It’s about time, Su Muran’s retribution is going to get her soon. What goes around comes around. Can your Su family save your life? I wonder.
She took another sip of milk, the rich taste and luscious aroma of creamy milk warming her belly. She was cradled in swirls of comfort as the soothing warmth spread through her entire body.
Uh huh, just go on and pretend, we’ll see how much longer you guys can continue with that act.
She closed the laptop and walked to the window. The moment she drew the curtains, her eyes were instantly blinded by the glaring light streaming in from outside. She hurriedly shielded her eyes from the light with her hands, and when she had a clearer view of the scenery outside, she smiled.
Because it was snowing.
In fact, she had a particular fondness for snow. Somehow it had snowed so much but she did not realize it. She got herself a coat and started to make a snowman outside, all alone. Her cold hands went numb, transitioning from the initial icy coldness to the subsequent scalding sensation. But still she continued to roll a head for the snowman, and placed it on top of the other lumps of snow. She even added a pair of eyes for it. As for the nose, she made it out of a carrot taken from the house. Lastly, she dressed the snowman in her hat and spectacles before taking out her handphone to take a photo with her masterpiece.
When she looked at the photo, the lady in the photo was smiling, but the trace of melancholy that lingered constantly at the corner of her mouth was still there.
She took a few more photos before going back. By now, the snow was all over her body. Upon closing the door, the snowman sitting at the entrance was still in sight with its beaming, innocent face. The feathery snowflakes kept falling, her footprints vanishing into the onslaught of snow.
Yan Huan went back to her room and uploaded the photos on her handphone to the laptop, placing them in that same album.
All these were the photos that she had been storing for the past two years. There were hundreds of them and she would continue to accumulate them for Lu Yi to see.
Though she knew that he could not see them, she was just trying to make herself remember her past and keep holding on to those memories.
There she was, with a little bear in her arms, sitting in front of the laptop and digging through the previous photos. The photos were currently displayed in the auto-slideshow mode with sheets of photos flipping over one by one. She was a movie extra when she was 20, re-started her life when she turned 21, kicking off her acting career at 22, and married Lu Yi at 23. Those days were the most blissful days she ever had in her life, in spite of all the setbacks and hurdles.
At least, he was there. At least, she was there.
By the time she opened her eyes, she had lost track of time. Upon sitting up, only then did she realize that she had fallen asleep.
Glancing at the time, almost half a day had passed.
She opened the door and walked out. With all sorts of clanking sounds coming from the kitchen, she knew that the housekeeper was back.
Oh yeah, how could she forget? The housekeeper was not here yesterday, but she was supposed to return today. Thank God that she came back, otherwise Yan Huan might either be hanging around Old Master Lu’s place again to steal his food or just let her hunger wear itself out.
The housekeeper came out and hurriedly greeted Yan Huan upon seeing her.
“Miss Yan, you’ve came out just in time. I thought of calling you just now. The dishes are ready, you may eat now.”
Yan Huan walked over and sat down. She picked up the chopsticks and started helping herself to the meal. The housekeeper had been doing a great job in taking care of her by preparing three meals a day with a wide variety of recipes without any repetition. However, her current body could hardly absorb anything despite how much she ate.
What a waste.
Looking outside again, she wondered how the snowman was now.
As she finished her meal and went out, the snowman was still at the entrance, wearing the same naive expression with the spectacles and hat on it. Standing amidst the snow, feeling neither cold nor hot, the snowman just kept on smiling. The silly grin on its face was just like the Cheshire cat.
Dad and Mom should be back by the time New Year rolls around.
Yan Huan paid the housekeeper double her wages so that she could go home and celebrate New Years as well. As for her, she would be feeding herself at Old Master Lu’s place. Despite Old Master Lu’s sharp tongue, he would still spare her something to eat upon her arrival.
“Why are you here again?” Old Master Lu raised his voice as he caught sight of the self- invited Yan Huan. He even got himself up from the wheelchair. This girl had never failed to grate on his nerves whenever she came and sent him springing up from his wheelchair. Thus, it would be better for him to stand up in advance.
“The housekeeper’s on leave and I have nothing to eat.” Strutting in and making herself at home, Yan Huan took an apple and started biting into it without a sense of awkwardness. Of course the apple is there for consumption, it wouldn’t be there for mere decoration right?
“Can’t you just hire another one?” Old Master Lu flared his nostrils in rage. He was so tempted to point an accusing finger at Yan Huan’s nose right now. “Don’t tell me that you earn so much and yet you can’t afford it.”
“They would want to celebrate New Years as well.” Crunching her apple, Yan Huan was way calmer than the pissed off Old Master Lu.
Her unruffled behaviour in retaining her composure was growing steadily lately and her endurance had been boosted to a new level, most probably thanks to Old Master Lu.
“What do you want to eat, Miss Yan?” In a hurry, the guard asked Yan Huan so that the chef could prepare it. Fortunately, their chef did not have to go back and celebrate New Years since their entire family was here. Or else they would have nothing to eat as well.
“Just a bowl of noodles will do.” Yan Huan dropped her gaze, her eyelashes gently lowered as well.
“Today is my birthday, just a bowl will do.”
For her previous birthdays, Lu Yi would be there to help her celebrate and he would also shower her with lots of presents. But she had not been receiving any presents since the last two years, not anymore. Sometimes she even forgot her own birthday. If she did not happen to look at the calendar, she would have most likely forgotten that today was her birthday.
“Alright.” The guard quickly went to look for the chef. They will certainly bring a bowl of noodles for her since it was her birthday. Birthdays come once a year, so make it big.
Old Master Lu walked over and sat down.
“Hey girl, is it really your birthday today?”
“Yup, it’s written on my ID. Wanna check and see?”
Yan Huan raised her eyes. She was not in the mood to argue with Old Master Lu today. Old Master Lu grumbled in his heart. Okay, I will bear with you for a while since today is your birthday. Besides, what a shame for a dying old man like him to quarrel with a little girl.
Rummaging around his clothes and at the end of the day, he managed to find a 100 yuan note and slammed it on the table.
“Nah, take this. Don’t say I didn’t care for you. Go and choose your own present.”
“Thanks Grandpa.” Yan Huan took it. The word ‘Grandpa’ slid effortlessly off her tongue.
Old Master Lu turned his face away, to hide his awkwardness perhaps.
