Rongrong looked at her, her face wearing a forced smile, “I didn’t expect you to get married and pregnant so quickly. It seems Shen Mu was in a hurry to become a father. Congratulations.” Xu Ke was taken aback, finding her words odd. Out of politeness, she replied softly, “Thank you.” “How is Shen Mu?” Xu Ke was increasingly shocked and couldn’t help but ask, “You’re not with him?” Rongrong was stunned, “Me?” “Didn’t you ask Shen Mu to accompany you for half a year?” Rongrong paused, her smile bitter, “You think too highly of me. If I asked him to stay with me for half a year, would he agree?” Xu Ke felt her mind go blank, her breathing becoming rapid. “You’re not with him?” “I haven’t seen him for half a year.” Xu Ke’s expression changed; she was speechless.
“Goodbye,” Rongrong said as she passed by. Not far away, Yin Wancheng approached. Xu Ke, feeling lost, watched him come closer but lacked the strength to stand. Was Shen Mu deceiving her, or was it Rongrong? The half-year period had passed, and she hadn’t hoped for Shen Mu’s return, or rather, she had even thought that if he did return, she wouldn’t start anew with him. However, Rongrong’s sudden appearance and her words made her feel something was off. She shivered involuntarily, a series of thoughts emerging in her mind. He had said that during those years abroad, due to immense pressure, he lived a life of drunkenness and despair. Upon returning home, he often ate little due to stomach discomfort. He used to dislike porridge but later grew fond of it. Shen Xiaoshan died of stomach cancer. Stomach cancer has a genetic predisposition. He hadn’t contacted any friends in the last half year. No, no way. Xu Ke immediately interrupted her own speculations, desperately convincing herself it couldn’t be, he was so young and strong. But that suspicion had taken root and lingered in her mind.
“Little Ke, what’s wrong?” Yin Wancheng noticed her pale face, thinking she was unwell, and quickly helped her up. “Wancheng,” Xu Ke’s voice trembled. “What’s the matter?” “I need to go to Yun Ding.” Yin Wancheng was taken aback, “Why?” “I just saw Rongrong. She said she hasn’t seen Shen Mu for half a year.” Yin Wancheng’s expression also changed.
Half an hour later, Xu Ke arrived at Yun Ding, and Yu Huan was not there. The deputy general manager Yang said that President Shen hadn’t called, and for the past half year, Yu Huan had been coming to the company twice a week to handle affairs, keeping the business operations steady but unremarkable. Xu Ke turned and went to the penthouse, Zhu Ge. At the moment she entered the password, she was so nervous she could hardly breathe, thankfully, the password was still the same. Upon opening the door, a musty smell of an uninhabited place greeted her. She turned on the lights and walked in slowly, the memories of that night vividly replaying before her. He held her tightly, almost sleepless all night; what exactly happened? She surveyed Zhu Ge, frantically looking for any clues he might have left behind. He was very particular about cleanliness, always keeping things in order, and even after several months of no one living there, it was still tidy, just dusty.
The bookshelves were filled with books, and she walked over, her fingers quickly scanning through them for any notes or documents, but found nothing. She hurried into the bedroom where his clothes were neatly arranged in the wardrobe, along with the bathrobe and several outfits he had prepared for her. On the bedside table, there was their photo together. On the green lawn, the youthful versions of him and her, though in the same photo, seemed worlds apart. In a moment of impulse, she opened the frame and even searched inside, but found nothing except for a few elegant characters on the back of the photo: Never to be separated. Her nose tingled, feeling the baby move gently inside her. She opened the drawer, and what caught her eye was a beautiful box. She remembered this was a gift he had given her, containing a pair of couple’s cell phones, with a sky and cloud theme. He wanted to get a pair of matching phone numbers for the couple, but unfortunately, he managed to find 555 for his phone, while her 777 remained elusive, so the phones could never be used. It was like their fate, set in stone from the very beginning, destined to be apart despite the distance. She opened the box; both phones were still there. The white phone was quietly nestled in its original spot in the box, while the blue one was casually tossed inside, as if someone had tampered with it. It was as if one person was still waiting at the same place, while the other had drifted far away. Looking at the two phones, her emotions began to surge, a vague sense of melancholy silently emerged. The sweetness and surprise of those times had turned into today’s poignant nostalgia. She picked up the blue phone, surprisingly, there was a SIM card in it, and it could still be turned on. She dialed a number subconsciously, and in the contacts list, there was only one name saved: “Heart’s Darling,” with the last three digits of the number being 777. Her breath caught for a moment, her heart skipped a beat. In the outbox, there was an unsent message: “I always thought there was only one thing that might make me give up on you; actually, there’s also death.” Tears burst forth, blurring her vision. He had said, “I’ve never asked anything of you in my life; this is the one thing I’m asking you, wait for me for half a year.” ——End of the Story——
Epilogue: Shen Nuo stared in amazement, eyes wide, “Mom, your belly moved! Is it the little brother doing flips in there?” Xu Ke smiled as she touched her belly, “Maybe it’s a little sister.” Shen Nuo immediately pouted, “Mom, I don’t want a little sister.” “Why?” “A brother can play war games with me; a sister will be delicate and cry.” Xu Ke laughed, ruffling his soft, black hair, her gaze drifting to the lawn. The April sun was gentle and warm, and a man was mowing the lawn. She watched the figure intently and softly said, “Go play war games with your dad.”
