I was at home eating instant noodles by myself. After telling him I wasn’t busy, he continued, “Then could you please go to the hospital to check on Sister He Pei? A few days ago, I returned to my hometown, but the hospital just called to say that she slipped while going upstairs and fell. You know that brat A-Luo hasn’t come back in years, and I can’t rush back in time, so I need you to look after her for me.”
I agreed, changed clothes, turned off the heater, and stepped outside. The wind was still howling, and large snowflakes fell steadily from the sky.
Standing on the street, I tilted my head back to look at the heavens. After a long moment, I took a deep breath and started walking forward.
This was the first time I had left my home since locking myself away.
When I arrived at the hospital, Aunt He Pei’s right leg was already in a cast. She sat alone on the bed, reading a newspaper. The hospital was unusually quiet due to the New Year holidays. When she saw me, she was momentarily stunned before breaking into a bright smile.
“Yun Hao, what brings you here?” she asked cheerfully.
“Brother Xiao Hei said you had an accident, and since I had free time, I came to take care of you,” I replied, sitting down beside her.
She took my hand and sighed. “Ah, that Xiao Hei! It’s not like I’m seriously ill or need someone to look after me.”
“That’s not true, Auntie. Taking care of you is an honor for me,” I said with a smile.
“Oh, if only that rascal of ours was half as considerate as you.”
Hearing her mention A-Luo, my gaze dropped slightly.
Noticing my reaction, Aunt He Pei sighed again and continued, “It’s been such a long time now. I’ve stopped asking about what happened between you and A-Luo. But, Yun Hao, no matter what, I hope you can give him another chance. As his mother, I hate seeing him so miserable.”
Her words left me silent for a moment. Finally, I forced a bitter smile and said, “Auntie, you’re being too kind. It’s not that I didn’t give A-Luo a chance; it’s that he doesn’t even dare to face me now.”
It was true—we both didn’t know how to face the past.
That New Year’s Eve, I stayed with Aunt He Pei in the hospital all night. The doctor had said her right ankle was severely sprained and suggested she stay for a few days.
We remained in the hospital for three days. On the third day, Aunt He Pei grew tired of staying there and asked me to arrange for her discharge.
Since she lived alone and her injured leg would make it hard for her to manage, I decided to move in with her temporarily to help out.
She thanked me endlessly, occasionally sighing and scolding A-Luo.
I moved into his room. It was spotless, as though Aunt He Pei cleaned it daily.
Sitting on his bed, I thought about how, for years, this had been where he slept. On the desk by the bed were a few books. I picked one up and flipped through it, noticing his messy handwriting scrawled across the pages.
I sat holding the book for a long time, lost in thought, until a slight ache in my chest brought me back to reality.
I never expected him to come back suddenly. It was already the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the New Year.
I had just returned home with a bag of tangyuan (sweet rice dumplings) for Aunt He Pei when I saw him sitting on the sofa, talking to her. Startled, I froze in place.
They both noticed me at that moment. I saw an overwhelming mix of emotions in his eyes as he looked at me.
It wasn’t until Aunt He Pei said, “Yun Hao is back,” that both of us snapped out of it and quickly looked away.
But the shock lingered in my chest.
When I first saw him, I noticed how much darker his skin had become, and his cheeks looked hollow. My nose stung with emotion, but I held myself together, taking the tangyuan to the kitchen.
Standing in the kitchen, boiling the dumplings, I drifted into a daze. The sound of the television played in the background.
I don’t know how much time passed before I sensed someone approaching. Turning around, I saw him standing there.
When he noticed me looking, he smiled faintly and said, “Zhu Yun Hao, it’s been a while.”
Yes, it had been a long time.
In that instant, I couldn’t hold back anymore. Tears streamed down my face like a flood.
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