The second floor of the small villa was much larger than the first. There was a living room, a master bedroom, a side bedroom, a study, and also a nursery.
The living room faced the sun, dry and refreshing. However, there was still a lot of dust, and the air held a strong, stagnant smell of earth. In the evening, the sunlight shone directly in, casting a light golden edge on all the furniture.
Looking out from the living room, the distant mountains were a deep blue, majestic and rolling. Vast pear orchards were hidden in the afterglow of the setting sun, appearing and disappearing with the light.
The view was open, and the beautiful scenery of Cenling was fully visible.
She couldn’t help but sigh, “It’s so beautiful here! It’s especially suitable for retirement.”
He Qingshi stood to her right. The warm, hazy light fell on him. He looked handsome and upright, enveloped in sunlight, his brow and eyes peaceful.
He looked at the objects in the house, and for a moment, it seemed as if he had crossed a long river of time. He had returned to the past and saw everything familiar.
He sat in the courtyard reading a book, while Su Miao brewed tea for him. The entire courtyard was filled with the rich aroma of tea. It was Suming tea, unique to the Cenling area.
Yuanyuan was on the swing, swinging very high, her laughter crisp and clear.
Lan Yi sat quietly in a corner of the courtyard knitting a sweater. She would knit one for the family every year, each stitch a labor of love.
Gui Shu had dug out a plot in the courtyard and planted some melons, fruits, and vegetables on it. He always said the ones bought outside had too much pesticide.
Back then, time was simple and pure, so beautiful. It was ordinary at the time, not feeling like anything special. Looking back now, it was all the more precious.
It was a pity they could never go back. No one could return to the past.
Before long, this place would be razed to the ground, and everything would only remain in memory.
The man’s gaze was long and profound, containing very deep emotions, becoming momentarily distant.
People are sentimental; it’s inevitable for the scene to stir up painful memories. Huo Chuxue knew he must be thinking of the past.
He murmured softly, “When I built this house before, I was thinking that when I got old, I would come here to spend my remaining years in peace. The air is good here, the scenery is pleasant, very suitable for us to retire. But that’s impossible now. It won’t be long before this house is gone.”
Huo Chuxue didn’t understand his words and frowned, asking, “What do you mean?”
What did he mean the house would be gone?
“Government planning. They want to vigorously develop tourism in Cenling. So this whole large area is going to be turned into a resort.” He Qingshi raised his hand and pointed, telling her, “All the surroundings have been zoned in. The notice came down not long ago. Soon, very soon, this place will be razed to the ground.”
He paused, his voice dropping very low. “This is the last time I’m coming back.”
So nothing lasts forever. Even a villa forged from reinforced concrete, solid as a rock. When faced with government planning and those modern tools, it too can be shattered into fragments in an instant.
Just like that earthquake ten years ago. Just ten seconds, only ten seconds, heaven and earth shattered. The vast Wangchuan County was razed to the ground, taking countless people, shattering countless families, leaving a scene of utter devastation.
——
He Qingshi first took Huo Chuxue to see the study.
The study was very spacious, with a simple and bright decorating style. The entire study became serene and peaceful because of the wooden-colored floor and extremely pale yellow-green wallpaper. The tender-green armchair brought its own simplicity into the space, comfortable and ethereal. The clean, clear lines became a major highlight of the space, distinct in depth, yet also exuding an air of elegance.
This study was designed with particular exquisiteness and grandeur. In comparison, the study her mother had at home seemed somewhat shabby.
Three walls were designed with large, three-dimensional bookshelves. A floor-to-ceiling window was installed, and a large floor mirror reflected the lush pear orchard outside, the majestic green mountains, the infinitely beautiful scenery.
The glow of sunset penetrated the glass, large swathes of sunlight spilled in, illuminating the empty bookshelves. The limited few books became focal points. Their neatly coded spines, the flowing lines, were not as sharply defined as before, but instead were entirely softened within the splendor of the sunset’s afterglow.
In the very center of the study stood a white desk. The desktop was empty, nothing placed on it, appearing particularly monotonous.
There were very few books on the shelves, very empty, with only some books scattered here and there.
Having been left idle for too long, a thick layer of dust covered the bookshelves.
Huo Chuxue made a quick turn in front of the bookshelves and unexpectedly saw two high school English textbooks. The books were damp, the pages yellowed, the corners slightly curled, tempered by time.
She had heard He Qingshi mention before that his wife was a teacher when she was alive. Now it seemed she was a high school English teacher.
He Qingshi saw her looking at the English books and told her, “My wife was an English teacher when she was alive.”
What a coincidence, both were English teachers!
Both being high school English teachers, Huo Chuxue couldn’t help but think of Teacher Su. For a moment, her expression became wistful.
She said, “One of my high school English teachers was super impressive. She taught particularly well, had been to many places, had broad horizons, and taught me a lot. She was one of a kind. While other classes were having lessons, she would show us movies—the kind that were entirely in English, watched with subtitles. Back then, many classes envied us. I was her class representative. I liked her very much. Unfortunately, she left later, and I didn’t even get the chance to attend her funeral. That day at Xizi Renjia, our class reunion, many teachers came, but she wasn’t there.”
No wonder she was so out of sorts that night, her eyes misty, her gaze sorrowful.
He Qingshi was silent, not knowing how to respond. Because he understood all too well what it felt like when someone you liked left.
He shook the bunch of keys in his hand twice. “Let’s go see the master bedroom.”
Huo Chuxue said “Oh” and quickly followed his steps.
The key was inserted into the lock, turned twice, and the master bedroom door opened with a click.
