translated_Chapter 9

09: Exposing the Truth

09: Exposing the Truth

These past few days of blissful moments were a trap Qiu Ci had laid long ago.

Qiu Ci took a deep breath, mentally noting Su Yuyang’s involvement: “I’m sorry, Ai La is my sister.”

“So, you living here, your drunken episodes, were all planned!” Jing Yueming mocked himself, realizing there was no such thing as a destined coincidence.

“I didn’t tell you these things directly because I had too many concerns, Little Jing. I hope you can rationally understand them.” Qiu Ci slowly approached Jing Yueming, continuing, “I only concealed the fact that Ai La was my sister. My feelings for you are genuine, which is why I came to your side. It’s not as complicated as you think.”

Jing Yueming gazed into Qiu Ci’s light green eyes, trying to find any trace of deceit: “Ai La’s younger brother? Genuinely in love with me? How laughable.” The first member of Ai La’s family he met was in bed, and he slept with Ai La’s only family member.

An unbearable wave of nausea surged through him, and Jing Yueming steadied himself by gripping the table.

Qiu Ci supported him with his left hand, his knuckles distinct: “When you were with my sister, I often saw things related to you – gifts, clothes, and you even made her lunch boxes. I tasted them at the company.”

Qiu Ci opened the diary on the table for Jing Yueming to see: “My sister had excellent taste. We often liked the same things.”

The diary fell open to a page with a photo of Jing Yueming and Ai La strolling through the streets together. Jing Yueming didn’t know when it was taken; he was a freshman at the time.

“My sister told me that he was wonderful, recently working on an innovative entrepreneurship project. Today, he finished his work, and my sister went to accompany him shopping.”

“He’s at the art studio with my sister, brainstorming original works. My sister is troubled by her work every day.”

“My sister received a gift from him – an Old Holland Master Handmade Wooden Box Set. What a coincidence, I was planning to give him the same thing as this year’s gift…”

…

The diary was filled with photos taken at different times. Jing Yueming had no idea when they were taken.

Qiu Ci sniffed the scent of shampoo from his bathroom on Jing Yueming’s hair: “Isn’t your goal to make me her substitute? As for when I would fall in love with you, that’s not important, right?”

“Are you crazy, Qiu Ci? This is stalking, taking photos without my permission.” Jing Yueming flipped through each photo of him and Ai La together. Behind these beautiful memories, there was always someone following him, harboring unexpressed feelings: “Ai La, do you know! The way you are makes me feel like I’m betraying her.”

Ai La passed away this spring, only a little over half a year ago.

“My sister knew that all the gifts she gave you every year were prepared by me. And you liked them very much.” Qiu Ci hugged the man from behind; he was also afraid.

He didn’t want Jing Yueming to leave.

Jing Yueming could feel his right hand trembling slightly.

“No, I can’t accept this. I can’t fall in love with her younger brother so soon after Ai La’s death.” Jing Yueming could easily break free from Qiu Ci; Qiu Ci wasn’t as physically strong as he was.

“Then just treat me as a substitute, like I said that day. I don’t mind. Aren’t you treating this behavior as – deep affection? Yueming, I like you.” Qiu Ci’s confession was humble and self-deprecating.

Would the CEO of a listed financial company love his sister’s lover to this extent?

“Don’t leave me, Jing Yueming. I can be your Ai La.” A real Ai La, not the acting version of Qiu Shi.

Jing Yueming realized that Qiu Ci’s right hand often trembled, but he hid it well.

After much internal struggle.

He decided to follow his heart and turned around to hug Qiu Ci.

He liked Ai La, who shared his interests.

But he also liked Qiu Ci, who was willing to bring him before everyone. This was the biggest difference between Qiu Ci and Ai La.

Over the years, Ai La never let Jing Yueming know about her work, family, or friends.

Jing Yueming also slowly accepted the fact that he was a lover, starting from his initial dissatisfaction.

He couldn’t bear to part with Ai La’s money, nor could he bear to part with Ai La as a person.

Qiu Ci seemed to genuinely love him, perhaps even more than Ai La did.

He slept at Qiu Ci’s house. At night, while Qiu Ci was sound asleep.

He repeatedly flipped through that diary.

It was filled with Qiu Ci’s secret love and forbearance over the years.

How strong of will it takes to persevere like this.

When Jing Yueming was thirteen years old, he went shopping with his mother for the last time.

He audited a few days of courses at a fine arts training center in the city center.

Although he ultimately couldn’t afford to enroll, the seed was planted in his heart.

The seed sprouted in high school, and the first red dress he designed won the Excellence Award at the National Youth Advanced Fashion Customization Competition.

It was because of this that his teacher recommended him to take the path of an art student.

Before that, he was self-taught.

Later, he unexpectedly met Ai La.

In the diary.

That year, Qiu Ci also participated in the competition, winning third place and noticing Jing Yueming at the time.

Unfortunately, Qiu Ci was studying at the Paris Graduate School of Business, only sharing with Ai La the work he most admired from that competition.

The red dress called “Aldebaran.”

Jing Yueming, feeling recognized, curled his lips and continued reading.

It was all about Qiu Ci recording his boring days studying at the business school, shopping with Su Yuyang, wanting to return to the country, etc.

Why was Qiu Ci so interested in art but studied finance?

One day, the tone suddenly changed.

“Qiu Shi is in love with Mr. Aldebaran, whom I admire, but Mr. Aldebaran is only seventeen, it seems.”

In a relationship.

But both were as innocent as children.

Jing Yueming wanted to know about Ai La’s work, but his persistence led to Ai La neglecting him for a long time.

Ai La also happened to go abroad to study, also at the Paris Business School.

Jing Yueming finally decided to break the cold war with a paper letter.

Half a month later, he received a reply.

It was autumn at the time, and the envelope contained a red maple leaf from Paris.

The content was a tactful and elegant reply, roughly forgiving him.

In the letters, Ai La often referred to herself as Mr. Maple.

For the next year or so, they corresponded only through letters, without calling or meeting.

Two people separated by half the globe expressed their love in the slowest way possible.

The leaf in the envelope changed from a maple leaf to a sycamore leaf to a tea leaf.

Finally, there was another red maple leaf: “The maple leaves are falling again, I have to say goodbye to Mr. Maple, Mr. Sycamore, and Mr. Tea.”

Shortly after Jing Yueming received that letter, Ai La returned to China.

Ai La spent her free time from work helping Jing Yueming prepare for his exams until he was admitted to a good school.

The two later officially developed a relationship.

This romantic and beautiful love story, like something out of an art film.

Ended with Ai La’s death.

And continued with Qiu Ci’s long-planned sequel.

Qiu Ci and Ai La were twins, the same age, and eight years younger than Jing Yueming.

When he studied in Paris with Ai La, he was only twenty-five years old.

The man’s bitter secret love was all given to a young man he had never met.

The diary contained recommendations for what gifts to give her lover on various holidays, usually retro and meaningful drawing tools.