Crossing the Clouds and Sky to Fall in Love with You - Chapter 7

“Roar! I know who your boyfriend is!” Miss Ke Yiting grabbed me immediately after I entered the classroom for the first class in the morning and pulled me to a corner.

“What do you want… I haven’t even put my stuff down…”

Yiting smiled ambiguously. Seeing that no one was around, she leaned closer and whispered, “Is he a big star?”

“What, what big star…”

“Still playing dumb? Ah-Jun is your boyfriend, isn’t he?” I hadn’t expected her to guess correctly, and for a moment, I was slow to react.

She pouted and complained, “Seriously! I saw it! You arrived at school in his car. Things are moving fast! But you’re really disloyal, not telling me anything? And we’ve known each other for so long!”

“I’m sorry… I wasn’t sure if I should say anything…”

“Why shouldn’t you say anything? This is good news! You’re dating a rising star! Hey… how does it feel?”

When she mentioned the time I spend with Han-Jun, I couldn’t help but smile happily. “Couples are just like that…”

“Roar! You’re smiling because you’re happy! That’s blinding, blinding!” Yiting grabbed my hand and jumped up and down, drawing the attention of two other classmates. We quickly ended the conversation, put our things away, and ran to the restroom to continue our secret talk.

However, Yiting’s reaction made me feel a little relieved. I had expected her to protest vehemently or blame me for not telling her anything… It seemed I had overthought it.

“The truth is revealed!” Yiting suddenly blurted out as she washed her hands. “Sigh! Then there’s no chance for someone else. There’s a guy who secretly likes you and is doomed to shed silent tears… He’s so pitiful.”

Washing my hands too, I flinched, knowing that Yiting was deliberately baiting me, but I still couldn’t resist taking the hook. “Who are you talking about?”

“The one who’s been hanging out with us quite a lot lately?” Yiting put her hands on her hips, looking eager for me to guess.

“Hanging out a lot?”

“Tch! You can’t tell?” Faced with my confusion, she waved her little finger like a palace concubine in a drama. “Fine, I won’t tell you. Go reject him yourself!”

She just walked away after saying half of it! I couldn’t help but chase after her, asking, “Who is it?”

“Figure it out yourself!”

“Ke Yiting!”

Monday in junior year was still packed with classes. I finally had a moment to catch my breath after noon.

Yiting went off to her club activities, and I ate lunch with Tao Yi-An at the same table. I bought takeout Bak Kut Teh noodles, while he ate the lunch box he brought himself.

“Xiaoning, December 2nd, are you free?”

I checked my calendar. It was next Friday.

“Let me think, hmm… I should be fine. I’m going home the day after. Why?”

“I’m planning to host a simple birthday dinner party at my place. I’d like to invite you.” Tao Yi-An put down his fork and habitually wiped his mouth. “It won’t be too long, just dinner, starting around 6:00 PM.”

“Oh, I see. Happy Birthday! That day…” Friday, Mian-Mian-Yu (The Human-Faced Fish) would be playing at Plato. “Where do you live?”

He told me an address. I checked it. Hmm… It would be quite a distance to go from his place straight to Plato. I wondered if I could make it…

“Is there a problem?”

“No, I can go; but after it ends, I might go somewhere else.”

“If transportation is an issue, I can have my driver take you to your destination.”

His generosity completely surprised me! “Are you… sure about that?”

He smiled, “Of course! I would very much like Xiaoning to come.” He lowered his head and twirled some noodles onto his fork. “After all, you were the first person to accept me. I really like… you as a friend.”

That pause was a little too deliberate.

‘The one who’s been hanging out with us quite a lot lately?’ Yiting’s words sounded like they were playing back in my ear.

I glanced at his profile. He seemed satisfied with his smile as he put the noodles on his fork into his mouth.

“So, is it settled? Next Friday at 6:00 PM, I’ll look forward to your arrival.”

“Mmm…” I bit my lip, feeling very uneasy. Just as he finished eating and closed his lunch box, I called out to him, “Tao, Tao Yi-An! I… can I—”

“Can you?”

“Bring someone… to come with me?”

Every night at 9:30 PM, as long as Han-Jun didn’t come to see me, it completely turned into TV time.

But I didn’t have a TV in my room.

