Chapter 65: Memories and a Proposal

“This is our first meeting, isn’t it?”

“Yes. A magical girl and a monster had a fight in that building. I was gathering material at the time, taking a photo on each floor.”

“When I reached your floor, a person suddenly materialized in a frame that had been utterly still and empty… I was startled quite badly.”

Xia Shi smiled lightly, bumping Lu Chen.

“I was even more terrified. I was in an empty corridor, only for the sudden click of a camera to erupt.”

“It was straight out of a horror movie.”

The girl said, watching him scoop up a spoonful of fried rice and bring it to his mouth, the blush on her face deepening even further.

“It’s excellent. The ham and egg are just the right size, and the amount of white pepper is perfect.”

“Very good. When will you let me taste your cooking?”

“Anytime. Just call me.”

As Xia Shi replied, she flipped through the photo album, and another picture appeared before their eyes.

Captured in the photo was a dim room, its only light emanating from the stark white computer screen on the desk.

On the screen, a white-clad woman with distorted limbs crawled outwards, as if she would burst through the screen any second.

Lu Chen sat calmly before the desk, his expression composed; the girl, meanwhile, cowered in the corner, trembling, her gaze fixed on the screen with a mix of terror and curiosity.

“…That must have been the first time I watched a horror movie.”

Lu Chen smiled faintly.

“To be precise, it was the first time you secretly rummaged through my computer and ended up scared stiff by a horror movie, unable to move.”

“If you were truly too scared to watch, you could have just turned it off.”

“You, you said yourself I was frozen. How could I possibly have the strength to turn off the computer? And when you found me, you didn’t even turn it off for me; instead, you just started watching it with me.”

“My apologies, my apologies.”

The girl poured a small glass of fruit wine and handed it to the young man.

“Drink it. This is your punishment.”

Lu Chen smiled and drained it in one gulp.

“Still, even though you were scared back then, you seemed quite engrossed, weren’t you?”

“Because it was genuinely interesting! Let’s watch another one sometime. My courage isn’t what it used to be…”

Halfway through her sentence, the girl’s face suddenly paled. Staring intently at the photo, she murmured:

“Wait, wait a minute. If we’re both in the photo, then who took it?”

“…Good question. Let me think, what exactly happened…?”

The girl gulped down a mouthful of fried rice and hastily flipped through the album.

“It’s best not to dwell on such things. Let’s quickly move on to the next one.”

The album opened page after page. The two drank fruit wine, ate fried rice, and reminisced over the memories they had made together.

The night outside deepened, the fried rice on their plates dwindled, and soon, only a few grains remained.

“Quick, quick, next page.”

Xia Shi set down her half-empty glass and excitedly flipped through the album once more.

The heavy page lifted, but the new page was completely blank.

The girl let her gaze fall, a hint of disappointment in her eyes.

“…There are no more, huh.”

“After all, it only covered a few months. Please wait a moment, I’ll just put the plates in the sink first…”

Lu Chen finished speaking and was about to rise. But just as he left his seat, the girl tugged at his sleeve, gently pulling the young man back to his spot.

She picked up the album, her slender fingers tracing the empty photo frame.

“What kind of photo do you plan to put here?”

The album was exquisitely designed, with each page’s frame adorned with different background patterns. The page the girl pointed to depicted a deep sea.

Lu Chen thought for a moment, then said:

“Suzhou has beaches and aquariums… Both complement the deep sea theme. We’ve already been to the beach, so next time, let’s visit the aquarium.”

Xia Shi nodded, the blush on her cheeks grew even more charming. She picked up her glass, took a sip of fruit wine, and then turned another page of the album. This time, the background was a night sky ablaze with fireworks.

“Fireworks… Neither last year nor this year did we get to see them in the square. Let’s go together next New Year’s Day.”

Seemingly intoxicated, Xia Shi swayed and leaned onto Lu Chen’s shoulder. Her soft, long hair tickled his neck.

He said softly:

“Of course. Do you want to see the next page?”

“Mm… mm.”

The young man gently stroked the girl’s hair as he turned the page of the album for her. A new page unfolded, revealing a new background.

This was a secluded valley deep within the mountains, with babbling springs and lush greenery.

“Wow… this place is beautiful too!”

The young man smiled, saying softly, “It is.”

The girl pressed the album to her chest, whispering, “Then next month, shall we go here? Just the two of us.”

The young man caressed her head and said, “Alright.”

The girl giggled happily, softly saying, “I’m so happy.”

Lu Chen also smiled, softly saying, “Me too.”

They snuggled close, looking through their past memories.

The distance between them grew smaller, and their breaths seemed to intertwine.

Xia Shi’s cheeks flushed hot, and her heart pounded wildly.

