Chapter 105: Behind the Sunlight

The two of them observed the little girl, around four years old, dressed in an adorable doll-like dress. Though worn, it did nothing to diminish her charm. Her complexion was somewhat pale, likely from a lack of sunlight.

“Hello,” Xiaoqian Ma said warmly, kneeling down to speak to the girl.

“Come in. It’s small, but there’s still a place to stay,” Junxi Liu invited as he was the first to step inside.

Qihua Lin and Xiaoqian Ma followed him into the modest one-bedroom apartment. Though tiny, it was spotlessly clean. In the corner stood a piano.

“That was brought back by my brother,” the little girl said proudly. “I can play lots of songs.”

“Really? That’s wonderful,” Xiaoqian Ma praised her.

Junxi explained, “One time I saw a family moving out and leaving the piano outside. I gathered a few people to carry it here so Tingting could learn something.” His tone brimmed with affection when he spoke of his sister. Qihua Lin believed that if it weren’t for his sister, Junxi would never have brought him here. This was a strong-willed and proud child, and only something involving his sister could make him bow his head.

Junxi poured two glasses of water and handed them over.

“So this is the environment you live in?” Qihua Lin inquired.

“Yes,” Junxi replied. “After our parents passed away, our grandmother has taken care of us here. She goes out selling small things every day; I collect whatever I can find, and with some relief funds, that’s how we get by.”

“But life will stay like this, right?” Qihua Lin spoke bluntly. “You have no confidence in the future?”

“Yes,” Junxi said solemnly. “Maybe when I’m older, things will change. But will time really wait for me to grow up?”

“And you worry about your grandmother too, right? If she gets sick or something happens, you’d immediately face hardship.”

“Yes. Everyone here is like that,” Junxi said hopelessly. “We leave it to fate. No matter how hard we struggle, there’s no way out.”

Qihua Lin sighed. He understood what Junxi meant. The people gathered here were the lowest tier of the city’s survival. Though relief funds helped them survive, if anything happened to the old or the young, there was no defense. If Junxi’s grandmother met with misfortune, the two children’s most likely fate would be the orphanage.

Meanwhile, Xiaoqian Ma was playing happily with the little girl. Tingting eagerly showed off her favorite things, and they played joyfully.

Junxi didn’t say much, just gazed at his sister with tenderness.

About half an hour later, the door opened again, and a woman in her sixties rushed in hurriedly.

“Xixi, I heard there were guests. Are you alright?” Her voice came before she stepped inside, but she stopped abruptly when she saw Lin Qihua and Xiaoqian Ma.

“Hello,” Qihua Lin stood and greeted her. “My name is Lin Qihua. I’m a friend of Junxi Liu.”

“Yes, Grandma,” Junxi also stood. “They’re not bad people. Don’t worry.”

“Oh,” the woman looked at Lin Qihua suspiciously, then glanced at Xiaoqian Ma playing happily with Tingting. Her suspicion eased slightly. She turned and went outside to drag in two heavy baskets filled with various small belongings—their household possessions from outside.

After putting the things away, she sat facing Lin Qihua again and fixed him with a steady gaze. “I assume you wouldn’t come here without a reason. What is it you want?”

Lin Qihua nodded. “At first, I really didn’t have any particular purpose. But now, I think I do.”

“Speak freely. We can handle it,” she said, pulling Junxi into an embrace. “Who sent you?”

Lin Qihua was momentarily stunned, then smiled. “No one. I met Junxi on the street, and he offered to guide me here.”

The woman realized she had misunderstood and relaxed a bit. “Then please, tell me what you have in mind.”

“I want to ask,” Lin Qihua looked at the weathered lines on her face, which bore deep fatigue but also an uncommon resolve, “what plans do you have for their future?”

The woman hesitated, glancing at the little girl playing nearby and Junxi leaning against her protectively. She seemed at a loss for words.

After a long pause, she looked toward the street, trying to conceal her inner confusion. “Though their parents are gone, as long as I’m able, I won’t let this family fall apart. No matter how hard or exhausting, I will hold on.”

“And then?” Lin Qihua gestured to the bustling crowd outside. “When Junxi grows up, will he just be like everyone else? Continue suffering? What about Tingting? When she grows up, what will happen to her? Without schooling, what kind of life awaits them?”

