Chapter 22
Lin Huaixi had just spent far too much emotion. Even his breathing was still uneven. He had finally stopped crying now, but his mind still felt numb and dull. He sat quietly on the steps, hugging his knees with his little arms, his shoulders trembling once in a while.
Looking at Lin Huaixi, who had cried until he looked like a little spotted kitten, Qi Wang worried that the wind would make his face hurt, so he took the initiative to hold his hand. “Come on. I’ll take you to wash your face.”
Lin Huaixi nodded and obediently followed behind him like a little tail.
Halfway there, Qi Wang glanced back at him and slightly knitted his delicate brows, feeling extremely troubled that he only had two hands. If he had three, then he could hold Lin Huaixi with one and cover his ears with another.
The winter wind was far too cold. As long as Lin Huaixi stayed outdoors for even a little while, his ears would flush red.
After hesitating for a few seconds, Qi Wang stepped behind him under Lin Huaixi’s puzzled gaze and covered Lin Huaixi’s ears with both palms.
Lin Huaixi could no longer hear clearly, nor could he turn back to look at Qi Wang, so he only tilted his head in confusion and gave it a little shake.
Feeling the icy chill at the tips of Lin Huaixi’s ears, Qi Wang breathed warm air into his palms, rubbed them together hard, and then covered the ears again. “Are they warmer now?”
Lin Huaixi finally understood what he was doing and smiled, his brows and eyes curving.
Walking in that posture was extremely inconvenient, and the two little ones took a long time to finally reach the washroom.
Only cold water came out of the tap, so freezing it felt like ice. Qi Wang could only keep running back and forth between the hot water dispenser and the faucet. After a great deal of effort, he finally managed to make the towel warm.
“Close your eyes. I’ll wipe your face,” Qi Wang said.
Lin Huaixi could not see Qi Wang, but he could feel the warm, gentle touch on his face, and he began grinning foolishly again.
Qi Wang really was just like Grandma and Mommy and Grandpa too. He would wipe his face and take care of him!
Qi Wang had no idea that in Lin Huaixi’s heart, he had just been promoted to yet another generation. He only felt guilty and wanted to make up for things, not letting Lin Huaixi keep any knot in his heart.
After wiping his face, Qi Wang carefully looked at him. “Xixi, you…”
“What is it?” Lin Huaixi looked at him with smiling eyes.
Seeing his own reflection in Lin Huaixi’s eyes, Qi Wang finally put his heart at ease. He smiled faintly and said, “Nothing. Let’s go back.”
After free activity time, there was one more class meeting period. The teacher had everyone watch cartoons, and after that it was time to go home.
Sun Baiyi was usually the most active one in class, and superhero battles against monsters were also his favorite thing to watch. But through the entire class meeting, he never once looked up, focusing on something with complete seriousness, no one knew what.
When he finally finished writing the apology letter and turned to look for Qi Wang, he found that the seat was already empty.
!!!
There was no time to check it again. Sun Baiyi’s heart tightened, and he immediately grabbed the apology letter and sprinted across the campus. At last, he caught up with Qi Wang by the slide.
He was running so hard that he could not even catch his breath. He could only hold the apology letter out, his eyes full of expectation as he looked at Qi Wang.
Qi Wang liked cleanliness and orderliness. Even a curled page corner would make him instinctively uncomfortable, much less an apology letter that had been kneaded full of wrinkles by Sun Baiyi’s nervous hands. “Why are you giving me a crumpled wad of scrap paper?”
“…” Afraid that Qi Wang would not accept it, Sun Baiyi forced a few words out. “A-apology.”
Qi Wang paused, then asked in a doubtful tone, “For me?”
Sun Baiyi nodded hard, his eyes full of sincerity.
After hearing those words from Lin Huaixi, he had thought about it for a long time. He had finally realized that before, even though he kept saying he was apologizing, he had never truly understood his own mistake. But now he had not only corrected it, he was also sincerely hoping to gain Qi Wang’s forgiveness.
Qi Wang did not look at him. Instead, his gaze fell on Lin Huaixi standing to one side.
