Sunshine Filled with Thoughts

Far across the ocean in Los Angeles, Momo headed off to work in the afternoon, but when she arrived, she found that all the computers in the office had crashed. So, she decided to return home. Little did she know that she would encounter a scene at home that she never wanted to see. Just that one thing was enough to ruin any chance of reconciliation in her relationship with Zhaozhao. Yet, that very thing happened.

Momo drove to their home in the suburbs and parked in the garage. However, as she stepped into the garage, she noticed a car that didn’t belong to her family-a bright red Ferrari. Was this flashy car meant to compete with hers? Could it be one of Zhaozhao’s friends?

Feeling a bit excited, Momo thought that after such a long time in America, always busy with work, she had never invited friends over. Now, with one of Zhaozhao’s friends visiting, it could be a great opportunity to buy some treats and have some fun. It was a rare day off, after all.

However, when she entered the house and went straight to the bedroom to change, she opened the door to find her husband entangled on the bed with a naked blonde woman. Momo felt the breath leave her body. She looked at Zhaozhao and the woman, feeling completely numb. In that moment, everything that had felt heavenly turned into hell. Zhaozhao, seeing Momo, quickly wrapped himself in a robe and approached her.

He was on the verge of tears, his eyes misty as he looked at Momo.

But Momo never glanced at Zhaozhao. She pulled her wrist from his grasp, opened her mouth, and said one word: “DIRTY.”

Without another look at Zhaozhao, she retrieved her passport and documents from the bedside table, took her salary card, and left without taking anything else. This strong-willed woman, even when betrayed, maintained her composure. She walked down the stairs in her towering heels with grace, her face expressionless, her fur coat making her look like a model stepping off the runway.

Momo walked out, closed the door, and drove away. Her actions were flawless, revealing nothing of her inner turmoil. She needed a place to calm down because she feared that if she didn’t control herself, she might retrieve the gun from the drawer and shoot Zhaozhao and that woman.

Luckily, Momo managed to stay composed. She drove straight to the airport and bought the next available flight to China. Almost as soon as she arrived at the airport, she boarded the plane. Sitting in first class, she buried herself under a heavy blanket. Tears streamed down her face silently while the passengers around her chatted animatedly. She felt an overwhelming urge to stuff her high heels into their mouths. Why was she feeling so heartbroken without a single person to comfort her? She missed Linlin terribly. But Linlin had forgotten her. What was the purpose of her returning to her homeland? To find her parents?

The strength she had built over the years had made it hard for her to accept the care of loved ones. Besides Zhaozhao, there was hardly anyone in her life she could confide in. And Linlin, her only confidant, was now a stranger to her. A sudden wave of despair washed over Momo.

She drifted between sleep and tears for more than ten hours during the flight. Even when a flight attendant politely asked if she wanted to order something, she screamed and cursed at them. In that moment, Momo seemed to lose so much of herself. Anyone who knew her would have difficulty believing that this altered woman was Momo. She didn’t even realize the makeup on her face had long since faded. It was only when a flight attendant couldn’t help but point it out that Momo walked into the restroom and caught a glimpse of her ghostly reflection. Laughing at herself, she washed off all the makeup.

When she stepped back into the cabin, the flight attendants hardly recognized the young woman who had been such a powerhouse before. Momo was a strikingly beautiful woman; she had always known how to present herself. She hadn’t appeared in public without makeup since she was sixteen. Now, she looked drastically different without it.

Momo no longer had the energy to scrutinize her appearance. What did it matter if she was beautiful or ugly? It made no difference now.

The first thing Momo did upon returning to Beijing was to find Linlin. The current Linlin seemed like a full-time housewife, trusting An Jinmo with the same innocence she once had for her father. After a long journey with hardly any sleep, Momo took a taxi straight to An Jinmo and Linlin’s villa. Upon entering, she spotted Yanyan playing in the swimming pool and waving at her. Momo wanted to smile back at Yanyan, but despite her efforts, her lips wouldn’t bend into a smile. Ignoring Yanyan, she walked directly into the living room. Linlin was inside, watching television. Due to her memory loss, she had forgotten many things, so she spent her time watching the news, trying to catch up on what was happening in the world.

