Chapter 8: Bright Lights but Lonely
Chapter 8: Bright Lights but Lonely
"The imperial capital is bustling in the middle of the first lunar month." The Lantern Festival should have been a time when "thousands of doors are unlocked and thousands of lights are lit," but not a single light is lit just for those who long for it.
In the past, Chi Shu would be able to see Ji Jinyi during the Lantern Festival. Even though Ji Jinyi would occasionally be unable to return to spend the day with her because he had more pressing matters, she would always receive a reply to Ji Jinyi's holiday greeting text messages and holiday gifts sooner or later.
So even though most of the blessing text messages from Ji Jinyi contained serious content, and even the occasional concern was expressed in a stiff tone, Chi Shu felt happy from the bottom of his heart.
Because she felt that this also meant that during important holidays, she could still receive the care and concern from her mother, just like other children, without any additional conditions.
But maybe she was too greedy, so if possible, she would rather exchange these material possessions for Ji Jinyi's warmth and affection to accompany her.
Time piled up in the mundane details of life, gifts became a formality, family affection a luxury. Chi Shu had almost forgotten when he began to have to schedule advance notice even for meetings with Ji Jin. Perhaps it was after graduating from high school, or perhaps after officially arriving at university... In short, their already infrequent meetings became an annual reunion.
Perhaps sensing Chi Shu's earnest anticipation, two days before the Lantern Festival, while attending a family gathering at her grandmother's home in Ji's Villa, she finally received a long-distance call from Ji Jinyi. His brief, concise words conveyed news that made Chi Shu incredibly happy—this year's Lantern Festival, Ji Jinyi could spend it with her in North City.
So, on this cold winter morning, Chi Shu, greeted by the occasional, almost imperceptible snowflakes, rushed home filled with joy. Along the way, he also learned many interesting stories and conversations, hoping to return home quickly so that he could share them with someone. But who could have predicted—the house would be empty and quiet.
What made her even more disappointed was that it was such an indescribable feeling to have one's enthusiasm extinguished.
She stood in the front hall and looked up, only to see familiar yet unfamiliar lights and shadows. Even the voice messages she sent received no response. Only then did she realize how lonely and desolate this quiet and cold winter day could be.
After an unknown amount of time, Chi Shu finally received a reply from Ji Jinyi, but she was not happy at all, because this message from someone who was on a business trip far away on the other side of the ocean, in addition to blessings, was followed by -
"I have some things to deal with here, so I'm busy and can't come back for the time being. If you need anything, just tell your Aunt Ming."
Chi Shu looked at the content of the text message and thought to himself in a state of self-deprecation:
Since she herself could not receive the love and care from her loved ones, how could she let others be hindered from family reunion because of her?
So Chi Shu raised her head and blinked her sore eyes, trying to hide the mist in her eyes, and then she called Aunt Ming again. She briefly explained the current situation and told Aunt Ming not to travel all the way from her hometown, so that she could spend the New Year holiday with her family.
She just naturally concealed the fact that she had returned home in her words, so as not to make Aunt Ming worry about her being alone.
And Aunt Ming probably didn't expect her to come back so soon.
When the phone was about to be hung up, Chi Shu heard Aunt Ming's concerned words again:
"Miss Shu, you have to understand Madam. She has suffered a lot over the years, and it's not easy for her to support the family business alone."
Hearing these words again, Chi Shu couldn't help but tear up, but he tried his best to control his voice:
"I understand, Aunt Ming, don't worry."
After a brief exchange of concern, those who ended the call still had their own thoughts.
Aunt Ming on the other end of the phone sighed helplessly, and the hot air she exhaled immediately dissipated in the cold wind.
For Aunt Ming, some things are really "unspeakable" -
Even though she had taken care of Chi Shu like her own son for so many years, she was still an outsider after all, and it was not appropriate for her to talk about the secrets of the master's family.
It's inappropriate to say this to anyone.
As for Chi Shu, in her memory, although Aunt Ming was only brought from the villa to take care of her, this person who had no relationship with her spent even more time with her than Ji Jinyi, and seemed to care about her as well.
Perhaps it was because there were too many things going on in the past few days, and this time she went to the villa alone to participate in the family gathering and faced a treacherous environment alone. Those matters, big and small, that had nothing to do with her but could not be avoided in their branch made her even more disturbed.
So Chi Shu, who was mentally overburdened at the moment, clearly did not get enough rest last night and now had no desire to sleep at all. He had no choice but to go to the study to practice calligraphy in an attempt to calm himself down.
Unfortunately, the words just floated past her eyes, not allowing her to calm down at all. Her thoughts were still involuntarily trapped in those troubles -
During every important festival, Ji Jinyi would take her back to "Ji's Villa" to participate in family gatherings. Even if the seemingly harmonious gathering was full of intrigue and hidden family strife, they always had to have a place. Besides, it was impossible for their lineage to cut off contact because of some old things.
And even though she had been timid and taciturn since she was a child, and not as spoiled and pleasing as other children and grandchildren, she could always see the heartache and reluctance in her grandmother's eyes when she waited alone or left alone.
In addition, she had never been to her grandparents' house since she could remember, and Ji Jinyi seemed to have never had any contact with her relatives there.
For some complicated reason, she still took her father's surname.
…
Chi Shu shook his head, clearing away those thoughts that could not be verified for the time being, and placed the rubbing in his hand on the sandalwood desk. When his eyes passed over the fan-shaped flower cover with landscape patterns, he accidentally caught a glimpse of the snow falling outside the window. Suddenly, a feeling of being healed arose from the bottom of his heart.
She stared at the snow scene outside the window in silence for a long time, then picked up the mobile phone on the table and planned to go out for a walk.
However, she could not have imagined at that moment that the lights and sparkles she saw during this impromptu outing were only able to be expressed by the line in the poem - "Fire trees and silver flowers are combined, the iron locks of the star bridge are opened. The dark dust follows the horse, and the bright moon follows people."
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