"Di!"
Lan's voice rang out as she ran, her breath catching, her legs moving faster than her thoughts. She had just left the basketball court when she heard the commotion—people shouting, phones raised, someone had collapsed near the school gate.
A sinking fear took hold of her.
What if… it was Jie?
She spotted Di standing at the edge of the crowd, motionless like he'd turned to stone.
"Why are you here?" she asked, her voice trembling.
Di didn't speak. He just gave a small nod.
They stepped forward together.
The boy collapsed on the ground wasn't Jie. His water bottle had rolled to the side, notebooks scattered—someone else entirely.
Relief swept through Lan like a crashing wave, leaving her legs shaky beneath her.
She exhaled, and without another word, the two turned away.
—
The street leading home felt unusually quiet.
They walked side by side, neither speaking of what had just happened on the court.
It was as if, by some silent agreement, the topic was off-limits.
"Were you afraid of being alone as a kid?" Lan asked suddenly.
Di paused. The question caught him off guard.
"Not when my grandma was around," he said softly. "She used to hum songs while carrying me to the clinic when I had a fever. Once, Jie was too scared to get a shot, so she sang to calm him down. I used to think an adult's back was the safest place in the world."
Lan didn't reply right away.
"When she passed away, I didn't cry," Di continued. "Not until that night, when I was alone. I cried until my whole face hurt."
Lan's voice was low. "At least you had someone like her."
"My foster parents are good to me. Really, they are. But… it doesn't change the fact that I was given away once."
She kicked at a dry leaf on the ground.
"It's like—I try really hard to be a good daughter, a good student, but deep down I always wonder if one day they'll think I'm not good enough and let go of me too."
She stared ahead, eyes distant.
"I can never quite tell if I like someone because I really like them, or because I'm afraid of being left behind."
Di didn't say anything. But he slowed his pace just a little, walking closer to her.
"I've thought about finding my birth parents," Lan said suddenly.
Di glanced over, surprised.
"I don't want to ask them anything. I don't want to go back. I just want to see their faces. I want to know what kind of people would let go of something like… me."
There was no anger in her tone—just a quiet ache.
"I'll go with you," Di said softly.
Lan looked at him, as if trying to tell if he meant it. But before she could say anything—
They heard a sharp gasp.
They turned.
Jie was standing just a short distance away, soaked in sweat, breath heavy, hair plastered to his forehead. His eyes locked on them, unblinking.
None of them spoke.
The silence was louder than any voice.