"It should feel this warm, clean, and bright!"

From that moment on, the world mattered again.

She, who once was not persistent towards others, now yearned for happiness, to know this boy, to absorb every color of his soul, filling the empty shell called 'Mayi Asuka.'

The voices of others, through the glass, only the whispers of Dubian Che, like those to the mouth of a bottle, each word, each breath, moistened her heart like mist.

She wanted to be with him.

Mayi Asuka wanted to be with Dubian Che.

She approached slowly, then with heated pursuit.

Before the school trip, on the day she misunderstood that he was going to confess to her, on the way home on the train, she stood in front of the train doors.

Her reflection in the glass showed her ordinary face, and as she looked at it, her mind wandered to the school trip.

It was the first time she had fantasized about the future.

She closed her eyes, her head resting against the train door, her plain face lifting into a faint smile.

She played with a strand of long hair next to her ear.

But that was not the reality.

Dubian Che rejected her, calling himself a scoundrel motivated by money, his hands clasping her throat as if to strangle her.

Mayi Asuka closed her eyes quietly, feeling for the first time utterly alone and forlorn.

She didn't blame Dubian Che, nor did she care what kind of person he was.

At that time, she cherished the warmth of his hands around her neck.

By the time she recalled this, dinner was already over.

Mayi Asuka couldn't remember what she had eaten, and she had forgotten what anyone had said to her, and her responses were all forgotten; she probably just murmured "Uh-huh."

The only thing she remembered was the clink of glasses, hers touching Dubian Che's.

This was the happiest moment of her day, aside from when Dubian Che had adjusted her sleeves.

Parting in the elevator, leaving Dubian Che, was when her night truly began.

Back in her room, everything was cozy; the things Dubian Che bought for her were all there, neither more nor less.

She set her luggage aside, placed the roses of the past two days on the table, and sat kneeling on the sofa to rest.

According to the books, she loved Dubian Che, but she couldn't tell if this really was love.

She didn't care how badly he treated her, as long as he stayed with her;

she didn't care how many girlfriends he had, as long as he stayed with her;

Is loving someone feeling complete only when you're together to the extent that your soul finds solace?

From books, from TV, she saw that love didn't seem to be this way.

Hugging her knees, Mayi Asuka looked at the champagne-colored roses on the table, feeling no joy at receiving his flowers – was this what love looked like?

But looking at him made her very happy.

His even, lingering breaths;

His long, strong legs;

His laughter, rare but always memorable, sometimes light, other times heavy;

His casual talk, hard to distinguish between truth and lies;

His footsteps, neither forceful nor gentle, each step incredibly stable;

His hair, often in a cool disarray, yet always so stylish.

She loved every part of him, loved all of him, he was irreplaceable.

Mayi Asuka, still in a kneeling position, collapsed onto the sofa.

She had no family, didn't care about family, it didn't matter if her family didn't care about her;

She had no friends, didn't care about friends, it was okay if friends neglected her;

Dubian Che was special to her, he was her everything.

She, Mayi Asuka, was someone who had nothing but Dubian Che, who desired nothing else.

"Che..."

As long as she closed her eyes, every word Dubian Che said to her, every time he embraced her, would emerge deep within her heart.

She got by on the memories, filling all the time without Dubian Che by her side.

This was enough; she was already content.

◇

After dinner, Dubian Che went up to the sixth floor.

Upon opening the door, he saw the warm lights on but did not see Mayi Asuka's welcoming figure.

"Senior?" He changed his shoes and walked into the living room.

Mayi Asuka was curled up on the sofa, sleeping soundly.

Dubian Che tiptoed over to the sofa, watching her sleeping face quietly.

It was rare to see Mayi Asuka sleeping; when he was awake, she was definitely awake.

Her delicate, exquisite face, those thin, soft lips, and the hair that fell over her shoulders made her seem somewhat vulnerable.

Dubian Che simply sat cross-legged on the floor, leaning his elbow on his knee, chin rested on his palm, quietly watching her.

The weather was still sweltering, and as she slept, a fine sweat formed on her forehead, her bangs sticking to it, her face showing discomfort.

Dubian Che turned his head to glance at the table and gently pulled out a script from under the roses to fan her with.

Though faint, the cool and consistent breeze let Mayi Asuka sink back into a deep sleep.

"Hmm~" She emitted a soft nasal sound, her long eyelashes quivered, and she slowly opened her eyes.

"Awake?" Dubian Che asked in a low voice, smiling.

"Che?" Mayi Asuka sat up, "When did you get here?"

"Not long, maybe half an hour," Dubian Che said, uncertain without checking the time.

"Why didn't you wake me up?"

"Why should I wake you? Is there something you needed to do?"

"I wanted to spend more time with Che, sleeping is such a waste," Mayi Asuka slid off the bed, sitting on Dubian Che's lap, her hands on his shoulders.

Looking at Mayi Asuka, who spoke in a calm tone, Dubian Che was filled with all kinds of emotions.

These feelings intertwined, forming a resolute belief:

He must give Mayi a happy future.

Dubian Che let go of the script and wrapped his arms around Mayi Asuka's waist.

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