The living room lights were off, and Serena Li was curled up on the sofa.
The night was silent. Looking out from the large, spotless floor-to-ceiling windows, there were no stars in sight, only a hazy, hanging moon.
She gripped the cushion in her arms tightly, took a breath, and felt a bitter taste spread from her mouth to her stomach, and then to her internal organs.
The phone on the coffee table rang. She glanced at the caller ID; it was her father. She picked it up and answered.
“Hello, Dad.”
“Serena, your aunt just called me and said that Adong is having dinner with you tonight.” Dylan Lin is her cousin.
“Yes, my cousin just said that my aunt is going to visit you in the US in a while.”
“That’s what she said, but she’s still in Australia, and her itinerary isn’t finalized yet. This Friday is your mother’s birthday; are you going back to G City then?”
“Yes, I already asked the director for leave last week and rescheduled my classes with other teachers. I’ll go back on Wednesday night and buy offerings on Thursday.”
“Okay, thank you for your hard work! Your mother likes bellflowers, so please buy a light pink bouquet for your father.”
The flower language of the bellflower is eternal love.
Her father’s love for her mother moved her deeply; her eyes involuntarily welled up with tears, and her voice trembled slightly as she uttered, “Okay, Dad.”
Daniel Li noticed something was off about her voice and asked, “What’s wrong, Serena?”
“It’s nothing, I’m just a little touched. My mother has been gone for so many years, but my father has remained devoted to her until the end.” In this fast-paced society, it’s not easy to meet someone like that.
Daniel Li, unaware of her emotional journey over the past few days, simply assumed it was a moment of inexplicable sadness on her part and said, “My precious daughter will meet someone who will be devoted to her in the future.”
…
After finishing her call with Daniel Li , Serena Li turned her head and stared blankly out the window at the endless night.
How lucky one must be to meet someone so devoted!
***
The next morning, after returning to school, she went to the administration building to find Principal Liu, but was told by the head of teaching affairs that Principal Liu had gone out of town to participate in an academic exchange that morning and would not return until Friday evening.
Serena Li texted Principal Liu to tell him about the materials the Education Bureau had given her. Principal Liu replied shortly afterward that he would give her the materials next Monday.
After school in the afternoon, Serena Li went to the supermarket to buy ingredients to prepare dinner, as Joyce Wu and Lynn Yan were coming over for dinner tonight.
After dinner, Serena Li brought out two boxes of Emperor Tangerines, and the three of them sat on the sofa and chatted.
“Mmm, these tangerines are so sweet. Serena, where did you go on Sunday? You can pick fruit there too?” Joyce Wu asked while eating.
After peeling one, Serena Li gave half to Lynn Yan and said, “Purple Cloud Resort.”
Lynn Yan took the tangerine from Serena Li and said, “That place seems to be membership-only; ordinary people can’t get in.”
Serena Li said casually, “Really? I’m not sure.”
Joyce Wu ate another one, she asked, “Serena, um, how far have things progressed for you two?”
Serena Li blinked a few times, then looked up at them and said, “I’ve thought about it, and we’re still not a good match.”
Joyce Wu and Lynn Yan exchanged a glance, somewhat surprised. They had talked about it privately yesterday and thought they would hear news of further developments today.
Joyce Wu seemed to have thought of something, coughed lightly, and said, “Serena, did he force himself on you on Sunday, which made you resentful?”
Serena Li looked down and fiddled with the glass beside her, then slowly began to speak: “It’s not this. The restaurant where I had dinner with my cousin yesterday, Victor Mo was there too. I saw a very sexy woman throwing herself at him, and he didn’t refuse. I found it quite disgusting.”
“Ah!?” Joyce Wu and Lynn Yan were even more surprised now. What a coincidence?
“Did he see you at the time?” Lynn Yan asked, frowning.
Serena Li shook her head and then gave them a general account of what she had seen.
Joyce Wu said, “Serena, do you want to give him a chance to explain?”
Serena Li shook her head, took a breath, and said, “Undeniably, Victor Mo is a very charming man, and the perfect lover in many women’s dreams. But I don’t crave one-night stands, nor do I crave a long-term bed partner. If I start a relationship, I hope both parties can be loyal to each other. On the negative side, if he’s always been a womanizer, I don’t have the ability to put an end to a playboy; on the positive side, he might be virtuous, but given his environment, casual relationships are inevitable. I don’t want to be in a relationship where I’m constantly worried about whether other women are trying to seduce him during his social engagements, or whether he’s cheating. So, no matter what kind of person he is, I don’t think he’s right for me.”
Lynn Yan nodded in agreement after listening: “Yes, we have to be careful about this. If it were any other woman, she’d probably be completely infatuated with him by now!”
After a pause, Serena Li said with a hint of sadness, “Last time, Min-jie said that men like my dad are extremely rare, right? In this superficial society, it seems like everyone is hard to trust.”
Seeing that Serena Li was in low spirits, Joyce Wu quickly changed the subject and talked about her going back to G City the next day.
