bid farewell

When Qi Shuo arrived at Tan Huaiyu's office, the door was ajar. He didn't push the door open immediately, but instead peeked inside through the crack.

The office was lit only by a desk lamp and some overhead light sources, providing soft illumination.

Behind the large desk, Tan Huaiyu was facing the computer screen, his brows slightly furrowed, his fingers rapidly tapping on the keyboard, his profile appearing focused and handsome in the light and shadow.

On the carpet in the rest area by the window in the office, Qingran was lying there, with a large coloring book open in front of her and colorful crayons in her hand, engrossed in drawing.

Several colorful crayon marks, red, blue, and green, had appeared on her little face without her noticing, like a little kitten that had accidentally spilled a palette of paints.

While typing on the keyboard, Tan Huaiyu reminded her without looking up, her voice carrying the calmness of someone at work, but also a hint of barely perceptible gentleness and helplessness: "Ranran, don't hold the crayons too close, be careful not to poke your eyes. Remember to wash your hands after you're done drawing, and wipe your face too, so you don't get them everywhere."

Qingran said "Oh" and continued to draw diligently, clearly not paying much attention.

Qi Shuo's lips unconsciously curled into a smile. He gently pushed open the door and went inside.

Almost simultaneously, the two people in the office paused in unison, then looked up at the door in unison.

When they saw that it was Qi Shuo, their two similar yet different eyes lit up instantly.

"Brother!" Qingran was the first to react. She cheered, dropped her crayons, and sprang up from the carpet like a little cannonball. She rushed over with her short legs, hugged Qi Shuo's leg, and her bright smile was dazzling. The colorful crayons on her upturned face were particularly vivid under the light.

Tan Huaiyu, who was behind the desk, immediately stopped what he was doing, stood up faster than he could think, and walked towards Qi Shuo almost subconsciously.

The seriousness and fatigue on his face when he was working melted away the moment he saw Qi Shuo. His eyes and brows were filled with genuine smiles and reliance, and his eyes sparkled as if they were filled with stars.

"Why are you here? Didn't I say I was working overtime tonight and told you and Ranran to eat first?" Tan Huaiyu walked up to Qi Shuo and naturally reached out to take his free hand. His fingertips were slightly cold, probably from being in front of the air conditioner and computer for a long time.

Qi Shuo lowered his head first, and with his free hand, he ruffled Qing Ran's fluffy hair. His tone was as gentle as ever: "Come and take our little tabby cat home."

His gaze swept meaningfully over the "masterpiece" on her face.

Qingran chuckled shyly twice and buried her face in his lap.

Then, Qi Shuo raised his head and looked at Tan Huaiyu, who was holding his hand. His gaze lingered for a moment on the faint dark circles under Tan Huaiyu's eyes, and his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, but his tone remained calm: "If you don't come, are you planning to just grab something to eat again? Or will you just drink coffee to fill your stomach?" As he spoke, he picked up the insulated lunchbox in his hand and waved it in front of Tan Huaiyu, "I made your favorite food, and there's soup too."

Looking at the familiar insulated lunchbox with its simple pattern, and then at Qi Shuo's expressionless face with concern in his eyes, Tan Huaiyu felt her work-related frustration and fatigue instantly melt away.

A warm current flowed from their clasped hands to the deepest part of their hearts. He couldn't help but smile, a pure and content smile with a touch of sweetness from being "caught red-handed."

"I didn't just throw something together..." he muttered in defense, but his voice lacked conviction. He knew he had a habit of forgetting to eat when he got busy, something Qi Shuo had told him about many times.

Qi Shuo ignored his weak rebuttal and simply turned his head slightly to place a soft and quick kiss on Tan Huaiyu's smooth cheek.

After the kiss, he remained calm, as if he had only done something ordinary. He released Tan Huaiyu's hand and gently nudged his shoulder: "Alright, stop standing there and hurry up and wash your hands and eat. Ranran, you go too, wash your face and hands. Look at you, you're practically a color palette."

The gentle touch on her cheek, carrying Qi Shuo's clean scent, made Tan Huaiyu's ears burn slightly, but more than that, she felt a sweetness filling her heart and eyes.

He didn't move. Instead, he used the force of Qi Shuo's push to move closer to him, almost pressing against him. He looked up at him, his eyes sparkling, and asked softly, "What delicious food did you make?"

His posture and tone were nothing like the composed and self-possessed lawyer Tan in court or in front of clients; he was clearly a big kid waiting to be fed, with a hint of coquetry.

Qi Shuo's heart softened, but he kept a straight face. He flicked his finger and gently tapped his forehead: "Why don't you go and see for yourself? Go wash your hands."

