Chapter 42: Mu Song, Who Must’ve Eaten Bear Hearts and Leopard Guts
Qiao Rui was truly extremely annoyed!
This tie clip had barely been used a few times—how had one of the rhinestones suddenly fallen off?! What kind of brand dared to fool customers like this? They really deserved to go out of business.
Unfortunately, no matter how many times he turned it over, he still couldn’t find a brand logo, which only made him angrier the more he thought about it. Just then, he heard the sound of a door opening from the direction of his younger brother’s room outside, and immediately decided to go bother his brother instead.
But today his brother seemed strangely off. Early in the morning, he neither cooked nor memorized vocabulary, just stood there foolishly on the stairs. Even after being called over and asked something, he didn’t answer, simply staring blankly at him like someone who hadn’t fully woken up yet.
What had he been looking at just now?
Qiao Rui retraced his younger brother’s line of sight and discovered he had been staring at the photo wall that had already been in their house for several days. He frowned slightly and shoved the tie clip toward him again. “Are you trying to pick a fight like Dad, too?”
The glittering tie clip was practically poking him in the nose, yet Qiao Nan still looked dazed. “...What?”
Qiao Rui wore an expression that clearly said Why are you people so picky? It’s seriously annoying. “It’s just a few photos. Dad’s already changed the frames seven or eight times lately. Why don’t you calm down, too?”
“...” Qiao Nan stared blankly at his older brother’s completely accustomed attitude toward the changes in the house, then slowly turned to look at his mother’s smiling face in the photo. “...These photos...”
Qiao Rui had been shaking the tie clip around the whole time, but seeing that his brother neither intended to take it nor seemed willing to promise him a new one, he grew somewhat unhappy. “What?”
Qiao Nan lowered his voice a little. “...How long have they been hanging here?”
Qiao Rui: “...”
He froze, his expression changing as he focused on his younger brother more carefully, only to realize that Qiao Nan looked genuinely absent-minded.
Concern immediately surfaced in his eyes. He instantly dropped the subject of the tie clip and reached out to touch his brother’s forehead. “What’s wrong? Are you feeling sick today? Got a fever again?”
Otherwise, why would he ask something like that? A few days ago, when their dad dug the photos out and hung them on the wall, Qiao Nan hadn’t reacted strongly at all.
Compared to his younger brother, who had seemed to accept their father’s proposal rather easily, Qiao Rui actually felt that his own emotions at the time had been far more turbulent. It was just that he had never been good at expressing his feelings, and with the atmosphere at home growing increasingly harmonious lately, he had ultimately suppressed his urge to object since no one else openly opposed it first.
For so many years, the entire family had tacitly avoided mentioning their mother as much as possible. Qiao Rui didn’t know what his younger brother thought, but in his own heart, their mother was both a scar and a sacred place—someone who should never be tainted by the current fractured state of their family.
Yet the moment her framed photograph was hung on the wall, Qiao Rui realized that accepting it wasn’t nearly as difficult as he’d imagined.
Sunlight spilled across the photograph that had been sealed away for years without seeing daylight, and warmth seemed to climb onto the smiling face frozen in time. There was no humiliation, no fury, no pain. Instead, this empty house—which had always failed to give him any sense of belonging—suddenly felt full.
It was obvious their father was trying very hard to make this family normal again. Ever since settling his workplace in City A, every day Qiao Rui returned home, he would discover some new change in the house, large or small. The once empty and cold living room had gradually begun filling with rich colors. As his son, Qiao Rui had only just discovered that his always forceful, business-minded father actually had a hobby like gardening. But he had to admit that the increasing number of fresh green plants had brought enormous vitality to the space. Even Qiao Rui himself had recently developed the habit of casually watering them after waking up.
A large, well-defined hand reached toward him. The fingertips had already brushed his hair when Qiao Nan, who could barely remember the last time he’d interacted so intimately with his older brother, was startled on the spot. His body seemed to instinctively accept the other party’s intention, so much so that his mind reacted a beat too late. By the time he subconsciously tried to dodge backward, it was already too late.
The terrible thing was that he forgot he was standing on the stairs. His right foot stepped into empty air, and completely unprepared, Qiao Nan tipped backward and crashed onto the floor with a loud bang, even flinging one of his slippers off.
Qiao Rui: “!!!”
The sound of the fall echoed through the enormous house. The two brothers stared at each other in shock. Then, hurried footsteps suddenly came from the kitchen. Qiao Nan turned his head—and immediately suffered another visual shock.
