That night, Lin Tiao had a dream where she went back to her childhood, to the first time she was sent to stay at a daycare teacher's house.
She was only about three or four years old, at an age where she was just learning to talk. She called for her parents with a soft, sweet voice, laughed at everyone she met, and had bright eyes, red lips, and white teeth, making her very popular with the elderly in the neighborhood.
In the peak of summer, both of Lin's parents quit their jobs to venture into the then-nascent real estate industry.
Both being only children and having lost their own parents early on, they had no one to take care of young Lin Tiao. As their new venture involved extensive travel and hardship, they couldn't take their daughter along. With no suitable solution, they were in a bind.
At that moment, Teacher Yang, who lived in the same residential building, volunteered to take care of Lin Tiao.
The Lin family and the Yang family were close, so Lin's parents felt reassured leaving their child with them. The day before they left, Lin's mother took Lin Tiao to the Yangs' and handed Teacher Yang an envelope containing a few thousand yuan.
Though Teacher Yang initially refused the money, Lin's mother insisted, and eventually, the money was accepted and spent on Lin Tiao.
Lin's mother spoke to young Lin Tiao, telling her to listen to Teacher Yang and not to cry, promising that they would be back soon.
Too young to understand, Lin Tiao didn't grasp her mother's words until she saw her mother walking away from the Yangs'. It was then that she began to cry, calling out for her "mama" in a soft, wailing voice.
Hearing her daughter's cries, Lin's mother paused but eventually steeled herself and left quickly.
Lin's parents were gone for over half a year. When they returned, Lin Tiao had learned to dress herself.
After staying home for only a month, they repeated the process, sending Lin Tiao back to the Yangs', leaving another few thousand yuan.
Again, Lin Tiao cried, and again, her mother did not look back.
For the next few years, this scene replayed every so often. Sometimes, Lin Tiao even wished her parents wouldn't come back, so she wouldn't have to relive the pain of their departure every time she was on the verge of forgetting it.
As she grew older, her father's business flourished, and her mother became his right-hand woman. When Lin Tiao was ten, they decided to move their company back to Xi City.
During those years, the real estate market in Xi City boomed, and her father's business grew larger. Despite being based in Xi City, her parents were often away for ten days or more.
So, Lin Tiao continued living at the Yangs' as she had before.
In her dream, the scenes shifted unpredictably. One moment she was laughing joyfully in her parents' arms, and the next, the happy scene turned into her crying and begging her parents not to leave as she followed them.
No matter how much she cried and shouted, the two figures ahead never stopped or turned back to look at her.
"Don't go."
Lin Tiao woke up suddenly from the dream, the intense emotions so real that she cried in her sleep, with tears still wet on her cheeks.
Waking up from the dream, Lin Tiao slowly let out a breath and closed her eyes. But the next second, she suddenly opened them wide. The ceiling above her was unadorned, not the familiar small floral pattern of her room.
Lin Tiao instantly snapped out of her drowsiness, her mind flooded with questions: Where was she? What was this place? How did she get here? Was she still alive?
The answers came as she hurriedly threw off the covers and saw the familiar photo on the bedside table.
She was at the internet café, in the room where she had slept once before.
Seeing this, the heavy weight in her heart lifted. She let her slender, pale legs dangle over the side of the bed and let out a long sigh.
She glanced around but couldn't find her phone. She didn't know what time it was, and she was worried that her mother might be frantic enough to call the police since she hadn't come home all night.
There was a pair of slippers beside the bed. Lin Tiao put them on and got up to walk to the sofa.
The room was dark, with the curtains tightly closed, so the light was dim. Lin Tiao walked slowly over and saw her phone on the coffee table.
As she walked over, she also noticed someone lying on the sofa.
She almost cursed out loud but stopped herself.
The boy didn't seem to be sleeping well; his brows were slightly furrowed, and the blanket was half covering him and half hanging off the couch. His arm was pressed on top of the blanket.
Lin Tiao hadn't known Jiang Yan was also in the room. Now that she saw him, she unconsciously slowed her steps. She walked around the sofa, picked up the blanket, and covered him properly before reaching for her phone.
The screen lit up, showing that it was just after five in the morning.
"Awake?" A hoarse voice suddenly came from behind her.
Lin Tiao couldn't help but let out a startled yelp and jumped a little to the side.
Jiang Yan had only been half-awake, but her clear cry woke him up fully. He sat up on the sofa and turned on the floor lamp beside him.
The room instantly brightened.
Lin Tiao then saw his swollen nose and the tired look in his eyes. She hesitated and asked, "What happened to your nose?"
Jiang Yan had been up until three in the morning because of her, and now his head was throbbing. Hearing her question, he glanced at her, "You don't remember?"
"What should I remember?" Lin Tiao genuinely had no recollection. She only remembered drinking and eating hot pot with Guan Che downstairs.
