Waterbound Love - Chapter 21

“Can I understand that you’re here alone to lick your wounds?” Watching Du Bai leave, Shen Yan sat for a while before following her out. She initially just wanted to check on her, but the sight of that lonely figure tugged deeply at her heart. She longed to approach and smooth down the wind-tousled strands of her hair. However, she knew that she had long lost the privilege of standing intimately beside her.

“If thinking that makes you happy, then so be it.” Still looking out the window, without turning back, Du Bai’s indifferent tone ignited Shen Yan’s anger.

Shen Yan walked towards Du Bai, tilting her head slightly against the window frame as she gazed at Du Bai’s profile. The moonlight illuminated her face, clean and transparent yet so distant. Du Bai continued to gaze out the window, and Shen Yan thought, perhaps this is better; at least she didn’t have to hide the love brimming in her eyes. The air was filled with warmth, freezing the ambiguity, creating an exquisitely beautiful picture. Many years later, when Shen Yan looked back on this moment, she was still full of envy, wishing time could have stopped then and there.

“From beginning to end, I’ve always watched you. I saw the fleeting pain in your eyes, but I didn’t sense the surprise you should have felt.” Ignoring Du Bai’s silence, Shen Yan continued, “I can only think of Shao; she wouldn’t have told you due to her nature. Do I hold so little space in your heart that I can’t provoke any emotion from you?”

A long, very long silence ensued, long enough for Shen Yan to think she would never get an answer. “For something I’ve always known, there’s no need to be surprised, right?” Du Bai’s expression was cold and detached, showing no hint of joy or sorrow.

Shen Yan frowned. “That’s impossible. I never told anyone.”

Du Bai smiled, turning to meet Shen Yan’s eyes. “When Wei Jia visited me in the hospital after she left, I knew.” Seeing Shen Yan’s slightly furrowed brows, Du Bai closed her eyes briefly, figuring it was time to speak out. “Do you remember the colorful jade you brought me from Yunnan? I examined it; it was part of a pair, with only subtle differences. In the hospital, I saw the jade on her hand. I didn’t have the chance to give her mine.”

She didn’t want to look at Shen Yan now, to deceive herself, not wanting to see the unfamiliarity and resentment on her face.

“Hahahaha, so you knew back then, didn’t you?”

Faced with Shen Yan’s question, Du Bai nodded weakly, continuing to stare out the window.

Shen Yan continued laughing, and it took a long while for her to stop. She murmured to herself, “How foolish I am. How could I ever compete with you, heartless and cold Du Bai?” She paused to gaze out the window together, “You’re right. That bracelet was a pair. I intended to give it to you, but later thought you’d inevitably give it to her. Keeping it made no sense, so I gave them both to her. It turned out to be my biggest mistake.”

“I’ve been with her for so long, yet I still don’t know what it is about her that draws you, makes you think of her so devotedly.” Perhaps, after the initial shock and pain, everything returns to calm.

“You’re the second person to ask me that tonight.” After a pause, Du Bai continued, “But I don’t want to repeat my answer. I’ll just say I understand her better than you imagine, but my persistence has nothing to do with that.”

Shen Yan flicked away her cigarette butt, lit a new one, and handed it to Du Bai, just like the first time they smoked together. But their feelings were completely different now. “I thought you would be angry, accuse me, even hate me.”

“One must bear the consequences of their choices, the same applies to you and me. No third person, no matter how close, has the right to interfere.” Having chosen to let go, who could she blame?

“Do you not hate me?” She asked so cautiously, Shen Yan bitterly smiled to herself; she seemingly lacked the courage to bear the answer.

“Just as you wouldn’t hate me, I won’t hate you. I might get angry, I might seek revenge, but in the end, I can’t bring myself to hate. Isn’t that right? Because we are still friends.”

“Friends?” Shen Yan let out a bitter laugh. How had she forgotten? She knew her so well – once she made up her mind, she wouldn’t change. After a long pause, she couldn’t help but ask, “If I hadn’t intervened, would you two still be together now?”

Du Bai was taken aback for a moment and then turned to look at Shen Yan, slightly frowning. “You and I both know there are no ‘what ifs,’ right?” With that, she turned her head back to the window. Even if there were, the answer would still be no, because too much has passed between us and taught me too much. Even if I exhausted all my efforts to be with her, we wouldn’t be happy. It would just ruin the beauty of what once was.

“There’s nothing outside the window worth looking at so intently, is there?”

Du Bai gave a slight smile. “After seeing so much intrigue and deceit, the calm scene outside this window is more captivating to me. It’s so relaxing not having to be in the midst of it.”

Tonight seemed to be a magical night where many things were resolved, and many things were just beginning. It feels like every day is like this-old matters fade away with the wind, new matters begin to blossom, and once they blossom, what then? They blossom and that’s that, I suppose.

“Du Bai, open the door for me.” Shao’s high-decibel voice successfully shook Du Bai out of her drowsiness.

