The person I love
Time may be the slowest yet most steadfast remedy for healing wounds.
Under the meticulous and almost breathless care of her family, Qingran's condition finally softened, like ice melting in the spring sun.
The most obvious sign was that she gradually regained her liveliness. Although this liveliness carried an lingering childlike innocence, it was ultimately somewhat different from the naive and innocent girl who was full of curiosity about the world before.
She would act coquettishly towards Sister Jin again, play with the novel gadgets that Tan Huaiyu brought back, giggle at cartoons, and when the weather was nice, she would hold Qi Shuo or Sister Jin's hand and go downstairs to see the daisy garden that had been carefully tended and was now in full bloom.
Although she seemed to have no recollection of why the flowers had originally appeared there, nor of the silent figure who stood guard in the distance, never daring to approach again.
However, occasionally, when no one is paying attention, she will suddenly quiet down, raise her head, look at the sky outside the window, and stare blankly for a long time.
That gaze was no longer the pure curiosity of before, but carried a kind of empty distance that adults could hardly understand, as if the gaze pierced through the clouds and landed on a fragment of memory or an isolated island of emotions that no one could reach.
Whenever this happens, Sister Jin and Qi Shuo's hearts clench, and they hold their breath, afraid that the slightest sound will disturb her and pull her back into that dark vortex that neither of them wants to remember.
Fortunately, such daydreaming usually doesn't last long. She quickly "wakes up" on her own, as if the blankness she just experienced was just a brief lapse in concentration, and she regains her slightly childish liveliness.
Jin Jie's graduating class has entered the most crucial sprint stage of their senior year, with heavy teaching tasks and immense pressure. For several months in a row, she has been shuttling between Qingran, work, and the hospital, and she has visibly become haggard; the dark circles under her eyes cannot be covered by any amount of foundation.
Qi Shuo saw this and felt sorry for her. After discussing it with Tan Huaiyu, he decided to bring Qingran to live in their small Yucaiyuan, so that Sister Jin could catch her breath, focus on her work, and get some rest.
Jin Jie hesitated at first, worried about her daughter. But seeing the unwavering determination in Qi Shuo's eyes and the steady, reliable gaze of Tan Huaiyu, and looking at her own exhausted face in the mirror, she finally sighed, nodded, and gave countless instructions before watching Qi Shuo, holding Qing Ran's hand, and Tan Huaiyu, carrying a small suitcase, disappear at the stairwell.
Yucaiyuan, this small space that holds many secret moments of warmth between Qi Shuo and Tan Huaiyu, has welcomed its third permanent resident.
Qingran seemed quite familiar with this home, even displaying a naive and self-righteous attitude of "occupying" it.
As soon as she entered the room, she kicked off her little shoes, climbed onto the not-so-spacious old sofa with practiced ease, hugged the dinosaur-printed pillow that Tan Huaiyu had specially bought for her, looked at Qi Shuo with bright eyes, and softly asked, "Brother, TV."
Qi Shuo's heart melted completely, and she quickly turned on the TV, switching to a brightly colored children's cartoon that she had recently become obsessed with.
Qingran immediately quieted down and became completely absorbed in that world full of childlike fun, watching with great interest and occasionally letting out small laughs.
At first, Qi Shuo and Tan Huaiyu breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that this was good; she was quiet, and they could do their own things nearby.
But they soon realized how terrible it was to give a mentally regressed "big kid" who was completely powerless against cartoons the freedom to use a remote control.
As each episode ended, it automatically jumped to the next, which Qingran watched intently.
Qi Shuo glanced at the clock on the wall and cautiously reminded her in a gentle tone, "Qing Ran, we agreed that you can only watch three episodes."
Qingran seemed not to hear, her eyes still glued to the screen.
Qi Shuo: "...Three episodes are up, I can't watch anymore."
Qingran blinked, turned her head, and looked at Qi Shuo with a pure and innocent gaze that he couldn't resist at all. She didn't say anything, just looked at him.
Qi Shuo: "...Okay, just ten more minutes. We really can't drag this out any longer, or your brother Huaiyu will confiscate the remote control."
He tried to invoke the "authoritative" Tan Huaiyu.
Qingran immediately turned her head and continued watching TV, as if the conversation had never happened.
Ten minutes later.
