As the voice fell, Huo Junxian's movements stopped. She looked up at Gu Siyu, her eyes reddened, and a hint of moisture filled her eyes, teary.
Undeniably, at this moment, Huo Junxian looked very beautiful, pitiful enough to evoke sympathy. Tears rolled down her cheeks, and every glance at her could be accompanied by the sound of one's own heartbeat. Similarly, Gu Siyu felt very sad. Huo Junxian looked so distressed, and this pain had nothing to do with beauty; it emanated as a dull ache from her heart.
Sunlight fell on them, gradually warming up. Gu Siyu looked outside, finally feeling that spring had truly arrived.
Gu Siyu stood by Huo Junxian's side. The words were not as smooth as usual, and she herself was choked with emotion. She reached out and wiped away Huo Junxian's tears.
Huo Junxian's tears flowed uncontrollably, quickly wetting Gu Siyu's fingertips. She reached out and embraced Gu Siyu, her grip strong enough to give Gu Siyu the illusion that her bones were about to be crushed.
Gu Siyu knew that Huo Junxian was releasing her own anxiety. Huo Junxian did not stand up; instead, she knelt on the ground, hugging Gu Siyu's legs. This posture resembled a plea for Gu Siyu not to leave.
Gu Siyu crouched down and hugged Huo Junxian. She felt her shoulder getting soaked, gently patting Huo Junxian's back to reassure her that everything would be okay.
The suppressed crying gradually became louder. Gu Siyu's suspended heart finally settled, and she leaned against Huo Junxian's shoulder.
Tired from kneeling, Huo Junxian stood up, rubbing her sore thighs. Her entire leg felt numb.
Huo Junxian still hid behind the sofa, sobbing quietly. Her voice was soft and restrained, like any grown-up crying quietly.
Gu Siyu, watching her, couldn't help but think, 'This is not bad. Let her be like this, and let it go.'
She didn't know how Huo Junxian had managed to get through things before, like facing her father's death or escaping last time.
But Gu Siyu felt that letting her be like this was not an option. The process was too painful, and she couldn't stand by and watch.
Gu Siyu pushed the sofa aside to let the sunlight from outside pour in. She hoped the warm light would comfort the person next to her. Gu Siyu wasn't sure what to do next.
The sunlight seemed to hear her silent prayer, generously showering Huo Junxian's shoulders and back. Huo Junxian continued to cry for a long time, sincerely mourning Teddy's departure. It was so long that Gu Siyu thought she had fallen asleep.
The spring sunlight was not enough to warm every corner. Even with rugs on the floor, it still felt cool.
Gu Siyu went outside to call Chen Tao. His family had been anxious these days, and he wanted to come and see Huo Junxian. Gu Siyu told him to wait until the afternoon, and then she would take Huo Junxian out on a motorcycle to relax.
She added, "I might come back later. Find someone to clean up her yard, make it cleaner."
Chen Tao hesitated, "Miss, she values her personal space. If I go and clean up, would she be upset? You know, she has been hoping for Teddy to come back. If it changes, will she be stressed..."
"Stop being so formal, just go and do it. If you call her 'Xiaoxian' or 'Junxian,' it will bring you closer to her. Maybe she'll feel like she still has family and won't be so lonely."
Chen Tao was speechless. In his mind, Huo Junxian was his benefactor, and the entire Huo family had treated him well. He respected them and didn't realize the implications.
Gu Siyu scolded him casually, venting her frustration. She didn't intend to blame Chen Tao. After Chen Tao thought about it, he found her words made sense. "Well, I'll think about it."
After the call, Gu Siyu turned back to see Huo Junxian standing up, her eyes red but no longer lifeless.
"Where are you going?" Huo Junxian's voice was hoarse but no longer as lifeless as before.
"Upstairs," Gu Siyu pointed upstairs.
"Okay." Huo Junxian's voice was raspy but lacked the previous lifelessness.
