“Little Fish, you can call him Yi Brother.” Gu Lao held Lan Yilin in his arms and introduced the two little ones to each other. “This is Little Fish, the child from your Grandpa Zhou’s family. He’ll be staying with us temporarily for a while.”
“You’re such a pretty little brother.” Lan Yilin looked Zhou Chiyu up and down, his dark, round eyes lighting up with a smile. “Little Fish Brother, let’s be good friends!”
“Really?!” Zhou Chiyu nervously fidgeted with his little hands and excitedly turned to Gu Yuan to share the news. “Brother, I have a new friend now!”
Gu Yuan didn’t respond. He simply stuffed all the beef into his mouth, his cheeks puffing out slightly.
Gu Lao noticed and gently reminded him, “Little Yuan, eat slowly. No need to rush.”
“Okay.” Gu Yuan stiffly replied, gripping his fork tightly. After hearing the affectionate chatter between Zhou Chiyu and Lan Yilin, his eyelashes slowly drooped over his eyelids.
“Yi Brother, are you wearing a suit?”
Zhou Chiyu had already finished eating and hopped down from his baby chair. He came over to Lan Yilin and admiringly pinched his suit’s bow tie. “You’re wearing a white suit—you really look like a little prince.”
“Thank you.” Lan Yilin also took a liking to the little brother in front of him. Not only was he cute, but his fluffy curls were adorable too. His eyes curved into crescents when he spoke, which was very endearing.
“Shall we go out and play?” Zhou Chiyu eagerly grabbed Lan Yilin’s hand. “There are big white geese by the lake—they’re super pretty!”
“Really?”
“Uh-huh! I even gave them names!”
Lan Yilin had already eaten dinner before coming over. Since his new friend was so enthusiastically inviting him, he naturally agreed. Before long, the two little ones put on their coats and dashed out hand in hand.
The house suddenly felt quieter, as if two chattering little larks had vanished. Gu Lao quietly observed Gu Yuan and noticed his dejected expression.
“Little Yuan, how about Grandpa takes you to find them?”
“I don’t want to go.” Gu Yuan set down his chopsticks, his fingers clutching the edge of the chair tightly as he tried to jump down. Gu Lao stood up and picked him up. “Your wheelchair isn’t here. Grandpa will take you upstairs.”
Gu Yuan refused to sit in the baby chair, and the adult chairs were too high for him. A normal child might have jumped down without issue, but Gu Yuan’s osteoporosis was severe—a single misstep could lead to a fracture.
“Brother!”
A clear, bright voice rang out in the dining room again. Gu Yuan turned his head and saw Zhou Chiyu sitting in his electric wheelchair, beaming as he rolled over.
“Come on up quick. We’ll go play together.” Zhou Chiyu jumped down and reached anxiously for Gu Yuan’s little hand. “Grandpa Gu, put Brother down quick.”
Gu Lao smiled in surprise and glanced at Gu Yuan’s silent little face. Knowing full well, he asked, “Little Yuan, do you want to go play with Little Fish?”
Gu Yuan stubbornly huffed and gently leaned on Gu Lao’s shoulder.
Zhou Chiyu hadn’t left after all?
He had thought that with a new friend, Zhou Chiyu had forgotten about him.
Gu Lao raised his hand and gently patted Gu Yuan’s back. “If you don’t want to go play, Grandpa will keep you company upstairs for some rest?”
“Nooo, please no!” Zhou Chiyu trotted after Gu Yuan, clasping his hands together in plea. “Pretty please, let’s all go play together.”
Gu Yuan lowered his gaze, his clear, light-brown pupils filled with Zhou Chiyu’s aggrieved chubby face. He stared at the wheelchair and nodded lightly.
Nightfall slowly descended, casting a silvery glow over the group.
Lan Yilin stole glances at Gu Yuan from time to time. Once he realized Gu Yuan wasn’t as scary as he’d imagined, he quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
His mother had repeatedly warned him that he could provoke anyone in the Gu family except Gu Yuan. In his mind, Gu Yuan was like a big demon king. Thinking back, Gu Yuan had never bullied him, but he was always cold and never played with the other kids in the family. Sometimes he’d get angry and throw things, and no one could console him.
Zhou Chiyu ran ahead, occasionally playing hide-and-seek with his own shadow. No one knew where he’d found a willow branch, which he waved around like a magic wand while mumbling incantations.
“lifting my head I see the bright moon,”
“lowering my head I think—of meat buns!”
Zhou Chiyu was struck by poetic inspiration and proudly recited his verse. “Brother Gu Yuan, Yi Brother, have you heard this ancient poem before?”
Lan Yilin had grown up abroad and naturally didn’t know these classical poems, but Gu Yuan had loved reading books since he was little and could recite countless Song and Tang dynasty poems.
“Lowering my head to think of meat buns?” Gu Yuan leaned on the front of the wheelchair, arms crossed. “It’s supposed to be ‘lowering my head I think of my homeland.'”
“My homeland is right here!” Zhou Chiyu said confidently with hands behind his back. “Teacher said ‘si’ means ‘to miss’ or ‘think of.’ Right now, I want to eat meat buns!”
Gu Yuan burst out laughing and tilted his little face up to tease him. “All you ever think about is eating.”
“Being able to eat is a blessing.” Zhou Chiyu tilted his head and mumbled, “Brother, you’re the one who should eat more. Yi Brother and I are both fatter than you.”
Lan Yilin looked at Zhou Chiyu’s pudgy little belly, then patted his own. He felt like there was something off about what Zhou Chiyu had said.
He wasn’t fat, was he?
