After the Storm

Tian Qing blinked slightly to adjust to the light. The first thing she thought of upon waking was her sister's condition. That child was her sole reason for existence; if even she were to leave, what meaning would life hold for her?

As she turned to sit up, her elbow bumped into something. Raising her eyebrows in surprise, she gently turned her gaze to look. That face was all too familiar, its youthful features deeply etched in her mind over the years. But now, she looked as pale as paper, so fragile that a gentle breeze could blow her away.

Lying beside Tian Qing, Yin Feng was peacefully asleep. Perhaps the surgery had been a success. In any case, seeing her sister like this brought her some peace of mind. She lay back down on the bed, holding Yin Feng's hand, and closed her eyes to rest.

"Is she doing better?"
"The young lady has woken up. It seems there's nothing to worry about!"

Nodding slightly, Uncle Lin waited for the man to leave before letting out a soft sigh. Having lived to this age, he had almost no lingering attachments, but Tian Qing always worried him. She was the daughter of those two, which was part of it, but most importantly, she was the one on whom many expectations were placed, destined from birth to follow in her parents' footsteps. Yet now, only a weak child remained. What was he to do?

Aunt Huai leaned against the doorframe, watching the two figures sleeping hand in hand. She had woken up not long ago, but it was enough to know what had happened. For the first time, she showed weakness and despondency. She was terrified of losing either of these children, and even more afraid that the one who would leave her behind was Tian Qing. Tian Qing was the child she had watched over since infancy; even her name had been given by her. The girl's parents wanted her to be the godmother, yet she never dared to call her "daughter," even though Tian Qing always hoped for it. She knew she wasn't worthy, and she would never be able to utter those words.

Shaking her head gently, she quickly returned to her usual cold demeanor, stepped into the room, and placed a small music player on the nightstand. Once again, those melodies played—a soft, gentle humming...

Stepping out of the hospital, Ping Ming's smiling eyes drooped slightly. He hated the smell of disinfectant; moreover, this place was tied to a rather unpleasant memory. Sighing, he quickly shook off his mood, called someone on his phone, and hailed a taxi back to school. Today, he had wasted an entire school day on a strange girl. How ridiculous.

He already knew she wasn't like others, but why was she connected to that person? The name Tian Qing had crossed his mind more than once. When they met in the past, she was only a five-year-old child, and so was he. He might forget her face, but her eyes at that moment could never fade. Who was she? He had been asking himself that since that day.

Now, he couldn't even decide what he should do—whether to pass her by like a stranger, or discard the image constantly repeating in his mind to get closer to her. Perhaps he should find some quiet time for himself, and so should she.

The yellow car screeched to a halt in front of the grand gates of Sakura Academy. Ping Ming paid the fare and stepped out. He suppressed the messy thoughts in his mind. Now was neither the time nor the place to wonder about such things. Right now, he had to go back to being friendly, cheerful, and affable—the mask he had used for years to hide his true self, to conceal the hatred and pain of losing the person he loved and respected most, as if his life had suddenly shattered into pieces.