As the days passed, Lianhua never let the subject drop completely. She dropped quiet comments during breakfast, during evening tea, always with that same wounded look in her eyes. "Your father came home late again last night. Smelled like that a different perfume. Didn't even kiss me goodnight." She left her phone open on the counter once, showing a deleted call log. Another time she "accidentally" played a short audio clip she claimed was from Renzhi's study. It sounded like a low female laughter, then his voice saying he'd call back later.
Mei started watching her father more closely. She noticed the late nights, the way he avoided eye contact with Lianhua, the quick way he deleted messages. Doubt crept in... Maybe her mother was right.
One quiet afternoon Lianhua sat beside Mei on the sofa again, voice soft and defeated. "I just want to feel alive again. To come so hard I forget my own name. The way West made you come… I'd give anything for that. Even once."
