In winter, the sky always turned dark exceptionally early. It was only seven o'clock when the car pulled into the residential complex’s underground garage, but the collision of nightfall and low temperatures made it feel like the dead of night.
Chen Jinyue knew this apartment had been purchased two years ago, but she had never been here. To her, everything was new. The car was new, the house was new. Even the people seemed new.
But could a person truly be considered "old"?
Had Lin Yunsheng ever been "old" to her?
She was overthinking again.
...
"Yueyue, change your shoes. Don't just stand there." Chen Fang took her suitcase and led her through the door.
She snapped out of it and looked around. The apartment seemed quite large, a world away from the home they had lived in during her childhood.
"Here, come over. This is your room." Chen Fang opened a door. The room was decorated simply but cleanly. There was a new bed, and inside were her old desk and two storage boxes from the old house.
"Yunsheng kept all of these for you. And this wardrobe..." Chen Fang continued describing the details of the items in the room, but Jinyue had already stopped listening.
She turned back to Yunsheng, who was standing in the hallway. "Thank you, Sister. That was very thoughtful of you."
She smiled beautifully, her voice sweet and clear. For a moment, Lin Yunsheng didn't know how to react. Did biological sisters talk to each other like this? Was this politeness or distance? Or was she simply trying to be sarcastic? She had never known how sisters were supposed to speak to one another.
She felt that Chen Jinyue should be as perverse as she used to be; otherwise, she should hate her just as much as she did when she left. She shouldn't be this polite and considerate, as if they were truly an ordinary pair of sisters.
"It’s only right... Take a shower and rest for a bit. I’ll go start dinner." After saying this, Yunsheng turned, took off her coat, and headed toward the living room.
"Oh, Yunsheng, let me do the cooking. You’ve been busy all day, it’s exhausting," Chen Fang said, following after her.
"It's fine, Mom, I—"
The rest of the conversation was cut off as Jinyue closed her bedroom door. She leaned against the door and let out a long sigh. The jet lag seemed to hit her all at once; she suddenly felt drowsy and exhausted. Her gaze drifted toward those few old boxes.
She walked over and used her right index finger to gently lift the top lid. After a quick glance, she moved the cover aside completely. Everything had indeed been stored away properly. She knew without asking that Lin Yunsheng had done it. Only she would be so meticulous in doing these things for her.
She reached in, pulled a photo album out of the box, and spread it open on the desk. She flipped through a few pages—it was empty.
*Heh... why is she stealing things?* she grumbled inwardly. She snapped the album shut and tossed it back into the box. Turning away, she grabbed her makeup bag and pajamas and headed to the bathroom.
While soaking in the bathtub, Chen Jinyue’s mind felt dull, as if she might drop dead if she didn't sleep immediately. She leaned against the edge of the tub, eyes closed, wondering why she had returned on an impulse. It was utterly meaningless.
But then, was there any meaning in thinking about these things while inside Lin Yunsheng's house?
She opened her eyes amidst the swirling steam and sighed again.
"Yueyue, are you done washing up? Go sit on the sofa for a bit, dinner is almost ready." Chen Fang was still busy in the kitchen. Likely worried about the cooking fumes, she had closed the sliding glass door and was shouting to Jinyue to make sure she was heard.
Chen Jinyue dried her hair and headed to the sofa. She couldn't bring herself to sit; she was so tired she just wanted to lie down. But her hair wasn't completely dry yet. She simply rested her head on the sofa's armrest, tossing her hair to one side so it hung in the air.
She lay there with her eyes closed for a while until she heard footsteps approaching. She knew it was Lin Yunsheng. The other woman stood still and didn't speak, as if waiting for something. Jinyue didn't bother opening her eyes, pretending to be oblivious.
"Jinyue, go dry your hair. Don't catch a cold." The person standing there finally spoke in a gentle voice. Jinyue thought that if she had actually been asleep, she surely would have missed that mosquito-like whisper.
"Mhm," she responded, but her eyelids didn't flutter, and she didn't move.
Lin Yunsheng stood there for another ten seconds or so before falling silent. She picked up the remote, turned the heater up two degrees, then grabbed a small folded blanket from the other side of the sofa and gently draped it over Jinyue. Then, she turned and went back to the kitchen.
