It took a long while before Mother Hua finally spoke again, her voice muffled. "Why didn't it tell me?"
"If I'd known..."
"I would have stayed with it."
"Stayed with it the whole time."
"How did I fall asleep?"
"Xiao Jin..."
Mother Hua suddenly felt overwhelmed with grief.
Xiao Jin had reached the end of its life right beside her, and she had been asleep?!
After waking up, she had even blamed Xiao Jin for leaving without saying goodbye?!
How could she have been so awful?!
How could she...
Father Hua comforted her. "You didn't know."
"It didn't want you to know, either."
"You were friends, weren't you?"
"It just didn't want you to be sad."
Yes, Xiao Jin hadn't wanted her to be sad.
Mother Hua knew that.
Though they had spent only a single day together, she had been showered with its kindness the whole time.
Xiao Jin had praised the beautiful sound of her zither.
Even though Xiao Jin barely understood what she said, it had still tried its best to answer her, knowing how much she wanted a response.
Xiao Jin had said that it had come to her because of her music.
Xiao Jin had said that if she stopped playing, it would be sad not to hear her music again.
Xiao Jin had said that now they knew each other, they would still be friends even if she stopped playing.
"You were the only friend the mayfly ever had."
Xiao Xiao rubbed his fingers along the rim of his teacup. "I think it wanted the memories you shared to be happy ones."
"It was glad to meet you."
"And it hoped you were glad to meet it, too."
"And..."
He spoke softly. "That you would remember it."
"I'm glad you