Ten Years of Yearning. My Love, Let Me Protect You.

"Lixi… this is for you." the young Sheng Ruming brought the bundle of flowers towards her face but she remained motionless on the ground, without answering him. She was counting the broken clouds in the sky with her messy mind. Even then, she had difficulty to digest the fact that her parents died just like that.

Then, except for trying to distract her mind in something, she didn't have anything else to do. In the past, the young girl would be very worked up whenever he came to her but today she felt… nothing.

Sheng Ruming's cheeks were deep red as he hesitated what to do next. It was his first time confessing to a girl so he was anxious. He slowly sat beside her head and whispered, "I really like you. Will you be my girlfriend?"

When she heard it, she noticed his shadow on top of her head. As her gaze met his, he told her in a much more loud tone while he was a little embarrassed, "When we will become adults, let's go to visit the places of the seven wonders of the world. Don't you want to see them? Isn't it your dream? I will take you to those places."

When she heard the word 'Dream' something broke inside her. Unknowingly she remembered the time she had a quarrel with her mother.

...

Luo Lixi clearly remembered the harsh things she told him later, back then. He just stood there and listened to her throwing very hurtful words at him. There wasn't another person in the playground. He just listened without uttering a single word. Luo Lixi didn't know just what went wrong as she vented her frustration on the other person for her foul mood. 

No one in her school knew that her parents were dead. Sheng Ruming really was the most unfortunate boy who took the worst timing for confessing. Luo Lixi wasn't in her proper sense back then.

But after that day, she didn't see him in their class. She waited for a week but even then there was no sign of him coming to the school. She asked around if someone knew where he lived or if anyone had his telephone number but everyone shook their heads in denial. 

At last, she accepted that she was in the wrong for rejecting him so harshly. 

Without having any choice the next day, before their class would start, she went to their teachers' room. When Luo Lixi asked her class teacher, she looked up at Luo Lixi in confusion and asked in return, "The boy named Sheng Ruming?"

"Yes, teacher. He didn't come to school for a week." The young Luo Lixi was worried for him as she asked the teacher.

The teacher adjusted her frame atop nervous nose as she thought for a few seconds. When she saw the teacher's face changing into a grave expression, she had an ominous feeling in her heart.

"I remember now. Five days ago, a man came and signed some papers. That boy returned to his city." That teacher remembered Luo Lixi got along well with that boy in the class. "He didn't tell you?"

Luo Lixi lightly shook her head as her mind became blank. At that time, she presumed she was the reason why the young Sheng Ruming left the city.

 But the naive Luo Lixi didn't know anything, not the things which happened behind the shadow on that day when she left the stunned Sheng Ruming at the playground. The cruel things which happened to him and why he was forced to leave the city without saying her goodbye.

...

At the present.

The couple was hugging each other tightly without showing any signs to break apart as if they were attached with superglue.

Both of their eyes were closed. Luo Lixi rested her head on top of his shoulder, beside his ear. Sheng Ruming calmed down his rising heat while he listened to her faint breathing. 

Surprisingly, his inner frantically beating heart resumed it's normal  pace after he hugged her tightly. It was much more peaceful than anything. Her very one existence beside him could make him happier than the satisfaction when he completed his projects after a hard month.

Their peaceful moment didn't last long as they heard a vague knocking at the door. Sheng Ruming knitted his brows in irritation when he was disturbed by someone when he was being lovey-dovey with his love.

Luo Lixi tried to break away but he didn't allow her.

Then, they heard the sound of the door opening. Luo Lixi was anxious.

'What if someone sees us in this state?!' Her mind was running overdrive as she began to think of any scenario happening. 

But she forgot earlier when they were kissing, they also heard the noise of the door opening and closing.

Against her concern, nobody actually came inside the room.

But an embarrassed voice drifted towards them from the door area.

"Miss Li, you didn't have your medicine today…"

Luo Lixi's body stiffened in his embrace. She didn't dare to look at him and hid her face in his chest.

"LUO LIXI ! Did you neglect your health in my absence?!"

The man was very angry when he heard what the nurse said.

Luo Lixi hurriedly lifted her head when she heard his injustice remark. 'How could I neglect my own health?!' She thought as she felt wronged.

"I didn't. Just that, today I woke up very very early. So, I took my medicine alone. She wasn't there so she doesn't know that … Haha!" She gave a hollow laugh, trying to smother the tense atmosphere but before his intense gaze she dropped her pretence.

"Okay, fine. Let me tell you the truth. I did take the tablets. I thought I have to eat them in the end so why should I bother the aged lady?" She tried to sound honest as much as she could. Sheng Ruming remained quiet but he was obviously angry. The gaze from earlier was nowhere to be seen.

"But then, those were too… bitter. After I had taken them, the bitterness was too much. Even after I drank three glasses of water, the bad taste didn't leave my taste buds. I tried to find the candies which you have brought for me. But I didn't find them as she had placed them somewhere in my room. So…"

"So…" Sheng Ruming repeated the word for her to continue.

"So, I felt very nauseated and… vomited out everything." Her voice became timid at the end. She stared at his face to see if he had believed her.

"I am telling the truth. Believe me." Luo Lixi thought he didn't believe in her, so her face became gloomy.

"I believe you." Sheng Ruming told her as he held her face and gave her a fluttering kiss at the corner of her lips.

He broke their hug and got down from the bed. After he had come to the door, he saw the nurse was looking elsewhere in a trance while her hands had the medicines and the candies Luo Lixi had to take in the morning every day.