Jiang Jinghuai suddenly stood up, quickly grabbed a cigarette, and sat back down in the corner. In a low voice, he said, "Open your mouth and hold it."
Tian Sangsang obediently held the cigarette between her teeth.
The flicker of flame illuminated briefly, igniting the cigarette.
Tian Sangsang didn't inhale it. Instead, she pinched the lightweight cigarette between two fingers, examining it curiously with a calm look in her eyes. "Let me tell you, I'm not smoking the cigarette. I'm smoking loneliness."
She took a bold drag, only to cough violently.
"Cough! Cough… cough cough!"
Jiang Jinghuai silently reached out to pat her back.
"Oh my…" Tian Sangsang jumped up in a flurry, throwing the cigarette to the ground. "Turns out loneliness is this harsh to the throat."
Jiang Jinghuai's hand froze in mid-air.
Even after she lay back on the bed, she continued to cough.
"Mom…" Meng Shuyan turned over in his sleep, mumbling groggily.
