Lingdang and Shengyu are both on winter break and occasionally come to stay for a day.
Rainbow had already gone abroad with her mother during her vacation, saying she was going to see her father.
While at Liang Shi’s house, Lingdang called Rainbow to ask her if she was having fun abroad, and when she was coming back, and whether she wasn’t planning to come back to kindergarten.
Rainbow stammered in response.
Sheng Yu leaned into the camera and snorted softly, "Hmph, you heartless bastard, even the bell is crying."
Rainbow bowed her head: "I'm sorry."
Liang Shi, who was listening nearby, felt something was wrong. After they hung up the phone, he asked Zhou Li and found out that Zhou Li had quit her job at Dongheng and was taking Rainbow abroad to stay for a long time.
Rainbow's father works in a laboratory abroad. Zhou Li didn't elaborate, but Liang Shi guessed that it was the kind of work that scientists do, which requires secrecy.
It's a bit of a shame.
Zhou Li said that Rainbow's father would probably return to China after he finishes his current work.
I just don't know when that will be.
Zhou Li could only smile wryly and say, "Their affairs usually take three to five years, and sometimes more than ten years."
Liang Shi told Rainbow to eat well and sleep well.
Rainbow whispered to Liang Shi, "Is Liang Wenxuan still crying?"
Liang Shi shook his head: "No, she's just like a child, she'll be fine in a bit."
Rainbow said "Oh," puffed out her cheeks, and said, "Goodbye, Sister Liang."
Liang Shi smiled and said, "I'll come visit you when I have time."
She treats Rainbow purely as a friend, and even when talking to her about bells, she directly separates her from bells.
It seems she's in the same age group as Rainbow, while Bell is in a different one.
In fact, Rainbow and Bell are the same child in kindergarten.
The days spent at home flew by. Occasionally, I had to coax the children, and sometimes I had to coax Xu Qingzhu.
However, upon closer examination, it was Xu Qingzhu who coaxed her more often.
The main problem is that Xu Qingzhu always provokes her, and then she tries to appease him afterward.
Liang Shi was never really angry, but sometimes he would get itchy from her teasing and, when he was really angry, he would bite her collarbone. Xu Qingzhu always had to wear a high-necked shirt to work the next day.
When Hsu Ching-chu was covering up teeth marks or hickeys with face powder, she would leave the bathroom door open and say to Liang Shi, "Luckily it's still winter. You can't do this in the summer."
“If you don’t bully me, I won’t do it,” Liang Shi said.
Xu Qingzhu: "..."
Xu Qingzhu protested, "How did I bully you?"
Liang Shi walked over and pinched her cheek, saying, "You know it yourself."
Xu Qingzhu then mischievously leaned over and kissed her, smearing her freshly applied lipstick on her newly done makeup.
Helpless, Liang Shi pinched her waist. "Isn't this bullying me?"
Xu Qingzhu said with great pride, "This is a loving kiss."
After that incident, their interactions became increasingly natural.
Neither of them brought up the nightmares. Occasionally, when the topic came up, Xu Qingzhu would bite Liang Shi's arm and scold her playfully, "You're so naughty."
Liang Shi apologized to her in a sullen voice.
However, such times were rare, and those days were also very difficult for Xu Qingzhu, so she didn't talk about these things too much.
Those dreary days are simply turned over a new page for them.
When Liang Shi had some free time, he would occasionally tell Xu Qingzhu about his experiences in that world as bedtime stories, but he always avoided the important parts.
On one occasion, the two even talked about being kidnapped when they were children.
Liang Shi said, "I don't know why I was so stubborn when I was a child. Actually, now that I think about it, it was just a matter of one sentence."
“You wouldn’t do it even if I asked you to now,” Xu Qingzhu said confidently. “Because that’s Liang Shi.”
“No way,” Liang Shi said. “When you were kidnapped by Chen Liuying before, I was also quite…”
“No, no, no,” Xu Qingzhu said. “That’s because I was the one who was tied up, but if it were you, you definitely wouldn’t do that.”
Liang Shi: "..."
Having been hit where it hurt, Liang Shi was speechless for a moment.
After a moment, Liang Shicai smiled and said, "Many people used to say that rigidity leads to breakage. I have been working on tempering my temperament over the years. I think I am quite flexible. My grandmother used to tell me that the most important thing for a person is to know their own limitations."