Qi Shuo took a deep breath and hardened his heart: "Alright, time's up, last episode!"
Qingran finally reacted, her little mouth pouting slightly, making a slightly dissatisfied, coquettish nasal sound, but her eyes still didn't leave the TV.
Qi Shuo: "Qing Ran! You've been looking at it all afternoon, your eyes are going to ruin, you can't look at it anymore!"
His voice rose slightly, attempting to project an "older brother's authority."
However, in front of Qing Ran, Qi Shuo's "majesty" was probably nothing more than a paper tiger. Qing Ran simply shrank back slightly, and then continued watching.
The cartoon was playing a funny scene, and she couldn't help but burst out laughing, completely ignoring her brother's "ban."
Qi Shuo completely broke down.
He started circling the sofa, scratching his short-haired head, trying to express his "anxiety" and "determination" through his actions.
Qingran's gaze followed his movements, her head swaying slightly with his movements, but her eyes remained firmly fixed on the television screen, as if drawn by a magnet.
Just as Qi Shuo was at his wit's end and considering whether he should really forcefully turn off the TV, the door lock clicked.
Tan Huaiyu came home from work. He immediately saw this comical yet helpless scene in the living room: Qi Shuo was pacing around the sofa like an anxious big dog, while Qing Ran was like an alert and focused little sloth, hugging a cushion, her eyes following Qi Shuo's movements but firmly glued to the TV.
A faint smile flashed in Tan Huaiyu's eyes, but his face remained expressionless.
He put down his briefcase, took off his coat and hung it up, then walked straight to the television and blocked the screen with his body.
Suddenly faced with a black screen, Qingran paused for a moment, blinked, and then focused her attention on the suddenly appearing Tan Huaiyu.
Tan Huaiyu looked down at her, expressionless, his voice low but carrying an undeniable calm: "Qingran, I'll count to three."
There were no threats, no harsh accusations, just a simple sentence.
Qingran, however, was startled like a small animal hearing a warning from its predator. Almost reflexively, she grabbed the remote control from the sofa and turned off the TV with a "snap".
Then, she quickly tossed aside the remote control, turned around, and threw herself into Qi Shuo's arms, burying her face in his, only her fluffy hair showing. She mumbled a complaint in a low voice, "Brother, Brother Huaiyu is so fierce..."
Qi Shuo was both amused and exasperated by her series of actions. He subconsciously caught her, gently patted her back, looked up at Tan Huaiyu with helplessness in his eyes, but couldn't help but smile slightly. Taking advantage of Qing Ran's inability to see him while she was engrossed in her coquettish act, he quickly and secretly gave Tan Huaiyu a thumbs up.
It has to be you, Attorney Tan. One sentence from you is more effective than me spinning around eight hundred times.
Dinner was cooked by Qi Shuo, a simple but nutritious home-style meal.
Qingran didn't eat much, but she was very well-behaved and didn't fuss about watching TV anymore.
After dinner, Qi Shuo was in charge of clearing away the dishes, while Tan Huaiyu played with Qing Ran for a while doing simple jigsaw puzzles. When it was time to shower, Tan Huaiyu went to prepare hot water and clean pajamas, while Qi Shuo stood guard outside the bathroom door.
Qingran showed extraordinary dedication and a little nervousness towards the idea of "taking a bath by herself".
She insisted on washing herself, but seemed somewhat uneasy about being alone in an enclosed space.
So Qi Shuo leaned against the outside wall, handling some trivial matters at the factory on his phone while being ready to respond to any "call" from inside.
"Brother, are you there?" came Qingran's tentative voice, damp with tears.
"I'm here," Qi Shuo replied immediately, his eyes never leaving his phone screen, but his ears were perked up.
After a few minutes of silence, the only sound was the rushing water.
"Is my brother here!" The voice was a little louder, with a hint of barely perceptible urgency.
"Yes." Qi Shuo raised his voice to make sure she could hear him.
"Brother~" This time it was a soft, slightly coquettish call.
"Yes, I am." Qi Shuo's voice softened unconsciously.
"Brother..." The sound of water stopped, and then came the rustling sound of clothes being put on, followed by a drawn-out, meaningless call.
Qi Shuo remained silent, waiting for her to continue.
"Brother? Brother! Brother brother brother brother—" The person inside seemed anxious because they didn't get a response, and started calling repeatedly, their voice getting louder and louder, with a slightly aggrieved tremor.
