The following morning unfolded in a slow haze — the bustling city outside contrasted sharply with the stillness of the apartment, filled with the lingering scent of incense and the soft sounds of everyday life.
Guo Yu stood in front of the mirror, fastening the collar of a pale linen shirt that deviated from his usual wardrobe. The navy polo shirts and rolled-up sleeves he typically wore to work had been replaced by something more traditional, reminiscent of attire his father-in-law might have worn years ago: a simple, high-collared tunic, neatly pressed and understated.
Li Na leaned against the doorway, her hair partly tied back and her coffee untouched, observing him.
You really plan to go through with this," she remarked, her tone a mix of amusement and uncertainty.
Guo Yu gave a slight smile as he adjusted his cuff. "Your mother believes that showing respect starts with how one presents themselves. Perhaps she's right. If I speak her language… she might finally listen to me."
"She might think you're just pretending," Li Na replied softly, crossing her arms.
He caught her reflection in the mirror. "Let her believe that. If it gives her one less reason to dislike us, I'd don an entire wardrobe of pretenses."
Li Na felt a pang in her chest — a mix of love and guilt. He wasn't doing this for himself or even for peace, but for her. Each change he made was a quiet expression of love, woven seamlessly into their lives.
When Mei entered the kitchen, the smell of sesame oil and fried eggs hung in the air. The breakfast table was neatly set - Li na's habit. There was an extra bowl, one Guo Yu had taken from Mei's travel box. The porcelain was white,delicate,with a single painted peony curling along it's rim.
"Good morning ,Ma " , Guo Yu said stepping forward to pour her tea before she could do it herself. Mei nodded sitting down with her usual grace.
(Mei glanced at Guo Yu, not with disbelief but with mild interest.)
"You're dressed differently today," she noted.
Guo Yu smiled and nodded politely. "I thought I'd look more… respectable. More like what Papa might have worn at my age."
This type of tunic was quite common in your time.
Her lips twitched-not quite a smile. "You make us sound ancient. "
(Her eyes softened, but it wasn't out of approval; it carried a sense of nostalgia mixed with quiet dismissal.)
Li na chuckled lightly, trying to defuse the tension, but Mei wasn't finished.
"My husband never needed to dress a cretain way to show respect," she replied calmly, stirring her tea. "He valued stability and roots.
The air shifted. The faint hum of the refrigerator filled the silence that followed.
Guo Yu froze for an instant, his polite demeanor slipping.
(For a second he thought about his own mother- how easily she would've smiled at such a small gesture - and felt the ache of the difference. )
Li Na's heart raced as she watched the exchange.
"Ma," she interjected gently, "he's just trying to make you feel comfortable."
Mei's response was soft yet cutting. "Home isn't created by imitation, my dear. It's built on truth."
The ensuing silence felt heavy. Guo Yu averted his gaze, pretending to check his watch, as the shirt felt constricting around his neck.
Later, as Mei retired, Li Na found Guo Yu sitting on the edge of their bed, his jacket neatly folded beside him.
She quietly sat next to him. For a while, they simply shared the thick silence.
"I tried," he finally said, offering a tired smile. "You saw that, right? I really tried."
Li Na nodded, taking his hand. "She's not rejecting you, Guo Yu. She's rejecting the past, the life she can't return to."
He sighed, his voice low and weary. "No matter how much I change — my clothes, my words, my entire world — she will still see me as the man who took her daughter away."
Leaning her head on his shoulder, she whispered, "Then don't change for her. You can stop trying so hard."
He gave a faint smile , turning to wrap his arms around her.
"She'll never see you the way i do " She whispered.
But one day when she remembers us , she'll remember that you tried .
That night, after everyone had gone to bed Mei sat alone by the window again.
The city hum drifted faintly through the glass cars,laughter the rhythmic pulse pf a world she didn't belonged to.
Her eyes landed on the folded tunic shirt of Guo Yu hanging neatly by the balcony door. The fabric swayed gently in the night breeze clean , pateint , waiting .
She stared at it for some time, her tea growing cold beside her.
She knew he was trying - exhausting himself, really - to reach her.
Yet, she couldn't allow herself to be touched by it. If she allowed even a little softness, she feared she might never bring her daughter back home.
So, she redirected her gaze to the night sky, gripping her idea of home like a lifeline, even as, in the next room, the man she questioned was slowly dismantling himself to ease her feelings of discomfort.