The sun breaks through the clouds, and true love arrives
October in Beijing was in the thick of autumn. Mo Xiaoyu stood alone on the foundation's rooftop, gazing at the golden glazed tiles of the Forbidden City in the distance, gleaming in the setting sun. It was her thirty-fifth birthday, and while her team downstairs in the office were quietly preparing a surprise party, she needed a moment of solitude.
My phone vibrated. It was a message from my mother: "Are you coming home for dinner tonight? I made your favorite sweet and sour pork ribs."
She was about to reply when another message popped up. It was from Shen Que: "It's windy on the rooftop, remember to put on a coat."
Mo Xiaoyu smiled slightly. This meticulous care was completely different from Gu Yanshen's previous suffocating control. Shen Que always appeared at the right time, and knew when to step back and give her enough space.
"So you're here." A deep voice came from behind, holding her camel-colored windbreaker. "Come down, everyone is waiting."
The party was warm and lively. Lin Wei led the singing of the birthday song, Lawyer Li smiled for once, and even Zhou Ling presented a bouquet of sunflowers. Amidst the cheers of the crowd, Mo Xiaoyu closed his eyes and made a wish—maybe all wounded hearts could find a home.
As she blew out the candles, her eyes met Shen Que's. The deep understanding and protection in his eyes caused ripples in her heart.
After the party, Shen Que sent her home. The car stopped at the gate of the old community, and he did not unlock the door immediately.
"Xiaoyu," he said softly, "there are some things I have wanted to say for a long time."
Mo Xiaoyu's heartbeat suddenly accelerated. For the past three years, Chen Que had always been by her side, from legal advisor to strategic partner, from friend to confidant, but there was always a layer of unbroken window paper between them.
"I know you've been hurt, and I understand your concerns." His voice was especially clear in the night. "I don't ask you to respond right now, but I just want to tell you that I'll be here until you're ready."
Just then, Mo Xiaoyu's phone rang. It was an emergency call from the nursing home. His mother had suffered a heart attack and was being treated.
In the hospital corridor, time seemed to freeze. Mo Xiaoyu sat on a bench, her fingers cold. Chen Que stayed silently by her side, occasionally offering her hot water.
"She'll be fine." He held her hand. "Auntie is very strong."
At three in the morning, the doctor finally walked out of the operating room and said, "The operation was successful, but you need to be closely monitored."
In the ward, her mother was wearing an oxygen mask and looked pale. Mo Xiaoyu stayed by her bedside, thinking of the hardships her mother had gone through to raise her alone after her father's early death.
"You go and rest for a while." Shen Que said softly, "I'll keep watch."
Mo Xiaoyu shook his head: "I want to accompany her."
Early in the morning, the mother woke up and saw her daughter holding her hand tightly and Shen Que sleeping lightly on the sofa. She smiled with relief.
"Xiaoyu," the mother said weakly, "some happiness should not be missed because of the shadow of the past."
Three days later, his mother's condition stabilized. Mo Xiaoyu returned to the foundation, only to find that Shen Que had taken a leave of absence.
"Lawyer Shen went to Shanghai to handle an urgent matter," Lin Wei said. "He said he'll be back soon."
Mo Xiaoyu felt a little lost, and then she realized that Shen Que had become an indispensable existence in her life.
That night, she received a courier, a handmade photo album. Opening the first page, she saw a photo of her first meeting with Shen Que in a cafe three years ago—at that time, she had just escaped Gu Yanshen's control, and her eyes were still filled with fear.
Flipping through the pages, each photo captured a significant moment: her resolve as she testified in court, her composure as she spoke at the United Nations, her focus on helping victims at her foundation... The last few pages were blank, with a note attached: "The future chapter awaits your writing."
There is a letter tucked into the last page of the album.
Dear Little Fish,
If you see this letter, it means I finally mustered up the courage.
When I met you in a cafe three years ago, the pain and resilience in your eyes moved me. I knew then that this person was worth protecting for a lifetime.
Watching you transform from a wounded cocoon into a butterfly, I know that true love is not about possession, but about fulfillment. So I will wait until you believe that love can be a haven, not a cage.
Whatever your answer is, I'm here.
——Shen Que
Tears blurred her vision. At this moment, Mo Xiaoyu finally understood why Shen Que always knew what she needed, why he always appeared when she was most vulnerable, and retreated when she was strong.
She dialed the correct number: "Where are you?"
"The Bund in Shanghai." His voice was tinged with laughter. "I remember you said you wanted to see the night view here."
"wait for me."
When the plane landed in Shanghai, the lights were already on. Mo Xiaoyu ran along the Bund and finally found Chen Que on the observation deck. He stood by the railing, with the dazzling night view of Lujiazui behind him.
"I received the album." she said breathlessly.
Shen Que turned around, with a tension in his eyes that she had never seen before.
"I want to tell you," Mo Xiaoyu looked him straight in the eye, "I'm no longer the girl who was afraid of getting hurt. Thank you for spending three years making me believe that true love can be safe."
The breeze blew across the river, and the neon lights on the other side swayed on the water. Witnessed by the Oriental Pearl Tower, they truly embraced each other for the first time.
After returning to Beijing, Mo Xiaoyu discovered that his mother's mental state had improved significantly. It turned out that during her trip to Shanghai, an old friend of his mother's from her youth came to visit.
"It's Uncle Chen." Mother showed a rare hint of girlish shyness. "After your father left, he always took good care of us, but you were still young back then..."
Mo Xiaoyu remembered Uncle Chen who always silently brought her daily necessities, and Uncle Chen who drove her to the hospital overnight when she was sick.
"Mom," she said, holding her mother's hand, "it's time for you to pursue your own happiness."
On a late autumn afternoon, Mo Xiaoyu and Shen Que strolled along Ginkgo Avenue. Golden leaves covered the road, rustling under their feet.
"Do you remember the first time we took a walk here?" Shen Que asked.
"I remember." Mo Xiaoyu smiled. "That was when I just won my first lawsuit, and you said we wanted to celebrate."
"Actually, I wanted to hold your hand back then." He smiled and shook his head, "but I was afraid of scaring you."
This time, she took the initiative to hold his hand. The sunlight danced on them through the gaps between the branches.
"I want to set up a special fund," she said, "to help those who have come out of the shadows rebuild their faith in love."
"That's a good idea." Shen Que squeezed her hand. "We can call it the 'Butterfly from Cocoon' Fund."
That night, Mo Xiaoyu wrote in his diary, "I used to think love was a prison. It wasn't until I met you that I realized true love is about fulfilling each other, about making two independent souls become more complete in love. It's like the sun breaking through the clouds, weathering the storms and becoming even warmer and more enduring."
Outside the window, a bright moon hangs high in the sky. Mo Xiaoyu knows that there are always shadows in life, but as long as one has the courage to face the past, everyone can bloom in the pain.
And her story with Shen Que has just begun.
True love that has gone through the baptism of wind and rain is like the sunshine breaking through the clouds, warm and lasting
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