If You Are a Dodder Flower

Cao Xiong glanced at her and said: “Even so, you should exercise a little at least. There’s a gym on the third floor and a swimming pool underground.”

As the eldest, Cao Xiong sounded like he was lecturing whenever he opened his mouth. Cao Yang looked at Xia Rou, worried that she couldn’t adapt to it.

Xia Rou lowered her head to reply: “Okay.”

This attitude of hers looked to the eyes of Cao Xiong and Cao Yang who were used to giving orders very pleasing.

Although Cao Xing told Xia Rou that she could find him when Cao Bin was not around, in reality Cao Xing had only taken a few days leave to come back. He only stayed a few days longer than Cao Bin.

Within these few days, he tried to promote himself and bought 4-5 plush dolls for Xia Rou. If it wasn’t for Xia Rou helplessly telling him the room was too small to fit them all, she bet that Cao Xing couldn’t stop himself from buying more.

“Then… let’s wait until you move into the main building. I’ll buy more for you! The rooms in the main building are usually spacious, it’ll definitely fit!” he said.

He felt that this little sister was destined for him. The women he met were usually of two types: the first were women who were usually scared of him, and the others took the initiative to get close to him. But with Xia Rou, he felt they were naturally close already and were already familiar with each other. That familiarity wasn’t the deliberate kind, instead she seemed like she really understood him.

After getting close to her in these few days, he didn’t hide his plush-con nature any longer.

“Just wait, the day I come back I’ll buy a bigger sized one! I already have my eye on one!”

Already found one? Xia Rou raised her palms to cover her forehead.

After that, Cao Xing rubbed the teddy bear a lot, then reluctantly parted to return to his station.

Then there was only Cao Xiong, Cao Yang and Xia Rou, three people dining together in the large estate.

Before Xia Rou’s arrival, Cao Yang had worried that the little girl who recently had her mother pass away might dampen the atmosphere of their house, and that it might worsen Cao Xiong’s depression.

He remembered the first day she came to sit in the small living room, still wearing the black mourning apparel, the atmosphere filling up with sadness. He was glad she was able to tidy up her emotions well.

She was quiet, less talkative, and kept all the sorrow within her heart. What she showed others was only her peaceful and quiet breathing.

Cao Yang had sharply come to the realization that his father’s emotions were affected by her. Though it was slow, his depression started to fade.

His father was still his strict father as he always had been, as though that short pause of weakness had never existed.

Cao Yang could finally relax.

In the evening, Cao Yang was leaning on the living room door, having a smoke while looking at the courtyard. He noticed Xia Rou was running out from the side building.

“Xia Rou!” He called her, “Where are you going?”

Xia Rou heard and ran towards him, politely addressing him: “Cao Yang Brother.”

“Didn’t Uncle tell me to exercise a little two days ago? I plan to job a little, now that the weather is quite refreshing.”

Actually, Cao Xiong’s words had reminded her. She lived with the Cao Family and was influenced by the brothers, and slowly had come to enjoy exercising. But now her 15-year-old self was obviously weaker than her past self.

So she made herself an exercise plan.

Cao Yang asked: “Why not run inside the gym?”

Xia Rou shook her head. “I’ll get dizzy if I run under the air conditioning. I prefer to run outdoors instead.”

Cao Yang stared at her. Gym bag, phone, headset, water bottle… Heh, she was quite well-equipped. He raised his head to look at the sky, where the daylight seemed to be extended for the summer. It was still quite bright at this time.

“Wait a second.” He pinched off the cigarette and went upstairs.

In no time, he came back down outfitted in exercise gear.

“I’ll lead the way, it’ll be easier for you to remember the way or you can’t find your way back in the dark.” Cao Yang explained.

This was exactly what Cao Yang had said to her in the past, not even a word out of place!

Cao Yang ran a few steps and noticed Xia Rou wasn’t following him, so he turned back around.

Under the setting sun, her face was calm, her eyes somber but seeming to have a deep sea behind them.

“Follow me.” Cao Yang said.

“Coming!” Xia Rou came back to her senses and followed him.

The huge Cao Family estate was located in an old town. It wasn’t old and shoddy, but rather a town with over half a century of history that usually attracted prestigious families. The available land in the town became more rare, and as the buildings condensed, the price of the estates in the city rose. Luckily, the area they were in was still a little open.

Each of the buildings nearby was a luxurious mansion. There weren’t many cars on the road, usually the only people to pass through here were the people that lived nearby.

20 years ago there had been a garden nearby that was turned into an ecological park, many trees were planted and they even built an artificial lake. Now, the environment of this area was surprisingly quiet when compared to the noisy town.

Cao Yang brought Xia Rou along the street in the direction of the ecological park, where the vehicles were sparser. He pointed out directions to her while they ran, and continued to emphasize the route to her.

Actually, Xia Rou already knew the route, as she ran here for many years.

But she liked to listen to Cao Yang’s deep, toned voice like it was a cello playing its musical notes under the sunset, flying gracefully into her ears.

Later in her life, as their relationship got more and more fraught, he started to become busier with work and slowly he couldn’t accompany her to run.

Later, he had a girlfriend, who then became a wife… the person who accompanied him to run in the morning… was no longer her.

Xia Rou could still remember the day he asked her to run together for the last time, his wife standing right behind him, icily staring daggers at her.

So she had no choice but to stagger her exercise times to avoid them.

After that, regardless of his opposition, she moved back to the apartment and lived alone.

And she… she died alone, somewhere outside.