The apron their father wore had already changed from Peppa Pig to characters from Boonie Bears. His protruding beer belly stretched the cartoon figures into a full 3D effect. Holding a spatula in one hand, he hurried over while wobbling anxiously toward them.
Worry and surprise covered his face as he muttered, “What happened? How did you fall down the stairs?”
Although Qiao Nan had once seen a similar getup while inhabiting Mu Xiangxiang’s body, the emotional impact at this moment was still indescribable. Sensing his father rapidly approaching, he reflexively scrambled up from the floor and raised both hands defensively in front of his chest. “Don’t come over here!”
“Huh?” It had already been a very long time since Qiao Yuanshan last experienced rejection from his younger son, so he froze immediately. Stopping in place, he turned to his older son in confusion, hoping for an explanation.
Qiao Rui frowned slightly, his gaze falling onto his younger brother’s wary expression not far away. Somehow, he caught a trace of familiar nostalgia.
That familiarity gave him the strange sensation of a lifetime apart.
Truthfully, ever since some time ago, he had harbored a faint sense of doubt. Although the family relationship had become increasingly harmonious and arguments had practically disappeared, the now cold, quiet, hardworking Qiao Nan would still sometimes give him an intense sense of dissonance.
At first, he assumed it was simply because his brother’s personality had changed too drastically. After all, people around him who underwent major upheavals or sudden enlightenment and completely turned their lives around were hardly rare. And aside from that, there was no real disconnect in their daily life or communication. Yet somewhere deep down, it always felt as though a voice was telling him— Something isn’t right.
As for exactly what wasn’t right, Qiao Rui couldn’t really say. Watching his younger brother constantly entering and leaving the study, always holding books, diligently doing homework and memorizing vocabulary, truly did make him feel gratified.
Eating noodles personally cooked by his brother, receiving gifts his brother personally gave him, being patiently comforted by him when he felt down—all of those moments genuinely made him happy too.
Yet beneath the gratification and surprise, there was always a faint emptiness.
For some reason, he would still miss that kid from long ago—the one who exploded with rage at every turn, cursed nonstop, fought against him constantly, and worried him to death.
Qiao Rui had previously thought he was seriously messed up. Instead of cherishing the obedient little angel in front of him, he was reminiscing about the days when he got cursed out to his face.
But at this moment, that hollow space in his heart was suddenly filled.
He didn’t understand where this strange emotion came from. All he could do was answer blankly amid his brother’s irritable shouting and his father’s puzzled gaze: “...Could he be sick?”
“What?!” Qiao Yuanshan panicked instantly upon hearing that. His son being sick was no small matter! Lately, as he gradually grew closer to his children, he was no longer the kind of father who would retreat just because his son showed a little displeasure or moodiness. So even after Qiao Nan clearly expressed resistance, he still tossed aside the spatula and lunged toward him.
“Nannan—!”
Qiao Nan was completely dumbfounded and immediately turned to run.
While chasing after him, Qiao Yuanshan continued persuading, “Don’t run, don’t run! Let Dad feel your forehead!”
Aside from that one time when he had occupied Mu Xiangxiang’s body and had no choice but to behave politely, Qiao Nan hadn’t had a proper conversation with his father in nearly ten years. There was no way he’d obediently stop and let himself be checked. So he fled even more frantically. “Stop chasing me! I’m fucking not sick! Holy shit! Stay away from me!”
“Nannan! Don’t be afraid! If you’re sick, you still need injections and medicine!”
While running, Qiao Nan tripped over a throw pillow carelessly tossed onto the floor. He was practically being driven insane by the potbellied old man chasing him from behind. Normally, if someone hounded him around like a stray dog, his explosive temper would have long since erupted. But for some reason, despite how miserable and frantic this pursuit made him feel, he couldn’t summon any anger beyond wanting to escape. It was as though, besides panic, there were countless complicated and profound emotions swirling inside his heart—emotions like ropes tightly binding all his viciousness and hostility.
Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck!
Qiao Nan was about to lose his mind. He simply could not understand why his father had suddenly become this bizarre version of himself, nor did he know how to make him stop chasing him relentlessly. All he could do was perform a life-or-death parkour routine through a house suddenly filled with obstacles. When he vaulted over the low cabinet by the entrance, he nearly knocked over the vase sitting on top. The instant he landed—just as he was about to crash into the shoe cabinet—a pair of arms suddenly stretched out from the side and grabbed him in a tight embrace.
