It's strange, really—the more you try to hide something, the less likely you are to succeed.
Take Auntie San, poor Auntie San. Despite her vague evasions and tight-lipped silence about Qiao Mo's disappearance, the moment any relative or friend watched that video and recognized Qiao Mo, it wouldn't take half a day before calls started pouring into the Bai household. Under the guise of concern, they'd feed their gossip cravings, then sit back and watch the family descend into chaos.
In this day and age, even a thousand kilometers apart—seemingly vast distances of mountains and rivers—is really just a single internet connection away.
From the start, Qiao Mo's disgraceful episode had been kept hidden from her grandfather and father. Both men were fiercely protective of their reputation and had long disapproved of Aunt San's behavior. Now, they'd hit the nail squarely on the head.
Grandfather, especially, showed no regard for others' feelings. He called and berated her: "Bai Lifeng, you've brought utter shame upon me. You have no self-respect, and now you've dragged Qiao Mo down this path too. How old is she? Now everyone knows about it. Do you know what they're saying behind our backs? They're saying, 'What's wrong with the Bai family? Their descendants are all up to no good!' Does that sound good? How am I supposed to face anyone during the New Year? How are Feifei and Xixi supposed to face those relatives in the future?!"
The old man still had quite a powerful voice... Back in the day, Third Aunt would have caused an absolute uproar. When she argued with family, she had to win. If you dared provoke her, she'd drag up every past grievance, settling every single debt until you swallowed every word back.
But this time was strange. She seemed a bit uneasy, didn't argue back at all, just muttered a few half-hearted responses before hastily backing down.
Yi Tongxi remembered that period when Bai Lihua deliberately avoided her and Yi Yufei, discussing Qiao Mo's affairs with her aunt in the living room or over the phone. If she dared to ask, she'd be met with a stern rebuke: What business do children have asking such things? Your college entrance exams are coming up—get back to studying!"
Deep down, she suspected Yi Yufei knew the truth, but he remained tight-lipped. Perhaps it was a protective instinct, shielding her from the awkwardness of the adult world. Not just him—Bai Lihua, everyone in the household treated Qiao Mo as an "adult" already.
But in reality, she was only three years older than Yi Tongxi. Most girls her age would still be living in their ivory towers, spending their parents' allowance, either wasting their youth or burying their heads in books. Even if they worried about their future, that was still years away.
Yi Tongxi felt deeply saddened. She tried every method to reach Qiao Mo—WeChat, QQ, email—but received no response. It wasn't until late March that Qiao Mo called her, her tone light as she said, "Xi Xi, I've settled in. I'm working at an entertainment club now. The pay is good. For your birthday, I'll get you a set of cosmetics. They're expensive. Think of it as my coming-of-age gift."
Yi Tongxi breathed a sigh of relief. Though she dared not ask details or dwell on what kind of establishment it was, Qiao Mo sounded well. As long as she was happy, that was all that mattered. After all, she was her sister.
Let us slowly follow the passage of time. One Saturday in April, the weather still carried a chill. That evening, Yi Tongxi returned home from school to find Yi Yufei watching an American blockbuster in the living room. He watched her change her shoes, then patted the sofa, gesturing for her to sit down.
"I'm gonna take a shower first. I'm dead tired."
She tossed her backpack aside and dashed toward the bathroom. Moments later, she called out from inside: "Mom, bring me a towel!"
Bai Lihua set down her soup spoon and emerged from the kitchen, muttering indignantly, "How did I end up with such a princess? Everything handed to you on a silver platter. Without me, you'd be completely useless."
As her words faded, Yitongxi's singing drifted from the bathroom: "Only a mother's love is true, a child with a mother is like a precious treasure."
"Shut up!"
Just then, Yi Yufei shouted again, "Mom, why isn't the remote working?"
"Change the batteries."
"Where are the batteries?"
"In the drawer."
"Which drawer? There aren't any."
Bai Lihua flew into a rage, storming over to the coffee table and grabbing the batteries. "They're right at your feet, young master! Are you trying to drive me to my grave?"
Yi Yufei found it amusing and sank back into the sofa, silent.
"Now I have to make you guys a midnight snack. What did I do to deserve this in my past life..."
Yi Tongxi emerged from the bathroom, drying her dripping wet hair as she sat beside Yi Yufei. He glanced at her twice and said, "Be careful."
"What?"
"Mom went to the temple this afternoon to draw a fortune slip for you."
"Huh?" Yi Tongxi froze in shock. "What's wrong with me?"
He sighed solemnly. "She's worried you won't get into college."
Yi Tongxi stared blankly, then grew inexplicably tense. "What did it say? What did the slip say?"
Yi Yufei found her expression oddly pitiable. He couldn't resist giving her head a light pat, feigning solemnity: "Don't ask. I'm afraid you won't be able to handle it."
Yi Tongxi flew into a rage, leaping up to grab a pillow and hurl it at him: "Cut the crap! I'm asking seriously, and you're messing around! You jerk! Are you going to tell me or not?"
Just as Yi Yufei prepared to retaliate, Bai Lihua emerged. Seizing the moment, he remained motionless, sprawled on the floor, and complained: "Mom, look at her. She's rebelling."
Bai Lihua, accustomed to such scenes, paid no attention. Setting down the shrimp dumplings, she said: "Don't stir up dust into the bowls, Xixi."
"Hmph..."
