The two met at the cemetery in the suburbs.

Guan Ruo led the way, with Duan Qiang following behind, as they silently walked along the winding stone path.

The sky was overcast, and a chilly wind blew, filling the air with a deep sense of sorrow.

They stopped in front of Guan Ge's tombstone.

His smiling face appeared before them.

In the photo, Guan Ge had thick eyebrows and large eyes, much like Duan Qiang. His features were well-defined, his gaze bright and lively—a vibrant young man who would naturally draw attention on the basketball court.

Guan Ruo remembered how, when Guan Ge started university, she would often tease him with warnings. "You can date if you want, and your sister will even give you some dating money. But if you hurt any girl, I won’t let you off."

Guan Ge would then affectionately drape his arm around her shoulder, promising that someday he’d find a girlfriend as beautiful and gentle as his sister.

Standing before the tombstone, Duan Qiang bowed his head. His broad shoulders slumped, revealing a suppressed vulnerability.

Guan Ruo stepped away, leaving the two brothers to spend some time alone.

Half an hour later, Duan Qiang found her under a tree. He sat down a short distance from her, knees drawn up, arms resting on them, gazing out at the vast expanse of tombstones beneath the gloomy sky.

They sat in silence, each lost in their own thoughts, until Duan Qiang finally spoke.

"I'm glad that Guan Ge had such a wonderful sister like you," Duan Qiang said, staring at the distant horizon.

Guan Ruo let out a trembling sigh and gave a bitter smile. "You don’t understand. Maybe he would blame me."

Duan Qiang turned his head to look at her. "Why?"

As a cool breeze carried raindrops through the air, Guan Ruo lifted her hand to catch the rain, her expression filled with melancholy as she gazed up at the darkening sky.

Her long hair was tousled by the wind. She reached out with slender fingers to tuck it behind her ear, her long eyelashes trembling slightly. Her fair cheeks glowed softly, and the tip of her delicate nose had a gentle sheen. She looked like someone straight out of a romantic drama.

Duan Qiang stared at her, momentarily lost in thought.

Sensing his gaze, Guan Ruo stood up. "It’s going to rain. We should go."

Duan Qiang’s van was parked at the entrance to the cemetery. He glanced around but didn’t see any other cars.

"How… how are you getting home?" He asked, puzzled.

"I’ll take the bus," Guan Ruo replied.

She had never trusted her sense of direction enough to consider learning how to drive.

She nodded slightly at Duan Qiang before turning and walking along the roadside.

The rain started to fall more heavily. She opened a purple umbrella and walked slowly, her long hair and white dress billowing in the wind, creating a scene that looked straight out of a movie.

Duan Qiang got into his van, watching her figure fade into the distance through the rain, deep in thought.

After a couple of minutes, he rubbed his face vigorously. It was as if a switch had been flipped inside him. He quickly spread his arms and moved all the items on the passenger seat into the back of the van, dusted off the seat, and, not fully satisfied, wiped it down with a few tissues. He even sprayed some air freshener in the car before finally starting the engine.

The van pulled up to the bus stop, and Duan Qiang jumped out.

Guan Ruo was sitting on a bench, holding a book. When she saw Duan Qiang, she stood up, looking both confused and slightly wary.

"I’ll give you a ride," Duan Qiang said.

Guan Ruo glanced at her watch and shook her head lightly. "No need. The bus should be here soon."

The rain had intensified, the street enveloped in a misty haze, empty and silent.

"The rain’s gotten heavier. The bus is probably stuck somewhere. Come on, I’ll take you. It’s not safe for you to be out here alone."

Without waiting for her reply, Duan Qiang walked back to the van, opened the passenger door, and got inside, starting the engine.

The van’s engine sputtered as it idled, urging Guan Ruo to make a decision.

She finally got into the van.

The next moment, the rain poured down in torrents. Large drops hammered against the windows, so forceful they seemed like they might break the glass.

The windshield wipers squeaked and groaned under the strain, barely managing to clear the view, leaving visibility down to just ten meters ahead.

It was as if the whole world was filled with the sound of wind and rain, isolating them from everything outside, trapping them in the car.

Duan Qiang drove slowly.

Two hours later, they finally arrived at the entrance of Guan Ruo’s apartment building. By then, the wind had died down, the rain had stopped, and the sun was shining brightly, as if the world had returned to its normal rhythm.

Guan Ruo placed her hand on the car door handle but hesitated, feeling it would be impolite to just leave like this.

She quickly glanced at Duan Qiang and said, "Thank you."

Duan Qiang stared ahead at the street, his expression tense as if he were making a difficult decision. After a moment, he spoke, "I’ll convince my mom to send Ah Wei back to your home after this summer."

