A nostalgic memory that dated back nine to ten years ago—

In fact, Pei Yi and Xiao Mi have known each other for so long, he could no longer recall when it was they first met.

There was a swing in the courtyard in their neighbourhood. Xiao Mi would always clamour for him to bring her there. She would make him swing her, so that she would look like she was flying, like an angel on wings-- but whenever he asked for his turn at the swing, she would adamantly refuse.

Even as a child, Xiao Mi was audacious and stubborn—

But, Pei You liked even that about her.

"A boy in class bullied me..." Xiao Mi suddenly spoke. Her voice was unusually high; it sounded like she had been crying.

"What did he do to you?"

"He called me an ugly pig, with small eyes. Yi, am I ugly? What would I do if no one wants me in future? Will anyone want to marry me?"

Foolish girl. Why worry about marriage; you're only so young--

"If no one wants you, i will marry you."

He didn't take it seriously at that time. He only wanted to make Xiao Mi smile. Since young, he had taken upon himself to make Xiao Mi smile whenever she was unhappy. Only Pei Yi could cajole her when she was in fits of anger, or crying her eyes out. When she smiled, her eyes became little moons. No one would call her ugly if they saw her like that.

Pei Yi gave Xiao Mi his gentlest smile.

She pouted.

"But you're ugly. I like boys with darker skin."

He couldn't recall what exactly led him to his outburst. Maybe he was offended by her words, or that he had already been in a bad mood that day. Pei Yi could only remember that strange sensation in his chest. Anger...... and hurt.

He grabbed onto the seat of the swing, infuriated. He could imagine his own expression in that instant. Eyes slightly wild, brows knit in a harsh frown.

Xiao Mi froze. The hands that clutched the chains of the swing tightened.

She was frightened. And angry that the swing was stopped without her permission. She started bawling, tears and snot running down her face. She looked like a tear monster, if there were such a cartoon character, albeit a little comical. He wondered if all that snot would drip into .

He remembered hating her crying face at that time. She did look ugly in that instant, to be honest. She cried openly, wholeheartedly, as if all her energy was poured into the act of crying itself.

It took Pei Yi very, very long, to finally calm Xiao Mi down and get her to stop crying. On the way home, all the passers-by' attention were on them.

From then on, he never made Xiao Mi cry again—

Pei Yi didn't know why that reminiscent memory came to him. He hated to see Xiao Mi in tears, and otherwise adored her smile. When she smiled, her eyes arched into crescents. When she smiled, her face lit up; it was innocent, indulgent and genuine. When she smiled, the pupils in her eyes captured a reflection, his dazed expression smiling back at her. When she smiled, it felt as if that smile was only for him.

Would she smile for him again, like that? Could he ever see it again?

His ears were ringing. Shouts; footsteps hustling, their soles scratching along the asphalt of the road; high pitched shrieks. So much noise. His head felt like it would burst; but in the midst of his chaotic thoughts, he remembered Xiao Mi. They were going to the place where he, his father and brother used to live…… Xiao Mi wanted a pudding badly – He bought it for her.

Xiao Mi—

Xiao Mi—

Where are you now?

His head throbbed too much to recall what happened after. Excruciating pain assaulted his nerves, his body in spasms. A growing numbness. But the pain didn't stop.

His hand felt cold against the scalded, hot road.

He felt something damp. Crimson, thick fluid seeped and crawled along the asphalt. It ebbed around his fingers; they shuddered, as if infected by its touch.

"Call the ambulance! Someone got knocked down by a car!!"

Is this--- blood?

A fog started to cloud his eyes. His gaze unfocused, he struggled to find Xiao Mi amidst the crowd.

Far away, near the pavement.

A white, billowing dress, stained with tar.

She had fallen onto the ground, her body crumpled. She was very, very still, as if her world stopped rotating and she was frozen in time. Her gaze was hollow. Tears started to trickle...... then cascade from her eyes. Still, she didn't move.

His body was so cold......

He couldn't bear to watch Xiao Mi in that instant. He wanted to run, to shake some soul back into her. She was akin to an empty shell. That frightened him. He wanted to tell her that he loved her, no matter what face she made. But not like this-- not when she was showing him this kind of expression...

An abyssal desolation.

His eyelids fluttered, as they weighed down on his eyes. He was so cold, so tired; he just wanted to sleep. Maybe, even sleep for good.

A warm finger his lip.

His eyelids flew open.

To see Xiao Mi's flushed, anguished face inched close to his. Her voice broke.

"Yi--"

Xiao Mi—

His consciousness faded in and out—He could barely hear her; if only he could reach out to her, to wipe away her tears.

gaped open. She howled, and screamed. There were no words, but her wails conveyed everything. That she wanted him to return to her, to tell her it was a lie.

“……”

Pei Yi always knew how to pacify her, when she flew into fits. He knew the words she always yearned to hear.

Xiao Mi, listen to me, I have to say this…… I can’t say this enough. So, please listen.

“…… I love you……”

Even if you no longer love me, even if you’ve already forgotten about me, even if I have vanished from this world, I will still love you.

“Yi, I love you too.”

He felt his consciousness gradually slip out of reach, into a dark, depthless abyss. But it’s okay, Xiao Mi, it no longer hurts now. Don’t cry, because I hate to see you cry. At least, smile for me.

He didn't hear the words Xiao Mi truly wanted to say...... words etched deep in her heart.

"I'll wait for you, to descend as an angel to find me."