The truth was right before her eyes.
She had truly, due to her own selfishness, allowed Jiang Cheng to be disturbed by others; because of greed, because of foolishness, she had indulged in their sugar-coated bullets.
Now that person…
…had discovered everything.
No… no.
No!!!!!
The girl stood up and ran towards the door without hesitation, moving her legs as she never had before, not caring if her untrained body could endure it.
…She was going to escape.
She was going to escape her own birthday party.
Facing the mistakes she had inadvertently made, she was escaping in an even more foolish way.
Just like that foolish Miss Aili Xiya once did.
Even though there was a chance to rewrite it, a chance to make things less rigid, she chose the worst possible way, leading to the most decisive ending.
But before her slender fingertips could touch the doorknob, a pair of larger, warmer hands wrapped around the girl's trembling hands.
"I don't mean to blame you; this is just a trivial matter."
…It was Jiang Cheng's voice.
His voice was clear.
His tone was steady.
There was no hint of complaint, and it even carried a few birthday blessings.
This, instead, made the girl want to escape even more, to get away.
The mistake was directly pointed out; the situation she had imagined countless times in her heart finally came true, and the fear of losing the boy overwhelmed all other emotions.
To lose the boy because of her own doing…
She didn't want to accept it.
She didn't dare to accept it.
She couldn't accept it.
She was so weak and ridiculous, just like Aili Xiya, who, when faced with problems, would only choose to escape and run away.
Her thoughts became chaotic the moment the truth was revealed; as a peerless genius, she immediately cut off her ability to think.
Forbid thinking, refuse thinking, absolutely must not think about this matter, absolutely not.
If she thought about it, she would definitely break down.
…Vil-V couldn't face any of this.
Ever since she was saved at that birthday party, the girl's life could no longer accept, no longer face, the boy leaving her life.
But… what right did she have to say anything?
…She deserved it.
She brought it upon herself.
…Why did it turn out like this?
Why did the relationship between an ordinary good-for-nothing and his only companion become like this?
She had clearly defeated Aili Xiya.
Vil-V gripped the doorknob tightly, a hint of sweetness still lingering from the cream on her lips, but crystal-clear liquid had already dampened the wooden floor beneath her feet.
"Alas…"
A sigh.
Was Jiang Cheng going to leave her?
Had Jiang Cheng made up his mind?
Her almost uncontrollable thoughts began to imagine the outcome that best fit this situation.
An outcome that would undoubtedly end in her own tragedy.
She didn't want to face it.
She didn't dare to face it.
She couldn't face it.
Because of her incompetence, because of her ridiculousness, because of herself, who was called a genius, called a genius, but was actually utterly stupid.
Her thoughts began to waver.
Her body was restrained, unable to escape, unable to leave.
But her spirit seemed to transcend the physical barrier, desperately fleeing, desperately running, leaving everything behind without a care.
Even if her spirit twisted, even if her soul let out a mournful cry of being torn apart, it didn't matter.
Even if her body felt an instinctive fear, what of it?
As long as she didn't have to face the boy.
As long as she didn't have to see that disappointed face.
As long as she didn't have to hear the words that would abandon her.
Extreme self-loathing forcibly corrected the girl, who had already deviated so far from that tragic and desperate ending, to the brink of hitting rock bottom.
…The brink of collapse.
The Trickster, who would exist in later generations, disguised herself precisely because of self-loathing.
Before truly climbing out of the abyss, before she, as a shipwrecked person adrift at sea, was rescued by a warm ship and thoroughly cleansed of all water and cold, any slight stimulus could cause the insecure girl to fall further, faster, and deeper than ever before.
If this despair and fear lasted a little longer, if this state continued for even one more second, the Trickster would descend upon this world.
However… Jiang Cheng merely lowered his head calmly and retrieved a plate of cake from a distant table, a cake that was by no means exquisite but was made with heartfelt effort.
…A small, rough cake was presented to the girl.
The dim candlelight illuminated her lost, silvery-gray pupils, and tears crisscrossed her beautiful face.
It seemed even the wind paused at this moment.
Not to give this flame any tremor.
"Vil-V…"
"Happy birthday to you."
"I'm sorry, this cake might not look very good, nor taste very good, because I really don't have much talent. This is all my best effort."
…Her tear-filled eyes trembled.
The distorted fall suddenly stopped.
The coldness of the deep sea and the omnipresent terrifying pressure suddenly vanished.
Beneath the deep sea, where even sound should not be able to reach, where the eye could not see even a millimeter, where suffocating seawater filled her throat, entered every cavity, and swallowed her entire body in the abyss of despair, the ocean…
Yet a ray of light pierced through the boundless, deep ocean, illuminating the dark world.
"I won't blame you for this. The reason I chose your birthday to say this is because I felt it was more appropriate to say it on your birthday."
"Our first encounter, that dreamy uphill path, was on the journey to a birthday party, wasn't it~?"
His voice forcefully entered her ears.
At the same time… a face was forcefully pushed into her misty eyes: black, broken hair, a glimmer of light in his pupils as if countless bright starlight twinkled… it was Jiang Cheng.
The boy smiled as always, but a rare look of distress appeared on his face.
"Too bad… I originally wanted to keep you guessing."
"Last time, on my birthday, you gave me an invitation, led me out of a meaningless life, gave me happiness, and even taught me what it feels like to be cared for. Naturally, I must repay a drop of kindness with a gushing spring."
"So this time, after much deliberation, my birthday gift to you is…"
"—A promise."
The boy's lips returned to a flat line.
His expression was more serious than ever before.
"I promise you, with all that I am, I make you the most sincere promise."
"I will spend the rest of my life with you, never to be separated, no matter what happens, no matter what we encounter, I will be by your side."
"You no longer need to worry; this feeling is by no means a bubble under the sun, but rather an eternally brilliant star in the night sky."
…Ah… ah… so… that's how it is?
I am forgiven.
It was something akin to a confession.
Yet, there was no shame or evasion on the girl's face; she was no longer like before, where a slight touch would make her shyly want to bury her head, and a slight distance would make her fear being abandoned and wallow in self-pity.
Vil-V could finally look up without hesitation, looking at the boy so close to her without fear, seeing every bit of his kindness.
Just looking at him purely, her misty eyes were so clear they could even reflect the boy's face.
Could such an incompetent self…
Could such a greedy self…
Also be tolerated by Jiang Cheng?
Did she…—also deserve such tolerance?
…The boy made his posture appear without any pressure, or any hint of dissatisfaction; his dark, star-like bright eyes truly seemed to twinkle with the light of stars in the night sky.
It was just such a small, insignificant matter; even if all the wasted time were added up, it might not even fill a whole day.
There was nothing to hesitate about.
Nor was there any meaning in caring about anything.
The reason this matter was brought up was merely the realization of a deeper cause: the lack of security in the girl's heart; otherwise, there would have been no need to even mention it.
"It's just a small matter; even for me, such a thing is far from troublesome. You couldn't possibly do anything behind my back."
"I'm willing to believe you. Didn't you tell me you would absolutely, absolutely, absolutely never abandon me? I still remember your solemn tone from then."