Two hours later, in the underground parking lot, after Joyce Wu loaded the tangerines into the trunk of her car, she asked Lynn Yan , who was opening the car door , “Lingling, don’t you think it’s a bit of a pity that Serena has finally met a man who makes her a little bit attracted, but this feeling was nipped in the bud before it could even sprout?”
Lynn Yan gave Joyce Wu a wary look . “You seem to have Victor Mo ‘s contact information. Let me tell you, don’t tip him off or anything. Serena is smart and also a very naive person. A complicated man like Victor Mo might not be suitable for her. But fate is a fickle thing, and as Serena’s friends, it’s not appropriate for us to stand against her and interfere in this matter, you understand?”
Joyce Wu nodded after hearing this, and then the two drove away.
***
After school on Wednesday, Serena Li drove straight back to G City.
It takes more than two hours to drive from Pengcheng to G City. Serena Li arrived home at 9 p.m.
Every time she returns to G City, she greets her good neighbor in advance—the old lady who taught her how to cook Cantonese food. Her husband’s surname is Wang, and Serena Li always calls her Grandma Wang.
Grandma Wang is over 70 years old. Her husband passed away early, and her children don’t live with her, so she has always treated Serena Li like her own granddaughter. As usual, Grandma Wang cooked several dishes for her when she came back.
Serena Li had dinner and chatted with her for a while. When Grandma Wang went to the bathroom, Serena Li noticed a lot of medicine for sprains and bruises, as well as some health supplements, on the coffee table.
When Grandma Wang returned, Serena Li asked her, “Grandma Wang, have you been falling recently? Why did you buy so much medicine?”
Grandma Wang said, “Oh, last week, I fell at the entrance of the community. The doctor prescribed some medicine, and I got better before I finished the medicine, so I stopped taking it and the medicine has been sitting there ever since.”
Serena Li asked with concern, “Where did you fall? Was it serious?”
As Grandma Wang turned her left ankle for Serena Li to see, she said, “It’s not serious, just a sprained ankle. A young man happened to be passing by and took me to the hospital. He was very kind; he not only accompanied me to the doctor but also gave me some calcium supplements.”
Serena Li said, “Luckily, you met someone who is always willing to help others!”
Grandma Wang looked at Serena Li and said, “I’ve seen this young man before. Serena, you…”
At this point, Grandma Wang paused, unsure whether she should say it or not.
Serena Li looked at her with a puzzled expression. “What’s wrong?”
“Serena, do you have a boyfriend yet?”
Serena Li realized what was going on and asked, “Grandma Wang, you wouldn’t be trying to set me up with that young man, would you?”
“Serena, actually he is…” Grandma Wang was about to say something when Serena Li ‘s phone rang. She took it out and saw that it was her aunt calling, so she went to the balcony to answer the phone.
After the call ended, the two didn’t continue their previous conversation. Serena Li stayed for a while before going home.
On Thursday, after cleaning her home, Serena Li went to prepare items for the sacrificial ceremony, following the customs of G City.
After breakfast on Friday, she set off for the cemetery.
In the morning, a light drizzle began to fall. Walking on the rain-soaked cobblestone path, she couldn’t help but feel a little heavy-hearted. This path must have been a source of sadness for many people.
The rows of tombstones once belonged to vibrant lives, but now they lie here quietly, separated by life and death, and can only meet again in this desolate and cold place.
Serena Li arrived at her mother’s grave, she was surprised to see a bouquet of lilies. The flowers were a little wilted, probably placed there the day before or yesterday, and the cemetery staff had not yet cleaned them.
Serena Li’s mother used to be a piano teacher and was very popular. She assumed it was placed there by one of her mother’s close friends and didn’t think much of it.
She took out the sacrificial offerings and placed them neatly in front of and behind the tomb. Serena Li then gently placed a bunch of lisianthus flowers to the side.
The photo on the tombstone shows a beautiful face with curved eyebrows and a serene smile.
Serena Li raised her slender fingers and gently wiped the rain-soaked photo, her movements so tender, as if she were softly stroking her mother’s face. “Mom, I came to see you today. Dad specifically reminded me to bring your favorite bellflowers. We’re both doing well, and Dad and I miss you very much.”
The loss of loved ones causes immense pain to those left behind. Even when we pour out our hearts to them, they simply watch us with quiet smiles, letting time pass by without ever replying.
***
Victor Mo was on a business trip to Dalian this time. His schedule was tight, and a certain cooperative project ran into problems in the middle of the trip. He was extremely busy these past few days and only returned to Pengcheng on Friday night.
After getting off the plane, he checked the time on his watch. It wasn’t even 11 o’clock yet, and guessing that Serena Li hadn’t gone to bed yet, he took out his phone to call her, but the phone was switched off. Having not been in contact for several days, and remembering her drunken incident last Friday, Victor Mo was a little worried, so he found Joyce Wu ‘s number and dialed it.