- 5.
Julian painted me dancing by the lake and gave the painting to me as a gift. Even though I knew nothing about painting, I could see his masterful skill. 1 carefully framed the painting and placed it by my bedside. The more I looked at it, the more familiar it seemed.
A knock sounded at the door, and my stomach very cooperatively rumbled. Opening the door, Julian naturally placed freshly made Coca–Cola chicken wings on the dining table. “Dinner’s ready!”
I sighed, unable to ignore my protesting stomach, and resignedly sat down. Indeed, to conquer someone, you first had to conquer their
stomach.
Julian shamelessly became a shop assistant in my store, and even bought the house directly across from mine. My life gradually became loaded with cash. After all, filled with Julian. I even suspected he was running some kind of scheme targeting rich, beautiful women like me, once he appeared, all my other admirers vanished overnight. This man was definitely blocking my potential romances.
I secretly slipped off to a temple to draw a fortune stick.
“Once your true soulmate appears, all the other messy romances naturally step aside.” The old monk stroked his chin meaningfully. “But, your true soulmate, he’s truly one to fight and contend for.”
I walked out with a head full of worries. Had Julian bribed this old monk?
I understood Julian’s feelings for me, of course, but every encounter with him seemed too coincidental. I didn’t dare to gamble.
Annoyed, I kicked a small pebble on the road. The pebble rolled and hit a pair of designer leather shoes. I looked up. Beneath a marriage tree adorned with fluttering red ribbons, Julian stood, his hands pressed together. He wasn’t praying to the tree; his direct gaze was locked firmly on me, and then he solemnly bowed.
A gentle breeze stirred, and a shower of petals rained down on us. A red ribbon was blown loose. I instinctively reached out to catch it, and the other end was in Julian’s hand. I read the words on the ribbon: “If she is a tiny fish swimming in a vast river, I wish to be the boat, ever by her
side.”
My heart pounded furiously. I looked at Julian. The man who was usually so thick–skinned in front of me awkwardly averted his gaze, even his ears turning completely red.
<
Late at night, I tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. Julian’s face filled my mind. The painting he gave me was still on my bedside table. I picked it up, frustrated, poking its frame. A soft ray of moonlight fell on the painting.
A flash of sudden clarity went through my mind. In a split second, I understood why the painting had always felt familiar.
I rushed to open the door, wanting to find Julian. As I opened it, Julian’s hand, poised to knock, froze in mid–air. He was still holding the red ribbon from earlier. The moment he saw me, he seemed to have a thousand words to say.
“Did you paint *Ascension*?”
He froze, then let out a bitter laugh. “You remember the painting, but not me?”
I hooked the red ribbon from Julian’s hand. The next second, Julian’s surprised charming eyes were covered by the ribbon, which I tied in a knot behind his head.
I hooked my arms around his neck and kissed him. “Tomorrow, we’ll go hang one on the marriage tree together.”
It turned out that for many forgotten years, someone had been fighting alongside me.
On his journey to pursue his dream as a young man, Julian was once seen by his father as “worthless scum.” And I was seen by my teachers as a talented but unfortunate soul who missed out on a competition by a hair.
Actually, the day I didn’t go to the competition, even though I didn’t step onto the stage, I had one audience member. The dance I had practiced so hard for, filled with grief and a desperate determination, I performed only for the boy by the lake who was painstakingly piecing together his torn paintings.
“Everyone is unique. Compared to your father’s masterful skill, I prefer the raw, breathtaking emotion in your work.”
“This dance is just for you. In return, you must use your unique style to paint that moment well.”
Later, *Ascension* brought forth a uniquely talented artist.
And years later, *Ascension* gave me the courage to cut ties with my past.