At the same time, a warm hand landed on his forehead. The instant Qiao Nan realized he had been pulled into Qiao Rui’s arms, his entire body went rigid.
The wind is roaring, the horses are neighing, the Yellow River is roaring, the Yellow River is roaring—
HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!
Summer, summer quietly passes by, leaving behind little secrets—
HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!
Just as Qiao Rui frowned slightly, trying to judge the temperature beneath his palm, an unprecedented force suddenly exploded from within his embrace. The strength was so overwhelming that even someone like him—whose daily combat training already involved over seventy pounds of weight—couldn’t resist it. He was shoved backward several staggering steps on the spot.
Qiao Yuanshan hurried over to support his eldest son before he fell. Before either father or son could process what had happened, the next second, a figure had already flung open the front door and fled for his life—
Qiao Yuanshan: “...”
Qiao Rui: “...”
The house fell silent for two seconds.
Luo Meisheng, who had just come downstairs and happened to witness the final scene: “???”
Still stunned, Luo Meisheng descended the stairs and, just like the previous few days, lit three sticks of incense before the enormous memorial portrait. Afterward, she looked at her husband and stepson, who had finally regained their senses. “...Was that Nannan who just ran out?”
Qiao Yuanshan blankly nodded.
Luo Meisheng: “...What’s wrong with him?”
“...” After a moment of silence, Qiao Yuanshan scratched his head uncertainly. “Maybe he’s scared of injections and medicine...?”
****
AAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!! FUCKING HELL AAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!
IS MY DAD A FUCKING IDIOT AAAAAHHHHH?! MY BROTHER DEFINITELY IS TOO AAAAAHHHHHH!!!
FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK! ARE THEY BOTH POSSESSED OR SOMETHING?!
Qiao Nan didn’t stop running until he rushed into an elevator. Staring at his reflection in the mirrored walls while gasping for breath, the tangled mess inside his head gradually began to settle.
The hand that had been frantically mashing the close-door button slowly dropped limp to his side. Only then did he realize—
His entire face was burning red.
Morning in City A was as busy as ever. Office workers clutching hastily bought breakfasts streamed toward bus stops. The rising sun illuminated the city—only recently awakened from sleep—with vibrant life. And that day, people near a luxury residential district in western City A witnessed a scene they would never forget.
A tall, handsome young man suddenly burst into the crowded streets, standing out dramatically among the masses as he sprinted at the speed of life and death.
And furthermore—
He only had one shoe on.
****
Recently, the classroom recordings and notes Qiao Nan brought back from Yingcheng had become far more detailed than before. By the time Mu Xiangxiang finished reviewing them the previous night, it was already close to one in the morning.
Thinking about the meaningful things Qiao Nan had said by the riverside, she showered, prepared the clothes she planned to wear the next day as usual, then climbed into bed—yet remained unable to sleep for a long time.
At some point, she eventually drifted off without realizing it.
And then she dreamed about a bunch of strange things.
It was as if a giant hand had grabbed her by the collar and tossed her high into the air. She floated downward weightlessly while scenes played around her like slides in a projector.
Dad. Mom. Her younger brother. The classmates from No.1 High and Yingcheng. Through a window, she saw her father hunched over outside the shabby apartment building weaving bamboo baskets. She saw her mother standing beneath the night sky outside their home, waiting for her father’s late return. She saw herself sitting silently in her classroom seat, not joining the excited chatter of the girls behind her. Then she jumped into icy water and pulled out a drenched, skinny little child who looked only four or five years old.
The beautiful little boy stared fixedly at her with eyes as clear as glass marbles before suddenly saying—[Thank you, big sister.]
The sweet, soft voice came from the heavens, yet for some reason it thundered like a gong.
It felt like someone setting off firecrackers beside your bed while you were asleep. Mu Xiangxiang jolted awake almost instantly. The moment she opened her eyes, she felt sore all over. Stretching lazily, she struggled upright from the position she had apparently fallen asleep in—slumped over a desk.
Several exam papers lay spread across the tabletop. The one beneath her was already nearly two-thirds completed. An uncapped pen rested quietly nearby.
Yawning, Mu Xiangxiang casually glanced over the paper—and immediately spotted several incorrectly solved questions. Her brows furrowed at once, and under the influence of her perfectionist tendencies, she instinctively reached for the pen to correct them.
But before she could act on that impulse, still frozen mid-yawn with her mouth open, she suddenly stopped.
