Chapter Sixty-Six: A Love Letter

(Thanks to our fellow reader [Dragon’s Silent Listener] for becoming a Squad Leader. Adding a special thank-you update! PS: I must apologize to everyone, as cilantro is also called coriander. It was a mistake of mine, not a typo. I genuinely didn’t know the pronunciation, and my input method didn’t have this word, so I wrote it as "芜". After checking Baidu, I found out it should be "芫荽". Embarrassed, sorry.)

Regarding the storage, back then it was Xiaodi who wanted to offer herself. He patiently persuaded her for some time. Xiaodi then asked if he ever liked her. Li Yan honestly replied that he did, otherwise he wouldn’t have paid attention to her. He explained that the kind of liking was different from what she meant.

Hearing him talking about this matter, Xiaodi raised an eyebrow: "You still remember this, huh? It seems like you’re not consistent inside and out, always thinking about the things stored."

"..."

"I don’t care. It’s been stored for a long time, from Chapter 85 to now, the storage period has already passed."

"Aren’t you supposed to store it for a year..." Li Yan said with a bitter smile.

"Hehe, I didn’t say that at the beginning. Haven’t you already fallen in love with me now? So, it’s the time when everything falls into place, when achievements naturally come."

"Alright, stop playing. It’s almost twelve o’clock, soon it will be your birthday. I’m going to take a shower first so I can be the first to wish you a happy birthday." Li Yan exerted a bit of force, supporting her to sit up.

Seeing Li Yan going to get a bathrobe and shower, Xiaodi didn’t cling to him anymore. She went to another bed, picked up the large bouquet of flowers, leaned in, and took a deep breath, showing a face of happiness.

As she took a second deep breath, she found there was an envelope inside the bouquet and hurriedly took it out.

Others would attach a card and write a few words when sending flowers. Why did he use an envelope? Is it the words he wanted to say?

"Is this your birthday present?" Looking up, Li Yan had already entered the bathroom, so Xiaodi could only put down the flowers herself, preparing to open this unsealed envelope.

Lying on the bed, full of joy, smelling the faint floral scent, before opening the envelope, Xiaodi pressed the letter against her chest and began to fantasize.

What could be inside this?

He is usually not good at expressing his feelings. Could it be some cheesy lines?

This should be the legendary love letter, right?

Yes, for girls of her generation, love letters have become legendary things. They were popular during the era of handwritten letters, paper letters, while now everyone uses computers, QQ, and MSN from a young age. These instant communication tools allow people to express their love without the embarrassment of face-to-face meetings, not just with words but also with rich emoticons; or through SMS. Boys chasing girls have evolved from writing love letters, asking for phone numbers, to now needing QQ numbers. Handwritten love letters might only be used by a few now.

Receiving a hand-written retro love letter from someone she likes is not only very unique and interesting for Xiaodi but also represents sincerity and heartfelt sentiment! For an ordinary girl, when her boyfriend buys her expensive gifts she wouldn’t indulge in, that expense represents not just money but intention, and so it moves them. For her, what can be bought with money is nothing, but what is made with heart is rare.

Now Xiao Xiaodi feels like logging onto the school forum to post, announcing "I received a handwritten love letter from my boyfriend". After fantasizing for a while, she carefully opened the envelope and took out a piece of letter paper inside.

She glanced at the clock on the wall, a few minutes to twelve, should she wait until her actual birthday to read it?

No need, right? Time isn’t that strict, even at twelve it’s not the moment she was born, the key is the meaning.

She couldn’t wait any longer and unfolded the letter paper.

But right upon opening it, Yu Xiaodi covered the letter paper on her chest again...

She suddenly felt a burst of fear and dread!

Everything tonight has come too suddenly, too unexpectedly, too delightfully, but that, instead, seems unreal. This one-time compensation of happiness instead makes her suspect if it’s an overdraft, whether Li Yan wants to break up with her, because of guilt, so he wants to give her a beautiful feeling, for good parting and gathering...

I don’t know if it’s fear after joy or influenced by some film and television works. Xiaodi now doesn’t dare to see the letter. If it’s a sincere love letter, it’s naturally a huge surprise and happiness. But besides confessing love, letters can express more, especially breakups! 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

Many couples fear hurting others or avoiding embarrassment, so when they break up, they use various methods that don’t require face-to-face communication, to give the other party a calm atmosphere and time for thought. The breakup letter is the most common!