The master bedroom was large. All the furniture was covered with white cloths. Huo Chuxue glanced around a couple of times but didn’t see any photos.
The room was very cool. Being in it, one didn’t feel the heat at all.
Huo Chuxue was an optimist. Emotions came quickly and left just as quickly. Before long, she was back to normal.
“Were you just thinking about how to comfort me?” She moved close to He Qingshi, patted his shoulder with great bravado, “You definitely shouldn’t comfort me. My sadness doesn’t last more than three seconds. I liked her, so I’ll always remember her. Although I feel sad when I occasionally think of her, it doesn’t last too long. Because I always believe that those who have left definitely hope for us to be happy, not to secretly grieve for them.”
He Qingshi felt as if these words were deliberately said for him to hear.
He said softly, “You’re absolutely right.”
It was just a pity that not everyone could do it. Saying and doing were always two different things. Anyone could talk about principles, but not everyone could do it.
The master bedroom also had a small balcony, separated by a glass sliding door.
Huo Chuxue quickly pulled open that sliding door. She wanted to go out to the balcony to look. The door hadn’t been opened for a long time; the handle was rusty. After holding it, several marks of rust were left on her hand.
She didn’t pay it much mind, just rubbed her hands together forcefully.
On the balcony, various abandoned flowerpots were scattered about. Trumpet creeper and Boston ivy had climbed all over the entire balcony, vines extending everywhere, some even reaching down to the ground. Enough to reveal its astonishing vitality.
A few weeds grew tenaciously in the corners, adding a few touches of green.
The entire balcony was overgrown with weeds, desolate and dilapidated.
It truly fit that line from the song—
“The old homeland is overgrown with plants and trees.”
Huo Chuxue held onto the railing and looked down from the balcony, discovering that below the master bedroom was the backyard. The stone table and stools came into view. The loquat tree’s trunk was tall and straight, stretching into the clouds.
So the room with its back to the sun that she had seen from the courtyard earlier was He Qingshi’s master bedroom.
He Qingshi looked at these flowerpots and said, “My wife liked planting flowers and grass when she was alive, enjoyed tending to these things. The house was full of them.”
Huo Chuxue laughed. “Many refined and gentle women like planting flowers and plants. My mother likes it too; there are many potted plants at home. As for me, I can’t. I’m quite lazy and don’t have the energy to tend to them. Might as well go to a flower shop and buy ready-made potted plants to display.”
He Qingshi: “…”
He laughed despite himself. “So, how did you fare with that pot of peperomia I gave you last time?”
“I took very good care of it! Never missed watering or nutrients. It’s grown very healthy.” She took out her phone. “If you don’t believe me, I’ll show you a photo.
As she spoke, she pulled up the photo album and showed it to him. “Here, look quickly. Isn’t it growing particularly well?”
He Qingshi leaned forward. In the photo, that pot of peperomia had lush branches and leaves, verdant and green, full of vitality. However, it had grown too dense, too much. The pot could barely contain it; it had clearly “gained weight.”
As he raised his head, he inadvertently caught another glimpse of the alluring view below Huo Chuxue’s collar. That patch of skin was fair and lustrous, as smooth and translucent as white jade.
For a moment, his throat tightened, and a wave of intense heat swept through his body. That sense of shame, derived from the depths of his heart, rapidly spread throughout his body, burning like a raging fire.
He quickly averted his gaze, flustered, stepping back two steps, putting distance between them.
Huo Chuxue, puzzled, asked, “What’s wrong with you?”
He forcibly suppressed it and said, “You should trim its branches. Don’t let it grow wild.”
After a pause, he threw out another sentence. “I’m going to the bathroom.”
With a rather disorderly rout!
Huo Chuxue watched the man’s hurried retreating figure, completely baffled. What was wrong with him?
——
He Qingshi shut himself in the bathroom, continuously splashing cold water on his face, trying to calm down. The cold water felt refreshingly cool on his face, but it could never suppress the fire in his heart.
That nearly transparent skin, that touch of softness, that exquisite curve unique to a girl, her graceful figure… surged forth like a tide, unstoppable, replaying over and over in his mind, impossible to dispel.
What was wrong with him? How could he have such improper thoughts about Huo Chuxue?
Damn it!
Calm down, he must calm down!
No, he couldn’t betray Su Miao! Don’t think about it, mustn’t think about it…
——
When he came out again, Huo Chuxue was nowhere to be seen. He Qingshi searched each room and found her in the nursery.
This nursery was also designed exquisitely. Pink wallpaper, lace curtains, and tables and chairs of the same color created a dreamy, beautiful atmosphere. The floor was covered with a layer of foam mats in red, green, and multicolored hues. The walls were painted with various cartoon characters, and toys of all colors were piled up everywhere.
She glanced around a couple of times. This room also had no photos of the child.
She hadn’t known before that He Qingshi actually had a child, thinking he was just widowed. But thinking about it, it made sense. At his age, how could he not have had a child?
In the very center of the room stood a baby crib, two levels, with bells hanging from the bed frame. When a hand went past, the sound was crisp and pleasant.
She couldn’t control her hand and knocked several times in a row, the bells ringing non-stop.
After a good while, the sound by her ear finally stopped.
“The child wasn’t saved either?” Huo Chuxue asked softly, her throat tight, feeling a deep sense of pity.
He Qingshi stood with his hands behind his back beside the crib, his voice deep. “During the Wangchuan earthquake back then, my wife was five months pregnant. She and Lan Yi’s daughter were right at the epicenter.”
Two lives lost with one body. Neither was saved.