"I just folded them for fun. I didn't fold them specifically for you." He had deliberately emphasized the latter half of the sentence.

Elena had taken the chest, looking puzzled: "What’s inside?"

"Open it when you get back and you’ll know." Liam had looked away, refusing to meet her eyes.

Elena had offered a sweet smile, her eyes curving like crescent moons: "Okay."

Back in her dorm, she opened the chest and saw delicate paper roses filling half the box.

On top of the roses lay a woman’s ring.

Elena took it out and put it on; it fit perfectly—neither too big nor too small.

Just like their relationship at the time—it was just right.

Every paper rose contained the young boy's full heart of love and unspeakable secrets.

Just as Elena was lost in the memories of the past, a knock at the door pulled her back to the present.

"Elena, are you awake?" her mother asked softly from outside.

Elena threw off the quilt, got up, and opened the door.

Seeing her mother standing there in her pajamas, Elena quickly pulled her into the room.

After sitting down on the edge of the bed, her mother took her hand and patted it gently: "Let's go to the temple tomorrow to take a look."

Her mother’s words were vague, but looking at the sorrow in her eyes, Elena could guess the reason.

Because of her aphasia, her mother often sighed in secret.

Elena nodded; she couldn't find a reason to refuse.

Seeing Elena agree, a hint of joy appeared on her mother’s weary face, and she bit her lip, eyes brimming with tears.

"Good child, get some rest early, then. I’ll wake you up in the morning."

Elena nodded. Only after watching her mother leave did she close the door again and put the chest back into the closet.

She had to look forward, just as she had told Liam back then.

"I will move forward, and you shouldn't linger either."

Yes, she shouldn't remain stuck in her grief; she shouldn't let the person who loved her suffer sleepless nights.

"Liam, if you can feel how much I miss you, please come visit me in my dreams."

After whispering this in her heart, Elena returned to bed and closed her eyes to sleep.

The next day.

Elena was awakened by her mother’s knocking.

Thinking about the trip to the temple, she changed into a simple outfit and walked out.

When she reached the living room, she smelled the aroma of food.

"What are you standing there for? Come and eat, we’ll leave for the temple to burn incense in a bit," her mother urged gently.

Elena smiled slightly and sat at the dining table to eat breakfast.

After eating, Elena drove her mother toward Lingfu Temple.

Lingfu Temple.

This ancient temple had stood in Yangcheng for 1,500 years; despite the passage of time, it remained majestic.

It was also the most effective temple for making wishes, which was why her mother had brought her here.

Her mother was a devout Buddhist, so she often came to the temple in her spare time to help with chores and pray.

Over time, she had grown familiar with some of the monks there.

Upon entering the main hall, her mother walked straight up to the Abbot and pressed her palms together piously: "Master, I have brought my daughter this time to pray for her peace and safety."

Hearing the request, the Abbot raised his eyes to look directly at Elena, his lips moving slightly as he recited Buddhist mantras under his breath.

After a long silence, the Abbot spoke again: "Young lady, please follow me."

Elena didn't believe in these things, but to stop her mother from worrying, she nodded and followed the Abbot to the backyard, where a massive tree stood.

Countless red ribbons were tied to the branches of this towering tree.

"Young lady, do you know what most devotees seek when they tie these red ribbons to the tree?"

The Abbot’s words left Elena confused; usually, people came to the temple to pray for love or safety.

"Most of what they seek is to be content with whatever life brings."

A breeze blew, ruffling the hem of Elena’s dress and melting into her restless, anxious heart.

Chapter 16: The Moonlight Loves You in My Stead

Elena knelt piously on the lotus-shaped cushion, her hands pressed together, closing her eyes to pray to the Buddha.

If there truly was a Buddha in this world, she only prayed for Liam’s safety.

Whether in this life or the next, she only hoped he could live well in this world.

A long while later, just as she opened her eyes, her peripheral vision suddenly caught a glimpse of Liam’s figure flashing past the back door.

Elena decided instantly and ran forward, chasing in the direction the figure had disappeared.

But no matter how she looked, she couldn't see him again; it was as if it had been nothing more than a momentary illusion.

An intense wave of sorrow surged through her, reddening Elena’s eyes. The whole world kept telling her Liam was gone.

But every single time, she refused to believe it.

Even if it was self-deception, Elena was unwilling to just forget Liam like this.

A person’s true death is not the decay of the body, but when there is no one left who remembers them—that is the true meaning of death.

So, by extension, Liam would always be alive; he simply lived within her heart.

Behind a giant pillar.

Liam, wearing a black windbreaker, felt his heart racing; he had nearly exposed himself to Elena.

Even though he knew today’s move was risky, he couldn't stop himself from following her.

Longing is silent, yet it tortured him at every moment.

Watching Elena stand bewildered before the main hall, a look of pain flashed across Liam’s eyes, and he pressed his lips together.

In one more week, he would be able to appear before her openly and honorably.

After returning to the car from the back door, Xu Chen sat in the driver’s seat and turned to look at Liam in the passenger seat, thoroughly confused.

"Liam, why are you putting yourself through this? Even if those old foxes know you’re alive, they can’t touch you."

Liam closed his eyes, his expression weary.

"Drive. Let's go back and re-verify the materials we need for next week."

Seeing that Liam refused to answer, Xu Chen didn't ask again, pressed the accelerator, and sped away.

After returning from the temple, Elena felt unsettled.

The figure she had seen in the temple kept playing over and over in her mind—it was too much like Liam, causing the peace of mind she had worked so hard to achieve to descend back into turmoil.

Liam was truly the love-fate she couldn't escape in this life; whenever something related to him appeared, she lost all composure.

In the long night, Elena suffered from insomnia again.

Taking a bottle of red wine from the cabinet, she sat by the floor-to-ceiling window and drank it cup by cup.

She recalled the last time she had drunk wine like this—it was after the alumni reunion, when she had heard the news of Liam’s marriage.

If time could rewind, she definitely wouldn't have let go of his hand.

Regardless of whether he still loved her, she would have expressed her feelings.

But some things, once past, are gone forever. Elena had no right to regret, and she would never have another chance to hold Liam’s hand again.

Looking up at the hazy moon in the night sky, she gave a bitter smile, raised her glass, and whispered to herself in her heart.

"I hope the moon can express my heart for me, and whisper 'I love you' in your ear."

She sat by the window like that, facing the moon and drinking glass after glass, until she finally drank herself into a stupor and fell asleep on the floor.

Time passed slowly, and Elena continued her quiet life.

Until one day, Clara ran into her house in a rush, hugging her tightly in her arms.

She kept chanting: "He’s not dead! Elena, Liam is not dead!"

Elena’s mind went blank; she froze completely, Clara’s words echoing in her ears.

"Not dead. Liam is not dead!"

Chapter 17: Falling Apart

"Liam is not dead."

Elena had finally waited for those words. She had originally thought she would be just as excited and thrilled as Clara, ready to jump for joy.

Instead, her heart ached even more painfully, to the point where tears welled up and flooded her eyes.

It was strange; it was clearly a joyous occasion, yet she couldn't stop crying.

At this very moment, Elena had only one thought in her mind: she had to go find Liam.

Only by truly seeing him could she set her heart at ease.

After expressing her desire to Clara, she didn't expect her to shake her head.