Innocence 34

A suffocating pain engulfed me.

For the first time in my life, I realized, it was possible for my heart to hurt this much.

This kind of pain made it hard for one to breathe. It made me feel helpless and lost.

On the night of Grandma's death, the family was busy preparing for the funeral while Dongyu slept with me in the small room upstairs. I couldn't get a wink of sleep all night.

I couldn't stop crying as I hugged my grandmother's big fan.

I had memories of this big dandelion fan. When I was a kid, when the weather was hot, it was Grandma who stayed by my bed and fanned us tirelessly until we fell asleep.

When I went upstairs and saw it, my heart nearly broke.

Dongyu held me in his arms. He didn't know how to comfort me, given my devastated state. Even he himself was in a sombre mood because of my grandmother's death. It was as if he had been affected by my emotions, and tears fell from his eyes.

"Xiachun, stop crying, alright?"