The air was still, as if no one had ever been there.
Only the sunlight streaming through the window offered a faint warmth.
Shen Yue's eyes were red, and crystal tears rolled down with her intermittent sobs. Curled up in a corner of the bed, her long eyelashes were like butterflies against the light, casting shadows on her pale face.
Goodbye, Mr. Xie.
***
For the past few days, Shen Yue had dutifully taken her medicine, received her injections, and followed the doctor's orders. Seeing her so cooperative with the treatment, the doctor believed her condition had improved.
Thus, a week later, when Shen Yue asked to be discharged, the doctor readily agreed.
Being confined to a room for too long, the long-awaited sunlight and the bustling crowds felt alien.
The temperature had dropped rapidly recently. Shen Yue was dressed warmly, a scarf around her neck, making her face appear even more delicate and pale.
Her breaths would form faint white mist.
Shen Yue looked up at the sky.
It looked like it was about to snow.
She felt a pang of melancholy.
It was snowing under the sun.
***
High school rarely had holidays, and even when they did, they were only for two days. During these days, Shen Yan would go to the construction site to work, carrying bricks and cement. He wasn't afraid of hard labor.
Shi Juan would come home at noon. She had worked the night shift the day before, so she could return at noon today.
Shi Juan took the bus back to the old district. Under a bare tree, she spotted a familiar figure.
Her eyesight wasn't good, but she recognized the figure at a glance and inexplicably walked towards it.
The woman, squatting on the ground counting ants, looked up. Her pale face was beautiful and delicate.
Upon seeing the person before her, she shot up. The sudden movement made her vision blur.
The weather had turned cold, and the sunlight was not very warm. The bare branches cast claw-like shadows on the ground.
The middle-aged woman before her had fine lines around her eyes, and her skin was rough and dark from years of sun exposure. She was not yet fifty, but half her hair was gray.
Shen Yue stood before her hesitantly, at a loss for what to do, momentarily wanting to run away.
But Shi Juan reached out first, tentatively pulling her sleeve. "Yueyue, why are you squatting here? It's so cold outside, why don't you go home?"
Shi Juan held tightly onto Shen Yue's sleeve, as if afraid she would run away again. As soon as she spoke, her eyes couldn't help but redden. "You've lost so much weight..."
Shen Yue's throat felt dry. She lowered her head, allowing her mother to caress her face with trembling hands.
The middle-aged woman's eyes welled up with tears, and she kept murmuring, "It's good you're back, it's good you're back..."
Shi Juan took her hand and led her back to Shen Yue's real home.
That home might be dilapidated and shabby, not worth a glance, but for Shen Yue, it was home.
Shen Yue followed Shi Juan's footsteps, walking as cautiously as a child who had done something wrong.
Shi Juan pulled Shen Yue to sit on the sofa and then immediately went into the kitchen to cook.
Shen Yue looked at the familiar furnishings in the room and smiled.
Shen Yan patted the dust off his clothes at the doorstep, then sniffed the fading smell of smoke before pushing the door open and entering.
"Mom, what's for dinner..."
Before he could finish his sentence, upon seeing Shen Yue sitting on the sofa, Shen Yan's entire face fell. He walked over and said coldly, "Why are you here?"
His tone suggested that she shouldn't have come.
Hearing the sudden coldness in the young man's voice, Shen Yue felt as if she had been whipped. Helpless, she stood up from the sofa, her beautiful dark eyes widening involuntarily. Her face turned pale, and she stammered, "I, I..."
Hearing the commotion from the kitchen, Shi Juan hurried out and scolded her son.
"How can you talk to your sister like that? Your sister finally came back, don't be rude!"
Shi Juan was a soft-spoken and gentle person, rarely raising her voice.
Shen Yan glared at Shen Yue, his neck, shoulders, and arms visibly tense. Veins bulged on his neck, and his expression was fiercer than ever.
However, with Shi Juan present, he ultimately said nothing and turned to help in the kitchen, only to be chased out by Shi Juan a moment later.