Momo kicked open the living room door. If it had been someone else, Linlin would surely have been upset. But standing before her was the woman who claimed to be her best friend. Despite her memory loss, Linlin felt no aversion toward Momo; in fact, there was a warm, affectionate sensation toward her, albeit faint, like being separated by a thin layer of sand-visible yet untouchable, creating a sense of unreality.

An Jinmo heard the noise and came out of the kitchen wearing a Hello Kitty apron, looking rather silly. Under normal circumstances, Momo would have made a sarcastic remark and engaged in a playful verbal sparring match with him. Linlin would have been the audience, thoroughly enjoying the exchange.

But now, upon seeing Momo’s pale visage, An Jinmo chose not to speak. Instead, he simply gestured for her to sit down and discuss whatever was troubling her.

Momo quietly sank into the sofa, curling her body into the soft cushions. An Jinmo fetched a heavy blanket from the guest room downstairs and unceremoniously tossed it over her. Momo, in an unusual display of restraint, didn’t respond with any verbal retaliation. If this were any other time, their dynamic would have sparked yet another lively debate. Now, Momo resembled a delicate rose battered by a storm, looking quite miserable.

Linlin felt a pang of fear but was more concerned for her friend. She sat beside Momo and placed her hand on Momo’s, which felt far too cold-just like her heart.

In contrast, An Jinmo appeared relaxed, watching Momo in her current frail state without any sarcastic remarks or words of comfort. About half an hour earlier, he had received a text message from Zhaozhao outlining the situation: things were too smooth between them for this crisis to arise without some explanation. An Jinmo had advised Zhaozhao to return to China first and then sort things out; it was an issue that couldn’t be adequately explained while still abroad. After hanging up the phone, Zhaozhao began packing to return home. Across the ocean, Zhaozhao faced a different dilemma-this stunning woman beside him would be accompanying him. The already complicated situation would only become more difficult to navigate with Momo returning alongside him. It felt utterly unbearable.

Over on the other side, Zhaozhao was overwhelmed, but inside An Jinmo’s villa, the atmosphere was quite different. In the quiet room, An Jinmo was sipping coffee while Momo told a story-simply recounting what she had observed. At this point, Momo had become much calmer, approaching the situation with a fair and objective perspective. She didn’t lash out at that couple like a shrew; rather, she chose her words carefully. By the end of her recounting, Linlin couldn’t shake the feeling that Momo wasn’t sharing personal experiences but rather delivering a news report.

Once Momo finished recapping the events, they began discussing strategies. If Linlin hadn’t lost her memory, she would undoubtedly have been fired up and cursing Zhaozhao. However, the Linlin of today suddenly exhibited a remarkable calmness, analyzing the situation with clarity that left An Jinmo and Momo momentarily speechless.

After deliberating for some time, Momo grew tired. Physically and emotionally drained, she excused herself and went upstairs to the room where she had previously rested, and there she fell asleep. This sleep lasted two full days without food or water. Linlin anxiously tried to enter several times but was continuously stopped by An Jinmo.

“She’s in serious trouble! How can you be so indifferent?!” Linlin shouted, a rare moment of anger breaking through her usual calm demeanor, resembling a little lion with ruffled fur.

“She needs to sort out her own issues. We can only watch; what else do you want?” An Jinmo’s sudden outburst caught Linlin off guard. It made her suddenly silent, as she realized she truly had no power in this situation. All she did was attract trouble, and she couldn’t even remember how she had lost her own memories. Touching the permanent scar on her head, she wondered if her past was forever altered because of it. It felt as though her life was a failure.

Seeing Linlin in distress ignited An Jinmo’s frustration with himself for raising his voice at her. She had already lost everything; she was all alone now. Wasn’t it cruel to lash out even at her?

An Jinmo walked over and enveloped Linlin in a hug, gently removing her hand from her head. He understood her distress; she carried a visible scar, which, though unseen, always made her feel wronged.

“I’m sorry…” he whispered, holding her tightly. His apology was nearly inaudible, but Linlin could feel the sincerity in his tone.

The two held each other tightly, seeking warmth as if they were two souls relying on each other for survival.