And then?
Then she fell asleep and woke up here. She had completely forgotten everything between drinking and falling asleep.
Jiang Yan rubbed his eyes, his long legs bent, arms resting on them, and he spoke in a tone thick with sleepiness, "You don't remember? Last night, you were crying and calling me daddy."
"That's not true! I didn't! Don't make things up!"
Jiang Yan lowered his gaze and looked at her, his eyes glinting with amusement as he spoke softly, "When I didn't agree, you punched me."
It was just after five in the morning, and the sky was still dark blue with a faint moon hanging above.
The morning air was cool, and Lin Tiao, wearing the black jacket Jiang Yan had given her the previous night, walked out of the internet café.
The oversized jacket enveloped her completely.
Lin Tiao and Jiang Yan walked side by side in the alley. The breakfast stalls hadn't opened yet, so the alley was relatively quiet.
Lin Tiao glanced at Jiang Yan, who was only wearing a short-sleeved shirt, and said, "Why don't you go back first? I can get a cab by myself."
The boy, looking tired with red-rimmed eyes, yawned and pointed to the intersection ahead. "I'll walk you to the front and make sure you get a cab before I go back."
His tone was firm, leaving no room for argument, so Lin Tiao didn't say anything more.
The alley wasn't far from the main road. In the early morning, there weren't many cars. Lin Tiao stood at the intersection for seven or eight minutes before spotting an empty cab.
She raised her hand to hail it and, as she opened the door, looked back at the person standing by the roadside.
He stood there in the morning light, wearing a thin short-sleeved shirt, casual black pants, and cotton slippers. His hair was tousled from sleep.
There was a comical bruise on his nose. Despite his obvious fatigue, he forced himself to stay awake out of concern for her, escorting her to the cab.
Lin Tiao suddenly felt a complex mix of emotions.
She had been independent since childhood, making decisions and handling things on her own.
Her parents had always been open-minded but had given her little care.
There was a time when Lin Tiao envied the neighbor's children, simply because their parents would watch them from the window whenever they left home. Sometimes, even from a distance, she could see their parents' silhouettes at the window.
These were experiences she had never had.
In her memories, the scenes with her parents were few and far between. Almost always, she was the one watching them leave.
When she got older and her parents returned to the city, they were still often busy with work, leaving little time for her.
Being cared for so simply like this was precious to her.
Lin Tiao got into the cab and saw Jiang Yan still standing by the roadside. She rolled down the window. "Go back. I'll be home soon."
Jiang Yan lazily lifted his eyelids and waved his hand twice, reminding her, "Text me when you get home."
"Okay."
As the car started and drove away, Lin Tiao turned her head to look back at the alley through the rear window.
There was no one there anymore.
She turned back, leaned against the seat, and closed her eyes to rest. After a while, as if remembering something, she took out her phone from her pocket.
There were several missed calls.
She opened the call log.
Meng Xin.
Sister Xiaosong.
The last few were from Fang Yisong and Lin Yongcheng.
Lin Tiao suddenly felt a sense of relief, knowing that her parents were still thinking about her, that she wasn't ignored or forgotten.
Just a few missed calls were enough to make her feel satisfied.
When Lin Tiao got home, there was no one there. Fang Yisong's slippers were still by the shoe rack at the door.
She changed her shoes, sent Jiang Yan a message, and then went into the bathroom.
She had drunk alcohol last night and smelled like it.
When Lin Tiao fully submerged herself in the warm water, she couldn't help but sigh with contentment. It felt incredibly soothing.
She was still a bit drowsy and, afraid she might fall asleep, didn't soak for too long.
As she left the bathroom, she heard the sound of the door closing. Drying her hair, she walked out and saw her mother at the door, changing shoes while holding her bag.
Her mother glanced at her but didn't say much, just spoke gently, "Have you had breakfast?"
"Not yet."
"Then come and eat something. I bought your favorite wontons." Her mother, having changed her shoes, picked up the breakfast she had placed aside and headed to the kitchen.
Originally intending to dry her hair, Lin Tiao decided to leave it wet and followed her mother. The two of them sat down at the table.
Her mother remained silent.
After eating a few wontons, Lin Tiao broke the silence, "Mom, I accidentally drank a bit last night and fell asleep at a friend's house."
Her mother looked up at her, "I know, Meng Xin told me."
On her way back, Lin Tiao had seen Meng Xin's message, saying she had explained things to Fang Yisong for her.
But the details of what was said weren't included.
Lin Tiao paused, then hesitantly asked, "What exactly did Meng Xin tell you?"
"She said you were under a lot of pressure from your studies." Fang Yisong sighed, recalling Meng Xin's words. "Your dad and I never expected you to become something extraordinary. You don't need to put too much pressure on yourself. Even if you don't get into a good school, we can support you for a lifetime."
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