It's not until Da Qing slips back through the window into the apartment that he sees the messages, written not in words but the shape of everything else: the careful lack of anything perishable in the fridge, clingwrap with "do NOT eat after" dates labelled neatly by marker in Professor Shen's handwriting. (The third hidden stash of lollipops that really isn't much more secret than the first two, missing even the lime ones that Zhao Yunlan hated even though his favourite brand only ever came in assorted packs).
It's ridiculous, all of it, burning in his throat like the words that won't escape even in a yowl: why didn't you tell me you were never coming back?!
Guardian; Da Qing
It's not until Da Qing slips back through the window into the apartment that he sees the messages, written not in words but the shape of everything else: the careful lack of anything perishable in the fridge, clingwrap with "do NOT eat after" dates labelled neatly by marker in Professor Shen's handwriting. (The third hidden stash of lollipops that really isn't much more secret than the first two, missing even the lime ones that Zhao Yunlan hated even though his favourite brand only ever came in assorted packs).
It's ridiculous, all of it, burning in his throat like the words that won't escape even in a yowl: why didn't you tell me you were never coming back?!