Crossing the Clouds and Sky to Fall in Love with You - Chapter 59

When I got home, almost two weeks of winter break had passed.

Dad seemed a little angry when he saw me. He probably didn’t understand why commemorating a friend who had passed away meant I had to miss coming home for the Lunar New Year.

Mom was more understanding of my feelings. She didn’t say much when she saw me, just patted my hand and said, “It’s good to have you back.”

Xiaopei and Xiaowen both asked where I went. I just told them I took a trip around the island. Xiaopei saw the camera hanging from my neck for the first time and instinctively asked, “Did your neighbor give it to you?”

“Hmm, you could say she lent it to me.” I took the camera off, feeling tired of having it around my neck. “Don’t touch it carelessly; there are many photos inside that haven’t been saved yet.”

“Oh… You brought a ukulele too?”

“Yeah, taking photos and singing along the way made the trip happier!”

Xiaopei, however, stared at me quietly. I laughed awkwardly, “What’s wrong? Why are you looking at me with that strange expression?”

She sighed, this little adult!

“Sis, did something… happen between you and your neighbor?”

“No! Why would you say that?”

“I just feel like… you went on this trip because of her.”

I paused while organizing my clothes. I took a deep breath and decided not to hide the truth from my sister anymore.

“It was because of her.”

“Because of… her? But, I remember, you told Mom you went on a trip because of a friend who passed away… Don’t tell me…”

I pursed my lips and met Xiaopei’s surprised gaze. Finally, I beckoned her over. “I’ll show you something.”

Taking out my phone, I quickly called up the treasured video. I had her sit on the bed to watch while I went to close the room door.

The moment she saw Siqi in the video shout “Xiaoning,” she immediately pinched her nose. My sister’s reactions have always been quick, so she instantly understood my relationship with Siqi, right?

She watched the video silently. “So, you and her… were together?”

“Yes.”

“When did it happen? I mean, her.”

I took my phone back. “Late October, I think… A massive avalanche occurred on the route to climb Mount Everest. I’ve learned to stop thinking about that now.”

“You must have been very sad, right? Both when you heard the news and now.”

“I was, but after this trip around the island, I truly feel that what separates us won’t be life and death.” I smiled, but Xiaopei was crying terribly.

“She hasn’t left, at least I still remember her, right? I remember her goodness, I remember her kindness to me, she helped me get through the emotional abyss of my breakup, I remember everything she said to me and the kisses she gave me, not to mention I have this proposal video from her! Let me tell you! She posted this video on her fan page, and over two thousand people liked it at the time. Lots of people said they were blinded by our public display of affection. It was hilarious!”

Xiaopei was sobbing and sniffling. I pulled out two tissues for her and one for myself. She blew her nose hard. “Actually, I’ve always felt… something was odd, especially six months ago when you, your friend, and I went to Kenting.”

“You guessed?”

She nodded. “But I didn’t dare to ask. I thought, you’ve dated boyfriends before, why would you be willing to be intimate with a girl…”

“I don’t think I necessarily like girls; I just fell in love with her, and she happened to be a woman. Siqi… her name is Tao Siqi.” I crossed my legs. The fluorescent light was dazzling, making me want to cry again. “She was a very free-spirited and brave backpacker. She’d been to Tibet and then challenged herself to climb the Himalayas. In fact, before this, she had hiked in the mountains many times… If it hadn’t been for a natural disaster, I believe she would have returned.”

Xiaopei gripped my hand tightly. I just “hmm-ed.” “Sis, why don’t you tell me how you two met and how you got together? I want to hear it.”

I blinked and chuckled, a tear involuntarily sliding down my cheek. “You’re not bothered?”

“Of course not!” She shook her head stubbornly and gently wiped the tear from my cheek. “And I think you’re very brave. Your love story is touching, heartwarming, and inspiring! Don’t you think you’ve changed a lot since you met her? And it’s only been a year!”

I gave a wry smile. If this kind of growth comes at the cost of pain, I really, really wish it wouldn’t happen again! “Are you sure you want to hear?”

“Yes, definitely!”

“It’s a long story, you know? Be prepared.”

She pouted. “Worst case, I’ll make a sacrifice and sleep over tonight!”

Did the same situation happen last year? Only the roles are reversed now! I tapped her head. “Who’s making the sacrifice, really! Honestly…” I rolled my eyes at her, and then we both laughed.

My story with Siqi was long enough to talk until deep into the night. By the end, I wasn’t even sure if Xiaopei had heard everything.

But I did notice that I was mostly smiling while recounting the process of our relationship.

This indicates that what she brought me were indeed wonderful memories, right? Our happiness together outweighed the tears, and our smiles outnumbered the sorrow… She was the one who tolerated me, and I learned to understand her feelings.

Xiaopei was right… I truly learned so much from both of these relationships, especially with Siqi.

The next morning, just as I was busy sorting through the photos and notes from my trip, she rushed in with a ukulele score and lyrics.

“Sis! Here you go.”

Did she go to the convenience store to print copies? The paper was still a little warm.