While Bai Lihua returned to the kitchen for bowls and chopsticks, Yi Yufei pinned Yi Tongxi down and slapped her bottom. The shameless bastard hit so hard it made her wince and grimace.
On an ordinary night like this, the warmth you might imagine remained unchanged. They huddled on the sofa with porcelain bowls, eating dumplings while the TV played Jurassic Park—a movie they'd seen countless times. Some films never grow old, perfect for family viewing.
Unfortunately, Bai Lihua wasn't in the mood. She studied her daughter from the side and suddenly asked, "Your monthly exam results are out, right? How did you do?"
Poor Yi Tongxi, who had been laughing just a second ago, snapped out of the movie. She swallowed hard and mumbled, "Total score was over four hundred."
"Four hundred something?"
She scratched her nose. "Four hundred and three."
Just as expected. Bai Lihua pressed her hand to her forehead and sighed softly. "If you don't get into university, I won't make things easy for you, understand?"
Yi Tongxi shuddered and mumbled with her head down, "How can four hundred-something not get me into university..."
Bai Lihua glared at her. "Your brother got into a top-tier university. If you only get into a junior college, it'll be laughable."
"But I didn't slack off. I studied really hard."
"Studying hard is good, but what can you do if you're just not bright?" Bai Lihua said. "Try reviewing for an extra hour before bed from now on."
Yi Tongxi felt like crying.
Then she added, "Feifei should stay up later too. Help your sister brush up on her weak science subjects. You don't have many morning classes anyway."
Ahahaha, Yi Tongxi burst into laughter through her tears.
And so, time rolled forward two months. The decisive battle for all senior high students nationwide arrived. As the mother of a senior, Bai Lihua specially took three days off work to accompany her daughter through the college entrance exams.
Though Yi Tongxi usually took a laid-back approach to life and studies, she didn't want to disappoint Bai Lihua when it came to college entrance exams. Because that lady had made it crystal clear: if she didn't perform well, she'd have to repeat the year—over and over until she passed.
Oh my God, oh my God, please, gods, have mercy. This is too cruel.
The day before the college entrance exam, Yi Yufei snuck off to the temple to buy her a Wenchang talisman. She bought it secretly, afraid acquaintances would see and laugh her to death. Yi Tongxi kept it close to her heart for peace of mind, yet she remained terribly nervous, suffering frequent and urgent urges to urinate those two days. After the exam, she compared answers with the top students in her class. Roughly calculating her score, she breathed a sigh of relief—she'd actually performed quite well.
Bai Lihua remained skeptical, warning her, "Behave yourself until the acceptance letter arrives."
Though stern in her words, her heart ached for her daughter. Bai Lihua understood the grueling demands of senior year. Despite preparing midnight snacks every night, Yi Tongxi had still lost a significant amount of weight, looking pitifully thin. Now that the exams were finally over, she didn't let her go out for a summer job. Instead, she insisted Yi Tongxi stay home to recuperate and regain her strength.
Years later, whenever Yi Tongxi saw someone on TV say, "God cannot be everywhere, so he created mothers," her eyes would well up with tears.
Only her children truly understood how wonderful Bai Lihua was. Over the years, she hadn't been without suitors, nor had she been immune to the loneliness of womanhood. But the thought of her two children—fearing they might suffer hardship or struggle to adjust—had kept her from ever considering remarriage.
In truth, her children were just as heartbroken for her. One day, Yitongxi confided privately to Yufei, "I think I saw some white hairs on Mom."
They had been there for a long time, but she hadn't noticed.
She had once heard Bai Lihua say that forty was a watershed for women. After forty-one, bodily functions visibly declined, gray hair multiplied rapidly, metabolism slowed, the wrinkles at the corners of the eyes could no longer be smoothed away, and sagging skin could no longer be tightened. Truly, time was cruel, and the passage of years relentless.
Back then, Yi Tongxi couldn't fathom it. It felt too distant, as if that day would never come. Now, seeing Bai Lihua like this, she felt a pang of sadness, unable to accept her mother's aging.
So the next day, she bought hair dye and went home, determined to dye her mother's hair.
Bai Lihua could guess her daughter's thoughts—fear of her mother growing old. Ah, the thought brought a pang of sadness and a touch of warmth. Well, she gladly agreed.
Yi Yufei came to help too.
The three of them crowded around the bathroom mirror. A dark towel draped over Bai Lihua's shoulders, her hair sectioned into layers—apparently to help the dye penetrate better.
Once the mixture was blended, the siblings slipped on disposable gloves and got to work.
Good heavens, the pungent smell was overwhelming.
"Brother, we need to apply this dye quickly. If it evaporates, it won't work."
"Didn't you say to apply it evenly?"
"But we still need to hurry," Yi Tongxi said sternly. "Don't get it on your scalp—this stuff is carcinogenic. Are you trying to poison Mom?"
"You said to apply it close to the roots."
"But not on the scalp, okay?" She shook her head. "Clumsy hands, you're hopeless."
"Hey, sis, you're the one giving all the orders here, aren't you?"
"Who are you calling sis? You shameless..."
Bai Lihua sat there, watching them wreak havoc on her hair while enduring their incessant chatter. It was torture.
But then again... it felt kind of nice.
Even if she lived another hundred years, she wouldn't tire of days like this.
My two little treasures...
Bai Lihua picked up her phone and snapped a family photo in the mirror while the siblings bickered.
Little did she know, the time they had left together as a family of three was running out.
A week later, Bai Lihua passed away from a sudden cerebral hemorrhage.