Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Qiao Lian raised her head and looked at him. She said after a pause, “Thank you.”
Shen Liangchuan kept silent.
He knew that she, having personally heard about these people’s lives, would now feel uneasy and guilt-stricken.
Her words of gratitude were meant for what he had done to help, but said on behalf of this group of people.
Putting his arm around her shoulders, he replied unhurriedly, “It’s not a big deal.”
He looked out into the distance and said, “It’s not a very busy day. Since you grew up here, let’s take a stroll around.”
She nodded at the suggestion.
They returned to the hotel room and changed.
Shen Liangchuan bundled himself up tightly and followed Qiao Lian as they walked out.
They drove around the streets of Suzhou with no particular destination Coming back after eight years, I don’t even recognize this street anymore.”
She pointed at their surroundings and said, “When I was little, I often ate vermicelli soup at that stall, it was delicious.”
Then she looked and pointed ahead. “That stall sells steamed buns stuffed with yummy sliced meat.”
“…”
Qiao Lian talked incessantly and excitedly to Shen Liangchuan.
He simply smiled as he listened to the things she said.
He suddenly felt that such conversations about life’s ordinary things brought about a sort of peace and tranquility.
As he was contemplating this, he realized that Qiao Lian had stopped talking all of a sudden.
He turned to look at her. Her gaze was fixed on a villa neighbourhood in front.
Following her gaze, he saw a huge villa in that direction.
There was an unfathomable expression in her eyes.
Shen Liangchuan asked, “What’s the matter?”
She was unable to hide the great sadness that overtook her. “That was my home.”
It used to be her home.
She had lived there for more than ten years.
That place held within it the blissful life that her parents, her brother and she had shared together.
But hadn’t it been destroyed in the huge blaze eight years ago?!
The car stopped by the side of the road and she opened the car door. With one motion, she jumped out and strode towards the villa.
As she arrived at the front entrance, she halted and looked up. Everything was so familiar.
Shen Liangchuan followed beside her. Studying her expression, he realized something wasn’t right. “What’s the matter?”
Her eyes immediately glistened with tears. “Do you see that? That tree there. It was planted the year I was born. It grew up with me.”
“That flower pot there, one of the corners is damaged. I broke it accidentally when I was little. But because it was a very valuable flower pot, Dad could not bear to throw it out.”
Then she pointed at the swing in the fenced garden and said, “That was my favourite spot. In the summer, I’d sit there and Dad would stand behind me to swing me. He swung me really, really high, till I could see all of that street.”
Everything was too nostalgic to her. She felt as though she had gone back eight years in time, when she would come home carrying her school bag. She almost felt as though her parents would come to the doors to welcome her home, if she walked in right now.
Her eyes were wet and, unconsciously, she took a step forward. Without a word, she raised her hand to ring the doorbell.
At this point, a warm and large hand suddenly grabbed her wrist.
She spun her head around. Shen Liangchuan was looking straight at her. He asked, “Didn’t you say that your home was burnt to the ground in that great fire?”
As soon as he said that, Qiao Lian was jolted out of her dazed state.
She turned her head back again and suddenly looked as though she had seen a ghost.