Book 5, Chapter 72 - A Flower Each

Love Code at the End of the World

“I’m sorry. I got used to it. As soon as he gets close to me, I hit him. I’ve already developed some sort of reflexive response towards him…” I clenched my fists in embarrassment. It was my first time feeling so awkward.

“Reflexive response?” He covered his face and creased his eyebrows. Suddenly, he looked at me in surprise, “Has he forced you before?”

I suddenly blushed, and so did he. He became even more embarrassed. “I’m sorry…”

“What’s there to be sorry about?” I looked at him with a funny expression. “It isn’t you. You didn’t do anything wrong. I’m glad that you were honest with me, and that you respect me. But I have to tell you... I’m sorry."

He looked down and smiled faintly, saying, “I can only give up then. At first, I wanted to treat it as a secret and bury it at the bottom of my heart. But you’re leaving tomorrow and we might not ever meet again. Elena told me that I shouldn’t have any regrets. Although she hoped I could make you stay… I didn’t have the courage to say anything. But I’ve had two people on my mind for so long, the only way I could move on was by saying it out loud. This takes a weight off my chest…”

“Elena is great. I’m jealous that you have her…” I truly was envious. Elena always gave people a sense of warmth.

“Yeah, she admires you. Heh, she seems to love you more than I do…” Xing Chuan chuckled lightly and looked up at me. His gaze became tense, saying, “Luo Bing, I want to do one last thing. I don’t want to have regrets after you leave…”

“What?”

He suddenly pounced at me, grabbing my hands and pushing me against the rock. He stared at me, crying, “Do you still think I’m weak? Do you still think I’m soft?!” He pulled my hand onto his muscular chest. His firm muscles were tense from eagerness, and his burning gaze reflected the other Xing Chuan’s conquering desire. 

I never imagined he would take that comment to heart for so long. It had obviously weighed heavily on his mind.

Then again, I didn’t think there was any man in this world who wouldn’t mind.

Raffles had once worked hard to transform himself because he was bothered that everyone said he looked like a girl.

Among all the guys I knew, I reckoned the only one who wouldn’t mind such a thing would have been Pink Baby. He would probably have been proud, because the Honeycomb boys needed to be gentle and tender.

“Splash!” I saw a glimpse of a green shadow sweeping past me. It instantly brought Xing Chuan away from me, and with a bang, Xing Chuan landed on the far side of the pool! 

“Ghostie!” I immediately got up. Ghostie and Xing Chuan emerged from the water, but Xing Chuan had lost consciousness. Ghostie was angrily shaking him by the neck.

“Ghostie! Stop!” I shouted.

Ghostie threw Xing Chuan angrily to one side, and his unconscious body floated in the water.

I held my forehead, saying, “Ghostie! Xing Chuan was bothered that I said his chest muscles were tender. So he wanted to prove himself to me! If you are a man, you should know that I hurt his dignity!” I had had a deep-rooted prejudice because of the other Xing Chuan, so I’d spoken without mercy when I saw him back then.

Ghostie was stunned and had an awkward expression.

I pointed at Xing Chuan who was floating away. “You go and drag him back. Give him some oxygen if he can’t breathe!”

Ghostie stared widely. He quickly took out a ventilator and swam towards Xing Chuan. He pushed the ventilator onto Xing Chuan’s face, covering his airway like a face mask.

I was angry, and yet I found the situation amusing somehow. I crossed my arms and looked at Ghostie, asking, “Why did you come here out of a sudden?”

Ghostie put his hands in front of his chest and mimed big boobs. Then, he smiled with a huge grin. I immediately understood what he meant.

He mimics her quite well. Big boobs, big smile. That’s Xing Ya!

“Xing Ya told you to come?”

Ghostie nodded. It seemed that Xing Ya was worried about us.

He played with his fingers awkwardly in the water, with a wronged expression.

I smiled and continued to look at him with my arms crossed. “You came just in time. There are symbiotic flowers here. Do you want to take one back?”

He blinked and looked around.

“Do you know what a symbiotic flower is? It’s a type of…” I had yet to finish before Ghostie dived in. Huh? He knew? Or did he just go to pluck one?

I immediately dived down and saw him lying flat in the water. In the colorful world, he was smiling with his eyes closed in silence. His peaceful expression made me space out.

Somehow, Harry’s face appeared in my head…

It was as if I were looking at Harry lying silently in a bed of beautiful, colorful sunflowers…

He had always been so happy, and nothing could put him down.

He had always been smiling and bringing everyone joy.

He had brought me sunlight and led me out of my sorrow.

He had brought me courage and kept me company in this brutal life at the end of the world.

Harry…

Why would I always think of Harry when I was with Ghostie?

Was it because he had brought me Harry’s ring?

I looked at the ring in my hand, and I saw a golden stamen moving towards him… a symbiotic flower had sensed Ghostie?!

Its golden color was like sunlight that shone through the water and poured over Ghostie, scattering its rays across his body. It was so bright, it looked as though Ghostie had fallen into the sun itself.

Ghostie…

You…

Who are you…

The sunlight dispersed into twinkling motes, floating away in every direction. Ghostie smiled widely as he swam towards me. He pointed at his chest proudly. The image of Harry pointing at his own tattoo back then flashed through my mind.

Harry…

I called his name subconsciously, forgetting that I was underwater. I immediately choked on a mouthful of water. Ghostie quickly grabbed my waist and brought me out of the pool, giving me a ventilator the way he had with Xing Chuan.

I smiled, and he smiled back. I pointed at Xing Chuan who had floated away, and he swam towards Xing Chuan with a sense of grievance, dragging him by the ankle.

Whoever caused the problem should be the one to take care of it.

I dived down and looked at the symbiotic flowers swaying underwater. I swam towards them. Xing Ya liked red while Elena liked white.

“I’m sorry, but please grant me flowers,” I told them. Xing Chuan had said they were spiritual, and I truly felt that they had their own awareness. So I had to tell them my intention to pluck them first.

Suddenly, the flower before me blossomed into a white lily and a red rose. It seemed they really could feel my intentions as long as I asked devoutly.

“Thank you!” I immediately plucked the flowers before returning with Ghostie.

I swam to him and smiled, asking, “Hey, what if I were to be intimate with my own man in the future?”

Ghostie’s eyes immediately shot open and he looked at me awkwardly.

Previous Chapter Next Chapter