Xu Qingzhu's bracelet was left in the cemetery.
Xu Qingzhu only noticed the car had already driven several hundred meters away, so Liang Shi drove back to help her retrieve it.
Then they saw a woman in a black trench coat holding an umbrella to cover herself and her child, and the two of them squatted in front of Sheng Qinglin's grave.
They were too far away, and with the rain, I couldn't hear what they were saying at all.
But Xu Qingzhu stood there, her expression blank.
Liang Shi could roughly guess who it was from the figure.
It's Su Yao and Su Yu.
But she didn't tell Xu Qingzhu on her own initiative.
Xu Qingzhu didn't ask any questions; she simply watched the scene calmly.
"How about we go take a look?" Liang Shi asked tentatively.
Xu Qingzhu shook her head, her voice very soft, "No need."
She didn't say anything, but her eyes held a complex expression.
Liang Shi knew that she needed time to process this.
After a long while, Xu Qingzhu moved her somewhat stiff body, as if she had mustered up enough courage, but as she walked over, she asked Liang Shi, "Maybe my aunt's people have appeared. Can I go over and ask them?"
Liang Shi reached out and took her hand.
Xu Qingzhu's hands were already cold, but now they were as cold as ice.
Liang Shi wrapped his hand around hers and nodded firmly, "Sure, I'm still here with you. Teacher Xu, let's go."
He tried to pull her over, but Xu Qingzhu couldn't move her feet.
Xu Qingzhu's hands trembled. Although she held Liang Shi's hand tightly, she pulled it back. "But she has a new boyfriend. Should I not disturb their peaceful life?"
Liang Shi comforted her, "How could that be? You're just going to ask or meet with them."
Xu Qingzhu shook her head, took a step back, and gave a wry smile. "Never mind, they might just be my uncle's friend."
Xu Qingzhu took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. "Let's go home."
Liang Shi looked at her and said, "Teacher Xu, you were talking so confidently just now. Why are you backing down now? We're just going to take a look. I've met that kid before. We're just going to say hello. It's not a big deal."
Xu Qingzhu looked up at her, her eyes brimming with tears, and asked in a trembling voice, "Is it that Sheng Yu?"
Liang Shi nodded, "Oh, it's a classmate from Rainbow. I'll go say hello to the classmate's parents."
Xu Qingzhu shook her head again, and said with her eyes closed, "Liang Shi, no."
Liang Shi looked at her, as if he knew why she was hesitant.
The truth seems to be just one step away.
But Xu Qingzhu was resisting.
They can talk freely before meeting the person, but suddenly become timid after meeting them.
The string that had been taut in my heart suddenly snapped.
The collapse of one's long-held beliefs is perhaps an extremely sad thing.
Liang Shi let out a soft breath. Seeing her fluctuating emotions, he suddenly understood why the system said when issuing the task that Xu Qingzhu might develop PTSD after learning about her biological parents.
She has lost her former composure, and the confidence she had when we talked on the way here.
All that remained were slightly trembling legs and icy hands.
Liang Shi squeezed her hand, mainly the area between her thumb and forefinger, and gently massaged it, trying to relieve her tension and anxiety.
“Then we won’t go,” Liang Shi said. “Let’s go home. I’ll come back tomorrow to pick up your bracelet.”
Xu Qingzhu nodded. "Let's go."
But her legs felt weak, and she seemed unable to walk properly.
Liang Shi helped her up, but after taking a step, Xu Qingzhu stopped again. She turned to the side, and half of her body suddenly fell into the rain.
Then I looked towards the direction of the black umbrella.
Liang Shi supported her arm and said gently, "Xu Qingzhu, let's go, stop looking."
Xu Qingzhu suddenly asked, "Do you think she still remembers that she once gave birth to a daughter?"
Hearing her slightly tearful voice, Liang Shi felt a sudden pang of pain in his heart.
It felt like something had tugged at it.
Xu Qingzhu is so clever; she easily connected all the clues together.
Even those few words Liang Shi uttered, whether intentionally or unintentionally, were probing.
It was just a kindergarten child I mentioned a few days ago. The name is like many other ordinary names and is not special.
