“Second uncle…” Chu Jiao raised her head, the rims of her eyes turning red. “Don’t ever forget me….”
“My name is Chu Jiao…”
“The Chu from the words moving beauty and Jiao from the word delicate….”
Only you were able to truly see my moving beauty, and only you were aware of my delicate side
Thank you. For letting me know the meaning of my name.
Chu Minshen broke into laughter. “Of course I know what my Jiao Jiao is called.” He planted a kiss on the increasingly darkening red mole on the corner of her eye and promised. “My Jiao Jiao, second uncle will never forget you.ever.”
No, you will.
Chu Jiao was unable to hold back her tears as they started trickling down her cheeks.
After I leave, you’ll forget all about me and fall in love with another ‘Chu Jiao’.
Who’s not me.
But you will not know that.
And you will never get to know that.
“Second uncle, do you still remember the story of the ‘Little Prince’ you told me about?” The ticking sound of the countdown echoed in her mind yet Chu Jiao’s heart remained calm. She lied down using Chu Minshen’s arm as a pillow and asked in a low tone.
“En, I remember.”
“Do you still remember what the little prince told the pilot? Before he set off for his journey….”
Chu Jiao answered her own question.
“He said –’You need to understand. The destination is far so I can’t bring this body with me for it is too heavy.’”
“‘But, this is just like peeling off an old tree bark.’”
Chu Minshen was already extremely familiar with this story. When he heard Chu Jiao speak the first half of the dialogue, he immediately followed with the second half of the dialogue. “‘And there’s nothing lamentable about an old tree bark.’
“That’s right…” Chu Jiao murmured. “There’s nothing to bemoan about…”
She thought to herself, there’s nothing to be miserable about. Everything was only a mission. She didn’t fall in love with anybody and she was still the same lonely Chu Jiao.
[The countdown has ended, preparing to send host out….]
[3,2,1.]
“Second uncle, thank you.”
Thank you for letting me know this feeling called warmth.
I will continue to carry this piece of warmth and treat it as if you were here by my side all along.
“Also, I love you.”
Chu Jiao smiled as she shut her eyes. Before she sank into darkness, she laid a kiss on Chu Minshen’s lips like she was leaving behind something and also left these 4 words behind.
She wasn’t able to catch Chu Minshen’s eyes that suddenly brightened when they heard these words and also didn’t hear Chu Minshen’s confession to her–
“Jiao Jiao, I also love you.”
In the dark, a deep and magnetic voice seemed to linger beside her ear just like the voice that lulled her to sleep when she was young, slowly narrating a fairy tale story–
“This is just like a flower. If you fall in love with a flower that grew on top of a star in the sky. You will feel happy and sweet just looking at the night sky because it’s just like seeing all the stars bloom with flowers…”
“You know….my flower……needs me to take care of her……she’s so weak……and so innocent. She only has four negligible thorns to protect herself and resist against outside enemies…”
“I can’t bear to let her stay by herself there…..so…..I will find her….and cherish her…”
[End of the First World]
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