Lin Huaixi was practically blooming into a flower from smiling. Every thought in his heart was written plainly on his face.
He felt that he had finally protected Qi Wang properly. From now on, Qi Wang would never be bullied again, and the three of them could become good friends and play happily together.
Qi Wang lowered his eyes slightly.
He had never taken Sun Baiyi to heart, but after considering Lin Huaixi’s feelings, he hesitated for a few seconds and still reached out to take the apology letter.
Lin Huaixi already had Wang Xiaohu and the others around him. One more Sun Baiyi would not make much difference.
“All right. I accept your apology,” Qi Wang said directly.
Sun Baiyi had achieved his final goal, yet he went blank with surprise. Looking at Qi Wang, who seemed so perfunctory, he said softly, “But you haven’t read my apology letter yet.”
To maintain the surface peace, Qi Wang took a deep breath. “Fine. I’ll read it when I get back.”
Only then was Sun Baiyi satisfied. He waved at them, then turned and ran back to the classroom.
On the way home, Lin Huaixi said nothing. He only kept circling around Qi Wang, even bouncing as he walked.
Qi Wang truly could not ignore those eyes of his, bright as searchlights. Inwardly, he let out a sigh and resigned himself to opening the apology letter.
Lin Huaixi poked his fluffy head over, but the expression on his face gradually shifted from excitement and curiosity to confusion.
Sun Baiyi did not like studying. He could write even fewer characters than they could. The page was almost filled with pinyin, and there were also very obvious mistakes.
Lin Huaixi tilted his head. “What character is luang?”
Qi Wang: “…” Don’t look. You’ll turn stupid.
Even though the content of the apology letter was not especially satisfying, judging by the scribbles and corrections and the handwriting pressed so hard that the paper was nearly scratched through, Sun Baiyi really had put his heart into it.
Before Lin Huaixi could react, Qi Wang tucked the apology letter into his pocket.
The next day at school, Sun Baiyi kept popping up sneakily around Qi Wang, staring hard at his back.
Qi Wang finally could not bear it anymore. Taking advantage of the moment when Lin Huaixi went to the washroom, he coldly called Sun Baiyi out.
“What exactly do you want?” Qi Wang said fiercely.
Sun Baiyi shrank his neck back a little and answered weakly, “I-I gave you the apology letter, but you still haven’t given me your answer.”
Qi Wang stared fixedly at him.
Sun Baiyi was no longer that naughty brat who deliberately picked trouble with Lin Huaixi. After a pause, Qi Wang reminded him, “Do you remember now why I fell down that day?”
Sun Baiyi’s eyes went blank for a few seconds. Under Qi Wang’s impatient gaze, his brain finally came back online. “I remember now! I won’t say things like that anymore. I even gave Xiao Wei more than ten pieces of chocolate and milk candy, and he promised me he wouldn’t spread it around either!”
Influenced by his family, even at such a young age he already knew how to spend money to silence people.
Qi Wang fell silent for a few seconds. Seeing that Sun Baiyi had indeed realized the seriousness of the matter and had corrected himself, he let the issue go.
But Sun Baiyi suddenly pouted, his eyes turning red, and showed an expression that looked ready to cry. “Xixi is so pitiful.”
Before he even finished speaking, he heard Qi Wang say in an utterly decisive tone, “He’s not pitiful.”
Sun Baiyi lifted his head blankly, unable to understand why Qi Wang, who was so close to Lin Huaixi, did not seem to feel sorry for his good friend at all.
“He has me. He’s not pitiful at all.” Qi Wang repeated it once more.
Looking into Qi Wang’s eyes, Sun Baiyi only grew more bewildered.
He did not know what that emotion in Qi Wang’s eyes meant, but he could sense that it was completely different from the way he himself felt toward Lin Huaixi. It left an especially deep impression on him. Later, after he had grown up and understood things, when he recalled that gaze, he broke out in a cold sweat and almost wanted to go straight to Qi Wang for an argument.
But right now, Sun Baiyi was only a confused little child. In order to gain Qi Wang’s forgiveness, he kept a very proper attitude and nodded again and again. Whatever Qi Wang asked, he would agree to it.
