The Castle in the Sky

Jian Wei looked at Xiang Chen with an expression that no one could understand. Xiang Chen took out an exquisite gift box that seemed to have been prepared beforehand from his pocket and opened it. Inside was a necklace with crystals and diamonds.

The lighting technician turned off the lights in the hall and used a spotlight to highlight Xiang Chen and Jian Wei's figures. I couldn't feel my existence in the darkness.

"I hired the best jewelry designer in the country to design this crystal diamond necklace. It's the only one in the world, so I gave it a name… True love, it represent my most sincere and pure love for you. Just like diamonds and crystals, give me a chance to put it on for you personally... Okay?"

I wanted to tell Xiang Chen that he was wrong. As long as he had money, he could give a woman a crystal and diamond necklace. The sincerity and purity derived from love came from the heart and did not require any material help.

However, how many women would believe such a pure truth? The sparkle of the diamond had already dazzled their eyes.

In the end, I didn't refute Xiang Chen. I only sealed myself in the castle in my heart, shrinking smaller and smaller…

Everyone present was moved by Xiang Chen. They used applause to encourage Jian Wei to accept Xiang Chen's confession.

Jian Wei looked into the dark corner and finally nodded in silence. The applause and cheers became even more enthusiastic. Xiang Chen put the necklace on Jian Wei excitedly. At this moment, a man and a woman couple were together at Fang Yuan and Yan Yan's wedding. They were even happier!

At this moment, other than me, no one else remembers that evening rain when we agreed to take a set of wedding photos with the theme of "Silent Joy."

...

The wedding banquet was coming to an end. The guests who came to attend the wedding said goodbye to each other. I walked out of the hotel alone.

The sunlight outside the hotel was so good that I couldn't open my eyes. I held onto a pillar beside me and narrowed my eyes to look at the blue sky and white clouds. In my drunken dizziness, I seemed to see the castle in my heart flying into the sky with the floating air and fusing with the blue sky and white clouds. It gradually became crystal clear, without a trace of loneliness or pain!

Yan Yan and Fang Yuan, who were wearing wedding gowns, supported me from both sides. Yan Yan said apologetically, "Zhaoyang, I'm sorry. We really didn't know that Xiang Chen would confess to Jian Wei at our wedding. You must feel terrible. I'm sorry!"

"Haha... I'm not sad. Why would I be sad? ... By the way, did you guys… Have you seen the castle in the sky in my heart that flew into the sky and hide in the sunlight, sparkling and translucent…" I mumbled as I took out the transparent film from the cigarette box and covered my eyes to look for the castle in the sky.

Yan Yan and Fang Yuan looked at each other. Fang Yuan removed the film from my hand and said to me, "Stop talking drunk… I'll get a driver to send you back."

"There's no need to be so... Sorry, I can go back by myself. I'll take a taxi."

As I said that, I broke free from Yan Yan and Fang Yuan's hands and walked toward the street.

As I stumbled, I saw Jian Wei supporting the drunk Xiang Chen from the other side. As she walked, she took out the car keys from Xiang Chen's pocket and opened the door of the black Land Rover. Fang Yuan and Yan Yan rushed over to help Jian Wei help Xiang Chen into the car.

Actually, I wasn't sad at all when I saw this scene. At least I could still stand with difficulty. Xiang Chen was already drunk and unconscious. This time, he was the one lying on the ground. He was the grandson, and I was his grandfather. A grandfather who was in pain in loneliness!

I stood where I was and watched Jian Wei start the car and drive Xiang Chen to the bustling city.

...

This afternoon, I sat on the green belt beside the moat and smoked one cigarette after another. Finally, there was no smoke. I closed my eyes and lay down, feeling the autumn afternoon wind blowing past me.

Even though I drank too much alcohol, the extreme pain in my heart actually prevented me from falling asleep. The pain was magnified by several times in the alternative sober state of drunkenness.

In the past, she had heavily written the words 'wait' on the car window. Today, she silently nodded and accepted Xiang Chen's confession. The two images alternated in my mind, flashing faster and faster as if they were about to tear me apart. I hugged my head tightly in pain, curled up, and whimpered.

The pain in my heart became more and more unbearable. I really wanted to end my life and follow the city that had been stripped from my heart and transformed into a castle in the sky.

I used my remaining strength to take out my phone from my pocket. I found the most recent call in my call history and dialed it.

After a long time, the phone was picked up. Mi Cai's determined voice came from the other end. She said to me, "No matter what excuse you use this time, I won't tolerate you anymore. You have to move out today. I don't want a liar to live in my house."

I smiled and said to Mi Cai in a surprisingly calm tone, "If you have time now, hurry up and come to the moat."

My seemingly nonsensical request made Mi Cai even angrier. She asked in a heavy tone, "Why should I go?"

"Hurry up and stop me, I want to jump into the moat, I'll really jump!" I didn't wait for Mi Cai to reply and threw my phone into the moat. I didn't lie to Mi Cai. Under the influence of alcohol and pain, I became numb. I really wanted to pursue that crystal-clear castle in the sky.

A warm breeze blew over, and before I could take a step, the accumulated alcohol suddenly rushed up. I looked up at the blue sky which made me dizzy, and my body suddenly went limp. I fell to the ground and fell asleep.

...

When I woke up, the sky was already very dark. The street lamps on both sides of the moat had already been lit up, reflecting the water surface and swaying with the waves. From time to time, the sound of car horns could be heard from the road by the shore. Under the dual stimulation of vision and hearing, the blurry world suddenly became real.

I had a splitting headache, but I looked at the stars in the sky in a daze…

A comforting fragrance of a woman drifted into my nose along with the autumn wind. I turned my head and saw Mi Cai sitting beside me. I was wearing her coat.

I sat up from the ground and Mi Cai realized that I was awake.

"You're awake."

"Why are you here?"

We said to each other almost at the same time.

Another gust of night wind blows, and the already yellowed maple leaves fall down, falling into the river not far away, drifting with the stars.

The two of us looked at the moat. After a while, Mi Cai answered my question, "I came to see if you're dead."

"What do you mean by dead?" I asked in confusion. I had long forgotten about calling Mi Cai before I fell asleep.

"So you're lying to me again, right?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about!" I sighed.

"You called me at noon and said you wanted to jump into the river. If you still have questions, you can look at your phone's call history." Mi Cai said patiently.

"Let me see." I started to search my pockets.

"Eh? Where's my phone?"

I looked at the moat again and finally remembered I had thrown my phone into the moat on impulse. Then, my memory was unlocked. I remembered I had indeed called Mi Cai at noon and said I wanted to jump into the moat…

I said apologetically to Mi Cai, "I'm sorry. I drank too much at noon and said something while I'm drunk. I'm really not lying to you."

"Scumbag, immoral liar!" Mi Cai scolded mercilessly.

"Can you not scold me like that?" I paused for a moment and said, "It's just jumping into the moat. It's not too late for me to make it up to you now, right?"

"Go ahead and jump." Mi Cai said to me as she looked at the river.

"Jump, I'll jump," I walked towards the moat and jumped onto the guardrail.