You Really Did Not Know How Much I Love You
Their relationship’s status became vaguely confirmed after that night’s experience of thrill, sorrow and joy. Xia Wei Jun wholeheartedly liked him and for the duration of the next six months, she lived her life happily and passionately.
In all honesty, Lin Dong was an exceptional boyfriend. He was very capable and took up a security design project that stacked up his earnings to at least two hundred thousand. And since Wei Jun volunteered to take care of his three meals and clothing expenses, he gave her a card without a second thought (a card with an amount inside that made her nervous).
Although he was introverted, he was not withdrawn. She took him to play poker– a game it turns out he was skillful at. They ate together, watched movies, went fishing, and when they were at Funan river one day, she mustered up her courage and initiated their first kiss. He rolled her over, pressing her body to the grass until she was gasping for breath, before he finally released her.
She thought, surely he should like her, right? He had never voiced it out loud though.
After being together for half a year, they had their first time.
It was a little hasty but how could Wei Jun regret it? Moreover, in this instance, he was the one who took the initiative. How could Wei Jun bear to reject? Even if this was her first love?
The reason behind Lin Dong’s sudden arousal was perplexing. Earlier that night, they had both gone to watch the newly premiered movie Transformers.
If she had known earlier that science fiction movies could fuel his desire, she would not have suggested it, actually going as far as avoiding it.
When the auto-bots changed into Transformers with an astonishing speed and precision, his face had suddenly turned ghastly.
When they arrived home, she had asked full of concern, “What happened to you?”
He unexpectedly asked her like a small child, “Is there really such a powerful species? That can turn into transformer robots?”
She’d roared with laughter. It was a rare occurrence for him to show humor.
But he’d then hugged her, his voice grave as he took on a serious tone.
“If the Earth is invaded by aliens, what will you do?”
She smiled foolishly.
“I’m not afraid. I would follow you. You are so capable.”
His eyes had turned as dark as the night sky in response.
Ever since then, Xia Wei Jun began to feel that her feelings and admiration towards Lin Dong thoroughly transformed into a deeply engraved love.
This deep love made her twenty-one years of life become special, deep and blissful.
This deep love also made her cowardly disregard the countless things about Lin Dong that she could not understand.
For example, he had no parents, no friends and no relatives at all. Except for the interactions he had at work, he seemed to have no human relations at all with anyone else in the world.
For example, he said he’d majored in Computer Science but she had never seen any academic certification at his house to prove it.
Another example was that he was able to imitate any martial skill of action celebrities. How did he always manage to execute them so perfectly?
Even Mom said, “Every aspect of Lin Dong is good, but he is always so cold and a little scary?”
She immediately refuted her statement though by following it up with, “But what is the use of men being so active anyway?”
However, Mother’s words left a shadow in her heart.
🌟🌙🚀
During the last semester of her senior year, Wei Jun received a letter of acceptance from a well-known foreign company in Shanghai. For the first and only time, a conflict erupted between the two. It was also their biggest conflict.
At first, she’d had no intention of leaving Chengdu, for how could she bear to? She had just wanted to try to gain more interview experiences.
However, after getting a taste of the company’s excellent and world-class corporate culture, she began to waver.
That night she ate dinner with him, then went with him to his house.
He picked up a book, leaned back on the sofa. He looked handsome and lazy in his white t-shirt and casual pants.
He smiled at her.
“I got a job in Shanghai. The salary growth is promising. Should we go to Shanghai?”
He worked alone, so it wouldn’t matter where he worked.
But the smile in his eyes dropped.
“No. I cannot leave here.”
“Why?”
Instead of responding, he just quietly wrapped her in his embrace. He was forever so mysterious, even with her.
She felt disheartened. After staying still for five minutes she broke the silence first.
“Fine. I actually can’t bear to leave Chengdu too.”
Her anger was always quick to appear and quick to dissipate.
“I am giving up such a good career development for you, you must promise to be good to me forever. Say, when will you propose to me?”
She’d said it half-jokingly, but he did not even know how to lie. His expression was serious as he said with a dull voice.
“We cannot get married.”
Wei Jun was momentarily stunned.
“I know saying this now is too early, I was just joking. I am still young, I don’t want–”
“Marriage is a promise that I cannot give you.” He said solemnly, cutting her off mid-sentence.
“…then why are you together with me?”
Wei Jun instantly left his side.
“Just to pass time!?”
“No!” he said hurriedly, but did not say anything else. His eyes took on the appearance of being in a trance, as if they’d been covered by a layer of mist, making them unreadable.
Wei Jun clenched her shirt and ran off without saying a single word.
🌟🌙🚀
In the blink of an eye, half a month passed. They had not seen each other for fifteen days and three hours. Wei Jun felt as if she was a lighted firecracker with a long string, making it unclear when it would explode.
