Translator: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
Rather than a church, it was more like a museum.
The church had religious text that could be read, but it had no souvenirs. Perhaps indicating it was a sacred place rather than a tourist attraction. But because today was not worship day, there was no one praying in the church.
Inscriptions on shrines told the vicissitudes history of the Catholic Church. Jiang Chen held Ayesha’s hand while he briefly glanced around.
“Is this a gothic style building?” Ayesha with one finger on her lips looked up at the magnificent dome.
“Should be, I don’t really know. Why?” Jiang Chen asked.
“Because… I often see gothic style clothing in the magazines,” With the tip of her lips forming a curvature. “I think it’s cute.”
“Haha, but this building doesn’t resemble cuteness.” Jiang Chen forced a laugh and scanned his surrounding.
A priest stood under the altar with a couple standing in front of him. The white-haired priest drew a cross in front of his chest and blessed the two. Ayesha noticed that the couples had a joyous smile on their faces when they left.
“What are they doing?”
“Receiving the blessing of the holy light? The couple should be praying or marrying or something.” Jiang Chen made something up.
The priest seemed to have noticed the two looking at him. He kindly smiled and walked to them.
“Do you need help with something?”
Considering Ayesha’s religion, Jiang Chen wanted to refuse, but the girl blinked her eyes and looked at the elderly father with white hair.
“Even as a pagan, is the blessing effective?”
The question was blatant, but the priest only paused for a moment before he spoke with an earnest expression.
“Of course. It all depends if you love him or not.”
Ayesha’s cold expression bloomed into a joyful smile.
“Mhmm. I love him dearly.”
Jiang Chen felt teary.
Ayesha’s honest but innocent confession made him feel a different emotion.
He never admitted that he was a good man. Not because he was greedy, he just never had a strong mental fortitude.
The priest looked at Jiang Chen, his eyes seemed to possess the ability to observe everything.
“Then, do you love her?”
“I love her,” Jiang Chen said affirmatively.
Ayesha’s eyes welled up with tears. She hugged Jiang Chen’s arm and rubbed her face against it.
If he had one positive trait, it would be that he never lied about his emotions. Although there was the suspicion of being a quibble, Jiang Chen didn’t plan to explain anything.
A smile appeared on the priest’s face.
“May the Lord bless you, and you will be happy.”
He drew the cross and blessed them.
…
When they came out of the church, Ayesha dangled her entire body weight on Jiang Chen’s arm, and her expression was exuberant.
Among the trees, white roses blossomed along the path, but in front of her perfect smile, it paled in comparison.
It was rare for her to display such intimacy in public.
With how happy she looked, Jiang Chen couldn’t resist kissing her tender face.
The face gradually turned red as he a spoiled smile surfaced on his face.
When night began to fall, Jiang Chen prepared to take Ayesha back to the hotel.
They still needed to catch tomorrow’s plane, so they should sleep early.
That’s right, sleep early.
But at the same moment, Jiang Chen heard a familiar voice in surprise.
“Feifei, marry me?” A man with roses kneeled in front of a gorgeous looking girl as he said with deep affection.
But the proposal in front of the church didn’t seem to move the girl.
“Didn’t we agree that once you settle, we’ll then talk about marriage?”
Yang Yuan?
Jiang Chen followed the voice as he looked at the man beside the bench.
He didn’t expect to encounter his university roommate here?!
After graduation, the four roommates all chose different paths. While they contacted each other initially for the few months, with the formulation of their new circles, the four rarely contacted each other. Even if Jiang Chen had made a name for himself, the three people still didn’t contact him.
As to why, Jiang Chen made sense of it quickly; most likely because they didn’t want to lose face.
Not speaking with people when they are down, and flattering them once they are successful, it didn’t sound good. Especially since their relationship was not deep, to begin with, in addition to the lack of contact two years after graduation. Since the three all valued their face, they didn’t contact Jiang Chen.
Without contact, at least they could brag to their friends and coworkers –”That guy, we lived in the same dorm. I was tight with him.”
Jiang Chen still remembered Yang Yuan. Although they were not in the same major, they had a surprisingly good relationship. He was the study god of their dorm and had a good family background. Jiang Chen faintly recalled that after graduated he headed to a renowned university in Australia for a master program. Before he left, he told Jiang Chen to find him if he ever visited Australia and that he would treat him.
Of course, Jiang Chen knew it was just out of courtesy.
Now thinking back, two years passed by and his master should be completed. Since they didn’t contact each other after he left, their relationship obviously began to fade. While it was not the first time Jiang Chen was in Australia, he didn’t remember to go find him.
But today’s encounter, the feeling of meeting an old friend in a different part of the world, was indescribable.
Jiang Chen just wasn’t sure if it would be appropriate to say hi.
“Give me some more time, I will definitely find a job…” Yang Yuan was a bit anxious as he didn’t know what to do.
“Did you consider my feelings? You said you were already settled here, so I quit my job in China to find you, but what now?” The girl said accusingly with her eyes turning red.
When he saw his old friend was in a tough situation, Jiang Chen let out a sigh and walked toward him in an attempt to make the situation less awkward.
“Yang Yuan?”
When he heard someone call his name, Yang Yuan first paused for a moment. When he saw who it was, he shouted in surprise.
“… Brother Chen! Haven’t seen you in a while.”
Due to astonishment, his voice cracked.
“Haven’t seen you for a while.” Jiang Chen smiled.
“This is… your significant other?” Yang Yuan looked at Ayesha.
“Mhmm.”
“Ayesha,” she briefly introduced herself.
“You… you still recognize me.” The smile on Yang Yuan was a mixture of bitterness, excitement, and joy.
The person they didn’t believe in now became a big boss and the person everyone thought highly upon now couldn’t even find a job. The discrepancy made him feel a bit bitter, but the joyful news was, his old friend still recognized him.
