His words reminded Ye Qingli of when they first met, during the mountain hike. She had held up her phone to take a picture and report to Zhang Luan, and he had said the same thing.
"Documenting the good life."
Back then, she hadn't replied—partly because she didn't like this "sticky plaster," and partly because she didn't know how to respond. But now she said, "Yeah, it's good. Being with you feels especially good."
She admitted it openly.
Xiao Yu in the frame paused slightly. He hadn't expected her to say that.
Ye Qingli looked at him on the screen, her expression suddenly serious. "This is our first trip together since we started dating. I'm really happy."
"Aside from reality, this trip feels like a dream. So does being with you.
To be honest, before you barged into my life, when I saw other people in love, I used to wonder—what would my future boyfriend look like? What would his personality be? Would he be a good person? Would he only be good to me, only love me?"
"But the guy I imagined doesn't seem to match you at all. For example, before I met you, I thought I'd like someone gentle, with a good temper, and no relationship history. But in reality, I met someone with a rogueish look, a so-so temper, and a long list of exes." Ye Qingli couldn't help laughing at her own words.
The cold air rushed straight into her nose. She paused, then continued, "That's why I firmly rejected you before—the difference was too big. I thought we'd never be together, never have a future. But somehow, without me even noticing, my heart became uncontrollable. It told me I should like you, passionately like you."
"In the quiet of the night, I used to think—would a girl's confession make her looked down upon? But later I realized that question itself was wrong. It's not about being looked down on, but about being brave. I admire my courage, admire myself. So, counting New Year's, this is the second fireworks display we've watched together."
"If I can, I want to watch a third, a fourth, and many more with you. Preferably until we're seventy or eighty, until our hair turns white. I hope we can still be like this, tightly together among the bustling crowd, waiting for that burst of light to illuminate our eyes."
"Xiao Yu," she said to the young man who had been silent the whole time, just watching her, "Can you love me forever? Like you do now?"
"If possible, when we reach the legal marriage age, I'll give you a home."
Ye Qingli slightly raised her head, a mix of tenderness and determination in her eyes. Standing on this white snow-covered land, with brilliant fireworks overhead, she gave him that promise.
It should have been a happy thing, but Xiao Yu's eyes reddened. His heartbeat drowned out everything around him, pounding loudly in his ears.
After an unknown amount of time, he bent down and wrapped his arms around her with an aggressive aura, using all his strength. Ye Qingli felt like she could barely breathe.
His face buried in her neck, his voice was hoarse.
"Okay."
"I will always love you."
"Love you until we're seventy or eighty, until our hair turns white."
His nose stung. He raised a hand to wipe his wet eyes and said in a trembling voice, "I love you, until the end of time, until the end of life."
No one can predict the future, but hearing these words, Ye Qingli felt inexplicably at ease. She curved her lips and hugged him back with all her might.
Xiao Yu had had so many girlfriends before, yet she firmly believed he would keep his word.
Many years later, she would always remember that night—how he trapped her by the hot spring, the misty steam surrounding them, his bony hands covering her pale neck, kissing her again and again, tenderly and affectionately.
"Xiao Yu..." Ye Qingli gently pushed him away. Her delicate face was flushed, her voice trembling.
"Hmm?" He looked into her moist eyes, pulled her closer, pressing their bodies together.
"What you said was true, right?" She had been thinking about this.
Xiao Yu paused. He reached out a hand dripping with water to stroke her face, then parted her lips and kissed the tip of her tongue. Their bodies melded together. Ye Qingli curled her fingers, feeling his passionate heartbeat in that moment.
"Ye Qingli, I love you. Lying to you would be pointless."