By the time they arrived home, it was already past nine. Su Yiyi stepped through the door and immediately changed into a set of casual home clothes that Meng Xiaofei had helped her pick out, then she intended to clean up Li Yifei’s room.
Li Yifei quickly grabbed hold of Su Yiyi, saying, "Yiyi, stop, the house isn’t that dirty, is it?"
Su Yiyi immediately responded, "But I still need to tidy up. If I don’t do something, I won’t know what I’m good for."
Li Yifei pulled Su Yiyi hard to sit down on the sofa, cupped her cheeks with both hands, and said softly, "Silly girl, don’t you miss me?"
Su Yiyi’s body suddenly turned limp, and she whispered, "I do."
"If you miss me, then just properly stay by my side. As for the housework, I can do it normally."
"Mhm!" Su Yiyi nodded gently and nestled into Li Yifei’s embrace.
Li Yifei gently wrapped his arms around Su Yiyi’s waist, and the two of them snuggled together without any extra movement. After a while, Li Yifei said, "Yiyi, I have something to tell you."
Su Yiyi answered softly, "Okay."
Li Yifei cleared his throat and said, "Yiyi, I owe you an apology for this matter."
Su Yiyi’s body stiffened, and she slowly lifted her head, her eyes full of fear as she stammered, "Brother Li, you... you don’t want me anymore?"
A pain struck Li Yifei’s heart, but hiding this matter from Su Yiyi would be even more cruel, so he steeled himself and said softly, "Yiyi, it’s not that Brother Li doesn’t want you. Brother Li has always liked you very much."
Su Yiyi was still very nervous, her hands clutching Li Yifei’s arm tightly, she asked, "Then... what did you mean by... apologizing to me?"
Li Yifei sighed and said, "Brother Li will tell you his story. Before my junior year of high school, I had a happy family too, my parents were very good to me. But then, in my junior year, my parents died in a car accident, and from that moment on, my life fell into darkness..."
Su Yiyi was instantly engrossed by Li Yifei’s story, and as she listened to the hardships he faced at that time, she couldn’t help but let the tears flow.
"During that time, there was a girl who was always caring for me, helping me, her name was Ye Yunzhu..."
Li Yifei recounted to Su Yiyi everything about his past with Ye Yunzhu, and then also told her every detail of what happened after they met again.
After telling her all this, Li Yifei held Su Yiyi’s hand and said, "Yiyi, I know I shouldn’t have done this, but I really don’t know what else to do. If I don’t tell you these things, then I’m deceiving you, but telling you feels too cruel."
Su Yiyi did not start to cry as Li Yifei had imagined. Instead, she looked at him with her bright, wide eyes and said, "Brother Li, thank you."
"Thank me?" Li Yifei was confused by Su Yiyi’s response.
Snuggling into Li Yifei’s embrace, Su Yiyi softly said, "By telling me this, you’re truly considering Yiyi’s feelings. Yiyi is just a poor girl, I have no skills or means, but I know Brother Li is a man of ability. In the future, you will definitely be an important figure. I am not worthy of you at all. Only someone like Ye Yunzhu... my sister, is truly fit for you. She is the one who should be your wife."
"Yiyi... you..." A pang of pain struck Li Yifei’s heart.
"Brother Li!" Su Yiyi clung tightly to Li Yifei’s waist and continued, "Brother Li, all Yiyi ever wanted was to be by your side for life. When you told me back then to be your girlfriend, I was so happy. But I know I’m not suited to be your wife. I am willing to be your lover, your lover for a lifetime."
Li Yifei was shaken to the core. He had never anticipated that after telling her everything, Su Yiyi would feel this way. The guilt he felt towards her was indescribable. He wanted to say something to Su Yiyi, but he felt that no matter how eloquently he spoke, it could not compare to the depth of feeling that Yiyi held for him. Next to her affection for him, he felt incredibly small.
"Brother Li, don’t feel burdened by this. In fact, being with you this way, I feel less pressure. Otherwise, when I’m with you, I always feel like I don’t know anything and can’t do anything for you. I’m always afraid that I’m not doing well enough and that I’m letting Brother Li down. Now it’s okay, I’ve become Brother Li’s lover, so I don’t have to carry that burden anymore. As long as Brother Li thinks of me, I can come over to keep you company, talk with you, and... let you hold me . That’s all I need."
Raising her head, her face flushed and tinged with shyness and anticipation, Su Yiyi softly said, "Brother Li, can you take Yiyi today? I want to let Brother Li know, Yiyi belongs to you, forever..."
Li Yifei closed his eyes briefly, then looked deeply into Su Yiyi’s eyes. Her gaze was not as fiery as Ye Yunzhu’s nor as domineering as Lin Qiong’s. But the tenderness it held, intricate and profound, wound around Li Yifei’s heart, entangling him completely, unable to break free.
"Yiyi! I love you!" It was a phrase Li Yifei had said to Ye Yunzhu when he was young, but back then, it was irresponsible, and now, as he said it, he felt it was so pure. It was Su Yiyi’s love for him that purified his own love. He felt that this time, he uttered those three words most earnestly, most passionately, truly from the bottom of his heart.
"Brother Li, I love you too!" Su Yiyi bravely met Li Yifei’s gaze, her head slowly tilting upward, her lips drawing ever closer to his. Yet her eyes remained open—a tremendous feat for a shy girl.
Li Yifei’s head also slowly lowered. He had always thought kissing was just kissing—you do it like they do in the movies, slow motion was nonsense, you just kissed directly. But there he was, moving towards Su Yiyi’s lips in what felt like extreme slow motion.
As Su Yiyi’s face grew ever closer, as he felt her breath, as he inhaled her subtle scent, Li Yifei was intoxicated. It wasn’t alcohol that inebriated him, but the love Su Yiyi had for him. When their lips finally touched, Li Yifei felt his mind explode, his spirit soaring into the heavens.