"I'm willing to wait for you in every universe you live in."
— Shen Yichen
Present Days
Two days later, an email notification came in. Yue slid it open.
"Congratulations for being selected as a manager of the Communication Management Section of the Publishing Department at LuZa. We are looking forward to seeing you on September 1st. Make sure to be on time. A detailed schedule of your office days is attached with the document provided below."
She smiled at the screen and out of consciousness she went to her WeChat to text Yichen to tell him.
"Seems like he hasn't changed his number." She thought, seeing it was still the same profile picture of his pet, biting on a daisy flower. She wondered whether this pet dog was alive now. She saw it two times before. It felt a century since she last opened their inbox. It was empty.
She took a deep breath and texted him.
Yue: "Hey, I got the job."
Yichen replied within a few seconds.
Yichen: "?"
"Does he not know it's me?" She thought.
Yue: "It's Ruan Yue."
Yichen: "Congrats."
Smiling at the message, she threw the phone on the bed, and went to the kitchen to tell Xiaoran.
She remembered to tell her brother. After all, he had always been caring to her. She hadn't replied to any of his messages after she came here.
Now, she needed to remind him about searching for an apartment.
She picked up her phone, only to gasp in shock.
A Sticker.
"Let's go on a date."
To Shen Yichen.
And Yichen replied, "Did you just speak out of your heart?"
Her fingers must have tapped the sticker mistakenly when she threw it.
Throwing herself on bed and covering her face, she started kicking her feets.
"What did I just do! How can I face him again!"
Meanwhile, Yichen smiled for a second and shifted his attention to the character he was developing.
***
At night, Minghao called Yue while she was out with Xiaoran.
"Yue— I managed to find an apartment for you. It's only 25 minutes from your office. Super convenient and low priced. But, your roommate, who's also the owner of the apartment, asked you to move on the first weekend of September," Minghao explained.
"Why would an owner need a roommate? Is he short of money?" Yue asked, confused.
Minghao stayed quiet for a few seconds before replying, "That isn't an issue to be worried about. Everything is fine. I will send you all the details and the address."
"Alright, thanks brother."
"Ah— don't mention. Also, Yue— why don't you meet dad? He knows you came back. He has been asking about you. How about I arrange a meeting outside with only the three of us?" He asked softly.
"I have actually become an outsider now, haven't I? Even you are scared to bring me home," She said, sighing, feeling an attack of pain inside her chest.
"That's not what I meant—"
"Brother— I don't want to meet dad now. I'll visit your wife soon. She's pregnant, isn't she? Take good care of her. I'm hanging up."
Xiaoran elbowed her softly and said, "YuYu, you haven't even met brother Minghao yet. I don't think it looks good. He really cares about you a lot."
Seeing her friend not replying, just staring straight, Xiaoran comforted her, "You know, our parents don't live with us forever. Even though I was sad when you decided to move to Zhangsi, I was actually relieved that you got to spend the final days of your mom with her. So, don't ignore your dad so much. At least respond to his messages."
Yue nodded in response acknowledging her friend's thoughts. Xiaoran was right.
But Yue's mind wasn't at peace. It would never be.
***
On the first day of her office, after the welcoming session, she was sent to a local eSports event with her colleagues to assist the players who were invited to test games that were to be launched by LuZa. There were also other companies who came for the same purposes.
She knew she'd have to go since the company provided the schedules of work for each week earlier.
Fang Qiao, a senior manager and another boy, Zhou Hai, a handsome guy and the new recruit other than her, a year older than Yue came along.
It was like an open event for exchanging thoughts. One hall room is allotted for one company.
Fang Qiao gave them some general ideas of the procedures before the start of gaming sessions.
Hai was recording every movement of each player and their expression to be noted. Fang Qiao had a sweet mother-like personality. She would always wear two large earrings. Yue didn't find them weird, in fact she loved them, and thought they suited her choice of colorful clothing.
Once a match ended, they interviewed the players and asked for advice for possible improvements.
Soon, the lunch break came. It was almost a two hour break, since the event would go on till the past midnight.
Qiao came near Yue and said, "You have done really well on your first day. Go and take some fresh air. Otherwise you'll get tired by evening."
Yue nodded and went out, smiling.
She was happy for herself. She thought it'd be hard to talk to any player and interview them after quitting from her last company. But she was doing fine now. Her colleagues were nice.
She bought a cold chocolate drink for herself and sat on the bench that had the shed, sheltering her from the sun.
