Book 3, Chapter 115 - Complicated

Love Code at the End of the World

I walked until the end and saw the door to the observatory capsule. I furrowed my eyebrows slightly and pressed the button, still annoyed. The door opened and I walked in. As I turned around, I saw Harry through the closing doors, who was still staring at me blankly in the moonlight.

He stood quietly in the moonlight like a fallen Star Prince who couldn’t return to Moon Goddess. The Moon Goddess could only use her moonlight to embrace her child who had fallen into the human world.

The elevator began to rise. Harry’s silhouette gradually disappeared from my sight. I walked into a small capsule and flew to Brother Qian Li’s observation cabin. Brother Qian Li’s place was a great sanctuary. It was the furthest corner of Noah City.

I opened the door. Brother Qian Li was sitting on his seat. He turned around to look in the direction where I stood, but his gaze went past where I was.

I walked to the ring table nearest to the observatory deck and climbed on top of it. Sitting cross-legged, I looked out far away. Before me, there were only quiet stars and moving clouds.

“Happy Birthday, Luo Bing,” Brother Qian Li said from behind me.

“Thank you, Brother Qian Li,” I replied as I looked into the distance.

“If it wasn’t for you not being willing to let everyone know, your coming-to-age ceremony should have been very grand because you are the strongest girl in Noah City,” he commented with a smile.

The strongest girl… Heh, it sounds as I am more like a man.

However, the strongest girl had been terrified by her best friend’s confession. I was such a chicken and I’d made everyone feel awkward.

I didn’t dare to imagine what had happened in my room after that.

“Arsenal’s coming-to-age ceremony will be even grander. What present is Brother Qian Li going to give her?” All of them had probably gotten together ahead of time and discussed everything that had happened in the room that night among themselves.

Raffles had even changed into his favorite clothes. That outfit had looked so formal…

“I will give myself to her,” Brother Qian Li replied.

Stunned, I turned around and looked at him. He couldn’t see me anyway. “Yourself? What if Arsenal rejects you?” Just like how I’d rejected Raffles, although I knew that Arsenal wouldn’t reject Brother Qian Li.

Brother Qian Li smiled faintly. “Rejecting me is within expectation. I am not the strongest man in Noah City. Heh…” I glanced at his contented face and suddenly felt sad. He had no confidence in himself. Wasn’t Raffles always not confident in himself too?

He had once been a guy who couldn’t even look a girl in her eyes. But now, he had confessed his love to me. How much courage did he have to gather and how many days did he have to struggle?

Was that the reason behind his hesitating gaze?

“It is an extravagant expectation for a guy in Noah City to get a girl. There are ten guys for every one girl. If a girl is willing to date us for a while, we’d already feel extremely happy and content…”

Hearing what Brother Qian Li said, I felt even more upset. “Even if a guy isn’t the chosen one in the end, he won’t be sad?"

Brother Qian Li maintained a faint smile. “Sad, of course, he will be sad for a while. But the time that we got to spend together will be the best memory in our hearts. If we don’t even get to have that memory, that would truly be brutal. There are many guys that don’t get to be with any girl in Noah City. They are really the most pitiful ones…” Brother Qian Li sighed emotionally. He looked as disappointed as Harry. “I wonder if I’ll have the chance to be with Princess Arsenal…”

“You will, Brother Qian Li.” I looked at him with empathy. It turned out that he was already content if he could spend some time together with Arsenal.

He smiled. “I always see Raffles going to the lakeside recently. He seems to be doing something. Is it a gift for you?”

I instantly blushed. Luckily, Brother Qian Li couldn’t see me right now.

He lifted his hand and pointed in the direction of the reservoir. “He’s been making it for a few days and he poured his heart into it. It must be for you. Why won’t you accept him?” he suddenly asked.

I blushed even harder and my heart started racing. “Brother Qian Li, you knew?”

He nodded,.“I can’t go to celebrate your birthday for you, but Arsenal told me and I told her to bring my present to you.”

I lowered my face. “I know, it is a pair of couple’s bowls. I… I don’t know what I should do?” I felt so awkward that I wanted to die.

“Do you like Raffles? You are always together.”

“Mm…”

“Do you want Raffles to be happy?”

“Mm…”

“Then, reserve him.”

“Reserve him?” I looked at Brother Qian Li.

He smiled faintly. “Yes, reserve him. You won’t be getting married nor will you be getting engaged. It doesn’t mean that you are getting together either. You can continue to spend time together like before. The guys in Noah City know the culture. After you reserve a guy, the other girls can’t take him from you nor will they confess to him on love confession day. He belongs to you. In the end, it is your decision if you want to marry him too. However, when you reserve him, his identity is like a fiancee. That would make Raffles happy. He will definitely be thrilled. He is so smart. He shouldn’t have high hopes of you liking him for real.”

“Why?! Isn’t that sad?!” My heart suddenly ached. He truly never hoped that I would like him?

“Because he has no confidence, like me…” Brother Qian Li looked like he shared the same feeling as Raffles. “You are the strongest girl in Noah City, Arsenal is the Princess of Noah City. The places next to the two of you should go to stronger men. Raffles and I are not the strongest… I only have a pair of eyes that can see a thousand miles away while Raffles only has a smart brain but he can’t protect you like how Harry does. Harry is the strongest metahuman in Noah City. In our hearts, only a man like Harry is compatible with you…” Brother Qian Li explained. He paused. “So, even if we can only be one of your men, we are content. Luo Bing, I don’t want to force you but I understand how Raffles feels and I understand his thoughts and pain because… we are the same… I don’t know where my hope is, so I hope that you can bring Raffles hope. Give him a position to you, so he can keep you company…”

I watched him as he looked up into the night sky. “You and Arsenal are like the moon in the night sky while we are just like the stars next to you. The twinkling stars can stay next to you…” Brother Qian Li pointed at the stars that were closest to the moon. “And we… are those stars…” He then pointed at the stars that were further from the moon. “But… as long we get to watch you in silence and keep you company by your side, we are more than happy…” He slowly retracted his hand, wearing a calm happy smile.

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