On the other side, Song Li furrowed his brows, sighed softly, and slowly lit a cigarette. He then leaned back on the sofa, paying no heed to the scene of one crying and the other consoling, just lost in thought amidst the swirling smoke. Seeing Song Li unmoved, Liu Yi simply hugged Song Mu’s shoulders and began to sob. At that moment, the doorbell rang. Song’s mother, while comforting Liu Yi in her arms, signaled Song Li with her eyes to “go open the door.”
When Song Li and Cheng Yu entered the living room, Liu Yi was still sobbing intermittently. Song’s mother was wiping her tears and whispering consolations. Upon seeing Cheng Yu, Song’s mother seemed to breathe a sigh of relief as if a savior had arrived. “Yu, you’re here. Why the frown? Oh my, how did you get so thin in these few days?”
Cheng Yu playfully raised his eyebrows, looking quite pleased. “Really? Aunt, have I really lost weight? I’ve been dieting, that’s great!” Song’s mother was amused by his words, “You’re just talking nonsense. Where were you fat?” She walked up to him, scrutinized him closely, then said with concern, “Your eyes look sunken, are you very busy with work?”
Cheng Yu casually shook his head, “Not busy, just had some annoying things happening lately.” He gently patted Song’s mother’s face, teasingly said, “But you’ve gotten fatter recently, looking more kind-hearted like a bodhisattva.” Song’s mother couldn’t help but rest her head on Cheng Yu’s shoulder, “You cheeky boy, teasing me now!” Cheng Yu held her hand, laughed for a moment, then looked down at Liu Yi, a hint of an unusual expression flashing through his eyes, and asked with a slight squint, “Is Yi here too?”
Liu Yi wiped her tears, her face flushed, and smiled as she looked up, “Yu, you’ve come.”
