Chapter Seventeen: Home

Chapter Seventeen: Home

Today was Friday, the day of the week when school let out early. The atmosphere in Ye Mu’s class was already brimming with the anticipation of the holiday. The boys sitting at the back of the classroom whispered among themselves, planning which arcade they’d go to after school to play games. The girls at the front began to gossip in low voices about which salon they’d visit tomorrow for a beauty treatment or a new hairdo.

The teacher at the front, seeing the state of the class, turned to look at the students, then simply smiled, closed the textbook, and said nothing more.

In the middle of the second row sat a girl, absentmindedly doodling on her book with a pen, lips muttering under her breath. Her small, rosy mouth was slightly pursed, and her eyes glared fiercely at her drawing, which only made her angry little face all the more adorable.

If you listened closely, you’d hear the sweet girl mutter, “Stupid Ye Bai, that annoying brother of mine. He still isn’t back from the Guimu Mountains. Doesn’t he know I get scared being home alone?” Yet the worry on her face gave away her true feelings, shown by the way her brows knit together from time to time.

The long, lingering bell rang out, echoing across the campus, and in an instant, the whole school seemed to burst into life.

Students from every grade and every class poured toward the school gates. But Xiao Mo did not move; he took his time packing his bag, unhurried.

Soon, the classroom fell quiet again, and the door closed softly. Ye Mu remained seated, her things already packed, but she didn’t leave. She seemed to be waiting for something.

As the weekend silence settled over the campus, the place became almost deathly still, broken only by the occasional footsteps of a passing teacher.

Suddenly, a mischievous head poked out of a classroom, looking around. The corridor was empty; not a soul in sight. The figure behind the door stepped out, treading lightly, tiptoeing down the hall.

A slap sounded.

A hand landed on a yellow jacket. “Where do you think you’re going?” came a voice from behind.

“Ah! A ghost!” The shrill cry filled the corridor, the volume piercing enough to shatter eardrums. The hand behind her seemed startled and instantly froze.

“What are you yelling about? Look at who I am.” A young man in a gray tracksuit stepped out, cleaning his ear with one finger.

Ye Mu’s face fell as she saw the young man in front of her. “Bai Hua, I already told you, I don’t know where my brother is. I don’t know if he’s back or not. I want to see him, too.”

She wondered what her brother had done to provoke Bai Hua. Ever since her brother had left, Bai Hua showed up every day to ask after him. At least he was still polite to her—otherwise, she’d have lost her patience long ago.

Ye Mu pouted, glaring round-eyed at Bai Hua, cheeks puffed with indignation.

Bai Hua shrugged. “If he isn’t back, then I’ll be off.” In truth, Bai Hua didn’t want to press her, but he had no choice, and he couldn’t very well use force. Seeing Ye Mu’s puffed-up annoyance, he simply shrugged and left. He already knew all he needed to know.

On her way home, Ye Mu kicked pebbles along the roadside, muttering, “Brother, where are you? They’re all so annoying.” In truth, her feelings were conflicted. She wanted her brother to come home, but she also feared those people might hurt him if he did.

At the deepest corner of Alley Two, Qi Kou Street, Ye Mu stood before her house. For the first time, she felt afraid of the place where she’d grown up. Normally, at this hour, the lights inside would be on, smoke would rise from the chimney, or the steady thud of someone working in the basement would echo out. But now everything had changed—no warm lights, no childhood laughter with her brother. Though the sky was not yet fully dark, Ye Mu felt as if she were enveloped in shadow, unable to see any light. Hugging her arms, she crouched down.

“It’s been almost a month. Why isn’t he back yet? The entrance exams are coming.” Her long hair fell to the ground, tears streaming from her eyes, leaving tiny wet marks on the earth.

The clear moon hung overhead, casting its silver glow over the girl weeping beneath it.

Suddenly, Ye Mu stood up. Her eyes were dry, dark as the night sky, but shining bright as the moon itself. She wiped away her tears, a smile returning to her lips. She resolved to bring happiness and laughter back to the place where she and her brother had grown up, where they’d always played together. Whether alone or with her family, she would carry those memories with her.

Ye Mu stepped forward, slid her key into the dark keyhole. With a click, the door opened. She reached for the switch, but the lights didn’t come on.

At that moment, a red glow lit up the tabletop, casting a heart shape on the ceiling. Around the heart, small crescent moons appeared, their colors fading one into another, encircling the heart like a cluster of moons cradling it. The red heart at the center rotated slowly, the moons around it spinning and shifting hues.

Ye Mu was stunned—no, mesmerized. She had never had a proper birthday, not once. The only one she’d celebrated was thanks to her brother, who had worked all summer to buy her a Sailor Moon figure, which still sat by her bedside.

At first, seeing this scene, Ye Mu thought her mother had returned. But then she remembered—her mother’s business trip wasn’t over yet. Amid the shifting lights, Ye Mu spotted a tall figure with long hair.

From sorrow to astonishment, then to wild joy, Ye Mu’s emotions had been a roller coaster all day. She swore she had never been so excited in her life.

“Brother!”

With a face full of expressions she couldn’t contain, Ye Mu leaped into Ye Bai’s arms.

“Brother, you’re finally back! You have no idea how much I missed you…” She began to pour out everything that had happened in the past month, but before long, her words dissolved into sobs, and Ye Bai couldn’t make out what she was saying.

Ye Bai patted his little sister’s back. “Silly girl, don’t cry. I’m back now, aren’t I? I know you’ve had a hard time this month.”

He picked up the necklace from the table and held it before his sister’s eyes just as the lights came on. “Look, this is the present I brought you this time. Do you like it?”

“Yes, I love it. Anything you give me, I will love.” Ye Mu emerged from his embrace, holding the necklace.

“I want you to put it on me.” She handed it back to Ye Bai, her face breaking into the first genuine smile she’d worn in a month, though tears still clung to her lashes, sparkling like the joy of their reunion.

Ye Bai smiled. “Alright, but let me show you something special about it first.” He pressed the heart-shaped jade, and a small knife popped out.

Ye Mu played with it for a while, then Ye Bai fastened the necklace around her neck. She was delighted, admiring herself in the mirror over and over, constantly asking if she looked good.

Seeing the pure happiness on his sister’s face, Ye Bai felt it was all worth it. Their mother was away for work most of the time; it had been up to him to raise his little sister. He had watched her stumble and cry, laugh and grow—perhaps he alone truly understood her.