Lu Wei loosened his arms but didn’t fully let go of the girl. With his eyes closed, he held her close, breathing deeply, as if still savoring every trace of her tenderness, every hint of her scent—she was in his arms, right there, within reach, tangible, real. It wasn’t a dream, nor an illusion, as if she had never left.
“Senior Brother, what exactly happened?” Qiqi struggled to lift her head and met Lu Wei’s eyes. His sorrow frightened her; she didn’t understand what was going on.
Lu Wei finally released her, though his hands still firmly gripped her shoulders. “Qiqi, do you remember me? I’m your big brother.”
Big brother?
A look of confusion spread across Qiqi’s face. On her long lashes still hung the tears she had shed moments ago, missing her family.
Lu Wei gently wiped away her tears with his fingers and said softly, “Yes, seventeen years ago, deep in those mountains, at Uncle Hu’an’s house…”
Qiqi’s eyes flew wide open, and her mouth dropped. “You, you are… the mute brother?”
Lu Wei’s eyes narrowed as he smiled and nodded. “Yeah, you little glutton, you finally remember me.”
His smile bloomed like spring flowers, and all the sorrow vanished as if it had never existed.
“Ah—”
Qiqi let out a shriek and bounced up from the bed in one swift motion.
How could she describe her feelings at that moment? Ah, she was so happy—too happy for words.
The two of them hugged again in their excitement, though this time Qiqi initiated it. She was so thrilled that she leaped from the bed straight into Lu Wei’s arms, wrapping her arms around his neck.
Oh, big brother! She never imagined that Senior Brother Lu was actually the mute brother she had met briefly seventeen years ago.
Lu Wei patted her back gently, soothing her intense emotions, his eyes curving into a spring-like smile.
After a while, Qiqi finally let go and sat on the edge of the bed, asking excitedly, “Senior Brother, how did you recognize me?”
Lu Wei tapped her head lightly and teased, “You’ve changed a lot, but your eyes are still as lively and adorable as when you were little.”
Qiqi scratched her hair and chuckled—Senior Brother said I’m adorable~~
She said, “But Senior Brother, you’ve changed so much! I never recognized you.”
Indeed, Lu Wei was nothing like the silent, withdrawn boy from before. In her memory, that brother was thin and stubborn, with a melancholic air, never speaking to anyone; even when she pestered him back then, he never uttered a word. But now, Lu Wei was gentle and warm, his smile like a spring breeze, with no trace of his former self.
Lu Wei said, “I have you to thank for that—you told me back then to smile happily, no matter what happens. I’ve always kept that in mind.”
Qiqi scratched her hair again. “Did I say that? Haha, I don’t remember anymore…”
Lu Wei looked into her eyes and said seriously, “Qiqi, even if you don’t remember, I do. You accompanied me through the hardest, loneliest night of that journey. I’ve always remembered you, never forgotten.”
His voice was soft, carrying a unique depth of emotion, making Qiqi blush with embarrassment—why is Senior Brother looking at me like that…
To hide her fluster, she chuckled nervously. “Really? Then Senior Brother should be even happier from now on, so our meeting isn’t in vain.”