As her mind rapidly cleared, several questions surfaced at once—
- She was certain she had fallen asleep lying in bed last night.
- There was no way she would make mistakes on Olympiad math problems that were only about four-star difficulty at most.
- Where was this place?
Suddenly realizing something, she lowered her head and stared at the hand she had raised to grab the pen.
Thin. Pale. Pink flesh showing faintly through the joints and fingertips—This did not look like the hand of a child raised in poverty. After all, from childhood onward, her parents had never allowed her to do heavy labor.
That hand began trembling visibly. Within half a minute, Mu Xiangxiang nearly forgot how to breathe. She shot to her feet and frantically looked around the room she currently occupied.
This was a completely different room from the one she knew.
Her own room should have been tiny and damp. Without turning on the lights, the only source of illumination came from a half-meter-wide window covered with cloth, most of whose light was blocked by the neighboring building. But this room was spacious and bright. Beyond the thick floral curtains—left slightly open—a mischievous beam of sunlight slipped in through the bay window.
Her own room had thick foam mats on the floor because the cement was too cold. Here, dark red wooden flooring stretched as far as the eye could see. Her own ceiling bore years of mildew stains leaked from the upstairs neighbors. Here, the pale beige wallpaper radiated warmth instead. Her own room should only have had a bed around 1.3 meters wide. But the bed before her was absurdly spacious. It was covered in plush bedding that looked incredibly warm, embroidered with delicate little flowers matching the curtains—nothing remotely comparable to the old, fraying sheets the Mu family used until they practically fell apart.
Outside the window, the rolling mountain ranges at the edge of City A stretched endlessly beneath misty green scenery.
Mu Xiangxiang stood frozen, slowly turning in place as her breathing grew rapid.
She immediately searched for a phone, but couldn’t find one on the bedside table, forcing her to rummage anxiously through the room instead. But she had no idea how Qiao Nan lived—his room was unbelievably messy. Especially the desk piled high with books and miscellaneous junk, completely overwhelming someone like Mu Xiangxiang, who always kept her own life meticulously organized. Rare irritation rose inside her heart. Just as she stood there at a loss, she suddenly heard a heavy thud from outside the room.
Then her father’s voice rang out: “Yes, yes, over there! Right there! Sorry to trouble you—please move it to the corner of the wall. Thank you, thank you—”
The tutoring book she had just picked up slipped from her hands and crashed to the floor. Before her brain even processed it, Mu Xiangxiang had already rushed to the door and flung it open.
Blindingly brilliant sunlight flooded her vision, forcing her eyes to narrow. After the brief dizziness faded, she finally saw the chaotic scene outside.
The sunlight in City A was especially beautiful today. Even in the early morning, the living room was already wrapped in warmth. Three or four burly movers were pushing in a gigantic cardboard box taller than a person through the front door, while Father Mustood beside them directing the process. He was so thin and short that even the shortest mover towered over him by a full size, yet the spirited confidence and vitality in his expression made him completely stand out from the otherwise unremarkable group.
Mu Xiangxiang had grown used to seeing him smile apologetically at old neighbors and customers in the urban village. This was the first time she realized that when facing strangers, her father could actually possess such confidence and such a booming voice.
At that moment, perhaps sensing something from the corner of his eye, Father Musuddenly turned around. Sunlight haloed his figure, making the smile that spread across his face especially dazzling. “Xiang, did we wake you up? Nothing we can do about it—they insisted on delivering this in the morning. Dad couldn’t even go to the stall today, so I had to leave your mom to watch it for now.”
The last time Mu Xiangxiang had carried him home while inhabiting Qiao Nan’s body, she never would have dared imagine that she’d one day get the chance to stand before him like this again. Emotion surged over her like a tidal wave. Her lips trembled and her nose stung with sudden sourness. “...Dad!”
“Ah!” Father Mu answered good-naturedly, coaxing her gently. “Don’t worry, it’ll be done soon. You can go back to sleep afterward if you want. What do you want for breakfast? Dad’ll make it for you later.”
Mu Xiangxiang stared at her father’s lively expression, pressing her lips together without knowing what to say. At that moment, a hoarse teenage voice suddenly sounded from inside the house: “So damn noisy this early in the morning...”
