Jun's gaze was transfixed at her. He touched his chest and wondered.
Something felt as if it was tugging my heart…
Her warm and mellow pupils as she shared her excitement over her most favorite book was so infectious that even Jun got pulled in.
Jun was thrilled as much as he was shocked.
I never thought I would meet someone who would have read that book too.
Even in the Reading Point forum, there was nobody who talked about this book from that ghost author. Jun had even mentioned it once, but everybody was clueless.
It was always the case with hidden gems. They were practically invisible and buried under a mountain of treasures that sparkled like gold. The gems would cast a soft light that might hardly shine among the scintillating presence of other jewels but once you find them, it was impossible not to get sucked into their world. Not many bothered to take their eyes away from the blinding glitter to find the real treasure that would truly shake their hearts.
Such was that war love story between Zhao Su and Yao Qiang among the sea of other romance novels.
Ai curiously asked, "I didn't see this book on your shelf that day though?"
Jun snapped out of his stupor. "Ah? Oh that…"
There was no doubt Jun had his own copy too, but it was in the bookshelf of his bedroom at the Liu villa.
He cleared his throat. "I have it too. It's just not here. Forget about it. What other books have you read?"
Now that he knew Ai read something that he hadn't expected anybody else to have read, he was even more curious if they read any other books in common.
Ai earnestly took out some other books from her bag. Jun was speechless. "Do you carry your own mini library in your bag?"
She proudly smiled. "Amazing, isn't it?"
Jun went through her mini collection and realized there were indeed quite a few common books that they have both read. For him, it was like he found his heaven.
There were some he hadn't seen before, and Ai didn't hesitate to convince him to give them a try, which Jun readily accepted.
"You have good taste. You are weird, but you have good sense in choices," he commented.
Ai blinked.
Is he praising me?
"Yes, I am praising you, so feel honored," Jun snorted. "People don't get praised by me so easily."
"Why not?"
"Because they are dumb."
"..."
His sight fell on a particular book, and he froze. He grabbed it and asked, "The hell? How did you get this one?"
It was a book whose very few copies existed in the country. It was a post apocalyptic love story that was insanely popular many years ago. Not many people had them.
It was titled - Love Amongst Chaos.
Ai replied. "From the same old library I talked about. The librarian was quite a collector. He had travelled all over China in his younger days and got a copy of it. He gave it to me as a parting gift when the library closed down," she pursed her lips. "He was too old to manage it on his own."
Jun gritted his teeth. He remembered how hard he had searched for this book. He even used his father's connections, but there was no luck.
Damn it, I am so jealous!
Suddenly, he got up and left in a hurry. Ai wondered what was wrong.
He came back and signed a cheque. "Sell me the book."
"..."
"You can put whatever amount you want."
"No!" She replied with indignance. "This book is a gift from that librarian. I cannot sell it to you."
He tried his hardest to smile. "Any amount."
"No."
"I am telling you any amount!"
"And I am telling you no. Feelings cannot be measured by money."
Damn it!
Jun sat back, defeated and furious.
My library would have been perfect with that book! It feels so annoying now!
He glared at her. "Why is your luck so good?"
Ai glanced at him. "Not really. We all get lucky at times. Sometimes we don't."
He shrugged. "Luck is useless. It never works when we want it the most."
"That's because you are not supposed to get the thing if it's not in your fate. Personally, I don't believe in luck much. What is meant to be will happen. If it happens in your favor, people call it being lucky, if not then unlucky. Who knows if fate allows you to get this book one day too?" She smiled.
He shot her another glare but seeing more books in her bag, his eyes twinkled. "Show those too."
Ai beamed and nodded. "This one is…"
The next morning.
Jun's head lopsided, and he woke up with a jolt. He yawned and was stunned to see himself sleeping on the couch. Ai was on another one with a pile of books all around them. Some were hers while some were from his bookshelf.
The hell…were we talking for the whole night?
They were so lost in their heated discussions about the stories they read that they had even forgotten to sleep. It was a night long debate where the living room resounded with their excited and thrilled voices.
Jun stared at Ai whose arm was hanging from the couch's edge as she soundly slept.
When did I ever talk so much to someone like this? He scratched his head in confusion and bewilderment. Was it even me?
But the smell of the musty books and the long conversations they shared last night brought a faint smile on his lips that even he didn't see coming.
It felt…nice.
He tilted his head as his brown eyes looked at Ai unblinkingly.
The soft sunlight shone on her face, and the mellow golden rays made her fair cheeks beautifully gleam under them. A few strands of her hair softly fluttered over her nose and lips.
Jun stretched his arm towards her, unable to tear his gaze away from her. His fingers tapped on her fair skin like a small drop making a soft ripple in still water. He tucked the few strands of her hair behind her ear.
It was a good Christmas…thanks to you.