Chapter 7 — Lac Lac's Sunny Day

We might cross paths again, or we might not. But no matter what happens, little Pearl, you must always remember that your world is vast and your future stretches out endlessly before you. Some people are merely fleeting interludes in the grand symphony of your life. What is past belongs to the past. You must always keep your gaze fixed firmly ahead, for there are far more magnificent landscapes waiting for you in the distance.

The little girl seemed to understand yet not fully grasp the depth of those words, but she nodded all the same, a bright, cheerful smile blooming on her face as she turned back to her piano. That weekend, I brought little Pearl with us to the cemetery to visit her grandfather. I carefully swept away the fallen leaves blanketing the grave and laid down a bouquet of white chrysanthemums, the ones he had always loved best.

Father, everything has finally been resolved.

I spoke softly, the words barely a whisper on the quiet air:

Your granddaughter is doing wonderfully, and I am doing well too. The two of us are building a good life together now.

A sudden gust of wind swept through the surrounding woods, rustling the pine branches in a rhythmic sigh that felt strangely like an answer. Hand in hand, little Pearl and I began our walk down the winding mountain path. The slanting rays of the setting sun stretched our intertwined shadows long and slender against the earth. Suddenly, my phone buzzed in my pocket. It was Attorney Wang on the line.

Miss Su, Chu Heng’s side has officially decided to relinquish his visitation rights.

I froze in surprise, a momentary stillness washing over me.

What is his reason?

He says... he simply has no face left to look the child in the eyes.

Attorney Wang’s voice remained calm and detached. Furthermore, he has yet to transfer the first installment of the child support.

I understand.

I ended the call, a quiet emptiness settling in my chest, devoid of any genuine astonishment. There are simply some people who will never learn how to shoulder the heavy burdens of responsibility. Abandonment is always their first and only choice. And perhaps that is for the best. From this day forward, across vast mountains and rushing rivers, our paths shall never intersect again. Returning home, I unlocked the wooden easel that had gathered dust for so long and began to mix my paints once more. Outside the window, the countless lights of the city twinkled in the gathering dusk, brilliant and luminous like a fallen galaxy. I glanced at my daughter, who was engrossed in her own colorful world of drawing, then picked up my brush and swept the very first stroke across the pristine canvas. It was a deep, boundless ocean, stretching out into eternity, and at the far edge of the horizon, a brand new sun was slowly, magnificently rising.