A Bird's Forced Landing

(220,000 words, complete) [Youth / healing / mutual devotion / passionate love / rural setting / bad ending] A stubborn, straight-laced girl pretending to be sunny × a sickly, guiding, flirtatious boy I searched for you with hope and bitterness, only to suddenly realize that you were no longer in this world. That was when I realized there could be no better word than love to describe how I feel about you. “I really, really like you. Will you like me just a little more?” - When Cheng Xu first arrived, she robbed a frail, delicate-looking boy named Fu Chu on a country road. In just one day, Fu Chu saw her cry twice. After that day, he had only one thought: he wanted to get closer to her. - Cheng Xu would joke at her own expense, “I guess I just can’t see very far ahead.” Fu Chu stopped and met her eyes seriously. “Cheng Xu, you can’t bully yourself, too.” “Is that really what you think? Hearing it makes me sad. What about you? Wouldn’t it make you even sadder?” - Later, he let himself go, expressing his feelings in every embarrassingly mushy way he could think of. Cheng Xu couldn’t take it. “You’re being way too obvious.” “If I’m not obvious, I’m afraid you won’t understand.” “I’m not stupid.” “But I am. I’m so stupid that I think you can’t see how much I like you, or understand what I really mean.” - Later, Yu Mu left, Grandma Yu died, Fu Chu had no choice but to leave, and Lu Hai went away, too. Of the five people in the courtyard, only she was left behind. As they said goodbye, she asked, “Will we meet again?” Fu Chu brushed her cheek with his thumb and said gently, “Tell me you love me.” Tears blurred Cheng Xu’s vision. At last, choking back sobs, she said the words she found so embarrassingly mushy. “...I love you.”