Chapter 245: Zoe Qing II: The Second Heart Breaks

A sheet-rippling sound echoed as Zoe opened the folded white sheet carrying Leon’s supposed image.

Her head snapped back as she glanced at Lily’s smiling face, before shifting her pale face back to the stick-figure image that had two triangular-looking hearts and no mouth.

"I told you it would look just like him," Lily said and ran off into the sitting room, while Zoe stood there, unable to control her laughter whenever her gaze fell on the sheet.

Li Mei sat in her wheelchair as Lily approached her with a smile on her face.

"Mom, I have drawn an image of Leon," she said and crouched down before Li Mei, while slowly rubbing her lap with her cheeks.

"Was it nice this time?" Li Mei asked while slowly searching for Lily’s face with her raised palms.

Lily held Li Mei’s arms, then cupped her face with them. "Yes, I made sure it had two hearts so that he can use one when one gets destroyed."

Li Mei shook her head, while slowly shifting her sightless gaze toward the window, but her movement stopped exactly where the room’s door stood.

Zoe’s eyebrow raised while she leaned against the door and saw Li Mei looking in her direction.

’IS HER SIGHT BACK?’ she screamed in joy in her head, then began to slowly stroke her chin.

"Please, can you shift to the side slightly so I can give Li Mei her herbal tea?" Min-seo asked as she moved from the kitchen door and stopped behind Zoe.

"Are you done with the stew you were just preparing?" Zoe asked when the sweet vegetable stew scent flew into her lungs.

"It’s on the fire, but I will check it once I go back inside the kitchen," Min-seo said, then smiled.

"I know you’re tired, you just don’t want to accept it," Zoe said and politely took the silver tray from Min-seo. "Let me help you with this, so you can finally have some rest."

Min-seo wrapped her left arm over her stomach while the fingers of her right kept brushing her neck, watching Zoe move with the tray in her hands. "I bless the day I accepted this offer."

The moment Zoe tilted her head and looked back at the sitting room’s door, Min-seo nodded once before moving upstairs to her room.

"I brought your herbal tea, Auntie," Zoe said while slowly setting the tray down on the table at the right side of Li Mei. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"It’s prepared with love, warmth, and care." She paused, then shifted her gaze to Lily. "Just like the one flowing through your house."

Lily straightened herself from Li Mei’s front, then placed a hand on Zoe’s waist. "Aunty, when are you and my brother getting married?"

Zoe’s face dulled for a moment before a wide smile spread across her face, causing her silver-grey eyes to grow brighter while her heartbeat calmed. "When the time is right, Lily."

Lily ran out of the room and climbed the stairs, singing praises while shaking her body. "Brother is getting married soon. We will be one big family. And I will have kids of my own that I can carry on my back."

’Leon, when are you coming?’ Zoe said in her head as she watched Lily’s figure vanish from sight.

Two drops of tears dripped from Li Mei’s eyes as she blinked and shifted her sightless eyes toward the direction of Zoe’s breathing sounds.

Her palms lingered in the air for a while before finally wrapping onto Zoe’s face. "Be the girl you’ve always wanted to be and take good care of my family when I’m no more."

Zoe’s eyes saddened for a moment before she placed her palms on Li Mei’s. "Don’t say that, you will grow old and see all your grandchildren and their children, Li Mei."

When she lowered her face and breathed into Li Mei’s palm, Li Mei’s expression shifted. "Is everything okay, Zoe?"

"Everything is fine, Auntie," Zoe said as she lifted her gaze back to Li Mei’s face.

"Are you sure?" Li Mei asked as she slowly traced her right palm to Zoe’s forehead and brushed it once. "Your hands and skin are warm, but your breath is short and hot."

Zoe’s eyes lingered on Li Mei’s for a moment, then she laughed. "It’s nothing, Auntie. Everything is fine."

The moment Li Mei loosened her palms from Zoe’s face, Zoe straightened herself and watched as Li Mei slowly sipped her herbal tea.

She shifted her gaze to the glass wall, then exhaled once, watching the leaves and birds dancing happily and peacefully in the sky. ’Maybe Leon would respond when I contact him at this time.’

"Auntie," she said and placed a hand on Li Mei’s right shoulder. "I’m going outside for some air. Just call my name whenever you need me and I will be here."

Li Mei nodded once, increasing her grip on the porcelain cup.

Zoe planted her palms on her waist, then took in a deep breath when she exited and stopped at the doorstep.

She stood there for a while before moving to the green grassy land, where countless brown leaves had scattered. There, she shifted her gaze and adored the birds slowly lowering themselves into their nests while dark clouds slowly appeared in the sky.

She stopped by the fountain, looked at her wobbled reflection, then smiled. "This is the right time to call him, and I know he will answer. I’m sure of that."

She pulled out her smart device from the pocket of her trousers, then tapped on the very number she had tried reaching Leon on but ended up with twelve gray texts:

[SIGNAL BLOCKED]

Zoe looked at the screen while the device vibrated in her palms. ’Pick up, Leon, pick up the call.’

The first try went through but couldn’t reach the connection stage. The second passed the connection stage but received a signal-blocked message.

Zoe’s eyes glowed with joy when the third passed through all the stages and reached the point where Leon had to pick up, but ended up in voicemail instead after two seconds of ringing.

"Just come back safely, Leon," she whispered to the audio recorder, then sent it.

She shifted her gaze to the sky and placed both the device and her palms on her chest while watching the colorful birds drift across the sky.

’We’ll be waiting right here, Leon,’ she said in her head, then slowly closed her eyes.

In a flash, two leaves that had fallen into the puddle of the fountain flew up and glued themselves to her cheeks, while sharp air escaped from her nose and mouth.