Confession

11:30 PM.

The town had fallen into a deep silence. The neighbors outside the courtyard had long since returned home, and Grandma Ye and Father Ye had each retreated to their rooms to rest. Only an iron basin, containing a few scattered embers, glowed lonely in the night. On such a snowy day, surrounded by stone bricks and with no flammable material left, the fire was destined to extinguish soon.

After Ye Mian and Jiang Chen said goodnight and hung up, a knock sounded on her wooden door within minutes. Grandma Ye entered, clutching an electric blanket to spread over the bed. Her hands were wrinkled, yet they moved with agility; though Ye Mian tried to help several times, she was gently refused. So, Ye Mian could only stand by and watch.

Once the blanket was laid, Grandma Ye opened the window slightly and lit a stick of incense. The scent drifted into the room, light and faint. Grandma Ye gave Ye Mian a lingering look before leaving without a word. That night, breathing in the scent of the incense, Ye Mian wrapped herself in the quilt and closed her eyes.

Lying in an unfamiliar environment, with the occasional rustle of wind against the window, the events of the day replayed in her mind. She recalled Jiang Chen's final words before hanging up: "I really want to see you, too." Feeling a bit drowsy, Ye Mian suddenly grew alert. She buried half her face in the quilt and smiled to herself in the darkness. The waning moon that night wasn't very bright, but the wind was gentle. Perhaps it was the exhaustion from her long journey, or perhaps the scent of the quilt—warmed by the sun—offered such peace of mind, but Ye Mian fell into a deep, sound sleep.

She had intended to wake up early to help Grandma Ye with chores, but when she finally opened her eyes, the sky outside was already bright. The room had no curtains, and the frosted patterns on the glass made the sunlight feel blindingly sharp. Drowsily, she pushed the window open, and a vast expanse of heavy snowfall filled her vision. The entire courtyard and the main path outside were blanketed in white, even the door threshold encased in soft, fluffy snow.

Ye Mian’s expression softened. She took a breath and realized she truly loved this place. She had only been here for one day, yet the weariness accumulated over the years seemed to have vanished, and she began to look forward to the good times ahead.

Squinting, she prepared to bask in the sun when she heard an argument coming from the living room next door. The voices were unmistakably those of Father Ye and Grandma Ye. Ye Mian paused, feeling concerned but deciding not to intervene. Matters between elders should be left to them; her presence would only make it harder for them to speak. So, she listened quietly. There was no way to avoid it; the soundproofing was truly abysmal.

Ye Haisheng’s voice remained relatively steady. "Mom, I was just asking if Changlin is coming back this year."

Grandma Ye’s voice was sharp with rage. "Why ask? He isn't even a human being! If he dares to come back, I’ll drive you all out. Just go, all of you, and don't come back to bother me!"

As she finished, as if not yet satisfied, Grandma Ye seemed to throw something out the door. It landed in the snow, and Ye Mian saw what it was. Well, it was a bright red apple. However, she agreed with Grandma Ye entirely. Ye Changlin was no human; he was a complete animal.

...

After a heated argument, the two elders fell silent. Grandma Ye trudged out of the house, leaning on her cane, and before leaving, she used the tip of her cane to flick that apple three meters away. She was clearly furious. Ye Mian blinked, amazed, and once her grandmother was far away, she opened her door and looked at her father with concern.

Father Ye sat on the sofa, seemingly unable to comprehend the situation. His generation still deeply valued blood ties, believing that a family should always be united. Thinking of what Ye Changlin had done, Ye Mian decided she should tell her father. After all, that man had already fled to the United States. She only hoped her father would see him for who he was and stop letting the word "blood" hold him hostage.

She quietly approached her father, poured him a cup of hot tea, and said earnestly, "Dad, I want to tell you something."

Father Ye had a wonderful trait: he never let his emotions spill over onto his daughter. As soon as she approached, a faint smile appeared on his face. "What is it? Do you want to go out for a walk? I’ll take you."

Ye Mian shook her head. "It’s about Uncle... Dad, please don't get angry when you hear this."

She recounted the events of that day calmly. She didn't feel ashamed of what had happened, though she glossed over the finer details. She only emphasized the gravity of the fact that she had managed to injure that beast in the end. To reveal everything clearly would be too cruel and painful for a father who loved his daughter so dearly. She had already endured the pain once and didn't want her loved ones to suffer through it in their imaginations. Thus, she downplayed it, describing it as an attempted incident that had been thwarted just in time.

Ye Haisheng froze, his face turning pale and ghastly. The wind of early February was biting and sharp. A father’s heart was being shredded by these icy blades. Even when understated, the truth remained shocking. Ye Haisheng opened his mouth, clenched his fists, and remained silent for what felt like a century.

One could only imagine the internal struggle he was experiencing. Perhaps realizing that nothing could make up for it, he finally spoke: "Mianmian, I’m going to resign. If you are in Wencheng, I will be in Wencheng. If you are in Jiangcheng, I will be in Jiangcheng. I won't let you be alone ever again. That scumbag—our family will never have contact with him again. It’s my fault for not protecting you."

His voice was choked with emotion, his eyes red. He looked filled with regret and bitterness, perhaps agonizing over why he hadn't been home at the time. Yet, in front of his daughter, he could only struggle to maintain his composure. Ye Mian saw it all clearly; she said nothing, giving her father space to calm down. But as the wind blew, her own eyes grew red. It wasn't because of the incident itself; it was because she had seen her father smile so often, but never had she seen him cry. She realized then that even her father was capable of breaking down.

Father and daughter sat for a long time, both pretending to be strong, wanting to be each other's pillar of support. Not until Grandma Ye returned, thumping her cane, did the silence break.

Ye Mian whispered, "I’m fine, Dad. I can protect myself now."

With that, she returned to her room. As Grandma Ye had returned looking fierce, she likely had more to say to Ye Haisheng. The moment she closed her door, she heard Ye Haisheng erupt in fury.

"That animal! I will never have anything to do with him again!"

As his words faded, another red apple landed in the snow. Ye Mian burst into tears, then laughed through them. It seemed their family's apples were particularly ill-fated this year. Having said her piece before the New Year, she hoped that with the arrival of the new year, all of this would simply blow away with the wind.

Sitting on a weathered wooden stool, she let the snow fall onto her upturned face. It stung with a cold ache. Ye Mian covered her cheeks and finally couldn't hold back, sobbing uncontrollably. Being reborn was truly wonderful. If she had lived the rest of her life in that daze, what a regret that would have been.