The woman knew all too well. The young people outside were living proof of Junxi’s possible future. Without opportunity in this city, they would remain struggling at the bottom. Perhaps Tingting might have a chance, but at what cost?

Thinking of her own bitter life, of her son and daughter-in-law who worked hard in Yanjing but died young, leaving behind two children, and of Junxi’s uncertain future, the woman’s thoughts grew hazy.

“My purpose is simple. Junxi has helped me greatly. As a return, I want to offer you some help. I believe I have the ability,” Lin Qihua said.

“Junxi can help you?” she asked.

“To me, some things are rare and precious. Fortunately, Junxi gave me such a thing,” Lin Qihua explained. “I know it’s sudden and might be hard for you to decide. We will leave for now. If you feel the need, you can contact me.”

The woman looked at Lin Qihua and nodded. “Thank you for your kindness. I believe you mean well. I will consider it.”

“All right.” Lin Qihua stood and signaled Xiaoqian Ma to leave.

“Brother, sister, are you leaving now?” Tingting’s face was filled with reluctance. She was usually home alone. Having a beautiful sister come to play with her was a rare delight.

“Yes, sister has to go first, but we’ll see each other again soon. Then we can play together,” Xiaoqian Ma said softly, stroking the little girl’s head with a smile.

Junxi Liu accompanied Lin Qihua and Xiaoqian Ma to the door, his expression complicated. Now he was almost certain this man could truly change his family’s fate, but he couldn’t decide, nor did he know what decision to make.

“Take good care of your grandmother and sister,” Lin Qihua patted his head. “This Friday, turn on the TV and watch Hunan Province Satellite Channel. Then we’ll make a decision.”

“Okay. I understand,” Junxi nodded, watching them leave.

“Qihua,” Xiaoqian Ma asked after they left the street and hailed a cab, “do you really want to help them?”

“Yes,” Lin Qihua answered frankly. “I’m not lying. He really gave me some inspiration, helping me get a clear idea for next week’s performance piece. He truly helped me a lot. And now that you’ve seen their situation, it makes sense to offer them assistance within our means. It wouldn’t be a wasted acquaintance.”

“Hmm, yes.” Xiaoqian Ma thought of the adorable Tingting and nodded.

Lin Qihua was silent. He recalled Junxi following behind them, remembered Tingting locked alone at home, the grandmother struggling to carry the baskets inside, and the numb expressions of those struggling at the bottom of society.

Yanjing was the political, cultural, and economic center of the nation, with a highly developed economy and towering skyscrapers. Yet, like New York City in America, it was the most prosperous metropolis and also home to the largest slums. Behind the sunshine, there was always darkness. Beneath the city’s dazzling facade, many lived in despair, struggling at the bottom, only able to look up at the sky in the darkness, hoping for a future.

There must be countless youths like Junxi who were powerless to change their circumstances and could only try every possible way to improve their lives.

How many Tingtings, as they grew older, had stepped resolutely into the dazzling world of nightlife, only to be deceived and exploited for the faintest chance to alter their and their families’ destinies?

Compared to them, his own life was so fortunate. This was Lin Qihua’s first encounter with such people, and his soul was deeply shaken. Whenever he closed his eyes, vivid images and songs echoed in his mind.

Back at the company, Lin Qihua immediately entered a state of intense focus. He needed to digest the inspirations and melodies swirling in his mind, to find the most fitting way to perform for the upcoming competition, and to calm his tumultuous emotions.

“What’s this?” Manni Shen, puzzled, tugged Xiaoqian Ma’s arm.

“Seems like he found inspiration and entered a creative state,” Xiaoqian Ma replied, feeling a bit shy as if caught sneaking out on a secret date.

“You can find inspiration while dating?” Manni Shen asked in surprise. “Shouldn’t you be fully focused on the date?”

“We were just buying stuff, not dating,” Xiaoqian Ma clarified. Was it a date? Not really. They had accidentally met a child and unexpectedly found inspiration. Beyond shopping, it didn’t feel like a date at all.

“Alright, not a date then,” Manni Shen teased. “But inspiration is good; the worst is having none. Xiaoqian, do you really have that idea?”

“Yes,” Xiaoqian Ma bit her lip firmly. “What I saw today only strengthened my resolve.”

“But what about him?”

“I think he’ll get used to it.”

“Is that so? That’s really a pity,” Manni Shen said softly.

“I’m sorry.”