Saturday afternoon, right at the cusp of winter and spring, the sunlight streamed in, dispersing some of the chill.

Jo pushed open the coffee shop door, a rich aroma of coffee hit her face. The custom-made bell on the door jingled a few times, and the waiter politely bowed, "Welcome!"

"Joe Zhi..." A girl with long hair and big eyes in the corner booth beckoned, "Here, here..."

qiao Zhi nodded slightly, strode over, and when she got close, her steps faltered, a bit stunned. "Your friend?" She didn't expect anyone else to be here.

“He’s my brother, Liang Yu. We met at the company annual dinner, don’t you remember?” Liang Qi stood up and introduced him.

The man in the suit stood up hastily, a little flustered. "Hello, Miss Qiao!"

Looking at it this way, Qiao Zhi had a vague impression. At last year's company annual meeting, Liang Qi came with her brother. She remembered greeting him, but only remembered that Liang Qi had a brother and nothing about his appearance.

Joe Zhi's symbolic hand lightly grasped, "Mr. Liang, hello!"

The two sat down. Qiao Zhi took out a file from her bag and handed it to Liang Qi, "Is this the information you need?" Liang Qi had previously worked with Qiao Zhi in the same department. Although they weren't very close, they could still talk. After that, Liang Qi switched jobs, and the two only kept in touch occasionally. Last night, Liang Qi called and said she wanted to borrow some information from here, so the two agreed to meet here.

Liang Qi flipped through it casually and put it down, happily taking Qiao Zhi's arm, "Qiao Zhi, we haven't seen each other in ages. Let's have a good chat today. What would you like to drink or eat? Just order whatever you want, my brother's treating."

Liang Yu nodded eagerly, beckoned a waiter over, and then looked at Qiao Zhi, "Miss Qiao, what would you like to drink? How about a cappuccino?"

Joe politely smiled, "No trouble at all, I have something to do. I'll be going now."

"How come you're leaving so soon? No, you have to stay with me for a while longer..." Liang Qi refused and turned to the waiter, "Just bring me a cappuccino."

Qiao Zhi quickly waved her hand. "No need, plain water is fine. I can't sleep well if I drink coffee at night."

"Why don't we order some desserts? Ms. Qiao, what would you like to have?" Liang Yu passed her the dessert menu.

Liang Yu's eagerness made Qiao Zhi frown slightly, and she didn't take it. "I'm fine, the documents have already been sent, I should go first." With that, Qiao Zhi began to prepare to leave.

Liang Qi hurriedly stood up and pulled her back, saying to the waiter, “No more orders, no more orders, just a glass of white water.” She was afraid that Qiao Zhi would really leave.

Liang Yu also got up, a little flustered, "Miss Qiao..."

Liang Qi shook her head at him silently, then turned to Qiao Zhi and said reproachfully, "What's the matter? You just came and you're leaving already? Sit down first."

Qiao Zhi actually didn't really like to make conversation with strangers, but for Liang Qi's sake, she endured and sat down.

There was a moment of silence. A waiter brought over a cup of warm water. Qiao Zhi picked it up and took a delicate sip. Liang Qi saw that the atmosphere was a bit awkward, so she cleared her throat, “Qiao Zhi, is it busy at the company now? After I left, did all the work fall on your shoulders?”

"It's okay..." Qiao Zhi forced a smile.

"My brother's company also makes online games. You can ask my brother about anything in the future, he's a genius in this area."

Liang Yu quickly waved his hand, a slight blush on his face. "Miss Qiao, please don't listen to my sister. She exaggerates. I just know a little bit; I wouldn't call myself a genius."

Qiao Zhi smiled, but didn't respond. Seeing Qiao Zhi's lack of interest, Liang Yu exchanged a glance with Liang Qi and awkwardly took a sip of his coffee.

Qiao Zhi took out her phone to check the time, stood up, and was about to say goodbye.

"Xiazhi?" A slightly surprised voice, laced with joy.

Qiao followed the sound and saw a gracefully dressed middle-aged woman walking over.

"Mom..." Qiao Zhi saw Gu's mother and was also happy, "How are you here?"

Gu Mu walked over, raising the bags in her hands. "These aren't things I bought for your father..." Seeing Liang Shi's siblings standing up, she asked, "Are you two meeting friends here? Did I interrupt?" Gu Mu looked at Liang Shi's siblings with a hint of apology.

"No, no, we were just chatting," Liang Yu waved his hand, making room, "Come sit with us, Auntie."

Qiao Zhi introduced to Gu's mother, "Mom, this is my colleague Liang Qi and her brother."

"And this," he said, pointing to Liang Qi, "is my mother-in-law."

"Mother?" The Liang siblings were taken aback. Liang Qi's eyes widened, " Qiao Zhi, you got married?"

Joe nodded, "Yes, I've been married for four years now."

