As time went on, your sister started riding on my bicycle more and more frequently, and it wasn't just for the morning commute anymore; she began riding home with me after school as well. Gradually, everyone took us for a couple. But first love is always bittersweet. When it came time for the college entrance exams, I didn't get into a top-tier university; I ended up at the Police Academy and was immediately stationed in Xiangcheng as an officer upon graduation. Your sister, however, had excellent scores and got into a prestigious university. Our lives began charting completely different courses. After speaking, Old He let out a long, heavy sigh.

"After graduation, my sister became a journalist, but she loved wandering, so she lived in many cities. We only arrived in Xiangcheng a few months ago. How have you managed all these years?"

"Two years into my career, I got married and had a son. During those years, my career was just taking off, and I was often leaving early and coming back late, failing to properly care for my wife and child. One time, my son asked me to take him swimming at the reservoir, and I promised, but something urgent came up at the precinct, so I couldn't make it. My son, sulking, ran off to swim alone and never came home that night. The next day, the Public Security Bureau received a report from the reservoir security office: the body of a young boy had been recovered from the water. When I went to the scene to examine the remains, I realized the drowned child was none other than my own son. Following that, my ex-wife divorced me..." As he reached this point, Old He's eyes were visibly reddening.

I sat down on the chair beside him and patted his shoulder. Everyone has to face certain things in life; nothing is ever perfectly ideal. It was clear Old He was a fundamentally kind man, and the guilt and regret had never truly left the depths of his heart over these years.

"You haven't eaten dinner yet, have you? You stay here and look after your sister; I'll go buy some food," I said.

Old He nodded. "Good, you go ahead. I'll stay here and watch over your sister."

Suddenly, I remembered Wenshu was still home alone. Leaving her by herself all afternoon—I wondered what she must be thinking. I decided to use the errand for dinner as an opportunity to head back quickly and check on how she was doing.

When I arrived home, the house was sparkling clean but utterly empty. Dinner was perfectly prepared and set neatly on the table. I searched the rooms front to back, but Wenshu was nowhere to be seen. I figured she assumed I was delayed for too long and had gone home by herself.

I found two food containers in the cupboard and packed the dishes into them, intending to take them to the hospital to share with Old He. As I was about to leave, holding two containers in my bare hands felt clumsy. So, I turned back to the kitchen to find a plastic bag. After searching for ages, I finally spotted a green reusable shopping bag on the very top shelf of the cabinet.

Stretching my arm up to grab the bag, preparing to slide the food containers inside, I suddenly noticed a small slip of paper tucked within, as if it had been forgotten there. I pulled it out and unfolded it. Scrawled across it in shaky handwriting were the words: "Wangcheng Wuzhuang, Fourth House, Miao Woman's Gu Poison."

Miao Woman! Gu Poison! Could this be connected to the poison my sister suffered from? A flicker of joy sparked within me—a sliver of hope emerging from the darkness. I quickly folded the note and tucked it into my jacket pocket, placed the containers into the reusable bag, and hurried out the door, rushing straight toward the hospital.

Old He was still in the ward, sitting silently by my sister's bedside, gazing at her. He was so lost in thought that he didn't even notice when I pushed the door open. I took out the food containers and gently placed them in front of him.

"Oh, you're back so quickly, thank you!" He snapped out of his deep contemplation as if waking from a dream.

"Let's eat quickly; Wenshu made this," I said, picking up my own container and sitting down on the opposite side of the bed, starting to devour my meal.