Worries

The two sat facing each other at the dining table.

Han Shuyu clasped her hands on the table, her expression full of anticipation.

"Eat up, try my cooking."

Lin Yuan picked up his chopsticks, a hint of hesitation in his expression. His chopsticks hovered over the sea bass for a few seconds before finally picking up a piece.

He lifted a piece of fish, put it in his mouth, and chewed for a while.

An overwhelmingly salty sensation instantly spread from his taste buds. Lin Yuan's brows furrowed slightly, but then smoothed out just as quickly. It was replaced by a look of feigned surprise.

"Quick, try it! This flavor is simply divine!"

Han Shuyu was immediately overjoyed. "Hahaha, it seems I do have a talent for cooking."

With that, she eagerly picked up her chopsticks, took a bite, and put it in her mouth.

But as soon as it entered her mouth, Han Shuyu's face contorted like a bitter melon.

"Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey! Why is it so salty?"

"You should ask yourself that, Chef Han," Lin Yuan said, struggling to suppress a smile as he looked at her.

"You, Lin Yuan! You knew it was bad and still lied to me."

Han Shuyu's face immediately fell into a look of grievance.

She put down her chopsticks, lowered her head, turned her body away, and began her habitual nail-biting.

After a moment of silence, she softly mumbled, "Lin Yuan, do you think I'm useless? I can't even cook a meal properly."

Seeing her dejected expression, Lin Yuan, sitting opposite her, was completely bewildered.

Logically, he had just teased her a little; she shouldn't be acting like this.

"Shuyu, what's wrong? I was just joking with you, teasing you."

Han Shuyu didn't reply, nor did she even look up.

Soon, Lin Yuan noticed her cheeks becoming wet, followed by the sound of sobbing near his ear.

This situation immediately left him flustered.

"Damn it, why are you crying? I'll apologize, okay?"

Lin Yuan's words didn't stop her; instead, she cried even harder.

She slumped onto the table and burst into tears.

Lin Yuan had never encountered anything like this. He wanted to say something, but he was afraid of saying the wrong thing, so he simply fell silent and watched her.

After an unknown amount of time, Han Shuyu seemed to have cried herself out.

She slowly lifted her head from the table.

Her eyes were red from crying, and her originally fair cheeks were flushed.

Han Shuyu sniffled, took a tissue from the table, and pretended to be calm as she wiped away the remaining tears.

The room fell silent again.

A few minutes later, Han Shuyu seemed to have calmed down a bit and slowly said, "Sorry for making a fool of myself in front of you."

"What's wrong?"

Han Shuyu looked at Lin Yuan, but instead of answering his question directly, she began to talk about something else.

"You know, my mom passed away when I was about this tall. I was only in third grade back then."

"At that time, I was young and didn't have a deep understanding of life and death. My dad told me my mom had gone to a very faraway place."

"From then on, I'd ask my dad every few days where my mom had gone. Especially when I saw other kids with their moms, I'd pester my dad all day."

"Every time, my dad would say, 'She'll be back soon, she'll be back soon.'"

"Lin Yuan, do you know what question I was most afraid of the teacher asking me when I was little?

It was 'Where is your mom?' I could only answer again and again, 'My mom has gone to a very faraway place.'"

"Later, as I grew up, I gradually understood where that faraway place was. But I still couldn't help but ask my dad once. I asked him if my mom was dead."

"My dad didn't answer. He just sat silently on the sofa all night. The next morning, when I woke up, the ashtray was full of cigarette butts. My dad never smoked at home, but that time he smoked an unusual amount."

"Perhaps it was because too much time had passed, or perhaps I had already guessed the truth in my heart but was unwilling to admit it.

Later, I thought about it. I lost my mom, but I still had a dad who cared about me. So many years have passed; I'll just live well with my dad from now on."

"But when I was in my first year of high school, my dad was transferred for work. Every day after school, the whole house was empty when I got back. Whenever it rained and thundered, I'd hide alone in the house, too scared to even go to the bathroom. At that time, I really wished there was someone by my side, someone to talk to, but I could only talk to the ceiling by myself."

