Translator: Dj22031
Editor: Dj22031
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The morning sun peeked out, its rays shining on the slightly yellowing leaves, like a layer of fine gold leaf.
Duan Min took You Xu downstairs and handed her the suitcase he was carrying.
“I’m just going to take a look,” You Xu said, taking the suitcase. “I’ll take some pictures for you if they’re nice.”
“Okay.” Duan Min suppressed the disappointment in his heart. He didn’t need those pictures; he just wanted You Xu by his side. But You Xu wanted to go, and he shouldn’t stop her, otherwise she would lose some of her fun and have more regrets.
You Xu pulled her suitcase and left, not daring to look back, afraid she would regret it if she did. Having made her decision, she could only keep going.
Duan Min stood there, quietly watching her receding figure until she disappeared from sight.
He didn’t know how long he stood there before he came to his senses. Without her presence, the surrounding loneliness made his breathing painful.
Duan Min went upstairs to his room, took out the strawberry jam You Xu had made for him, and scooped out a large spoonful.
After a moment, he murmured, “It’s not sweet anymore.”
It turned out that without the person who made it, even the jam had lost its flavor.
You Xu arrived at her destination with a dejected heart. It was a rather secluded mountain, with a large opening halfway up where the mountain stream had formed a lake, and the surrounding maple leaves were fiery red.
She dragged her heavy steps to the mountainside. To be honest, she used to enjoy traveling and seeing natural scenery, but now she had absolutely no interest in it.
Because it was a weekday, there weren’t many tourists. A few people were taking photos, and two or three were sketching with easels.
The lake, situated on the leeward side, was as smooth as a mirror, reflecting the red maple leaves around it. The lake itself was emerald green, blending together like a painting, a truly beautiful sight.
You Xu took out her phone to take a picture and send it to Duan Min.
The dark room was stuffy and oppressive. Duan Min retreated to his original dark room, sitting numbly in a corner, with no light in sight. He didn’t want to do anything, or rather, nothing mattered to him anymore.
Until the phone lit up with a faint light, a glimmer of light appeared in his eyes. He immediately picked up his phone and checked the message.
He used to not use a phone when he was alone. Later, when You Xu went to the supermarket to buy groceries, she would often call to ask if he wanted any fresh vegetables or delicious snacks. That’s how he developed the habit of carrying a phone with him.
So many unconscious habits were formed because of her and became unbearable because of her absence.
The message on his phone was a photo she’d sent. She was wrapped in a bright red scarf, her soft black hair tousled and slightly messy, dappled with sunlight filtering through the leaves.
She smiled in the sunlight, her eyes sparkling.
She was so radiant and beautiful in public, making even the maple leaves behind her seem pale in comparison. Her beauty made his throat feel like it was filled with sand, each breath a painful friction. He wanted to close his eyes yet couldn’t bear to look away.
“Ring ring—” The phone rang; it was You Xu calling.
Duan Min took a deep breath, trying to suppress his emotions. When he answered, his tone was the same as before, softly calling out, “You Xu.”
“Duan Min, have you eaten the strawberry jam?” You Xu asked.
Duan Min: “Yes.”
“Eat slowly, don’t eat three jars a day, only one jar a day. I’ll make you a new one when we finish this one,” You Xu said. “And the recipe— once you’ve learned it enough, I’ll write more for you when I get back.”
“Okay.” His voice was low and soft.
….
The day You Xu returned was overcast. Dragging her suitcase, she saw Duan Min standing downstairs waiting, having waited for who knows how long.
The moment he saw You Xu, his dull eyes lit up, and a smile involuntarily curved his lips as he reached out to take her suitcase.
You Xu pulled her scarf down a little, revealing her chin: “Didn’t I say I’d call before coming down? Even though there aren’t many people here, people still pass by from time to time, and you…”
“It’s okay,” he said.
You Xu sighed and pulled him upstairs.
She opened the door and glanced around; not much had changed, after all, she had only been gone for three days.
But Duan Min had changed a lot.
In the following days, Duan Min was incredibly clingy, following her everywhere she went. He didn’t sleep at night, always lingering by her door, as if afraid she would sneak away in the middle of the night.
Besides that, she felt that Duan Min was doing everything he could to please her.
He tried his best to cook all sorts of food for her, carefully talked to her, and tried to guess her thoughts. If she showed any interest in something, he would immediately get it for her.
For example, if she just wanted a few chestnuts, he would have his puppet carry back a whole box.
He would do anything without hesitation to make her happy, no matter how small.
You Xu didn’t like this, but she couldn’t change Duan Min’s state. He was too afraid of losing her, and she was destined to leave this world.
Two days later, You Xu bought a large box of strawberries and a large jar of rock sugar. While she was washing the strawberries in the kitchen, Duan Min suddenly asked uneasily, “Are you leaving again?”
You Xu paused, biting her lip before saying, “Yes, the snow scenery in the north is beautiful, I want to go see it.” She almost couldn’t say it.
“Fifteen days?” He glanced at the fifteen glass jars on the table.
“Yes.”
You Xu didn’t dare look up at his expression; the strawberries in her hands felt like thorns, making them difficult to wash.
