When I was young, I would often climb trees with my bare hands and feet and pluck wild fruits to eat. After watching too many martial arts dramas, I felt that consuming these wild fruits could possibly confer the trait of immortality upon me.

  The unripe green fruit tasted sour and bitter, without a hint of sweetness.

  But such was my youth.

  Some dreams are destined to remain dreams.

  Some love are destined to be unattainable.

  Some promises are like fragile bubbles that burst upon contact.

  Some lies are so real that one could deceive oneself.

  …


  The church was decorated with fresh flowers and white chiffon for the wedding. It looked pure and beautiful.

  I tidied up the flowers on the archway and looked back to see the bride hurrying to the assembly with the help of the flower girl.

  Dongyu oversaw the visitors that turned up while the bride headed to the dressing room to touch up her makeup.

  Carrying the fresh flowers, I walked towards the dressing room and stuck a bouquet of roses in the vase.

  When the bride saw me, she smiled in a friendly manner and pointed at me. “You’re Yin Xiachun, right?”


  I looked over my shoulder and nodded silently.

  “Dongyu often talks about you!”


  The bride cocked her head to one side and added, “Sometimes, even in his dreams, he’ll call out your name.”


  My back stiffened, but I tried to look nonchalant.

  “My name is Anning.”


  “Yes, I know your name.”


  “However, you’ll have to address me as ‘sister-in-law’ in the future.”


  I turned around and smiled at her. “Sister-in-law, how did you and Dongyu meet?”


  She was surprised for a moment by how quickly I had accepted this new form of address. But she responded to my question almost immediately, “We were classmates in university!”


  Indeed.

  I supposed, given Dongyu’s cold personality, his social circle would naturally be confined to small circles of classmates, colleagues and so on.

  I carefully arranged the bouquet. “You must really love my brother, right?” I asked tentatively. “Otherwise, I’m sure it would be hard to tolerate his stuffy personality.”


  “Is that how you’d describe your brother?” Anning scrutinized my actions and chuckled. “Haha! Marrying him feels like a dream. It’s so surreal! I love him very much… I love him the way he loves you.”


  My hands froze as I stared at her in disbelief.

  “Are you surprised that I know about this?”


  Anning stood up and walked over to me.

  We were alone in the dressing room.

  She came up to me and suddenly bumped me lightly on the shoulder. “You know what? He has never forgotten you. I know you have a very special place in his heart, and you’re irreplaceable.”


  “You…”


  I found it unbelievable and couldn’t help feeling puzzled. “Since you know this, why did you marry him?”


  “Because I love him as much as you do. I have no regrets!”


  Anning smiled, the expression in her eyes was extremely pure. “Loving someone is an extremely humbling experience. Even if his heart belongs to someone else, I’ll accept it naturally. Just as long as I can be by his side.”


  “Don’t you feel indignant?”


  I smiled in obvious objection to the idea. “If the man I love deeply doesn’t love me, then I’d consider him to be disloyal in marriage.”


  “I don’t feel that way.”


  Anning continued, “Feelings can be nurtured. However, I know that the only woman he loves can never be with him. Isn’t this also the greatest loyalty?”


  The stunned look on my face became more obvious.

  Anning said with confidence and certainty, “I’ll definitely work hard to make him fall in love with me. At the same time, I’ll also be a good wife, a good daughter-in-law… and a good sister-in-law.”


  I smiled calmly, but my eyes showed no emotions. “Well, I give you my blessings.”


  I arranged my bouquet and put it aside before heading out the door.

  She suddenly said, “I think I’m very lucky. At least I can marry the man I love.”


  I kept walking on and didn’t stop.

  I knew there was absolutely no malice in her words. She was merely trying to prove her love and loyalty to Dongyu.

  I had experienced torture a hundred times more cruel than the effect of her words.

  …


  I stood at the doorway outside the church and looked up into the blue sky dotted with floating pure white clouds.

  I held a rose in my hand, my fingers toying with it as I plucked the petals off one by one, letting them fall to the ground to turn to dust.

  Ultimately, I didn’t have the courage to personally witness that scene.

  I fled through the door like a deserter, just as the exchange of vows had officially begun.

  In the church, the priest’s solemn voice was heard. “Anning, do you take this man to be your wedded husband and be with him in illness and in health, for richer or poorer, will you love him, care for him, respect him, accept him, and be faithful to him until the end of your life?”


  I lowered my head and took out a ring box from my pocket. I gently opened it. A one-carat ring lay quietly inside.

  “Brother, Brother! When we grow up, will you buy me a diamond ring and put it on my finger, just like the male lead on television?”


  When I was a child, I once made an innocent wish.

  Every girl dreams of becoming a bride.

  My dream was that one day I’d stand at the altar of a church watching him slip a diamond ring onto my ring finger and make a promise to me.

  It didn’t really have to be a one-carat diamond ring and a church wedding. But the man standing across from me, holding my hand, had to be this man.

  On the night before their wedding, he drew this exquisite gift box out from his pocket and opened it. In the moonlight, the brilliant one-carat diamond was mesmerizing.

  He took to heart that one unintentional remark that I had made during our childhood.

  Leaning back against him, I held this tiny but exquisite box as if it were a great treasure. With tears in my eyes, I smiled with satisfaction.

  Among all the many fanciful dreams in my life, one had actually been realized.

  I gently took out the ring and carefully slipped it onto my ring finger. I looked at the glittering diamond and couldn’t help but smile as I kissed it.

  My lips parted slightly, almost in sync with that voice in the church—”I do.”


  Dongyu’s voice echoed in my ears:

  If we are destined to never be together even though we love each other, then let’s just spend the rest of our lives being entangled.