Childhood sweethearts' alternate storyline: "Why don't you call me brother?"...

"Why should I give you money?" Pei Xi gripped the strap of her schoolbag, tilted her chin up at the chubby boy who was a head taller than her, and showed no fear.

"You won't give it to us?" The chubby boy frowned, his tone laced with threat. "If you don't give it to us, we'll beat you up."

Well, the chubby boy was followed by a few henchmen.

“Hitting someone is illegal, I will call the police.” Pei Qi was actually a little scared, but he still raised his chin.

"You have a phone? You don't even have parents, what phone do you have?" The chubby boy's tone was contemptuous, and he chuckled twice. "Hand over the money, or else..."

As he spoke, the chubby boy clenched his fist.

“I have parents.” Pei Qi still didn’t back down, gripping her backpack strap as if she was ready to fight the chubby boy.

"Then where are your parents? You don't have any. You're a pitiful wretch without parents." Another skinny boy rushed out and grabbed Pei Qi's collar.

As Pei Xi forcefully shook him off, the others surrounded him.

Fatty: "Are you sure you don't want to pay?"

"What are you doing?" Suddenly, a voice came from behind.

Pei Qi turned his head and saw a boy who was almost a head taller than him slowly walk into the alley.

He has a very handsome face, like someone from an animated film.

"Fighting here?" The boy's voice sounded a bit like mint.

It's icy cold, cool, and refreshing.

"They're robbing us." Pei Xi grabbed the strap of her schoolbag and quickly moved closer to the boy.

The boy looked down at the little guy with the wrinkled collar, who had round eyes and a childlike voice, and was probably several years younger than him.

"Who's robbing us? The police station is right next door." The boy turned his gaze to the group of little gourds across the street.

She looks quite young.

"We don't have any," the chubby boy jumped out and spat out, then led his henchmen in a hasty retreat.

While running away, the chubby boy bumped into Pei Xi, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

The little one grunted when he was bumped, took a step back, and then slowly regained his balance.

He rubbed his sore arm as he turned around and thanked the man in front of him, saying, "Thank you."

The boy asked, "Have they been robbing you?"

"No, it just liked to bump into me before." The capybara patted its backpack, feeling that it had been rubbed against it, and if it got dirty, it would bother its aunt to wash it for it.

The boy spoke, his brows furrowing slightly: "Have you told your parents?"

Pei Qi shook her head: "I..."

“You have to talk to them,” the boy said, his brow furrowing even more. “Do you live around here?”

Pei Xi: "Mmm."

The little one nodded and smiled.

Only then did the boy notice that the little one had a pair of dimples, and when she smiled, the center of the dimples rippled with a sweet, cloying smile.

"Remember to tell your parents when you get back." The boy quickly looked away and turned to leave.

Seeing this, Pei Qi quickly followed: "Um... Brother, where do you live? Is it around here? I don't think I've seen you before?"

elder brother.

The boy's brow furrowed again.

This little one is so outgoing!

elder brother.

Who is his brother?

The boy didn't say anything and strolled towards the alley entrance.

The little one beside him also took small steps, "tap tap" following the boy.

Why are you following me?

The boy's tone was slightly impatient.

Pei Qi nervously clutched the strap of her little blue backpack and whispered, "No... my third aunt's house is also around here."

juvenile:"………"

"What are you doing at your third aunt's house? Why don't you come home?"

The little one stopped and lowered his eyelids: "I live at my third aunt's house. I don't have my own home."

The boy remained silent for a long time.

Pei Xi pulled out two White Rabbit candies from somewhere: "Brother, do you like milk candies? These are delicious, here's one for you."

He handed the candy to the boy.

That little hand could only hold those two candies.

"I don't like sweets, you can keep them for yourself."

"No, it's for my brother."

Although the little one is tiny, it has its own ideas and stretched its hand forward again.

The boy took one of the eggs, but didn't eat it; he just casually stuffed it into his shirt pocket.

"Don't call me brother."