But Xu Qingzhu remembers it all very clearly.
Lingdang said that Shengyu's mother looks a lot like her.
Before the memorial service, Liang Shi tested her again, asking if she would go looking for her biological parents.
All the clues are quite obvious.
Now Xu Qingzhu only needs to walk a few steps forward, get a clear look at the woman's face, and see what the child looks like.
But her heart was pounding.
People always seem to be like that.
Reason and emotion are locked in an extreme struggle, forever wavering.
Liang Shi patted her shoulder, as if coaxing a child, "Our Zhu Zi has parents, so what does it matter whether she remembers or not?"
Xu Qingzhu looked up at her, her eyes reddening.
She sniffed, her cool voice tinged with a hint of complaint, "Teacher Liang, it's so windy here."
“Then I’ll take you away,” Liang Shi said.
As soon as she finished speaking, the mother and daughter stood up and walked towards them, holding an umbrella.
The wide eaves of the umbrella obscured the woman's face, and the exquisitely beautiful little baby wore a mask, but her eyes were bright and sparkling, just like Xu Qingzhu's.
Xu Qingzhu only glanced at them. Just as they were about to approach, Xu Qingzhu subconsciously tugged at Liang Shi's wrist, lowering the umbrella so that the rain from the eaves dripped onto the ground along the umbrella ribs.
Tick-tock, tick-tock—
Xu Qingzhu stood on tiptoe and grabbed Liang Shi by the collar, pulling him straight down.
The two were very close together; she closed her eyes, her breath falling on Liang Shi's face.
Xu Qingzhu's eyelashes trembled incessantly, and the moment she closed her eyes, tears fell from her eyes.
Her trembling lips gently landed on Liang Shi's lips.
It seems that all the support has been found.
Chapter 69
This was an extremely restrained touch.
The lips were icy cold, but warmed up the moment they touched.
The black umbrella appeared solemn and dignified in the cemetery. Liang Shi's eyes were instantly enveloped and invaded by the darkness. The top of the umbrella pressed down on the top of her hair, and her hand holding the umbrella handle tightened. Her fair hand suddenly tensed up, and her body stiffened.
However, the rain made her feel incredibly heavy, and Xu Qingzhu's mood became depressed.
The sound of rain and footsteps overlapped.
The sound of unhurried footsteps passed by them, and a large umbrella enveloped the two of them.
No one could see their faces clearly.
Liang Shi gently placed his fingertips on Xu Qingzhu's eye, wiping away the tear that had frozen in the cold air.
Xu Qingzhu held the hand that was holding the umbrella, but her hand was too cold.
Liang Shi turned his hand over and placed it on the back of her hand, trying to offer her some warmth.
At the same time, he closed his eyes in the cold wind, and placed his other hand on the back of Xu Qingzhu's head, gently stroking her hair.
Fine raindrops swirled in the wind, condensing into droplets as the umbrella ribs moved with the wind.
Snap—
//
When Xu Qingzhu was just one step away from the truth, Liang Shi shielded her from all the storms and hardships.
At that moment, Liang Shi thought, it's better not to do this task.
It wasn't because they felt it was impossible to complete, but simply out of a desire to protect Xu Qingzhu's crumbling faith.
Standing outside the door to the truth, Xu Qingzhu is fragile and aloof, like a fragile porcelain doll.
So Liang Shi chose to accompany her in burying the truth.
Life as it is now is the truth.
There is no deeper meaning.
As the footsteps faded away, Xu Qingzhu slowly opened her eyes. In the dim light, she and Liang Shi locked eyes.
She lightly licked her lips, a slight upturn at the corners of her mouth, but her eyes held an unfathomable sadness.
Liang Shi gently patted the top of her head and coaxed her in a low voice, "Can you stand here and I'll go pick up the bracelet for you?"
Xu Qingzhu didn't say anything.
Liang Shi released her hand and then bent down to emerge from under the umbrella.
Rain fell on her clothes and hair, but she didn't feel cold. The large black umbrella enveloped the slender Xu Qingzhu, as if isolating her in a cold little world.
Liang Shi was worried about Xu Qingzhu's feelings, and he called out to her in the rain, "Xu Qingzhu."