He opened his mouth, his throat dry and tight, not knowing how to explain this hopelessly complicated situation to this sweet and innocent girl.
"I..." He just uttered a syllable when his voice became hoarse.
Hua Jinyue tilted her head and blinked her big eyes, as if trying to understand Mu Xinrong's sadness. She suddenly turned around and ran to the kitchen like a little rabbit.
Soon, she came back, holding something carefully in her hand - it was the exquisite strawberry cream cake that she had brought back before and Ye Qingliu had only taken a small bite of.
"Here!" Hua Jinyue gently placed the cake box on the coffee table in front of Mu Xinrong, opened the lid like presenting a treasure, revealing the still bright and tempting cake inside.
She scooped out a large piece with a fork, which was covered with snow-white cream and a bright red strawberry, and handed it to Mu Xinrong's mouth without saying a word, her little face full of seriousness and an almost clumsy comfort.
"Here you go! My brother said that sweet things can make people happier! This is super delicious! You won't feel sad after eating it!"
Her big eyes were bright and full of unconditional kindness and an innocent faith.
Mu Xinrong looked at the cake that was so close to him, and at Hua Jinyue's gray-blue eyes that were so clean without a trace of impurities.
Looking at her clumsy way of trying to make herself "happier", the huge bitterness and despair in my heart was like an ice cube thrown into boiling magma, churning and exploding in an instant!
He couldn't bear it any longer, and suddenly lowered his head, his shoulders shaking violently and uncontrollably.
Big tears rolled down, hitting the soft carpet and leaving dark marks.
He bit his lips hard to prevent himself from whimpering shamefully, but his body was shaking violently from trying to hold back his tears.
Hua Jinyue was startled by his sudden collapse. Her hand holding the cake fork froze in mid-air, her big eyes filled with panic and helplessness.
She obviously didn't expect that her comfort would have such an effect. She looked at Mu Xinrong's shaking shoulders helplessly, her little face full of panic and confusion.
"I... I'm not... I'm sorry..." Hua Jinyue's voice was tearful, like a child who had done something wrong, and she hurriedly tried to take back the cake fork.
Just then, a pair of steady footsteps came from the corridor.
Ye Qingliu finished dealing with the affairs in the guest room and just walked out, he saw this scene in the living room: his sister was holding a cake fork, her face full of panic, and she looked like she was about to cry.
Mu Xinrong curled up on the sofa, his head buried in his knees, his shoulders shaking violently, silently expressing his great sorrow.
Ye Qingliu's gray-blue eyes behind his glasses instantly calmed down. Without the slightest hesitation, he strode over to Hua Jinyue and naturally took the offending cake fork from her hand, along with the spoonful of sweet cake, and placed it back into the cake box.
Then, he stretched out his big hand and rubbed his sister's head very gently. His voice was low and gentle, with a strange soothing power: "Jinyue, it's okay. It's none of your business. Go to sleep."
Hua Jinyue looked up at her brother's calm face, and the panic in her big eyes slowly faded away, replaced by deep worry.
She looked at her brother, then at Mu Xinrong who was crying silently on the sofa, and finally nodded obediently, looking back every few steps and slowly moving back upstairs.
Only Ye Qingliu and the collapsed Mu Xinrong were left in the living room.
Ye Qingliu simply walked to the single sofa opposite the sofa and sat down, relaxing his body against the soft backrest. He picked up the mystery novel wrapped in a plain cover that was placed on the small table next to him and turned to the place he had seen before.
Ye Qingliu turned the pages of the book very gently, making a slight rustling sound, which was like a silent companion, giving Mu Xinrong a safe space where he could vent freely without feeling embarrassed.
Mu Xinrong still buried her face in her knees, tears streaming down her face.
Ye Qingliu's silence and the subtle sound of turning pages were like an invisible barrier, isolating him from the outside world. Under this small, warm light, he could take off all his disguises and strength, and completely release the long-accumulated pain and grievances.
For Chao Youye’s resistance, for the despair of reincarnation, for the confusion of not being able to see the exit in this world line... and also for the helpless self in the snow.
Time flowed by in tears and the rustling of pages. After an unknown amount of time, Mu Xinrong's sobs gradually faded, and the trembling of her shoulders slowly subsided.
He still kept his head down, but his body was no longer as tense as a bowstring. After the immense sorrow had been vented, there was a deep exhaustion and a sense of emptiness and confusion.
He slowly raised his head, his eyes were very red and swollen, and there were still traces of tears on his face.
He looked at Ye Qingliu who was quietly reading across from him, his voice hoarse as if sandpaper was rubbing against him: "Qingliu... I... should I really... not be here? Will my presence... only make him more miserable?"
His voice was filled with self-doubt and a deep sense of powerlessness.
Ye Qingliu stopped flipping through the book. He closed it and looked up at Mu Xinrong.
The gray-blue eyes behind the lenses are still deep and calm, but seem to be able to see through the deepest confusion in people's hearts.
"Pain is two-way." Ye Qingliu's voice was steady and clear, as if he was stating an objective fact.
"His pain stems from the rift between rules and emotions, and from his self-loathing for past mistakes. Your pain stems from hurtful memories and fear of the unknown. Avoidance won't solve the problem; it will only allow the wound to fester in silence."
He paused, his gaze sharp as a knife. "Choosing to face it means taking risks, but it also means... a possible opportunity for healing. Or, total destruction. There is no third way."
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