Pei Xi blinked her big eyes: "Well... I don't know your name. Oh right, I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Pei Xi. What's your name, brother?"

Okay, he'll still call him "brother" now.

"Guan Yue," the young man uttered calmly.

The little one's eyes brightened even more: "Is it the 'shuan' in 'switch'? And what's 'yue'?"

Guan Yue: "Aren't you home yet?"

"Hmm." Pei Qi then realized that she had already reached the other side of the street. "I'm here, I'll go now."

The little boy waved and ran away, saying, "...Brother...Goodbye, Guan Yue!"

The boy didn't respond, but just glanced sideways at the little one's retreating figure.

It was the bleak autumn season, and a few fallen leaves were carried on the evening breeze.

Pei Qi had just entered her aunt's courtyard when a fallen leaf hit her face.

Fortunately, they were the kind of fallen leaves that would break at the slightest touch, so they didn't hurt too much when they hit my face.

My aunt just gave birth to a baby girl, and the whole family is immersed in the joy of the new member's arrival.

Pei Qi also liked this little sister very much. Her face was soft and fluffy, and her whole body was probably soft and fluffy. He didn't dare to get too close to her.

"Xiaoqi is back." Auntie San was making milk powder for her little sister at the moment.

"I'm back, Auntie. Do you need me to help you prepare the vegetables?"

My uncle is a soldier and is often away from home, so my aunt always has to take care of the two children by herself.

Pei Qi would do what he could, such as picking vegetables and sweeping the floor.

"Xiaoqi, could you help me pick out these green beans? My little sister just had diarrhea, and I need to give her a bath." Auntie San carried the baby bottle into the bedroom.

Pei Qi put down his schoolbag, rolled up his sleeves, and got to work.

He just finished his homework at school, so there's no rush. He can slowly help his aunt with more of it.

After giving her younger sister a bath, Auntie came out of the bedroom and said, "Xiaoqi, why did you climb up to wash the vegetables? Auntie can do it now. Come down quickly."

His aunt lifted him off the small stool and said, "Go to your bedroom and read a book for a while. Also, keep an eye on my little sister for me, okay?"

“Okay.” Pei Qi nodded obediently and went into the bedroom.

The little sister is a very quiet person and rarely cries. Pei Qi leaned against the edge of the bed, took out her Chinese textbook, and began to recite the text.

Carrying it on my back.

He suddenly remembered his brother from the road earlier.

Off "yue".

What exactly will this "yue" be?

He thought for a moment, got up, and tiptoed back to his room, where he found the Xinhua Dictionary that his mother had bought for him.

Then, using pinyin, I found the character “yue”.

There are many characters with the fourth tone "yue".

The little one, with his neck stiffened, buried himself in the dictionary and searched wildly.

Then, I saw a character with the "walking" radical.

"cross".

Beyond.

He didn't know why, but he always felt that his older brother's name was "Yue".

Because this character looks very nice.

Just like that older brother.

His aunt called to him at this moment: "Xiaoqi, come and eat."

"Coming, coming." Pei Qi put the dictionary away again, then quickly got up from the floor and ran to the living room.

My aunt's house isn't big; it was left by my uncle's parents. It's an old house, but the location is good, near the school.

Apart from being a bit small and having poor lighting, it's actually not bad.

"I'm sorry, Xiaoxi, I was going to make you fried meatballs, but your sister isn't feeling well today, so I..."

"It's okay, I love eggs and tomatoes too." Pei Xi scooped up a big spoonful of eggs and tomatoes and mixed them into her bowl. "Auntie, your eggs and tomatoes are delicious too."

Auntie: "If you like it, eat more. There are still green beans..."

After finishing her meal, Auntie San went to take care of her younger sister.

Pei Qi silently finished cleaning up the dishes and returned to her small bedroom.

He borrowed Xiaoya's comic book today, but hasn't read the ending yet.

Autumn in Heshi is actually damp and cold.

Especially his small bedroom.

Because of poor lighting and small size, this place was a small storage room before he moved in.

