Chapter 4

The sunlight was blinding. I shielded my eyes with my hand.

“Excuse me, miss, would you like to see this?”

Lowering my hand, I looked up to see a mascot bear standing in front of me.

Its round body waddled clumsily towards me, looking a bit comical.

He handed me a flyer, an advertisement for a new coffee shop.

“I’ll check it out, thank you.”

A memory flashed through my mind – the days I spent handing out flyers with Liam.

The streets then were like a giant oven, and we were baking inside it.

I nodded at the mascot bear, and just as I was about to turn and leave, I heard a cheerful voice say:

“Miss, you look really beautiful when you smile.”

My body stiffened, his words echoing in my ears.

*Avery, you’re so beautiful when you smile.*

“Really?” I didn’t even know why I said that.

He raised his furry paw and gently touched my cheek, a slightly clumsy but very soft movement.

“You’d be even prettier if you didn’t cry.”

“Don’t be sad, Miss.”

I reached up to touch my eyes, my fingertips feeling damp.

I was crying again. I shouldn’t be sad anymore.

I paused, and a smile slowly returned to my face. I gave the mascot bear a hug, and he accepted it.

“Thank you.”

Maybe I was being a bit silly.

I just sat there, watching him hand out flyers, greeting everyone he saw.

He advised me to go home early.

I didn’t listen, shaking my head to refuse.

He wasn’t impatient either. He just stood there in his heavy costume, blocking the sun for me.

This feeling of being cared for, it was so warm.

Evening came, and the sky was painted with a red glow. He took off the mascot suit and sat next to me.

Beside him was a bottle of water he had specially bought.

The weather was really hot; his hair was stuck to his forehead, making him look a bit disheveled.

I pulled out a tissue and handed it to him.

He took it, wiped the sweat from his face and neck, and casually pushed a few strands of hair back from his forehead.

That fleeting moment, he looked so handsome.

Completely different from the steady, quiet Liam.

I kept looking at him. He suddenly raised his hand and waved it in front of my eyes, smiling, “Miss, am I super handsome? You were spacing out just now.”

His goofy face made me laugh.

I waved his hand away and stood up, saying,

“Don’t flatter yourself.”

“I’m going home now. You should head back early too.”

My ride’s horn had honked a few times, reminding me.

I waved to him and got into the car.

In the rearview mirror, I saw him holding the mascot suit, smiling with the setting sun behind him, waving vigorously at me.

I hadn’t told anyone, but his smile was truly radiant too.

Memories from a few years ago surfaced – back then, the one wearing the mascot suit and blocking the sun for others was me.

It was stifling hot inside the mascot suit, like an oven, making it hard to breathe.

I remembered my complaints and Liam’s arrogant temper back then.

What was I doing?

Perhaps I just wanted to know what it felt like to have someone clumsily care for me like that.

Why was I thinking of him again?

I touched the corner of my eye again – this time, nothing.

Back home, the empty feeling was as usual.

Scarlett somehow added me on SnapChat. I had accepted her friend request, but she still hadn't said anything.

I knew exactly what her little game was.

I opened her profile on Ins, and sure enough, there was a playful caption and a photo:

“Dinner for two was so delightful, even the lemon water tasted sweet~”

The picture showed two yellow drinks, with an array of rich, exquisite dishes on the table.

The most crucial detail was a man’s hand – no doubt, it was Liam’s.

He was pretty smart; he’d specifically taken off the watch I’d given him.

I opened my diary again and wrote:

“Today, Liam forgot about the lunch I’d prepared and ate with another girl. That girl even fed him carrots, which he hates. I was so upset that I slapped her. But Liam defended her and made me apologize. I’m so heartbroken.”

After that day, Liam barely came home.

I often suffered from insomnia; even the sleeping pills stopped working.

Sometimes, I’d finally fall asleep, only to wake up with a jolt.