章節 43: Time Together
"Looks like they won't bother you anymore, but if they do, just let me know, okay? We'll be there for you," Yasushi assured, giving Furuya a light punch on the chest, causing him to flinch.
"Sure thing, man. See you tomorrow," Furuya replied, reciprocating the gesture before heading inside his house.
An hour passed since the incident with Daiki, and the trio hurriedly left the scene as the snowfall intensified with the approaching evening.
Yasushi and Jingliu walked away from Furuya's place without saying a word. However, Jingliu, walking silently beside Yasushi, noticed bruises and scraped skin on his right hand.
"You really gave it to him," Jingliu remarked softly.
Yasushi let out a sigh, his gaze fixed ahead. "Yeah, I can't stand people like him," he murmured.
In his past life, Yasushi hadn't been perfect, and neither was he in this one. However, he never sank to the depths Daiki did. He harbored a deep dislike for individuals like Daiki and often sought them out or targeted them when he was looking for fights.
During his youth in his previous life, he had been close to a girl whom he considered almost like a little sister. She was one of the few sources of solace he had in that world. Tragically, she took her own life following a certain event. Both Yasushi and she had tried to seek help from the authorities, but it became a matter of his word against the more popular guy's, and she was disbelieved, ultimately leading to her tragic decision.
In the aftermath of that incident, Yasushi's mental state spiraled downward. It drove him to actively pursue that boy, resulting in a violent confrontation that left the boy hospitalized and incapable of fathering children. Despite this descent into darkness, Yasushi's intellect proved to be a double-edged sword.
He meticulously covered his tracks, crafting a web of convincing alibis that shielded him from a prison sentence. However, despite his best efforts, suspicions lingered like a heavy cloud, casting doubt on his innocence. The lack of concrete evidence made it challenging to pin him down definitively, with most of the accusations resting on circumstantial grounds.
Lost in contemplation, Yasushi turned to Jingliu when he sensed her gentle squeeze on his hand. "Shall we indulge in some pastries? I'll summon Yinhaie to fetch us," she proposed, to which Yasushi readily assented, albeit with a lingering sense of peculiarity.
"Yeah," he murmured, his mind still adrift. They promptly proceeded to the patisserie, acquired their desired treats, and awaited Yinhaie outside.
"Here," Jingliu offered, extending a petite cupcake toward Yasushi's lips. He hesitated momentarily before accepting the offering, nibbling at its sweetness.
Not to dampen the mood, Yasushi retrieved his own cupcake, playfully directing it toward Jingliu's mouth, eliciting a delighted response. This playful exchange, laden with unspoken sentiments, continued until Yinhaie's car arrived. As they entered, Jingliu, this time, settled beside Yasushi in the backseat, leaning against him in comfortable silence.
"We'll be dining a bit later this evening. I've also been briefed on the earlier events and everything's been sorted. Daiki's being reassigned, so you needn't concern yourselves with him any longer," Yinhaie disclosed as the car hummed to life, setting off homeward.
Jingliu and Yasushi acknowledged her words with quiet nods, slipping back into their familiar quietude. Yet, Yasushi caught a glimpse of Yinhaie's smirk in the rearview mirror. When their eyes met through the reflection, her expression swiftly shifted, veering to a neutral facade focused on the road ahead.
The remainder of the journey passed in silence, save for sporadic remarks from Yinhaie, hinting at the pending discussion about the day's events. They understood she intended to delve deeper later, perhaps for a formal account to Jingliu's father and Yasushi's parents.
+-+
"Lord Yasushi, may I have a word with you before you depart?" Yinhaie inquired as they crossed the threshold. She then turned to Jingliu, saying, "You may take your leave, Lady Jingliu. This won't detain us long, so don't fret."
Jingliu hesitated, her gaze fixed on Yinhaie for a moment before she finally departed. Turning to Yasushi, Yinhaie broached, "What's on your mind? Is it regarding the earlier incident?"
"Yes and no," Yinhaie responded cryptically. "We'll discuss that later, after I've briefed Lord Liang Yang and your parents. But for now, it concerns... Lady Jingliu."
"Jingliu?" Yasushi queried, his confusion deepening.
"I don't intend to dictate how you handle your relationships, but I must earnestly request that you do not exploit Lady Jingliu's innocence," Yinhaie began with a serious expression. "It's quite apparent to any observer that she places a great deal of trust in you, although she may not fully comprehend the motivations behind her actions."
