Reluctant
Chen Miao raised his hand, but before his pale fingertips could touch Yu Xi's sleeve, the latter skillfully dodged it, and he could only withdraw his hand in disappointment.
"Don't play the victim in front of me." Yu Xi's tone was icy, her face devoid of any emotion. "That trick won't work on me anymore."
Undeterred, Chen Miao continued, "Sister, please don't send me away."
"As long as you don't send me away, I'm willing to do anything for my sister and be at her beck and call. I promise I will absolutely obey my sister."
Yu Xi turned around, her back to him. "This isn't about whether you're obedient or not. Even though you're a ghost, I think you should be free."
Chen Miao hurriedly took two steps forward, her voice trembling as she spoke, "Sister, I don't feel that staying by your side is a constraint. On the contrary, I feel that every day I spend with you makes my ghost life more fulfilling."
"Sister, really, please." Chen Miao always lowered himself like this in front of Yu Xi. Whenever Yu Xi had the thought of driving him away, he would always use this tone to beg.
Yu Xi was a stubborn but soft-hearted person. Every time he said these words, she couldn't help but go along with him and silently allow him to stay.
But given what happened today, things have escalated to this point, and Yu Xi really can't let him stay any longer.
The saying "Humans and ghosts are on different paths" is absolutely true!
“But you’ve seen what happened today. Based on my understanding of Gu Yuan, he will definitely not let this go. If you stay here, you’ll only be asking for trouble.”
Overwhelmed by her pent-up emotions, Yu Xi could no longer hold back. She turned around and yelled at him, pointing to the door beside her, "Get out! I never want to see you again!"
Chen Miao stood still, silent for a long time, before absorbing all of Yu Xi's emotions. "Sister, I know your concerns. But I'm not afraid of Gu Yuan and the others. I think I have the ability to protect myself, and I can also protect you and Zeze."
"Chen Miao, I really don't have that much time to talk to you about these things. Every move I make is related to Jin Xuexiao. Jin Xuexiao and Zeze are both very important to me. They are the keepsakes my husband left me, and I want to protect them. Can you understand?"
The sky gradually darkened, the transition from light to darkness seeming to happen in an instant. After such a commotion, the main hall was in a mess. The cleaning lady, seeing them talking, wisely refrained from tidying up there first, leaving them some space.
The dazzling crystal chandelier lit up, and the soft light shone down, easing the tense atmosphere slightly, but Yu Xi's worries did not dissipate in the slightest.
“I can’t be sure what Gu Yuan will do next, but I know that your leaving here is the safest guarantee.”
"It's the best choice for both of us."
Chen Miao lowered his head, tears of blood welling up in his eyes. His dark pupils turned deep red, and his eyelashes drooped, making him look like a lost and dejected puppy.
"Okay, I'm leaving!"
After saying that, he turned and walked towards the door, his steps brisk, as if without the slightest hesitation.
This was the first time he had left this home in this capacity. It was also the first time he had truly experienced what it meant to have a home but not be able to return. After completely walking out of the courtyard, Chen Miao turned back and looked towards the gate one last time, his eyes filled with longing and reluctance.
Despite his reluctance, he understood that he should perhaps really leave.
Unbeknownst to him, Yu Xi stared at his departing figure until he was completely out of sight, before listlessly pulling out a chair and sitting down.
"Pack up and throw away everything they brought. Also, remind Zeze to get some rest; he has class tomorrow." Yu Xi rested her head on one hand, her hair falling to one side of her cheek, concealing her emotions.
"Okay, we'll start cleaning up right away." After receiving her instructions, the housekeepers quickly tidied up the mess. One of them even asked, "Would you like a bowl of noodles? It's almost seven o'clock, you haven't had dinner yet, have you?"
Yu Xi said calmly, "No need, I'm not hungry. You can go and rest after you're done with these things."
Seeing Yu Xi's response, they didn't dare to continue the conversation and simply began cleaning in silence.
Yu Xi nestled in the dining chair, her back to the door, arms wrapped around her knees, staring straight ahead, her mind blank, seemingly lost in thought.
The clock on the pale yellow and silver-white patterned wallpaper on the west side ticked a full circle, and Yu Xi remained in the same position. The originally dirty and messy floor and windows had been cleaned up by the housekeeper, and the living room was unusually quiet. At this moment, Yu Xi even began to miss Chen Miao's talkativeness.
It seemed that when he was around, the house wouldn't feel so desolate; at least it would look like a real home. Thinking of this, she couldn't help but chuckle softly, saying self-deprecatingly, "It's insane. If a ghost can do these things, why can't a normal person?"
