Staggering out of the apartment building, the wind was piercingly cold as the first snow fell.
Small snowflakes fell onto my cheek and instantly melted. I wrapped myself up with my coat before realizing that I had nowhere to go. The sky and earth were vast, but I had no place to shelter myself.
I pitied myself for a moment and thought for a while before taking out my mobile phone and giving Meng SiQi a call.
I said to him, “Prince Charming, please quickly come to my rescue. Cinderella is currently wandering through the streets, famished and cold.”
Meng SiQi didn’t ask any questions and only told me to wait obediently, as he would pick me up soon.
After the call, I threw my mobile phone into the nearby garbage can. From now on, I would have nothing to do with He Li.
When Meng SiQi arrived, I was squatting on the street. A thin layer of snowflakes had settled on my hair and shoulders.
“You look like a small abandoned dog.”
Meng SiQi opened the door, stood in front of me, and held out his hand.
I looked up at him. He, who stood under the cloudy sky while wearing a long gray coat, had looked as lofty as a descended deity that had come to save me.
His hands seemed to give off a shining white and holy light. As I placed my frozen hands in his palms, the warmth caused my eyes to glisten with tears.
I told him, “If Prince Charming still had not arrived, Cinderella would have become someone who sells matchsticks and froze to death on the streets <sup>1</sup> I think the author is making a reference to the children story “The Little Match Girl” where she died frozen in the cold snow. I really like that story but it is really sad T.T .”
“If you’re still able to complain, then your spirit is still there,” he scoffed as he pulled me up. “Fortunately, you’re not near the sea. Otherwise, you would have become seafoam and I’d never find you again and regret it for the rest of my life.”
My legs felt numb from squatting for too long so when I stood up, they were unable to support my body and I almost fell to my knees. Luckily, Meng SiQi moved quickly and grasped me in his arms.
When I fell into those arms, my tears also poured out.
I could only hold onto him while bursting into loud sobs. With his arms holding me tight, he didn’t say a word, and only provided me support and comfort silently.
Why am I always such a mess every time I see him?
Finally having vented enough, Meng SiQi set me into the shotgun seat.
“Why is Cinderella not talking? You’ve already gotten onto the carriage traveling towards the palace. It’s a path towards happiness, so why are you still silent?” he teased while looking as if he was reading the lines of a stage play.
I cast a glance at him and deliberately made things difficult for him. “Cinderella is wondering why Prince Charming didn’t arrive on a white horse, and also whether he got onto the wrong carriage.”
Meng SiQi drove a black Peugeot.
“For you, the horse had embarked on a non-stop journey and I had also become travel-worn, thus the white horse turned into a black one. Delightful youth, do you know my heart is for you?” he whispered as if he were reciting a short poem.
I finally put away my tears and gave him a slight smile.
Some people will never meet a person who will treat them gently in their whole life, but I did.
I am already satisfied.
Meng SiQi’s apartment was clean and tidy – as meticulous as him in person. However, it was warm and not like my apartment, which was as gloomy as the Little Dragon Maiden’s Tomb of the Living Dead <sup>2</sup> “小龙女” (Little Dragon Maiden) is a character from <The Return of the Condor Heroes> and the Tomb of the Living Dead was where she and the male lead stayed for many years. .
There was also a pot of Narcissus on the table, standing tall and straight with two to three small pale flowers.
Meng SiQi pushed me in. “What’s so interesting about the room for you to look at? Quickly take a hot bath or else you’ll get sick.”
I obediently entered the bathroom.
Since I was now living in someone else’s house, I should listen to the host. Besides, I really need to clean myself up. It could also be seen as an act of saying goodbye to the past.
After the bath, I sat on the sofa in Meng SiQi’s sleepwear, drinking oolong tea.
“You’re similar to my stature, so you can wear my old clothes first.”
He threw all the clothes I had worn earlier into the trash can while only taking out the contents of my pockets and putting them into a drawer in the study room. If I wanted to, I could go and retrieve them.
But I don’t think I’ll have any use for those things in my life anymore.
There was only just a picture with a phone number. Looking at both sides of the picture, they were something that belonged to the past.
“I’m telling you upfront first that I don’t have a single penny left, so I can’t afford rent,” I said while holding the cup of hot tea in my hands.
He laughed. “Don’t worry, I won’t drive you out of the house.”
