Dragging her weary body back to the bed, Lin Jinran lay flat on it, with the quilt covering only the part below her shoulders. It seemed not enough. She pulled the quilt up until it completely covered her.
An overwhelming darkness came. She could no longer see anything around her. She curled up in the quilt. Only in this way could she feel a little bit of security.
She didn't know how much time had passed when suddenly there came a series of "dong, dong, dong" knocks on the door.
Frowning, Lin Jinran, who was curled up in the quilt, shrank further inside and ignored the person outside.
"What's going on? Is there no one at home? But Jinran is neither at school nor in the hospital. Where else could she be?"
"Mom, how about we find someone to unlock the door? I'm afraid that sister might have been hit hard and fainted at home alone."
"Okay, okay. I'll call a locksmith right now."
"..."
Why are there so many people today?
Lin Jinran suddenly threw off the quilt. Gasping for breath, she inhaled the fresh air.
The voices from outside kept coming. Lin Jinran walked to the door and opened it directly.
Unexpectedly, Aunt Ying and Song Langqing came into view.
Song Langqing was slightly stunned for a moment and then overjoyed. "Sister, you're actually at home. We were so worried about you."
Aunt Ying frowned. Looking at the living room with the curtains drawn and no light coming in, she felt that the dull and heavy darkness inside was completely different from the bright and sunny world outside.
"Aunt, Langqing..." Lin Jinran opened and closed her mouth feebly as she called out.
Aunt Ying walked forward and turned on the light in the living room. Suddenly, the living room was filled with bright light, driving away all the darkness.
Startled, Lin Jinran suddenly turned her head and covered her eyes. The suddenly lit light was like a sharp sword, leaving nowhere to hide. It seemed to pierce through the darkness in every corner.
Only then did Aunt Ying clearly see Lin Jinran.
In just a short period of time, Lin Jinran seemed to have lost a great deal of weight. Her wrist seemed so thin that it could be easily broken with a gentle squeeze. Her lips were bloodless, and her fair skin looked even paler under the light.
Her once clear and bright eyes were now filled with only silence and indifference.
"Jinran, you..." Aunt Ying reached out her hand, wanting to pat her on the shoulder to comfort her gently. But when she met Lin Jinran's lifeless eyes, she changed her gesture and held her arm instead.
She was so thin. Aunt Ying felt that what she was holding was just bones without any extra flesh. For some reason, her eyes suddenly turned red. She pulled Lin Jinran into her arms and hugged her tightly.
"Jinran, don't be afraid. You still have me, Aunt Ying. You're not alone."
"Yes, sister. You still have me. You can also regard us as your family." Song Langqing nodded vigorously.
At first, it was Teacher Li, the host instructor, who found that he couldn't get in touch with Lin Jinran. So he sent a message to Song Langqing, asking if he could contact Lin Jinran and ask her to host the graduation party.
Song Langqing sent a message, but there was no reply.
Worried, he went to the senior three teaching building to look for Lin Jinran. He was told that Lin Jinran had asked for leave and hadn't been to class for two days.
Coincidentally, he went home for lunch at noon and mentioned this to his mother. His mother's face suddenly changed. She went to the balcony alone to make a phone call. When she came back, her face looked very bad, and she didn't even eat.
Then she took Song Langqing to Wannanshi Rehabilitation Center Hospital. They learned that two days ago, Lin Jinran's mother had passed away. Lin Jinran had handled her mother's funeral alone, and then no one knew where she had gone.
Since Song Langqing still had classes in the afternoon, Aunt Ying asked for leave for him and brought him here - the place where Lin Jinran lived.
"Jinran, everyone has their own destiny. I was also very surprised that Xiang Yanhua left so suddenly. I didn't even have the chance to see her for the last time. I feel as heart - broken as you do."
"Some people say that the deceased turn into a star in the sky, but I think she has turned into a beam of light that falls into our hearts. Although your mother has left, she will always live in our hearts."
"Jinran, you must cheer up. You managed to get through the most difficult times. There's no reason for you to collapse at this moment. In a few days, it will be your battlefield. Your mother must be watching you."
Aunt Ying hugged the girl in her arms tightly and gently patted her on the back to comfort her. She knew that Lin Jinran was very sad and in great need of comfort at this moment.
"Sister, you must never give up on yourself. Aunt must be watching you. You've worked so hard for so long just to get into Tsinghua University or Peking University. If you give up now, won't all your previous efforts go to waste?"
Song Langqing said firmly beside her, trying to wake her up.
Really? Is mother really watching me?
Lin Jinran thought absent - mindedly. Her eyes were unfocused. She just silently let Aunt Ying hug her without saying a word.
Her heart was like a withered tree, and her body was like a boat adrift.
Lin Jinran didn't respond. She didn't even move.
Aunt Ying carefully let go of her and helped her sit on the sofa. Sighing, she told Song Langqing to go to the kitchen to see if there was anything to eat. If there was noodles, cook a bowl for Lin Jinran.
She suspected that in the past few days, Lin Jinran had completely ignored herself. She might not have eaten or drunk anything and just let herself fend for herself in this dark room until the end of time.
While Song Langqing went to cook, Aunt Ying stayed in the living room and chatted with Lin Jinran. Knowing that Lin Jinran cared most about her mother, she deliberately took out a photo of her mother when she was a child and told some stories about her mother's childhood.
As Lin Jinran listened, her eyes moved, and the corners of her mouth slowly turned up. Sometimes she would even raise her own doubts.
Although she didn't say much, Aunt Ying was really happy.
She was willing to talk, which was a good sign.
Song Langqing cooked the noodles and brought them to the living room. The rich aroma of the noodles filled the whole living room. Lin Jinran stared at the bowl of noodles, and her stomach growled embarrassingly.
"Eat quickly, eat quickly." Aunt Ying smiled and handed her the chopsticks.
Lin Jinran took them hesitantly. Her sight gradually focused on the bowl in front of her. It was steaming hot, with scallions sprinkled on it. It looked very tempting.
She really hadn't had a good meal for a long time.
Lin Jinran couldn't wait to take a bite. The delicious taste filled her mouth. She ate big mouthfuls. Aunt Ying reminded her to eat slowly and not to burn herself.
Her eyes gradually became moist. Tears welled up in her eyes. Sorrow and despair were intertwined. They fell into the bowl along with the crystal - clear teardrops.
Lin Jinran held the bowl with tears streaming down her face. Aunt Ying took the bowl from her and pulled her into her arms, comforting her gently. "It's okay, it's okay. Jinran, it's okay. You're not alone. You still have us..."
Her beating heart was full of holes. The cold wind howled by, and that little bit of warmth dissipated with it.