White Roses and Red Roses - Chapter 1

On May 20th, it rained all day long.

Early in the morning, I sent a message to Qin Rui, asking if he wanted to celebrate the day together.

It took him ages to reply, and when he finally did, he simply asked, “What day?”

Even through the screen, I could picture him frowning slightly, looking indifferent and impatient.

So, even while squeezing into the elevator with a piece of bread in my mouth, I struggled to type out an explanation: “May 20th sounds like ‘I love you’ in Chinese, it’s like Valentine’s Day.”

“This counts as Valentine’s Day?”

Knowing he responds better to softness than force, I tried to be coy: “I just want to see you. I’m interning, you’re negotiating contracts, and we haven’t seen each other for a week!”

Sure enough, Qin Rui agreed, “Alright.”

I pushed my luck further: “Can you say you love me?”

“…”

As expected, Qin Rui said nothing, as if he hadn’t seen the message at all, casually replying, “Go to work.”

We’ve known each other for nine years and dated for three, and he’s never said he loves me.

Only on the day I confessed, Qin Rui placed his baseball cap on my head and said, “Alright.”

“Anyway, besides you, I can’t think of anyone else I could date.”

I knew his stubborn nature, so I mentally translated that into “Qin Rui likes and only likes Wen Yu,” and was happy all night.

In front of Qin Rui, I seem to always have this skill.

Life after dating didn’t change much; I still chased after Qin Rui.

He was busy, having started his own studio from his sophomore year.

I knew he wanted to make something of himself to show his father, so I quietly supported him all the way.

I met my best friend Xu Aile during that time.

Her mother’s company was in the same office building as Qin Rui’s studio. I was buying a latte at the café downstairs when I happened to see Xu Aile arguing with her persistent ex-boyfriend.

I stepped in to help her, and from then on, she became my best friend throughout college.

That evening, Qin Rui accompanied me to take Xu Aile home, which wasn’t far, just in a quiet villa area in the bustling city center.

On the way back, Qin Rui was silent. No matter how much I tried to tease him, he didn’t speak, leaving me a bit dejected:

“Why aren’t you talking to me? Is it because I wasted your time? Then I don’t want you anymore.”

Qin Rui reacted strongly, suddenly turning around and striding up to me, lowering his head to kiss me fiercely.

He kissed me so hard that my lips were bruised, sending a sharp pain through them.

“…It hurts.”

Qin Rui released my lips, but his hands still gripped my shoulders tightly: “Don’t say you don’t want me, Wen Yu, never say such things.”

His eyes were red with anxiety.

I couldn’t stand him like this, so I leaned my face closer, gently nuzzling him: “I was kidding, I will never leave you.”

When I said those words, I was so earnest and sincere.

I truly believed that I loved him so much, I would never leave him.

Since the age of fourteen, when I saw him sitting at the entrance of the building covered in blood, our destinies were irreversibly intertwined.

Under the warm yellow glow of the streetlight, Qin Rui held me for a long, long time, then suddenly raised his hand to check his watch: “The last subway has stopped running.”

“…Then let’s stay out tonight.”

It took me a lot of effort to say those words, my throat dry with nervousness.

In the end, Qin Rui took me to a nearby hotel and naturally said, “Two rooms.”

“…”

I can’t quite describe the feeling at that moment.

It was a mix of disappointment and relief.