Ganlin
Today's story returns to the playboy of the Hua family—Mr. Hua Xusheng.
The entire Hua family has been living in Lankang for two weeks now.
Master Hua's health had already visibly deteriorated during the relocation, to the point that it was almost beyond saving.
When his thoughts became disjointed, he began to ramble on about what would happen after he passed away.
Xu Sheng listened in silence, a bitter feeling churning within him, feeling utterly listless and dull about the world.
Miss Yan finally came with them, even if it was just a foolish thing to do, because she also wanted to know what the outcome would be with him.
The warmth of spring easily sparks romance. If one only takes a small taste, there will be plenty of time in the future. However, human addiction often develops at an alarming rate; once experienced, one is bound to create an irresistible urge to stop.
The couple quickly got married amidst their parents' eager anticipation. After kowtowing and exchanging vows, the ceremony was considered complete. All the complicated formalities were omitted, and no mention was made of grand gestures or pomp.
In times of war, stability is the most respectable thing.
Springtime brings abundant rainfall, and Miss Yan sits on the piano in the hall, playing Satie's Kinnault Pettis No. 1.
Her pink and plump fingertips, adorned with nail polish, brushed across musical notes, stringing them together, sending them flying past the window, weaving the ambiguous emotions behind the long, misty rain.
The sound of the zither filled the air, rising and falling in waves.
This was just something they bought for her after they arrived in Lankang.
As for her own previous one, it had long been buried in her home in Beiping, covered with a thin layer of ash and sadly covered with a cloth.
Xu Sheng leaned against the sofa near her, reading the newspaper.
He unbuttoned one of the buttons on his vest and listened slowly.
The two of them, playing the zither and the lute in perfect harmony, looked every bit like a loving couple. Aside from visiting Mr. and Mrs. Yuan, they stayed in this house like this.
They didn't talk much, but a rare sense of mutual appreciation floated and rippled between them.
She always suspected that he would go to see that Miss Huai.
However, during the day he simply listened to her innocently, sometimes reciting poetry to her.
When night fell, he held her in his arms, kissed her, and fell into a deep sleep.
He patiently stayed with her, and through the misty, pale green window, she played the piece again and again, wishing it would end like this.
So what about Hua Xusheng? What kind of man is he? Since Miss Yan is trapped in this book, no one has given her a god-like perspective.
It's true that you gentlemen are now viewing this book from a god-like perspective. Why not offer your opinions and reasoning?
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Five days later, Master Hua passed away in the damp spring night. He was so ill that he was just skin and bones, but his brows were perfectly furrowed.
Madam Hua had been crying all day; her eyes were red and swollen, but she stubbornly held onto her handkerchief, refusing to shed a tear. Miss Yan gently placed her hand on Madam Hua's arm as they sat together at the bedroom table.
Xu Sheng secluded himself in his study, chain-smoking. He used to be a light smoker, but now he couldn't find relief from his troubles and could only surrender to nicotine, silently immersing himself in the swirling smoke, his mind working at an extremely slow pace.
He didn't sleep that night; the bedside lamp remained on. She lay silently, listening to his breathing. After a while, she sat up and leaned half her body against his back, her cheek first feeling the warmth of his burning body.
The Japanese were scattered throughout the city, and they couldn't give Master Hua a grand burial. They could only watch as his coffin disappeared into the pit and was covered up forever.
Xu Sheng suddenly burst into tears.
Perhaps it was because he was reminded of the days when he was a child, sitting on his father's lap as he listened to poetry and read aloud. Back then, he could barely stick his head out of the table.
After reading each sentence, Master Hua would stop and savor it for a while.
He held the rolled-up paper in one hand and rested the other on Xusheng's slender shoulder, stroking it gently.
The old study was filled with the faint scents of wood, incense, and pine resin.
If I were to recall it deeply, my body would tremble involuntarily.
Parents have the deepest bond with their children.
If one is lost, the other will feel a loss deep within their soul, becoming disabled.
From that day on, he spoke less and less. He became disoriented, often stopping abruptly while walking, as if he could not discern his direction.
Miss Yan was about to enter the room with a teapot in her hand when she saw him writing something quickly on a piece of paper, occasionally frowning as if he wanted to write something more.
She silently withdrew, gently closing the door a crack. A moment later, Pachelbel's Canon could be heard playing in the hall, so light and lively.
He knew she was with him.
Lingering in a sea of flowers for too long can breed a vague and inexplicable loneliness.
Beauty may be fleeting, but resilience can reach the end.
At that moment, he truly wished he could spend the rest of his life peacefully with her.
After a simple meal of porridge, he suddenly asked, "How about we go see a movie?"
She liked seeing him be lively, so she smiled and agreed.
He shaved his beard, put on a tie, and went to her bedroom door.
I saw that she was wearing a pinkish-gray fitted dress and was about to put her hat on her head.
He stood by the door, his reflection in the full-length mirror, which she then looked at.
She asked Xusheng to hand her the lipstick on the table.
He gazed at her full, round lips, then suddenly lowered his eyes, pulled her into his arms, took the lipstick from her hand, and began to apply it to her lips.
Some things they say silently, but they've already said a thousand times in their hearts. That's the kind of people they are.
By the time the movie ended, it was already dark. They walked side by side down the road, the buttons of her handbag occasionally rubbing against the fabric of her clothes, making a melodious sound.
After walking for a while, it started to rain, and the rain got heavier and heavier, pouring down from the sky. The two of them had no choice but to run quickly and take shelter under the eaves of a house.
Her clothes were soaked, and a few strands of hair slipped out of her hair clip and draped over her shoulders. She was shivering slightly from the cold.
Xu Sheng took off his coat and draped it over her shoulders, freeing one hand to hold hers.
After a while, under the warm yellow light, the curtain of rain seemed to fall, making me feel as if I were on a theater stage.
He said, "Remember when we were caught off guard by a thunderstorm, far from home, and we were suddenly hit by it."
"We quickly hid in the shade of a lush spruce tree, experiencing both immense fear and boundless joy!"
Miss Yan suddenly laughed and continued reading: "The ground around me is filled with rolling pearls, strings of raindrops sparkling and chasing each other, sliding down the spruce needles and landing on your head..."
Xu Sheng glanced at her, then suddenly hugged her.
Suddenly, a clap of thunder swept overhead—you were so frightened that you closed your eyes tightly and threw yourself into my arms…
Ah, heavenly rain, a beautiful golden shower!
He once read her Apollon Nikolayevich Mykov's "Encountering the Rain".
Miss Yan said in his arms, "There's no thunder yet, why are you hugging me?"
Xu Sheng glanced at her: "Since I hugged you, why didn't you 'close your eyes in fright'?"
Upon hearing this, Miss Yan actually closed her eyes, and naturally, a kiss slowly unfolded. The sweet kiss shattered and melted into the rain, spreading throughout the entire Lankang. A gentle breeze carried the scent of earth.
A love as illusory as an illusion is bound to perish young. Beautiful thoughts inspire endless longing. The body, floating in the clouds, feels empty, so it casts its gaze upon the human world, only to see a gray and bleak landscape.
A beautiful woman by the window weaves her heart's secrets; time may pass and eternity may come.
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