Liang Qi gave a bewildered, awkward smile, finding it hard to respond. Four years of marriage? Didn't that mean they had gotten married back in college?

Gu's mother glanced at Qiao Zhi, then at Liang Yu who was dumbfounded beside her. She seemed to understand something. Before, whenever Qiao Zhi introduced someone outside, she would always say, 'This is my mom.'

"Liang Qi, I'll accompany my mother-in-law home first. You guys can sit for a while longer. Let's chat another day." Qiao Zhi smiled and bid farewell, then took the things from Gu's mother and walked outside.

Liang Yu and Liang Qi exchanged glances. Liang Qi bit her lip and said, "Brother, I truly didn't know Qiao Zhi was already married. I've worked with her for almost three years and had no idea she was married."

Liang Yu saw Qiao Zhi at the company's annual meeting and immediately thought of matchmaking them. But since no one from the company had introduced boyfriends to Qiao Zhi on a regular basis, she always refused. So he came up with the idea of using the excuse of getting documents to get her out. Maybe the two would fall for each other, who knew they actually got married?

Liang Yu looked at the slender back outside the glass and smiled bitterly, "Forget it, I can only say that we are not destined."

"Oh, by the way, I also bought you two things. I was going to send them over later, but it's good I ran into you here." As they were walking toward the parking lot, Mrs. Gu suddenly remembered and pointed at the two white shopping bags in Qiao Zhi's hand.

"You don't need to buy me anything, I have many clothes."

Mother Gu pretended to be displeased and said, "You're young now and don't dress up. Do you plan to dress up when you're as old as me? It will be too late then."

" Qiao Zhi smiled, "It's not late at all. Mom is very beautiful now, even without dressing up."

"Mother Gu, delighted, tapped her little nose. "You're the only one who can talk like that."

When they arrived at the parking lot, Mother Gu opened the car door and Qiao Zhi put her clothes in. She stood beside the car waiting for Mother Gu to reverse.

"Come on up, Mama will send you back." Gu's mother rolled down the car window.

"No need, Mom. I still have to go back to the company for a bit. It's just nearby, a few steps away. You don't have to send me off. I'll come back to see you and Dad another day." In reality, he didn't need to go back to the company; he just didn't want to trouble his mother, so he made up a harmless little excuse.

Mother Gu nodded and instructed, "Take care of yourself. Don't neglect your health for work, understand?"

Qiao nodded obediently, "I know, Mom."

Watching Gu's mother's car drive away, Qiao Zhi slowly walked out of the parking lot towards the bus stop. It was four in the afternoon, and there weren't many people waiting for the bus. After a while, a bus number 62 arrived. Qiao Zhi got on the bus, swiped her card, and sat down in the last row by the window.

Cars, pedestrians, shop windows, and trees outside the window slowly receded. The afterglow of the setting sun cast a hazy light, and Qiao Zhi's eyes seemed a little vacant.

Seven years ago, what was I like? I can barely remember. Perhaps I have deliberately forgotten or am unwilling to recall. Those days seem like faded and aged photographs, sealed away in the passage of time.

When lying in a hospital bed filled with the smell of disinfectant, the moment I closed my eyes, I just died. Dying would be liberation.

I will never be hungry again, I will never be beaten black and blue, I will never be locked in a dark room again. All of this will disappear with death, and the pain will no longer torment me day and night.

That year, Qiao Zhi was nineteen years old and had just graduated from high school. When she opened her eyes, she saw the kind-hearted Gu father and Gu mother, both of them crying like rain. Qiao Zhi's father was a comrade-in-arms with Gu father, reportedly close friends who fought to the death in a special forces unit. The details of their mission were unknown. Qiao’s father sacrificed his life to save Gu father. Qiao's mother couldn't bear the blow and took sleeping pills, which ultimately proved ineffective. She followed Qiao's father in passing away.

When Gu Fu learned the news and came to look for them, his uncle had already moved away. After fourteen years, they finally found him.

That was the first time someone held me in their arms after my parents left. It felt so warm and comforting, like finding a safe haven.

<>

According to Mr. Gu, the marriage with Gu Yechen was a pre-arranged match made long ago. When Qiao Zhi was 22 years old and still in college, she married Gu Yechen. Their meeting was nothing more than a fleeting glance. At the Civil Affairs Bureau, he sat down, she stood up, then without hesitation turned away. She silently wrote her name on the document that had already been signed by him. Even their wedding photo on the marriage certificate was arranged by Mr. Gu.

As for Gu Yechen, the only remaining impression was that stroke of military attire. His cold profile had long since become blurred, leaving behind only that dazzling green.

Whether or not to get married doesn't matter to them, as long as their only concern is that their parents are happy. They are the only support they have left in this world, aren't they?

(Editor in charge：visual novel database)