Qi Shuo rubbed his forehead, sighed helplessly, and called out, "...I'm here." His voice was filled with a mixture of indulgence and helplessness, as if asking, "What do you want?"
Finally, someone inside seemed satisfied, and a small, contented reply came from within: "Okay~"
Qi Shuo finally breathed a sigh of relief when Qing Ran came out dressed and with her hair still wet, feeling like he had just fought a battle.
He picked up a large, dry towel and carefully dried her hair until it was half dry, then gently dried it with a hairdryer before carrying her to bed and covering her with a blanket.
Qingran lay down obediently, looking at him with bright eyes, and whispered, "Brother, a story."
Qi Shuo then sat down, leaned against the headboard, opened a fairy tale book that he had prepared beforehand, and read a story about the forest and small animals in a low, calm voice.
His voice echoed in the quiet room, carrying a reassuring power.
Before she finished reading the story, Qingran's breathing became even and long, her long eyelashes casting a small shadow under her eyelids, and she had already drifted off to sleep.
Qi Shuo stopped narrating, quietly watched her for a while, and only after confirming that she was really asleep did he carefully close the book, turn off the bedside lamp, leaving only a dim nightlight, and then quietly leave the room, closing the door behind him.
In the living room, Tan Huaiyu had finished washing up and was wearing pajamas, curled up on the sofa bed, seemingly asleep.
The sofa bed was rather cramped for him, given his height and long legs; he didn't look very comfortable sleeping on it.
Qi Shuo walked over, squatted down beside the sofa, and looked at Tan Huaiyu's slightly furrowed brows even in his sleep, a subtle pain welled up in his heart.
He reached out and gently pulled the blanket up, carefully tucking the corners in. Then, very gently, he leaned down and placed a tender kiss on his smooth forehead.
Tan Huaiyu seemed to be startled. Her long eyelashes trembled, but she didn't open her eyes. She just unconsciously reached out and accurately hugged Qi Shuo's arm. She tilted her head up slightly, her lips slightly pursed, and made a muffled nasal sound in her sleep, as if expressing dissatisfaction or unconsciously making a request.
Looking at his unguarded, slightly childlike sleeping face, Qi Shuo's heart melted completely. He lowered his head and kissed him again, this time landing on his slightly pouting lips, gently rubbing them, and then whispering in a soft voice, "Goodnight, Huaiyu."
Tan Huaiyu hummed a few times in her sleep, as if responding or unconsciously being affectionate. She tightened her grip on his arm before falling into an even deeper sleep, her brows relaxing.
Qi Shuo watched him quietly for a while before carefully withdrawing his arm and adjusting him to a more comfortable position. He then checked the door to Qing Ran's room again to make sure everything was in order before returning to the master bedroom—which was now temporarily Qing Ran's boudoir—while he lay down on the floor mat next to the bed.
The floor was hard, far less comfortable than the bed. But listening to Qing Ran's even breathing in the room, and thinking of the person curled up asleep for him on the sofa in the living room, Qi Shuo's heart was filled with a strange, overwhelming warmth and a sense of responsibility.
Yes, the house is too small. Tan Huaiyu couldn't sleep well on the sofa bed in the living room, so he had to sleep on the floor.
As Qingran grows up, she needs more independent space.
He stared at the blurry ceiling in the darkness, silently calculating the balance in his bank account and planning his future expenses.
We need to find a way to take on more work and work hard to save money. In order to provide Ranran with a better rehabilitation environment, in order to make Huaiyu sleep more comfortably, and also in order for the three of them to have a more spacious, warmer, and more "home-like" place.
This thought, like a tiny seed, quietly took root in his heart during this slightly crowded yet warm and responsible night. As his weary body gradually relaxed, before his consciousness sank into darkness, the last clear thought was—
You need to work harder, Qi Shuo.
For the one you love.
Night deepened. In the small Yucai Garden, the even breathing of two people, one big and one small, mingled together. In another room, someone was fast asleep on a makeshift bed on the floor, a faint, resolute smile seemingly lingering on their lips.
Tomorrow will be another new day.
Although there are still storms and unknowns, at least for now, they are nestled in this small harbor, keeping each other warm and supporting one another.
That's enough.
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