ovement full of reliance. “Mn. But I still really liked you. I liked you the most.”

“How much did you like me?”

“When we were doing our class exercises and had to spin around, I was always slower than everyone else by a few beats.” Yue Zhishi was smiling very sweetly. “So when you turned around, I’d be able to see your face. I’d be happy the entire morning.”

He truly had liked the Song Yu of the past, the one who’d never said anything — the ‘like’ of an innocent adoration and worship.

“I always thought you were so amazing, so different from everyone else, whenever you watched a geographical documentary. But I’ve never once thought you were interested in those things because of me.”

He’d also never dared to think so.

“And now that you’re willing to share with me the things you used to hide away and never say, as well as your dreams, I like you even more.” Yue Zhishi held onto him, smoothing a very loving hand down his back. “Am I the first person to hear about your childhood’s first dream?”

“Yes.” Song Yu then said quickly, “And also the only person. Because that dream ended very early.”

“It hasn’t ended.” He tilted his face up and gave Song Yu a smile. “When it comes down to it, the basic nature of both your dreams is the same.”

Song Yu kissed his soft lips. “Is that so?”

Yue Zhishi dipped his head with utter certainty. “Mn.”

His eyes were bright in the dark colours of the night as he gazed at his lover who’d once been so lost and in so much pain — and yet it had been within those imperfect and regrettable moments that the outstanding and haughty youth had found the framework for his own future.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s the emergency rescue worker who wants to save more people, or the academic who wants to provide emergency mapping. They’re both the same.”

He wanted to save many, many people. Many, many families.

“They’re both heroes who could provide me with salvation.”

But the person he wanted to save out of everyone else — was still Yue Zhishi.

The author has something to say:

To Little Jade, saving the young Le Le is already a dream that could never come true. That was actually the first dream of his that had ended too early, which is why he’s being so stubborn about what he now wants to do.