The young lady remained quiet for a moment, and then her eyes turned watery as if something suddenly came to her. In an even more raspy tone, she asked, "Is it because… I pestered Uncle Qingcheng to sleep together every night. Uncle Qingcheng… you don't like it?"
Gu Qingcheng didn't make a sound, though his brows were knitted even tighter now.
"Uncle Qingcheng… then, tonight, you can return to your room to sleep. I won't disturb you tonight, okay? It must be uncomfortable sleeping in the study. I… I can sleep in my room by myself, it's okay. I'm not scared anymore. You rest well."
Gu Qingcheng said nothing. When he heard Yun Liuli say that she wasn't going to look for him tonight, there was an empty feeling in his heart.
"Go sleep a while first!" Gu Qingcheng's chest felt sore as he spoke to Yun Liuli.
Yun Liuli nodded, then bent over to pick up her pillow. She went back to the bedroom without saying a word.
Thinking that Yun Liuli had gone to make up for her sleep, Gu Qingcheng didn't ask her to come out for breakfast. When Auntie Li was done preparing lunch, out of guilt, he personally asked Yun Liuli to come out to have lunch.
Yun Liuli didn't say she wouldn't eat. She obediently came out, sat at the dining room table, and quietly finished her lunch, then said she was full. After the checkup at the hospital, the young lady went back to her room.
Gu Qingcheng saw that the phone Yun Liuli used to play Tetris was placed on the coffee table. In the morning, she went back to her room to sleep, and then later, she went to the hospital for a checkup. Then… why didn't she take her phone into the room with her to play in the afternoon?
Perhaps noticing that something wasn't quite right with Yun Liuli's emotions, Gu Qingcheng walked to her bedroom. He saw that the young lady didn't close the door properly. Through the cracks, he saw the young lady sitting before her desk, back facing the door, staring out the window listlessly…
Such a Yun Liuli made Gu Qingcheng recall that kid of several years ago, the one who sat before her desk all day without a sign of life in her.
Gu Qingcheng didn't make a sound and quietly left.
After fidgeting around for several hours, Gu Qingcheng went to take a look again. Yun Liuli was still sitting there, not moving at all. He knocked on the door with a frown.
The young lady turned around and looked towards the door. She saw that Gu Qingcheng had pushed the door into the room.
Yun Liuli said nothing, merely staring at Gu Qingcheng, looking lost… Those were the same pretty yet empty-looking eyes Gu Qingcheng saw several years ago.
Gu Qingcheng walked over and sat on the edge of Yun Liuli's bed. He handed Yun Liuli's phone to her and asked, "What's the matter? Aren't you particularly fond of playing Tetris? Why did you not bring your phone into your room…"
"Then, Uncle Qingcheng will find you some other games. There are plenty of fun games. Wanna try?" Gu Qingcheng asked.
Yun Liuli shook her head again, and a polite smile appeared on her pale face. "No need, thanks, Uncle Qingcheng."
Gu Qingcheng didn't know what to say to such a Yun Liuli.
All along, Gu Qingcheng had hoped for Yun Liuli to keep a distance from him, but when Yun Liuli truly did so, Gu Qingcheng felt upset.
He couldn't resist asking, "Is something troubling you, Xiao Liuli?"
Yun Liuli shook her head and merely smiled at Gu Qingcheng. "No, Uncle Qingcheng…"
Gu Qingcheng gazed at the way Yun Liuli smiled, then nodded and got up, walking out of the room.
That night, Yun Liuli didn't look for Gu Qingcheng with her pillow again.
At 3 am, Gu Qingcheng, who couldn't sleep, got up to drink some water. He thought of Yun Liuli and involuntarily walked to her room. He then gently twisted the door handle and glanced into the room…
Yun Liuli was still seated before her desk. Gu Qingcheng was shocked. "Liuli…"
Yun Liuli turned around. There were still tears on her face that she didn't get to wipe away in time. Gu Qingcheng felt his breathing stop.
He asked with a frown, "Why aren't you sleeping yet?"
Yun Liuli stood up and looked towards Gu Qingcheng in a reserved manner, not saying a word.
Gu Qingcheng completely opened the door and turned on the lights. Only then did Yun Liuli raise a hand to block the light and say to Gu Qingcheng, "Uncle Qingcheng, I'm very sorry to have caused you trouble. I'll be good and go back after I'm done recuperating. I won't give you any trouble. Mm… if Uncle Qingcheng still finds it troubling, why don't I go back to my own home? My injuries aren't so severe anymore. All these years, I've gotten by on my own. I'm capable of taking care of myself!"
"What trouble are you talking about!" Gu Qingcheng felt vexed, so his tone wasn't all that good.
"Uncle Qingcheng… I'm not a seven-year-old child anymore. The blood clot in my skull has almost entirely dissipated, to the point that there's just a little bit of it left. My memories are coming back bit by bit. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself!" Yun Liuli said.
Gu Qingcheng was surprised. After a momentary silence, he asked, "Up to which point did you recover your memories? Why didn't you tell Bai Jinyu when we went for the checkup today?"
"Dr. Bai said that as the blood clot dissipates, I'll recover my memories bit by bit. So, Uncle Qingcheng…" Yun Liuli gazed at Gu Qingcheng, her voice calm. "I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself! All these years, I've taken care of myself! When I fell sick, I was also the one taking care of myself. Even if I'm all alone… I'll be able to take care of myself very well."
Recalling the way Yun Liuli was sitting there and not moving an inch, Gu Qingcheng couldn't help recalling the first time the young lady was brought to his place. At that time, Yun Liuli was so lonely it was heartbreaking.
She smiled at Gu Qingcheng, then lowered her head, speaking as if mumbling to herself. "In any case… I've been all by myself since I was young. I'm used to it. What's more, even though many people have told me that they wouldn't leave me alone, I still end up lonely and have no one. It's okay… I've gotten used to it!"
Gu Qingcheng felt like someone stabbed a knife into his heart.
"Uncle Qingcheng, if you're unable to follow through on your words never to abandon me in this lifetime, then please… don't treat me well. Living all by myself after tasting bliss would be even more lonely… even harder to endure!" Yun Liuli lowered her head. When she spoke, she dared not look into Gu Qingcheng's eyes.
Yun Liuli wasn't lying. Because she had tasted warmth and bliss with Gu Qingcheng, if she were to lose him, she wouldn't know what the meaning of life was anymore.
Gu Qingcheng's throat vibrated. Looking at the young lady… he wasn't able to guarantee her once again that he wouldn't ever abandon her in this lifetime.
Because Yun Liuli said that her memories were gradually coming back to her, she was no longer that "seven-year-old" little girl…
If he were to give her promises now, then once Yun Liuli regained all of her memories, what would Gu Qingcheng do with her?
Gu Qingcheng, who didn't dare give any promises, could only gaze deeply at Yun Liuli before exiting her room.
At the thought of how the young lady would go back to behaving the way she used to, sitting there the entire night and not sleeping, Gu Qingcheng stood in the center of the living room and hesitated a moment. He then warmed up a cup of milk and took it to Yun Liuli.