Couple of Mirrors – Chapter 56: Waiting for You to Come Home (Part Two)
Xu Youyi looks around the front room. ‘Weiwei?’
She walks into the kitchen. ‘Where could she have gone so early in the morning?’
She reaches for the baby’s bottle, and catches sight of something.
Under the bottle is a letter in an envelope.
She opens the letter and begins to read.
The letter begins: Youyi, I’m sorry. forgive me for leaving without saying goodbye.
Here we get a flashback to Yan Wei from the night before, writing the letter by lamplight.
You said goodbye to your past long ago, the letter continues, and I also promised to say goodbye to mine. But as it turns out, my past won’t leave me behind.
Xu Youyi claps a hand to her lips.
In order to make a clean break with my past, I’ve decided to turn myself in, the letter goes on.
We cut to the courtroom, where the judge is pronouncing sentence. ‘The accused, Yan Wei, is guilty of murder. The evidence is clear. The accused turned herself in and pleaded guilty to the offence. In light of this, and the circumstances of Hongmei’s death, the accused is sentenced to five years’ imprisonment.
As the sentence is being pronounced, Yan Wei looks out of the window and smiles.
We then see most of her letter to Xu Youyi:
Youyi,
Forgive me for leaving without saying goodbye. You said goodbye to your past long ago. And I also promised to say goodbye to mine. But as it turns out, my past won’t stop haunting me.
In order to make a clean break with my past, I’ve decided to turn myself in.
Youyi, if you find new happiness in the future, you have my best wishes. Although this is something I hope will not happen. Yes, I have to admit it: I would feel lost if your happiness no longer had anything to do with me.
It’s my hope that, once I finally become my true self, once I finally achieve full freedom, you’ll still be mine — that you’ll be mine forever. That’s the petty, selfish hope I cling to.
Do you know, Youyi? It’s because of this petty, selfish hope that I’ve been able to wonder: will I one day be able to do as you said, to show you my softer side, to ask you for what I need, to feel completely unconstrained when I’m with you…
Then there’s a montage of Xu Youyi and Yan Wei embracing; Xu Youyi sitting in Yan Wei’s lap underneath some cherry trees in full bloom, with Yan Xu and Good Luck next to them. Xu Youyi is shrieking with laughter. ‘Hahaha… that tickles! Weiwei, stop it! Oh, I’m going to fall!’
By the time Xu Youyi reaches the end of the letter, tears are running down her face. ‘Oh, you…’
The last part of the letter reads: Youyi, you always said meeting me was your only good fortune in the midst of all your misfortune. What you don’t know is: these are the exact words I’ve most wanted to say to you.
— Yan Wei
Don’t worry, Xu Youyi promises silently. I’ll wait for you to come home.
The years pass.
It’s a sunny day, and Xu Youyi has fallen asleep on the sofa in the studio’s front room. Yan Xu is also asleep, with Good Luck curled up next to him.
Yan Wei steps inside, looking smart in her hat and coat.
Good Luck spots her and runs into her arms.
Yan Wei picks Good Luck up and puts a finger to her own lips. ‘Shh.’
She puts Good Luck down again, and walks over to Xu Youyi.
She looks down at Yan Xu with a smile.
Then she cups Xu Youyi’s cheek with one hand and kisses her on the forehead.
Xu Youyi opens her eyes. She reaches up and touches Yan Wei’s face.
‘Weiwei, you’re home,’ she murmurs, holding Yan Wei close.
Yan Wei hugs her back. ‘I’m sorry to have kept you waiting so long.’
***
Please view the original manhua here.
douqi 随笔 