“What song is this?”

“A song that will help you regain confidence; it’s inspiring and encouraging!” she said confidently. “Your singing is so good; you’ll definitely pick it up quickly. Then you can sing it on stage for your fans!”

I suspiciously glanced at the sheet music, automatically converting it into a melody in my mind.

“And… I think the lyrics perfectly describe your and Siqi Sis’s relationship!”

“Perfectly describe?”

“Yeah! Don’t you believe it? Try singing it!” She immediately placed my ukulele into my hands.

“It’s in Japanese.” Although it came with Romaji. And after this period of practice, I can almost sing directly from the Hiragana and Katakana.

“After the practice with ‘Chiisana Koi no Uta’ (Little Love Song), you’ll definitely learn this quickly. I can sing it with you!” It turned out she had brought her own ukulele too!

“Alright, you lead the singing.” Since this little girl is so enthusiastic, I’d be rude to refuse!

My sister and I learned to play and sing together. Since Mom still complained about Xiaopei’s singing voice, we went to the grassy area by the river near my school to practice so we could sing together.

Xiaopei was right. Once I knew the meaning of the lyrics, I quickly understood… why she said this song was perfect for describing my relationship with Siqi.

Even from the current perspective, this song is merely a “memorial.”

After practicing for a while, I felt a little tired. I drank some water and simply lay down on the grass to rest, enjoying the winter sun. Although the season had turned to spring, the grass hadn’t fully turned green yet. I was enjoying the view upwards.

I could see the beautiful blue sky and white clouds. “Sis.”

“Hmm?”

“Do you remember when we used to fight over folding paper airplanes?”

“Are you reminiscing about childhood because of the lyrics?”

“You could say that! I remember it was an advertising flyer that, when folded, could fly straight and fast. We were both rushing to throw it, and in the end, the flyer was torn in half in our hands! We even got chased and spanked by Mom because of it!”

“I don’t remember that!” I chuckled. “Why do you remember it so clearly?”

“Because I was still young then, I treated the torn advertising flyer like a treasure.”

“Paper airplanes…” It’s been a long time since I played with one.

“Have you dreamed of Siqi Sis these past couple of days?”

I shook my head. Xiaopei suddenly showed a playful and mysterious smile. “What are you doing? Why are you smiling like that… Hey!” Where did she pull that paper airplane from? And she threw it right at my forehead!

“I heard it somewhere, anyway, a paper airplane can be used to make a wish; now, you breathe twice on the tip of the paper airplane and shoot it toward the riverbank. The farther it flies, the more likely your wish is to come true!” She smiled, revealing her teeth. I saw her write “Siqi, Xiaoning” on both wings!

“What kind of wishing method is that?” I pouted and flattened the paper airplane without hesitation.

“It’s just something I heard… Hey! Don’t you want to? Just think of it as superstition if you want!”

I huffed and refolded the paper airplane using my own method. “The way you fold it won’t fly far!” She giggled, seemingly making fun of my stubbornness.

I pursed my lips, imitated the actions from my childhood, breathed on the paper airplane, and gently threw it in the direction of the riverbank—

A spring breeze blew, carrying the paper airplane with our names high up, flying, and flying…

During my trip around the island, perhaps not wanting to bother me, neither Tao Yi’an nor the “Merman” group called me.

I only contacted them actively when I returned to Taipei. Of course, they are always so considerate; they didn’t ask much about the journey, only slightly concerned if the trip went smoothly.

“Siqi was with me!”

The moment I said that, the most emotional, Saya-jie, immediately got teary-eyed. She smiled and nodded, “That’s good!”

Also, Brother Lin truly did his best; he personally flew to Nepal, and the Tao family reportedly provided considerable support for the effort, but he returned empty-handed. Well, Brother Lin is very busy with work, and he sacrificed his precious annual leave for that trip. Only a week… it was indeed hard to conduct a thorough search.

Perhaps, deep down, I still believe she might be alive, right? No matter how small the chance, I am willing to believe.

The paper airplane thrown by the riverbank eventually fell into the water, but it truly flew so far… so, so… the wish I made might still have a chance of coming true!

Separately, I used my personal social media account to post photos of my trip around the island. I also selected some of my favorite pictures and paired them with my cover of “The Eternal Picture” to create a video and upload it. Saya-jie, the guys, and Loser felt very touched when they saw it. Not only did they like and share it, but Saya-jie also posted the video on the fan page to symbolize my return.

I wanted her to truly see all the places I went to. As for the text part, because I wrote quite a bit, and it was all heartfelt words I wanted to say to her—posting it online felt a bit embarrassing, so I gave up on that idea!

In the last semester, although the academic pressure lessened, the opportunities to perform increased! I’m still not entirely sure if I can continue singing like this, but since people like it, and I don’t dislike it myself, there’s no harm in continuing.

And as for that song, with the diligent practice between Xiaopei and me, I quickly learned it. I sing it a few times every day now, but I haven’t had a chance to sing it for everyone at “Tropical Night.”

The weather is nice today.