Smile Code (Lost Laughter) 失笑 - Zhu Le 祖乐

57

There could be no more tragic confession than this.

Gu Yi turned around, and Liang Daiwen was still kneeling at the edge of the bed. Upon seeing the velvet box, he became flustered. "This isn't for you, don't overthink it."

"Using a velvet box though..." Gu Yi looked at his half-kneeling posture, her voice trembling. "Don't lie."

But Liang Daiwen straightened up, resolute. "I wouldn't lie to you. I've been keeping it with me to help me sleep, using this box just makes it feel warmer. A transparent box feels eerie, and a plastic one is too rough. It's really not a gift for you."

"Fine, I get it. No need to deny it so much," Gu Yi said, feeling even more upset. His directness in the moment of confession was heart-wrenching.

Liang Daiwen took the velvet box from her hand. "Your pride, courage, and resolve-I'm not giving them back."

"If you had given me a hint that you liked me earlier..."

"That night at your door, I said something to you. You never gave me an answer."

Gu Yi clearly remembered that night, when there was a loud crash next door. Except for "I" and "you," she couldn't hear anything else. Since then, they had been pushing and pulling, and Gu Yi never had a chance to speak. Just looking at him filled her with precious thoughts that were too fleeting to turn into words. She treasured those moments that couldn't be verbalized more than revisiting the past-they felt more alive.

Liang Daiwen wouldn't let go. "That night, I said, 'Don't leave me.' You never gave me an answer. I thought you were just holding me there, thinking I was some kind of emotional handicap. I was ready to be alone. But when you turned and left at the airport, I realized you might like me more than I thought, and that's when I understood what it meant to have my heart broken."

He reached out, pointing at his chest, the man increasingly adept at expressing his sadness. Gu Yi had seen so many men who played with others' youth using their minds, heard so many stories of regret driven by schemes and calculations. But now, looking at Liang Daiwen, she couldn't help but think of the broken robot, Royd, who was repaired after being damaged-people's gazes only soften after they've been hurt. She grabbed the hand that was pointing at his chest, stood on tiptoe to approach him, and wanted to kiss his lonely lips. The hand immediately sensed it and gripped hers back.

Behind them was the nightstand, and as Gu Yi lost her balance from accidentally bumping into it, the lamp fell. Liang Daiwen, unfazed, held onto her hand, pulling her against his chest. He was not a man who would be frightened easily.

His chest was warm, even though he was thin-holding him felt stronger than herself. His eyes, lowered, gazed at her-this was the first time she saw his face up close with expression: narrow double eyelids, bright black pupils, looking at her without reservation; a straight nose with a slight hump, a mole beneath his left eye, full lips that were softer when not pursed, stubble beginning to show, his whole being lost for her. She had not been wrong when she contradicted Pony's declaration of love in the office-love cannot be clearly explained, but once accepted, nothing else matters.

The door was pushed open, and Dr. Shen entered with salad dressing still on the corner of his mouth. "I heard something fall. Are you okay?" He looked at the scene in the room and became instantly embarrassed. "Oh, sorry, we thought there was a fight. You two continue."

How could they continue? Gu Yi was confused, and Liang Daiwen quickly hid the velvet box under the pillow, gently pushing her shoulder. "Let's go outside."

Back in the living room, everyone was raising their eyebrows at them. Guan Xingxin said, "Dr. Shen, you definitely ruined the moment. We all told you not to go in."