Duan Min clenched his teeth, his fingertips digging into his palm, desperately trying to suppress the bitterness in his heart.
She was leaving again, leaving again. The scenery outside was so beautiful; nothing he did could keep her.
Duan Min lowered his eyes: “I don’t want it.”
“Hmm?”
“I don’t want strawberry jam,” Duan Min said, each word distinct, “If strawberry jam is only a parting gift, I will never eat it again, never want it again.”
The bright red strawberries in her hand were like his clenched heart.
So glaring.
So painful.
….
You Xu still left, taking the car north, watching the buildings and trees rushing past the window, her heart heavy and choked.
Duan Min was too dependent on her; she had no choice but to let him gradually adapt to her departure— three days, half a month, and then completely disappear.
To give him a heads-up and then let him adjust to the days without her.
When Duan Min was left alone in the large room again, he retreated to his dark room, the only light coming from his phone screen. He repeatedly looked at the photos of You Xu outside.
She was doing so well out there; she belonged in the sunlight.
Why couldn’t he stand with her?
His fingertips traced the screen, and after a moment, he went into the lab, poured out a large quantity of pills, and took out a handful of injections.
….
Half a month later, You Xu returned, and from afar, she saw Duan Min waiting downstairs.
The moonlight was thin, the cold wind blew, and the streetlights cast his long, lonely shadow. You Xu felt a pang of pain in her heart and lowered her eyes.
Duan Min took her suitcase, and the two went upstairs.
In the room, as Duan Min took off his black trench coat, You Xu noticed how much weight he had lost, how haggard he looked, and the obvious dark circles under his eyes, as if he hadn’t slept well.
But the moment he saw her, his eyes filled with a smile.
“Following your recipes, I’ve learned to cook fifteen more dishes. Let me cook for you from now on.”
“I’ve taken good care of the jasmine, but because of winter, many of them have withered.”
“I’ve cleaned the room very well, just like before you left.”
“I bought many storybooks. I’ll read them to you when you come back, or I can read them to you.”
“You Xu,” he said softly, his gaze tender, “I missed you so much.”
You Xu clutched the clothes in her hands silently. Before, she would praise Duan Min for anything he did with care, even just a few simple words would make him happy, because he felt she cared for him.
But now, she couldn’t express anything anymore.
Duan Min sensed her silence and fell silent as well, hiding the disappointment in his eyes. He smiled and said, “You must be tired from your journey. Go to your room and rest. I’ll call you when I’ve finished cooking.”
You Xu nodded, went back to her bedroom, lay down on the bed, and let out a long sigh.
Just then, her phone beeped. You Xu opened it and saw a text message from You Qi: “Cousin, the paperwork for going abroad is done. Tell me your departure date and I’ll book the tickets.”
You Xu replied: “Okay, in three days.”
In just half a month, Duan Min had changed so much that You Xu almost felt he was a completely different person.
He used to rarely smile, at most a hint of amusement in his eyes and a slight curve of his lips. But now he smiled constantly, a gentle smile, becoming meticulous and considerate in everything he did, as if he had transformed from a boy into a man overnight. You Xu, on the other hand, had become the one being taken care of.
When she mentioned leaving for the third time, the man’s calm gaze shattered instantly. He forced a smile, saying, “Okay, I’ll wait for you to come back.”
This time, what surprised You Xu the most was that Duan Min followed her out and took her to the airport.
She was very worried about his condition the whole way, afraid he might have a relapse. She didn’t know what he had done. Despite the constant flow of people and cars, he only broke out in a cold sweat; his condition remained relatively stable.
You Xu squeezed his hand: “How are you?”
“I’m fine, it’s okay.” Duan Min reached out and touched the top of her head.
At the airport, there were even more people around. You Xu could feel his tense body, yet he insisted on taking her to the airport. Gritting her teeth, she held back the tears welling in her eyes, sniffed, and lowered her head, not daring to look at him. “Duan Min, goodbye.”
Then, she pulled her suitcase and turned, her heart sinking with each step.
The distance between them widened, and many pedestrians passed between them. The airport announcements echoed continuously. Duan Min watched her retreating figure, and suddenly a painful unease welled up in his heart.
“You Xu!” He stepped forward, took her hand, and looked down at her expression.
Duan Min’s eyelashes trembled, his breath quivering slightly. “Will you come back?”
You Xu paused, then looked up, meeting his panicked eyes. “Life is so long, there’s always a time to return,” she said with a smile, the same smile she had when she first met him, a shallow dimple appearing in her smile.
Duan Min lowered his eyes, removed his mask, pulled down her scarf, leaned down, and gently kissed her.
You Xu stared at him, stunned.
Duan Min wrapped the scarf around her again, leaving only her large, bright eyes visible.
“I’ll wait for you, You Xu.”
“I’ll always wait for you to come back.”
“This time I could accompany you to the airport, next time I will accompany you to see the world.”
Then, we’ll never be apart again.
The author has something to say:
Waaaaaah, I shed two crocodile tears [runs away with a pot on my head].
Tomorrow this little world ends, a new world begins.
T/N: DM is my fave yandere ML…. he just loves her so sincerely….
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