Crossing the Clouds and Sky to Fall in Love with You - Chapter 18

The Friday classes were over, and I was getting ready to head to the station to catch a train when, unexpectedly, Tao Yian immediately grabbed me and asked, “You’re going back to the south, right?”

“Uh… yes.” How did he know?

He smiled faintly. “I’ll drive you.”

Initially, I thought he meant he’d drive me to the train station, so I agreed without a second thought.

But when he directed the driver to head straight for Kaohsiung, I realized I was wrong! He truly meant “I’ll drive you”!

“Tao Yian! This isn’t right!” This was my first time riding his private accessibility van. I was sitting in the back row, while he and his wheelchair occupied the space designated for luggage.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, feigning ignorance.

“Well… you’re accompanying me all the way south?” Isn’t that a bit too much trouble?

“Is that not allowed? Or would you prefer me to take you down in my wheelchair? I’d love to, but you’d have to sit on my lap, and the wheelchair would run out of battery halfway.”

Even though he was joking, the utterly serious look on his face made it impossible for me to laugh. “Did you tell your parents? Was this a spur-of-the-moment decision?”

“Ever since I confirmed my department transfer, my parents haven’t really bothered where I go, especially since I don’t intend to stay overnight in the south.” Tao Yian returned to his usual lighthearted tone. “As for the other question, I wouldn’t call it spur-of-the-moment. I thought about it last night.”

That’s precisely what a spur-of-the-moment decision is! What could I say? Since I was already tied to the car, I might as well treat it as a free, private ride! Plus, I had a handsome, refined man to chat with, so it was definitely a guaranteed win.

“Honestly, I just wanted to spend more time talking with you; if you’re unhappy, I apologize.”

“I’m not unhappy, I just feel like this is a lot of trouble for you.”

“I don’t mind this kind of trouble, I even welcome it.” That’s because you’re not the one driving! “Xiaoning, I want you to know that no matter what kind of setback you encountered in your previous relationship, I’m willing to help you get through it.”

Looking at his determined eyes, I sighed softly. What kind of luck was I having? Why was someone always pursuing me so persistently?

“I know, thank you for your concern.”

As smart as he was, he knew I wasn’t ready to reciprocate his feelings, so he quickly changed the subject, chatting with me about everything under the sun.

Later, I realized that having him as a companion on the road wasn’t bad at all. At least I didn’t have to be alone and inevitably reflect on the past.

“By the way, are you still keeping up with Chu?”

Oh! That’s rare! He actually brought up his sister. “Yes, I check every day. Why? Is she back from Tibet?”

He gave a strange smile, looked up, and said faintly, “Posting pictures from Tibet doesn’t necessarily mean she’s still there, you know.”

“Then where is she?” Wait, she had previously hinted that she would return to Taiwan because someone was helping her publish…

Why does that sound like someone’s story?

I had a vague feeling that something was amiss. Tao Jie (Sister Tao) also said someone was looking for her to publish a book, and that’s why she was back in Taiwan… And she and Tao Yian both have the surname Tao!

Could it be that, by such a coincidence?

Tao Jie is… Chu?

“I only recently received some news. I heard she secretly came back to Taiwan. First of all, only I have been consistently following her fan page posts among our family members. She is really deliberate—to avoid our family’s watchful eyes, she didn’t even dare to put her surname on her page! I was just like you before, thinking that wherever she posted pictures, that’s where she was, but I found out we were all fooled…”

“Tao Yian!” I interrupted him. “What does your sister… look like?” Oh no! I suddenly forgot her full name! I’m so used to calling her Tao Jie…

“From a male perspective, she’s a beauty, I guess? She never keeps long hair. The last time I saw her was almost three years ago; her hair was so short back then it was practically a buzz cut, and she looked very haggard… Xiaoning, you have a strange expression.”

“I… I’m fine! Then… how tall is she?”

“If I could stand up, I’m actually one-eight-three (183 cm). My sister is only slightly shorter than me.”

Tao Jie is 180 cm! That’s most likely her…

“Xiaoning?”

“Oh! Th-that tall! Girls rarely grow that tall! Your family must have great food!” I was momentarily incoherent from nervousness and could only blurt out random comments!

