C8

Painting was a form of expression. While He Yao'an had seen Xia Yuli's paintings whenever she was happy and in love, he had never seen her drawings whenever she was upset. And as he glanced at all the sketches she had created, he couldn't help but wish that he had seen them earlier.

There were shadows of her waiting at home for him, scenes of him with other women, drawings of birds living in cages, pictures of wilting roses, and even sketches of silent tears...All of them were different from the rushing life she had presented to the world. Who would've known that an artist praised for her nostalgic and colorful paintings would hide something this dark within herself?

His heart clenched as he turned to the last page. This time, it wasn't a drawing, but a phrase. Her handwriting was like chicken scratches, but he could recognize a few words.

"A woman who has fallen in love with a god is destined to live a life of both sorrow and joy. Every day, she watches him with different women. Every day, she pines for her luck. Every day, she hurts. But she decides to leave it like that...for she realizes that the man she has fallen in love with was a god. And she was nothing more than a mere mortal."

The date etched on the sides was the day they went out for a walk. "We're going to be together forever," she had told him so enthusiastically as he shrugged in reply. Who would've thought that she was already planning to leave him?

"You never told him," he murmured, closing the sketchbook. "How was he supposed to know? How was he supposed to clarify? Do you even know how much you mean to him?"

It turned out that Xia Yuli had actually loved him after all and that she had never lost her feelings for him. No. She had only left because she thought that he was never going to love her back. His grip on the sketchbook tightened.

When he came to find her that night, he saw that she was in the garden on the top floor of the hotel. Her eyes were glazed over and her head was tilted, looking as if she was reminiscing something. He wanted to call out, but silence had completely overwhelmed him.

They could see everything at this point, being at the highest point of the city. A scent of smoke and fire wafted around them, but they couldn't be bothered. All they could see or even feel was one another's presence.

When Xia Yuli saw his figure from behind her, her heart skipped a beat. But she didn't say a word.

He sat directly in front of her. After a long time, he slowly said, "I was supposed to propose to you that year."

"I...What did you say?" Her eyes widened in surprise.

"I've already prepared the ring and the venue. I even told all my friends what I was about to do, but just as I was able to get the words out, you dumped me." A bitter smile slid into his lips. "You have no idea how angry I was when you told me that you didn't love me."

Xia Yuli knew that he was telling her the truth. How could he lie about something like this?

Even then, hesitancy still pulled her back. "You're going to propose to me? How? You don't even want to be seen with me! You've never even told me you love me! You want me to think that you're going to propose to me?"

"I fell in love with you!" he finally blurted it out. "Xia Yuli, I love you!"

In their relationship, she had given him the thought that she was a painting–forever with a smile on her face. She had never given him a chance to see the other side of her, one that was clawed with shadows of insecurity.

All she ever wanted was to bring him happiness, only to lose hers in the process.

During the two years that they had been separated, He Yao'an learned more about her than he did in the last three years. She was as stubborn as a donkey. Her voice was as pleasant as the muses. And her strength could topple down a dozen empires. She was strong, and he had loved her even more because of it.

As soon as she heard his words, she faltered. Xia Yuli had waited three long years for him to proclaim his love for her, only for him to say it five years later–so casually and easily as if he was just talking about the weather.

"Then why didn't you ask me to stay?"

"I didn't expect you to be so determined in leaving," he uttered. This time, the coldness in his voice had dissipated, and all she could hear were emotional cracks. The walls that he had built so far up were shattering bit by bit. "You were such a different person that I...that I didn't know if I really had known you."

There were far too many misunderstandings between them, and because of their pride, none of them had bothered clarifying anything.

"Xia Yuli," he said softly. "Let's get back together."

She clenched her fists.

"If a cat's paw appears a hundred more times, then I'll be with you." Without another word, she left him on the building.

"A cat's paw?" From night till day, He Yao'an was thinking of how to do it, yet he still couldn't wrap his head around it. How was he going spot one? How was he going to spot a hundred ones in such a short amount of time?

"Boss, you're still trending on Weibo." Seeing his boss so devastated, his assistant decided to step in. "Why don't you ask for their help to take pictures for you?"

A few days later, when Xia Yuli returned to Weibo again, she saw that Cat's Claw Cloud was trending all over. When she clicked on the hashtag, she saw that almost a thousand pictures were uploaded into the app. They even wrote about helping Mr. He find his love.

Her eyes widened, and she could feel a ball rising to her throat. Just as she was about to scroll down, even more, He Yao'an called, "I've already collected the pictures a hundred times, even a thousand times. Are you willing to be with me again?"

"You–you've cheated," she stuttered out, but even as the words slipped her lips, a slow smile carved its way into her features.

In the past, she had assumed that he'd never announced her as his partner, that he'd forever hide her in the dark. And now, not only had he admitted to the world of their relationship, but he had even asked for their help to chase her down.

In the past, she had thought that love was simply keeping the other happy, only to realize that love was actually a two-way street. It's caring for the other and yourself. Inferiority should never be encouraged but should be talked about. No more keeping secrets in the dark. No more hiding under a smile. They weren't paintings, but people...and it was then when she finally understood what love was about.

Xia Yuli had loved He Yao'an ever since she was young, and that still hadn't changed. Why not try it once more? This time, with the blessing of an entire city on their shoulders.