Chapter 2, No Crying (Part 2)
Unbeknownst to her, Mo Jingyan found herself back at the stairway entrance on the fourth floor, diagonally opposite the elevator lobby. She pulled up her collar and quietly stood by the wall
However, it seems difficult to observe the Southern Cross constellation in the Northern Hemisphere, so we do not concern ourselves with its existence
Mo Jingyan listened in a daze, feeling a layer of cold sweat in the palm of her hand. "I have been very busy lately," she replied casually, her heart filled with contradictions. The question she wanted to ask was on the tip of her tongue, yet she did not dare to speak it lightly. She feared that the answer would indeed be as she suspected, and how she would face the sudden turn of events. For many years, she had never imagined such a scenario, and it would surely throw her into disarray.
She has a strikingly beautiful face, with her pupils and long hair a deep brown reminiscent of black coffee. Her thick eyebrows and full lips exude a vibrant charm. The jet-black eyeliner curves upward at the outer corners of her eyes, creating a narrow almond shape. Her skin is tanned to a wheat color, and her attire seems somewhat mismatched with the weather; beneath a dark red printed wool shawl, the hem of a spring-summer linen tunic is visible. As she speaks, she gestures to tuck her hair behind her ears, revealing a colorful tattoo on her forearm, resembling the tail feathers of a phoenix, which extends along her slender arm into her three-quarter sleeves. Her skin is tanned to a wheat color, and her attire seems somewhat mismatched with the weather; beneath a dark red printed wool shawl, the hem of a spring-summer linen tunic is visible. As she speaks, she gestures to tuck her hair behind her ears, revealing a colorful tattoo on her forearm, resembling the tail feathers of a phoenix, which extends along her slender arm into her three-quarter sleeves.
Chuan Chuan is not facing any major issues; the doctor confirmed during yesterday's follow-up that it is definitely not pneumonia, and he can go home today, just needing to come in for daily IV drips. However... Aunt Zhao sighed as she spoke and did not try to keep her. Mo Jingyan and Asuka said their goodbyes to Chuan Chuan, picked up their handbags, and were about to leave when a nurse pushed the door open, prompting her to step back and stand aside.
After stumbling and running for half a flight, her pace slowed down as she leaned against the wall, her mind in a state of confusion. What was she hiding from, and what was she afraid of? Hadn't she thought that she could face that tumultuous memory with composure? When she recalled the past and that person, hadn't she long felt indifferent, even struggling to remember his existence? He had gone far away, married, and had children; all of this was already old news. She was not just now learning of his whereabouts, so why, in the face of a mere "possible" reunion, did she feel so disarmed and at a loss?
The elevator doors slowly opened, and some people stepped out while others pushed forward, mingling with the crowd in the corridor. Yet she could not hear the noisy voices; instead, there was a roaring sound in her ears, like waves washing over the sandy shore. Among the crowd dressed in dark, somber winter attire, his black coat did not stand out; he was merely slightly taller than those around him, with broad shoulders and a tall figure. The way his arms swung casually as he walked, along with the slight lift of his chin, combined to create a distinct impression of him, so that even from just a glimpse of his back, he left a clear mark in her memory. Among the crowd dressed in dark, somber winter attire, his black coat did not stand out; he was merely slightly taller than those around him, with broad shoulders and a tall figure. The way his arms swung casually as he walked, along with the slight lift of his chin, combined to create a distinct impression of him, so that even from just a glimpse of his back, he left a clear mark in her memory.
Mo Jingyan took a deep breath, telling herself that everything was just too sudden, leaving her somewhat at a loss. In fact, all these thoughts were something she had already overcome several years ago, and she should not be thrown off balance at this moment. However, she could not leave as if nothing had happened; she was very curious to know if, by such coincidence, there was someone with a similar surname who had also named their son the same.
Mo Jingyan did not wish to linger for long. She casually took the invitation and placed it into her handbag, hurriedly bidding farewell to a few people before almost rushing out the door. She ran to the elevator, pressed the down button, and anxiously waited, watching the numbers on the indicator light decrease, lingering for a long time on the ground floor. Suddenly, she realized that the person might have come up by the elevator, and she quickly turned back, jogging down the stairs in haste.
There are millions and millions of people in this world
The woman holding Chuan Chuan turned around and sat down, smiling as she said: "You must be Miss Mo, right? I heard that you have been a great help to Leo during his hospitalization, thank you so much.