“Yes, it’s mainly because both my parents are tall; it’s a family trait…” He continued talking about his parents, but I wasn’t listening, just constantly thinking about what Tao Yian had said about his sister, and the experiences Tao Jie had shared with me…

I can’t believe they are siblings? Is the world really that small? I accepted comfort from Tao Jie because of a heartbreak, and now her brother is passionately pursuing me?

Should I go buy a lottery ticket?

The fact that Tao Jie and Tao Yian were siblings was too shocking, so I hardly paid attention to anything else he said afterward.

After dropping me off at my destination, he waved goodbye and left. I wondered what time he would get home…

I can only say that both the Tao siblings possess a free-spirited soul? Or should I put it more plainly—they are willful?

But I was still very grateful for his thoughtfulness.

Stepping into the house, my mom, seeing me for the first time, immediately cried out, asking why I had gotten so thin.

I hadn’t really felt it, but when both my sister and my brother pointed to my face and agreed with Mom’s observation, I finally admitted that something had happened.

As for what, please allow me to keep it private.

Maybe it’s a sisterly connection? I’m not sure, but in the end, only Yu Xiaopei, who is now in her first year of college, came over to ask for details.

“I broke up with my boyfriend.” That was the only answer I could give.

“Huh! How could that be? You two were so deeply in love… The last time you came back, Mom even said you were ‘locked down’ by a guy, wearing a super cool, rock-and-roll necklace around your neck.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle. “‘Locked down’ should refer to a ring, right?” He hadn’t given me any rings… Anyway, even if he had given me any tokens, I would have returned everything the moment I moved my belongings out of his place.

“Okay! Anyway, don’t be sad! I know the pain of a breakup; after all, I started dating a few years earlier than you did. But a guy who runs away can be replaced; I believe with your market value, Sis, you can definitely catch a better one!” Tch! Big words for a little kid!

“Hey! I take relationships very seriously… You ‘flower butterfly,’ don’t come over and contaminate me!” “Flower butterfly” was just a joke; Xiaopei has been with a stable boyfriend since high school, and their relationship is still going strong!

I smiled and pushed her back to her room. As I quieted down, the cold air around me seemed to gather. Kaohsiung was about eighteen degrees tonight, much warmer than the north. I lay on the bed, staring blankly at the fluorescent light, still thinking about her, the one who had traveled far to Sri Lanka.

How could she be irresponsible? Yet, from all the clues, she had indeed avoided her family responsibilities. She didn’t go home to take over the business, but instead started a studio with friends, working as a wedding photographer… and then traveled on her own, opening up a new world with her two feet and a camera.

She said her travels began to escape heartbreak… so the initial intention wasn’t a beautiful and romantic reason like seeing the world’s wonders for Tao Yian, right? Are the siblings close or not? Tao Yian always spoke of Chu through gritted teeth, but I always felt they must have been very close at one point. It’s precisely why, when talking about his sister’s departure, he seemed unable to let go, isn’t it?

Thinking carefully, I realized I still didn’t understand Tao Jie very well… What was she truly thinking? And even if I asked, would she tell me? The mere fact that she used the word “others” meant that in her heart, I was still not anyone special, just the same “other” as ordinary friends…

Forget it, I won’t think about it anymore. Any speculation is futile. I took a comfortable hot shower, turned off the light, and went to bed, but after only twenty minutes of lying down, I got up and knocked on Xiaopei’s door next door.

“Sis, what’s wrong?”

“Stay with me, I don’t want to sleep alone…”

She sighed dramatically. “Feeling empty, lonely, and cold? Fine, come in, come in…”

So I used my sister as a warm body; I have to say, I slept quite well.

There wasn’t much entertainment here at home. And coming back, apart from letting my parents see me and eating familiar homemade dishes like braised beef and Lion’s Head meatballs, there wasn’t much else to say.

On New Year’s Day, the weather in Kaohsiung was very good—so good that one might mistakenly think summer was already approaching. I rode the lady’s bicycle I used every day in high school to wander around the neighborhood, taking in the local atmosphere I hadn’t experienced in a long time.

The wind felt cool but not biting, similar to the spring wind in the north, though the scenery was somewhat desolate.

As I looked around, I couldn’t help but recall the circumstances of meeting him… Before my junior year, I was always chasing after the “Mermen,” going to almost every campus concert. And in the second semester of my sophomore year, when I first heard they moved into “Plato,” I even personally attended their celebration party and first concert…

It felt like yesterday, very close, yet very far away.