"I've had the privilege of witnessing her growth over the years, and I've grown quite protective of her," Yinhaie continued, her tone carrying a weight of concern. "You may not be aware of this, but she was previously engaged. However, it wasn't a love match; rather, it was arranged by both sets of grandparents. The experience left her with a rather negative view of love and romance. Considering her past, I implore you not to coerce her into anything or cause her any emotional distress."
Yasushi gazed at her intently, his breath escaping in a heavy sigh. "I have no intention of causing her any harm. Jingliu possesses a strength far beyond what you perceive, but I'll bear your concerns in mind."
Closing the distance, Yinhaie placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I may not know your full history, but I've lived long enough to recognize emotional scars when I see them. That's why I'm not accusing you of any ill intent toward Lady Jingliu. For both your sakes, I implore you to take the time to grow together and explore new horizons, alright?" Her plea carried a note of earnestness.
"Of course, I'll remember that. Thank you, Yinhaie. Anyway, I should be on my way; exhaustion has caught up with me," Yasushi replied with a nod before taking his leave.
+-+
Upon reaching his room, Yasushi pushed the door ajar to discover Jingliu engrossed in her homework at his desk. She glanced up, offering a nod in his direction. Yasushi joined her, pulling up a chair to sit beside her, diving into his own assignments.
Silence enveloped them for the next two hours as they toiled over their tasks. When they finally finished, tidying up their materials, Jingliu acted swiftly. Before Yasushi could utter a word, she seized his hand, grabbed their bag of treats, and led them to his bed. With gentle insistence, she positioned Yasushi against his pillows and nestled herself between his legs, leaning back against him.
Reaching for the TV remote from the nightstand, Jingliu flicked on the large flatscreen before them, selecting a random movie. Settling comfortably against Yasushi, she began nibbling on their snacks, creating a serene cocoon of shared intimacy amid the glow of the screen.
Yasushi felt a flicker of surprise at Jingliu's actions, but he acquiesced, surrendering to the moment. Words eluded him, yet he recalled his earlier pledge and released a contented, albeit weary sigh. The day's events had stirred memories he wished to bury, yet he strove to find calm amidst the storm.
Jingliu extended a snack toward him, and he accepted, reciprocating the gesture. Their shared quietude deepened into an intimate closeness as they exchanged snacks, their attention divided between each other and the film playing before them.
"Hey... can I ask something? If you're not ready to answer, that's alright," Yasushi ventured, seeking permission from Jingliu. She met his gaze and nodded in affirmation.
"...Yinhaie mentioned you were engaged before... could you share more about it?" he inquired, his voice tinged with curiosity and a hint of apprehension.
Jingliu's response caught Yasushi off guard; she didn't withdraw as he had anticipated, but instead leaned closer to him, enveloping them both in a shared silence. The movie played on, casting shifting shadows across the room as minutes slipped by without words.
Finally, Jingliu broke the stillness. "...It was an arranged marriage orchestrated by both sets of grandparents. There was no love in it. Honestly, it felt suffocating. I had no reference for what a 'good' kind of love looked like; my parents were mostly absent due to my grandparents' influence, and my grandparents themselves were abusive..." Her voice trailed off, carrying the weight of untold burdens.
"You had no basis for understanding what constituted a good or bad relationship? No point of comparison?" Yasushi probed gently, sensing the weight of Jingliu's unspoken experiences.
"There were other factors I'm not prepared to share yet, but I harbored resentment by then. When I finally confided in him, he grew repelled by me and tried to break off the engagement, but it wasn't until my grandparents passed away that it could be undone," Jingliu elaborated, her voice carrying a mix of pain and relief at the release of past traumas.
"So... whatever you confided made him recoil from you?" Yasushi probed gently, to which Jingliu responded with a silent nod. "I understand," he murmured, absorbing the weight of her words.
Once more, a peaceful quiet settled between them. This time, Yasushi encircled Jingliu in his embrace, drawing her close. She leaned into his warmth, a silent acknowledgment of their shared understanding. They remained intertwined throughout the remainder of the movie, reveling in the newfound closeness and mutual comprehension.
Meanwhile, the door stood slightly ajar, allowing Yinhaie a view of the tender moment unfolding between the two. She observed them with a soft smile, silently expressing gratitude toward Yasushi and entrusting Jingliu's well-being to him. Having already placed her trust in him, Yinhaie wanted to witness how he would handle the "new" information he had received, seeing it as a subtle test of his character. In her eyes, he had passed with flying colors.
創作者的想法 
Haruki_Murakami
Haruki_Murakami "A black man's hands can build a castle." -African-American proverb
Meaning: This proverb reflects the resilience, creativity, and capability of Black individuals, suggesting that they are capable of achieving great things and making significant contributions to society.
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榜單 
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