Gu Siyu followed her upstairs. Transitioning from one state to another could be painful, and thoughts of giving up would keep emerging.
From the speed at which Huo Junxian walked, it was evident that she alternated between fast and slow, her gaze carefully avoiding anything that might trigger her emotions.
"Open the wardrobe," Gu Siyu instructed her.
Huo Junxian opened the wardrobe and then paused, asking for help to adjust the wind-up key behind her.
"Pick a dress you want to wear and come with me later." When Huo Junxian was about to open the door, Gu Siyu added, "You're not allowed to wear this outfit. Changing into something that lifts your mood. Wear something pretty."
Huo Junxian chose a white spring outfit—a white coat paired with white trousers, giving off a serene appearance.
"Very good."
First, fix the surface, and then slowly adjust what's inside.
After changing clothes, Huo Junxian walked step by step. She hugged Gu Siyu tightly, their faces pressed against each other. She rubbed against Gu Siyu, tears making her face sticky. Gu Siyu swallowed her breath, licking her lips. The room remained draped in curtains because they were changing clothes.
Dim and dark, barely any light visible.
Huo Junxian hugged her for a long time. Gu Siyu felt like she had become smaller and thinner, an object in her arms. Gu Siyu closed her eyes and asked, "Feeling better?"
After Huo Junxian nodded, Gu Siyu took her to wash her face and then fetched helmets. Huo Junxian packed some things to take with them.
Gu Siyu didn't stop Huo Junxian. She stuffed the dog leash that Huo Junxian was holding tightly into her pocket and led her out of the house.
Because of the haze of revisiting the day before the farewell, Huo Junxian selectively avoided looking at Teddy's grave. Gu Siyu was afraid she would forget where Xiao Yu had been laid to rest.
Huo Junxian's gaze directly looked over. The grave surrounded by small colorful stones had a few fallen leaves on it. One could imagine that the flowers in the grave had withered.
The flowers in the yard had bloomed abundantly, but they lacked care, now entangled with thorns and various wild vines.
Gu Siyu mounted the motorcycle. "Put on the helmet."
Huo Junxian complied, pulling down her goggles, sitting behind Gu Siyu, hands gripping her waist.
Gu Siyu had taken Huo Junxian on the motorcycle many times before. Teddy would often be nestled between them. Now, with Teddy gone, there was suddenly an emptiness, and both of them found it difficult to adjust.
After driving for a while, Gu Siyu sensed Huo Junxian sobbing, her voice low. Huo Junxian thought Gu Siyu couldn't see and didn't bother to wipe her face, tears accumulating in her eyes.
Gu Siyu slowed the motorcycle down, giving her enough time to grieve.
However, her estimation was off. In this season, the weather was still chilly, and Gu Siyu hadn't worn leg warmers. Her knees were almost numb from the cold.
"Are you cold?" Gu Siyu asked.
Huo Junxian snapped back to reality, looking at Gu Siyu through the rearview mirror. She reached to wipe her face. "It's okay."
"Yeah, I'm cold." Gu Siyu stopped the motorcycle in the city center and immediately got off. She held her helmet and called Huo Junxian to join her.
Huo Junxian, who hadn't seen strangers for a long time, furrowed her brows lightly.
Gu Siyu extended her hand. "Come on."
"Okay." Huo Junxian took her hand.
The two entered a shop, and Gu Siyu picked out two coats. After purchasing them, she helped Huo Junxian put on the clothes. Huo Junxian was wearing thin spring attire, making the coat seem particularly snug. Gu Siyu unbuttoned the coat and adjusted the collar to make her more comfortable.
She focused on the task, and Huo Junxian could see her eyelashes flickering. Gu Siyu finished and pushed her in front of the mirror. "Take a look."
"Looks good." Huo Junxian's voice was hoarse.
Gu Siyu treated herself quite roughly, wearing the clothes inside out. After leaving the mall, they continued riding the motorcycle.
