Ji Zhi Xiu slowly pushed open the bathroom door.
Then, as he raised his eyes, he saw the person curled up in the corner, helpless and pitiful.
She exuded an aura of loneliness.
Jiang Mian hugged her knees. Hearing the movement, she slightly lifted her head, her beautiful peach blossom eyes welling up with tears at the corners.
A drop of tears slid down her face, striking Ji Zhi Xiu's heart.
Jiang Mian quickly buried her head back in her knees, silent.
Ji Zhi Xiu squatted down, knowing she was crying.
He said softly, "Why did you come back without a word?"
"Don't you want to talk to me?"
"I looked for you for a long time."
No matter what Ji Zhi Xiu said, Jiang Mian didn't look up.
She cried quietly.
Her crying tore Ji Zhi Xiu's heart apart.
He hugged Jiang Mian and sighed softly, "Are you trying to kill me with worry?"
Jiang Mian looked up, her lips moving, "You should leave."
Her eyes were empty, lost, suffocating.
Ji Zhi Xiu raised his finger and wiped away her tears, but new ones quickly flowed.
As if they could never be wiped away.
Jiang Mian clutched his arm, her voice like it had been ground by a sandwheel as she pleaded, "Please leave, okay?"
She just wanted to be alone.
She had always thought that she never met her father from childhood to adulthood, perhaps because her father had died, or perhaps her parents had divorced.
So her grandmother was afraid of upsetting her and never mentioned it.
But she had never considered that she was illegitimate.
She remembered now.
Including how her mother had cruelly slit her wrist and committed suicide in front of her, she remembered it all.
Ji Zhi Xiu cupped her face, "It's my fault, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have kept it from you."
Jiang Mian shook her head.
"Don't keep it inside. Talk to me when you're sad, okay? I'll be with you." He patiently wiped her tears.
His movements were gentle, full of care.
Jiang Mian leaned on his shoulder, her tears quickly soaking through.
The cold dampness pressed against him.
She cried loudly, "I... I saw the old news..."
Ji Zhi Xiu frowned, "Hmm?"
"When I was ten, my mother brought me to Kyoto to find my father. But that man didn't accept my mother and me. He said he had a family and my mother shouldn't have had me without his knowledge."
She spoke slowly, painfully.
"I still remember that day in the coffee shop, they parted on bad terms. He was my mother's first love, but in the end, he broke up with my mother... My mother couldn't accept this fact and thought that if she had me, he would change his mind..."
"But it wasn't... it wasn't..." Jiang Mian bit her lip hard.
"My mother was greatly devastated. When she returned to the rental house, she scolded me for being useless... for not being able to make him accept us..."
"Then... in front of me, she slit her wrist and committed suicide... so much blood... all over the floor..."
"I stood there foolishly, not knowing what to do, until a passing neighbor saw and helped me call an ambulance..."
"Because of this incident, the rental house was even featured in a small corner of a Kyoto newspaper. That's when I remembered, I remembered it all..."
Ji Zhi Xiu's heart jolted.
He had suspected that Jiang Yu Mei might have committed suicide, but he hadn't expected her to commit suicide in front of Jiang Mian.
No wonder, no wonder she could never recall more memories of her mother.
Experiencing such a traumatic event, who could remember it clearly?
Her body's defense mechanism caused the shocked Jiang Mian to forget.
At the same time, it left her with the lingering after-effect of headaches.
He felt an unbearable ache in his heart.
Jiang Mian's lips trembled, "My grandmother brought me back to Jiangnan from the hospital. From then on, my head would hurt from time to time. Later, as I grew older, the headaches became less frequent."
"Grandmother never mentioned my mother in front of me, and I was afraid of upsetting her, so I didn't mention it either. Over time, I had forgotten how my mother died..."
It was only today that she realized she had a missing piece of memory.
The memory that had resurfaced in her mind repeatedly tormented her, reminding her.
