After finishing dinner with her mother, Ji Xingmi packed up her things and prepared to leave. Her mother didn't try to keep her for long, as she would be very busy in the afternoon and wouldn't have time to accompany her.
What Ji Xingmi didn't expect was to encounter someone she hadn't anticipated in the hospital's central courtyard: Xu Rui. She had originally intended to pretend not to see her and walk past. To her surprise, after a brief pause upon seeing her, Xu Rui walked towards her.
"Long time no see, Xingmi! Do you… still remember me?" Xu Rui greeted her as she approached.
"Mmm~" Ji Xingmi nodded. She didn't have anything she wanted to say to Xu Rui and was preparing to leave.
Xu Rui moved in front of her and looked at her, saying, "Let's talk? Do you have time?"
Ji Xingmi looked at the person blocking her path and asking her this. Was it interesting? She then walked towards the hospital's small garden. She saw a wisteria-covered corridor there, with seating underneath. It was currently the flowering season, and the scenery was quite nice.
The two found a relatively secluded spot and sat down. Xu Rui was still thinking about how to start, while Ji Xingmi waited for her to speak first. After all, Xu Rui had sought her out to talk, so it was natural to see what she wanted to discuss first. Thus, a brief silence fell between them.
Finally, Xu Rui spoke first, "Has your eldest brother been very busy lately?"
Ji Xingmi was looking at the wisteria above. Upon hearing Xu Rui's question, she turned to look at her. She saw Xu Rui's face filled with a delicate vulnerability, and if one looked closely, her eyes seemed to be filled with tears. "I'm not sure! I just got back!"
Hearing her answer, Xu Rui's prepared next sentence couldn't be spoken, as it wasn't what she had anticipated. She fell silent for a moment before saying, "Is he avoiding me lately? I haven't seen him in a long time, and whenever I try to find him, I can never reach him!"
"Why?"
"Probably because he thinks I'm a hassle and is impatient with me!" Xu Rui's tears began to fall as she spoke, but she quickly wiped them away and smiled at Ji Xingmi.
"Oh!"
Ji Xingmi's response momentarily caught Xu Rui off guard, her expression shifting for an instant before she quickly concealed it. Her tears started to flow again, and she had to take out a handkerchief to wipe them, sniffling intermittently.
Ji Xingmi observed her actions throughout, her expression unchanged. The scene made it look as if a pitiful girl was being bullied by another. Although there were few people around, some noticed them. Some even frowned, considering whether to step forward and mediate.
"I'm sorry! I can't quite control myself!" Xu Rui saw that Ji Xingmi was just staring at her for a while before looking away again, and she mistakenly thought Ji Xingmi was angry. She quickly apologized.
"It's alright."
"I didn't know who would be the right person to say these things to. When I saw you, I couldn't hold back. I'm truly sorry."
"You can talk to Director Xu!" Ji Xingmi suggested when she saw Xu Rui crying quite sadly.
"How can I speak about this to my grandfather!" Xu Rui suddenly became shy, her face flushing red.
"Why not? If your grandfather can't resolve this matter, what do you expect my elder brother to do?"
"Ah?" Xu Rui didn't understand the meaning behind Ji Xingmi's words.
"It's about your parents' matters! If you, as a daughter, can't resolve it, then Director Xu, as a father, should be able to, right? My elder brother is just your friend; it's not appropriate for him to get involved in your family affairs!"
The people who had been approaching heard Ji Xingmi's words. They nodded awkwardly towards Ji Xingmi, pretending they were just passing by.
Xu Rui didn't notice them. Her entire attention was focused on Ji Xingmi, and Ji Xingmi was looking at her. Internally, Xu Rui was astonished. That wasn't what she had intended to convey at all! Why did Ji Xingmi interpret it this way?
"Comrade Xu..." Ji Xingmi stood up, about to speak, but was interrupted by someone calling her name. Ji Xingmi turned around and saw her elder brother and Feng Changze standing behind her.
"Xing'er!" Ji Hao Cheng called out.
Feng Changze was the first to notice Ji Xingmi. When he entered, he had seen Ji Xingmi standing under the wisteria trellis. Just then, a gentle breeze blew, lifting the hem of her skirt. Ji Xingmi was looking up at the wisteria above at that moment. The sunlight shone through the trellis, falling upon her. Accompanied by the swaying flowers, the sunlight seemed to dance with life.
He was captivated by this scene and stopped in his tracks. Ji Hao Cheng noticed his action and then followed his gaze to see Ji Xingmi. Of course, he also saw Xu Rui sitting beside her. Thus, the two changed direction and walked towards them.
"Big Brother?" Ji Xingmi was first surprised by her elder brother's sudden appearance, then nodded to Feng Changze upon seeing him. Ji Hao Cheng glanced at his sister, then took a few steps forward, arriving beside Ji Xingmi. He said to Xu Rui, "Long time no see!"
As soon as he said this, Xu Rui, who had stopped crying, seemed to have an unstoppable switch flipped. Tears began to stream down her face again. This time, she didn't wipe them away herself. She just kept looking at the person standing before her, her hands tightly clutching the hem of her skirt.