“Drive me out of the house?” I feigned seriousness and shook my head in disapproval. “Meng SiQi, Dr. Meng, you must quickly face reality. I’ve already made up my mind to rely on you in this life, so it’s impossible for you to chase me away.”
A little stunned, he leaned over to wrap his hands around mine that was holding the cup, gaze fixedly at me, and said solemnly, “You must keep your words.”
That night, sleeping in the guest room, I tossed and turned for half of the night. His words were still ringing in my ears.
There was only half a year left in Pei JiYu’s life, but Meng SiQi still cherished it.
I shouldn’t let him down.
Before I fell asleep, I began to consider receiving treatment.
I stayed at Meng SiQi’s apartment for several days. I ate regularly, got enough sleep, and even grew fatter.
Feeling unoccupied with nothing to do, I scattered aspirin all over the table, took out food coloring, and dyed the pills before drying them out in the sun.
When Meng SiQi came back from work, he sat opposite me and asked, “What are you doing?”
“Making rainbow candy.” I bowed my head and concentrated on dyeing them.
He stopped asking and just rested his cheek on his hands while smiling slightly at me.
Under his gaze, I placed the colorful aspirin in a small candy box for me to carry along. I told him proudly, “This idea of making painkillers into rainbow candy could be sold as a patent to manufacturers.”
He laughed.
“You should go out more. If you stay in the apartment all day long and do nothing, you’ll grow mold.”
He encouraged me to go out for some fresh air, “In order not to be too detached from life, you might as well find a relaxing and appropriate job.”
I suddenly felt moved.
Meng SiQi was truly concerned about me.
I then recalled He Li.
He was different from Meng SiQi.
At that time, when I had just discovered that there was such a man as Lin Ming in the world, I had angrily questioned him, “Who do you take me for! If you don’t love me anymore, we can immediately break up, but you shouldn’t have humiliated me like this!”
He Li knitted his brows and was unhappy. “You’re just a pet I keep. I provide you with clothes and food, so you just need to listen to me obediently and don’t interfere with my business.”
I was shocked by his words.
He had always regarded me as a man who would sell his body for money.
I still remembered him holding me in his arms, his chin on my shoulder as he rubbed my neck gently with his head, and whispered to me, “JiYu, you should resign from your job. I don’t want you to be wronged by others. I want to hide you in a golden house and let no one hurt you.”
Such a firm and solemn promise that was full of affection and thoughtfulness.
At that time, I was so touched.
How could I forget about Chen AiJiao’s golden house where despite spending thousands of gold, was unable to convince Liu Che to turn back <sup>3</sup> This saying is with reference to the story of Empress Chen of Wu, Chen AiJiao and Emperor Wu, Liu Che. Liu Ce had bragged that he would “build a golden house for her” if they were married thus inspiring the Chinese idiom “金屋藏嬌” (Hiding Jiao in a golden house), which later ironically became a term for keeping a mistress rather than a wife. .
I suppressed the anger in my heart.
At that time, I had said, “I can support myself.”
He Li sized me up and eventually laughed. “JiYu, let’s see how long you can last.”
He was right. I ended up not lasting long.
Discarding my pride and swallowing my shame, I had then begged for him to consider our past history together. In the end, this was just how it was resolved.
Since quite early on, the curtains to my life had already been dropped, and there were other new, better-looking people on the stage.
He Li, you won so I will not entangle you in my life anymore. I will completely disappear from your life without leaving a trace.
This was Pei JiYu’s last gift to you before he died.
Are you happy?
*Translator’s Notes:
The author referenced a few fairytales at the front and I can’t believe that PJY referred to himself as Cinderella XD
1
I think the author is making a reference to the children story “The Little Match Girl” where she died frozen in the cold snow. I really like that story but it is really sad T.T 2
“小龙女” (Little Dragon Maiden) is a character from <The Return of the Condor Heroes> and the Tomb of the Living Dead was where she and the male lead stayed for many years. 3
This saying is with reference to the story of Empress Chen of Wu, Chen AiJiao and Emperor Wu, Liu Che. Liu Ce had bragged that he would “build a golden house for her” if they were married thus inspiring the Chinese idiom “金屋藏嬌” (Hiding Jiao in a golden house), which later ironically became a term for keeping a mistress rather than a wife.