Su Mu had returned to the old house; she hadn't been back for a while because she was worried about running into Fu Shinian. Now that she knew he was in the hospital, she wanted to come back and check in, mainly because she feared that her grandmother would worry if she was away for too long.
Winter had arrived, and the old lady had become sluggish and reluctant to move. She spent all day indoors. When she saw Su Mu enter the room, her eyes crinkled into a smile. It wasn't until Su Mu approached and took her hand that she sobered up:
"How many days has it been since I've seen you? Why have you lost so much weight? Is it that boy Shinian bullying you again? Don't be afraid, tell Grandma, and I'll take care of it for you."
Su Mu shook her head with a smile and helped her grandmother sit down on the wicker chair in the sunroom:
