Deep Fog Kiss

A tear slid down the corner of her eye and rolled down the girl's face.

Jiang Li was lying in the bathtub when she suddenly opened her eyes, her long eyelashes wet with tears.

Why did you cry when you thought about those past memories?

As the water in the bathtub cooled, she got up, rinsed off the soap, put on a bathrobe, and walked out of the bathroom into the dressing room.

There is a safe in the innermost wardrobe of the walk-in closet.

Safes typically contain high-end jewelry and valuables, as well as important work documents.

Jiang Li entered the password, and with a "beep," the safe door opened.

She opened the cabinet door and took out a square box, made of black velvet and tied with a bow.

Open the box, and there are two pieces of paper inside.

A piece of yellowed white paper with a phone number written on it.

The handwriting is vigorous and powerful, with a steady and elegant stroke.

The handwriting reflects the person; it's very beautiful.

The other one was a pink birthday card.

She cut it from the birthday cake packaging.

The simple words "Happy Birthday" on the card blurred her vision.

That year, after moving into Songfeng Courtyard, Gu Zhishen did not return for more than half a month.

A new nanny came to the courtyard to take care of her daily life with meticulous care.

She had many new clothes and shoes, as well as hair ties and clips for girls, which were inlaid with sparkling crystals that she had never seen before.

She went to school, to the best primary school in Jingzhou.

During that time, she made a phone call to Gu Zhishen.

She sat in the living room, holding the phone. After hesitating for a long time, she dialed the number she could recite without even looking at the note.

The call was answered quickly. "Feed?"

His voice remained clear and crisp.

"Little...Little Uncle?" she asked timidly, afraid of disturbing him.

The person on the other end of the phone wasn't angry; they asked softly, "What's wrong?"

"When...when are you coming back?" she asked, counting on her fingers.

"The day after tomorrow," Gu Zhishen said. "I'm in New York, my flight is tomorrow night."

"Oh..." Jiang Li pursed her lips. "Okay."

"What is it?" the other person asked.

"The school just sent out some materials that parents need to sign..." Jiang Li said softly, then added, "But there's no rush, we can wait until you come back."

"Oh—" On the other end of the phone, Gu Zhishen seemed to realize that he was now a "parent" and that the child in the family not only needed to eat and drink, but also needed a "parent".

"Okay, I'll sign it when I get back. By the way," he asked again, "have you decided what you want?"

Jiang Li then remembered that he was asking about her birthday present.

She had almost forgotten about it if he hadn't mentioned it.

She glanced at the calendar; tomorrow was her birthday.

My uncle will be home the day after tomorrow, so I won't cause him any trouble.

"I don't want it, thank you, Uncle." Jiang Li said sweetly, "Uncle, have a safe journey."

After hanging up the phone, she felt inexplicably good.

The next day was exceptionally good.

She couldn't explain why she was so happy.

Many years later, she came across a passage in "The Little Prince": "For example, if you come at four o'clock in the afternoon, then from three o'clock onwards I will begin to feel happy. The closer the time gets, the happier I will feel."

Only then could she explain why she was so happy after that phone call.

The next evening, after Jiang Li finished dinner, did her homework, and took a shower, she was about to go to bed when she suddenly heard the sound of a car driving in from outside the yard.

She suddenly sat up in bed, paused for a few seconds, and then quickly put on her shoes and went downstairs.

As she reached the corner of the stairs, her eyes lit up when she saw who it was.

Gu Zhishen was dressed in all black, with a black trench coat that had clean lines that made his tall and slender figure appear even more upright.

He has clean and handsome features, and looks good whether he smiles or not.

When he saw Jiang Li appear at the stairwell, he raised an eyebrow slightly, carrying a pink cake in his hand.

Jiang Li stared at him blankly, thinking she was seeing things.

My uncle clearly said he wouldn't be home until tomorrow, so why... did he suddenly come back?

"Not asleep yet?" Gu Zhishen waved the cake in his hand. "Then come down and blow out the candles."

Jiang Li held onto the handrail as she descended the stairs, when she suddenly remembered a new idiom she had learned in class that day: "overwhelmed with gratitude."

That's roughly the idea.

Gu Zhishen unwrapped the cake, inserted two yellow candles, one "1" and one "0", and put them together.

As he lit the candles, he said, "I was originally going to arrive tomorrow, but I remembered it was your birthday today when I was in the meeting, so I changed my return trip."

"We'll be there in just two hours."

Luckily, I made it in time.

He pushed the cake in front of Jiang Li, his eyes gentle and refined. "I haven't celebrated my birthday in years, I've almost forgotten how to do it."

The candlelight illuminated his handsome, picturesque face. "It's time to make a wish."

Perhaps the surprise was too sudden, as Jiang Li's little mind couldn't quite process it.

She did whatever Gu Zhishen said.

When asked to make a wish, she closed her eyes.

She blew out the candles when asked to.

As the candles were blown out, Gu Zhishen ruffled her hair like he was petting a puppy. "Jiang Li, happy birthday."

Jiang Li looked at him, and it felt as if the little grass adrift at sea had found a safe haven.

Perhaps she will no longer have to fear the wind and rain, nor will she have to wander aimlessly.

At that time, she had only one thought in her mind: she had to be more obedient and sensible so that her uncle wouldn't pass her around like a ball.

......

Jiang Li sat on the sofa in the dressing room, looking at the pink card in her palm, and slightly raised the corners of her lips.

She seemed to still remember the taste of the cake from that year—strawberry flavor, very sweet.

I will always remember his words, "Jiang Li, happy birthday."

She ate so much of that birthday cake that year that he would buy her a cake every year for her birthday afterward.

She thought she loved eating cake and happily devoured every single one he bought.

He also thought she loved cake, and besides her birthday, he would buy her all sorts of desserts and cakes on other occasions.

He didn't know that Jiang Li didn't actually like cake.

It was a cake he sent.

Twelve years have passed in the blink of an eye.

Their relationship had long since changed.

Do you regret it?

During her two years abroad, Jiang Li asked herself the same question.

If she hadn't crossed the line that year, hadn't been greedy, and had kept her feelings for him hidden, their relationship wouldn't be what it is today.

They may become just an ordinary uncle and nephew, maintaining a proper hierarchical relationship.

This relationship will not end, nor will it yield any more.

When the guardianship relationship ended, she was still able to politely call him "Uncle" and say thank you.

However, emotions and desires are often the things that people are least able to control.

Her greed and unwillingness to accept defeat led her to test the waters step by step, ultimately causing her to fall into the abyss.

There's a line in The Little Prince: If you want to make bonds with others, you have to be prepared to cry.

She only understood this sentence after she went abroad.

Gu Zhishen was like a thorn she clung to as she fell off a cliff.

If you grip too tightly, it will bleed; if you let go, it will fall.

She was in pain, but she was unwilling to let go.

A knock at the door pulled Jiang Li back from her slump.

She quickly wiped away her tears and carefully put the things in her hands back into the safe.

As I walked to the door and opened it, a cool, woody scent wafted out.

Jiang Li looked up and met the man's deep, calm eyes.

He was always like that, calm and composed.