Chapter 97 Spend Time Together
[When I was little 3]
After the phone call was hung up, there was a moment of silence in the living room.
Si Yankai's mother, Ms. Lin, gently sat down next to Ximian and patted him on the back. "Don't be afraid, child. Your brother will send someone here soon. Are you hungry? Auntie just baked some cookies. Would you like to try some?"
Ximian shook her head and handed the phone, which was no longer hot, back to her aunt in front of her with her little hand.
"Thank you, Auntie. I'm not hungry." He whispered, but his eyes involuntarily glanced towards the kitchen where the aroma of food was wafting from.
His stomach was actually rumbling with hunger, but the unfamiliar environment and inner uneasiness made him have no appetite.
Si Yankai's father, Mr. Si, brought a cup of hot milk and placed it in front of Ximian silently.
His expression remained serious, but his movements were much lighter. He had just heard the other brother's suppressed anger on the phone, and had also seen the panic beneath the child's forced calm, and he had understood a little.
Si Yankai took out a few beautifully wrapped chocolates from his snack box, rubbed against Ximian, and stuffed them into his hand a little awkwardly: "This... is for you. It's very sweet."
He didn't seem to do this often, and the tips of his ears were a little red.
Ximian was stunned for a moment, looking at the beautiful chocolate in her palm, then looking at the cool-looking little boy in front of her, stretched out her little hand to take it, and whispered, "Thank you, brother."
"Your name is Mianmian?" Si Yankai asked curiously, trying to break the awkwardness.
"Well, my name is Tang Ximian."
"My name is Si Yankai." He pointed at himself. "What grade are you in? Do you go to school nearby?"
The two little boys chatted idly, mostly Si Yankai asking questions and Tang Ximian answering briefly.
Ms. Lin looked at them, smiled gently, turned around and went to the kitchen to prepare some easily digestible snacks, thinking that the children might want to eat them later.
About twenty minutes later, there was a quick but steady knock on the door.
Ximian almost jumped up from the sofa immediately, looking towards the door nervously and expectantly.
Ms. Lin went to open the door.
Standing outside the door was a young man who looked to be about fifteen or sixteen years old.
He stood tall and straight, wearing a simple black coat. His face was handsome but with an expression of fatigue and travel that was hard to conceal. His eyes were surprisingly bright and he was now looking eagerly into the house.
His eyes instantly locked onto the small figure standing in the living room, holding a teddy bear and looking at him with red eyes.
"Xiaobao!" The boy's voice trembled slightly.
"Brother!" All of Ximian's strength collapsed at this moment. Like a baby bird that finally found its way home to its nest, he quickly ran to the door, threw himself into the arms of the man who came in, and hugged his legs tightly.
Tang Li squatted down and hugged his brother back tightly, almost tremblingly.
He carefully looked at the person in his arms, his fingers gently brushing the corners of his slightly red eyes, his voice hoarse: "I'm sorry, Xiaobao, I didn't know, I didn't know they would be so cruel, it's because I came too late... Are you scared?"
Xi Mian buried her face in her brother's warm neck, shook her head vigorously, and said in a muffled voice with tears in her eyes: "No... I was very good... I didn't cry..."
But as he spoke, his tears couldn't help but wet his brother's coat.
Tang Li felt so distressed that he could only hug him tighter, whispering to him again and again: "Well, Xiaobao is the best, brother knows. Don't be afraid, brother is here."
He raised his head and looked at Mr. Si and Ms. Lin at the door. The sharpness and anxiety in his eyes turned into sincere gratitude: "Thank you very much for taking care of my brother. I'm sorry for the trouble you caused."
He was polite and sincere in his tone, with a calmness beyond his years.
Ms. Lin quickly waved her hand: "It's not a bother, it's not a bother. The child is very well behaved and sensible. Come in and sit down."
"No, thank you. It's getting late, so I can't bother you any further." Tang Li declined. He lowered his head and whispered to his younger brother in his arms, "Xiaobao, say thank you and goodbye to your uncle, aunt, and little brother. We're going home."
Tang Ximian raised her head from her brother's arms. Although she was still clinging to the corner of her brother's clothes, she turned around and bowed seriously to the three members of the Si family: "Thank you, uncle, thank you, aunt, and thank you, brother Yankai." Her voice was still nasal, but clear and polite.
Si Yankai looked at him and suddenly felt reluctant to let this beautiful "doll" brother go.
After Tang Li thanked him again, he picked up his brother - although Xi Mian was already six years old, he still seemed too light to him.
He let his brother's little head rest on his shoulder, and walked steadily into the night with a completely protective attitude.
At the Si family's door, Ms. Lin leaned against it, watching the boy carrying his brother away. She sighed, "It's not easy for this kid's brother... It's not easy for him either. I wonder what their parents think."
The tiredness and hidden sharpness in the boy's eyes were not what he should have at his age.
Mr. Si put his arm around his wife's shoulders and patted her soothingly.
Household affairs are difficult to sort out...
Inside the car, the warm air conditioning dispelled the chill of the autumn night.
Ximian sat close to her brother, her little hands always holding onto the corner of her brother's clothes, as if she was afraid that her brother would disappear if she let go.
Tang Li put one hand on his brother's shoulder and took out his cell phone with the other hand. He made a call with an expressionless face and gave instructions in a cold tone about dismissal and subsequent handling.
After hanging up the phone, the cold aura around him instantly dissipated and he turned back into that gentle brother.
He looked down at his brother who was leaning on him and asked softly, "Are you hungry? I'll take you to eat something before we go home."
Ximian nodded vigorously, and his stomach growled at the right moment.
Tang Li smiled and ruffled his hair: "What do you want to eat?"
"It's all fine." Ximian said softly, hesitated for a moment, and added, "...I want to eat with my brother."
"Okay." Tang Xiyan's heart softened, "Let's go eat together."
The car drove steadily towards the brightly lit city center. The lights outside the car window were dazzling, and this time, Xi Mian looked at those lights without feeling cold or unfamiliar.
Because I have my brother by my side, anywhere is a home.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com