On rainy days, the damp, cold air seemed to seep through the tiny cracks in the windows, leaving the entire bedroom not very warm. Chang Xuyu liked to sleep on rainy days; seeing such weather made her drowsy. Realizing she couldn't keep memorizing vocabulary, she suddenly sneezed, rubbed the tip of her nose, and walked toward the bed. Then she flopped face-first onto the bed, sinking into it. The sound of raindrops "pattering" against the glass reached her ears like a natural lullaby. Listening, her eyelids grew heavier and heavier, fluttering incessantly until they finally closed.
Chang Shengnan had been away from home these days, on a business trip out of town. She was said to be working with a partner, extremely busy, especially in the last couple of days—she hadn't even called Chang Xuyu once. Although the house was quiet, it inexplicably stirred a sense of loneliness from the depths of her heart. Fortunately, Chang Xuyu was used to being alone; she didn't necessarily have to live with her aunt.
The rain seemed to fall for a long time. When she opened her eyes, she saw that the sky outside the window was already nearing dusk. She had slept well. Chang Xuyu sat on the bed for a while, dazed, blinked at the clock on the wall, and felt a bit hungry. Just as she was about to get up and go to the kitchen to make something to eat, the phone rang.
It was her mother.
She pursed her lips and pressed the answer button.
"Xuyu, you... haven't been home in a long time, have you? Yanyan misses you. Why don't you come home for dinner tonight?"
The slightly aged voice echoed in her ear, becoming a bit hoarse by the end. Normally, when nothing was wrong, her mother wouldn't call her casually. Over the years, Chang Xuyu had gotten used to that; suddenly receiving such "concern" made her feel uncomfortable.
Preview