Evening draped itself over Qinyang like a velvet curtain, the sun bleeding gold over narrow streets and tiled rooftops. A gentle breeze whispered through the cherry blossoms, scattering petals across the cracked pavement.
Zhen Meilin pedaled slowly, the soft whirr of her bicycle the only sound on the quiet road. Her school uniform clung to her from the heat, and her basket rattled with groceries packed tightly in brown paper. She had no reason to rush. This was her favorite part of the day—the stillness, the calm, the feeling that nothing bad could ever happen in a place this peaceful.
But peace doesn't last forever.
As she turned into the lane that led to her house, something caught her eye.
A figure—small, crumpled, unmoving—lay near the edge of the street. Meilin's heart skipped.
She slammed on the brakes. Her bicycle veered to the side, skidding to a halt. She dropped it without thinking and ran toward the figure.
"Lao nainai?" she called out softly, kneeling beside the woman.
An elderly lady, maybe in her seventies or eighties, lay sprawled on the ground. Her white hair was messy, and a trail of blood ran from her temple. One of her shoes had fallen off.
Meilin swallowed her panic and pressed two fingers to the woman's neck. A pulse. Faint—but there.
With trembling fingers, she dialed emergency services.
"Yes—please, an old woman collapsed on Xinghua Road. She's breathing, but she's unconscious. Please hurry!"
As she waited, she gently lifted the woman's head into her lap, using her own scarf to dab at the blood.
"Hold on," she whispered. "You're going to be okay. Help is coming."
The ambulance arrived with a shriek of sirens, painting the world in red and white. The medics worked quickly, lifting the woman onto the stretcher. Meilin didn't even think before she followed them into the ambulance.
At the hospital, time dragged painfully slow.
Meilin sat in a plastic chair, staring at the floor. Her phone buzzed with texts from her parents, worried, but she could only reply with a short: At the hospital. I found someone. I'll explain later.
Hours passed. A nurse brought her water. Another asked if she was the patient's relative.
"No… I just found her."
Finally, just after dawn, the nurse came again. "She's awake. She's asking for you."
Inside the room, the woman looked weak but aware, her head now wrapped, her skin pale. But her eyes were sharp, observant.
Meilin stepped closer, voice low. "Hello… I'm Zhen Meilin. I found you yesterday. You collapsed near my house. I couldn't leave you there."
The woman stared at her for a long time. Then, her lips parted in a thin smile.
"You stayed," she said softly. "You waited."
Meilin nodded. "All night. But I have to go now… I haven't slept, and my parents must be worried. I'll come back tomorrow. I promise."
The woman reached out and took Meilin's hand with surprising gentleness.
"Thank you, child."
Meilin gave her one last small smile, then quietly slipped out the door.
The room fell silent.
The woman lay back against her pillow, her eyes fixed on the ceiling. For a long moment, she said nothing. Then, almost in a whisper, she murmured:
"She's perfect."
A nurse who had just entered glanced her way.
"Ma'am?"
The old woman smiled faintly, eyes distant.
"Call my grandson," she said.
"Tell him... I've finally found the girl he's going to marry."