My eyes felt a little sore, so I rubbed them. Just as I planned to go home and chat with Xiaopei, my phone suddenly rang.

No caller ID?

Who uses a public phone nowadays? Could it be a scam? I hung up, put the phone in my pants pocket, and rode a few steps before feeling the phone vibrate continuously. Which scammer’s part-time employee is so persistent? I smiled, not paying much attention to it.

As soon as I got home, Xiaopei first teased me for being “artsy” riding a bike under the bright sun, but the conversation quickly shifted. “Sis! Shall we go shopping? It’s been a long time since we went out together!”

I raised an eyebrow. “Sure!”

Xiaopei and I are both girls, and we’re only two years apart. Compared to Yu Xiaowen, who is only in ninth grade this year, the sisters’ relationship is much better than the one with our younger brother. Knowing she asked me out mainly to distract me, I felt a warmth in my heart.

Since going away for college, Xiaopei has also become more sensible. Although I am the eldest daughter, I was often teased by them for being a “little princess” at home! Waiting for someone to bring me tea or food. The practical and diligent Xiaopei, on the other hand, was more like the older sister. Since she stayed in the south for college, she is also closer to Mom and Dad.

I told her about the situation after the breakup, inevitably bringing up Tao Jie. “Sis, you’re lucky then! You actually met a good friend because of a breakup… A backpacker? Then why don’t you travel with her? You can heal your heartbreak and broaden your horizons at the same time!”

Travel with her… Thinking back, we seemed to have discussed similar topics, but when I remembered her calling me “others,” my heart couldn’t help but feel tangled again…

“Travel with her, seriously,” I pouted. “She didn’t even tell me she was going on a long trip… Maybe I’m just fooling myself?”

I placed her in a position higher than a “close friend,” but I didn’t know where she placed me in her heart…

The realization stunned me for a moment. I didn’t even notice the matcha ice cream Xiaopei handed me.

“Sis, what’s wrong? Your face looks really strange.”

There was no way I could tell Xiaopei about Tao Jie’s sexual orientation, so I quickly regained my composure and mumbled some evasive words.

Tao Jie certainly had no strange thoughts about me… but I was surprised by my own almost jealous feelings towards her.

Am I caring too much about my status in Tao Jie’s heart?

No matter what Tao Yian says, Tao Jie is still so gentle and tolerant towards me, treating me like a younger sister… And while enjoying her gentleness and coveting her company, I unconsciously developed a feeling that was almost like what one has for a lover?

“You’re still thinking about your ex-boyfriend, aren’t you?”

“No! Don’t guess wildly.” Xiaopei intentionally brought me out to cheer me up, didn’t she? I couldn’t let down her good intentions.

“Sis! Why aren’t you eating? It’s melting fast, even in winter! It’s twenty-one degrees today!”

The matcha ice cream had already started to “sweat,” so I could only take a big bite, filling my mouth with the fragrance of matcha.

We walked home hand in hand. Just before reaching the house, we saw Yu Xiaowen rushing to the end of the alley. Xiaopei, like a neighborhood busybody, called out to him, “Yu Xiaowen! What are you doing? It’s almost dinner time, and you’re still going out?” Her questioning tone genuinely had a touch of Mom’s authority.

My brother gave us both a strange look. “Mom told me to buy drinks! We have a guest at home.” He turned to me. “It’s Big Sister’s guest! Mom even asked why you didn’t say anything beforehand.”

Xiaopei and I exchanged a look. “Your ex-boyfriend?” she asked first.

“Don’t scare me like that, okay?” Why would he come looking for me?

“Then who is it? Could it be you’ve attracted some other strange admirer?”

This brought something to mind. Yesterday, Tao Yian drove me all the way to my doorstep—it wouldn’t be impossible for him to save my address, input it into the navigation, and come over again!

“We’ll know when we get back!” Stirred up by Xiaowen and Xiaopei, I was even more curious than they were about who the visitor was. We started running, just like when we used to play as kids and always competed to be the fastest, and I reached the door one step ahead of Xiaopei!

Due to the sudden race, I was still slightly out of breath and sweating a little when I entered. “I’m home… I heard we have a guest?” I asked Mom. She pointed to the sofa, and I looked in that direction—