Silent Barrier

The rain has stopped.

It came fiercely and left just as quickly. The afternoon sun pierced through the clouds again, casting dappled light and shadows through the damp windowpanes into the "Time" shop, where moisture slowly evaporated. If it weren't for the slightly hardened and darkened tea stains on the floor and a few pieces of shards of porcelain that hadn't been cleaned up, one would almost think that the terrifying event was just an illusion.

Lin Zhiyi did not leave.

Like a robot without commands, she mechanically grabbed a broom and dustpan, sweeping away the large shards of porcelain, then repeatedly wiping the dark water stain with a rag until the floor was almost back to normal. She needed to do something, to fill the huge, buzzing void in her heart with this meaningless physical labor.

Before taking Lu Shixu away, Dr. Chen Xu hurriedly told her, "His attack this time was quite typical, and he may need to sleep for a few hours. Don't worry, I'll be at the hospital. Once he wakes up, observe him and if there are no problems, you can come back."

How could she be at ease?

The heavy, lifeless touch of him falling into her arms was still vividly etched in her sensory memory. She sat in the office chair Lu Shixu often sat in, her fingers unconsciously tracing the outlines of the tools on the dark green velvet cloth, her gaze blankly fixed on the old street outside the window, which was gradually coming back to life. Fruit vendors pushed their carts past, calling out their wares, children splashed and laughed in puddles, the world continued its noisy cycle, as if only this small watch shop had been put on pause.

Time ticked by, each second feeling like a gentle tap on her taut nerves. Several times she picked up her phone, wanting to text Chen Xu to ask about the situation, but then hesitated, afraid of disturbing his work, and ultimately put it down silently.

As the setting sun painted the sky orange-red, her phone screen finally lit up; it was a message from Chen Xu:

[Ms. Lin, Shi Xu has woken up, his vital signs are stable, and he is conscious. We've done some checks, and there are no other problems. His condition is... okay, and he insists on going back to the store. I'm on my way back and will be there in about ten minutes.]

woke up.

Lin Zhiyi abruptly stood up from her chair, her heart pounding as if blood had been re-injected into it. A surge of immense relief almost made her legs go weak. But then, the subtle pause following Chen Xu's words, "Your condition... is alright," made her heart sink again.

She walked quickly to the door, stood on tiptoe, and looked towards the alley entrance. The setting sun cast a long shadow of her waiting figure.

Finally, the familiar community hospital vehicle appeared at the alley entrance and slowly came to a stop. Chen Xu got out of the driver's seat first, walked around to the other side, and opened the car door.

Lu Shixu lowered his head and slowly got out of the car. He had changed into a clean light blue shirt, but his face was even paler than the shirt, his lips were bloodless, and he looked as if a part of his soul had been taken away, with a kind of weakness as if he had survived a disaster and... an indescribable silence.

Chen Xu patted Lu Shixu on the shoulder and whispered something. Lu Shixu nodded almost imperceptibly without responding. Chen Xu looked up and saw Lin Zhiyi standing at the shop entrance. He nodded slightly to her in acknowledgment, then turned and got into his car and drove away.

Only the two of them remained in the alley, a dozen steps apart.

Lu Shixu slowly raised his head, his gaze falling on Lin Zhiyi standing in the light and shadow. His complex expression made her heart clench. There was still a lingering weariness, a trace of dazedness, but more than that, there was a heavy, almost deliberately constructed estrangement and... embarrassment.

He didn't nod as usual, nor did he speak; he simply walked silently, step by step, toward the shop door. His steps were unsteady, and he didn't walk steadily.

Lin Zhiyi subconsciously wanted to step forward and help him, but as soon as she took a step, he seemed to be startled and slightly turned his body to avoid her outstretched hand. The movement was very small, but the meaning of resistance was very clear.

Her hand froze in mid-air, and her heart sank.

He walked straight past her, stirring up a faint breeze carrying a mixture of hospital disinfectant and his own cool, aloof scent. He entered the shop, his gaze sweeping over the floor that Lin Zhiyi had wiped so clean it was almost imperceptible, his eyes darkening.

"Are you... alright?" Lin Zhiyi followed behind him, her voice dry as she asked the question, feeling that her question was foolish and powerless.

Lu Shixu did not answer. He walked behind the workbench, as if it were his only fortress, and with his back to her, picked up a suede cloth and began to slowly and repeatedly wipe a brass ornament that was already as shiny as new. His back was straight, yet it exuded a stubborn loneliness.

Silence spread through the air, more suffocating than the stillness of the wait. The ticking of the clock no longer sounded like a tranquil accompaniment, but rather like countless tiny, urgent drumbeats pounding on one's heart.

"Dr. Chen... what did you say?" Lin Zhiyi mustered her courage and spoke again, trying to break the unsettling deadlock.

Lu Shixu paused in his wiping motion, then finally spoke, his voice low and hoarse, devoid of any emotional fluctuation: "Old problem. It's nothing."

Three words shut down all her concerns and inquiries.

He clearly didn't want to talk about it.

He was even unwilling to face her, the witness who had seen him at his most embarrassing moment.

Lin Zhiyi looked at his aloof back, and all the words she had prepared—the worries, the comforts, the "it's okay" and "I'll be with you"—stuck in her throat, and she couldn't utter a single word.

She understood.

The glass she had so painstakingly glimpsed through, now not only closed again but also grew thicker and colder. He used silence and avoidance to build a solid barrier between them.

He was telling her this: Look, this is the real me. A "patient" who can't even control his own body and is on the verge of losing control. Now, you see. So, please leave.

A mix of resentment, sadness, a hint of anger at being distrusted, and a deeper pang of heartache churned within her. She opened her mouth, but ultimately only whispered, "You... get some rest. I... I'll go now."

There was no response.

He remained with his back to her, intently wiping the ornament as if it were the only important thing in the world.

Lin Zhiyi gave him one last, deep look. His slender, solitary back was like a needle piercing her heart. She silently turned and walked out of "Time Sequence".

The shop door closed gently behind her, separating the two worlds.

The moment she left, Lu Shixu's wiping motion completely stopped. He lowered his head, his bangs obscuring his eyes, and his fingers, gripping the suede cloth tightly, trembled violently from the excessive force, his knuckles turning a deathly pale color.

He knew he was a jerk.

But he was even more afraid of seeing pity, fear, or... the inevitable weariness and departure in her eyes.

Rather than waiting until that day, it's better for him to push it away now.