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墨書 Inktalez
He left the study that had once been so mysterious to him. In the moment the door was completely closed, his father set down the documents in his hands, leaning back deeply into the soft chair behind him, letting out a sigh. All of this was unseen by Gu Yan.
Since embarking on his journey home, his head had been in a daze, as if something was all tangled up inside. Moreover, Gu Yan's heart was filled with an inexplicable sense of fear; he couldn't describe it because even he couldn't pinpoint the origin of this emotion, as if it had appeared out of nowhere. However, after talking with his father, the questions in his heart gradually dissipated. Gu Yan naturally accepted what his father had shared.
He had that agreement with his father. In that case, his fear should be a reflection on the future and uncertainty about whether he could bear the responsibility. Unlike the reckless arrogance of his youth, time had deepened his understanding of the responsibilities and burdens that come with being the backbone of a family. Although he did not agree with his parents' educational methods, he gradually came to understand them.
Gu Yan recalled that during his travels, perhaps out of a momentary whim, he had visited many remote fishing villages. There, he encountered many elderly men with white hair. The more remote the place, the older the people tended to be; young people had gone off to pursue their own lives, leaving only the elderly to watch over the barren land passed down through generations. Though life was not affluent, their faces were calm—an exclusive trait of those old men who had seen much and gained a perspective on life through their experiences.
Gu Yan saw such shadows in his father as well—no longer ambitious but filled with a desire for and appreciation of family ties. It was precisely this kind of father that made Gu Yan decide to stay. He wanted to make up for the time lost with his parents over the years.
As Gu Yan pondered these thoughts, he descended the stairs toward the back garden. He had heard from the servants that his mother was tending to newly planted flowers there. He walked through the hall and entered the corridor leading outside. As he passed by a window, for some reason, Gu Yan suddenly stopped in his tracks.
He looked up at the staircase opposite the louvered window; at the wall beneath the stairs was a small door. That was the long-abandoned storage room. The storage room had been forgotten for over ten years, remaining unnoticed by anyone until now when it seemed to have been locked by someone.
He seemed to recall having crawled inside as a child because those gatherings were simply too noisy. Gu Yan thought carefully about it. But when was the last time he went in? He couldn't remember anymore. The only thing he remembered was that looking out from its window revealed a very blue sky, pure like the blue paint used in art class.
However, the locked door clearly did not lead to a blue sky. Gu Yan withdrew his gaze and shifted his focus to the Louver in front of him, looking out at the sky through the gaps. He couldn't see everything outside clearly, as the slats obstructed his view. The sunlight outside was divided into patches by the Louver, casting shadows on his face, with one shadow conveniently covering his eyes.
It felt somewhat warm. Gu Yan reached out to touch the sunlight but found nothing. He suddenly smiled. It was strange how familiar this old house felt, making him act like a child again. Touching sunlight was something he would have done before he turned ten.
He retracted his hand and gently pulled on a nearby cord, completely closing the Louver. The light in the corridor instantly dimmed significantly. Gu Yan continued walking toward the garden; he needed to check on his mother soon and could also enjoy the view of the backyard. The gardener at home always had good skills, and the flowers he cultivated were often beyond Gu Yan's expectations.
He left behind the hidden Storage Room and walked further down the long corridor.
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