However, there are still some things here that my aunt doesn't know where to put.

Pei Xi was holding a comic book, and while reading it, she fell asleep.

The next day, when Pei Xi left her house to go to school, she unexpectedly saw the older brother from the day before.

"Brother!" the little one called out, rushing forward with his short legs swinging.

Guan Yue paused, turned slightly to the side, and sure enough, it was the little one from yesterday.

"Brother, what are you doing here? Did you come to see me?" The little boy, carrying his schoolbag, approached the boy.

Guan Yue: "..."

Seeing that he didn't speak, the little one blinked his eyes again, trying to find a new topic.

The boy tugged at his backpack strap, as if showing the little one in front of him: "This is the only way to get to school."

"Oh, oh." Pei Qi smiled, her dimples appearing again. "What grade is my brother in?"

"Didn't I tell you not to call me brother?" Guan Yue slung his backpack over his shoulder and walked forward on his own.

But that doesn't stop the little one from following him.

Pei Qi seemed a little hurt, and pursed her small lips: "Oh..."

The boy glanced sideways and saw a hint of loneliness on the little boy's face. He pursed his lips and asked, "Can't you call me Guan Yue?"

“Yes, yes…” Pei Xi nodded, pleased with herself.

"Oh right, I checked the dictionary yesterday. Is your character '越' the one with the 'walking' radical, the '越' that means to surpass?"

Guan Yue paused slightly, somewhat surprised: "You guessed it?"

Pei Xi: "Yes, isn't it Yue? I think it definitely is."

Guan Yue: "Why?"

"I don't know, I just think this character looks a lot like you." Pei Xi said, lowering her head and kicking away the pebbles on the side of the road.

The boy didn't say anything more and continued walking forward.

"Guan Yue..." Pei Qi asked timidly, "Should I call you by your full name?"

Guan Yue: "Otherwise?"

"But wouldn't that be a bit impolite?" His mother had taught him that he should call boys older than him "brother."

Guan Yue: "I don't like people calling me 'brother'."

Pei Qi nodded obediently: "Then I won't call you that anymore, I'll just call you Guan Yue, okay?"

The boy next to him remained silent.

He took it as tacit agreement.

The boy carried a very faint scent of cedar.

However, Pei Qi didn't know it was the scent of cedar at first. He only found out later that the faint, chilly scent was from cedar.

For a long time afterward, Pei Qi would go to and from school with Guan Yue.

He also learned that Guan Yue was a family that had just moved to their area.

However, Guan Yue's family lived in a beautiful little villa. Guan Yue's mother was very gentle. Sometimes when she saw him, she would come over and pat his head, and she would even take out candy from her bag for him.

However, Guan Yue never really paid him any attention.

However, he should just pay attention to Guan Yue.

For a few days on his way to and from school, he didn't run into Guan Yue, and then Xiao Pang stopped him again and asked him for money.

But he's very capable.

Although the chubby boy was a year older than him and was also very strong, he wasn't as agile as him.

In short, he and Little Fatty had a fierce fight, and although he was also injured, Little Fatty was driven away by him.

When he returned home that day, he had a small scar under his eye.

When his aunt saw it, she hurriedly put a band-aid on his wound.

He didn't tell his aunt that he was injured in a fight with Xiao Pang; he only said that he accidentally scratched himself while playing with his classmate.

My aunt has already worked very hard.

He felt he could handle Xiao Pang's situation.

Then, the next day, he went out with the cartoon band-aid that his aunt had put on him.

He didn't actually run into Guan Yue that day.

It was at the school gate, amidst the bustling crowds after school, that he saw Guan Yue, who had just finished class.

"Guan Yue! I just said I haven't seen you for the past two days." Pei Qi moved closer again, quite naturally.

He didn't know why he always liked to go to Guan Yue's side; it was probably because the scent of cedar on Guan Yue was particularly attractive to him.

It might have been when Guan Yue rushed in during the first time they were in the alley that he felt the world had become bright and clear.