At last, under Sun Baiyi’s eager gaze, Qi Wang gave the faintest little nod. “All right. I forgive you.”
Sun Baiyi’s happy eyes lit up. The invisible tail behind him seemed to spin like a propeller as he dashed through the entire hallway. At the washroom entrance, he ran into Lin Huaixi, who was washing his hands. “Xixi! I can finally be friends with you!”
Sun Baiyi grabbed him and bounced him up and down twice, even splashing some water onto Lin Huaixi’s face.
When his feet touched the ground again, Lin Huaixi stared at Sun Baiyi for half a minute before finally catching the flash of thought that had just passed through his mind.
Mm, Sun Baiyi seemed just like Xiao Huang. He himself was the little rubber ball held in its mouth, being flung around back and forth.
Now that Sun Baiyi had finally gotten what he wanted, all he did all day was stare at Lin Huaixi with shining eyes and wag his invisible tail as he moved closer to him. Even Qi Wang’s cold face no longer made him back off.
And that apology letter of his gave Lin Huaixi tremendous inspiration. Over the next month, Qi Wang and Lin Yunmi and the others all received all kinds of letters from Lin Huaixi every single day.
Some were a whole long page. Some were just a short sentence. Some only had a little heart drawn on them. Seeing how much Lin Huaixi loved writing letters, an idea sprang into Lin Yunmi’s mind. She wanted to turn it into something even more meaningful.
“Xixi, how about writing a letter to yourself?”
Lin Huaixi shook his head in confusion. “What would I write to myself?”
“You can treat your future self like a good friend. Ask him what he likes and what he’s doing now. You can also talk about your own life, or ask him whether, after so much time has passed, his dreams have come true.”
The more Lin Huaixi listened, the more excited he became. Eager to try, he jumped up and said, “Okay! I’m going to write a letter to myself. Right now!”
He treated this matter with great seriousness. It took him a full three days to finally finish the letter.
“Mommy, how do I send it to my future self?” Only then did Lin Huaixi think of the crucial issue regarding the future.
Lin Yunmi had already prepared for that. “Mommy is super amazing, you know. I can do magic. I can give you a time capsule, and then future Xixi will receive it.”
Lin Huaixi’s eyes widened into full circles, and even his mouth opened slightly, as if he had been shocked speechless.
Lin Yunmi had only made it up on the spot to coax her child, but Lin Huaixi’s reaction gave her a great sense of achievement.
“Then can I ask Qi Wang to do it too?” Lin Huaixi always thought of Qi Wang first whenever there was something good. Tugging on his mother’s clothes, he asked in his baby-soft voice.
Lin Yunmi touched her son’s soft little face. “Of course you can. When you’re both ready, I’ll take you to a mysterious place.”
Winter passed, and the weather gradually warmed. Thick coats were still needed, but many flowers had already begun blooming against the cold.
Nearby there was a free park built around an ancient pagoda. The scenery was lovely, and the place carried a strong sense of history. But because the location was a little remote, very few people knew about it. No matter when one went, it always felt quiet and deserted.
It was Lin Huaixi’s first time there. His eyes were hardly enough. He looked left and right, and his mouth never once closed.
Lin Yunmi held his little hand. “Xixi, do you like it here?”
“I do!” Lin Huaixi turned to look at Qi Wang walking beside him. “Do you like it?”
Looking into Lin Huaixi’s sparkling eyes, Qi Wang answered in agreement, “I do.”
Lin Huaixi became even happier at once. If Lin Yunmi had not still been holding his hand, he would have run out like a little bird just released from its cage.
The front area could only be called a park with many flowers. The real highlight was the ancient pagoda at the very back. The moment Lin Yunmi passed through that small gate full of artistic charm, her mind was seized by the ancient pagoda’s solemn, weighty presence, and she stood there for a long time without speaking.
Lin Huaixi did not understand that much. He only felt that the pagoda seemed like a kind old grandpa, and he instinctively felt close to it.
“Mommy, can I go up and look around?” Lin Huaixi asked.