"Not the kind used to insult people now. She said, only you know what you are like. No matter how many times others describe you, it's not the real you. So it doesn't matter what you say. You can be outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant, you can flatter, but you have to know that it's wrong. That's enough."
On that night when he thought of his grandmother, Liang Shi had a dream in which he took his grandparents to the seaside and fulfilled their wish.
When she woke up, half of her pillow was wet with tears. Xu Qingzhu was right next to her, staring at her with great heartache.
Not content with just handing her a piece of paper, Xu Qingzhu also spontaneously decided to accompany her to the outskirts of the city to see the sea.
These were peaceful and warm days for Liang Shi.
Every day is brilliant and worth remembering.
This year's New Year was spent at the Su family's house.
Because Xu Qingzhu was coming to the Su family's house, she brought Sheng Linlang and the others along as well.
Xu Guangyao has now stepped down from his position as a company decision-maker and has spent the last six months traveling with Sheng Linlang. After returning to Haizhou, he has picked up his old profession again, designed a whole set, and spends his days at home tinkering and making a set of jewelry.
He said it was to make up for the regret of his hasty late marriage with Sheng Linlang back then.
This year's New Year is much more lively than usual.
Xu Qingzhu also announced her pregnancy during the family reunion dinner.
Everyone was shocked, but mostly they were happy.
So that night, Su Zhe and Xu Guangyao got completely drunk, even to the point of calling each other brothers.
When Su Zhe got drunk, he started talking nonsense, criticizing Sheng Linlang's parents. His wife slapped him on the back several times, but he didn't seem to realize his mistake. Then he changed the subject, "Those two are scoundrels, but strangely enough, the kids they raised are all pretty good. If that kid Sheng Qinglin were alive, he'd be..."
"Slap—" Madam Su slapped Su Zhe on the neck, causing him to swallow his words and argue with her: "Why did you hit me?!"
Mrs. Su said in a serious tone, "There are mosquitoes."
Everyone: "...?"
However, this finally stopped Su Zhe from speaking.
But everyone present heard the name Sheng Qinglin and fell silent.
Especially Sheng Linlang and Su Yao.
Their eyes met in mid-air, and they both saw each other's reddened eyes.
Xu Qingzhu walked over and asked Sheng Linlang, "When...when are we going to pay respects to my father?"
Sheng Linlang was taken aback, realizing that she had changed the way she addressed her.
Xu Qingzhu bit her lower lip, deciding that she still had to do it, so she hardened her heart and called out, "Auntie."
Sheng Linlang's eyes immediately welled up with tears. She smiled and replied, "The fifth day."
Although Sheng Linlang and Xu Guangyao felt a little sad about Xu Qingzhu changing her address back, they didn't say anything.
They should be called aunt and uncle.
Hsu Kuang-yao had hinted at it twice before, but Hsu Ching-chu ignored it both times.
On this night of reunion, Xu Qingzhu finally changed her address.
Sheng Linlang then asked her if she wanted to change her name, but Xu Qingzhu shook her head: "I've used it for so many years, there's no need to change it. Everyone knows what my name is. I'll wait for my child and change it back for her later."
The family name will still be Sheng from now on, it doesn't matter.
It's really just a matter of a name, a code name.
But sometimes, when the burden on your shoulders is heavy and there are many constraints, you will feel that your surname is especially important.
When they left the Su family home after the reunion dinner, the streets were bustling with traffic, the city was as bright as day, and the whole world seemed like a huge, gentle cocoon, enveloping them within it.
After escaping the hustle and bustle, one experiences a profound sense of loss.
I feel lonely no matter where I go.
Liang Shi turned on the car's music player, and it happened to be "Lonely Bird Syndrome," a song that Qi Jiao had previously recommended to Chen Mian.
The singer's voice is very gentle, with a slightly husky tone; it's a classic voice for singing love songs.
What lies at the end of the universe?
Have you ever been there?
We made wishes under the same sky
What did you promise back then?
I secretly watched you
He even forgot to make a wish.
...
Your life isn't that bad.
And I'll still be entangled with you.
Even a lone bird can find companionship.
...
I will remember you
Even if you forget, let the lone bird carry my hopes for you.
Even if separation is inevitable
I'm also willing to be with you.