Then, he always felt that the world was brighter when he was near Guan Yue.

"What happened to your face?" The boy hadn't intended to stop and wait for this persistent follower, but when he turned his head, he saw the band-aid on the follower's face.

"Hmm...it's nothing." Pei Qi raised her head proudly. "You weren't with me these past two days, so Little Fatty came again. I didn't want to give him my money, so I got into a fight with him."

Guan Yue stopped in his tracks, his tone becoming much more serious: "Your face is bruised like this?"

"Yeah, but Xiaoya said it's a badge of justice for me... I chased Xiaopang away!" He still felt a great sense of accomplishment when he talked about it.

Guan Yue: "..."

"Guan Yue, am I very amazing?"

That's right, this little guy who got beaten up is asking for praise.

The boy remained silent, leading him to a large rock on a quieter path.

Pei Qi followed him around like a fool the whole time.

"Are you injured anywhere else?" The boy frowned, his eyes scanning the little one over.

Fortunately, there were no bruises or injuries on the exposed skin.

Pei Qi shook her head: "No."

Guan Yue: "Why are you fighting with him? He's asking you for money, why don't you give it to him first?"

Pei Xi: "I don't want it, I won't give it to you."

"Just give it to him first, then come to me, and I'll get it back for you. Why did you have to fight with him?" The boy's tone was serious. "You know it's impolite to call someone by their name, don't you know you shouldn't fight with them?"

“But he stole my money, so of course I can’t give it back. And I can’t keep looking for you. I couldn’t find you for the past two days.” Pei Qi pouted, suddenly feeling a little wronged. He thought Guan Yue would praise him, but instead he was scolding him. “He’s a very bad person. Why should I be polite to him?”

Guan Yue was stunned for a moment, unable to utter a word.

"Anyway, now that I've had this fight with him, he won't dare call me a wild child again." Pei Qi said, still a little angry.

He hates it when people say that about him.

Guan Yue pursed his lips, looking at the little one in front of him with a hint of stubbornness in his eyes.

The boy lowered his eyes, raised his hand, and pinched the bandage under the little boy's eye: "Does it hurt?"

Pei Xi shook her head: "It's just a little bit, it doesn't hurt anymore."

The boy gently lowered his finger: "Wait for me at your doorstep tomorrow."

"When? Guan Yue, are you going to take me out to play?" Pei Xi's eyes lit up, and all the little grievances in her eyes were swept away.

Guan Yue: "Going to school... what do we play?"

"Oh... so you're waiting for me to go to school together." Pei Qi suddenly realized.

The boy pouted and said, "No, my mom said she's making custard buns tomorrow and asked me to bring them to you."

"Custard buns, great, great!" Pei Qi was immediately delighted and took out two White Rabbit candies from her pocket. "These are for you and your mother, to thank her for treating me to custard buns."

Guan Yue: "..."

*

At dusk, Luo Zhaoyun, who had just returned home from get off work, met her son, who had just come home from school, at the door of their house.

"Ah Yue, you just got back too." Usually at this time, Guan Yue would already be upstairs.

"Hmm." Guan Yue licked his lips and followed the woman into the house.

Then.

Luo Zhaoyun felt that her son seemed a little strange; he was circling around her without saying a word.

"What's the matter?"

Guan Yue rubbed his nose: "It's nothing."

"Why are you all over me now that there's nothing wrong?" Luo Zhaoyun knew very well that his son, who was getting older, wasn't as affectionate towards him as he was when he was little. "Don't you have any pocket money anymore?"

"No." The boy pursed his lips, his handsome eyes slightly raised. "I want to eat custard buns tomorrow morning."

"I thought it was something serious," Luo Zhaoyun laughed. "Just eat, Mom will make it for you tomorrow morning."

Guan Yue instructed, "Then make a few more; I want to take them to school to eat."

"Isn't the school lunch enough?" the woman asked with some concern.

Guan Yue shook his head and denied it: "No, I just want to eat."

