Qin Yinan, who heard the question, turned to look at her and smiled kindly. "Bringing you to somewhere special."
"Where is it?"
Qin Yinan turned back to look straight and didn't speak. Cheng Qingchong bit the corner of her lips. She was curious, but she didn't press.
…
Qin Yinan finally stopped the car at a hill that Cheng Qingchong couldn't name. Qin Yinan lowered the Cheng Qingchong's seat until it was flat before turning to tell her mysteriously, "Close your eyes."
Cheng Qingchong stared at him wide-eyed for two seconds before asking, "Why? Why are you being so mysterious?"
Qin Yinan didn't answer her but urged gently, "Close your eyes first."
Cheng Qingchong relented. Then, she heard the top of the car being pulled back, and the night breeze touched her skin. She shivered involuntarily from the cold, and Qin Yinan's voice drifted into her ears. "Okay, you can open your eyes now."
Cheng Qingchong opened her eyes with anticipation and was about to ask what he had planned, but she only got the first word out when she was stunned silence by the scene that appeared before her eyes.
It was a sky filled with stars. It was as pretty as a picture. The weather that night was so perfect that the stars felt like they were within her reach.
Cheng Qingchong had her breath taken away by this marvelous view. After some time, she heard Qin Yinan ask, "Do you like it?"
Cheng Qingchong opened her lips, and her body suddenly shivered like she was shocked. She remembered, not that long ago, she had been walking home with Qin Yinan after finishing a movie at the cinema. She had raised her head to look at the sky and pointed out one of the stars to Qin Yinan with pure excitement.
Qin Yinan had maintained his gentleness before her elation. He asked her softly and slowly, "You like stars?"
She had nodded hurriedly and explained that when she was small, she used to sit in the patio of her parent's house to gaze at the stars. However, after moving to Beijing, the night sky had been taken over by the neon lights, and she hadn't seen a beautiful star-lit sky in a long time already.
He had merely smiled and didn't comment further. She had assumed that he wouldn't remember the details of their small talk, but tonight, he had brought her to this hill to gift her this unforgettable present.
Cheng Qingchong felt an indescribable feeling surging through her chest. Her head that wanted to turn to look at Qin Yinan suddenly froze looking at the stars, and tears involuntarily fell out of her eyes.
Why is he so good to me? So good that even the thought that maybe spending the rest of my life with him is not bad after all has cropped up in my mind. However, I've done such unforgiveable things to him… I don't deserve all this kindness…
Her sight was made blurry from her tears, and the stars lost their brilliance behind the watery sheen of her tears. She wanted to apologize and come clean to him, but her lips trembled greatly, and she found herself unable to form a single word.
Qin Yinan noticed how weird she was acting, and he sidled close to her. When he saw the tears in her eyes, he frowned deeply and asked with concern, "What's wrong? Did I do something wrong?"
"I… I…" Facing Qin Yinan's outpouring of worry and concern, the apology refused to leave Cheng Qingchong's lips. In the end, it manifested itself as more tears.