Translator:
Atlas Studios
Editor:
Atlas Studios
He had not seen it earlier from outside through the glass window, but when Mo Han reached her side he realized that her face actually looked rather frail. He could vaguely see dark eye circles, her face had a strange red flush, he touched her forehead and felt that it was slightly warm.
She slept rather deeply, leaning on his shoulder without much movement. It was no wonder that the waitress was afraid and wanted to send her to the hospital.
He had only been gone for eight days, how had things become like this?
Mo Han quietly sat beside her, her bag in between the two of them. Mo Han gently took the bag away, and a bottle of medicine dropped out of the bag onto Mo Han’s feet.
He took it up and realized that it was sleeping pills.
Mo Han turned his head to look at Xia Qingyi, who was sleeping without a sound.
He thought back to how careful Xia Qingyi had been that day when she came back from F City to sneakily take her pillow. He should have thought of it. She had never slept well, and now she was using sleeping pills to get herself to sleep.
Mo Han took a tissue from the table, poured out most of sleeping pills on top of it, leaving only some in the bottle before he closed it and quietly put it back into the bag.
The warm afternoon sunlight poured through the glass window, and the cafe played a soft guitar tune. Mo Han looked at the people walking past on the streets outside the window, his hands interlaced with hers.
If there was a moment he could freeze in time, Mo Han thought, then that moment would be now.
He would probably never experience another moment more peaceful than this in his life.
It was dusk when Xia Qingyi woke up. The sun was gradually setting on the horizon of the city, painting a corner of the sky red. The sky outside was gradually getting darker, and the streetlights were already lit. Stars hung bright in the light blue evening sky.
She turned and stretched her neck. She had thought that her neck would feel unusually painful after sleeping for so long, but realized that it was not so after twisting it, and was only slightly sore. She looked at the time and realized that she had slept for a whole four hours. This made her unusually happy.
She decided to come and sleep here in the future.
Xia Qingyi felt much better, and decided to give the waitress a big tip. She took her bag and walked out in good spirits.
What she did not realize was that there was a car opposite the cafe facing in her direction, and had not moved for a long time.
Xia Qingyi went home as usual. Her mother had left a while ago, saying that she was going back to Uncle’s place for something and would not come back for two days. So there would only be Han Liang and her alone in the house for these two days, and Han Liang would always order food from restaurants.
Eating together went on pretty smoothly. They both acted like they had forgotten about what happened last night, and went back to the same state as when she had just arrived. Han Liang kept telling her non-stop about interesting stories from the past while she ate quietly and would only look up to smile and say a few words occasionally.
After they had finished their food, she pretended to go to sleep as she had in the past.
She would lie on the bed with her eyes closed, and when Han Liang came in to talk to her, she would keep silent, meaning that she was
asleep
.
She had probably slept too well during the afternoon in the cafe, so Xia Qingyi was still wide awake even until midnight. She sat on the bed and played with her own blanket.
Xia Qingyi heard the sound of the door opening outside, not knowing who had come.
She closed her eyes and lay on her side as she continued to pretend to be asleep.
The door opened, and small rays of light came in from the outside, reflecting a man’s shadow on the wall. It was Han Liang’s shadow. Xia Qingyi’s back faced the door and heard the sounds of the door opening, then after a while, the door closed gently and silence enveloped the room once more.
Xia Qingyi heard the sounds of her mother talking outside. She seemed to have come back.
She crept out of bed, walked closer and stuck her ears on the door to hear what was happening outside.
Is she asleep?
Xia Qingyi recognized her mother’s voice.
She’s asleep.
Han Liang said,
How are things at Uncle Luo?
Not much problems. We can take Nian Nian there in two days.
That’s good.
Xia Qingyi carefully heard the two of them talking through the door. The contents seemed to be the same as usual, on topics that would be inevitably touched on everyday.
But Xia Qingyi was clearly aware that the tone of their voices were different than from when they were around her. This seemed to be a rather cold and emotionless tone. Completely different from when they talked to her.
Earlier on, the police station called me. Said that… they’ve found it.
For some reason, she felt that her mother’s voice was trembling towards the end of the sentence.
No. Don’t talk about that again ever.
Han Liang interrupted.
But… we clearly know that…
Her mother said.
Know what? Isn’t this the truth now? She only managed to come back to us after so much difficulty, and you want her to leave?
