Chapter 487 I will be with you for the rest of my life

Pei Ji never had any other choice.

Being born in such a chaotic place was not something Pei Ji could choose.

He was destined to be ruthless from birth; otherwise, he would be the one to die.

Sheng Sheng pulled Pei Ji to sit down on the stone bench. A gentle breeze swayed the willows and lifted the hair by her ear.

Sheng Sheng's fingers involuntarily touched the wound, and her heart ached even more.

"Brother Pei Ji, I know there are some things you have to do, and I know nothing I say can help you, but..." Sheng Sheng pursed her lips, her tone gentle, "But, Brother Pei Ji, I hope you can be a little selfish sometimes. Because I don't want to lose you. Besides others, think about yourself more. You need to be happy, okay?"

Pei Ji froze, his hands hanging at his sides clenched tightly, his knuckles turning bluish-white.

He looked down at the fingertips that landed on the faint scar at the end of his eyebrow, the movements so gentle as if afraid of breaking something. The warm touch seeped through his skin, burning his eyes.

His Adam's apple bobbed, as if he wanted to ask something, but after a long while, he finally spoke in a hoarse voice, with a tremor he himself didn't even realize: "Okay."

A single word, as light as the wind, yet so heavy it struck deep into the heart.

He raised his hand and placed it on the back of Shengsheng's hand, the rough calluses on his fingertips brushing against her delicate skin, but his movements were incredibly gentle: "For you, I will."

Sheng Sheng then smiled.

Pei Ji also smiled, and the somewhat heavy atmosphere from before vanished.

Pei Ji said, half-jokingly, "The little girl has grown up and knows how to care for others now."

Sheng Sheng found it strange; she had always been such a considerate and sweet girl.

"Brother Pei Ji, you're talking strangely. Haven't you always been this caring?" Sheng Sheng said cheerfully. "Or is it that Brother Pei Ji hasn't seen me in so long that you've forgotten what I look like?"

Pei Ji was a little helpless when he couldn't outsmart her, thinking to himself that sometimes it's not a good thing for a young girl to be too naive.

But he was so busy before, and who knows what other changes might happen later. She doesn't know when they will meet again. Her older brother and sister both have someone they like. In a few years, the girl will be of marriageable age. What if something happens then?

Pei Ji rubbed his temples, feeling a little anxious, but the little girl looked at him with unconditional trust, truly regarding him as a close friend and elder brother.

How could he possibly feel at ease letting the little girl know about his filthy thoughts when she was so young?

Pei Ji could only tell himself that being naive had its advantages; if you can't see through my own thoughts, you naturally can't see through other people's thoughts either.

The little girl is still young, there's no rush.

However, he cannot neglect any of his duties.

"I was too busy before, but I won't be anymore. I'll write to you every month, okay?"

"real?"

She looked at him with suspicion.

"Of course, if I don't reconnect with you soon, you might forget about me."

"How could that be? You clearly heard me just now, uh..."

Pei Ji laughed: "What did you hear?"

"Hear me, I'm going to scold you..." The voice gradually lowered, then quickly became righteous and indignant again. "I'll only scold you, I won't forget you. It's you, Brother Pei Ji, who's so busy, that I'm the one who'll be forgotten by Brother Pei Ji, right?"

"Absolutely impossible."

Pei Ji leaned closer to her, as if making a promise, or as if unilaterally declaring, "I will be with you for the rest of my life."

Sheng Sheng blinked and said, "...Oh."

Okay.

Something feels off.

Looking at Pei Ji's overly serious expression, the awkwardness in her heart dissipated a little. She simply assumed it was because they hadn't seen each other for so long that she was not used to Pei Ji speaking like this.

The two of them were so close before, weren't they?

Pei Ji was her first friend!

"Oh, right."

Pei Ji took out two strings of gardenia bracelets from his pocket, "The birthday gift I owe you."

Sheng Sheng took it with a smile, held it up in the sun to examine it, and liked it more and more the more she looked at it.

Lovely gardenias!

This was a birthday gift from Pei Ji to her, which Sheng Sheng naturally liked. However, she wanted to tease him, so she deliberately put away the bracelet and then opened her hands to ask him for a new gift.

"This gift is so late, I should at least charge some interest, right?"

"Of course, what do you want?"

"Really?"

"Um."

"Then...then I want gold! Everything else can become worthless, but gold can't. Brother Pei Ji, I want gold, lots and lots of gold!"

Sheng Sheng deliberately made things difficult for him, "And I don't want ordinary gold, I want gold with unique shapes. Like gold flowers, gold animals..."

She counted on her fingers a lot of styles, convinced he couldn't produce any, and finally raised an eyebrow at him triumphantly.

"How is it? Is it okay?"

"good."

To everyone's surprise, Pei Ji remained calm and actually took out a gold dog-shaped ornament.

The laughter froze at the corners of his mouth as he stared wide-eyed at the palm-sized golden dog.

The golden dog was exquisitely carved, with drooping ears, a tail curled into a small curl, and even the lines on its paws were clearly visible. When the sunlight shone on it, it was so dazzling that it made people dizzy.

She was stunned for a long time before reaching out to poke the golden dog's head. It felt cool and solid, and it was definitely real gold.

"There really is!"

Sheng Sheng picked up the puppy and looked at it. "It looks just like Yan Hu."

“It’s Yan Hu,” Pei Ji laughed. “Is the interest enough?”

"It's barely passable."

Sheng Sheng patted his shoulder and mercifully forgave him: "I know, I know. I'll let bygones be bygones for what happened before, since Brother Pei Ji is really too busy. But you can't let me not know about Brother Pei Ji's situation for two years. I'll worry."

Sheng Sheng has never liked beating around the bush or speaking in riddles; she says what she means.

She knew that Pei Ji hadn't written to her because he had indeed been in dire straits for the past two years, and even if he did, it would only cause her unnecessary worry.

He didn't want her to worry.

But in her opinion, even worrying is better than knowing nothing at all.

Pei Ji was amused by her mature demeanor and reached out to pat her head. But as soon as his fingertips touched her soft hair, he withdrew his hand gently, as if afraid of disturbing her, and whispered, "Okay, I promise you."

"Really? You can't lie to me!"

"I'm not lying to you." Pei Ji looked at her smiling eyes, all the darkness in his eyes disappeared, leaving only tenderness. "If I lied to you, you can punish me as you please."

"Fine, if you lie to me again, we're not best friends anymore." Sheng Sheng snorted and crossed her arms. "Kids hold grudges."

Pei Ji agreed to each of her requests. Watching her chatter on and on, he felt a slight sense of relief, but also a touch of bitterness.

He thought, it's good to take it slow.

When she comes of age, when she grows up a bit more, when he clears away those obstacles in her way, one day he will be able to stand openly by her side, not as an older brother, nor as a close friend, but as the person who can protect her for the rest of her life.