Let Me Promise You an Eternity Together

Everyone has something they cannot let go of, something that becomes an obsession. It might be a person, an event, or an object. Even when they know it is impossible, they stubbornly refuse to let go. For Li Xinyan, Li Wenxuan was that obsession. Li Wenxuan and Li Xinyan had irreconcilable differences over what it meant to be childhood sweethearts. Li Wenxuan believed that two people who had grown up together knew each other far too well. They could go shopping, watch movies, and travel together, all without pressure. There was no need to hide their little flaws; they could simply be themselves. But because they knew each other so thoroughly, there was no novelty or mystery between them, so their bond could never become more than friendship. They would stay by each other’s side forever, but only as lifelong friends. Li Xinyan, on the other hand, believed that two people who had grown up together had an unparalleled advantage. They knew each other inside and out, understood each other’s likes and dislikes, and got along so naturally that there was no need to waste time guessing what the other was thinking. Becoming a couple was simply inevitable. Through the long wait of their youth, her affection for him never faded. Instead, as the years passed, it only grew deeper. She spent ten years building a cage for herself with her own hands, trapping her heart inside. Not every love is returned. She deceived herself, remaining by his side as a friend and using that friendship as an excuse to lavish affection on him without restraint. Unfortunately, his reaction time was far too slow. By the time he understood, it was already too late. Where had the girl who used to follow him around, always saying they would never be apart, gone? “Why don’t you like me?” “We know each other too well. We wouldn’t make a good couple.” “No matter what, I won’t give up. I’ll wait for you, no matter how long it takes.” “Why put yourself through this? You should find your own happiness.” “You’re the only one who makes me happy. It doesn’t matter if you don’t like me now. I’ll wait. When you’ve seen all the splendor this world has to offer and turn around, you’ll find me still here, never having left.” “Xinyan, I don’t want to see you suffer like this. How about this: if neither of us is with someone else when you graduate, we can give it a try.” “I don’t want your pity. I’ll make you understand that I’m the one who suits you best, the only one who’ll never leave you.” “I lost. I couldn’t even make you stay.” “Didn’t you say you’d wait right here for me? I turned around. So where are you?”