Ji Zhi Xiu's voice was hoarse, "It's not your fault, you were just a child then."
Jiang Mian shook her head with tears in her eyes, "I just..."
She just couldn't accept this fact.
Every comment typed on the internet was like salt being sprinkled on her heart.
If she could choose, would she still want to come into this world with this identity?
She would not.
Jiang Mian blinked her eyes and tried to get up from the floor.
Ji Zhi Xiu supported her.
Jiang Mian pushed him away, "You should go back, I want to stay here for a few days."
Ji Zhi Xiu stood still, his voice deep, "How many days is a few days?"
She lifted her tear-filled face, "Is it okay if I want to die?"
"Jiang Mian!" Ji Zhi Xiu called out her name heavily, his tone sharp.
The chests of both of them heaved with great emotional upheaval.
Jiang Mian lowered her head, staring at the floor, her mind blank.
She felt sorry for the words that had blurted out of her mouth.
After a long silence, her voice was very soft, "You knew my mother died long ago and didn't tell me."
"I didn't want you to be sad," Ji Zhi Xiu paused, explaining.
She nodded, "I know, I'm not blaming you. I only blame myself."
"Did you see the comments online?"
"They said my mother destroyed other people's families and deserved to die."
"They said I shouldn't be alive in this world."
"I'm a little tired."
She was so tired, she didn't know what to say.
Every word she spoke seemed to drain all her strength.
Jiang Mian licked her dry lips, as if talking to herself, "With someone like me, what is there to love?"
"Don't you remember now? Then why don't you remember me?" Ji Zhi Xiu's throat tightened.
"I went to Jiangnan too," he reminded her.
"When I was fifteen, Ye Yi's mother came to force her way in, and my mother took me to Jiangnan. We rented a place, right next door to your house. Do you remember?"
Jiang Mian shook her head, "I forgot."
She didn't want to think about what she remembered or what she didn't.
Ji Zhi Xiu was clearly disappointed.
He closed his eyes, then opened them and walked out, "You can stay here, I'll come see you. You can call me anytime."
Until the sound of the door closing.
Jiang Mian was sure he had left, then slid to the floor, leaning against the wall, and burst into tears again.
As soon as she closed her eyes, her mind was filled with those lingering images.
Ten years old... the neighbor... had she seen them?
Jiang Mian covered her head, the pain...
......
The Shen Family.
Shen Mu Yuan picked up Shen Ting Yu from the airport.
The two got into the car.
Shen Mu Yuan had already received news that the treatment this time was not as smooth.
He didn't ask about her condition, but instead asked, "You'll be home soon, is there anything you want to eat?"
Shen Ting Yu couldn't help but laugh, "Brother, why aren't you asking me anything? Don't you want to know why I'm back so suddenly?"
"The doctor already told me."
"Okay," Shen Ting Yu pretended to be relaxed, "It's okay, Brother, I'll go back when they find a treatment method there."
Her condition was clearly much better than before. Going abroad had filled her with confidence for her treatment.
Shen Mu Yuan patted her hand, "That's right, relax. Your mindset is very important. No matter what happens, I'll be here. If you can't get better, I'll be your eyes for life. I've also contacted some friends from abroad, and some classmates specialize in this field. We'll definitely find a way to get better."
Shen Ting Yu smiled, "I'm at peace accepting this fact now, and I believe I will get better. But Brother, you're so good to me, what about your future sister-in-law? Won't she be jealous?"
Shen Mu Yuan chuckled, "Your brother doesn't even have a girlfriend yet, isn't it too early to talk about this?"
"It's not too early, it's bound to happen. Mom might have already started looking for someone for you."
"Then let's find a sister-in-law who is sincerely good to you."
Seeing his sister so lively and not as dispirited as before, Shen Mu Yuan also felt a slight sense of relief.
The siblings chatted and laughed all the way home.
The servants took their luggage upstairs.
