As the fog parted, Li Yunli seemed to glimpse the outline of her mother’s tragic face. Those despairing, hollow eyes stared at her. The two locked gazes for a long moment until her mother finally parted her lips to speak. “A Yun, I’m sorry. Mom has to go. You’re such a good girl—you’ll be able to live well without me, right?”
No, she wouldn’t. Mom never needed to apologize.
Her vision blurred with tears. In the dream, it was the scorching heat of summer, yet a chill seeped into her bones, gradually enveloping her until she huddled her shoulders tight.
So cold…
It was clearly summer…
But the sensation didn’t last long. Soon, Li Yunli felt herself enveloped in a warm embrace. Her eyelashes fluttered incessantly, as if she could no longer bear to hear what her mother was about to say.
Deep down, she was still fleeing from it.
Mom, I’m a little scared.
She wanted to pull back, but the warmth around her shoulders left no room for retreat. It was Ji Zhenshi.
“Mom, is my obedience the reason you’re abandoning me…? I’m sorry, I’m blaming you again. What I really want to say is… it’s okay if you escape this sea of suffering.” Li Yunli sobbed quietly.
Such a gentle soul, even in her dreams unwilling to reproach her mother.
In truth, just witnessing it as a bystander was agonizing enough. With her mother trapped in endless hardship, how could she demand more of her?
It was misfortune in love, and circumstances beyond control.
Li Yunli’s heartfelt words seemed to reach her mother’s heart. The woman smiled faintly. “Our A Yun has always been so understanding. I want you to be happy—I long more than anything to see that day. But I can’t. I know it’s selfish, but I just can’t hold on anymore. I’m filthy. I’ve sold everything and stuffed the money into your schoolbag. Please leave this place. Go somewhere free of debt collectors, somewhere you can study properly. Of course… I know no such place exists, or else why would I be this helpless?”
Her mother was a deeply traditional, conservative woman. Li Yunli’s own gentle and refined nature spoke volumes of just how tender her mother must have been.
She couldn’t bear the stain of violation, nor the relentless harassment from creditors. She gave Li Yunli everything she had left, then departed this world laden with guilt. Utterly mired in debt—
Li Yunli watched helplessly as her mother twisted open the black bottle in her palm. Tears streamed down her face. After a long hesitation, she finally voiced those words. “Mom, if there’s no him in the next world, how wonderful that would be. I don’t blame you. Please don’t worry. I’ve met Xiao Zhen. We’ll be happy.”
Someone gently dabbed the tears from the corners of Li Yunli’s eyes with a tissue. Lin Qi’s mild voice continued to guide her. For the first time, Li Yunli recalled her mother’s face and their conversation across time with such vivid clarity.
She looked so young then, radiant in her prime. Even in plain clothes, her pure, stunning beauty shone through.
Li Yunli reached out to touch her mother’s face. “Mom, I’ll be happy.”
In her daze, she seemed able to speak—a hoarse, rasping sound like rusted metal scraping, harsh and unpleasant.
It wasn’t her real voice. Her throat ached, but uttering even that single sentence had exhausted her.
Li Yunli’s life had been one of powerlessness, but she had encountered a miraculous turning point. Ji Zhenshi had drawn her into a world of profound love with unexpected determination, letting her taste sweetness she had never imagined.
“Are you mute? Won’t that mean Ji Tingjun can bully you freely?”
“Hey, we’re square now, right? This is my bed—I shared half with you. In return, you clean the room. Don’t look so helpless. Being mute just means you can’t speak, not that you have no rights. If you want to work, go for it. What’s there to worry about?”
“Thanks, Sister A-Yun. Your cooking is amazing—so tasty. Thumbs up!”
“If he can have you, why not me? I’m jealous of Ji Tingjun. Even in prison, he occupied your reputation for a full six years!”
“I said I’m willing to bear any cost. I’m not afraid to start over.”
“Li Yunli, love me… can you?”
Ji Zhenshi’s voice grew clearer and clearer. Li Yunli struggled to open her eyes.
It was Ji Zhenshi’s worried face. She propped Li Yunli up in a panic, wiping her tears while her own eyes reddened. “Sister A-Yun, are you okay?”
Kneeling halfway on the floor in her urgency, Ji Zhenshi ached for her. Without thinking, she blurted, “Maybe we should stop. It’s not like you have to speak to be healthy. You’re fine as you are.”
Ji Zhenshi had never seen Li Yunli cry before. Watching her lean silently against her and shed tears made Ji Zhenshi’s chest tighten unbearably. She nearly called the whole thing off on impulse.