Thinking of her being with Li Yan, it has always been her who is proactive; thinking of Li Yan’s relationship with Zhang Yurong becoming more harmonious; thinking of his always rational restraint towards herself... Xiaodi is becoming more and more worried.

Because her current life can’t be controlled by herself yet, being with Li Yan is driven by love’s enthusiasm, but Li Yan, who is nearing thirty, must stabilize. If his feelings with Zhang Yurong warm up and the relationship is harmonious, it is necessary to cut this affair his wife knows, otherwise, it might result in a situation where he gains nothing. And the family of three parties will definitely put unlimited pressure on Li Yan, divorce is impossible, as that would offend both families, and her family wouldn’t accept and support either, so the least costly way to handle it is to break up with her!

This made Xiaodi break out in a cold sweat. If this really is a breakup letter, then tonight, she would have experienced the thrill of falling from the clouds to the cliff’s edge.

To read? Or not to read?

Xiaodi’s gaze was again fixed on the clock on the wall. At this moment, her ears couldn’t hear the sound of the water from the bathroom, couldn’t hear the sound from the TV, just the slight ticking of the clock was infinitely magnified, with each move of the second hand, pounding heavily in her ears, in her heart.

Read it!

It has already come to this point, might as well be bold, even if he wants to break up, he will say it eventually, maybe just delaying it for a day. Instead of worrying all day, it’s better to see what it contains now. Even if it’s a breakup letter, I could still treasure this last day well!

After hesitating for a long time, Xiaodi finally took the letter from her chest, the areas grasped by her hand were slightly softened by the faint sweat from her palm.

’Xiaodi, happy birthday.’

The opening line, which should have been a blessing to make Xiaodi smile happily, now couldn’t be thought more of. She continued to read.

’It is said there is a kind of love called love at first sight. Unfortunately, we are not. To be honest, my first impression of you was very bad. Hehe, I believe you had the same idea, right? Otherwise, you wouldn’t have tried to approach me, trying to catch me for revenge.’

’The first time I saw you, you weren’t the real you; the second time, I couldn’t even recognize you, but that wasn’t the real you either. Because during that time, things weren’t peaceful around you, and you left your phone number with me; the danger connected us. Back and forth, by the time we were at this hotel, I already had more understanding of you; I wouldn’t say I was very fond, at least the real you didn’t make me dislike you.’

’There was a time when I found you very annoying. But at that time, I was also bored. Being with you wasn’t as annoying as I imagined. Your youthful vitality allowed me to experience another kind of life, a life I had not lived or lost. It was new and joyful to me. And you are so enthusiastic, never caring about others’ opinions, not concerned about family views, and not even caring about my indifference... your passion melted me step by step.’

’For the first time, I experienced the happiness of being loved by someone in you, and my feelings for you developed faster than I imagined. But you know my situation now, I shouldn’t like you, we have age, family background, and other differences, so I have always been avoiding. And you never stopped, your enthusiasm, your initiative, your pure love made me discover that some things can be transcended.’

’I have never officially said that I like you. That day, when I officially declared you as my girlfriend, it wasn’t because Qiao Huanxuan was present, but because, in my heart, I already regarded you as my girlfriend, but just haven’t introduced or said it in front of my friends.’

’Now, I have also become very bold. Before, I promised myself, whether we are apart or not, as long as you need, or are in danger, I will secretly protect you for a lifetime; but now, regarding the Future, I have changed my promise to myself: no matter what, I will never give up on you, I want to openly protect you for a lifetime!’

’I really didn’t know what gift to give you, so I wrote down these words I want to say to you with my not so tidy handwriting. The things I want to say are more than just these, and I haven’t told you much usually, but I believe even if not spoken, you can feel some of them.’

’Today is your birthday. I think I can’t be too reserved, I have to open my golden mouth. So, allow me to say something I never said aloud because it was too cheesy — Xiaodi, I love you!’ The last signature is ’Your Gē Gē Rock, Sexy Uncle, Handsome Li Yan.’

His final signature, although meant to adjust and tease the atmosphere, because of the huge worry before, when Xiaodi saw the words "I love you", she was already uncontrollable. When seeing the signature, seeing that the letter paper was finished, with no words on the bottom or back, she couldn’t hold it in anymore, bursting into tears, tear drops falling and wetting the letter paper.

(Only two monthly passes away from ranking up, anyone willing to help? Another Chapter coming around midnight!) (To be continued, for the rest of the story, please log on to www.qidian.com, more Chapters available, support the author, support genuine reading!)