Jiang Sui returned home and lay on the sofa. The dolls were placed in plastic tubes to one side of the sofa.
Only one was left outside: the little bear she had loved so much that day.
Its pink fur lay right next to Jiang Sui's hand, and the soft touch of it made his eyes darken.
He pulled out his phone, seeing no missed calls or text messages.
The window was open, and the cool breeze made his head feel a little dizzy.
An unknown amount of time passed before a phone call rang. Jiang Sui, groggy and nearly dozing with muscle aches, was startled awake by the call and finally answered it.
Don't know what was said on the other end of the line. Jiang Sui's arms drooped on the sofa. His dim eyes brightened for a moment, and then he said in a hoarse voice, "I understand."
He hung up the phone, half-closed his eyes, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking.
——
Su Qing's return home in the rain had left Su Rao heartbroken.
At this moment, Su Qing sat in a chair, sipping egg soup, pinching her sore eyes as steam slowly emanated from the bowl.
She saw the notebook Jiang Sui had given her on the table.
It was filled with handwritten problems written by the young man, taking into account her weaknesses and even including annotations.
His clear and lucid thinking always gave her a sense of sudden enlightenment. Compared to her tedious steps, it was clear that the young man had an undeniable talent for learning.
Her fingers slowly rubbed the simple cover and casually flipped it open.
A knock on the door sounded, and Su Rao entered.
Su Qing quickly closed it again, pushing it aside and not looking at it again. Her turbulent emotions, straining to control and calm, she struggled to calm them.
"Qing Qing, this is medicine to prevent a cold. Take it before bed."
Under the light, her mother, with her gentle features, appeared gentle and kind. The crow's feet at her brows showed the traces of time. Then placed the cup of water and medicine on the table and sat down on Su Qing's bed, looking at her.
Su Qing had a cold, well-behaved, stubborn disposition, and rarely interacted with others. Even Su Rao didn't know what her daughter was thinking. Deep down, she was worried, a faint sadness on her brow.
"Mom, are you feeling unwell?"
Su Qing suppressed her inner thoughts, placed a chair, and sat facing Su Rao. Both mother and daughter were extremely frail.
They were both deeply concerned for each other.
She felt she owed her mother too much. Although she disliked Su Rao's weakness and her tendency to live life to the bitter end, she had nearly sacrificed her life for her. This bond of kinship was Su Qing's last resort.
Su Rao shook her head. Su Qing bore a striking resemblance to her, with her beautiful face, except for her eyes, which were too clear. Like him...
That man...
"Qing Qing, have you forgiven him?"
Su Rao's words stunned Su Qing for a moment, but her expression quickly recovered. Her fingers gripped the armrests of the chair, their knuckles turning pale from the pressure.
Su Qing pursed her lips, silent. The air seemed frozen.
Su Rao sighed softly in the silence.
"Mom just feel that if he can change, it's you after all..."
Su Rao's eyes, those of the Jiangnan waterside towns, were always filled with sadness, forbearance, and helplessness, drifting like duckweed.
"Mom..."
"Please stop talking."
Su Qing wasn't known for acting like a spoiled child. Though gentle, her eyes shone brightly.
Her tone was calm, but her anxious enunciation blocked Su Rao's next words.
"Mom, I don't hate, but I won't forgive him either."
She didn't look away; instead, she stared straight at Su Rao. The teenage girl's eyes were heavy and stagnant.
Her pupils, as dark as ink, held no bright color. Her fair face was perfectly white, devoid of any unnecessary expression.
The paleness of the girl's face made Su Rao's throat choke, and she didn't know how to speak.
Such a terrible thing had happened to her daughter, and she told her she held no hatred.
She shouldn't have mentioned it, but...
Su Rao's eyes welled up, and she forcibly suppressed the bitterness deep within her heart.
"Nannan, it's Mom who's sorry to you."
Su Rao had said this countless times, and each time it pierced her heart like a knife.
She was worried about her own health, but she didn't want to leave her daughter alone. She could only hope that the man still had some conscience...
But today, seeing the girl, who never showed her emotions, with such a cold expression, Su Rao's guilt intensified.
Su Qing raised her eyebrows. Su Rao was already worried and hadn't been sleeping well. She hadn't been sure what was wrong. It was originally a fatigue illness, but she hadn't properly checked it out. Seeing her complexion worsen, Su Qing made up her mind.
"Mom, I got the prize money from the English competition. I'll take you to the hospital for a check up this weekend."
At these words, Su Rao's eyes instantly lifted. After a moment of surprise, she suppressed her discomfort and waved her hand. "No, no, it's just an old problem. I just need to rest. I'm looking for a job in a few days. You're going to college soon, and I need to save some money for you."
How could she spend all that money?
Su Rao had always been like this, but this time, Su Qing wouldn't let her put it off any longer. She simply shook Su Rao's hand.
"Mom, your daughter is good in study. Even if could get a full scholarship to attend university, that would be great. Also, when I transferred here from Wuzhen No. 1 Middle School, they said there would be some subsidies if I could use my grades for publicity in the future. Especially for this English competition, our teacher said the school would give me an additional 5,000 yuan."
She even received subsidies for eating in the school cafeteria, which was why she had transferred to Wuzhen in the first place. It was quite a feat for the school to provide such a generous subsidy even though her student status wasn't here.
These words warmed Su Rao's heart. Even the girl, who had never been close to her, gently held her hand.
Su Qing had been well-behaved and sensible since she was a child.
The girl, though not good at speaking, was meticulous and sensitive.
Su Rao's eyes welled up again.
The more her daughter spoke, the more guilty she felt.
"Okay, okay, Mom knows you'll have to spend a lot of money in school. And when you grow up, you'll have to buy yourself more clothes and build relationships with your classmates."
"That friend you mentioned last time, you can also have her come over to our house."
Su Rao always tried to find ways to circumvent the inspection, so she could only say irrelevant things.
Speaking of classmates...
Su Qing's expression stiffened for a moment, but she pursed her lips and agreed.