Li Yunli bowed her head, took the tissue, and wiped her face clean. She slowly composed herself. “I’m fine, Xiao Zhen. Don’t worry.”
It had been years since she’d spoken to her mother like this in a dream. Right after the incident, nightmares brought her mother back, but lately, even dreams rarely featured her.
“Does it have to be this way? Isn’t there another method?” Ji Zhenshi soothed Li Yunli’s shoulders, frowning at Lin Qi as she asked.
This was an unprecedentedly disheveled version of Li Yunli. Did she suffer like this every time she came alone for therapy?
No wonder she hadn’t wanted to tell Ji Zhenshi.
Lin Qi shook her head regretfully. “This is her only lingering trauma. You saw it yourself—she has a strong desire to speak. That’s already a great sign.”
Li Yunli clutched her throat and opened her mouth to try speaking, but in the end, no sound emerged.
Why was this happening?
She had spoken in the dream.
Perhaps there truly were no miracles in this world.
Ji Zhenshi noticed Li Yunli’s attempt and patted her shoulder. “Take it slow. You can’t rush these things—Rome wasn’t built in a day.”
If recovery were that easy, wouldn’t all those years of silence turn into a joke?
“I can feel my desire to speak burning strong. I’ve touched its edge. So, Doctor Lin, I’ll keep coming for therapy. I’ll do regular checkups at the hospital and take my vocal cord meds on schedule.”
After a moment of silence, Li Yunli spoke as if she’d made a firm resolve.
She was close to success. This disappointment was only temporary.
Lin Qi noted her frail state—even her lips were bloodless—yet here she was, committing to continue therapy.
Li Yunli had truly steeled her determination.
Lin Qi nodded. “Alright. I look forward to the day Miss Li recovers.”
“See you, Doctor Lin.” Ji Zhenshi gave a slight nod, then helped Li Yunli to her feet. The two slowly exited the room.
“Want some water?” Ji Zhenshi unscrewed the bottle and offered it.
Li Yunli waved it off, indicating she didn’t need any.
On the drive back, Li Yunli seemed lost in a daze, clearly not yet recovered from her emotional state. She looked utterly fragile.
Ji Zhenshi tried to speak several times but shut her mouth each time upon seeing Li Yunli’s expression. She didn’t want to distract her while driving.
An eerie silence filled the car. Ji Zhenshi’s heart ached, but she didn’t know what to do.
It felt like accompanying her had done nothing useful. She’d just stood by, powerless, her own heart twisting in sympathy at Li Yunli’s pain.
Frustrated, she raked a hand through her hair, on the verge of losing it.
Finally, Li Yunli pulled over to the roadside. Her soft gaze settled on Ji Zhenshi. “Xiao Zhen, shall we go on a date?”
“A date? Now?”
“Yeah, it’s still early. If you want, we can go.”
Ji Zhenshi blinked in bewilderment for a moment. She hadn’t expected Li Yunli to suggest a date at a time like this.
After a second’s hesitation, she replied, “Nah, let’s head back to the coffee shop. I’m a bit tired from the trip—I need to rest.”
Truth be told, Li Yunli’s condition worried her. What she needed now was rest, not forcing a date and pasting on smiles.
Being together should feel easy, not like compromise or obligation.
“Alright then. Are you free tomorrow? I want to celebrate with you. Didn’t you come in first? I promised we’d go on a date.” Li Yunli asked again.
A heavy weight pressed on her chest, stifling.
Perhaps it was the letdown of speaking in the dream only to face harsh reality again. Li Yunli couldn’t shake free from her low spirits.
Ji Zhenshi was distracted, her mind full of concern for Li Yunli, with no thought for celebrations. She shook her head. “No need. Isn’t year-end coming up? Tomorrow afternoon, the company has its annual event. As a newbie, Zheng Siqi dragged me into performing, so I probably won’t have time.”
“Sister A-Yun, next time you can call me along too. Once Teacher Tang leaves, I’ll have more free time—not so busy.”
Ji Zhenshi had work, so Li Yunli wouldn’t push her. She nodded gently. “Okay, no problem. We’ll do it another day. I haven’t scheduled the next therapy session with Doctor Lin anyway, so focus on work. The more sessions I do, the more insights I’ll gain. Maybe one day I’ll suddenly speak.”
She was resolved to regain her health. Nothing would stop her.
Just as she reached to start the car, Ji Zhenshi grabbed her hand on the gearshift. Unable to hold back any longer, she asked, “Sister A-Yun, what did you see?”
It must have been an excruciating scene for her.
Li Yunli’s eyes dimmed abruptly, as if Ji Zhenshi’s long-hesitated question had shattered her facade, exposing her tender vulnerability.
