Because I Cannot Hurt You

A few minutes felt like a few centuries to her as they kissed. By the time they parted, Xinyi's face all up to her neck had turned bright red.

"What were you doing, Zhiyuan?" She asked, feeling completely flushed.

Zhiyuan blinked his eyes. "You don't know what I was doing? Should I...do it again to make you understand?"

Xinyi looked at him, speechless.

Zhiyuan smiled as he held her hands. He gently intertwined his fingers against her. "Xinyi. I didn't bring you here just to confess that I know everything. I brought you here so that I could tell you how much you mean to me. It's true that I did think of separation, but just like you said, that wasn't any solution. I don't want to live apart from you because I have realized just how much I love you."

Xinyi almost stumbled and collapsed and if not for Zhiyuan holding her hand, she would have fallen for real. Her ears buzzed, and she stared at him wide-eyed.

"Yes, Xinyi. I love you."

Xinyi looked at him in a trance. "W-what?"

"I love you. I am madly, madly in love with you. I cannot imagine living a life without you. Please forgive me for being an idiot for not realizing this all this time. Please forgive me for hurting you. I love you and that's why I couldn't bear to make you live with a man like me. But when love came knocking into my life, I didn't have the strength to lose it either. That's why I told Grandpa that I won't ever divorce you."

"Y-you are lying…" Xinyi suddenly stepped back.

Zhiyuan widened his eyes. "No, Xinyi. I am not lying. I will never lie about my feelings for you."

"N-No. You don't have to feel pitiful for me after reading my diary," she bit her lip, "That's why, I won't forgive you for reading it! Now you feel responsible for not loving me. Don't say this just to keep my heart."

"..."

"Xinyi, do you think that something as important as love I will just say lightly? Do you remember that time I took you to dinner? Actually...I had arranged that date just to confess my love for you."

She stiffened.

"At that time, I hadn't read the diary, right? And even before that, I had already confessed my feelings during the picnic when we stayed the night in the village. You were still unconscious, so you didn't hear me. But I had expressed how much I loved you. Seeing you on the verge of losing shook me hard. Xinyi, my feelings are not because I read your diary. I won't ever act to keep your heart. I don't love you because I feel pitiful for you or as a forced responsibility to love you back. I love you with all my heart."

He raised her hand and kissed on top of her delicate knuckles. "And that is why this time, I want to chase after you."

She widened her eyes.

"This time, I will chase you to make you mine. You don't have to accept my feelings. I am not forcing you. But irrespective of that, I will do what I should have done long back. You have waited enough for me, Xinyi. Now it's my turn to wait for you to accept me. And I will do anything to achieve that. Whether it takes days, months or years, I won't stop until I make things right between us. I want to give a new beginning to our marriage. I will prove to you that I love you from the bottom of my heart. No matter what it takes, I will make you mine, Xinyi."

His words shook her and she felt unable to speak.

"This is also my promise to Siying that I will fulfill. He wants to have lovey-dovey parents, and I will make his wish come true," he smirked.

Her mouth twitched.

"Don't believe me if you don't want to because my actions will prove it to you soon. You cannot run away from me, my wife."

"You-you…" she pointed her trembling finger at him. This was way too unbelievable for her. She was ready to live a life just as his friend. But now she was hearing that her love was being reciprocated.

"You need to calm down!"

She was so confused that she didn't know how to respond to his declaration. 

He loved her and now he will chase after her?

Zhiyuan chuckled. "Trust me, I am the calmest right now, Xinyi. I am not saying this just because I have to. I mean every word I said."

Her chest heaved up and down in breathlessness and her cheeks turned red. "If you are saying this so that I could forgive you for reading my diary, then I won't!"

Zhiyuan coughed hard.

The diary wound really, really, really runs deep in her.

"My declaration and your diary are separate matters-"

"It's not for me!" She glared at him.

He sighed.

"A-anyway, you don't have to do anything."

Zhiyuan pouted. "Of course I do and you cannot stop me. If I don't do this, then how will you understand my sincerity?"

"I understand! I understand your sincerity!" She quickly said.

"Nope, you don't. Don't shoo me away. I have to make you realize my feelings for you."

Her face turned even redder. Xinyi quickly picked her diary and said, "Y-you really need some time alone. Bye."

"Xinyi!"

She ran away before Zhiyuan could catch her again. He scratched his chin. "I indeed need some time alone but with you, Xinyi. Run all you want because I am going to catch you in the end anyway," he smiled.

---

Zhu villa.

"Mama! Dada!"

A little bun came hurriedly trotting over to Caihong and Xiaosi's side. Chyou hugged Xiaosi's leg as her face brightened seeing his father.

"Dada! You are back!"

Xiaosi lowered his head and saw an adorable angel clinging on to him with a sparkling smile on her lips. Her small, delicate features brought Caihong's face to his mind.

He slowly parted his lips as she whispered. "C-Chyou…?"