The doorbell rang at just the right moment. She stood there like a wooden doll, not reacting, just listening quietly to the doorbell ring again and again until it stopped. Only then did Yu Xi lazily reply, "Didn't I tell you to leave? Why did you come back?"
"Sister-in-law, it's me." Meng Yun's clear voice came from the video intercom at the door. Yu Xi got up to open the door for him and saw Meng Yun carrying two large bags of things through the screen.
As if sensing that she was looking at him, the latter picked up the things with both hands and gave her a sweet smile.
Ignorance is no excuse. Although Sun Shuhan did such a thing, Meng Yun will always be the classmate in her memory who was just as good as Meng Chou in terms of grades.
Therefore, she did not have that prejudice against Meng Yun and was still willing to open the door and let him in.
"Is Zeze not home? It's Sunday today, did you send the little guy to his Spanish class again?" Meng Yun skillfully put down the things in her hands and then changed her shoes.
Yu Xi's tone was unreadable as she replied, "No, he's playing upstairs."
"When I passed by that shop, I brought him a few egg tarts, they're still warm." Meng Yun carefully picked out the box of egg tarts from a large bag and handed it to the aunt next to her, "Please take this up for him."
The aunt accepted it with both hands, saying, "It's no trouble at all, just a small matter. Has Xiaoyun had dinner yet?"
Meng Yun replied politely, "I've already eaten, Auntie, you don't need to worry about me, just go about your business."
He would come to see Meng Qingze every few days, and each time he would bring him lots of delicious food. Over time, he became familiar with the auntie who lived there.
Since Chen Miao became the manager here, he has never come back. After a period of time, he has become estranged from the people here.
Yu Xi turned around and poured him a glass of warm water. "Actually, you don't need to bring him food every time you come to see him. It will spoil him."
Meng Yun didn't think anything of it. He had raised the child since he was a child, and apart from his glasses resembling Meng Chou's, his face shape and nose were very similar to Yu Xi's.
He was willing to take care of a child who looked a lot like her, without any complaints.
“What are these things? How can you say they will spoil a child? It’s normal for children to love snacks. These are all things I carefully selected for him.”
"Thank you," Yu Xi said politely. She was always busy with work and seemed to have never paid attention to these little things. She had missed a part of Meng Qingze's growth.
"We're all family, sister-in-law, you're being too polite. You don't treat me like family."
Yu Xi shook her head, her tone sincere, "I really want to thank you. If it weren't for you, Zeze..."
"Zeze is a very good child. He is very obedient, smart and sensible."
Meng Yun interrupted Yu Xi before she could finish speaking. He knew that it was a painful memory for Yu Xi, and it was best to leave all unhappy things behind.
This conversation tore open a corner of Yu Xi's memories, memories she had kept sealed away for four years.
—
Willow catkins drifted in from outside the window, fluttering and swirling like a snowstorm.
Occasionally, a few complaints could be heard from the hospital corridor: "Honestly, everyone says this hospital is the best in the city. We finally managed to snag a bed, and look at this outside... this..."
"I really don't know who came up with this idea. So many poplar trees were planted in the backyard of the hospital and haven't been cleaned up yet. In spring, the willow catkins fly everywhere."
"That's right, we can't even hang our clothes to dry anymore."
On one side, there were grumbling and complaints; on the other, people were walking on the brink of death in the delivery room. The contrast between leisure and life hanging by a thread was stark.
Under the influence of the anesthetic, Yu Xi gradually lost consciousness and slowly closed her eyes. She entered a dream once again and returned to that rainy day.
The weather remained gloomy as she slowly walked towards the scene of the car accident. The heavy rain washed everything clean. On the highway, she stood alone by the roadside, oblivious to the cars speeding past her.
"So, you're really gone, aren't you?" Yu Xi muttered to herself, staring at the empty road. "You've really left me, haven't you?"
"The mother's heart rate is starting to drop, please pay attention."
"The situation is somewhat critical. The mother had previously undergone a heart transplant and has not fully recovered. During her pregnancy, her heart was still under tremendous pressure."
"Everyone, please cooperate and do your best to ensure the safety of both adults and children."
Yu Xi's consciousness was immersed in that intertwined dream. Raindrops pelted her, and she was soon soaked. A shadow fell from above, shielding her from the wind and rain.
She looked up and saw water droplets spreading across the black umbrella. Meng Chou held the entire umbrella towards her. "Crying again? Didn't we agree to live happily ever after?"
Yu Xi excitedly stood up and hugged him tightly. She could no longer contain her emotions and cried in his arms, "Why did you only show up now? Do you know how I've been getting through all this time?"
Meng Chou wrapped one arm around her waist and took a deep breath. "Xiaoyu, I know everything. I've always been by your side, but I can't walk with you forever anymore."
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