Tears welled up in Zhu Qianying's eyes as she tousled her son's head. Her gaze settled on Bai Xiaolu, whose head was bowed, seemingly engrossed in her textbook.
From the moment she found out about Xiaolu's existence, she never asked Bai Shao why she chose to give birth to Xiaolu.
It was much like how she had never revealed to Bai Shao, or even her mother and Xiao Yu, her decision to have her baby boy.
She knew more than anyone that certain wounds were best handled in solitude, slowly licked and nursed in the shadows.
She didn't ask Bai Shao how she explained Zong Zhe to Xiaolu. But she knew that Xiaolu, like her own son, was an empathetic child. They both had their share of sorrow hidden away in their hearts, unwilling to let their mothers see or feel it.
"Baby, go keep Xiaolu company," she said.
With their similar life experiences, perhaps simply being silent companions could help share the burden.