Lin Yunmi smiled. “Let’s first send the time capsule to future Xixi, okay?”
Only then did Lin Huaixi remember why they had come. He nodded hard and lifted up the iron box he had been holding the whole time.
Lin Yunmi led them beneath a tree beside the pagoda. “I looked it up. This tree is almost as old as the pagoda. It has experienced many things, and it understands time too. If you bury the iron box under it, once Grandpa Tree knows, he’ll help deliver it to your future selves.”
Lin Huaixi was truly stunned. He tipped his face up and looked at the lush canopy overhead.
The trunk was immensely thick, its bark full of the traces of time, making Lin Huaixi look tiny in comparison. From it, he seemed to sense the vastness and endlessness of time, and he felt a little more awe toward this ancient tree.
“Grandpa Ancient Tree, I’m counting on you.” Lin Huaixi spoke with great politeness.
Lin Yunmi rubbed his hair and handed him a little shovel. “Go on, then.”
The two little dumplings stood shoulder to shoulder, cuddled close together, and began using the little shovel to dig a hole beneath the tree.
The little tuft of hair on Lin Huaixi’s head bobbed back and forth as he said in his baby-soft voice, “Qi Wang, we have to be gentle, okay? Don’t wake Grandpa Tree.”
His little plump hands were soft and pale, and he simply did not have enough strength. Even after waving the shovel around for ages, he only managed to scoop out a tiny bit of dirt. At this rate, even if he crouched there all afternoon, he probably still would not dig a proper hole.
Qi Wang took the little shovel from him on his own initiative and coaxed, “I’ll be gentle.”
Qi Wang huffed away, digging at the dirt, while Lin Huaixi crouched beside him cheering him on, giving him full emotional support. Qi Wang worked even harder because of it.
Lin Yunmi felt this moment was extremely meaningful for the two of them, and she wanted to leave them enough beautiful memories, so she only stood to one side and did not step in.
Once the hole was deep enough, Lin Yunmi said, “Now put the time capsule inside, and then clasp your hands together and silently make a wish. Remember to be polite, okay? That way Grandpa Tree will help you.”
Lin Huaixi eagerly placed the iron box inside, closed his pretty big eyes, and thanked the tree in his heart.
“Grandpa Tree, thank you for helping send the letter to future Xixi. Both of us will be grateful to you. We’ll also come visit you often from now on and chat with you, so even if time is very, very long, you won’t be all alone!”
Lin Huaixi was such a little chatterbox that his eyelashes kept fluttering. A full minute passed before he finally opened his eyes and looked up at Lin Yunmi. “Mommy, I finished talking to Grandpa Tree, and I also told him that we’ll come visit him often.”
“Good.” Lin Yunmi was so charmed by the two little ones that her heart almost melted. She ruffled them both before saying, “Now you can cover the hole back up.”
Physical labor was usually Qi Wang’s job. He buried the iron box with dirt and even compulsively smoothed the surface flat, making it look as though it had never been dug up at all.
Lin Huaixi had done none of the work, but a patch of dirt had somehow ended up smeared across his fair little face.
Qi Wang was already used to this. Very naturally, he took a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped Lin Huaixi’s face clean. Lin Huaixi cooperatively lifted his chin and even offered his face forward on his own.
Seeing that scene, Lin Yunmi could not help laughing.
Her little treasure really had found himself a very reliable little childhood-sweetheart brother. With Qi Wang around, who would dare bully Xixi…
Lin Huaixi came pattering over and curiously looked at Lin Yunmi. “Mommy, what are you smiling at?”
Lin Yunmi touched her own face and only then realized she had been smiling far too much. She gave a light cough and took Lin Huaixi’s little hand on her own initiative. “Nothing. Grandma is still waiting for us at home. Let’s hurry back for lunch.”
Lin Huaixi turned back reluctantly for one last glance. “Then when will future me receive the time capsule?”
Lin Yunmi smiled and said, “That depends on you. How old did you write the letter for?”
“After twenty.” Lin Huaixi drew a huge circle with his hands. “Grandma said that by then I’ll be a grown-up. At that time I’ll become super amazing and take good care of all of you!”