Many people were out enjoying the spring. The streets were bustling, returning to their liveliest state.
"Do you know how long we stayed in the villa?" Gu Siyu tried to avoid the crowds, driving the motorcycle slowly.
Huo Junxian couldn't hear clearly. She leaned forward, and Gu Siyu repeated the question. How would Huo Junxian know? She had repeated the same day over and over, not caring about the changing seasons outside.
That house was too luxurious. The comprehensive temperature control could keep the house at the most comfortable temperature for humans. They could stay inside forever, ignoring whether it was cold or hot outside, staying inside until death.
Huo Junxian kept reliving that day, also able to relive it until death.
"Living inside for a lifetime without observing the changes outside, what's the difference from being in prison? It's just a matter of luxury and non-luxury." Gu Siyu said, "Don't do this in the future. There are other ways to cope with grief."
Gu Siyu took her on the motorcycle to many places. The locations were not fixed; they went wherever the road took them. Sometimes, they looked at the overpasses, sometimes at the river with waves stirred by the wind. They drove to a forest path, and Gu Siyu saw many flowers blooming on the iron fence. Without much politeness, she plucked a pink rose and handed it to Huo Junxian.
Huo Junxian always circled her waist, hugging her, holding onto her tightly. As long as she was close to Gu Siyu, she wouldn't feel sad.
Gu Siyu also knew that Huo Junxian couldn't instantly break free from this unhealthy state. Huo Junxian was frantically seeking a sense of existence, searching for the feeling of possession. Like a kite with a broken string, it needed to overcome all obstacles and bravely face the wind to return to the ground.
After that, Gu Siyu saw an ice cream truck. She stopped by and bought two cones.
Gu Siyu handed one to Huo Junxian, curious about why their ice cream tasted so bad, yet their prices were almost on par with Häagen-Dazs. Of course, Häagen-Dazs didn't taste that great either.
Huo Junxian explained, "The ice cream truck is all about selling points. It has a romantic touch."
"That's true. When we were kids, the most common thing in cartoons was the ice cream truck, but in reality, it's rare to see." Gu Siyu reminisced.
Fairy tales are just fairy tales. The ice cream truck in cartoons is always so dreamy, but in reality, it's quite ordinary.
She accidentally smeared ice cream on her face. Huo Junxian took out tissues from her small bag to wipe Gu Siyu's face.
Gu Siyu peered into her bag, discovering various dog snacks. She asked, "Can I eat this?"
"Sure, but the taste might be very bland..."
Gu Siyu grabbed a pack of beef jerky and tore it open. It wasn't too bad, and after finishing the pack, she said, "Give me your bag."
"Okay." Huo Junxian handed her the bag. It would be more convenient to carry the camera like this. Gu Siyu pressed a button on the side and scrolled through. She could see many photos of Teddy inside.
Gu Siyu tapped her shoulder, saying she saw a cotton candy vendor ahead and asked if Huo Junxian wanted some.
Huo Junxian said yes. Gu Siyu went to buy one, and that little bit of sugar cost fifteen.
"I wonder if they think it's made of gold."
Huo Junxian smirked.
Gu Siyu's gaze reached that slight curve, feeling somewhat relieved that she was finally improving a bit.
Of course, there were still some things that weren't good, habits that couldn't be changed.
Huo Junxian used to not take Teddy out. When she went out alone, she liked taking pictures with her camera and showing them to Teddy when she returned. Today, she brought the camera along.
Gu Siyu resumed riding the motorcycle, taking Huo Junxian to see some places. In this area, there was no scenic spot, and the price they paid didn't seem justified. She would definitely complain later.
The motorcycle roared as it reached its destination. Gu Siyu told Huo Junxian to get off first. Turning her head, she cursed under her breath. Huo Junxian's newly bought cotton candy had been blown away by the wind, and now, only the stick remained.
"What..." Huo Junxian was also surprised. She had been holding the stick and hadn't noticed that the cotton candy on top had blown away.
