Shu Wang's body stiffened. He quickly threw off the covers, slipped on a pair of shoes, and ran to the living room.
The living room was unlit, and the faint moonlight cast the shadow of windowpanes on the floor, making the entire house look like a black cage.
He paced back and forth, softly calling out twice: "Sister Xi, Sister Xi?"
No one answered, so he went to the window and looked down.
By the moonlight, he spotted a slender, silent figure walking out of the old residential area.
Shu Wang followed the direction she was heading. That direction seemed to be... Longyuan Lake.
He felt a sudden catch in his throat, thinking, 'No way.'
He immediately opened the door, gripped the railing, and quickly ran downstairs, found the figure, and secretly followed her.
Yan Junxi arrived at Longyuan Lake Park and sat on a bench by the lake. Her hands were folded, and she gazed at the repetitive waves and the silent, pale light of dawn in the distance. Her eyes were vacant, one hand gripping her arm, her long hair fluttering in the wind. Her back was so slender it seemed to melt into the quiet night, utterly alone.
Shu Wang squatted by a flowerbed not far behind her, watching the scene unfold.
A cold wind blew, making him shiver. This was when the temperature was at its lowest.
She sat there for a long time, doing nothing.
Just as Shu Wang thought he was overthinking things, she suddenly stood up and walked step by step toward the lake.
"Sure enough..." Shu Wang's heart sank, feeling that something was amiss. He lightly followed her.
As she stepped over and onto the sand, getting closer and closer to the water, she was about to take one more step into the icy lake when...
A voice suddenly came from beside his ear.
"You'll look really ugly if you die like that."
Yan Junxi's body stiffened, as if waking from a dream. She sharply turned her head, and in the faint moonlight, saw Shu Wang sitting on the steps, propping his head, calmly looking at her.
She paused, seemingly without much emotional fluctuation. She turned her head away from him, looking toward the lake, her expression calm, but her voice turned as cold as ice.
"Why are you here...?"
Shu Wang suddenly felt that the Yan Junxi in front of him was a bit unfamiliar, even though they hadn't known each other for very long.
Compared to the strong, special girl who, earlier tonight in that humble rental room, could smile while recounting the bitter experiences of her past life, she now seemed a bit unapproachable.
"I accidentally woke up when you covered me with the blanket," Shu Wang said lightly, then added with a smile, "Although your movements were very gentle, I'm a light sleeper because I'm not used to new beds."
Upon hearing this, Yan Junxi's heart inexplicably stirred. She sighed softly, then turned her head to look at the young man sitting on the steps with her moist eyes, and said to him, "You should go back quickly, it's cold out here."
But under such circumstances, who would choose to leave?
Shu Wang found her words somewhat amusing, but his resolve remained firm. He said, "If I go back and you do something foolish, and then regret it later, I might never recover. I might carry that burden for the rest of my life."
Yan Junxi's mouth opened, her throat trembling slightly. Thinking of something, she immediately asked, "You think I'm going to commit suicide? Don't worry, I'm not as foolish as you think..."
"Huh?"
--------
A long time later, the two sat together on the steps by Longyuan Lake.
They sat half a body's length apart. The wind was strong, rustling the leaves of a nearby tree, and the moonlight on the ground was faint.
Yan Junxi cupped her face in her hands, resting them on her knees, and turned to glance at Shu Wang, laughing, "Why did you come out in those clothes? Aren't you embarrassed?"
Shu Wang pouted, giving a wry smile, "I don't have any other clothes to wear. I can't exactly run out wrapped in a blanket, can I?"
"That's true."
In silence, the two sat together, gazing into the distance.
Shu Wang still spoke up, "You just said you weren't... uh, so you just came here to clear your head? But it's so cold tonight, and the wind is quite strong."
Yan Junxi hesitated for a moment, then nodded, "When I can't bear it, I come here, sit for a long time, feel the wind, and look at the city's night view. Only then do I feel a little better."
