"I will take every storm, every wound, and every shadow of the lies that the world throws to protect you."
— Shen Yichen
11 years ago— 10th Grade
Right After Ruan Yue Transferred
Shen Yichen hadn't come out of his room for 2 days now. He hadn't talked to anyone. His sister Xinyi tried cheering him up, not having any idea what could be the reason for his sudden breakdown. Yichen had been a nonchalant kid, but not really quiet. He could be loud and outgoing with people who were close to him. He had his boundaries.
Xinyi's close friend Ruan Minghao informed her about his sister's transferring but she couldn't figure out if that could be the case for his brother having depression.
Neither could Minghao.
The fact was, Yichen and Yue had become inseparable in many ways. For the first time in Yichen's life he felt the warmth of love. First Love. From the moment he saw her.
He never had the courage to ask her if Yue felt the same, but he knew that she acknowledged his feelings for her. He thought she might feel the same.
Yichen was lying in his bed, and a message popped in at 4 AM in the morning.
Yuan: "Alright, I know, I am going to regret this my whole life, using a girl as an excuse to cheer you up. But I don't think Ruan Yue would want you to be like this. Be a man and make yourself better for her, so that if luck brings you to her someday, you can have her. I will be waiting downstairs at the house. Let's go to school together today. There's something happening."
Yichen furrowed his brows and typed immediately.
Yichen: "What happened?"
Yuan: "Finally, a reply! Anyway, it seems like Liyun spread some shits about Yue. So are you coming?"
Yichen: "Be downstairs at time."
When they reached their classroom, everyone was bewildered seeing Yichen. He looked like he lost 10 pounds in the last two days. His hair wasn't properly brushed. It was still wet. He looked like a mess.
Liyun waggled towards him and spoke in a high pitched tone that made his ears bleed, "My Gosh! Yichen, you look so—"
She stopped as he glared at her through his strands of wet hair that could easily pierce anything, "Come out!" Then he threw his bag in rage on his desk.
Everyone, even Yuan, flinched at a sudden burst.
"He is totally a school hunk, isn't he?" Someone whispered quietly.
Liyun followed him outside. Yuan came along. Liyun was thinking he'd propose to her since he was going to the rooftop, a place famous for proposals. She looked back and asked Yuan, "Why are you following us?"
Yuan tilted his head and said, "I'm worried you might get killed if I don't come along."
"Killed?" She whispered, smiling. "If being proposed to by Shen Yichen gets me killed, I'd be happy to die."
Yuan scoffed a laugh, turning away and muttering under his breath, "Stupidity really has no limit!"
Yichen put his hand on his pocket and took out a pack of cigarettes he stole from his father's drawer before coming. He never smoked. It was just to scare Liyun.
Yuan climbed onto the second roof to see the fun. Yichen stepped closer to Liyun, so close that he could feel her releasing hot air. He lit up the lighter right in front of her, and slowly exhaled the smoke on her face after inhaling. He felt his blood coming out of his mouth, but he controlled himself.
Liyun coughed, stepping back, getting scared a bit.
"Yichen, why are you smoking? If anyone sees you, you'll be in trouble," she said.
Yichen scoffed and queried, "Why do you think I called you here?"
She hesitated because by this time she knew her assumption was wrong. She didn't say anything.
"I thought, the first warning through Yating would work and you would stay out of bothering Yue. But you have now outdone yourself. I guess I have to take the matter in my hand."
"What — what do you mean?" She stuttered.
"Spreading rumors like Yue stealing your boyfriend and she was caught, that's why she fled away to another city— bullshits like this don't really bother you, do they?" Yichen spit, stepping even closer.
"I'm giving you one week, Zhao Liyun. Within this one week, transfer to another school. If you don't, I'll give all the proof to all the dirty things you did. That'll be enough to put you on a disciplinary action committee, and you'll be expelled. No school will want to take you in."
"Also, tell everyone that what you said was false. If you don't, you know what will happen."
Yichen turned to leave and Yuan jumped from above, clapping his back, then peeled a mint flavored candy for his friend.
Liyun was left alone, shaking in fear.
"He— was he really planning to kill me!" She thought in horror. "The look in his eyes!! He isn't normal!"
When they were back in the classroom, Yichen came in front, immediately getting all the attention.
"I will say this once. So listen carefully. From now on, if I hear anything bad about Ruan Yue, I'll find you and do whatever I want."
"If you think I'm spouting rubbish, try me. From now on, if I hear Ruan Yue's name in your mouth, or even if you think about her, or you are curious about whereabouts she is, I will find every single one of you," he ended with a demonic tone.
"He became mad, didn't he? Did you see the way he just spoke!" A whisper came on.
A student stormed inside the classroom, panting. After catching his breath, he said, "Zhao Liyun is transferring."
Everyone looked at Yichen as he smirked. No one ever spoke about it again, but they knew they wouldn't want to mess with Shen Yichen.
***
Present Days
Yuan and Xiaoran sipped into the wine, watching the awkwardness between their friends.
Neither Yichen, nor Yue had exchanged any words. They were sitting side by side, slowly eating the food in front of them, and not talking at all.
Yuan signalled Xiaoran to go outside together. Xiaoran nodded. She acted as if she got a call from the company and walked out of her seat. Next was Yuan, he did the same a minute later, saying it was his father.
Now, it was just two of them— Yichen and Yue. It was quiet until Yue coughed softly, and said, "It's nice seeing you after all these years."
Yichen stopped slicing the steak, put the fork and knife down, and turned his body towards her, trying to act nonchalant.
"A day can amount to years? I didn't have any idea about that," he said, resting his face on his palm.
Yue shifted in her seat, "I thought you didn't know it was me when we saw each other yesterday at the supermarket."
"What about the night I picked you up?" He asked.
"I didn't know it was you," she stuttered.
"Alright," he said, turning to his steak.
"But you could've told me as you knew it was me," she said, putting a piece of tangerine into her mouth.
"Listening to you makes me think that it is you, who missed me all these years," he said, finishing slicing the steak and placing it in front of her.
She looked at him, confused and bewildered.
"Ah— I actually forgot that my doctor forbade me to eat beef for a week. Since I cut it by mistake, you can have it," Yichen said casually.
Before she could say anything, Yichen received a call. It was Yuan.
"Enjoying the date?" Yuan asked.
Yichen heard the traffic noise coming out of the other side of the phone. He checked his pocket, Yuan's car key was with him.
"Where are you Gao Yuan?" He asked, annoyed.
"Me and Xiaoran got into a taxi," he said. Xiaoran's voice came through, "I'm leaving YuYu in your care. Take her home."
Sighing deeply in frustration, Yichen hung up the call and sat back.
It was already past midnight. Everyone was leaving slowly.
He waited until Yue finished her steak.
He got up and said, "We should leave now. It's late."
"Aren't we going to wait for—" She was interrupted by Yichen.
"Where is your phone?" He asked.
"It turned off. No battery."
"That's why—" he sighed. "They left already. They got some work to do. If that's okay with you, I'll take you home."
"You didn't drink?" She asked.
"No."
She got up and said, "Then we shouldn't delay."
He took off his overcoat, and covered her shoulder from behind. She flinched for a second but didn't say anything.
She was cold and he saw it. Like those past days.
"For once I want to protect you. That's why I have to leave your side forever."
— Ruan Yue