The image wasn't just a memory; it was a physical warmth, a radiant bubble of pure happiness. The home in Beijing, that home, wasn't just wood and tile; it was a sun trap. The morning sun didn't just shine; it poured in, an aggressive golden honey flooding the front yard, highlighting the crimson blush of the peonies. A girl of eight, Li Na, was a blur of joy, her braids flying as she chased a brightly colored shuttlecock. Her father's laughter—deep, resonant, and entirely carefree—was the sound of perfect safety, while her mother, Mei, stood tall and beautiful, her hands reaching out to catch her daughter, her eyes filled with a love so encompassing it felt like the very fabric of the air. There was no anxiety here, no regret, no painful choices—only the simple, magnificent truth that she was loved, she was home, and everything in the world was exactly as it should be.It was the moment frozen in time, the memory of perfect, untouchable sunshine that Mei was asking her to return to.
Guo Yu sat in the break room, a stainless-steel counter gleaming behind him under harsh fluorescent lights. He gripped his coffee mug, the heat barely registering against the cold knot of stress in his stomach.
His friend and colleague, Wei Wei leaned against the wall, listening.
(Rubbing his temples, the effort of suppressing his emotions showing)
She's leaving Thursday. Mei, she has the ticket. But she still hasn't bought one for Li Na. Every time I pass her door, I hear her on the phone, talking to her sister—not crying, that's not her way. But she talks about the garden, about the street, about how much her father misses her. She's trying to rebuild that perfect memory Li Na has, trying to make it real enough for her to return.
(Wei sipping his coffee).And Li Na? How is she holding up?.
(A brief, genuine smile crosses Guo Yu's face, is quickly replaced by worry).
She's strong. Too strong.
But sometimes it becomes hard. Our love is the only thing keeping the guilt from crushing her.
Last night, she felt like a traitor.
Like she was negating her mother's entire life by choosing me. The angst is unbearable for her. That's the real problem.
So you talked about her father ?,Wei asked. That's a strong move.
(Guo Yu sets the mug down, his voice low and intensely serious.)
It wasn't just a move, Wei . It was necessary.
I didn't lie; he does miss her.
As long as Li Na thinks this is a contest between her mother and me, she'll be broken.
By making it about her father's well-being , by making it Mei's duty to go back and be happy, it gives Li Na permission to stay.
It gives her a mission.
I framed our happiness as a necessary sacrifice for Mei's return to her own home.
You're sacrificing the truth for a higher good: your wife's sanity , Guo Yu. (Wei said giving him a faint smile ).
(Guo Yu shoke his head, his eyes showing a flicker of self-contempt. )
The tension is exhausting.
I hate doing it. I hate making her worry about her father. But if Mei stays here, if Li Na leaves me, or even if Li Na stays and lives under the cloud of her mother's broken heart, that little girl in the front yard—the one full of sunshine—she's gone forever.
My love for Li Na requires me to be strategic, to be a little bit.. ... I have to protect her light. I will do anything, literally anything, to make sure she stays happy.
But every night, when I lie next to her, I feel the weight of this lie.
I just need to get through Thursday. I need Mei to walk out that door feeling like a hero, not a martyr.