"Luoli, let's go feed the fishes, shall we?"
"Feed fish… okay!"
They walked together toward the small feeding station.
A staff member handed out tiny paper cups filled with fish pellets.
"Look," she pointed at a little boy tossing pellets into the water."That's how you feed the fishes."
Luoli watched very seriously.
The boy threw a handful.
Splash splash.
The fish gathered instantly.
"Woahhh…"
His mouth formed a small "o."
She crouched beside him and helped him hold the cup.
"Just a little at a time."
He grabbed too many pellets.
"Luoli—"
Plop!
Half the cup fell in.
The water rippled violently as the fish swarmed.
Luoli gasped.
"They fightiiiing!"
"They're not fighting," she laughed softly. "They're just excited."
He tried again —
One tiny pellet.
Plop.
A bright orange fish darted forward.
"Mom! That one eat! That one eat!"
"Yes, I saw."
His laughter rang out, clear and bright.
A few steps away—
Su Huilan stood beside her niece.
"Slowly, don't lean too far," she reminded gently.
But her gaze drifted.
A child's laughter carried through the air.
She turned unconsciously.
She saw—
A small boy in a blue shirt.
Tiny hands holding a paper cup.
With his head half turned.
The shape of his nose and round cheeks.
Something about it—
Familiar.
Her brows furrowed slightly.
…Beichuan?
No.
Impossible.
She blinked.
The boy turned slightly, but before she could see his full face—
He ran back toward the woman beside him.
"Mom! Mom! Fish eat!"
The woman laughed softly, brushing his hair back.
Su Huilan looked away after a second.
I must be overthinking she mused.
Beichuan isn't that careless.
And if he had a child… she would know.
Right?
"Grandma! Look!" her niece tugged her sleeve.
"Yes, yes. I'm looking."
When she glanced back again—
The child was gone.
Lost among the moving crowd.
She didn't think about it again.
Meanwhile—
Luoli was still giggling.
"More feed!"
"Last one," she warned gently.
He tossed the final pellet.
Plop.
"Bye bye fishi!"
She smiled.
"Say thank you."
"Thank you fishi!"
The water shimmered under the soft blue lights.
A simple moment. Unnoticed. Unimportant.
Or so it seemed.