Shen Er was uneasy and conflicted all day, but finally agreed to me at night.
In his world, there was no difference between day and night—but he deliberately chose sleeping time, thinking I wouldn't be able to see. Little did he know, there's this thing called light.
"What is light?" After his bath, he didn't wear the white silk anymore. He walked out with his eyes closed, and his long eyelashes cast shadows beneath them.
I was drying his hair and didn't know how to answer: "When it's time to sleep at night, it gets dark and you can't see anything. When I light a candle, there's light again, and I can see. That's what light is."
"Then why don't I have light? Did you forget to light a candle for me?" He lowered his head and asked softly, confused.
My heart felt like it was being squeezed—extremely painful. I walked around to sit in front of him on the small couch. I said: "Open your eyes."
He obediently opened his eyes.
As I expected, he had beautiful eyes that perfectly matched this face.
But contrary to my expectations—his eyes were truly too beautiful. Clear as a forgotten spring, with glistening tears, radiating breathtaking beauty in the moonlight.
"You're really beautiful," I couldn't help but praise: "Your eyes are beautiful too."
"My... eyes... are they like yours?" Shen Er grabbed my hand and brought it toward his eyes.
I gently touched his eyelashes. He blinked—ticklish—and his long eyelashes brushed against my heart. I giggled: "Of course they're different. Everyone's eyes look different. But your eyes are really the most beautiful I've ever seen."
"I mean—are my eyes normal? Do I look normal?" He asked urgently.
I slowly put away my smile and asked: "Who told you that you're not normal?"
All night, Shen Er was happy and joyful about looking "normal."
I didn't know—the people in the Shen household had never told him: You look especially good. You're the same as us. You haven't lost anything. You're not defective. You're not ugly.
Such simple words—yet they had become his nightmare for seventeen years.
I hugged him tightly and whispered: "Let's go out tomorrow, okay?"
Shen Er opened his sightless eyes, and his smile quickly faded, replaced by a very confused expression: "But I can't see—it will only cause you trouble."
"It won't," I firmly wrapped my arms around his neck: "I'll be your eyes."
"Mm," Shen Er relaxed and nodded with a smile.