Du Bai, still half-asleep, opened the door. “What is it?”

Shao barged in, grabbing Du Bai by the collar. “You sure are something, huh? It’s only been a few days and you’ve already attracted another one.”

Looking at the fuming Shao, Du Bai asked, “Can you act normal? I haven’t even lost my temper yet, so what’s your problem?”

“She’s different from the girls you usually hang out with. She’s too innocent. Why did you approach her?”

“Stop right there. Who approached her? Who did anything to her?”

“You did. The girl you sang with yesterday-someone said she likes you.”

Du Bai rolled her eyes and walked straight to the dining table to pour herself a glass of water. “Sis, wait until someone says I like her before you come at me with a knife, okay?” She gulped down the water. “I had no idea my emotional debts were so publicly transparent.”

By this time, Shao had also calmed down. “I don’t care who you play around with, but not her.”

Du Bai put down the glass. “Oh, did I hit the nail on the head? Have you developed a taste for her?”

Shao gave Du Bai a sidelong glance. “Don’t talk nonsense. She’s my friend’s sister.” With that, she fell silent. Du Bai didn’t press further, giving her enough time to reminisce.

The doorbell rang, and Du Bai sighed silently. Who could it be so early in the morning? She opened the door, and there stood the source of her disrupted sleep. Women really are a case of trouble coming in pairs. Seeing Shao’s intense gaze, Du Bai shrugged helplessly.

“Oh, they’ve come right to the door, huh? Just now, someone was making excuses.” Looking at Yaoyao’s suddenly pale face, Du Bai sighed again. “Come in. My wife gets jealous, no need to mind her.” With that, she wrapped an arm around Shao’s shoulder.

“Who’s your wife?” Du Bai suppressed Shao’s resistance and whispered in her ear, “Didn’t you tell me not to mess with her? For once, I’m listening, so play along, or else I can’t promise anything.” She then playfully changed the subject, “Right, you’re not my wife, you’re my lover.”

“Hahaha,” Shao laughed dryly, while pinching Du Bai’s waist. Du Bai tried not to grimace, thinking how ruthless Shao was indeed.

Honestly, if Du Bai knew the full story, she’d realize how kind Shao was for not doing more to her. Yaoyao was the sister of someone Shao loved deeply, and thus Shao was very protective. Du Bai’s words had unwittingly complicated Shao’s romantic pursuits. Shao chuckled to herself, thinking, whatever, she’ll just go with the flow since she didn’t know how much longer she could hold on.

Yaoyao felt like the odd one out among these two perfect people. “This is your wallet. They all got drunk yesterday, and when you didn’t come back, I brought it over since it has your IDs.” Du Bai frowned slightly, guessing that she might have seen the photos inside. Was she being redundant now?

“Thank you.”

“No problem. If there’s nothing else, I’ll leave now.”

“I’ll walk you out,” Du Bai said, glancing at her attire. “Wait a bit.”

“No need, someone’s waiting for me downstairs.” With that, Du Bai thought better of insisting; she couldn’t drive, so how could she see her off anyway?

Actually, Yaoyao felt quite puzzled. She knew that Shao liked her brother, yet the playful banter between her and Du Bai seemed very real. What puzzled her even more was Du Bai herself. Yesterday, during the singing, there was an undeniable chemistry between Du Bai and that girl, but today, she was claiming Shao as her lover. And what about the photos in her wallet, or the conversation from last night? With a helpless sigh, Yaoyao left feeling disheartened.

The conversation between Du Bai and Shen Yan yesterday was partly overheard by Yaoyao. Du Bai’s words had deeply attracted her, which was why she didn’t return the wallet right away. She didn’t expect to witness such a scene today.

Yaoyao asked herself if she should give up. She really didn’t want to. A girl as pure and steadfast as crystal, once in love, finds it hard to turn back.

Yaoyao glanced sorrowfully at Du Bai’s window, thinking maybe she shouldn’t have declined earlier. She could have had a chance to see her a bit longer.

Meanwhile, Du Bai and Shao stood by the window, watching the figure below gradually walk away until she disappeared. They felt a certain indescribable emotion.

“Falling for her?” Shao probed the silent Du Bai. “Promise me not to pursue her, at least not until you’ve forgotten Lian Yinyun, okay?”

“How can I forget? Heh,” Du Bai replied, running her hand through Shao’s long hair. “Don’t worry, I won’t actively pursue her.” Or rather, she never actively pursued anyone.

Shao sensed something amiss and wanted to argue but seeing Du Bai dozing off on the couch, looking so innocent and defenseless, she held her tongue.

In the end, they are all pitiful souls. To love is to lose one’s nature and begin a path of sorrow. Whether it brings joy or pain, the outcome is the same.

The two of them grew distant, but they would still cross paths. Perhaps the next time they do, it might be the start of emotions that cannot be concealed.