She whipped around abruptly and saw a head of gray short hair enter her vision. Her younger brother Mu Song came wandering out of his room scratching his back. His delicate face still carried the same rebellious sharpness as ever. He glanced across the living room with a displeased frown, but the moment his gaze met Mu Xiangxiang’s, his expression shifted slightly. Then he stopped complaining altogether. After quietly calling out “Sis,” he silently slipped into the bathroom to wash up.
Mu Xiangxiang froze at his attitude, which was completely different from the impatience he usually showed her face-to-face. Only then did she notice the drastic change in his style. In her memory, Mu Song had long ago become a complete delinquent stereotype. His jeans were always more torn than the most shredded pair on the street. He had more ear piercings than the vainest girls around. And when he stared at people beneath that unruly gray hair, the viciousness in his eyes made it impossible to guess his age.
Mu Xiangxiang couldn’t even remember how many years it had been since her brother properly called her “sis.” Mu Song was always angry. Even when he wasn’t fighting with their parents, he never had much patience for talking to her.
But now, that tall, skinny teenager looked unusually peaceful. He wore only a simple white hoodie and pale gray jeans. Barefoot, walking away across the floorboards against the light, he looked so beautiful that he resembled the male lead of some youth romance drama.
A moment later, that “male lead” returned to everyone’s sight after washing up. He had taken off his shirt and wore only a pair of pants. His gray hair was dripping wet, water still trailing downward, so he tilted his head and roughly scrubbed at it with a towel in one hand. As he passed through the living room, he raised his voice and shouted, “I want lard sticky rice cakes.”
Father Mu rolled his eyes at him. “Get lost, get lost! Put some clothes on first! Go back to your room!”
Surprisingly, Mu Song didn’t get angry. He simply snorted a laugh and padded over with bare feet before stopping directly in front of Mu Xiangxiang.
Looking up at him, Mu Xiangxiang realized that the sharpness usually present in his eyes had become unexpectedly gentle. After meeting her gaze, he even looked away awkwardly before accidentally glancing into the room behind her.
The youth-drama male lead immediately rolled an enormous eye-roll exactly like their father’s. “Fuck...”
Mu Xiangxiang was still confused by his reaction when he casually pushed her shoulder aside and naturally walked past her into the room shirtless. He headed straight toward the desk, turned his back to her, and started cleaning the clutter with the hand not occupied drying his hair.
His hoarse voice drifted over, sounding helpless. “Sis, I’m begging you. Next time, can you stop mixing the completed test papers together with the unfinished ones?”
Mu Xiangxiang stood frozen at the doorway, staring at the thin layer of muscle across her younger brother’s back. She didn’t hear a single word.
The moment Mu Song turned around and saw his sister’s expressionless face, he instinctively felt a little intimidated, so he didn’t dare keep nagging. Quietly tidying the desk—which somehow became messy again every single day—he finally slung the half-wet towel over his shoulder and spread out a hand. “Hand it over.”
Mu Xiangxiang hesitated. “...??”
Seeing no response, Mu Song decided to search himself. His eyes swept around the room and quickly found his target at the end of the bed.
Then he lifted the blanket and pulled out—A pair of worn socks.
Mu Xiangxiang: “………………”
“W-wait...!” For a moment, she genuinely had no idea what kind of expression she should make. Her younger brother! Her rebellious younger brother! On this hopeful morning! Had just dug two stinky socks out of her blanket!
Mu Song, meanwhile, remained completely calm, holding the socks without the slightest disgust. “What?”
Mu Xiangxiang opened her mouth. She wanted desperately to explain: Don’t misunderstand! I didn’t wear those socks! I didn’t mess up that desk either! Your sister is actually a very clean and responsible person!
But before she could defend her innocence, Mu Song’s phone suddenly rang. The teenager paused to answer it, and whatever the caller said caused his expression to change instantly.
After hanging up, he stood there staring blankly at the ceiling for a moment. Then he abruptly snapped out of it and charged straight toward Mu Xiangxiang.
She jumped in shock. The next second, Mu Song had braced both arms against the wall, trapping her between himself and the surface behind her.
He simply couldn’t contain his excitement. His eyes sparkled brightly. Conscious that their father was outside, he lowered his voice as much as possible. “Holy shit, Sis! Daya arranged a performance gig for our band! Next weekend! It’s some underground rock competition. Zhou Huacai said if we make enough of a splash, they can directly arrange for us to join a talent show afterward!”
B-band?
Talent show?!
