"She seems to have something she wants to tell her husband."
The break time happened to coincide with the start of the mini-game festival, so Eden was excitedly pulled by Aili to open the game made by Nangong Yu together.
According to Aili, it contained the joint work of two people, so of course they had to share it together~
So, even though Eden wasn't interested in games, she couldn't resist Aili's coaxing after all and was pulled by her to sit in front of the computer together.
As a result, they didn't expect that a small game would quickly engross the two of them.
Seeing the conversation between John and River by the bed, Eden frowned slightly and voiced the question in her heart.
"Yes, whether it's that 'she' or that paper rabbit, they seem to be subtly reminding John of something, but John seems completely unaware."
Aili also wrinkled her pretty face and said with some distress.
"Why not just say it directly?"
"Yes, if you have any thoughts, just say them directly. Honest and open communication between people is..."
Aili's words suddenly stopped, she immediately turned her head and looked at Eden, and Eden also looked at her at this moment simultaneously.
"It's River's illness!" *2
Having guessed, they couldn't wait to read on, not even paying attention to the work that John had played.
As expected, the subsequent memory-traveling plot quickly answered their doubts.
Asperger's Syndrome, the name of the illness River suffered from.
This is a pervasive developmental disorder, usually characterized by social difficulties, accompanied by restricted interests and repetitive behaviors.
As Aili read out the introduction on Destiny Encyclopedia, the answer was imminent.
Why did River's and John's communication seem so awkward.
Why did River always repeatedly fold paper rabbits.
Why did she always ask John the same question so tirelessly.
All of this had an answer at this moment, but Aili, who knew the answer, was not happy, but became even more silent.
Especially after seeing John confess to River that he pursued her at the time simply because he felt she was special, River cut off her long hair and sat silently at the table.
On the ground, completed paper rabbits were scattered everywhere, and in her hands, she was still constantly folding.
"Did you see the rabbit I left for you? Tell me about it."
"Uh, it's yellow."
"And?"
"It's a little fat."
"And?"
"..."
Those repeated 'And?' filled with expectation finally made Aili's eyes red, one time, two times, three times, one day, two days, three days.
Asking and asking, half a lifetime passed.
Even after repeated disappointments, even at the end of her life, River was still stubbornly asking John the same question.
"And?"
"And?"
"..."
Unfortunately, what she got was always John's silence or a change of topic.
She was like a small boat sailing alone in the dark, always unable to find the lighthouse that could illuminate her. In the end, she could only fall into eternal sleep in the endless darkness, carrying everlasting regret.
"This is too much, Eden, this is too much..."
Understanding her best friend's nature, Eden gently hugged the somewhat sobbing Aili. She lightly patted Aili's shoulder, her voice warm and soft: "The torment of illness is beyond human control. Although John couldn't understand River's problem, he loved River so much. Isn't that equally touching?"
"But, but River, she, she shouldn't have died."
In her final days, John wanted to use the money he had to treat River's illness, but River refused.
Why did this house make River feel more important than life itself?
Aili and Eden didn't know, and neither did Sirin and the audience.
What the paper rabbit truly meant.
What River truly wanted to tell John.
The mist still shrouded everyone's eyes, and the story didn't stop.
Then, they saw a lively wedding, and saw the incredibly happy newlyweds in front of the lighthouse.
They saw Riverleaning against the lighthouse and saying, "Do you like the name Anya?"
"Would you... be willing to call her Anya?"
Immediately, the mist dissipated slightly.
"So the name of this lighthouse is 'Anya'. Therefore, the reason River cared so much about Anya is because this lighthouse is the witness to their love?"
Covering her red lips, Eden was a little surprised.
"But, no matter how important a witness to love is, it can't be happier than two people holding hands and strolling under the sunset."
Still lingering in the emotions from just now, Aili's mood was a bit low.
Until she saw John take River's hand, and saw them walk all the way to the very top of the lighthouse.
Watching them slowly begin to dance under the silver sand scattered by the full moon, in the bright light, to the accompaniment of the waves.
In this moment, they had no worries about illness, no anxieties about the future, only the warmth of their palms touching, their closeness, and the happiness that was within reach.
"That's truly wonderful~"
Aili softly sighed.
Eden also slightly smiled. She knew her best friend loved seeing this kind of scene the most.
"But..."
Because they were viewing the memories from back to front, the more they went through the present, the more heartbreaking the future regrets felt.
Eden interrupted Aili's murmuring. She looked at Aili and said a little seriously, "The ending is never more important than the process. At least at this moment, they are happy, aren't they?"
Eden's comfort had a clear effect. Aili visibly perked up.
"Yes, Eden, you're right."
She looked at the scene of the two embracing and dancing, and slowly said, "Although illness separated their minds, love did not. They loved each other so deeply, until the end of their lives."
To make John understand her feelings, River tirelessly folded the paper rabbit over and over again. The same questions filled the latter half of their lives.
The same was true for John.
Although he couldn't understand River's feelings, even if River asked a question for decades, he would patiently answer River's questions without rushing, and even if he never got River's approval each time, he never felt discouraged.
Even the lighthouse that River loved, John never expressed any doubts. He just quietly guarded her, and it remained so until River left.
Because he loved her, he also loved everything she liked.
Because she loved him, she didn't want there to be any gap between them, hoping to awaken her husband's memories.
This kind of unconditional love between them was warming, moving, and made people intoxicated and tearful.
As the story progressed step by step, everyone's smiles also increased.
At the grand wedding, the world witnessed their vow to accompany each other for a lifetime.
Relatives and friends offered sincere blessings. His mother even said excitedly, "Oh, Joey, you are the pride of my life." Joey was John's nickname, and his mother always liked to call him that.
In the spacious horse farm, their laughter of riding horses galloped and flowed.
Watching them meet, get to know each other, and fall in love, watching them paint a youthful, heartwarming picture in the movie theater.
All of this was so beautiful, so beautiful that people longed for it to stay forever.
And the platypus beside River became their tool to move forward, transforming into the most profound memory fragment, leading them all the way to John's childhood.
But at this moment, a flash of white light passed, and a bottomless darkness separated them from John's memories