Su Yunling made some porridge, steamed some buns, and fried some dough sticks, finally stirring up a couple of small dishes.
"Kiddo, time to eat..."
Su Yunling turned around, just about to call Gu Zhiqi to have breakfast, when he noticed someone curled up on the sofa, completely still, apparently asleep.
Su Yunling immediately hushed his voice and tiptoed over to the sofa.
As he got closer, he saw the girl was indeed asleep, clutching a teacup in her hand.
The teacup still had half a cup of tea left, and it was slightly tilted. Just a tiny movement would spill it all over the girl.
Su Yunling sat down beside the girl and gently took the teacup from her hand, setting it on the coffee table.
Then, he gazed at her for a long time.
When she slept, she looked lazy yet obedient and very quiet—he could scarcely look away.
Su Yunling’s mind wandered as he watched her, snapping back only when he felt a warm sensation on the back of his hand.
Seeing his hand resting on the girl’s face, Su Yunling pulled it back as if burned, a trace of regret crossing his eyes.
Su Yunling sat on the sofa, head slightly bowed, staring at his own hand for a long time, in silence for about a minute.
When he looked at the girl again, he noticed a tear quietly sliding down the corner of her eye.
Su Yunling was momentarily stunned.
As the tear slid past the corner of her eye, Su Yunling felt an intense wave of anxiety and grief emanating from her.
The girl furrowed her brow and shook her head slightly, mumbling anxiously in her sleep.
Su Yunling furrowed his brow too, and softly called, "Kiddo?"
"Sister, don’t." Still curled up on the sofa, the girl continued to cry and mumbled anxiously.
"Don’t go, don’t go." Tears flowed even more, trailing down her face, soaking into her collar and wetting her clothes.
"Kiddo, wake up." Su Yunling leaned forward slightly, using a handkerchief to wipe her tears, trying again to wake Gu Zhiqi.
The girl trapped in a nightmare still didn’t wake, struggling subtly, tears streaming continuously, the aura of grief growing heavier around her.
Sitting beside her, Su Yunling was infected by that grief, feeling a deep sense of loss and sorrow.
"Wake up, kiddo." Su Yunling placed a hand on Gu Zhiqi’s shoulder and shook her gently.
The person on the sofa woke up, and as soon as she did, she reached out and grabbed Su Yunling’s hand, looking at him with dazed, unfocused eyes, clearly not entirely awake.
Her sleepy eyes held both anxiety and the joy of recovery.
Tears brimming in her eyes, she looked at Su Yunling, choking out, "Sister, you’re back."
Su Yunling said nothing, just looked at Gu Zhiqi with a trace of confusion, not understanding what was going on with the child.
He stared at Gu Zhiqi for a few seconds before softly speaking, "Kiddo?"
As Su Yunling’s voice broke the silence, clarity slowly returned to Gu Zhiqi’s eyes, the scene before her becoming distinct, and memories gradually returning.
When Gu Zhiqi’s awareness fully returned, she found her heart filled with an overwhelming sense of loss and melancholy.
The weight of that loss and melancholy pressed down on her heart, making it hard to breathe, and her eyes stung with unshed tears.
Gu Zhiqi sat on the sofa, saying nothing for a long time.
It wasn’t until she felt the warmth in the palm of her hand that she snapped back to reality.
Looking at the hand she was gripping tightly, Gu Zhiqi silently let go, raising her eyes to Su Yunling, "Brother?"
As she spoke, Gu Zhiqi realized her voice was choked and raspy, and her face felt cold.
Had she... been crying?