As Xie Wanning entered the hotel room with Du Zhiyuan, she felt as though all her energy had been instantly drained away.

With a "plop," she kicked off her sandals, disregarding her image, and directly jumped onto the large bed, sinking into the soft mattress. She let out a long sigh, releasing a tired yet relieved moan.

Du Zhiyuan stood by the side of the bed, his little eyebrows slightly furrowed. He looked up at his mom, who lay still on the bed, his small face full of dissatisfaction: "Mom, you promised to go swimming with me just now. You can’t go back on your word."

"Mom didn’t break her promise..." Xie Wanning said lazily.

"Let me rest a while first. I feel so tired, my whole body is weak. I want to sleep for a bit, just a little while."

Du Zhiyuan hesitated, pressing his little lips together, and after pondering for a moment, reluctantly nodded: "Then you rest first, but you can’t trick me."

"Don’t worry, mom never lies," said Xie Wanning.

"Hmph, not really," he said indignantly, "You often trick me; don’t think I won’t remember."

"Haha, you remember everything, huh? This little thing sure bears grudges."

Xie Wanning was amused by her son’s grown-up demeanor, reluctantly lifted her head, and reached out to ruffle his hair.

But Du Zhiyuan didn’t act as playful as usual; instead, his eyes widened watching her, his little face suddenly filled with panic. He quickly moved closer, his voice trembling slightly: "Mom, I was just kidding. I like being tricked by you. Don’t cry, I’m okay..."

Xie Wanning paused.

Crying?

Mom is not crying.

She instinctively raised her hand to her eye corner and gently touched it.

Her fingertips were wet.

At some point, tears had silently fallen, soaking the corner of the pillow.

"What’s wrong with me..."

Even Xie Wanning was bewildered herself.

One moment, she was joking with her son, but unexpectedly, a poignant sadness surged from her heart, overwhelming her like a tide.

A sting in the nose, warmth in the eyes, tears poured out uncontrollably, flowing more fiercely—no matter how much she wiped, they wouldn’t stop.

The emotions suppressed for too long completely flooded out at this moment.

"Sob-sob-sob..."

She couldn’t help but sob softly, her shoulders trembling lightly. Her mood instantly plummeted, wrapped in an indescribable low mood, even her breathing felt heavy.

"Mom, don’t be like this, I’m scared..."

Du Zhiyuan’s voice choked, his small body panicking, unsure of what to do. Attempting to comfort her, he was worried he’d upset her, so he could only stand anxiously, his eyes turning red.

In fact, this wasn’t the first time Xie Wanning felt this way.

Since Du Jianghe’s death, she had often been like this at home.

Most of the time, she would move from cooking, tidying up, or conversing with her son, to tears falling without warning, emotions suddenly slumping, suppressed, sad, anxious, helpless, with various negative emotions entangled and unshakeable.

Young as he was, Du Zhiyuan didn’t understand what depression was; he just assumed mom missed dad too much, so she cried secretly often.

Hence, he always tried to make mom laugh, urge her to go out and play, to take pictures, swim, and dig sand.

His methods were clumsy, but time and again they pulled Xie Wanning back from the brink of collapse.

Xie Wanning was clearer than anyone that she most likely had an issue.

She secretly visited the hospital, registered, and talked with the doctor for a long time. After the diagnosis, she had been quietly taking antidepressants.

This matter, she hadn’t told anyone, not even her parents.

Du Zhiyuan was too young; she didn’t want him to bear such a heavy burden at such a young age.

She had, numerous times, warned herself in her heart: You have a son to take care of, you cannot fall apart, you must be strong.

But often, depression was not something one could control by "wanting" or "trying" to be strong.

It was like an invisible hand, gripping your heart tightly when you least expect it, making breathing painful.

"It’s okay, mom is fine, mom is great..."

Xie Wanning forced herself to sit up, continuously wiping away tears, repeatedly telling her son she was fine, but the tears were disobedient, continuing to fall.

Watching her son’s frightened pale face, her heart ached and panicked, overwhelmed by a sense of guilt that was suffocating.

This can’t go on.

She can’t lose control in front of her son.

Can’t scare him.

"Come on, mom will take you swimming."

Xie Wanning took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the sadness welling in her heart, and reached out, grabbing Du Zhiyuan’s small hand, forcing a smile, hoping to divert attention.

She’d heard that exercise, playing in the water, and sunshine could make someone feel better.

But this time, Du Zhiyuan forcefully broke free from her hand.

"No."

The little boy shook his head with great effort, eyes red, his little voice teary: "Mom, you rest; I won’t sulk with you. Please, don’t cry okay..."

As he spoke, he reached out, hugging Xie Wanning’s leg, his small head leaning against her knee, sobbing quietly.

Xie Wanning’s heart felt instantly torn apart.

She didn’t want to cry either, but her emotions were completely out of control.

Sometimes she was truly scared, scared she might lose control one day and do something to hurt her son.

Afraid her poor state would fail to care for him properly.

More afraid that if she ever collapsed, her son would truly have no one to rely upon.

She had considered sending her son to live with his grandparents, where someone could care for him better than staying with her, an emotionally unstable mother.

But she couldn’t bear it.

Her son was her only light now, her only solace, her only reason to continue living.

Hearing her son’s words, mature beyond his years and deeply touching, Xie Wanning couldn’t hold on any longer, abandoning the plan to go out.

She sat directly on the floor, reaching out and pulling Du Zhiyuan tightly into her arms, holding him with all her might.

Du Zhiyuan obediently lay in his mother’s arms, neither crying nor fussing, simply accompanying her quietly.

Unknown how much time had passed.

The sunlight outside gradually shifted, softening the light in the room.

Xie Wanning’s anxious, shattered heart finally calmed little by little.

She let out a long breath, gradually stabilizing her emotions, and the tears ceased flowing.

Looking down, she found Du Zhiyuan had fallen into a deep, peaceful sleep in her arms.

The little boy slept soundly. His long lashes resting on his eyelids, his small mouth slightly puckered, with traces of tears not yet dry on his face, but utterly serene.

Gazing at her son’s sleeping face, the softest part of Xie Wanning’s heart was fiercely touched.

She constantly reminded herself over and over:

You must be strong.

You must get better.

Not just for herself, but for the little one beside her, whose eyes are full of her.

She tried to gently stand, her legs mostly numb, achy, and stiff.

But as soon as she moved, Du Zhiyuan softly whimpered in her arms, slowly awakening and rubbing his sleepy eyes, groggily calling out: "Mom..."

"Awake?"

Xie Wanning gently wiped away a trace of tears on his cheek, "Come, mom will take you swimming."

Du Zhiyuan was stunned for a second, then instantly cleared up, sitting upright with joy all over his little face: "Really?"

"Would mom lie to you?" Xie Wanning laughed softly, the shadows in her eyes dissipating significantly.

"Mom, you’re not sad anymore?" Du Zhiyuan, still a bit worried, earnestly asked, looking up.

"Everything’s fine, why would I be sad?"

Xie Wanning deliberately shrugged lightly, "I’m in a splendid mood right now."

Though still a little puzzled, Du Zhiyuan, being sensible, didn’t press the matter further, nodding obediently.

"Let’s go swimming!" He quickly crawled out of his mother’s embrace, excitedly darting towards the door.

"Wait a minute." Xie Wanning grabbed his collar, helpless yet amused, "Are you going like this? Put on your swimsuit first."