The rent would be higher if I added cable and a TV. Sister Tao had one, so now, whenever I wanted to watch a show, I had to come over to her place. Besides needing Sister Tao for killing cockroaches and spiders, I now had another reason to see her often.

At 9:25 PM, the current show was nearing its end. I was eagerly anticipating the next program, but before seeing the main part, I couldn’t help but talk to Sister Tao, who was sitting in front of her computer.

“Sister Tao, let me ask you a question.”

“Hmm?”

“Have you ever been in love?”

Sister Tao gently stroked her boy-cut hair, turned her head, and smiled, asking, “Why are you suddenly asking me this?”

“I just thought, since you’re so pretty, many people must have pursued you, right? Like, being pursued by more than two guys at the same time, or maybe one is the current situation, and someone who knows you’re dating still persistently pursues you.”

What I was asking about was actually my current situation.

“I’ve been pursued by guys, but more than two… I don’t know. Maybe, but they didn’t say. What’s wrong?”

“Oh… Nothing! It’s just… Today, I just found out that someone, even knowing I have a boyfriend, is still determined to pursue me… Wait, does that count as deciding to pursue me?” Maybe not, since he hadn’t confessed.

However, Tao Yi-An’s expression was too obvious.

His tone, too, was so obvious… it already crossed the line of mere suggestion.

When did it start?

Yu Xiaoning, you’re already twenty years old. Even though you’ve received love letters before, this is the first time your romance has blossomed so vigorously!

Should I be happy or sad?

“It looks like you’re quite popular! Well, you’re so cute and petite.” Sister Tao’s tone seemed to contain a hint of envy. “Let me tell you, for girls my height, even if you say I’m pretty, most guys will steer clear because guys usually don’t look for girls taller than themselves.”

I looked up at Sister Tao. She was smiling as she said this while organizing photos and typing, showing no sign of the frustration that comes with being too tall.

“How tall are you, Sister Tao? I’m only 155 cm!” I was a good half-head shorter than Han-Jun!

“I’m 180 cm. Can’t you tell?” Her half-smile was very charming, but I was attracted to the photo displayed on her computer screen.

“Where is that?” I jumped off the sofa.

Sister Tao pointed to the photo, “Jiaming Lake. Do you know it?”

“Is it in Taiwan?”

“Mm, in Taitung… It has a beautiful nickname, ‘The Angel’s Tears’.”

The Jiaming Lake that Sister Tao spoke of was in the center of the photo. The blue of the lake and the surrounding green land sparkled even more beautifully under the blue sky and white clouds… The Angel’s Tears, it was truly stunning.

I asked, partly admiring and partly impressed, “When did you go?”

“Just before I rented this place.” Sister Tao glanced at the TV. “Your show seems to be starting.”

“Ah!” Right, I wasn’t here to watch a Japanese drama today! I grabbed the remote control and changed the channel. The opening credits were playing. I was just in time!

I sat back down, full of anticipation, and checked my phone to confirm the show was airing today. Jack mentioned in the group chat that the recording of their appearance on the show would be broadcast today. As their number one fan, I had to watch it no matter what!

“A variety show? Not a Japanese drama today?” She sounded a bit surprised.

“No! Because today is very special.” I couldn’t suppress the rising corners of my mouth, smiling with a hint of mystery.

The show that invited them was a long-running talk show, with a certain amount of support among college students. Even though Saya’s voice hadn’t fully recovered at the time, she still went to the recording… Even though these were people I could easily see normally, seeing them on stage and on TV felt very different.

I stared intently, not missing a single shot of Han-Jun in the program. Perhaps it was the show’s arrangement, but they even let him play and sing a short segment to make up for Saya’s inability to sing live. His rendition of “Rainbow” was the best, the most beautiful I had ever heard!

“Mian-Mian-Yu? Is that the band you like… Xiaoning? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I’m fine.” When he sang, “Please let me be your rainbow,” I burst into tears… It felt like he was singing to me through the camera. Counting the time, we had only been dating for a few days when he was on the show. “Yes! They are a band that started at our school. I really like them.”

Sister Tao gently placed a hand on my shoulder, looked at the TV, and then back at me. “Are you too moved?”

“Yes.”

“That red guitar…” she suddenly spoke. “Isn’t that the one in your room?”

I looked up and could only see Sister Tao’s clean chin. “You know?”