She opened her WeChat, and scrolled down to Yichen. She hadn't replied to him yet. She went to see his moments and found only some random drawings of the characters he worked on all these years.
She stopped at one photo, a drawing of a girl holding daisy, with a caption, "(děngdài)." To Wait For.
She was wearing a red dress, her hair tied on red ribbon, holding a daisy flower. It was posted 10 years ago.
A day after she left for Zhangsi.
A pair of shoes stopped in front of her. Then a voice.
"So you are really back, sister," the voice spoke.
She looked up and saw Xu Jinmeng, her stepmother's son. She was shaken up suddenly but tried not to show it.
She stood up slowly and tried shoving past him, not willing to have a talk with this person.
But Jinmeng grabbed her arm, and mocked, speaking to his friends who were with him, "Didn't I tell you guys I have a beautiful sister?"
"Xu Jinmeng, let go of my hands before I call the security," She spoke with an authoritative tone, trying to break free from his hold.
But he didn't. "Come on sis. We're siblings. Why don't we go somewhere else and have some fun?"
She scoffed and said, "Could you speak with this tone in front of my dad and brother? Seems like you are still small down there."
Suddenly feeling embarrassed, he let go of her hand but raised his own, shouting, "What the hell did you just say? Should I teach you another —"
Yue closed her eyes and when she finally opened them— she saw Jinmeng lying on the ground and a long leg pressing on his back.
Zhou Hai.
"Do you know her Ruan Yue?" Hai asked.
"No," She said.
"Okay!" He said, then crouching down and holding Jinmeng's hands in a cross he added, "Could you get the security for me?"
Yue nodded and called.
Jinmeng's friends were already gone.
When the security came, Jinmeng shouted and asked Yue, "Is he your boyfriend? Do you think you can act tough and protected just because you got a boyfriend! Does he know what kind of slut you are—"
Hai moved to stand between them with Yue behind him.
"Is that so? Then I'll be her boyfriend," he said, then looked at the security, "Get him out."
As soon as they were gone, Hai turned to Yue and asked with a concern in his voice, "Ruan Yue— are you sure you are okay? Did you get hurt anywhere?"
"I'm alright. Thank you."
Running a hand through his hair he sighed, "God! How come these kinds of people get into these events! I thought it was a closed event."
She nodded, not saying anything.
"You should be careful from now on. These types of incidents have become very common."
"Sorry for making you worried," She said politely.
"No worries. We should get inside and make a report about this."
She followed him silently. She put her hand on her chest, the heart was beating faster than anything. She was terrified and shaken up.
For a moment, she thought she was in a loop of the past.
***
10 Years Ago — 11th Grade
Yue had become more reserved at school after her mom and dad divorced about 9 months ago. And now, it has been six months, her dad had remarried to another woman. She kind of stopped smiling at home and outside. The only time she could smile was when she was with Yichen. He would make her feel relaxed even without trying.
One day, Yue and Yichen were walking side by side on the sidewalk after school. She stopped in her steps near a flower shop, looking at the daisy.
He followed her eyes and asked, "Daisy?"
She nodded and a soft smile curved on her lips, "Mm… For some reason, they feel like the purest form of love and happiness—things so rare. Because we can never have both together. Love comes with sacrifices, same goes for happiness. That's why I've always cherished daisies… even if I never had the courage to claim them for myself."
Yichen walked past her and went inside the shop.
A few minutes later he was back. He was holding a bouquet of daisies behind him and then presented in front of her.
"For me?" She exclaimed in happiness. "Isn't it expensive?"
He smiled and put his hand on her head, softly patting. "You can have both."
He slowly started to walk, with her following from behind.
"Shen Yichen — I wish, you'll have the greatest love and live as the happiest person in the world," she said, holding the flowers and waggling past him. It was the first time in months, she was overjoyed with something. Something that was simple and precious.
After returning home, Yue didn't put the flowers in water. She went out again and bought resin, colours, crafting accessories, and mold. It was the weekend the next day. So she worked all night.
Keeping some daisy inside her diary, she made different designs for herself and two for Yichen carefully.
A bracelet that was made of stainless steel chain, with a little daisy crafted round accessory in the middle.
And a key chain that looked like alcohol in a cup.
She made these two designs for herself too. But she never got the chance to give him. Because on the weekend's night, everything changed.
"I wish to be born again to repay you the years you waited for me—only to love you."
— Ruan Yue