Shu Wang was slightly startled and said, "I thought you were a particularly optimistic girl, but on second thought, that's impossible. After all, everyone isn't a machine, and a human heart isn't a road surface that becomes clean after a rain. There are always times when you can't hold on."
Can you imagine a girl, alone and helpless, sitting by the lake, with the biting cold wind of winter around her, from night until dawn, watching the city's lights, yet not a single one is for her? How sad must her heart be?
Yan Junxi suddenly asked what was on her mind, "You're a university student, much more educated than me. Tell me, am I the kind of person who is..."
She hesitated for a long time, her brows furrowed, her lips gently pursed, her expression conflicted, and finally uttered three words: "Beyond saving?"
Shu Wang shook his head vigorously, "Sister, please, please don't think that way, really. You like music, right? Isn't that why you came to Lian City alone? So it's not just for you, who's been lonely since childhood, or for me, who hasn't suffered much since childhood. If we all thought that way, wouldn't the dreams and beauty we've been desperately pursuing end up being things that only make us tired? Besides, putting all that aside, I think you're amazing, truly amazing. You can take care of yourself, and you've endured so much hardship. I certainly couldn't do it. I, a university student, am not as good as you, let alone my useless roommate."
After hearing this, Yan Junxi leaned over and nudged him with her shoulder, her eyes brimming with tears as she said, "You're addicted to calling me 'Sister,' aren't you? That sounds awful, 'Girl' is much better!"
Shu Wang felt a little embarrassed and offered her a tissue. Yan Junxi took it, blew her nose, then blinked at him and asked, "Are your words true or false? I don't quite understand. Why do I feel like you're coaxing a child?"
Shu Wang smiled, "If you insist on thinking that, then so be it. After all, I'm good at coaxing people, but everything I said came from the heart."
Yan Junxi suddenly turned her head away, wrapped her arms around her legs, and leaned sideways, resting one side of her face on them.
Soon after, Shu Wang heard soft sobs.
His gaze softened. The girl beside him, she even hid her crying so no one would see. She was a girl who didn't want to show weakness.
He thought this to himself, hesitated, then softly said, "If you don't mind, you can confide in me. Although I might not be able to help you much, I'm willing to listen. If you keep some things bottled up, not speaking them out, you won't be able to think clearly, you'll be melancholic, and illness will arise from the heart. Eventually, your body won't be able to take it either."
The body beside him stiffened, and she suddenly looked up at him, tears wetting strands of hair that clung to her face. Shu Wang was startled by her appearance, almost thinking she was a water ghost that had jumped out of the lake. But a beautiful water ghost.
She sniffled, her face stubborn, and choked out, "I don't need to."
The next second, she scrunched up her face, pouted, and directly threw herself onto Shu Wang, burying her face in his lap. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she finally couldn't hold back, bursting into sobs.
"Waaah, waaah, waaah, it's so damn sad. This life is so tiring and bitter. Waaah, waaah, waaah, I miss Grandma, but I have no face to go back. Waaah, waaah, waaah, you said... how could you, you little kid, say such things? It's the first time anyone has ever said something like that to me, and I can't help but cry. Waaah, waaah, waaah, I don't want to do those dirty, tiring jobs at all. You don't know, last time there was a university student like you, he drank too much and threw up all over me. Those were my new pants, I'd only worn them less than twice..."
When she got to this point, Shu Wang inexplicably felt his thigh being pinched.
Shu Wang gave a wry smile, "Alright, alright, my fault. Next time I get a chance, I'll buy you a pair of pants."
Shu Wang wanted to wipe her tears, but she wouldn't let him, burying her head deeply in his lap.
Finally, he hesitated, then reached out and gently patted her back.
He understood that now was not the time for words. He just needed to lend her his embrace. Anyway, the clothes weren't his, so it didn't matter if they got wet.
When the crying gradually subsided, he softly said, "After you've cried, you still have to live well."