With no cotton candy left, there was indeed a sightseeing spot in front of them. A small amusement park had opened recently.
Gu Siyu had been to other amusement parks with friends a long time ago. Honestly, she didn't like such places. It was just queuing and more queuing. If you got hungry and wanted to eat something, you'd find that everything inside was ridiculously expensive and tasted terrible.
It's also strange to say that she rides the motorcycle very thrillingly and finds it challenging to accept some extreme activities.
Gu Siyu searched for activities on her phone and felt it was similar to Disney. The activities inside leaned towards a "healing" style with a fairy-tale touch. She asked Huo Junxian, "Do you want to go and play?"
Huo Junxian was still in a daze. Gu Siyu turned her head to look and saw a car parked by the roadside with a little dog inside. The dog was playing with its owner, but pets were not allowed in the amusement park, and the owner had no intention of bringing it along.
Having just experienced a parting, it's inevitable to be moved by scenes like this.
It wasn't until the car forcefully drove away that Huo Junxian's gaze returned. She knew it wasn't suitable to be like this, tried to adjust her emotions, attempting to present herself well, so as not to give up halfway.
She went to Gu Siyu, aware that Gu Siyu had asked her a question, but she didn't hear clearly what it was. After some thought, she answered, "I've been there, just a long time ago..."
"What are you thinking?" Gu Siyu asked softly.
"Well, at that time, it was inconvenient to bring Xiao Yu. Xiao Yu really wanted to go, so I had to take Xiao Yu home. The next day, my dad called and said he had rented the entire amusement park, and Xiao Yu and I played there for a long time."
Her eyes reddened, and she felt it herself. She raised her hand to cover her eyes. "Sorry, is it inappropriate like this? It seems..."
"Take it slow, no need to rush. I'm not in a hurry," Gu Siyu interrupted her, trying to comfort her according to her understanding. "Nothing happens overnight, and it's natural to be moved by scenes like this. Your dad and Xiao Yu were good, and no one would forcefully make you forget. If you feel good, take your time to recall. Let's go to the amusement park and revisit it, find your feelings. If there's anything you want to remember or say, you can tell me. I know you're feeling anxious and confused now. I've heard a saying before: when a person starts to be anxious about something, it's a good thing in itself. It means you're starting to move forward, so don't be afraid."
Huo Junxian looked at her in surprise.
"Surprised, right? I can say such things too," Gu Siyu laughed. "I'm surprised too."
She pointed inside, "Shall we go in? However, be mentally prepared. There will definitely be various dog plush toys inside. But it's okay. If you feel sad or unhappy, you can tell me."
Huo Junxian nodded.
Gu Siyu clicked her tongue, took the stick she had been holding from her hand, and threw it into the trash. Gu Siyu bought a ticket. They came too late, and there weren't many people waiting in line now.
Huo Junxian followed her inside.
She used to say that Gu Siyu was obedient, and now Gu Siyu sees her as a clingy child.
"Gu Siyu." She called out softly, "I still want to hold hands."
Gu Siyu walked a few steps and stopped. With her hands behind her back, she gestured towards Huo Junxian with her slender fingers.
Huo Junxian noticed, and as she looked at Gu Siyu's back, her hands, which had no place to rest, clasped onto Gu Siyu's. Gu Siyu held her hand back, and Gu Siyu said, "This time, I didn't make a reservation, and I don't have money to rent it for you. Just play along."
Huo Junxian responded with a sound, her voice a bit hoarse. She held Gu Siyu's hand tightly.
"You really are a crybaby," Gu Siyu thought she was crying again, so she didn't turn around to look at Huo Junxian, gently squeezing her hand back.
Huo Junxian didn't explain anything. She walked a few steps behind Gu Siyu. She didn't actually cry; she was just afraid that Gu Siyu would let go of her hand.
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Translator's note: I love how Gu Siyu comforts Huo Junxian💜❤️.
TO BE CONTINUE...