Aunt Zhao was about to go out to handle some formalities when she suddenly remembered something upon hearing her grandson's words. "Look at my memory; I forgot what Chuan Chuan said just a few days ago." She handed Mo Jingyan a beautifully crafted paper envelope, saying, "This is the invitation to the jewelry cocktail party this weekend, organized by my son's company. You can go with your boyfriend; I heard there will be many big stars, and all the guests will have a chance to win prizes."
My name is Auska, and I am Leo's mother. She held Chuan Chuan in her arms and asked in English, "Leo, did you say thank you to Miss Mo?"
Mo Jingyan was about to decline when Asuka's phone rang, and she could faintly be heard speaking in English, "Is it Igor? Are you at the hospital entrance? We are in room 410"
Chuan Chuan raised his hand: "My surname is also Shao. My name is Shao Yichuan, which means 'the river of January.' I was born in January and in Rio de Janeiro. In a few days, it will be my birthday. Will you come, big sister?"
Aunt Zhao stood silently beside her, only coming to her senses when Mo Jingyan entered: "Mo Mo, you are here, I am truly sorry to trouble you to make another trip."
Oh, go take care of the discharge procedures," the nurse said, "and this as well, you need to sign.
"Chuan Chuan is really smart." Mo Jingyan ruffled his hair and turned to Aunt Zhao, "Now that Asuka is back, you don't have to work too hard. I have something to attend to, so I will leave first"
The nurse looked at the three people gathered by the bedside and asked, "Who is Shao Yichuan's guardian?"
Asuka smiled and looked up: "It is Portuguese, but it is the Portuguese spoken by Brazilians"
Aunt Zhao quickly replied: "I am Shao Yichuan's grandmother"
Mo Jingyan was shocked, standing aside, murmuring: "Your surname is Shao"
"Thank you," he said quickly, as the young woman gently patted his head and, with a smile, softly said, "Hey, speak in English or Chinese"
Asuka, who does not understand Chinese, is puzzled, while Chuan Chuan is shaking her mother's arm, smiling and repeatedly asking: "Who is Chuan Chuan's guardian?"
Mo Jingyan could not help but tentatively ask: "What you are speaking... is it not English..."
No wonder, I can sound like a Romance language, but Leo says Obrigado, which is not Gracias in Spanish
"It's no problem, it's on the way anyway." Mo Jingyan handed over the CD, "These are some photos taken that day. I didn't select them carefully, so I just brought them all."
"Oh, sorry," Chuan Chuan stuck out his tongue and said in clear Chinese, "Thank you, big sister!" After he finished speaking, he felt a bit embarrassed and jumped into his mother's arms. The two switched languages and chatted cheerfully, their voices trembling and their tongues curling, accompanied by lively hand gestures.
Just as if I were never to see you again, I could continue to live my life nonchalantly amidst the vast sea of people
And now, he truly appears before me, suddenly making everything seem unreal
Her English was heavily accented with a rising intonation at the end, and her pronunciation was not very precise, yet her speech was quite rapid. Mo Jingyan listened with a general understanding, smiled at her, and replied, "You 're welcome," but could not think of anything else to say.
You may encounter more people in your lifetime than the stars you can see when gazing at the night sky each evening
After learning about Shao Sheng's marriage news, Mo Jingyan has been trying to detach everything from her past from her current reality. Perhaps sometimes she feels a sense of melancholy when she thinks of him, so she treats all her memories as if they were a movie she had watched or a novel she had read, considering everything as an imagination existing in a void.
The next morning, before going to the studio, she first drove to the hospital. She had already called Aunt Zhao to make an appointment before leaving, but when she pushed open the door to the ward, Aunt Zhao was not sitting on Chuan Chuan's bedside as usual. A young woman with long brown curly hair was kneeling on one knee by the bed, and Chuan Chuan was nestled in her arms, tightly wrapping her arms around the woman's neck
Mo Jingyan could not help but take two steps toward his direction, yet he ultimately did not turn around. He glanced at the sign and then strode toward the direction of the ward. This left her standing in the bustling corridor, surrounded by the crowd, merely gazing intently.
Aunt Zhao smiled and said, "My surname is Zhao, but my husband’s surname is Shao"
"I can speak many languages, I can speak Portuguese, English, Chinese, Japanese..." Chuan Chuan raised her small hand and replied happily