Where Spring Meets the Mountain Rain

For safety, and because the house across the hall had been empty for years, Qi Qing always used her opposite neighbor's apartment number as the delivery address for her online purchases.

That is, until she bought a piece of lingerie, and chose to pay on delivery.

One day, someone knocked on Qi Qing's door.

The man standing in front of her was Jiang Tingqing, the boyfriend she'd secretly dated back in high school.

The dark circles under his eyes stood out against his pale skin. He narrowed his long, alluring eyes and furrowed his handsome brows.

"Qi Qing," he said slowly, expressionless as he held up the sexy lace underwear between two long fingers.

"Tell me, why was I forced to buy this lace underwear for my ex-girlfriend?"

"And why is it so ugly?"

He gave her a rather wicked smile. "I've suffered serious emotional damage, Qi Qing. You need to make it up to me."

*

In high school, Qi Qing and Jiang Tingqing were worlds apart.

One was so quiet she barely stood out, while the other was a lazy, unruly star of the school.

Jiang Tingqing wouldn't let Qi Qing reveal their relationship at school, so she did as she was told and hid it well.

She hid her crush, too, until the day someone exposed her feelings. Then Jiang Tingqing cruelly asked her to date him.

As if he'd simply decided he wanted a relationship, and Qi Qing happened to be there.

Just someone to fool around with.

*

Their relationship had been an accident, and so was their reunion.

That was what Qi Qing had always believed.

She thought Jiang Tingqing just wanted to fool around, like he had in high school.

They were both adults now. There was no harm in taking things a little further.

Until one night, a colleague brought Qi Qing home. As soon as she stepped out of the elevator, someone grabbed her and pulled her against the wall.

Jiang Tingqing wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed her. Before Qi Qing could explain, she tasted his tears.

His voice broke, but he still tried to sound fierce as he pressed his lips against hers, trembling with accusation.

"Qi Qing, you treat me like a dog."

His scalding tears fell on her face, and she heard Jiang Tingqing say:

"I even let you play with me. Why won't you?"

It was only then that Qi Qing finally understood.

All those coincidences had apparently been deliberately arranged by her ex-boyfriend.

There was more to what he had said back then about her making it up to him:

"Make up for losing you for these eight years. Make up for every bit of it."

*

She was a distant mountain shrouded in rain all year round, wrapped in mist that never lifted.

Until that spring arrived.

Theme: Sincerity for sincerity.