“What's wrong?”

Nigel asked in a husky voice, cupping Elvira’s face with his hands.

He was worried to see her so sad. She hadn’t been like this even when they were visiting his family.

Back then, even though she wasn’t happy, she would put on a strong face. But now, she was vulnerable.

Elvira would get up and dust herself whenever she fell.

Her negative emotions had been buried deep and accumulating as she persisted, on the threshold of bursting.

Hearing Nigel's voice, she wiped her tears away and looked up at him.

The floodgates were opened. She wrapped her arms around him and sobbed.

She cried like a child who didn’t get a lollipop. And his embrace was the consolation for her.

That night, lying in bed, Elvira thought of her beloved grandmother, her hard-working mom, and her father, who she was unwilling to see;

her malicious stepmother Colette and her son Cedric,

and then at last her work and her colleagues.

She pondered what she lived for.

But the answer she didn’t know.

Of course, Nigel was thinking of something else.

They had just met. There were so many things they didn’t know about each other.

Growing up in two distinct families, they were very different. They had different upbringing and education. He was rich and she was not.

While thinking about Elvira and himself, Nigel suddenly realized that he knew nothing about her. He started considering what was missing in their relationship.

Elvira had agreed to Ethan's request. She was worried. But on second thought, if both Ethan and his grandfather could have no regrets because of her decision, she would be glad to do that.

Thinking of this, she felt that she had done the right thing.

Finally, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

They were so close yet also so far away from each other.

Ethan told Elvira to meet him in a secluded bar. When she walked in, she felt the place familiar, as if she had been there before.

Its name was Days.

It sounded artistic, but it wasn’t a bookstore or something but a bar.

As soon as Elvira appeared, a guy walked up to her and took her into a private booth.

To her surprise, the booth looked totally different from the lobby. There were several bookshelves full of books. A pine-colored sofa stood behind a wooden long table.

The dim light cast over the dark green hue, giving the room a special atmosphere.

Ethan handed her a file. Inside was her profile as well as things she needed to know about his grandfather.

Elvira skimmed it through and then put it in her bag.

“Thank you,” Ethan said sincerely.

His parents had always been busy when he was little.

So, his grandfather had taken care of him.

In summer, his grandfather, with him, would sit on a summer sleeping mat holding a cattail leaf fan. Afternoon, it was hot and sultry. They would fall asleep soon as the cicadas sang noisily.

Little Ethan would walked to the riverside when he woke up, with a piece of watermelon in his hand. He had enjoyed catching fish and shrimps while eating watermelon. That was the happiest time in his life.

He wasn’t ready to let go yet. He thought as long as his grandfather was alive, those days would still be there, with him.

In other people’s eyes, Ethan was undoubtedly a successful man, but he wanted none of it. He didn’t want to take over his father's business.

But he couldn't go against his father’s will. Ever since he was a little boy, his parents had been telling him that children needed to respect and listen to their parents.

And that was what he had been doing. He had approached Elvira when they were in college as he was told.

They had been total strangers back then, and he had never thought what he did would hurt her so much.

He had been regretting it every day ever since. But what had been done couldn’t be undone.

“You’re welcome,”

Elvira said with a smile.

She was glad that she could help. Besides, it made her feel better about the pity that she hadn't been able to see her grandmother for the last time.

However, that didn’t mean that she had forgiven Ethan for what he did to her.

The past still haunted her.

The memories had faded, but the pain was still there.

“I’m sorry,” or “I regret it,” didn’t suffice to make amends.

Her wound was still bleeding.

It would never heal.

She thought, whether his apology was sincere or not, he was just trying to make himself feel less guilty.

She wouldn’t accept it.

She knew she couldn't change anything, but at least she could choose not to forgive. This was the only thing she could do.

“My grandpa wants to come and meet you. When will you be free? Then we can...” Ethan didn’t finish his sentence. Elvira wasn’t sure what he wanted to say, but she didn’t pay much mind to it.

She had seen many similar plots on TV. She was confident that she could pull it off.

She was good at pretending.

Moreover, she had pictured many times what it would be like to be his girlfriend when they were in college.

And back then, they were almost a couple.

Elvira smiled while thinking about all this. The red liquid in her glass shone with alluring luster. She had a sudden impulse to finish it in one gulp, though she had only drunk beer before and only two bottles altogether.

“What drink is this?”

Elvira asked, her finger sliding along the lip of the glass.

“Its name is Daze, with ‘ze.’ It has the same pronunciation as the name of the bar,”

Ethan answered lightly.

“The bar owner is my friend. She made this wine. Every time there is a visitor in this room, this wine will be served.”

There is a meaningful look in his eyes.

Elvira was tempted by the alcohol. She wanted to give it a try.

Then she lifted the glass and downed it in one gulp.

It felt like she had swallowed boiling water. Her head went blank from the burning. It tasted bloody yet spicy. Tears threatened to flow out of her eyes.

There was also a tinge of bitterness and sweetness in the taste.

The sweetness was nothing like candy or sugar, but it lingered, for a long time.