Please prepare incense, joss paper, and other items for the deceased as soon as possible, Mom Chang. Huayan has been accompanying Flower Father, who is feeling low.
Huayan has no idea where Flower Mother and her brother's ashes are placed. Following Flower Father into the car, they head towards the outskirts. On the way, Flower Father spots a flower shop and gets lilies. Back in the car, Flower Father looks at Huayan affectionately and says, "Your mother used to put lilies in the house every day. She said that looking at the white petals lightened her mood and brought her joy."
The longing for his beloved makes Flower Father appear even older. Huayan silently worries about him, patting his shoulder. She herself has almost forgotten what it feels like to miss loved ones, except for a faint memory from childhood, when she longed for her parents' embrace while hiding in a corner of an abandoned warehouse after being bullied at the orphanage.
The sadness on Huayan's face makes Flower Father think she's grieving for her mother and brother. Comforted by Flower Father's concern, Huayan doesn't correct his beautiful misunderstanding. Honoring her mother and brother's memory by visiting their graves is also a way of cherishing them.
The weather outside is indeed as Huayan described, clear sky, sunshine, and a gentle breeze. Despite the heat, pedestrians on the road seem content. After an hour's drive, they reach a neatly arranged cemetery, shrouded in a subtle melancholy.
Huayan assists Flower Father up the stone steps leading to the resting place of the deceased. Following Flower Father's steps, Huayan finally sees the faces of Flower Mother and her brother. Flower Mother's picture radiates elegance, her faint smile seeming to rival the sunlight above. Her brother's resemblance to Flower Father in his youth is striking, albeit with a mischievous and untamed glint in his eyes. Yet, in this solemn setting, the young man in the cold stone epitaph appears purified by death, tugging at the softest corners of every observer's heart.
With solemn bows, Huayan expresses her gratitude to Flower Mother and her brother. Quietly, she wishes them as much happiness on the other side as she and Flower Father have.
Realizing Flower Father has many things to say to Flower Mother, she takes the opportunity to leave the cemetery and waits downhill. Whether due to her emotions or not, standing there, Huayan feels a chill creeping into her body. Looking up, the sun still hangs high in the sky, but she suddenly perceives a sense of activity in the cemetery, a kind unseen by ordinary people. Standing there, Huayan feels quiet and serene.
When she sees Flower Father again, his eyes are red, but he seems more spirited than in the morning, perhaps relieved of his burdens.
Back home in the evening, though Flower Father has been busy all day, he voluntarily cooks steamed fish and prepares delicious fish soup for Huayan. This is in response to Huayan's earlier request after they had a meal at a countryside farm. Flower Father remembered her words and went straight to the market to buy fish after returning from the cemetery in the afternoon.
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After a cheerful dinner, Flower Father sits down to watch the news while Huayan is about to return to her room to go online when Mom Chang quietly pulls her into the study to talk.
"What's the matter, Mom Chang? Why so secretive?" Huayan glances up to ensure Flower Father hasn't noticed them, then gently closes the study door.
"This afternoon, a person claiming to be your friend, named Li Meier, called looking for you. I know you don't want the old master to know about this, so I brought you here to talk."
Mom Chang says she doesn't want Flower Father to know about this, which is strange. This Li Meier might be someone she read about in her bedroom diary. Li Meier is also an orphan who left the orphanage six months ago, reportedly taken away by her relatives, who are wealthy and involved in business.
"Miss, you and Chengjie are divorced, so I might as well tell you that Li Meier can't be your friend."
"Why not?" Huayan recalls from her diary that although Li Meier is petty, she's generally okay.
"Well, during the months when you and Chengjie weren't divorced, she was already seducing him. Every time you left after meeting her, she didn't go home but got into Chengjie's car. I saw them being passionate in the car many times. She only wanted to befriend you to get close to Chengjie. If she really saw you as a sister, why would she get involved with Chengjie?"
Huayan is momentarily stunned by Mom Chang's words. Thinking she's excessively saddened, Mom Chang quickly lowers her voice and consoles her, "Miss, it's better to be without someone as fickle as Chengjie, and Li Meier, that shameless woman, just keep your guard up against her. Don't let my words upset you and harm your health."
Watching Mom Chang's anxiousness, Huayan feels a mixture of helplessness and humor. "Mom Chang, you're still as sharp as ever. Why didn't she call my phone? Oh, right. My phone showed low battery in the morning, and in my haste, I forgot to charge it. It shut off in the afternoon, and I didn't even realize. Did she say what she wanted?"
Through gritted teeth, Mom Chang continues, "You don't know. She spoke so softly on the phone, like a newly hatched chick. She knew you weren't home, didn't get to the point of why she called, and didn't hang up either. She kept calling me 'auntie' and beat around the bush, asking if you've been feeling down lately, if you've seen Chengjie, if you've been to his house, if you're still in touch with his family, and so on. I, Mom Chang, with my sharp eyes honed from working in those wealthy households for most of my life, how could I not see through her intentions? In the end, I politely said I've been on vacation for two months and don't know what's going on around you. Then she hung up. I even heard her muttering curses when she hung up. Such an ill-mannered woman."
Listening to Mom Chang vividly narrate, Huayan can't help but sigh, reflecting on her past days. A husband who didn't love her, in-laws who looked down on her, and a close friend seducing her husband. She never imagined Li Meier, who found her relatives, would stoop so low as to seduce someone else's husband and willingly become his mistress. The environment has changed, and people have changed too.
Assuring Mom Chang that she'll be cautious around Li Meier and won't get close to her again, Huayan finally puts her at ease.