"A long time ago, your dad had a wish for the three of us to travel to this place," Mom said softly in the bus, stroking Dad's photo as if speaking to me or perhaps just to herself.
"Back then, our family was very poor. Just being able to come here for a trip would have been enough to make him content..." Her voice was gentle, almost a murmur, as she reminisced.
"But... it never came to pass... Now, the wish is finally coming true. The three of us are finally going to that place..." After saying this, she tucked Dad's photo into her pocket and took out a tissue to wipe her nose.
Tears, before they could even fall from her eyes, had already found their way down to her nostrils.
I stayed silent, simply listening as Mom shared her thoughts.
By noon, we finally arrived at our destination. Mom took me to try some local cuisine, and she seemed to abandon her usual frugal habits, spending lavishly without a hint of reluctance.
Since it was a rare outing, Mom was willing to splurge. During the meal, she would take out Dad's photo, letting the image of him "see" what we were enjoying.
At the scenic spots, Mom would hug me for selfies, and in those moments, she would again bring out Dad's photo, making sure all three of us were in the frame.
My memories of Dad weren't very clear—he passed away not long after I started forming memories—but influenced by Mom, I couldn't help feeling a bit sorrowful.
In the evening, since hotel prices were high and rooms were scarce, Mom and I checked into a guesthouse with two separate beds, one for each of us.
Urged by Mom, I took a shower in the bathroom and changed into the pajamas she had brought for me.
For this trip, Mom had packed plenty of spare clothes and toiletries.
After washing up, I lay down on the bed while Mom took her turn in the shower.
Listening to the sound of running water from the bathroom, my heart felt unsettled. During the day, I hadn't had time to think deeply amidst the busyness, but now, in the quiet, I began to sense something unusual about Mom.
Bringing Dad's photo along in the first place wasn't normal.
I had a feeling that Mom might have another purpose—perhaps she was suppressing other thoughts in her heart by reminiscing about the past with Dad.
Or maybe Dad and Mom had made a promise back then, and Mom was simply fulfilling it for him. Whatever the case, their bond was undoubtedly deep.
At the same time, I couldn't help but think about the promise Mom made to Daguo—one week later. I had always doubted the sincerity behind that promise.
Was it a delaying tactic to fool Daguo?
Or... had Mom truly made that decision?
Seeing Mom bring Dad's photo with her this time, even holding it up during selfies, perhaps she's constantly reminding herself to maintain her chastity and not betray Dad.
It seems Mom is deceiving Daguo. Maybe from now on, Mom will be more cautious around Daguo and simply not give him any opportunities.
Besides, even if Mom wanted to have a relationship with Daguo, she'd need the chance to do so.
If it were at our house, Mom would at least have to find a way to send me out.
If I'm home, the two of them would have no opportunity at all.
Like last time at Daguo's place, Teacher An was there, so it wasn't possible either.
Checking into a hotel?
That's a good idea, but it also seems unlikely.
Imagine a teenager and a young woman checking into a hotel, with the woman clearly old enough to be the teenager's mother—wouldn't the staff find it strange?
Hotel check-ins require real-name registration. Would Mom use her own ID to book a room?
Like how Mom and I are now, pretending to be mother and son checking in?
That also seems unlikely, since Mom looks very young and Daguo is quite mature. If someone said Daguo was Mom's son, it really wouldn't seem believable.
"Huff..." Hearing the water in the bathroom stop, I couldn't help but let out a heavy sigh.
Soon after, Mom came out wearing pajamas, dressed very conservatively.
As she dried her hair, she was looking at her phone. Mom never goes anywhere without her phone, and this time she brought all three of them with her.
At noon and in the evening, Mom was constantly fiddling with her phone.
After a full day, I was exhausted and sleepy—I've always needed a lot of sleep.
Before long, I fell into a deep slumber...
I don't know how much time passed, but I was vaguely awakened by some noises. Groggily, I opened my eyes.
It was already daylight, but when I opened my eyes, the room was still dark, with only dim light. I turned to look at the bed not far away.
But I didn't see Mom there. However, the bathroom light was on—had Mom gone to the bathroom?
I checked my phone; it was already past midnight. Just as I closed my eyes to go back to sleep, I heard the sound of the bathroom door opening.
Then came the soft sound of footsteps. Was Mom being extra careful even when going to the bathroom?
I squinted toward the bathroom door and saw Mom come out, adjusting her collar and fastening the last button. She glanced at me, and though it was dark, I could still see her cheeks were slightly flushed.
I was squinting and in the dark, so Mom probably didn't notice.
"Creak..." Mom got into bed, and everything fell quiet again, though her breathing was slightly uneven, with an occasional deep breath.
Did Mom just go to the bathroom to masturbate?
That couldn't be, right? We've only been away for five days—would she really masturbate?
Besides, Mom and I only brought one suitcase. I rummaged through it earlier when looking for clothes and didn't find any of Mom's toys. She couldn't have brought them.
And even if she did masturbate, why would she button her pajamas back up?
Shouldn't she be taking her pants off to masturbate?
How strange. I stopped overthinking it and fell back into a deep sleep.
In the following days, Mom seemed to have forgotten everything and happily accompanied me on outings everywhere.
Her smiles became more frequent than before, and she showed even more curiosity than I did at tourist spots, almost like a lively and adorable little girl.
It seemed that Mom had a playful nature when she was free. For my sake, she had always kept herself under too much pressure.
Mom also carried Dad's photo with her all the time. Sometimes, she would talk to the photo as if Dad were truly walking beside us.
Seeing Mom so carefree, it appeared she hadn't taken the matter with Da Guo to heart at all.
Thinking about this, I couldn't help but feel a sense of relief, though there was also a tinge of disappointment. Perhaps there really was no possibility between Mom and Da Guo, given how deeply she loved my late father.
When the trip ended, Mom and I hurried back home. Once we arrived, Mom spent the entire day busy with work—unavoidably, as several orders had piled up during our days away.
To catch up, Mom, for the first time ever, allowed me into the storeroom to help her pack parcels.
However, she handled the selection of goods herself, not letting me see the adult products. My only task was to seal the packages with tape.
After a full day's work, we finally completed all the orders that had accumulated over five days.
The next day seemed to be the one-week deadline for Mom and Da Guo, but Mom showed no signs of anything unusual. She focused on cooking for me, tidying up the house, and selecting and packing goods.
Early the next morning, right around the time of the one-week deadline, Mom went about her usual routine: making breakfast, doing household chores, and working busily in the storeroom.
She didn't go out all day, nor did she make any excuses to send me away from the house. Da Guo didn't show up either.
The day passed uneventfully. Perhaps during those five days, Mom had already firmly rejected Da Guo over WeChat, and he had given up completely.
But there was another possibility, albeit a slim one—that the two had postponed their agreed-upon time, or perhaps...
In the evening, after enjoying a delicious dinner Mom had carefully prepared, I lay in bed ready to sleep.
Mom was cleaning up in the kitchen. Once she finished, she returned to her bedroom. The light on my side went out, but the light in Mom's room remained on.
After a short while, the light in Mom's room went out as well, and everything fell into silence.
Was Mom not going to the storeroom for her live stream tonight?
It seemed that my summer vacation was also Mom's summer vacation—she had relaxed quite a bit.
Unconsciously, I fell into a deep sleep once more. But after some time, I was awakened by the need to use the bathroom.
Groggily, I got up, opened my bedroom door, and headed toward the bathroom.
Just as I opened the door, I instinctively glanced at the glass pane of Mom's bedroom door—and my eyes widened in surprise. Mom's bed was empty...
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