The room was brightly lit, casting light into every corner, while behind Lu Xiu, there was darkness, surrounded by a faint halo. As he lowered his arm and turned to take a few steps, suddenly, a gentle voice sounded behind him: "Goodnight." The voice seemed to brighten the quiet room, causing him to pause for a moment before opening the door to the next room.
Hearing the door close, Su Qing finally relaxed, reaching into her pocket to take out the medicine and placing it in the corner drawer. The array of medications inside the drawer was dizzying. She grimaced at the lingering bitter taste in her mouth from just taking the medicine, realizing that she still hadn't gotten used to it after all this time.
Morning came. The sunlight streamed through the window, casting a golden shadow on the milky white carpet of the room. The girl on the bed, perhaps feeling the glare of the sun, fluttered her long eyelashes a few times. Her fuzzy head shrank a few centimeters under the blanket, her face devoid of any visible pores.
The phone rang with the tune "Love You," and she reluctantly reached out her small white hand from under the covers, squinting as she pressed the stop button. She had slept well last night, at least in recent years she had slept peacefully, without tension or sudden awakenings, and without neighbors arguing late into the night. All of it stemmed from his sense of security.
Getting out of bed to freshen up, she glanced at the time; it was already half past seven, but it was still early before work. Just as she was about to leave, she saw Lu Xiu, still groggy, coming out of his room. He was dressed in a white branded T-shirt and black pants, his hair obediently falling over his forehead, exuding a youthful vibe from head to toe.
"Why are you up so early?" Su Qing wondered for a moment.
Still holding a cigarette between his slender fingers, white smoke rising from the corner of his mouth, the orange glow gradually fading away, giving him a somewhat disheveled look. Su Qing almost bumped into him again and quickly took two steps back, hearing his laughter. She furrowed her brow and went downstairs. Just as she was about to leave, Lu Xiu stopped her. "Let's have breakfast, I'll drive you." He had just finished smoking, his voice still husky from the morning.
Su Qing rarely ate breakfast and had no appetite at all.
"I don't want to eat," she refused.
Lu Xiu walked over with long strides, looking down at Su Qing, sniffing the fragrance emanating from her, a faint scent of white tea and soap.
It smelled nice.
She pursed her lips and said, "Okay," relenting. She couldn't resist him. Sitting at the table, Zhao Yi had just prepared breakfast. Lu Xiu placed a glass of milk in front of her, and Su Qing took a sip; it was still warm.
"What time do you start work?" Lu Xiu asked the girl in front of him, who obediently ate her sandwich.
"Eight thirty," Su Qing replied after swallowing a bite of bread.
"What kind of crappy company starts work so early?" Lu Xiu frowned slightly, not feeling reluctant at all to curse. She retorted softly, "Don't you work?"
"I do, so why don't you?" Lu Xiu changed the subject, his eyes fixed on her, "How about you work with me?"
Su Qing didn't hesitate and immediately replied, "I don't want to."
Lu Xiu knew she wouldn't agree, but there was a hint of affection in the corner of his lips.
He wanted to keep her by his side all the time. After breakfast, Lu Xiu drove her to the company building. The car attracted a lot of attention.
Two days later.
Su Qing woke up and didn't see Lu Xiu. Today was her mother's death anniversary, perhaps the most difficult time of the year for her.
Her mother liked lilies, but she bought sunflowers instead. Every year at this time, she would come to this shop to buy them, so the florist girl recognized her. "They're beautiful. She'll love them," the girl said, handing her the flowers, her voice like a warm winter breeze, softly making her lose her composure.
"Thank you."
She held the bouquet of sunflowers and found her mother's grave. Looking at the familiar yet unfamiliar black-and-white photo, she couldn't understand why such a lively person had been confined to a small box. Many times she had thought of ending it all, but looking at the fresh blood, she finally came to her senses.
The scars on her arms were proof of her illness. At that time, she had no money and could only take simple medication, which resulted in the scars still being quite prominent now.
Her eyes were sore, but no tears fell as she looked at the photo and spoke slowly, not knowing how to begin.
"Mom, are you doing well over there? Talk to me. I recently moved, and there are people I know, treating me well. My illness hasn't flared up in a long time. You can rest assured."
Su Qing bit her lip, paused for a moment, and didn't know how to continue.
"I saw Dad. He has a new family, and they look happy, but I won't forgive him. Mom, I miss you a lot. If you miss me too, please send me dreams. Be happy and happy over there."
She placed the flowers on the grave and carefully arranged the fruits.
She didn't return until dusk.
Her phone was full of missed calls and messages from Lu Xiu, which she didn't reply to, and she put it in her pocket.
As she entered the house, she saw Lu Xiu playing games on his phone, cursing under his breath.
Hearing the noise, he glanced towards the door and saw Su Qing wearing a light blue scarf, her hair neatly falling over her chest, her fair face expressionless but adorable.
Lu Xiu tossed his phone aside and walked over to Su Qing, grabbing her arm. "Today's a holiday, where did you go?"
"Nowhere," her voice hoarse, making her sound even weaker.
Lu Xiu looked at her red-rimmed eyes, his voice tinged with anger. "Did you cry? Who the hell made you cry?" Su Qing bit her lip and gently replied, "I didn't cry. It's just windy outside."
He raised an eyebrow, somewhat skeptical. "Really?"
She lightly wrinkled her nose and nodded.
Relieved, the man let out a sigh and didn't let go of Su Qing's hand. She struggled a bit. "Let go."
Lu Xiu looked rogue, his expression unrepentant. "I'm not letting go." Seeing Su Qing's expression, he clicked his tongue and said, "Fine." Su Qing had only taken a few steps when she saw a girl sitting in the corner of the sofa, wearing a black coat, not particularly fair-skinned, with her hair tied up in a high ponytail, appearing to be about the same age as her.
She glanced at Lu Xiu before speaking, only to hear Zhao Yi's voice, "Ah, Qing Qing's back. This is my daughter, Xu Mo. She'll come to pick me up if she finishes work early."
"Okay,
 Auntie."
But she felt that the girl's gaze was somewhat hostile, carrying a hint of enmity. She wasn't one to initiate greetings, so she sat on the sofa. Lu Xiu leaned over, sitting very close to her. "Lu Xiu! Can't you sit properly?"
Her voice was soft, sounding like she was coquettish.
Lu Xiu chuckled lightly, his eyebrows raised mischievously as he gazed at her. "Alright then."