For the entire afternoon, Lin Lan sat there, holding a cup of water, her gaze unconsciously falling on a certain point, dazed and silent. Chu E simply sat with her all afternoon. The two of them didn’t exchange a single word from beginning to end. The setting sun’s afterglow slanted in through the window, falling on Lin Lan’s face, making her look even more lost.
As the night began to shroud the wilderness, Lin Lan stood up. Perhaps her leg had gone numb, and she stumbled, almost falling. “Careful!” Chu E couldn’t help but call out. Lin Lan turned to look at her, her expression complicated. Her lips moved slightly, as if hiding a thousand words, but ultimately she said nothing and simply opened the door and left.
After Lin Lan left, Chu E listened to the lingering sound of the beads colliding and zoned out for a while. What was wrong with her? Or what was wrong between her and Luo Xuan?
At night, Chu E lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. Luo Xuan’s phone call came at this moment: “Chu Chu, I want to see you!” His voice carried a hint of drunkenness. Chu E was startled and asked, “Luo Xuan, what’s wrong?”
“I want to see you!” Luo Xuan repeated.
Chu E sighed, “I’m sleeping!”
There was a moment of silence on the other end, and then he hung up. Chu E sat up from the bed, walked to the window, and lifted a corner of the curtain to look down. Luo Xuan’s car was parked downstairs.
Chu E opened the door and went downstairs. In the moonlight, Luo Xuan leaned against the car, and Chu E could smell the strong alcohol on him. “You’ve been drinking?” she frowned.
“Chu Chu!” Luo Xuan suddenly embraced her. Chu E was startled and quickly broke free from his embrace, “Luo Xuan, don’t do this!”
Luo Xuan looked at her. He involuntarily let her go.
“Luo Xuan,” Chu E asked, “what happened between you and Lin Lan?”
“Don’t mention that name to me!” Luo Xuan irritably ran his hand through his hair.
