Chapter 50: Cousin Encounter - A Separate Side Story - The Fall (Part 7)
I put down the empty bowl; a missing person notice was playing on the TV.
(A female patient at the Qingming Sanatorium in Fumushan yesterday afternoon)
Yu Qingzhou stared silently at the white subtitles at the bottom of the screen, while a rapidly moving rain scene flashed before her eyes—a white building suddenly appeared amidst the lush greenery.
He stiffened instantly, unconsciously muttering, "Floating Wood Mountain..."
"A light boat?"
When Yu Qingzhou came to her senses.
The presenter has already begun broadcasting the next news item.
A leaden heaviness gradually accumulated in his stomach, and he forced a nonchalant smile.
"I feel like...I've heard of this sanatorium somewhere before?"
Yu Qingzhou asked tentatively.
Compared to his uncertainty, Shen Yun was much more certain. Almost without thinking, she immediately gave her answer.
“That’s where Dad used to work.”
As Shen Yun spoke, a thoughtful look flashed across his dark eyes. He turned to look at Yu Qingzhou, his expression puzzled.
"But that was a long time ago... Do you still remember things from when you were so young?"
"No, it's just that I happened to be passing by there today, so—" Yu Qingzhou smiled awkwardly, somewhat unable to meet the scrutinizing gaze.
Fortunately, what he said wasn't entirely a lie.
Otherwise, they might be exposed immediately.
"That's fine then..."
Shen Yun seemed to breathe a slight sigh of relief.
Yu Qingzhou couldn't help but feel a little strange about this reaction.
Why do you say that?
"Well—" Shen Yun murmured, a look of reminiscence appearing in her eyes.
He paused for a moment before continuing, "You were frightened there once when you were little; it wasn't a pleasant memory."
(I didn't know such a thing existed?)
(I have absolutely no recollection of that.)
Yu Qingzhou couldn't help but think to himself.
"Because of this, Mom lost her temper, and Dad felt guilty for a long time."
When the past was mentioned, Shen Yun unconsciously curved the corners of her mouth slightly, adding a touch of softness to her somewhat indifferent face.
Upon hearing this, Yu Qingzhou became even more curious.
(So what exactly happened...?)
Just as I was about to ask further, Shen Yun unilaterally changed the subject.
They didn't seem willing to discuss this further.
The news broadcast on TV continued, and missing person notices for the missing patients were posted in the corner of the screen.
—I don't know when the photo was taken.
The girl stood in front of the white wall, her age unknown, with pale skin and long black hair draped over her shoulders.
It was like a spur-of-the-moment decision made without prior notice.
The girl, suddenly called by name, turned around and looked at someone behind the camera with a bewildered expression.
Before she could even change her expression, she was suddenly frozen in time on the other side of the river.
An inexplicable feeling of suffocation suddenly enveloped my heart.
Yu Qingzhou had a strong premonition that she had indeed seen this face somewhere before—
That is...
In a white room.
Someone is humming a song.
Wearing a long white dress that covered her ankles, the girl (or perhaps the woman?) sat sideways on the windowsill, humming softly.
The light streaming in through the window, even the autumn sunlight, is white.
That small mouth opened and closed, uttering indistinct words in a gentle voice.
Upon seeing this, the young boy involuntarily held his breath.
As if afraid of disturbing the scene before them.
My heart beat slowly, and I felt that the woman, enveloped in a white halo, had an unreal beauty, so delicate that she seemed as if she might disappear at any moment.
The child watched silently.
The familiar, off-key song, falling into his ears, evoked a tearful urge.
Suddenly, a flurry of footsteps echoed down the corridor.
The next second, the singing in the room stopped abruptly.
When he turned his gaze back to the room, the girl by the window had turned her face and was staring blankly in his direction, revealing a pale face and empty eyes hidden deep in her black hair.
The moment their eyes met, his heart skipped a beat, as if he had been struck by the gaze of the person opposite him...
——
"Hello, the number you dialed is currently switched off... Sorry, the number you dialed..."
I haven't seen him for several days, and I can't get through to him on the phone.
Recalling Li Xiao's unusual behavior that afternoon, Yu Qingzhou couldn't help but feel worried.
Could it be... that something really happened?
It was nearly noon when they found the other person's residence by following their memory.
Yu Qingzhou stood at the door, feeling somewhat lost.
For a moment, it felt as if I had been transported back to a day many years ago.
He was the same way back then, rashly finding out the boy's address and then foolishly waiting in front of the door where no one answered for an entire afternoon.
Then the old lady who lived across the street suddenly opened her door and told him that the family had moved away some time ago and their return date was uncertain...
Time has passed, and things have changed.
Yu Qingzhou knew perfectly well that there couldn't be such a coincidence, but she still had a bad feeling about it.
Perhaps it was because of that dream, or perhaps it was because of that report—
However, the door opened by itself.
The person Yu Qingzhou had been searching for was now standing behind the door, his face hidden in the shadows of the porch, his emerald eyes overlapping with those of someone in her dream.
(It was those eyes that, along with the sound of footsteps, were reflected in the viewing window, causing the girl's bewildered face to suddenly turn into one of terror...)
Yu Qingzhou unconsciously took a half step back, just like the young self in her dream, her steps faltering, only to be firmly grasped by a pair of long arms reaching out from the opposite side.
"It hasn't been long since I left, how come you can't walk anymore?"
A slightly mocking voice rang out from nearby.
Upon closer inspection, it was clearly the same person I knew.
“Li Xiao…”
Before opening the door, Yu Qingzhou had actually thought about what she should say when they met.
--I miss you?
—I had a nightmare, and the first thing I thought of when I woke up was you?
—I'm worried because I can't get in touch with you?
At this very moment, Li Xiao was right there.
He observed the uninvited guest before him with unusual quietness.
His eyes were somewhat bluish, which made his face look even paler and frightening, as if he hadn't slept well.
Upon seeing Li Xiao like this, Yu Qingzhou felt inexplicably guilty.
"sorry……"
Apologies just come out of my mouth so easily, I don't know why...
Upon hearing this, Li Xiao simply raised one eyebrow and looked at the other person with amusement.
"Interesting. You've thought about it for so long and this is all you can come up with. It's really strange. What could you possibly have done to wrong me?"
Just as they were joking around, Li Xiao seemed to suddenly remember something, and the smile on his face immediately stopped, and his expression turned grim.
"...Did Shen Yun cheat on me?"
Upon hearing this, Yu Qingzhou visibly choked for a moment, then paused before saying incredulously, "No... no, how could you think that?!"
Li Xiao did not respond immediately, but stared at Yu Qingzhou's flushed face for a long time, as if judging the truthfulness of the answer.
Yu Qingzhou felt a chill run down her spine from that look.
Just as his patience was about to run out, Li Xiao suddenly laughed lightly.
It seems like many years ago, on a gloomy, drizzly afternoon, a boy with a red umbrella stood in the rain, persistently tapping gently on the windowpane.
Then, looking at the sleepy-eyed child who had no choice but to get up and check the situation, he slowly revealed a mischievous smile...
"Alright, come in."
Time returns to the present moment—
As Li Xiao said this, he generously opened the door and let the person into the house.
The room was dark, as if the curtains were drawn.
Before Yu Qingzhou could even ask a question, the sound of a lock clicking shut came from behind her.
It was a very soft sound, but unmistakably so.
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