In 2012, the weather was clear, and the sky was very blue.
"Fanfan, be good, Fanfan, listen to Mommy. Mommy will come back," a young woman with light makeup gently stroked the child in front of her, her eyes revealing her reluctance to leave.
"Mommy, when will you come back?"
"Well... When our Fanfan becomes a brave, sunny, and kind little adult, Mommy will appear in front of Chenchen, okay?"
"Okay, Mommy, I will definitely become that kind of person."
"Good boy. This is the teddy bear Mommy is giving to Fanfan. When Mommy isn't here, the teddy bear will keep our Fanfan company."
"Mm, thank you, Mommy."
"Mommy needs to talk to Daddy about something. Can Fanfan wait with Auntie over there for a while?"
The young child clutched the teddy bear in his arms and let Auntie lead him away.
The child looked back every three steps, his eyes pitifully fixed on his mother.
The young woman maintained a gentle smile, waving at little Fanfan.
"Ni, with your illness, you don't have much time left. Would you really rather go abroad in hopes of a cure than stay at home and spend these last moments with Fanfan?" a man in a suit said slowly.
He was handsome, and his eyes remained calm as he looked at the woman.
"I don't want to meddle in your affairs. Bringing that woman before me says it all. Fanfan is still young; time will make him forget everything. He'll forget me and regard the woman by your side as his mother. But I have one request: treat him well, after all, he's your child too."
"Yes, the child is only four years old. How many memories could he have? But do you really not even want to leave a headstone in the country?"
"A headstone? So that you can parade Fanfan in front of me and show off your hypocrisy? There's no need. I didn't even leave a single photo."
"Heh, how heartless."
"I'm begging you, just one thing, treat him well. I'm not asking for you to be overly kind to him, just make sure he has a place to live, enough to eat, a school to attend. For the future, you need not care, I'm begging you." The woman struggled to lift her hand, clutching at the man's sleeve.
The man looked at the woman before him and his calm expression broke into a smile. "Alright, I promise."
The woman knew it was a lie; he couldn't possibly do it, and neither could that woman, but she had no choice.
Sunshine District, Building 2, Unit 2, 704.
The young Fanfan held the teddy bear and hid in the small room, uneasily watching the tightly shut door.
A disheveled woman, wielding a feather duster, stormed in cursing and swearing.
"You wretched thing, you miserable thing! I'll beat you to death."
The young Fanfan held the teddy bear close in his arms, curled up into a ball, biting his lips tightly, his eyes closed, showing a pained expression, yet not making a single sound.
The young Fanfan still clutched the teddy bear, hiding in the room while the outside clamor frightened him.
"That damn woman is dead. When are you going to get rid of this wretched brat for me? I get annoyed every time I see him... so annoying..."
"Soon, soon, I'm looking into it."
"Soon? When will that be? Do you even care at all?"
Followed by the sound of things being smashed.
Fanfan hugged the teddy bear tightly, crouching in the corner, not daring to breathe loudly.
Mommy, when are you coming back? Fanfan is scared...
At night, as every household in the city enjoyed dinner and watched the evening news, the scene was warm and harmonious.
[Today, on Beimen Road, a traffic accident occurred. A sedan that was driving normally was overturned by a runaway truck with failed brakes. Of the family of three in the sedan, both adults died on the scene, and only a four-year-old boy was rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment...]
"Doctor, doctor, look at this child, he's covered in lash marks, old wounds, new wounds. These definitely aren't from the accident; he must have been abused at home. How could parents do such a thing?"
"This child's parents died in the accident just now."
"Don't think about that now. From the x-rays, the child has a cerebral hemorrhage; we need to operate immediately. Let's hope he'll pull through, even a loss of memory would be better than becoming a vegetable."
"Director, it seems like the child is trying to talk."
"When I become a brave, sunny, and kind little adult, Mommy will come back to see me."
The operating room fell silent.
"Ah, such a good child, it's a pity, she won't come back."
"What does 'the system' mean?"
"Lin Fan, open the door quickly, save me."
"Ah, why is there so much blood, your neck is bleeding. Wait a moment, I'll go get the first-aid kit."
"Don't do that, you're collapsing on me, I can't bandage you, calm down."
The woman, covered in blood, pinned the man down, biting into the flesh of his neck; blood gushed everywhere, saturating the floor. The man was in excruciating pain; he tried to stand up, to push the woman off him.
She tore open his chest with her bare hands, pulling out his organs and flesh.
The agony surged through his brain, his spirit, his will.
He watched the woman he'd let in his door go mad, eating his flesh, his organs, right in front of him. No... no.
His consciousness began to blur.
The man's eyes dulled as he stared at the ceiling.