Her damp eyes lowered. Only after a long pause did she murmur, “I saw Mom… and you.”
“Me?” Ji Zhenshi’s pupils contracted. An unexpected answer.
She had figured Li Yunli might see her mother or childhood memories, but herself? Never.
What version of her lingered in Li Yunli’s deepest recollections? Ji Zhenshi was intensely curious.
She recalled her early days at the house—her attitude had been poor then. Clashing with her parents over violin lessons, she’d bristled at everyone, including this sudden “sister-in-law.”
Ji Zhenshi dreaded that Li Yunli might dwell on those times.
It would make her just another arrow piercing Li Yunli’s heart amid a barrage.
“Mom said she hoped I’d be happy. Then I thought of you.”
Ji Zhenshi’s love was a clear spring in desperation. Li Yunli had guarded it fiercely, even deceiving herself all these years.
“Xiao Zhen, can we hug?” Li Yunli’s eyes rimmed red. She gazed at Ji Zhenshi and reached out.
How could Ji Zhenshi refuse? “Sure, let’s hug, sis.”
She leaned in swiftly, pressing a gentle kiss to the corner of Li Yunli’s eye, then brushing away the tears with her fingertips. Her voice trembled. “I wish I could bear this all for you.”
There was no true empathy in the world, but love taken to extremes brought heartache so intense it felt soul-rending. She longed to shield the person before her, yet could only watch helplessly.
Li Yunli’s pain was Ji Zhenshi’s own torment.
She had fought to come along, willingly enduring this agony.
Ji Zhenshi pulled her close, patting her back soothingly. “I won’t ask anymore, okay? No questions at all. I just want you not to be so sad.”
Li Yunli brushed tears from her eyes and rested against Ji Zhenshi’s shoulder, closing her eyes to savor this fleeting peace.
Ji Zhenshi was a pushover at heart. The slightest grievance from Li Yunli left her defenseless, compromising without principle or hesitation.
All she wanted was for Li Yunli to be well.
Ji Zhenshi kissed her earlobe and held her tighter. “I’m here to love you. If facing the past is too hard, we don’t have to. And regaining your voice doesn’t require this method. We can switch doctors—maybe she’ll heal you from a different angle.”
Slower pace was fine. Costly was fine. As long as it didn’t hurt so much.
“No need. I felt a real breakthrough. I want to keep going with the therapy. It might end up for nothing, but let’s try.” Li Yunli shook her head, refusing. She lingered on Ji Zhenshi’s shoulder, reluctant to let go.
She wanted to hold on forever.
But they couldn’t stay parked forever. Finally, Ji Zhenshi said, “Let me drive.”
Li Yunli wasn’t in any state to.
“No, you’re not familiar with it.” Li Yunli shook her head.
Ji Zhenshi didn’t argue. She hopped out, yanked open Li Yunli’s door, braced one hand on the roof, and leaned in until their noses touched. “If you don’t let me, I’ll keep kissing you until you do.”
“Xiao Zhen, don’t mess around. We can’t park here long…”
Before Li Yunli could finish signing, Ji Zhenshi’s lips curved up. She stole a quick kiss on her nose. Close call—
“Alright, get back in. How long ago did you even get your license? You barely drive.”
Ji Zhenshi pecked her again.
“…”
Li Yunli was helpless against her antics. Blushing, she pushed Ji Zhenshi away and got out.
Xiao Zhen always bullied her this way.
Ji Zhenshi grinned smugly. “Sis, you just wanted my kisses, admit it.”
Li Yunli lowered her eyes and kept walking, pretending not to hear.
Twisting facts, stirring trouble, making a fuss without reason!
Since getting her license, Ji Zhenshi rarely drove. Handling the car again made her a bit nervous, so she drove extra cautiously the whole way.
Li Yunli gripped the overhead handle, watching her intently.
“Don’t trust me, huh?” Ji Zhenshi caught it from the corner of her eye.
“Drive properly!” Li Yunli fretted, fearing distraction.
“See? Told you I could.” Ji Zhenshi parked smoothly, winked flirtatiously at Li Yunli, and pushed the door open.
But the next instant, spotting the unwelcome intruder, her face stiffened. A bad premonition hit her. After shutting the door and stepping out, she wanted to cover Li Yunli’s eyes and whisk them both away.
The man, who had been waiting awhile, called out first. “Li Yunli, where’ve you been? I’ve been waiting forever. Your phone’s off—what’s your deal?”
Li Yunli’s expression darkened. She glanced at him and moved to walk past without a greeting, giving him no courtesy.
For Li Yunli, such rudeness was rare.