Her mother quickly replied, unable to hide the sadness in her voice,
No. No. She’s my daughter, she finally returned to my side after so much difficulty, I’m not going to let her leave, I only have her left.
You need to understand that she’s back.
Han Liang said again in a low voice,
She’s back here with us no matter what.
But… Han Liang… don’t you think this is unfair to her?
Her mother asked.
Then who would treat us fairly? Have you forgotten how we got through the last six months?
Han Liang, I don’t have anyone else, I only have my daughter. Her father had already passed away. I also know that I’m not going to make it soon, and I don’t know when I’m going to kick the bucket. She only has you. You have to treat her well and not let her suffer.
You have to treat her well like you did last time. No matter what reasons you have. I only want to spend the rest of my days in peace.
Xia Qingyi leaned against the door and heard her mother say this sentence in the quiet night.
She sounded as though she had lost all hope. Xia Qingyi could imagine her old face quietly looking crestfallen beneath the light, as though she had reached the end of her life.
I will. You know that, I’ve always loved her only. No matter if it is now or in the future,
Han Liang said.
Xia Qingyi did not continue listening any longer, and quietly went back and sat at the bedside. Their voices outside seemed to quieten slowly in the dark. Either they had stopped talking, or they were still talking but she was unable to hear them.
She silently lay back down, covered herself with the blankets, and closed her eyes. Her head was full of the words they had said earlier. Not long after, she heard the room door open again. It was probably Han Liang.
Ever since she had come back, Han Liang would keep opening the door repeatedly every time she slept, as though he was afraid that she would suddenly disappear and was no longer there.
Xia Qingyi heard him close the door again and the words he had whispered softly in the dark, I’ll always love you, Nian Nian.
After her life in F City had gradually settled, Han Liang brought her back to her previous school to learn design. She understood nothing and had ended up drawing a huge mess. Everyday after her lessons ended, she would go to the restaurant to do something and chat with Xiao Mei. Her reason for staying in the shop was so that she could simply go home a little later.
Her sleeping cycle remained in disarray, but she would at least occasionally pop by the cafe everyday to sleep for an hour. When the cafe waitresses saw her, they would give her her usual order of a milkshake, seat her at the front, and watch her slowly fall asleep before she would wake after one or two hours later and stretch herself before she left.
Why didn’t I see that handsome guy accompanying you today?
After sleeping for a while at the cafe as usual, Xia Qingyi went to the cashier to pay. Perhaps because she had been staying here longer for these few days, the cashier started to chat with her.
Xia Qingyi was puzzled.
Handsome guy?
Yeah, a really handsome guy. We were still discussing what’s your relationship with him that day. Are you two a couple?
The cashier smiled.
You probably recognized the wrong person, I’m always by myself when I come here.
No, it’s you. It was during the first time when you came here and you slept at the windowsill over there.
The cashier pointed.
I thought that you were feeling unwell at that time, and was thinking if I should send you to the hospital or not. In the end, the handsome guy came over and said that he knew you. He kept sitting by your side, didn’t you know?
Xia Qingyi thought about it and was still unable to recall anything. Could it actually be Han Liang? But that was impossible. If it was him, he would definitely have mentioned it when she woke up, or had she lost her memories again?
The cashier saw that she was still unable to recall after thinking about it and patted her shoulder.
It was so nice that we took a photo for you, because he was really too handsome!
Even her eyes were shining with love as she spoke.
You don’t even know how compatible you two looked sitting together. I was so envious!
She pulled Xia Qingyi to one side, took her phone out and showed it to her.
When she saw the photo, Xia Qingyi froze.
Beneath the sunlight, her head was on Mo Han’s shoulder, her entire body leaning against him. And Mo Han was calmly drinking coffee as he leaned back on the sofa.
How could it be him? Wasn’t he in S City? When had he come here? Why did he come? Why would he be here that day? How had she not noticed leaning against his body?
Countless questions spun around within her mind.
You remember it, right? He stayed here for a long time that day. I originally thought he would accompany you here, but I only saw you alone.
Xia Qingyi still remained rooted to the ground, speechless.
Oh, if you two were able to come over here together someday, you both can take part in our afternoon tea couple promotion event. If your photo was to go on the wall, I can guarantee that you two will definitely win! You two are just too compatible!
Xia Qingyi smiled awkwardly.
It’s okay, he’s rather busy. He probably won’t be interested in these kind of events.
