As Ji Yanzhi listened to Ji Ting's sobs, each one shattering him to his core, anguish and heartache threatened to drown him. He turned away, raised a hand, and roughly wiped his burning eyes.
He knew Ji Ting missed Aunt. He knew even better that not seeing her one last time, not being at her bedside to care for her and see her through her final moments, had always been a bottomless fissure in Ji Ting's heart.
But he had never imagined that Ji Ting, a genius who understood the world through science, would stake all his hope and despair on an uncontrollable dream-unless the pain inside him had already left him utterly desolate.
For a moment, the cramped living room held nothing but Ji Ting's desperately stifled sobs, while Ji Yanzhi's heart felt as though it were being cut apart.
Just then, the 'Ji Minghua' sitting opposite them moved. She leaned forward slightly and laid her hand over Ji Ting's tightly clenched fist.
She sighed softly, her voice like a gentle breeze. "Silly boy, that's because... I've been beside you all along."
Ji Ting's sobs abruptly caught in his throat. Then, very slowly, he lifted his head and stared blankly at 'Ji Minghua'.
His mind was still struggling through the confusion, trying to determine whether those words were a comforting lie or a scripted line in this virtual projection program-
"Ji Ting." Ji Yanzhi drew a deep breath, as though he had made some decision. "Aunt is telling the truth."
Ji Ting turned toward him mechanically, his eyes empty and unfocused. "...The truth..."
Ji Yanzhi sighed and cupped Ji Ting's icy cheeks in both hands, holding his gaze. "Haven't you ever wondered?"
"Why did I know you lived here as a child? Right down to this exact door?"
"Why