"Okay, I'll make more tomorrow." Luo Zhaoyun smiled.

Little did she know, the custard buns she hadn't even made yet had already flown into the sweet dreams of a little one.

The next morning, Pei Qi was able to enjoy the custard buns made by Aunt Guan.

The outer layer is very soft, and when you bite into it, you'll find a creamy, runny filling that's milky and not too sweet.

Pei Xi ate two of them, eating as he walked along the road.

Did you give your mother a White Rabbit candy?

Guan Yue walked ahead on his own, and he caught up with him to ask.

The boy paused slightly, then said, "Yes."

"Your mother's custard buns are so delicious, the best custard buns I've ever had." Pei Qi praised generously and expressed her gratitude, "Thank you, Guan Yue."

Guan Yue's reaction was still lukewarm.

However, this continued for the next week.

Pei Xidu got to eat the custard bun.

Luo Zhaoyun felt that her son had been acting strangely lately, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

I crave custard buns every day.

And suddenly a few White Rabbit milk candies appeared in the glass bottle next to the desk.

As far as I can remember, his son never liked this kind of sticky candy.

I didn't like to eat it when I was very young.

And what's even stranger is...

The number of White Rabbit milk candies in the glass jar only increases, never decreases.

When the White Rabbit candy was almost filled into three glass bottles.

Guan Yue and Pei Qi going to and from school together had long been a habit.

When Pei Qi was in fifth grade, Guan Yue was already in the third year of junior high school.

The junior high school students have evening self-study sessions, but they still go to school together; they just can't leave together at night.

That same year, a new transfer student named Tong Jinnian joined Pei Xi's class. He sat at the desk in front of Pei Xi, and the two gradually became acquainted.

Tong Jinnian lived next door to her third aunt's house, so the two of them would naturally go home together.

One Friday.

Guan Yue stood in front of the primary school department with his schoolbag on his back, waiting for Pei Qi.

I don't know what's wrong with this capybara.

They always dawdle.

Over the years they've spent together, he's discovered a word that's even more fitting to describe Pei Qi than "little one."

Capybara.

Slow-moving and silly capybaras.

I don't know how many minutes have passed.

Finally, his familiar figure emerged from the teaching building.

The capybara descended the stone steps with light steps, accompanied by a fair-skinned little boy.

"Little Tong, then tonight..." Pei Qi was halfway through his sentence when Guan Yue's strong-featured face suddenly appeared before him. He immediately ran over, "Guan Yue! You're done with get out of class, are you waiting for me?"

Tong Jinnian followed behind.

Guan Yue merely raised his eyes coldly and responded with a curt "Hmm."

"Xiaoqi, I'm leaving now, my mom's over there." Tong Jinnian greeted her politely, and smiled at Guan Yue at the same time.

But the older boy ignored him.

Pei Xi didn't know when Tong Jinnian left, but ever since Guan Yue appeared, his attention had been focused on Guan Yue.

The two of them hadn't walked home together at dusk for a long time.

Throughout the journey, Guan Yue remained remarkably silent.

However, Pei Xi didn't pay any attention to it.

Because Guan Yue has never been a talkative person; he's usually the one chattering away.

“I got 100 in every subject this time,” Pei Xi said slowly, pursing her lips and pouting.

"Aren't you going to treat me to a big hamburger?" Before, when he got a perfect score, Guan Yue would treat him to a big hamburger. But he would also treat Guan Yue to food, just not as fancy, but he could treat her to a Coke!

Guan Yue remained silent.

"Hmm..." The capybara didn't stop there. "I'm a bit rich lately, I'll treat you to a meal!"

"Who is that person? You call him Brother Tong?" Guan Yue finally spoke.

Pei Qi replied, "Oh, he's my classmate, he just transferred here."

The boy's tone grew even colder: "We're classmates, why are you calling me 'brother'?"

Pei Qi blinked: "Because he started school a year late, and I started a year early, so..."

Before he could finish explaining, Guan Yue interrupted him, "Then why don't you call me brother?"