"Oh." Tan Huaiyu responded with satisfaction, then pulled Qing Ran, who was still grinning foolishly, and together they walked into the private bathroom attached to the office.

Hearing the rushing water and Qingran's giggles coming from inside, Qi Shuo shook his head, a gentle smile spreading across his eyes. He walked to Tan Huaiyu's desk, tidied up the scattered documents to make room, then opened the insulated lunchbox and took out the still-steaming dishes one by one, arranging them neatly. Sweet and sour pork ribs, stir-fried seasonal vegetables, glutinous rice lotus root, braised crucian carp, two bowls of glistening white rice, and a pot of warm pear soup. Simple home-style dishes, yet exuding a comforting aroma, instantly dispelled the cold "work smell" in the office.

Soon, the two, one big and one small, washed their hands and faces and came out refreshed. Qingran's "makeup" was washed off, revealing her originally fair and tender face. Her wet hair clung to her forehead, making her look even more adorable. Tan Huaiyu also washed his face and looked a bit better, although the dark circles under his eyes were still quite noticeable.

"Wow! Sweet and sour pork ribs!" Qingran's eyes lit up, and she climbed onto the chair, looking at it longingly.

"Have some soup first, to soothe your nerves." Qi Shuo pushed the bowl of pear soup in front of Tan Huaiyu first, and then served Qing Ran some food.

The three of them sat around the desk, enjoying their belated dinner under the warm glow of the desk lamp. In the small space, the aroma of the food, the soft clinking of bowls and chopsticks, Qingran's satisfied chewing, and Tan Huaiyu's occasional whispered words about work with Qi Shuo intertwined to create an ordinary yet incredibly heartwarming scene.

On a late summer afternoon, the sun wasn't too strong, casting dappled shadows through the gaps in the leaves. The park next to the residential area was lush and green, with the cicadas just beginning to sing. This was Qingran's favorite time; she would stroll slowly along the familiar paths, clutching her beloved amber.

Amber has been living in her new home for over two months and has completely shed her initial thinness and timidity. She is well-fed, her fur is snow-white and fluffy, like a moving cloud, and her big, round, amber eyes are bright, intelligent, and affectionate.

It seemed to understand that Qingran was its little master, and it was especially attached to her, often following closely at her feet or quietly curling up in her arms.

At this moment, Qingran was holding Amber, walking slowly along the cobblestone path. She was wearing a light yellow dress, a white sun hat that Tan Huaiyu had just bought for her, and a snow-white kitten in her arms, making for a warm and adorable scene.

She lowered her head and spoke softly to Amber, her voice gentle and earnest, with a childlike quality.

"Amber, look, that's a butterfly, yellow one, isn't it pretty?"

"That's the birds' home, high up in the tree."

"We need to be gentle, so as not to frighten Hua Hua."

Amber seemed to understand, letting out soft meows in her arms and rubbing her fluffy little head against her palm. Qingran felt ticklish from the rubbing and giggled, her laughter clear and crisp, like the tinkling of wind chimes.

She walked to a relatively quiet wisteria trellis, where there were a few benches and it wasn't usually crowded. The wisteria on the trellis was in full bloom, with clusters of flowers hanging down and emitting a faint fragrance.

Qingran found a clean bench and sat down, placing Amber beside her. Amber rubbed against her legs, then jumped off the bench and chased after a passing ladybug on the soft grass nearby, playing happily by itself.

Qingran ignored it, simply resting her chin on her hand and watching with a smile, sunlight filtering through the wisteria leaves and casting dappled patterns of light on her face.

In the midst of this tranquility, a figure slowly walked over from the other end of the flower stand. He was dressed in a simple white shirt and khaki trousers, slender, with a gentle face, and holding a book that he seemed to be reading.

His footsteps were light, as if afraid of disturbing the tranquility. His gaze, which was originally on the pages of the book in his hands, inadvertently lifted and saw the small figure on the bench, and the white kitten chasing ladybugs beside her.

Shen Ci's steps stopped almost imperceptibly.

He recognized the figure almost instantly. Although she seemed to have grown a little taller than when they last met, and although she was wearing different clothes, the quiet posture of her sitting with her head slightly tilted, and the soft hair peeking out from under that familiar pale yellow sun hat... it was Qing Ran.

More than half a year has passed since that chaotic, tearful, and painful farewell in the hospital corridor. In the past six months, Shen Ci has completed his further studies and returned to the city.

He consciously avoided all information channels that might lead to contact with Qi Shuo and Tan Huaiyu.

He knew he needed time and space to sort out the emotions that had died before they could be expressed, and to process the deep guilt and regret.

He thought he was prepared, and that if they met again by chance, even if it was just a fleeting glimpse from afar, he could remain calm.

