On the day the news came that Qi Yu had died, Bian Yue stood stunned for a long time. When he went home, he put his car keys in his pocket where his pen belonged.
Qi Yu had given him that pen on their first date. He had hardly been able to bring himself to use it, and he had taken countless photos of the diamond on its cap from different angles to show off on his social media.
In the underground garage, he leaned against his car and lit a cigarette. It was his first time smoking. His hands shook so badly he could barely hold it, and the smoke made his eyes water.
Qi Yu was always complaining that his sweet talk was clichéd and his declarations of love unoriginal. Even when he said something dirty in bed, he would blush to the tips of his ears, like a stuffy old man born in the modern age.
So she loved teasing him. In front of everyone at the company, she would bring him flowers, smile as she kissed the corner of his lips, and add in a syrupy voice, "I'm here to pick my husband up from work."
Then he would lead her into his office, and she would pinch his burning earlobe and laugh until she went limp in his arms.
President Bian had been away from work for two weeks. Naturally, everyone at the company assumed he was arranging his wife's funeral. It wasn't until the company's official social media account was flooded that they saw the trending topic alongside the Bian Group's name: [I always thought dying for love was an old-fashioned legend.]
Before losing consciousness, Bian Yue carefully took her hand and murmured, "Dying for you and being buried in the same coffin... That would be a grand, original confession of love."
When he opened his eyes again, he was nineteen, before he had ever met his wife.
Following his memories to the old neighborhood that had long since been demolished, he stumbled until he found the place. He looked up. A young girl was sucking on a popsicle and humming a song he couldn't quite make out. Carrying a bag of trash, she deftly stopped three steps away and tossed it into the bin.
His emotions nearly got the better of him, but he was afraid of frightening her. The word "Wife" that had risen to his throat became a soft murmur.
*
Qi Yu first saw Bian Yue on the school's bulletin board for outstanding graduates.
A standard-sized portrait showed a handsome young man with refined features and an exceptionally striking face. Qi Yu had glanced at it in passing, but it left an impression.
The next time she saw Bian Yue was downstairs from her home.
A few steps away, the young man stared fixedly at her. The moment Qi Yu opened her mouth, he began to cry.
Under the dim yellow streetlight, the young man's eyes were red and wet. The emotions in them were so complex and intense that Qi Yu froze for a moment.
"Maybe you should wipe your tears."
"Do you believe time can flow backward?"
They spoke at the same time.
Qi Yu tactfully suggested, "Maybe you should see a doctor."
Bian Yue froze, then couldn't help laughing. She thought he was mentally ill. She was so tactful when insulting him, and the way she scolded him was so vivid and lovely.
*
One day, Qi Yu accidentally found the marriage certificate Bian Yue had hidden away. It had a photo of the two of them on it.
She looked from the marriage certificate in her hand to the trending topic about romance scams that had just popped up on her phone. Horrified and furious, she asked her boyfriend why he had forged a document. Was she going to be the next "pig" murdered after making the news?
She had always wondered how one person could match her tastes so perfectly, both in looks and in bed, while also being gentle and considerate in everyday life, doting on her until she was practically useless. Of course something that good couldn't be real.
To be safe and stay alive, Qi Yu packed her things and prepared to run away. For now, she would break up with him.
When she woke again, cool, slender fingers traced up from her ankle, caressing her all over. Qi Yu looked up and met a pair of dark, somber eyes, full of love so heavy and clinging it threatened to drown her. She turned her head and saw the bright red marriage certificate she had casually tossed aside on the bedside table.
"Wife, don't leave me. Let's get married again. How about we go register tomorrow?"
He was crazy. He forged documents, talked nonsense, and had even started playing at keeping her captive.
She was calling the police on him!!!
*
I never found the formula for reversing time, but when I see you again, I will fall in love with you over and over, again and again.
1v1, HE
Theme: Wishing you good morning, good afternoon, and good night.
