Chapter 236 Happiness
Her voice was tearful and intermittent, and every word seemed to be squeezed out of her throat.
She hugged her father's neck tightly, as if she was afraid that if she let go, even this last support would disappear.
She didn't want to ask, but Gu Xiaolin's words were like a thorn, piercing her heart. The more she hid it, the more painful it became. Finally, she couldn't help but ask.
In fact, her heart began to beat fast.
Gu Xiaolin's words were like a thorn, pricking her and making her feel uncomfortable.
If her brother doesn't come back, she will almost forget what he looks like - did the brother who said he loved her the most really exist?
She remembered that her brother liked to wear blue coats, and that he always liked to lift her above his head and call her "little tail" with a smile.
But these memories, like old photos, slowly fade away.
She searched through the photo albums at home but found only a few photos.
She even began to wonder if those warm hugs and gentle lullaby songs were just fantasies she had made up when she was young.
If my brother really existed, why doesn't anyone mention him anymore?
Why is no one willing to answer her questions seriously?
Xie Jinzhao hugged her tightly: "Silly girl, of course brother will come back! Just eat well and grow up well, and when you grow up, he will come back."
His voice was low and firm, like a mountain, standing firmly in front of his daughter.
He patted her back gently, again and again, just like when he coaxed her to sleep when she was a child.
He knew what she was thinking, but he couldn't say it, nor did he dare to say it.
He could only repeat this sentence over and over again, even though he himself had already lost count of how many times he had said it.
Yueyue pouted and said aggrievedly, "You've said this hundreds of times. Ever since I could walk, you've been saying it for so many years, but my brother is still nowhere to be found."
She raised her head and looked at her father with tears in her eyes, her voice full of disappointment and confusion.
"You said he worked far away, but why can't I ever call? Why doesn't he ever send any photos? Why...even grandma looks weird when she mentions him?"
She asked question after question, each one like a needle piercing Xie Jinzhao's heart.
She felt depressed and suddenly felt that adults always seemed to lie to children.
Maybe my brother...
I really will never come back.
Once this idea came up, it grew like a weed.
She leaned in her father's arms, but she didn't feel the same peace of mind as before.
She closed her eyes, and a vague smiling face of her brother appeared in her mind, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't piece together a complete image.
The fear of being forgotten crept into her heart little by little, making her breathing heavy.
In a blink of an eye, New Year's Day is almost here again.
As the calendar pages turned, lanterns were hung on the streets and schools began to decorate with lights and decorations.
Cheerful holiday music was playing on the radio, and the corridors were covered with greeting cards and paper cutouts drawn by students.
Although the winter sun is cold, it carries a hint of festive warmth.
Xie Yueshu looked at the lively scene outside the classroom, but felt inexplicably empty in her heart.
As the most active artistic backbone in the class, Xie Yueshu of course had to perform on stage.
She has been dancing since elementary school. She has nimble movements and a strong sense of rhythm. Her teachers always say that she is a "natural stage star."
She is always the one at the front of the line at every performance.
Her classmates all envied her standing under the lights, but only she knew that with every spin and every smile, she was thinking - if her brother was here, would he see it?
This time she was still the lead dancer, standing in the middle of the stage, where the lights were the brightest.
She had greeted her grandparents and parents long ago, and repeatedly urged them to make time to come and watch her performance that day.
She even personally handed the performance tickets to everyone, circled the date on the desk calendar, and wrote "Be sure to come" in red pen.
She was not doing it for applause or awards, she just wanted her brother to know that even if he was not around, she was still alive and shining.
And if he really came back one day, at least he could see her standing center stage, as he once said, "like a little star."
Of course, the family did not dare to be careless. Cameras, mobile phones, and tripods were all prepared neatly, filling the entire seating area.
The professional camera alone was mounted on a tripod, with the lens aimed at the center of the stage, and the focus and angle adjusted to ensure that every detail was clearly recorded.
The mobile phones were also very active. Some recorded in landscape mode, some took photos in portrait mode, and some even used selfie sticks, just to ensure that no frame was missed.
Dad held the camera, mom held the mobile phone, and grandparents were responsible for grabbing the best shooting position. The whole family was on high alert, as tense as if they were going to war.
The whole family went out and no one was left behind. Even my aunt took a special leave and came to help with a power bank and spare memory cards.
They had only one thought in their minds: they must capture every moment of the little girl's most shining moments, without missing a single shot or a single minute.
Xie Yueshu, who was waiting to go on stage backstage, was wearing a Fennen haute couture princess dress. The light pink gauze skirt was layered and shimmered with a slight pearlescent sheen, like rose petals in the morning mist.
The hem of her skirt puffed out, swaying slightly as she walked, like a small flower that was about to bloom and then quietly blossomed, shining a soft halo under the stage lights.
Her hair was carefully styled by the stylist and tied up into a playful bun. The hair was smooth and fluffy, which made her forehead look smooth and her face look smaller.
There is also a pair of small crystal hairpins behind her ears, which twinkle like stars.
The exposed neck is slender and white, the arms and calves are thin and straight, the skin is as translucent as porcelain, and the outline of a little girl can be vaguely seen.
She stood there, even without saying a word, like a painting. She was so pretty that one couldn't take their eyes off her, and so lively that she seemed like she would jump up at any moment.
"Your family really dotes on you. Are they all here?"
A little girl from the same class came over and stared at the busy figures in the audience.
“That’s a must!”
Xie Yueshu smiled with her eyebrows curved and her chin slightly raised, her tone full of unconcealed pride, "I am the little princess of the family!"
As she spoke, she deliberately lifted the hem of her skirt, performed a playful kneeling salute like in a fairy tale, and then turned around gently.
The hem of her skirt swayed as she moved, like a flower blooming. Her movements were both childish and playful, yet revealed a hint of unexpected elegance.
She looks like a little princess who walked out of a fairy tale book, and even the air seems lighter because of her.
Some people were jealous and couldn't help but whisper: "How much did this dress cost? They even hired a photographer?"
Some people also said sourly: "Oh, the whole family is here, the only thing missing is the banner."
But even so, no one can deny that Xie Yueshu is indeed worthy of the title of "princess".
Her gorgeousness is not created by clothes, but by the cleanliness and agility that comes from the inside out, which makes people love her at first sight.
Soon it was their turn.
As the teacher waved her hand, a group of little girls in colorful dance dresses rushed onto the stage, their steps brisk and their faces full of excitement.
The lights suddenly focused, and soft background music slowly sounded. It was a clear and melodious piano piece, accompanied by a vague child's humming.
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