Looking at her son’s smiling face, Lin Yunmi’s heart filled with love. “Xixi is six this year. Fourteen years from now, you’ll receive the time capsule.”
“Fourteen years?” Lin Huaixi was stunned. “That long still?!”
Lin Yunmi smiled with deeper meaning. “Time always passes very quickly.”
Time was like sand that could not be held. It was always slipping through the fingers. No matter how much one treasured it, when looking back, it always felt as though all of spring, summer, autumn, and winter had passed in the blink of an eye.
The branches of the tree were full of lovely white flowers. A tiny petal drifted down slowly through the air, its veins delicate, almost translucent in the light. Brushed by the wind, it skimmed gently across Lin Huaixi’s cheek and floated away behind him.
Qi Wang’s eyes followed that petal too. It reminded him very much of that afternoon in kindergarten, when they had lunched beneath the pear blossom tree, and Lin Huaixi had come hopping toward him like a little bunny, with a flower petal stuck to his face as well.
…
A faint smile curved at the corner of Qi Wang’s mouth. The tip of his pen glided softly across the paper, producing light rustling sounds, and a cute little rabbit came vividly to life on the page.
His fingers had grown long, with the joints faintly pronounced. The childish softness had already faded, and he had stepped into adolescence, carrying a youthful greenness mixed with the strength of a young man.
Time seemed to flow very slowly. Setting down the sketchbook, he sat at the edge of the Drum Tower window with one leg bent, his gaze lowered as he looked at that ancient tree full of white blossoms.
Lin Huaixi had promised Grandpa Tree that he would come keep him company every year, and so every spring, he and Qi Wang would come here together to sketch. It had already become an unspoken understanding and silent promise between the two of them.
Qi Wang’s gaze slowly moved across the scene, yet he did not spot that familiar figure. Worry drew his brows together. He was just about to stand when, from behind him, a voice that still sounded childish rang out.
“Qi Wang! I knew you’d be here!”
There was no protection at all by the window. Afraid of accidents, Qi Wang never allowed Lin Huaixi to sit there, though he himself always sat there to draw.
Lin Huaixi had complained a few times, but Qi Wang would only smile without answering. Over time, Lin Huaixi simply got used to it, and every time it was almost time to go back, he would stand far away and call out to him.
Only he knew that one of Qi Wang’s ears had a problem. Over the years, as they had grown up together, Lin Huaixi would naturally raise his volume whenever he spoke to him. If they were standing far apart, he would lift his chin slightly and instinctively shout with all his strength.
For some reason, Qi Wang was always charmed by that. The corner of his lips lifted slightly as he turned around to look for Lin Huaixi.
Qi Wang had completely lost the last traces of baby fat. The lines of his face were clearer now, and the fine beauty of his brows and eyes came from his mother, giving him a kind of good looks far beyond his age. Whenever they walked down the street together, passersby would unconsciously glance at him.
And as for Lin Huaixi—he had barely changed at all.
His face was still soft and glutinous, his eyes still clean and clear, turning into a lovely amber color under the sun. His features had also inherited his mother’s brightness, but his was the kind of good looks that made people immediately like him and want to tease him a little.
Especially since Qi Wang had grown like bamboo shooting upward, while Lin Huaixi was also growing, just very slowly. Standing together, he was forcefully made to look like a short little dumpling by comparison.
But Lin Huaixi had never once cared about that.
As long as he could play with Qi Wang and then go home to eat Grandma’s cooking, he was perfectly happy.
“Hurry up, let’s go. Grandma said tomorrow we’re going to register for junior high. She especially prepared a big feast for us. If we’re any later, we won’t make it in time!”
Qi Wang smiled and walked over. Just like when they were little, they leaned close together affectionately, shoulder to shoulder, and walked forward side by side.
“Do you think Grandma made sweet-and-sour ribs?”
“You like them so much that of course Grandma would make them. She also prepared little bunny cake.”
“How did you know?”
“Because your preferences haven’t changed at all since you were little.”
“…”
