Morning Light and Calibration
In the latter half of the night, Lu Shixu's sleep became much more restful, no longer filled with the unease of struggling in turbulent waters. Lin Zhiyi leaned back in her chair, holding his hand, watching over him in a half-awake state. She wasn't sleeping soundly; any slight movement from him would immediately wake her up, and only after confirming that he was alright would she close her eyes again.
As the first hint of dawn appeared on the horizon, the faint morning light, like diluted milk, slowly seeped into the "Time Sequence" shop, dispelling the deep darkness and gently outlining the contours of those ancient clocks. At that moment, Lu Shixu woke up again.
This time, his gaze was no longer unfocused or dazed. Although he still carried the weariness of recovering from a serious illness, his underlying tone was clear, like a sky thoroughly washed clean by the night rain. He moved slightly and found that his hand was still being held tightly by Lin Zhiyi. Her head was resting against the back of the chair, her breathing even, and there were faint dark circles under her eyes, clearly indicating that she had endured an extremely difficult night.
A mixture of heartache, gratitude, and tenderness instantly filled his chest.
He seemed to want to pull his hand away so she could sleep more comfortably, but the slightest movement startled Lin Zhiyi awake. She jerked her head up, her eyes still lingering with sleepiness and nervousness, and looked at him immediately: "Shixu? You're awake? How are you feeling?"
Her voice was hoarse from just waking up, but it was full of undisguised concern.
"I'm much better." Lu Shixu looked at her, his voice still a little weak, but much stronger than last night. "You... sat like this all night?" His gaze fell on her slightly haggard face, filled with guilt.
Lin Zhiyi then realized she was still holding his hand, and let go a little embarrassedly. She stretched her stiff shoulders and smiled nonchalantly, "It's okay, I'm fine. Are you hungry? Dr. Chen said you can eat some liquids when you wake up. I cooked some millet porridge in a thermos."
As she spoke, she stood up and deftly went to the back tea room to pour porridge. The warm aroma of rice quickly filled the small cubicle, mingling with the clean morning air and creating a comforting atmosphere of daily life.
Lu Shixu leaned against the headboard, watching her busy figure, the morning light gilding her with a fuzzy golden edge. This scene, so ordinary, was so deeply imprinted in his heart. He had once thought he would always face each morning after a "malfunction" alone, never daring to hope that there would be someone like this, bringing warm food and pure care, waiting for him when he woke up.
Lin Zhiyi placed a small bowl of warm, thick porridge in front of him, along with a small dish of pickles. "It might be a little bland, but this is more suitable for you right now."
Lu Shixu took the bowl and spoon, scooped up a spoonful of porridge, and put it in his mouth. The millet porridge was cooked just right, its warm and soothing texture comforting his empty stomach and weary body and mind.
"About the manuscript," he swallowed his porridge and suddenly asked, "what happened next?" He remembered that when she called yesterday, she wanted to share good news.
Lin Zhiyi's eyes lit up instantly, as if stars had fallen into them: "It's approved! The editor-in-chief and the review committee highly approve of Grandpa's manuscript and your illustrations, and the project has been restarted! Shixu, really... thank you so much." Her gratitude came from the bottom of her heart.
Looking at the renewed radiance on her face, Lu Shixu felt a slight dissipation of the gloom brought on by his illness. He nodded slightly, a subtle smile in his eyes: "You've all done a great job."
After finishing the porridge, Lin Zhiyi insisted that he rest a little longer, while she quietly began to tidy up. She opened the window of the cubicle a crack, letting in the crisp but fresh morning air, and then wiped the workbench with a damp cloth.
Lu Shixu leaned against the headboard, watching her bustle in and out of his world like a busy little bee, bringing life and energy. He suddenly felt that this space, which originally belonged only to him and time and was filled with loneliness and silence, had become more complete and warm than ever before because of her presence.
The sunlight gradually brightened, casting clear patches of light on the floor through the window frames.
Lu Shixu felt his strength returning, so he threw back the covers and tried to get out of bed.
"What are you doing?" Lin Zhiyi immediately put down what she was holding, walked over, and subconsciously wanted to help her up.
Lu Shixu gently brushed her hand away, giving her a reassuring look: "I'm fine, I just lay there for too long and wanted to move around a bit." His steps were still a little unsteady, but he walked steadily. He slowly walked to the workbench and sat down in his usual spot.
His gaze swept over the familiar tools on the table, and then landed on an old-fashioned grandfather clock standing in the corner. The clock's pendulum was still, time frozen at a point in the past.
He watched silently for a while, then reached out and picked up a special key from the tool basket.
Lin Zhiyi stood aside, watching quietly without making a sound to disturb them.
Lu Shixu walked to the grandfather clock, bent down, inserted the key into the hole on the clock face, and began to wind the clock with utmost focus and steadyness. His movements regained their usual composure and precision, as if the vulnerable and helpless person from last night was merely an illusion.
After winding the clock to its full length, he reached out and gently pushed the heavy pendulum.
"Thump—"
The pendulum began to swing rhythmically, producing a deep and pleasant sound. Immediately afterwards, a subtle meshing sound came from the movement, and the minute hand skipped slightly, pointing to the correct mark.
"Tick-tock...tick-tock...thump..."
The grandfather clock, silent for so long, rejoined the grand chorus of time filling the room. Its sound was deep and steady, as if announcing the restoration of some order, the return to a certain way of life.
Lu Shixu straightened up, turned around, and looked at Lin Zhiyi standing in the light and shadow.
The morning light outlined his slender profile. His face was still pale, but his eyes were calm and gentle, as if they had just been nourished by the newborn morning light and the time he had personally calibrated.
“Look,” he said softly to her, a faint but genuine smile curving his lips, “stop and start again. As long as the core isn’t broken, it can always be calibrated back.”
Lin Zhiyi looked at him, at the old clock that had started counting again, at the dust motes dancing in the sunlight, and her heart was filled with a huge and peaceful sense of happiness.
She knew that the storm was not completely over, and his "time zone" was still special.
But they have found a way to coexist and learned how to recalibrate time together after the shutdown.
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