"Later, my dad asked me to live with my aunt. I stayed for a while, but then I moved out.

It wasn't that my aunt treated me poorly, but every time I saw other families being happy and harmonious, I felt out of place, like I was an extra.

I tried my best to blend into my aunt's family atmosphere, but the more I tried, the more I don't know why... I felt even more uncomfortable in my heart."

As she spoke, tears welled up in Han Shuyu's eyes again.

Lin Yuan handed her a tissue.

Han Shuyu took a deep breath and continued, "The day before yesterday, my dad came back for a visit."

"He didn't come back alone; there was a strange woman with him."

"When I saw that woman walking into my house with her arm around my dad's, I felt like I was about to break down."

"I didn't know how to face my dad, nor how to face myself. It felt like I was the only one left alone in the world."

"Actually, I can understand my dad to some extent. After all, he's been single for so many years. He doesn't have anyone to take care of him when he's out. But I just can't accept this reality."

"Lin Yuan, what do you think I should do?"

After Han Shuyu finished speaking, Lin Yuan finally sorted out his thoughts.

He first let out a sigh, but then he smiled.

"What are you smiling about?"

"Han Shuyu, do you know who I envied the most when I was a child?"

Han Shuyu shook her head.

"I envied people like you the most – those from the city, with good family backgrounds, with connections. If your family so much as greeted a teacher at school, they'd have to show you favoritism."

"Me? A poor kid, with nothing in my family. If I hadn't studied my butt off, I wouldn't even be able to follow in your footsteps."

"My dad left when I was very young, leaving my mom to raise me alone."

"Do you know how difficult it is for a woman to raise a child by herself? My mom isn't like your dad, with such a good job and good family conditions. She was just an ordinary girl in her twenties, with no stable job. During holidays, my mom would take me to my relatives' houses so I could eat well. Every time, my mom would clean up the leftover dishes and wash dishes for my relatives, sweeping the floor, working until late at night."

"Do you know when I feared the most during the year back then?"

Han Shuyu shook her head.

"I feared the start of the school year the most. Because we didn't have money, my mom had to swallow her pride and borrow from others, going from house to house until she had enough for tuition."

"Han Shuyu, perhaps you feel that what you've experienced is unbearable, but I don't think it's reached a point where you can't face it. Maybe people's joys and sorrows are not the same. And I think I've had it worse than you."

"Besides, you're an adult now. You've been out of college for over two years. You should be used to living your own life."

"Anyway, if it were me, and my mom found someone trustworthy to rely on in the future, I would bless her. Because her life doesn't belong to me; she can make her own decisions."

Han Shuyu listened quietly, and the expression on her face seemed to improve slightly.

But she still snorted.

"How am I worse off than you? I'm clearly more miserable."

"Damn it, I'm not miserable enough? Touch your conscience and tell me, who is more miserable?"

"I'm miserable, I'm miserable! I cried, but you didn't cry."

"So, who's more miserable depends on who cried, right?"

"You lost your dad, I lost my mom. Lin Yuan, do you think we're unfortunate companions now?"

"Yeah, good brothers."

"Pfft, I wouldn't be brothers with you." Han Shuyu chuckled.

Seeing the smile reappear on her face, Lin Yuan felt relieved.

"Not sad anymore?"

"No more. Lin Yuan, you're right. I should live my own life."

"Alright, since you're not sad anymore, I should head home too. It's getting late."

"No!" Han Shuyu blurted out.

"Why?"

"I said no, so it's no. You have to stay with me tonight."

"Are you a bandit?"

"Who told you to make me cry."

"???"

Lin Yuan looked at her in shock. Do women just naturally twist things when they get worked up?

"I made you cry? Be reasonable. You started crying out of nowhere, what does that have to do with me."

"What, you trying to deny it? My eyes are red, that's the evidence. Caught red-handed!"

Han Shuyu pointed to her red-rimmed eyes, looking smug.