As soon as Shen Mu Yuan got home, he first shouted, "Yuan Tou!"
"Meow~" came a cat's meow in response.
Shen Ting Yu blinked, "Brother, what are you calling?"
Shen Mu Yuan smiled when he saw the cat.
He tore open a cat treat and picked up the cat to feed it, "Yuan Tou. The Maine Coon I raised before, I've named it Yuan Tou."
"Why Yuan Tou?"
Shen Mu Yuan's expression was a little unnatural, and he felt a slight sense of relief that his little sister couldn't see, "I just thought the name was easy to remember, what's wrong?"
"Nothing. I just think Brother likes this cat very much."
"What? Are you jealous? Jealous of a cat? You're my sister." Shen Mu Yuan put down Yuan Tou and helped her sit down.
Shen Ting Yu twitched her lips, could it be such a coincidence?
In "Lock Heart Biography", the character Le Pin, played by Jiang Mian, also had two cats, one named Yuan Tou and the other Yuan Nao.
Shen Ting Yu grabbed his hand, "I'm not jealous at all. When Brother marries a sister-in-law, there will be one more person to dote on me."
Shen Mu Yuan petted her head, "These are all things for the future, isn't it good that Brother dotes on you?"
"Of course, it's better to have more people doting on me," Shen Ting Yu said coquettishly, "What kind of person does Brother like? Tell me, maybe I can introduce you to a few."
Shen Mu Yuan paused, "I haven't thought about it. You know, I've always been busy with clinical research."
Shen Ting Yu narrowed her eyes, is it that he hasn't thought about it, or that he dares not think about it?
"No, no, Brother must think of one!" She put on a very girlish, coaxing act.
Shen Mu Yuan was so pestered by her that he had no choice but to say, "Anything is fine, just someone who is understanding."
"It's that simple?"
"It's that simple!"
"Okay! I'll introduce you to one right away!" As she said this, she took out her phone to make a call.
Shen Mu Yuan playfully flicked her nose, pressing her hands down, "Why are you in such a hurry? You just got back, you should rest. Don't forget, the doctor said you can't overexert yourself. Be careful of your eyes."
Shen Ting Yu was just putting on a show. Hearing this, she took the opportunity to concede, "Okay, I'll listen to Brother. I'll remember it, and as soon as I meet someone, I'll introduce them to Brother!"
Shen Mu Yuan chuckled, "You!"
Shen Ting Yu smiled, seemingly casually, "Oh right, Brother, have you seen the entertainment news? I heard from the servant who took care of me at the hospital that Zhi Xiu Ge Ge's little wife seems to be..."
"Seems what?" Shen Mu Yuan asked quickly.
Shen Ting Yu stared at his expression and said slowly, "The internet is saying she's illegitimate, and that she's a 'resource celeb', telling her to get out of the entertainment industry."
"What?! What's going on?" Shen Mu Yuan suddenly stood up, then sat back down.
Realizing his little sister couldn't see, he didn't need to be so nervous.
"I don't know either, you know I can't see, Brother. I'm just repeating what I heard."
Shen Mu Yuan nodded, "Understood."
He took out his phone, opened Weibo, and began to read in front of his little sister.
Then he frowned. These people's words! They're too harsh!
Is she very sad right now?
I wonder if Ah Xiu is with her?
Shen Mu Yuan put away his phone and said, "I'll go upstairs to get a document. Do you want to go upstairs and rest too?"
Shen Ting Yu shook her head, "No, Brother, I want to sit for a while."
"Okay, if you need anything, call a servant. I'll be right back," Shen Mu Yuan said as he got up.
"Mhm!"
As he turned away, Shen Ting Yu stared at his retreating figure.
Getting a document?
Can't she ask a servant? Why does he have to go himself?
Or is he going to make a phone call behind her back?
Shen Ting Yu stood up from the sofa and said softly, "Xiao Cui, help me upstairs."
The servant quickly came over to support her, "Slowly, Miss."