London.
As usual, after class, Li Xia returned to her apartment alone.
With New Year's just around the corner, she wanted to create a little sense of ceremony for herself. After dropping her schoolbooks off at home, she prepared to buy some delicious food from a few Chinese restaurants.
Two hours later, she returned carrying bags of all sizes and arranged the takeout containers across the table.
With Teacher Gu and Li Cheng gone, this was the only way she could eat by herself.
It did not feel much like home, but she could get by. Besides, if she took a photo and sent it to Teacher Gu, wouldn't that show her desire to share?
Life still had plenty to look forward to.
Li Xia chuckled to herself, poured all the food from the containers onto plates, took another photo, and sent it to her family.
And to Teacher Gu as well...
Before long, a notification sounded. Li Xia picked up her phone and saw that her mother had replied.
After replying, her mother called her on video.
In this foreign country, Li Xia began chatting with her mother.
She did not know how long they talked, but Li Xia suddenly realized that the entire table of food in front of her had gone completely cold.
After the call ended, she sat dazedly in her chair, staring foolishly at the food on the table. Only then did she realize that she seemed to have no appetite at all.
She picked up a bite with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth, only to find that it really had gone cold.
It was cold, no longer tasty, and she did not want to eat it.
No...
Perhaps she had not wanted to eat in the first place, which was why