A Peach Wood Comb

Lai Hui’s eyes welled up, and she turned her face away, pretending to look at the curtains, thinking to herself: Ever since mom became paralyzed, she always mentions how I didn’t cook for her enough in the past, just seeking some comfort — that her daughter still needs her care, even if she can’t even move a finger now. After rubbing her eyes, seeing that her mother had finished reciting, she turned back and changed the subject: “Has your head been hurting these days?” “It doesn’t hurt anymore! You must be very busy with work, aren’t you?” Lai Ru Yun shifted her gaze to her daughter’s hair, using her immobile hands to stroke it. “Very busy, I’ve been working overtime these days! Don’t worry, I eat on time, sleep when I should, and in another year, I might get a promotion. Then I’ll bring you back home, and I’ll take care of you personally!” Lai Hui smoothly lied; she kept her relationship with her sugar daddy a secret from her mother. When Lai Ru Yun had her stroke, the enormous medical bills, Lai Hui claimed they were donations from classmates. “Don’t just focus on work, you’re not young anymore, you should start looking for a partner!” Lai Ru Yun said, her eyes also turning red. “How can I even think about these things now?” Lai Hui said impatiently. “Hui, are you still thinking about Jia Yi?” Lai Ru Yun asked out of the blue. Lai Hui’s heart skipped a beat, and she quickly lowered her eyelids to hide her confusion. After a moment, she calmly said, “Mom, he’s been abroad for so many years, I don’t even know if he’s alive or dead, why would I still think about him?” She wanted to explain to her mother that she had forgotten Xie Jia Yi, but when Lai Ru Yun heard about the breakup, Lai Hui had been in a daze for days, and Lai Ru Yun felt guilty, thinking her illness was the cause of their separation. Her red eyes immediately shed a tear, and Lai Ru Yun choked out, “It’s all my fault for holding you back. If not for my illness, you and Jia Yi would be married by now, at least you wouldn’t be alone and struggling like this. I wish I were dead!” “Mom!” Lai Hui suddenly shouted, also starting to cry. “I’ve told you many times, Jia Yi and I didn’t break up because of you, and yet you keep saying things I don’t want to hear. We’ve depended on each other for so many years, if you die, I won’t go on either, I’ll die too, and we’ll go find grandma together!” As she spoke, she became more and more upset, eventually sobbing on the edge of the bed. Lai Ru Yun realized she had said the wrong thing again, tried to lift her hand to stroke her daughter’s hair, but only tears fell. “I won’t say it anymore, I won’t, Hui, mom won’t say things you don’t like to hear anymore, don’t cry, okay.” While trying to console her daughter not to cry, she herself burst into loud sobs. “Oh, what’s going on? I just went to wash an apple, and now you’re all crying?” Xiao Yu entered, carrying a dripping fruit basket, with a few sparkling water droplets on the red apples, much like the tears on Lai Hui’s face. “Whatever it is, talk it out, mother and daughter shouldn’t have anything they can’t discuss, no need to cry! Let me peel an apple, stop crying, okay?” Xiao Yu said, handing Lai Hui a tissue, then wiping Lai Ru Yun’s tears with another before starting to peel an apple. Lai Hui, realizing she had lost composure, quickly wiped her tears and said to Xiao Yu, “It’s all because mom keeps worrying about nothing. Can you just find a partner like you’d pick vegetables at the market? See a cucumber, buy a cucumber, see bean sprouts, grab some bean sprouts!” Xiao Yu, knowing Lai Hui was trying to save face, laughed and said, “With your looks and talents, if you were to choose, cucumbers would roll to you, and bean sprouts would jump into your home. You’re just too picky, don’t worry, auntie, Hui will definitely bring a good son-in-law home for you to see!” “You little girl, teasing your sister now! I see you’ve been looking quite happy these days, might there be good news coming soon?” Lai Hui retorted, hitting the mark as Xiao Yu blushed shyly. “Who’s the smart doctor who’s taken a liking to our sweet Xiao Yu?” “How did you know it’s a doctor?” Xiao Yu, realizing she had let slip, quickly hopped to the window, lowering her voice, “It’s nothing, Hui, don’t tease me!” “Oh, Xiao Yu has a boyfriend now, that’s good news! When will you bring him for me to see?” Seeing Lai Hui joking, Lai Ru Yun chimed in. “Auntie, I said it’s nothing!” Xiao Yu hurriedly clarified, but Lai Hui wouldn’t let go, sweeping away the somber mood in the hospital room, her face blooming with a smile as if she had always been that happy. At eleven, when Lai Ru Yun needed rest, Xiao Yu walked Lai Hui to the elevator. “You’ve gone through a lot of trouble, but please keep an eye on mom these days, she’s been emotionally unstable. Make sure she doesn’t find out about me and Mr. Zhou!” Xiao Yu had been taking care of Lai Ru Yun for three years, and Lai Hui had told her about her situation early on. Initially, Xiao Yu looked down on her, but seeing how filial Lai Hui was, she was moved and felt sympathy for her, treating her like family. She smiled, “Don’t worry, Hui, your mom just says things. But I think you should also start thinking about settling down. Don’t let go of any good guys, you deserve to be happy!” Lai Hui gratefully smiled, “I’m not too concerned about that, I’ll just let fate decide.” As she spoke, the elevator arrived, she stepped in and waved to Xiao Yu, “I’m leaving now, you go back!” After Xiao Yu turned away, she pressed the floor button, her bare back against the cool metal wall, her silver-gray dress covering her body, looking like a wilted magnolia, limp and lifeless, clutching her hair, several red strands fell from her bun, hanging by her cheek like the last gasp of a fading flower, silently waiting to wither. Reaching the roadside, she opened the car door and sat in, surprised to see someone beside her. “Didn’t you leave?” Zhou Yuqian said expressionlessly, “I changed my mind, I’m coming to your place tonight!” “You’ve been waiting for me here?” Lai Hui was genuinely curious; Zhou Yuqian was not one to change plans, perhaps he was just capricious today, but even that was rare for him. Zhou Yuqian replied, “I took a nap in the car! — Xiao Chen, to the Nanling Villa!” The car glided through the desolate yet beautiful night, with neon lights dutifully pushing back the city’s darkness, but their yellow glow was weak and pale. Lai Hui watched the flowing lights, feeling a subtle, hidden pain in her heart…