She’d rejected the job in Shanghai, that choice had needed no contemplation. But the days following her decision became a life lived in dilemma.
On one hand, she had her pride. There were many men pursuing her, and he had clearly stated they would not get married, so what was she to him?
On the other hand, she could not bear to leave him. It was not only because he was her first man and meant a lot to her.
She kept wondering if any other woman would treat him as she had treated him; always keeping him pampered and loved. If that was the case, how pitiful would he become?
The day she ran off, she’d switched off her cell phone. She did not know whether he looked for her, but during those first few days he had not tried to contact her first. This made her mad and hurt.
On one of those days, her class had organized a farmhouse trip for a couple of days. The farmhouse was a resort built by the farmers, and was located on the outskirts of the city. Everyone ate and drank happily, and she’d hoped the activity would help relieve her stress.
Many students had brought their parents along, including Wei Jun who had also brought her mother with her to have fun.
The last day of the farmhouse activity was on Monday. At noon, everyone gathered in the large dining room to have the undergraduate farewell meal.
The youngsters were hyped up on alcohol and the atmosphere was wild. Mama Xia and some other parents were standing at the front stage singing Karaoke and receiving loud applause.
Only Wei Jun was sitting sullenly in a corner, repeatedly using a chopstick to poke at a long and straight fishbone.
“Wei Wei!”
Her best friend’s tone beside her took on an excited note and she nudged her with her arm. Wei Jun lifted her head, and all of a sudden her throat went dry.
A man stood silently at the entrance of the restaurant, wearing a white shirt and casual trousers. It was none other than Lin Dong.
Wei Jun’s face immediately felt hot. He had come. He finally figured out how to find her. Quickly spotting her, he strode hurriedly to where she was sitting.
The girls around her smiled kindly while the boys assessed him up and down. He did not even glance at anyone, instead walking straight to her.
“Wei Jun.”
His voice was a bit hoarse, and a rare slight blush appeared on his fair face. “I have something to say to you.”
“Whatever you want to say, I don’t want to listen.”
Although her words were cruel, her tone softened a lot. She looked at the stubble on his chin and his now sunken eyes, and her heart clenched in pain. He was usually always neat and fresh!
“These days without you have made me feel like a star that has lost its core. It’s been a mess,” he said softly.
Wei Jun’s eyes heated.
Damn it! She thought.
Although his analogy was bizarre, she’d understood his meaning.
“For the rest of your life, I am willing to stay beside you,” he declared, “as long as you don’t leave me.”
The people around all sighed enviously, their hearts touched by the scene in front of them. Mama Xia was already making her way towards them after the news reached her. Upon hearing the confession, her face lit up with joy.
Xia Wei Jun at this moment was oblivious to everything. Her world in that moment had reduced to only the man in front of her and the words coming from his mouth. She thought, Lin Dong, you really did not know how much I love you!
A smile finally bloomed on her young and beautiful face. Jumping up, she threw herself into his embrace – no more argument, no more separation!
It happened in the blink of an eye.
Under everyone’s smiles, as he tenderly opened his arms as she threw herself at him, the floor under his feet shook.
To be clear, the whole dining room shook.
Lin Dong frowned. He reached out his hands to catch her but caught emptiness instead. A more vigorous shudder shook the ground just as he’d reached forward, and the girl beside Wei Jun had fallen into her, causing them both to sprawl onto the ground.
Then, the whole place began to shake at a magnified scale, as they became surrounded by the loud sound of the building’s walls beginning to crack.
“Earthquake! It’s an earthquake!” Someone shouted.
All at once, the movement of a hundred students and parents in the hall became instant chaos.
Without hesitation, Lin Dong pulled Xia Wei Jun off the floor and hugged her tightly in his arms.
“Mom! My mom!” Wei Jun looked around wildly and saw Mama Xia and a few other students on the other side, standing under a beam on the verge of collapse.
“Mom–” Wei Jun cried out, before getting cut off by the sudden increase in the earthquake’s intensity. Numerous beams and pillars were on the verge of falling causing everyone’s anxiety to sky rocket. Was the building going to collapse?
“Lin Dong!” Wei Jun grabbed onto his clothes. Were they going to die here? The memories of when their days together and in love flashed before her eyes. She’d finally heard his real feelings today, but would the day end in death?
“I love you!” She shouted. If they didn’t live through this, she wanted to die without regrets. The body that was hugging her trembled.
Amidst the earth shattering and mountain shaking and dust storm, a sharp and clear howl cut through everyone’s wailing, resounding throughout the building.
The structure’s collapse seemed to slow down after this angry howl.
“You will not die.” An unusually hoarse and unfamiliar voice, carrying a murderous tone, resounded above Wei Jun’s head.