She lifted her head, meeting the young man’s gentle gaze.

The young man lowered his head and kissed her lips.

Her entire body went soft, as if struck by lightning.

Sweet emotions swelled within her heart.

His kiss deepened, and only when she struggled to breathe did he slowly release her.

Xia Shi leaned against Lu Chen’s chest, gasping for breath.

Lu Chen kissed her hair, saying softly, “We can go there next time.”

Xia Shi blushed and lowered her head, softly saying, “Mm.”

The night outside had deepened, and the entire city had fallen into slumber.

Only the two embracing figures remained in the room, and their sweet, eternal memories.

****

A tranquil suburban lawn. A family of three lay side by side on a picnic blanket, gazing at the drifting clouds in the sky.

Lu Chen’s shoulder warmed; the girl had snuggled closer.

Gazing at the scene on the page, she whispered into the young man’s ear:

“Aunt Bai and Lily of the Valley… Their relationship is truly wonderful. They both think of each other, support each other, and live together… It’s truly wonderful.”

Her voice was soft and dreamy, using the phrase ‘truly wonderful’ twice in a row. Lu Chen couldn’t help but wrap his arm around her shoulders.

“They’re family, after all.”

“Yes, yes… Neither of us really has a family.”

Lu Chen had been in an orphanage since he was old enough to understand, while Xia Shi’s situation, however, was even more unique. Her birth parents were nowhere to be found, and her relationship with her adoptive mother was purely transactional, more like a superior and subordinate than mother and daughter.

Before they met each other, both of them had lived alone in the world.

The young man held the girl even tighter, feeling her warmth. The girl stretched her body, nuzzling his arm affectionately.

After silently snuggling for a moment, Xia Shi called out softly in surprise:

“Lu Chen.”

“I’m here.”

A smile bloomed on the girl’s face. She casually flipped through the album, opening a new page.

The page depicted a wedding scene, adorned with churches, confetti cannons, flowers, and ribbons.

She murmured:

“I want to be your family.”

The warm voice drifted into the young man’s ear. He froze involuntarily, feeling a sudden warmth surge through his chest.

He hadn’t quite formulated a response, but he couldn’t help but call out:

“Xia—”

“Hoo hoo.”

Mid-sentence, the girl’s shoulders relaxed, and she softly slipped into the young man’s embrace. The glass in her hand slipped from her grasp.

Lu Chen quickly caught the glass, a helpless smile playing on his lips.

“Honestly… I told you, a light sip or two would have been better.”

He set the glass down, carefully picked up the girl, who had fallen into a deep sleep, and carried her into the bedroom.

****

Lu Chen was woken by the evening breeze.

He suddenly sat up in bed and was horrified to find that Xia Shi, who should have been sleeping beside him, was gone.

Beyond that, a whole wall of the apartment building was missing, exposing the interior to the cool evening breeze and the bright moonlight.

Then, Silvermoon was sitting on the edge of the floor, her pale legs dangling in the air, overlooking the entire city.

Seeing the familiar face, Lu Chen let out a breath of relief. He adjusted his pajamas and walked over to the girl’s side.

“Good evening. No movie lines this time, huh.”

“Good evening. I didn’t expect you to be quite fond of this part.”

“Then, in case I don’t see you, good morning, good afternoon, and good night!”

“Oh, *The Truman Show*. That’s not a horror movie either.”

Silvermoon shrugged lazily.

“Because I changed my mind.”

“Originally, I thought my dear creator would inevitably harm your body and mind. But weeks have passed, and she has remained calm and stable, seemingly with no intention of using violence against you.”

“If that’s the case, then living happily like this isn’t so bad after all.”

“It should have been this way all along. So, why have you shown yourself this time?”

Silvermoon stretched, her voice languid:

“No particular reason, just that your love has boiled over again, and I just took the opportunity to come out for some air.”

“At this rate, the next time you have such a strong emotional fluctuation, Xia Shi’s seal will be completely lifted. Don’t worry, I’ll try to stay on your side.”

“Alright, since we rarely get a chance to chat, let’s not talk about these boring things. How do you plan to respond to my creator’s marriage proposal?”

“Please stop referring to Xia Shi as your creator. As for the proposal, she was just drunk and not fully conscious.”

Silvermoon let out a soft laugh.

“Are you planning to pretend you didn’t hear it?”

“No, I plan to propose to her once I’m ready. The date is set for two days from now.”

“It seems the day the seal will be lifted has been decided. Dream well. Before we part, I’ll give you one last customary gift.”

Silvermoon raised a finger to her lips, her figure gradually blurring.

“You will receive a sword—a sword that is indestructible and sharp enough to wound my creator.”

“Whether you use it to slay enemies or to perform a dance, that will be for you to decide.”