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Without mentioning the gathering of Ziya and the others at the teahouse, or the strange events that Liang Chao encountered on the way, let's focus on Sun Meng, who had stayed at home for a few days and finally ventured out today. The timing coincided with Liang Chao's group being at the police station. With a blank expression and a pale face, she appeared at Zhiqing's family shop, startling her mother into thinking that Sun Meng had suffered from heatstroke. Her mother rushed to apply essential oil and prepared some mugwort tea for her.
Sun Meng seemed indifferent to Zhiqing's mother's warm hospitality; she refused both the mugwort tea and the essential oil. When her mother reached out to touch Sun Meng's forehead, she instinctively recoiled and raised her hand to block her mother’s touch. The moment her mother's hand brushed against Sun Meng's blocking hand, it felt like touching ice—cold enough to send a shiver through her bones. Her mother quickly withdrew her hand and looked up at the sky, which was clear and sunny, with the sun’s rays pouring down fiercely. Alarmed, she wanted to examine Sun Meng more closely.
"Give me the herbs," Sun Meng said coldly, her expression wooden and devoid of any emotion.
"Herbs? What do you need them for?" Her mother thought something was off about her daughter today.
"To stop the bleeding." Sun Meng's eyes flashed with a chilling intensity that made it hard for anyone to meet her gaze. Her mother quickly averted her eyes, feeling an increasing sense of unease.
"Are you unwell? Where are you bleeding from? If it's serious, you should go to a big hospital; herbs can only treat the symptoms, not the root cause." As she spoke, her mother grabbed a handful of Blood Mother Herb from a basket—commonly used for menstrual pain—and packed it into a plastic bag while anxiously advising her.
"I'm fine." Sun Meng seemed to feel as if sunlight were breaking through clouds; she hurriedly moved into the shadow under the eaves, her voice hoarse and slightly impatient.
"Daughter, you look unwell. Is that why you haven't come by in so long?" Her mother wanted to draw out more information. She knew that Ziya and Sun Meng were good friends; recently, only Ziya had been visiting. It had been quite some time since Sun Meng last came by, and now she appeared visibly unwell and lethargic, asking for herbs specifically for stopping bleeding. There had to be something more to this situation. The older woman decided she needed to keep Sun Meng calm while secretly calling her son to come back and check on her.
"Mind your own business." Her mother was taken aback; she hadn't expected Sun Meng to know what she was thinking. Seeing Sun Meng's expression suddenly twist into something cold and sinister frightened her mother into frantic gestures of denial—waving her hands and nodding vigorously as if to say she wouldn't interfere. Yet inside, she was brewing with concern; based on her years of experience, it seemed likely that this girl had encountered something malevolent, and she needed to find a way to resolve it.
As Sun Meng's stiff body moved away from the shop, her mother noticed that she had already walked quite a distance before rushing inside to grab the phone. She quickly dialed Zhiqing… The call connected, but the voice on the other end was jarring—like plastic sheets being pulled against the wind or porcelain bowls scraping together in an eerie cacophony that pierced through her eardrums and struck deep into her heart. Clutching the receiver tightly, she slowly crumpled to the ground as a trickle of dark blood seeped from her ears…
Not far away in the teahouse, having just returned from the restroom, Zhiqing caught sight of Zhiqing's mother seemingly collapsed on the floor. Rushing over in alarm, he was struck with fear as his legs trembled uncontrollably and sweat broke out all over him.
Just as Zhiqing arrived at the teahouse without even having time for a sip of tea, he received a call from home near South Gate by the riverbank. He hurriedly informed Severe Cold and others that his mother's heart condition had flared up and they needed to rush to the hospital immediately.
Everyone was feeling anxious. Ziya wanted to go to the hospital with Zhiqing, but Zhiqing stopped her. Zhiqing knew that Ziya was sensitive to the smells of hospitals, and at the moment, they were also unsure about their mother's condition, not to mention the equally important matters concerning Sun Meng and Liang Chao.
Zhiqing left, leaving Severe Cold and Ziya in the teahouse. They exchanged glances, both unsure of how to start a conversation. People are emotional beings; a long absence of contact creates a natural distance.
"Uh, what’s wrong with Liang Chao's house?"
"The previous owner of their house was the sister-in-law of a friend from my army days," Severe Cold replied, taking a sip of tea, his deep-set eyes remaining tense.
"So what?" Although Ziya had questions about Sun Meng's house, she couldn't pinpoint what was wrong. Seeing Severe Cold's serious demeanor made her speculate that perhaps someone had died there or something similar.
Meanwhile, Liang Chao parked the car and felt uncomfortable; he wanted to take a shower immediately. Upon returning home, he found the house empty. It was cold inside, reminiscent of a basement, with a damp feeling lingering in the air.
"Mengmeng... Mengmeng..." Liang Chao called out several times but received no response. In the past, if Sun Meng heard him call her in such an affectionate tone, she would have rushed out from inside, playfully teasing him with her usual endearments. She would have given him a Western-style hug and kiss.
No one? Where could she have gone? Liang Chao helplessly tossed his car keys onto the sofa, where they clinked as they fell into a corner. He walked into the bathroom, turned on the faucet to adjust the water temperature, and began to shower.
The water flowed steadily in the bathroom, cascading down to his feet and draining away...
At that moment, the lock at the door turned gently, and Sun Meng entered. Listening to the sound of running water, her pale face broke into a faint smile. She placed what she was holding into a drawer of the TV cabinet, tied an apron around her waist from the coat rack, and headed into the kitchen to wash vegetables and rice. The scene resembled that of a virtuous housewife: while her husband showered, she prepared dinner—a warm and tranquil moment.
Liang Chao caught a whiff of delicious food from the bathroom; he recognized that aroma and guessed it must be Sun Meng cooking. A wave of guilt washed over him as he hurriedly got dressed and went straight to the kitchen. Seeing Sun Meng's pale lips made him gently embrace her, offering her long-awaited warmth.
"You're back?"
"Mm, I won't leave you anymore."
"Forever?"
"Yes, forever." Liang Chao kissed Sun Meng's light purple lips, his hands tightly encircling her waist, expressing his remorse through his actions.
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