Hearing Jiang Li say that she felt sleepy easily, a little girl immediately nodded in understanding. "In this situation, you need a good sleep."
When was the last time she had a good sleep?
Jiang Li couldn't quite remember.
Lack of sleep made her forget many things. Many of her memories had started to fade. She often couldn't tell whether she was in a dream or reality.
She was in a daze more and more often, which inevitably caught Sister Chen's attention.
When Sister Chen was tidying up Jiang Li's room, she noticed the empty melatonin bottle on the bedside table and the empty packages of carbamazepine and paroxetine in the trash can.
For this reason, she had a serious talk with Jiang Li alone.
"Li Li, how do you feel recently?"
She answered quickly. "I'm fine."
Sister Chen paused. "Is your bipolar disorder getting better? I noticed you haven't been taking your medicine recently."
"I saw a doctor when I went back to Beicheng. The doctor examined me and said I was cured."
She started to tell lies without a second thought. She was almost convinced herself. "Moreover, taking those medicines can affect your brain. I don't want to become a fool at a young age."
Seeing her speak so confidently, Sister Chen secretly let out a sigh of relief and didn't suspect her. "You're right. All medicines have side effects. Don't take them if you don't need to. By the way, why did you start taking melatonin?"
"The drama troupe got a new script. I've been trying to get into the character recently. I'm under a bit of pressure."
Jiang Li said this without batting an eyelid and even acted coquettishly. "Okay, Sister Chen. I'm really fine. I'm happy every day."
"You'd better not hide anything from me." Sister Chen warned her. "You're not good at much, but you're quite good at lying. You keep everything to yourself. You'll get sick one day."
Jiang Li paused for a moment and still had a bright smile. "Sister Chen, don't worry so much. I'm fine."
"It's because of what happened to you before..." Sister Chen stopped halfway. She didn't want to recall the sad past. She quickly changed the subject. "Anyway, you're not allowed to act recklessly on your own anymore!"
Jiang Li said with a smile. "If there's a next time, I'll kill myself to atone for my sins."
At that time, Sister Chen thought it was just a joke.
Later, it turned out to be a prophecy.
...
November 20th was Sheng Shuocheng's birthday.
According to his usual practice, he preferred to keep things simple and low - key.
Even though he didn't originally plan to hold an external banquet to celebrate, expensive gifts were still being sent to the villa one after another. Sheng Shuocheng was really annoyed by this, but he couldn't really refuse them.
Some social etiquette couldn't be omitted. Everyone was showing their good will. So he had to hold a banquet at noon, politely express his thanks, and go through the social routine.
However, as people get older, they tend to want to gather with their family on special days.
So he told Sheng Jingxi and Jiang Li to go to Cheng Yingchun's place for dinner in the evening.
Cheng Yingchun was, of course, very happy. She had started to prepare a few days in advance. She went to the supermarket with the nanny to buy a variety of ingredients and was busy getting everything ready.
She was just waiting to welcome the two adults and two children.
On that day, she started to get busy early in the morning.
Sheng Shuocheng finished his lunch - time social engagements and rushed directly to Cheng Yingchun's place, so he arrived early. The two younger ones were a bit late. They said it had snowed outside and the traffic was a bit congested.
Only then did they notice that large snowflakes were falling outside the window. A thin layer of snow had accumulated on the window ledge, and there was frost on the window.
The weather forecast said that the weather was abnormal this year, and the temperature across the country showed an obvious downward trend.
Winter was getting colder every year.
It was common for it to snow heavily in Beicheng every winter because of its low temperature. But it rarely snowed in Huacheng, let alone such heavy and thick snow.
Some meteorological experts said that this year would be the coldest in recent years.
"A Cheng, tell them to drive slowly on the way. Safety first." Cheng Yingchun didn't forget to remind Sheng Shuocheng while she was busy.
Since Cheng Yingchun found out that Jiang Li was her own granddaughter, she had been extremely excited. She had been clamoring for Jiang Li to come over every day.
Sheng Shuocheng even joked with her, saying that it wasn't the first time they had met.
Cheng Yingchun retorted directly. "I don't believe you were calm when you found out that the girl was your own daughter."
Sheng Shuocheng: "..."
He really hadn't been very calm.
As evening approached, the twilight gradually closed in, and car lights flashed on the car windows.
The doorbell rang, and Sheng Jingxi and Jiang Li walked in one after another.
Sheng Jingxi was wearing a soft - textured turtleneck sweater. Since it was his father's birthday, he was less casual than usual and had more of the noble - son aura that a wealthy family member should have.
Jiang Li was wearing a long lavender velvet coat, and inside was a white cheongsam with relief patterns, which made her legs look long and slender.
Her hair was slightly curled and neatly piled up behind her head. She looked like a cheongsam - wearing noble lady from the 1930s Shanghai Bund, full of retro charm.
Recently, Sheng Jingxi had become more mature, and his eyebrows showed a bit of Sheng Shuocheng's elegance. And Jiang Li had developed a cold and glamorous temperament in the entertainment industry, making her seem out of reach.
The two siblings looked very good standing together.
The room was very warm. Jiang Li took off her coat and hung it on the hanger. As soon as she sat down on the sofa, Cheng Yingchun held her hand.
"So alike, really alike!" Cheng Yingchun's face was wrinkled with smiles, but she couldn't help crying. Her hands were even trembling slightly. "It's good that you're back. It's good that you're back..."
Jiang Li covered her hand with hers and gently patted it in a soothing way. Her eyes were also moist at this moment.
"I felt a sense of familiarity when I first saw you. I always said I wanted to see you every day." Cheng Yingchun wiped away her tears and then smiled. "I didn't expect that you're my own granddaughter."
Sheng Shuocheng put down the newspaper in his hand and joked in a hearty voice. "This is what they call affection for grandchildren. There's a predestined relationship."
Sheng Jingxi wasn't very happy. "I'm your own grandson too. Why don't you have this kind of predestined relationship with me, Grandma?"
"Why not?" Cheng Yingchun glanced at him. "The day you had a car accident while racing, I was about to embroider a handkerchief. When I took out a needle from the sewing box, it was broken. I had a feeling that something bad was going to happen."
She had a kind smile and said to him like she was coaxing a child. "See, isn't this a sign of a predestined relationship between Grandma and you?"
Only then was Sheng Jingxi satisfied. He grinned. "I knew Grandma had me in her heart."
"You still have the nerve to smile." Sheng Shuocheng frowned. "You never learn your lesson. Grandma was worried because of your car accident, but you don't take it to heart at all."
"It's your birthday today. Why are you always getting angry?" Sheng Shuocheng pouted. He just couldn't stop being talkative. "Getting angry makes you age faster. You should pay more attention."