With every autumn rain, the chill deepened. Today was particularly cold and gloomy—a day best spent indoors.
Cheng Yi sat curled up by the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing blankly at the park outside. Although it was already late autumn, the greenery in Z City, nestled in southern China, remained lush and vibrant. The park was still adorned with decorations left over from the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day celebrations, and colourful chrysanthemums dotted the landscape, adding bright splashes of colour. What should have been a lively scene now felt tinged with melancholy under the light drizzle. A few scattered visitors strolled slowly along the wet stone paths with their umbrellas, as if the entire world had slowed to a standstill..
When idle hours stretch long, it's easy to get lost in sentimental musings.
Sundays were when Ye Mingzhe and Ye Minglang caught up on sleep, which meant Cheng Yi didn't have to wake up early to prepare breakfast. Everyone had settled back into their usual routines, no longer hovering around her excessively, but returning to their own busy lives.Cheng Yi had spent the entire morning sitting quietly, lost in thought. Although Yan Xuemei and Xie Yufan hadn't come to bother her again, it didn't mean that Fang Zhiyuan was doing any better. What had happened on her birthday must have hit him just as hard as it had affected her all those years ago. It wasn't just a matter of love and hate between a man and a woman—there was also the regret of knowing that someone you'd grown up with might now be lost to you forever.
Family had always been an integral part of Cheng Yi's life. After losing her parents, Fang Zhiyuan became the only person left in the world who truly understood her. She had once foolishly hoped that, even if they couldn't be lovers, they could at least share childhood memories together. But if even that bond were to be severed, it would leave her feeling unbearably desolate.
Had she been asking for too much?
"Mingzhe, tell me, do I really have no family left in this world?"
Ye Mingzhe had just stepped out of his room when he heard Cheng Yi sigh.
This woman, always overthinking.
He slowly sat down across from her, folding his arms as he looked sharply at this overly sentimental woman.
"If you want to see your family, just go."
Cheng Yi hadn't visited her parents' grave since she'd returned.
At first, it was because she didn't want them to see her in such a sorry state. Now, it was because she didn't want to go alone. In the past, Fang Zhiyuan had always gone with her. This time, she mustered the courage to send him a message. Whether he would come or not, she left it to fate.
Was it really necessary? Even visiting her parents' graves now had to involve bringing along two "tagalongs." The reasoning sounded perfectly logical—combining the brothers' lunch outing with Cheng Yi's visit to the cemetery in one trip. Ye Mingzhe certainly had a knack for maximising efficiency!
The cemetery was located on the outskirts of the city. Cheng Yi brought her parents' favourite foods as offerings. The drive took over an hour, with autumn rain drizzling throughout, casting an oppressive atmosphere. The Ye brothers, dressed in black suits, followed quietly behind her. Ye Mingzhe carrying flowers, Ye Minglang holding incense and paper offerings. Along the way, Ye Minglang amused himself by comparing the paper money to real currency, laughing at how obviously fake it was.
The drizzling rain, mourning the loss of loved ones.—Cheng Yi's steps slowed unconsciously, sadness washing over her face. Her parents' graves were near a small grove of bamboo her father had loved. And there, standing under the bamboo, was a familiar figure holding an umbrella, waiting.
He had come.
Fang Zhiyuan stood alone in front of the headstones, staring at the photos of Cheng Yi's parents, seemingly lost in his memories. He barely acknowledged their arrival. The Ye brothers quietly placed the flowers down and stood with their heads lowered. Cheng Yi knelt down, her eyes brimming with tears, gently setting the offerings in front of the tombstones. Her hands trembled as she lit the incense. Fang Zhiyuan leaned down and slowly poured out the wine, offering it to the spirits of Cheng Yi's parents.
"Uncle Ping, Auntie Fang, Yi's back to see you both."
Cheng Yi's tears spilled over, and she knelt before the graves, wiping away the rain from her parents' photos, but the droplets kept falling, wetting them again.
"Dad… Mum… I'm sorry… It's been so long… I'm only visiting you now."
Her voice was broken by sobs. Rain mixed with tears, and her entire body seemed to collapse under the weight of her sorrow. Ye Minglang knelt beside her, gently patting her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her, while Ye Mingzhe silently held an umbrella over her, shielding her fragile form.
Fang Zhiyuan stood there, his face composed, seemingly unmoved by the emotions swirling around him.
"Uncle Ping, Auntie Fang, Yi has been working abroad all these years and couldn't visit you often. Please don't blame her."
He poured cup after cup of wine for the departed souls, as though each cup held the regret and apologies he could never say aloud.
"I'm sure you'd want your daughter to visit you with a smile, wouldn't you?"
Gradually, Cheng Yi's sobs quieted, and her emotions began to settle, yet she still refused to stand. Ye Minglang gently took her arm, trying to help her up, but she wouldn't move. Ye Mingzhe gave his brother a look, signalling him to burn the paper offerings, leaving Cheng Yi and Fang Zhiyuan alone by the graveside.
Fang Zhiyuan took the umbrella from Ye Mingzhe, then bent down and gently lifted Cheng Yi from the rain-soaked ground. She didn't need to look up to sense the exhaustion that had taken a toll on him over the past few days. The good news was, there was no longer the smell of smoke or alcohol lingering around him.
"Yi, I never thought I'd see you again in this lifetime."
His voice was hoarse, heavy with unspoken pain.
"I can't tell you how many times I've stood here, promising myself I'd bring you back to visit your parents together."
Cheng Yi's heart clenched. Six years ago, she had wished for that too,over and over again.
"Zhiyuan, you know, I'm really grateful that you never stopped looking for me."
Her voice trembled, and tears blurred her vision once more.
"I was always so terrified… terrified that one day, no one in this world would even remember me… That fear, it's unbearable."
Fang Zhiyuan remained silent, standing there with his grip tightening on the umbrella handle, listening to her pour out her heart.
Fang Zhiyuan remained silent, his grip tightening around the umbrella handle as he fought back the overwhelming urge to step forward and pull her into a tight embrace.
It wasn't that he didn't want to—it was that he felt unworthy.
After a while, he handed the umbrella back to Ye Mingzhe, who had just returned, and walked away alone into the fine autumn rain.