February 4, 2024. The Beginning of Spring. Sunday.
Guangzhou, Li District, Lanxinyuan Residential Complex.
Because the temperature had kept dropping lately, the air was wrapped in a damp chill that would not disperse.
A thin layer of mist had condensed on the window glass, filtering the sky outside into a hazy gray softness.
Zhang Yan stood in the middle of the living room, folding a scarf in her hands, but her gaze stayed fixed on her younger sister.
Chen Shuangshuang was squatting beside the suitcase, stuffing her phone, charging cable, and the tablet she had only recently bought into her bag.
She dawdled over every movement, putting things in, taking them out, then putting them back again, as if she wished she could check everything three times. Today she was wearing a light gray hooded sweatshirt, her hair tied in a high ponytail, and she looked much livelier than before.
Ever since she had followed Zhang Yan to Shencheng last time and really met Su Yu, her admiration for this older sister had practically been written all over her face. The relationship between the two of them had also quietly drawn much closer.
But New Year was almost here.
Chen Shuangshuang had to follow her father, Chen Jinlong, back to their hometown and could not keep staying here.
The living room fell silent again for a while.
Chen Shuangshuang zipped the suitcase shut, then opened it again, stuffed in a pack of tissues, and zipped it shut once more.
Looking at her obvious attempt to stall for time, Zhang Yan could not help the corners of her mouth from curving.
"Can't bear to leave?"
Chen Shuangshuang's face reddened slightly, and she stubbornly said, "I—I'm just afraid I'll forget something..."
Zhang Yan smiled, helped her stand the suitcase upright, and smoothed