The blanket was likely one Yunsheng used herself; it was completely permeated with the scent of her woody perfume. Once she realized this, Jinyue finally opened her eyes. She sniffed, pinched the corner of the blanket, and pulled it up to cover her face as well.
Chen Jinyue felt as though she had slept for a short while. When her mother woke her, her head felt heavy, as if filled with lead. She rubbed her temples as she sat down at the dining table, forcing herself to wake up.
"Yueyue, you must be tired. Just go straight to sleep after eating." Chen Fang handed her a bowl of rice. The kitchen door slid open, and Lin Yunsheng emerged carrying the final dish: Yam and Pork Rib Stew. She placed it near Jinyue, then pulled out a chair and sat down beside her.
"No rush. It's been so long since I've had a home-cooked meal, I have to eat properly." After saying this, Jinyue picked up her chopsticks and took a piece of fish. This wasn't a lie; she had spent six years abroad eating "white people food." Could that even be called food? At most, it was just fodder one had to consume to maintain bodily functions.
Chen Fang smiled happily, delighted to see her eat, and kept urging her to have more.
"Try this. Your Sister Yunsheng made it for you. She still remembers that you love Yam and Pork Rib Stew." Chen Fang pointed toward the dish.
"Mhm," Jinyue responded again, but she didn't move her chopsticks toward the stew.
"Yunsheng, after we're done eating, you go ahead and get to work. Don't you have a meeting to attend? I'll clean all this up," Chen Fang said as she handed Yunsheng her bowl of rice.
"Okay, thanks, Mom."
"Oh, what's there to thank me for? Also, don't forget we're inviting Jiang Haitao over for dinner this Saturday. Don't get too busy and forget. I'm even skipping mahjong with my friends for this."
"Jiang Haitao? Who's that?" Jinyue interjected.
Chen Fang wore a grin. Jinyue felt like her mother’s smile hadn't left her face all day, but this time, it looked a bit mischievous. "Just a friend of your sister's. When I went to the hospital for my check-up, he helped out quite a bit. He's a very nice young man."
Seeing this expression, Jinyue understood perfectly. This Jiang Haitao was likely the "high-quality male" her mother had mentioned during a video call—the one where "the man has feelings and the woman is interested."
*Impressive, Lin Yunsheng.*
"Did you hear me, Yunsheng? Don't forget." Chen Fang added, still worried.
"I know." This time, Lin Yunsheng didn't just answer; she answered with a smile.
*You're really something, Lin Yunsheng.*
Chen Jinyue frowned slightly, not wanting to speak. She felt the jet lag finally winning over her craving for hometown delicacies. Suddenly, she just wanted to finish this meal and go into a deep sleep.
But Lin Yunsheng didn't seem to notice—or perhaps she did notice the slight displeasure in Jinyue's heart? Jinyue couldn't be sure. But why did Yunsheng pick up a pork rib and place it in Jinyue's bowl?
Jinyue turned her head to look at her, but Yunsheng didn't meet her gaze. She acted as if she had simply performed a common, casual gesture of serving a guest.
Yet, Jinyue felt as though she could hear her asking:
*Why aren't you eating this? Do you not like it?*
*Didn't you used to love it the most? I made it specifically for you.*
Coaxing her, just like in the past.
—*Yes, I don't like it anymore.*
Jinyue chatted idly with Chen Fang at the table. Chen Fang knew she was tired and didn't push for much conversation, reminding her once more to rest after eating.
Her first meal back home was finished in less than half an hour. When she set down her chopsticks, it was barely half-past eight.
"I'm done. I'm going to sleep; I can't hold out much longer."
"Alright, go get some good rest. It takes a few days to get over the jet lag. If the room is cold, tell me."
"Mhm." With that, she headed toward the bathroom.
The pair of chopsticks was placed neatly on the table. The pork rib sat conspicuously at the bottom of the bowl, looking particularly jarring.
Chen Jinyue hadn't touched a single bite of it.
It felt as if nothing else existed on the dining table except that rib at the bottom of the bowl—no, it was the entire dish, perhaps even the entire day, that was mocking Lin Yunsheng. She suddenly felt quite ridiculous. How could she have thought for a moment that Chen Jinyue would become an ordinary sister to her?
Wasn't it obvious?
It was only logical for Jinyue to continue hating her.
Hatred, after all, is such a long-lasting and profound emotion.
