Beneath her was a soft carpet that felt completely smooth, revealing to her just that evening how meticulous Julian’s thoughts were.
“How long have you been preparing?” Aurora asked softly.
“What if I told you I’ve been preparing for over a decade? Would you believe me?” Julian turned to look at her, his outline faintly visible in the dim starlight above.
Even without seeing clearly, she could imagine the tender look in his eyes as he spoke.
“I don’t believe it,” she responded directly, thinking back to how they were just children all those years ago.
Julian gently caressed her cheek, protesting, “I knew it, you heartless woman. You’ve completely forgotten.”
Aurora blinked up at him in bewilderment.
“Remember the time we were adrift at sea, lying together on the deck?” Julian prompted.
Aurora thought carefully, gradually recalling some details.
Initially, her days at sea were boring, the novelty soon wearing off into tedium.
Every day was the same until a boy in white joined her world, turning those dull days vibrant.
His mind was full of ideas, inventing new games daily. One evening, breathless from play, she pulled him to lie beside her on the deck, barefoot.
“Look how beautiful the stars are tonight. Such beautiful sights can only be seen at sea, not at home. What a shame.”
Their heads together, they gazed at the vast heavens. The boy softly asked, “Do you really like the stars?”
“Yes, because you rarely see such a vast array of stars,” Aurora replied. It was a rare sight for a girl who had lived in a big city from a young age.
“Actually, besides the sea, you can also see such beautiful starry skies in the deep mountains,” the boy said.
“Are there many tigers and bears in the deep mountains?”
Hearing her childish question, the boy couldn’t help but laugh, “It’s not as scary as you imagine. It’s very beautiful in the mountains.”
“From your tone, I guess you’ve been to the mountains. What are they like?” Aurora was very curious.
“The mountains are shaded with green trees. The air is fresh, free from car exhaust, filled with birdsong and the scent of flowers, and small streams babble…” The boy painted a beautiful picture for her.
“Wow, the mountains sound so beautiful, just like in the cartoons, full of all sorts of flowers, with little bees and butterflies, squirrels, and birds.”
Hearing her amazed voice beside him made the boy smile softly. In a child’s world, everything was pure and simple.
Their world was only filled with beauty, without a hint of darkness. It was truly wonderful. Julian wished she could always live so happily, forever like a little princess.
“Yes, there are many cute little animals,” he agreed.
Aurora rolled over with a grunt. “When I grow up, will you take me deep into the mountains? We can lie among the flowers and watch the stars, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Let’s make a pinky promise.” Their fingers gradually intertwined.
As the scene from her memory surfaced in her mind, Aurora realized that those casual words she had spoken had been remembered by him all along.
Now, she lay on the ground covered with rose petals, looking up at the starry sky. “Haven’t you remembered it yet?” Julian wanted to continue reminding her.
Aurora placed her finger on his lips. “No, I remember everything now.” She finally believed that he had been preparing for over ten years.
She had long forgotten the words she once said, yet he remembered them so clearly, a faint smile playing on Aurora’s lips.
Could she still doubt Julian’s heart? If he hadn’t held her so dear, he would never have gone to such lengths.
With his status, he could have found many women, yet he chose only her, forever.
“Why me?” Aurora asked softly. In a world full of women, did he really wait all these years just for a little girl from the past?
“Why couldn’t it be you? If it weren’t for you on that stormy night, I would have been long gone. Do you know what I was thinking then?” Julian opened up.
“What?” She looked at him, puzzled.
“At that time, I thought, maybe you were a little angel sent from heaven to save me.”
Aurora gently pushed him. “That’s so cheesy.” Although she said this, she was truly touched.
“I mean every word. Aurora, do you think we are fated? You saved me, and later I saved you too. I have never forgotten you since.”
“Then knowing who I was, why didn’t you come back to find me sooner? I wouldn’t have met… him then,” Aurora said, punching his chest.
His chest was hard, and hitting it only hurt her hand. It seemed that not all gym-going men were good. Hitting them didn’t hurt them but hurt her instead.
Julian grabbed her hand and then tenderly touched her cheek with his other hand.
“That’s because the old me was as lowly as dirt. I wanted to return with a status worthy of my little princess.”
So, she had always been a princess in his heart. Aurora’s heart softened again. “But I had already fallen into the dust.”
“As long as I’m here, you will always be my princess.” Julian’s lips gently pressed against hers.
Aurora felt no aversion, as if at that moment, they were meant to be just so, her arms instinctively wrapping around his neck.