But when Qingran actually appeared before him, bathed in the early summer sun, holding a kitten, smiling peacefully like the most ordinary and happiest child, Shen Ci's heart was still gripped tightly by a complex and indescribable emotion.

He was relieved. She looked great, much better than he had imagined. Her complexion was rosy, her eyes were clear, and she wore a carefree smile.

This shows that Qi Shuo and Tan Huaiyu took good care of her, and those traumas are being slowly healed by time and a new life.

She looked so calm, as if the past—when she had relied on him, trusted him, and was ultimately hurt in the storm he brought—had truly become the past, carefully sealed away, or even…forgotten.

A deeper, almost overwhelming sorrow welled up in his heart. The little girl who used to call him "Brother Chen" in her soft voice, who would hold his hand and trust him completely, was now just a few steps away, yet it felt like a world apart from him.

She didn't even turn around, didn't feel his gaze; all her attention was on the kitten named "Amber."

Shen Ci stood there quietly, a few meters away, watching Qing Ran in the sunlight.

He remained silent, didn't approach, and even breathed softly, as if afraid to break the tranquility. He remembered many things: the way she quietly painted in the office, the first time she smiled at him, and the last time, when she curled up in Qi Shuo's arms, her eyes empty and fearful, refusing to look at him again…

Time seemed to stretch out, or perhaps freeze, at that moment. Only the rustling of the wind through the wisteria leaves, the soft whisper of amber chasing ladybugs, and the faint laughter of children in the distance could be heard.

I don't know how much time passed, maybe a few minutes, maybe only a few seconds. Amber seemed to have gotten tired of playing, gave up on the nimble ladybug, trotted back to the bench, lightly jumped on it, and rubbed against Qingran's hand.

Qingran withdrew her gaze from the distance, lowered her head, gently patted Amber's head, and whispered, "Amber, are you tired? Shall we go home and find your brother? He said he'd make me pudding."

Her voice wasn't loud, but it reached Shen Ci's ears clearly under the quiet wisteria trellis.

Shen Ci's eyelashes trembled almost imperceptibly. That natural and affectionate "brother" was like a very fine needle, gently pricking him. It didn't hurt much, but it left a lingering, subtle ache in his heart.

Qingran picked up Amber, stood up from the bench, turned around, and prepared to return along the way she came. Just as she turned around, her gaze inadvertently swept in the direction where Shen Ci was standing.

Shen Ci's heart skipped a beat. He even subconsciously held his breath, his body stiffening almost imperceptibly.

Will he see the fear that surges in her eyes? Will he see the painful memories that have been forcibly suppressed? Or... just as Qi Shuo once told him, has she forgotten everything about "Brother Shen," or rather, buried it deep in the corner of her memory?

Qingran's gaze did indeed linger in his direction for a fleeting moment. It was so brief, almost negligible. Her eyes were calm, even carrying a hint of polite curiosity towards a stranger, but nothing more.

The gaze swept across his face, unfocused and unabated, as if looking at an insignificant park visitor passing by.

Then, she tilted her head slightly, seemingly finding the person standing in the shadow of the flower stand a bit strange, but she didn't think much of it and quickly looked away. Holding Amber, she walked briskly towards home, humming an off-key nursery rhyme.

Throughout, her expression remained unchanged—no fear, no flinching, not even the slightest hint of doubt or familiarity. It was a utter, calm…strangeness.

Shen Ci stood there, watching the petite figure in pale yellow, cradling the snow-white kitten, disappear step by step into the other end of the wisteria trellis, into the end of the tree-lined path. The sunlight was still warm, the fragrance of the flowers still faint, as if that brief exchange of glances had never happened.

After a long while, Shen Ci slowly and deeply inhaled and then slowly exhaled. The complex and heavy emotions in his chest seemed to dissipate somewhat with this breath, leaving only a vague and dull sense of melancholy.

She really... doesn't remember.

That's fine.

Shen Ci forced a smile, but found it difficult. He looked down at the closed book in his hand; the cover was a vibrant green. Then, he turned and slowly walked in the opposite direction from where Qing Ran had left.

His footsteps were still light, his shadow stretched long in the afternoon sun, carrying a hint of loneliness that was barely perceptible, but his back was straight.

For Qingran, forgetting might be a form of protection, a key to a new life.

For Shen Ci, this peaceful reunion felt like a belated, silent period. He could finally confirm that the girl he had once tried to protect but ultimately had no intention of hurting had already grown new branches in places he couldn't see, basking in new sunlight, and living a new life that no longer required his involvement.

He should be happy for her.

It's time to move on to my own path.

A breeze blows, and the wisteria blossoms sway gently, shedding a few petals silently.

Some encounters are meant to illuminate each other's journey.

Some farewells need no words; they are already complete in the process of forgetting and rebirth.