Mu Xiangxiang immediately panicked hearing those two phrases. She knew her younger brother skipped studying to mess around with extracurricular activities alongside certain people, and their parents had always worried themselves sick over his disastrous grades. Since childhood, Mu Xiangxiang had been raised to focus entirely on academics and had never really experienced the world outside studying. She had absolutely no concept of something like a “band,” but judging from her parents’ reactions, it probably wasn’t anything respectable.
And what was a talent show supposed to mean? Mu Song was still in middle school! If he participated in things like that, how could he possibly continue studying properly?
“Wait, Mu Song, you—” A flood of worries surged through her mind, and she instinctively tried to persuade him otherwise. But before she could finish speaking, Mu Song suddenly pulled her into an excited hug.
His damp hair brushed against her cheek. Moisture carrying the scent of shampoo filled her nose. His body felt cool, yet his arms were surprisingly strong. Even though he tried lowering his voice, his excitement still burst through as he spoke directly beside her ear: “Sis! Sis! Sis! A live performance! A talent show! We’re finally gonna stand on stage! I can sing the songs I wrote for everyone to hear!”
“M-Mu Song...?”
Mu Xiangxiang had no idea how to respond and could only call his name blankly.
Mu Song hugged her so tightly it hurt before finally letting go. After calming his breathing slightly, he grabbed her shoulders with both hands and lowered his head, his gaze serious and sharp. “Sis, thank you.”
Mu Xiangxiang blinked. “For what?”
“Thank you for being willing to understand me. You’re the only person in this family willing to understand me.” His voice was very soft because their father was still nearby, but even so, the overwhelming joy within it felt like a tidal wave. “You have to come. You absolutely have to come watch me perform.”
Originally, she’d wanted to tell him not to fool around so much and to put more effort into studying instead. But at this moment, facing those bright, almost painfully pure eyes, she simply couldn’t say the words.
In her memory, her younger brother had always been violent and repressed. This was the very first time she had ever seen him so openly joyful, just like an ordinary boy his age.
After speaking, Mu Song unexpectedly received no immediate answer. Once he calmed down a little, he looked at his sister in confusion.
For some reason, she had remained silent the whole time. Only after a long pause did she finally ask: “Being able to perform on stage... makes you that happy?”
Mu Song didn’t understand why she asked that, but nodded anyway. “Of course.”
Then, right before his eyes, her expression suddenly changed. It became soft. Helpless. A little lost. A little resigned.
Looking at him with that gaze, she finally sighed and nodded as though surrendering. “Alright. I’ll go.”
The moment he heard her answer, Mu Song froze slightly. He didn’t understand why, but suddenly he felt—as though only at this very moment—he had truly received acknowledgment.
The feeling came out of nowhere, yet was unbelievably clear. Confused, he found himself thinking that his sister seemed especially gentle today. Very different from the past few days. Strange, yet comforting.
And at that moment, as though he’d suddenly swallowed bear hearts and leopard guts, a surge of reckless courage overtook him. He raised a hand and brushed up the fluffy bangs covering his sister’s forehead— Then swiftly kissed her forehead.
The instant he finished, terrified she might hit him, he immediately grabbed the socks and bolted for the door. “Sis! Thanks!”
Mu Xiangxiang clutched her forehead in a daze for two seconds before shouting after him: “MU SONG!!”
From inside the rapidly closing bathroom came the teenager’s hoarse laughter. “Lucky kiss~”
****
By the time Mu Xiangxiang finally found the phone—silenced and abandoned atop the bookshelf—the screen already showed several missed calls.
Forgetting all about Mu Song’s strange behavior, she hurriedly called back. The phone was answered almost instantly. From the other side came Qiao Nan’s deep, textured voice: “Come downstairs.”
Mu Xiangxiang’s breathing halted. Without even changing her shoes, ignoring her father shouting “Where are you going?”, she rushed straight out the door.
The elevator numbers crawled downward endlessly. Neither side hung up, yet neither spoke again. Listening only to the breathing from the other end of the call, the elevator doors finally opened.
A tall young man stood there against the backlight, staring deeply at the girl in home clothes standing inside the elevator.
Then, slowly, he lowered the hand holding the phone—And opened his arms.
-----------------
Author’s Note:
Mu Xiangxiang [staring at Brother Nan’s feet]: “Why aren’t you wearing shoes?”
Brother Nan [because one foot is bare and freezing, currently balancing on one leg like a flamingo while waiting]: “…………Our fate ends here.”
Mu Song [washing socks with delicate jade-like hands]: “My sister actually didn’t beat me up!”
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