The pillowcase was all wet, but Li Xueqing couldn’t bother changing it now.
She flipped over and stood up, pretending she had been leaning there all along, and Li Xueqing adjusted herself in the mirror, answering softly, "Co in..."
"Mom, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Ye Li entered, examining her mother with a concerned gaze.
Her spirits seed not too bad, but her complexion was off, as if she hadn’t slept well all night.
Her eyes were sowhat swollen, as if... she had been crying?
"Mom, if you’re feeling unwell, tell . I promise, I’ll take care of you even better than Dad did."
Speaking softly, Ye Li washed her hands quickly, sat by the bed, and began massaging Li Xueqing’s arm from her fingers.
She had only pressed a few tis when Li Xueqing laughed, shook off her hand, and pulled her to sit on the bed’s edge. "Mom’s fine. It’s just... I dreamt about your father last night."
Ye Li’s heart skipped a beat.
Looking up again, she saw her mother’s expression beco somber as she lowered her head to look at the embroidered lilies on the blanket, "Since getting married, this is the first ti I’ve been apart from your father for so long."
"If it hadn’t been for this illness, maybe I would have been able to join him by now..."
Tears fell gently, and Li Xueqing raised her hand to wipe them away, looking sowhat embarrassed, "Are you going to tease your mother again?"
It had always been like this.
Every ti her mother felt sorry for her father, she would end up shedding tears while speaking.
The father, who until then had put up a strong argunt, would beco flustered at her tears, incessantly pleading, "Wife, I was wrong, Xue’er, I was wrong," and then no matter what his wife said, he would nod and agree.
Back then, Ye Li was secretly thrilled, but she always put on a disdainful face: Mom, you’re so bashful!
Each ti, her mother would turn her head and hide in her father’s embrace.
Then her father would smile and wink at her: Quick, go away, don’t embarrass your mother!
Even when she had walked far away, she could still hear her father repeating, "Alright, alright, alright, the Lady is correct, I’ll listen to everything the Lady says."
Now, that father who would take the coffee cup in the morning and say "Wife, you’ve worked hard,"
Who would say "Wife, I’ll miss you" when leaving the house,
Who would always hold her mother’s hand when taking a walk, as if letting go might an losing her, was no longer there.
"I’m not laughing. That was just being immature as a child. If I had known earlier that mom and dad were flaunting their love, I would have stayed out of the way, avoiding Dad’s frantic eye signals to , making it seem like I didn’t understand anything..."
Ye Li had to pinch her palm hard to stop her tears from falling, and as she said this, she opened her arms to hug her mother, "Mom, take good care of yourself, let’s go for the regular check-up on ti. If you are better before Dad gets back, let’s go abroad to find Dad, okay?"
She was fearful her mother might say, "It’s a perfect ti since you’re on winter break, and New Year’s is coming. Dad must be so lonely abroad by himself; let’s set out now."
Ye Li’s voice trembled as she spoke.
She heard Li Xueqing respond gently, "Okay..."
Feeling a sudden relief in her tensed back, Ye Li let out a quiet sigh and sat up straight, asking her, "So, dear Mrs. Ye, may I now invite you to join for a delicious lunch?"
"Naughty!"
Li Xueqing chuckled and stretched out a hand to pinch Ye Li’s cheek, "You go change your clothes; your mother will be right there."
"Okay!"
With a brisk reply, Ye Li rose, her steps light as she left the room.
"Aunt Lan, have you prepared the al for and my mom? We’re not going to starve, are we?"
"Talking nonsense again!"
"Aunt Lan, when is Sister Xiao Cao coming back?"
"Any minute now..."
The voices outside the room drifted in, and Li Xueqing’s tears seed unable to hold back anymore, pouring out wildly.
As she heard the pattering footsteps ascend the staircase, Li Xueqing sat up and frantically wiped away her tears before entering the bathroom.
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