“I saw it last time when I came over to catch the spider for you. I thought you don’t play… Oh! I understand.” Sister Tao’s almond-shaped eyes held a look of knowing enlightenment. “He is your boyfriend?”

I wiped my tears and nodded, smiling. “His name is Lu Han-Jun. We’ve known each other since freshman year, but we only started dating recently.”

“You two are a good match.”

“Thank you!”

After saying that, Sister Tao went back to her computer to continue working. Later in the show, the host inevitably asked some questions about their private lives. Except for Jack, Loser, and Monk didn’t have girlfriends, so they immediately became the target of a few jokes. I felt that Monk wasn’t very happy!

Finally, it was Han-Jun’s turn. When the host asked if he had a girlfriend, he smiled, ‘No!’

He said… no?

Holding the tissue, I froze. Even if… even if I knew it was probably for the sake of the show, hearing it through the screen still made me a little sad.

The host continued to ask about his type of girl—tall, long hair, a little gentle, not necessarily beautiful, but with a good personality, and most importantly—’It would be great if she could stand on stage and sing a duet with me…’

The camera focused on the faces of the other band members. They all looked a bit awkward. Saya suddenly interrupted him, saying, ‘Then why didn’t you pursue me back then, huh?’ which made the whole audience burst into laughter…

“When was this recorded?” Sister Tao had somehow slid her computer chair next to me. “Is he talking about his ex-girlfriend’s criteria?”

“It was recorded a month ago… We were already together.”

If the tears I shed after hearing “Rainbow” were tears of joy, the tears I shed now were definitely tears of disappointment and sadness.

The person he described wasn’t like me… I’m not tall, my hair is only barely past my shoulders, and I can only be a cheerleading squad at KTV. My terrible singing voice isn’t good at all.

Why would he say that?

We were already together at that time… Even if he was cooperating for the sake of the show, wasn’t that going too far? Didn’t he think I would see this segment of the show?

The TV screen immediately went black. I only realized that Sister Tao had turned off the TV. Without the sound of the TV, my sobbing and choked sounds became especially noticeable. “Don’t watch anymore. You’re very upset.”

Actually, the show was basically over… I nodded. Sister Tao first gently stroked my face, and then the next second, she opened her arms and hugged me. Although she was a girl, her arms were strong, and her body was warm and reliable… Like a faucet turning on, I buried my face in her chest and cried, and she gently and rhythmically patted my back like an older sister until my emotions were completely released.

“Feeling better?”

“Mmm… Ah, Sister Tao, your shirt…” Her shirt was completely wet on her chest, and I hurriedly grabbed a tissue to wipe it, but she smiled and said “I don’t mind.” “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. You, however, need to have a good talk with your boyfriend.” Sister Tao looked at the TV and snorted, sounding somewhat disdainful. “Even if it’s for a show, he shouldn’t lie.”

“He, he should have just been doing it for the show’s effect…”

“So, did he explain to you why he said that on the show?”

I was speechless. Faced with Sister Tao’s forceful questioning, I couldn’t defend Han-Jun any further.

“No, right? You didn’t look prepared at all just now.” Perhaps realizing her tone was too strong, her voice immediately softened. “Listen, Xiaoning, your gentleness and tolerance are your greatest strengths—and also your weaknesses. You can’t just let this go. If he was unintentional or deliberately following a script, maybe it’s forgivable, but not informing you beforehand and letting you see it, that in itself is a mistake; let alone if he had an ulterior motive?”

“Sister Tao…”

She took a deep breath and looked away. “Anyway, I think you should be careful with this guy. He might be very good to you when you’re together, but there’s no guarantee he won’t use the same approach with other girls…”

“I understand! I’ll figure it out!” I pursed my lips and stood up. Although interrupting her was impolite, I couldn’t just stand there and listen to her criticize Han-Jun. “Thank you, Sister Tao. I feel much better, and I’m sorry for bothering you.” It was 10:00 PM now, and I should go back.

Without waiting for her reaction, I grabbed my phone and keys and returned to my room, completely pushing Sister Tao’s words and the segment of the show I had just seen out of my mind.

We knew each other for a long time before we started dating. I love him, almost to the point of not being able to breathe without him. I rely on him, and he’s very good to me… So, he loves me too, right?

When was the last time I heard Han-Jun say “I love you” out loud?

I tried hard to remember, but all that was left in my mind was—

A blank space.