It's not too late to meet in the book

Sunlight filtered through the slits in the curtains, scattering dappled light onto the floor, yet it seemed unable to dispel the heaviness and sadness that permeated the air. The door to the room was tightly shut. Outside, Wang Jing and Su Xiaoxiao looked anxious, their gazes constantly darting to the gradually cooling food by the door, their hearts filled with endless worry.

"Xiaoyue, Yuxuan, can you please open the door? Eat something. Your body won't be able to bear it if you continue like this." Wang Jing's voice was filled with tears. She tried to move the children inside with gentle words, but the only response she got was even deeper crying.

Su Xiaoxiao frowned. She gently patted Wang Jing's shoulder, signaling her to calm down. Then she squatted down and tried to see what was going on inside through the crack in the door. "Xiaoyue, Yuxuan, I'm Aunt Xiaoxiao. Can you guys come out for a moment? Let's talk, okay?"

In the room, Lei Xiaoyue and Lin Yuxuan huddled on the bed in the corner, their faces streaked with tears, their eyes so red and swollen they could barely open. They clung to each other, as if finding solace in each other. Lei Xiaoyue's shoulders trembled, her voice hoarse and weak: "We...we don't want to eat...Mom and Dad...they don't want us anymore..."

Lin Yuxuan's eyes also turned red, and he choked up and said, "Yes... We will go on a hunger strike... until they come back..."

Outside the door, Wang Jing and Su Xiaoxiao felt a pang of pain in their hearts when they heard this. They knew that the children were protesting in their own way, protesting the injustice of fate and the sudden departure of their parents.

Wang Jing took a deep breath and tried to make her voice sound firmer. "Xiaoyue, Yuxuan, listen to me. Mom and Dad didn't abandon you. They just went to a faraway place where they have things to do. But they definitely hope that you can live a good life and grow up healthy and happy."

Su Xiaoxiao also agreed: "Yes, children, if your parents knew that you didn't eat or drink like this, they would be very distressed. You don't want to make them worry, right? Come out and eat something, okay?"

However, the sobbing in the room didn't stop; instead, it intensified. Lei Xiaoyue and Lin Yuxuan seemed lost in their own world, unable to extricate themselves. Their small bodies trembled on the bed, and every sob seemed to tear the hearts of those around them.

Wang Jing and Su Xiaoxiao exchanged a glance, each seeing helplessness and heartache in the other's eyes. They knew that at this moment, any words seemed so pale and powerless. What the children needed was time, a process of slowly accepting reality.

As time passed, the sobbing in the room gradually subsided, but there was still no sign of stopping. Wang Jing and Su Xiaoxiao stood at the door, afraid to leave, afraid to miss the moment the children came out. They exchanged glances from time to time, trying to find a solution in each other's eyes, but each time they could only shake their heads helplessly.

The air in the room seemed frozen, suffocatingly heavy. Lei Xiaoyue and Lin Yuxuan huddled in bed, their eyes hollow and lost, as if they had lost their souls. Their faces were covered in tear stains, their hair tangled and plastered to their foreheads, making them look particularly haggard.

"Xiaoyue, Yuxuan, you haven't eaten for a day. If you continue like this, your bodies will collapse." Wang Jing's voice sounded again, with a hint of pleading in her words. She really hoped that the children could listen to her, even if it was just a little bit.

Lin Yuxuan raised his head slightly and said in a hoarse voice: "We...we just miss mom and dad...we want them to come back..."

Lei Xiaoyue also raised her head, her eyes filled with helplessness and despair: "We thought... as long as we didn't eat... they would feel bad... and come back... but... but why didn't they come back..."

Hearing this, Wang Jing and Su Xiaoxiao's eyes moistened again. They knew that the children were expressing their longing and yearning for their parents in their childish way, and this emotion was so pure and yet heartbreaking.

Wang Jing sighed softly. She knew that at this moment, any words of comfort seemed so pale and powerless. She could only stand silently outside the door, accompanying the children through this difficult time.

Su Xiaoxiao walked to the door and knocked gently: "Xiaoyue, Yuxuan, we know you are sad, but you also have to think about your own health. How about this, we leave the food here, whenever you are hungry, just come out and eat by yourselves, okay?"

The room was silent for a while, and then Lei Xiaoyue's weak voice came: "Okay...we got it..."

Although the children agreed, Wang Jing and Su Xiaoxiao knew that this was only a temporary compromise. It would take a long time to truly get out of this dark period. They stood silently at the door, looking at the cold meal, their hearts filled with mixed emotions.

Just then, a slight noise was heard in the room, followed by the low voices of Lei Xiaoyue and Lin Yuxuan talking. Although they couldn't make out what they were saying, Wang Jing and Su Xiaoxiao felt a sense of relief. At least, the children were beginning to accept reality and step out of their own world.

Outside the door, Wang Jing and Su Xiaoxiao smiled at each other. Although there was a hint of bitterness in their smiles, they knew that this was a good start.