Guan Ruo nodded thoughtfully.

In truth, she didn’t care when Duan Wei would return home. At least for now, that chubby boy who only knew how to play video games did nothing to awaken any sense of sibling affection in her.

But Duan Qiang’s expression moved her. She could sense how difficult this decision was for him. After all, he had been Duan Wei’s brother for 20 years.

For that bit of honesty alone, she felt she owed him a response.

Guan Ruo withdrew her hand from the car door and sat back down. After a long pause, she said softly, "When you have time, I’ll slowly tell you Guan Ge’s story."

Duan Qiang turned to look at her, his eyes slightly reddened. His voice was hoarse as he responded, "Okay."

They sat in silence for a while longer.

Then, Guan Ruo pushed open the car door.

"Goodbye," she said.

The car was left with the lingering scent of her shampoo and an indescribable, gentle fragrance. Duan Qiang sat there dazed for a long time before finally driving away.

After starting work, Guan Ruo moved out of her family home and rented an apartment near the publishing house where she was employed.

She was busy with work at that time, so she only returned home one day each weekend, which coincided with Guan Ge's school breaks. The siblings often went out together—she would take Guan Ge to eat good food, buy books, and shop for clothes.

After Guan Ge passed away, Guan Ruo rarely returned home.

She couldn't forget what her parents had done, and she couldn't forgive them.

If it weren't for them, perhaps Guan Ge would still be alive, and there might have been a chance for a bone marrow transplant from the Duan family.

One day, Guan Ruo received a call from her mother, asking her to come home for dinner that evening.

Though reluctant, Guan Ruo still took a taxi home after work.

As soon as she walked in, she saw two cardboard boxes in the hallway, filled with Guan Ge's old clothes and books.

A rush of anger surged through her.

Guan’s mother came out to greet her and pulled her into Guan Ge's bedroom.

Guan’s father was also in the room, adjusting the position of the bedside table.

The room had changed dramatically—everything had been replaced, the desk and bookshelves had been rearranged, as if they were trying to avoid any bad luck. All traces of Guan Ge's existence had been completely erased.

Guan Ruo could hardly recognize her own voice as she spoke: "Mom, Dad, what are you doing?"

Guan’s father rolled his eyes at her. "Can't you see? We're setting up your brother's room."

He looked at his daughter closely and his voice grew cold, "Why do you look so sullen? Are you not wanting your brother to come back?"

Guan Ruo didn’t respond and coldly turned around, walking out of the room.

Guan’s mother gave her husband a light slap, "What’s wrong with you two? Every time you meet, it’s a confrontation."

She muttered as she followed her daughter into the living room.

"Xiao Ruo, I don’t think the Duan family plans to send Xiao Wei back anytime soon. What do you think we should do? Do they have other conditions? We've already given his foster mother four or five thousand yuan in bits and pieces. What more does she want?"

Guan’s mother anxiously twisted her hands.

Guan Ruo replied flatly, "Just wait a little longer. Duan Qiang said they’d send him back after the summer."

"After the summer?" Guan’s mother glanced worriedly at her husband, who had followed them out. "That’s over a month away. What if something goes wrong during that time?"

Guan Ruo sighed. "It's understandable; after all, they've raised him for 20 years..."

"So what if it's been 20 years?" Guan’s father suddenly interrupted angrily, "We raised Guan Ge for 20 years too, didn’t we? We fed him, sent him to college, and in the end, we spent nearly all our savings treating his illness. Have you ever thought about how we feel, being old and childless?"

He sighed deeply, looking at his wife, full of grievance and bitterness. "You see, this is what happens when you raise a daughter. She’s not even married yet, but she’s already taking the side of outsiders. Who knows what’ll happen after she marries?"

Guan Ruo sneered, "I’d love to get married, but with what money? Where did the money I've earned all these years go? If others don’t know, you do!"

Guan’s father’s voice rose. "I raised you all these years; what's wrong with using a little of your money? Besides, who insisted on the treatment back then? Now look, the money's gone, and so is the person. Wasn’t that your idea?"

Guan Ruo screamed, "If it weren’t for your selfishness! If Xiao Ge hadn’t known about your little schemes, he wouldn’t have done it, he wouldn’t have died!"

Smack—

Guan’s father slapped Guan Ruo hard. He shouted, "Who taught you to speak to your father like that?"

Trembling with rage, Guan Ruo held back her tears and walked toward the door, but in the hallway, she couldn’t move.

Guan Ge's short life was packed into those two cardboard boxes.

Staring at them, tears streamed down her face like rain.