Shen Yue looked over. The young man didn't even glance at her, sitting as far away from her as possible.
Shen Yue kept staring at the young man, her eyes unblinking.
After a few minutes, unable to bear it any longer, Shen Yan lifted his eyelids and glanced at her, a dismissive look in his eyes, a mere cursory glance, filled with undisguised coldness and aversion.
Shen Yue didn't mind, and even smiled at him.
Shen Yan froze, his mind suddenly going blank, his heart struck by a heavy blow.
He averted his gaze, and some of the coldness emanating from him dissipated.
Half an hour later, Shi Juan had finished preparing the meal. The dishes on the table were all Shen Yue's favorites. Shi Juan wiped her hands with her apron and called the two children to eat.
Shen Yan subtly pouted upon seeing the dishes; his tastes were the complete opposite of Shen Yue's.
Due to years of hard labor, Shi Juan's shoulders were stooped, making her appear somewhat timid and poor.
Shi Juan smiled, holding a bowl, and without eating a single bite herself, kept serving Shen Yue.
"You're too thin. At your age, don't always think about dieting. It's better to be a little plump, it looks festive."
Shen Yue lowered her gaze and nodded.
Shi Juan smiled, her tone laced with carefulness, "Yueyue, how about you come back to live? I've always kept your room tidy and clean, just waiting for you to come back."
Shen Yan seemed indifferent, but his peripheral vision kept glancing towards Shen Yue.
Shen Yue ate the sweet and sour pork ribs in her mouth, remaining silent.
The atmosphere became somewhat awkward.
Shi Juan's expression stiffened for a moment, then she quickly resumed smiling, "It's good for you to be out there too, seeing the world is also nice. Whenever you want to come home, you're always welcome."
Her bangs fell forward, and Shen Yue lowered her long eyelashes. Tears mingled with the rice, making the taste not very pleasant.
Shen Yan's jawline tightened further, suppressing his anger.
After the meal, Shi Juan cleared the dishes.
Shen Yue adjusted her scarf and suddenly called out, "Mom."
Shi Juan's fingertips trembled, and the chopsticks slipped from her grasp, falling to the floor. She didn't react, but stared blankly at Shen Yue.
Shen Yue put on her scarf, her eyes curving into a smile, "I'm leaving now."
Shi Juan flustered, lowered her eyelashes to hide her reddened eyes, and pleaded earnestly, "You're leaving already? Won't you stay a little longer?"
Shen Yue stood there quietly, her eyes misted over. She smiled gently, like sunlight breaking through the clouds, painting vibrant colors across the azure sky.
"No."
Shi Juan quickly untied her apron. "Then I'll see you out..."
"No need."
Shi Juan was about to say something more but was stopped by Shen Yan.
"I'll take her out."
Shi Juan opened her mouth, but in the end, she just squeezed Shen Yan's arm firmly, signaling him not to say anything inappropriate.
Shen Yan nodded silently.
***
Warm sunlight poured down, falling on her shoulders and hair, bringing a profound warmth.
Outside the residential area, Shen Yue said, "That's far enough. You can go back now."
Shen Yan's expression was grim. He struggled to control his anger and questioned,
"Why did you come back?"
Shen Yue's eyelashes trembled slightly. "I won't come again."
Shen Yan's expression changed dramatically. An indescribable, piercing pain welled up in his chest.
He forced himself to appear nonchalant, feigning indifference.
"That's for the best."
Shen Yue couldn't help but reach out and gently ruffle the young man's hair. Under his stunned gaze, a soft, pear-blossom-like smile escaped her lips.
Pure and transparent.
"Little Yan has grown up. You can take good care of Mom now."
"Little Yan is a big boy."
Shen Yan was completely stunned. By the time Shen Yue had left, he had just snapped back to his senses.
Just now...
Shen Yue had touched his head?
Fireworks exploded in his mind, bringing a roaring blankness. He felt his ears burning and his heart pounding wildly.
He thought.
Of course, he was a big boy. Not only could he protect his mother, but he could also protect...
Her.