In the end, Basil softened and agreed to Lettie's invitation. After taking care of business, he drove her away from the set.
"Basil, thank you for agreeing to accompany me." Lettie sat in the car, pulling the seatbelt across her body and fastening it. After filming, she wore a simple branded white T-shirt and tight-fitting jeans, with her wavy long hair tied high at the back, looking full of youthful energy.
Basil's mind flickered for a moment, momentarily thinking it was another woman sitting next to him.
"You're welcome." He pursed his lips and focused on the steering wheel without saying more.
He didn't know the destination because Lettie was giving him directions along the way. The longer he drove, the more he realized they seemed to be heading toward their old high school. It was late at night when he turned his head slightly and asked with a hint of suspicion, "Are we going back to our high school?"
Lettie smiled and said, "Yes, I haven't been back to school for a long time, and with the right person beside me, I wanted to come back for a walk." She spoke clearly, her peach blossom eyes filled with affection, with a slight hint of shyness.
Basil wasn't sure if he caught the underlying meaning of her words and remained silent for a while. Soon, they arrived at the school gate. Lettie negotiated with the guard, who quickly let them into the campus. The night view of the school seemed untouched by the passage of time, like an old yet emotionally rich canvas in the dim light. They walked through the courtyard and corridor, arriving at the old auditorium in their memories. The back of the auditorium was where the old classrooms were, later partitioned into office spaces. Since it was late, the auditorium was locked, so Lettie pulled Basil to sit on the wooden bench outside.
Returning to their high school after so many years, time and space felt silent. The goddess-like senior in her white dress was right beside him, so close he could almost hear their heartbeats. Basil felt calm and tried to respond to the warm, soft, almost boneless grip on his wrist, but his body stiffened uncontrollably. He thought this was a natural reaction to the realization of nearly five thousand days of longing, not realizing the faint resistance and struggle in his heart.
"Basil, I feel you've changed a lot," Lettie said, her brows slightly raised, as if she wanted to say more but stopped.
"Have I?"
She and he were senior and junior in high school. They hadn't formally met again since her graduation. Over ten years had passed, and it's normal for people's appearances and even thoughts to change. Basil didn't know what she meant by saying this out of the blue. In what way did she think he had changed?
"You used to always prioritize me," her soft voice carried endless grievance. She had long been used to pretending, unable to distinguish between real life and acting. The only thing she was sure of was that she wanted this man before her, desperately wanting to have him. "Basil, can you treat me as you did before?"
Basil was speechless. Under the hazy moonlight, the woman's tearful eyes followed his gaze. He couldn't escape, but was it the right time? He repeatedly asked himself.
For a long time, he had been pondering how to confess his feelings to her without seeming cheap. He had never truly confessed to her. He thought he had hidden his admiration well, so well that she had never noticed all these years. But now, it seemed she had?
He only sought unwavering love in a relationship. It wasn't an exaggeration to say he was a deeply affectionate person, so he was very cautious. Even when love was knocking at his door like now, he still wanted to confirm and reconfirm. He couldn't afford to gamble.
Darnell had advised him, saying that he might have fallen in love with an idealized image in his mind, one that had strayed too far from the real Li Fangfei. In the shallow moonlight and the deep, silent universe, he heard the voice in his heart asking him: Is it love? Does he love Allison? Lettie? Or is it the figure that has become deeply ingrained in his heart and bones?
"Basil, I've always cared about you. Maybe I just didn't realize my feelings," Lettie whispered softly, and then Basil felt a kiss fall on his lips.
"Sorry, I couldn't help myself," Lettie blinked, tears delicately forming at the corners of her eyes with gentle tenderness.
Without saying love or wanting to be together, she used actions to liberate his long-restrained soul. She took a step back, waiting for him to say he loved her and to propose being together. The light and shadow were sparse, the woman's silhouette was faint, her crystalline tears like diamonds, and her smile blossomed more and more, her every move like an invitation.
"I'm a bit tired. Can I take you back first?" Basil lowered his beautiful eyes, gathering all his agitation and trying to speak to her as gently as possible. For some reason, he hesitated before her lively, affectionate invitation.
"Huh? But I—"
Lettie was very shocked. She had always been successful in everything, especially with this man who had once been devoted to her and even neglected by her. She thought it was only a matter of time before she won him over.
"I don't want to leave yet. I still want to be with you." Lettie threw herself into his arms, hugging his slender, strong waist tightly.
With her soft warmth in his arms, Basil's eyes were unfocused and indifferent, his thick brows tightly knitted. To others, it looked like a loving embrace, but they had completely different feelings.
Rationality kicked in, and Basil gently pushed her shoulders. He kept reminding himself that they seemed a bit too close.
"Don't reject me—" Lettie cried again.
Basil sighed softly. In the end, he couldn't bear it and softened his heart, after more than five thousand days and nights of tossing and turning. "Please stop crying, okay?" He gently patted her sobbing shoulders, half-closing his eyes. He felt like a heartless man at that moment. Love was truly elusive, even his own heart was the same—
