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墨書 Inktalez
"What is this? This isn't mine! I've never seen it before, I swear! And this book isn't mine; it was given to me by Hu Yao."
Even though I explained earnestly, judging by her expression, she probably wouldn't believe me. Whether she believed me or not was up to her; the truth was that I had never seen it before.
Ouyang Zhirou slammed the book down on the floor, fuming with anger.
Soon it was dinner time. With so many people gathered together, the atmosphere was quite pleasant. Just as they were raising their glasses to toast and prepare to eat, I brought up a question that plunged the room into silence.
"Why are we eating? Aren't we missing someone?"
Everyone looked at me as if they had seen a ghost. "Missing someone? Who's missing? Everyone is here!"
"Mom, aren't we waiting for Ouyang Zhirou's mother to join us for dinner? That doesn't seem right."
I had no idea that Ouyang Zhirou's mother had already passed away; my comment was completely thoughtless.
After I spoke, Old Zhao quickly covered my mouth, signaling me to stop talking.
Both Ouyang Zhirou and Ouyang Xiong were stunned by my words, but Ouyang Zhirou's reaction was the most pronounced. She lost grip of her chopsticks, which clattered to the ground. The death of her mother was an unresolved wound in her heart.
Realizing my mistake, I hurriedly apologized repeatedly. But perhaps it was too late for apologies now.
To ease the tension, Ouyang Xiong raised his glass and said to everyone, "It's fine, it's all in the past; it's been so many years."
The more he said that, the more guilty I felt. Damn it, Zhao Lun, why couldn't you just keep your mouth shut?
Throughout the dinner, Ouyang Zhirou remained sullen. Old Zhao, Li Hong, and even my grandparents spoke to her only in passing. Seeing her like this made my heart ache more and more. I couldn't fathom her pain; I came from a happy family, and she should have too—if only fate hadn't played such cruel tricks.
When she picked up another pair of chopsticks and absentmindedly grabbed a dish to eat, a tear fell from her eye.
She shed tears, but it felt as if my heart was pierced by that single drop.
"Zhi Rou..."
"Dear daughter..."
Everyone witnessed Ouyang Zhirou's actions but felt as if a great hand had tightened around their throats; no one knew what to say next.
With tear-filled eyes, Ouyang Zhirou looked at Li Hong and choked out, "Auntie, your cooking is really delicious."
Li Hong's heart broke at the sight of the crying girl. She reached out to wipe away the tears streaming down Ouyang Zhirou's cheeks and said gently, "Sweetheart, if you like it, come over often for meals. Auntie will cook for you."
Ouyang Zhirou nodded vigorously and continued to eat a few more bites of rice. Tears fell into her bowl; while they should have made the rice taste salty, in her mouth they tasted sweeter than honey.
She said her makeup was all smudged from crying and turned to head to the backyard to fix it. Wasn't it better to go to the restroom for that? It was clear she wasn't really going to touch up her makeup.
Just as she stepped out, I immediately got up and followed her. Ouyang Xiong also stood up but was pushed back down into his seat by Zhao Changsheng. "Let the younger ones handle this," he said. "What’s meant to happen will happen. With Zhao Lun by her side, she’ll be fine."
Ouyang Xiong understood all too well. His heart ached, knowing that no matter how much he cared for and protected her, he would eventually grow old one day.
As soon as Ouyang Zhirou entered the backyard, she began to wail, her cries heart-wrenching and filled with despair.
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