know. Just that, every time she smiles at me, I want to be harsh towards her. Even if I’m fierce, she still smiles at me. And then...... I feel like being fiercer......”
“Yao, you moron!” Pei You didn’t know to laugh or cry.
Yi Tang Yao took a deep breath. His eyelids lifted, as a ray of light danced within the rims of his eyes.
“She’s a lunatic.”
“Mm, a moron and a lunatic are a match made in heaven.” Pei You responded solemnly.
“You!”
Yi Tang Yao’s face flushed red.
“Fall in love.” Pei You patted his shoulder, smiling. “You’re already a matured boy; you should delve into a proper relationship for once.”
Yi Tang Yao shoved him. “Stop preaching like my old man, you’re only two years older than me. Oh yeah, why aren’t you dating?”
“Me?” Pei You stroked his nose with a chuckle. “I’m still waiting for that sole woman in my life.”
Yi Tang Yao stared at him with distaste.
Pei You laughed heartily.
The both of them were infected in joy, as the room suddenly permeated with the scent of friendship.
After a while, a troubled expression climbed its way back onto Yi Tang Yao’s face.
“You, I’m worried......”
“What’s the matter?”
Yi Tang Yao was silent.
Pei You grinned, surveying him. “Your body is in good health now, as long as you’re careful, anything is fine. If she’s really a good girl, don’t turn yourself over it anymore, and wholeheartedly fall in love this time. Besides......”
“Mm?”
“You’re already touched by her.”
“I’m not!” Yi Tang Yao almost leapt out of the couch.
“Okay, okay, you didn’t.” Pei You couldn’t help but chuckle. “Then, take it as giving her a chance.”
Is it really—
Possible?
The icy cold diamond was warm from the palm’ heat.
......
“10,000m, is it? I’ll run for him.”
The long red running track.
Her figure blended into the night. Only under the floodlights could you indistinctively see her pale face and lips, as well as the sweat that cascaded feebly like rain.
......
“The thesis is Yi Tang Yao’s!”
She rose abruptly from her seat, her voice hoarse but hurried. She began to cough violently, her face flushed as her body trembled.
He stared into those eyes—
Clear as water, akin to immiscible black and white. They carried desolation, fragility, and an obstinance that would never back down even when against the wall!
......
“If I found the diamond, will you be happy?” Her body was quivering fragilely, coughs restrained from her lips; her complexion ashen, only her cheekbones held streaks of sickly red.
Xiao Mi laid quietly on the bed, her hair damp and complexion paler than the white of the pillow. Her lips held a purplish tinge. She slept deeply, her right fist clenched.
I found it.”
The diamond in her palm suddenly radiated beams of hypnotizing light!
......
Yi Tang Yao took a deep breath, he could hear his heart thumping.
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