Jiang Mu had played to her heart’s content, and both her pants and shoes were soaked. As soon as she got into the car, she couldn’t stop shivering. “Brother, I’m so cold, why is it so cold?”
Jin Chao turned up the heater and said to her, “Take off your shoes.”
Jiang Mu took off her wet, ice-cold shoes and socks. Her feet were so numb it felt like they were losing all sensation. She kept shrinking closer to Jin Chao. He glanced at her curled-up figure, then leaned over to fasten her seatbelt for her, saying helplessly, “Sit properly, I’m driving.”
The snow in the community had already accumulated deeply, and the car couldn’t get in. Jin Chao had to park outside. He got out of the car and went around to the passenger side, turning his back. Jiang Mu picked up her shoes and climbed onto Jin Chao’s back. He wrapped her in his coat, holding her small feet in front of him, and carried her deeper into the community.
When they were kids, Jin Chao used to carry her too. Every time he took her to the model shop and if they played for too long and Jiang Mu got tired, she would fall asleep on the small sofa nearby. As a child, she would often fall asleep suddenly, dozing off in the middle of playing, and Jin Chao would always carry her home.
The neighbors would often joke about the older brother carrying the younger sister, but even then, Jin Chao never had the heart to wake her up. Of course, most of the time, even if he tried, she wouldn’t wake up anyway.
But now, Jin Chao has already grown into a mature man. His back was broad and gave off a sense of security, making Jiang Mu unconsciously bury her face in the crook of his neck. Â He still carried the faint scent of mint from his recent shower and a hint of alcohol, which she found somewhat intoxicating.
Her slightly sweet breath seeped into Jin Chao’s collar, and although his steps didn’t falter, his neck stiffened slightly, and he asked, “Are you tired?”
Jiang Mu murmured a soft “Mmm,” and Jin Chao carried her all the way up to the fifth floor in one go. She had truly thought he would never carry her upstairs like he did when they were children again. The dark stairwell, the lingering heartbeat, and the quiet night turned this moment into a scene from an old memory. Jiang Mu felt as though she had returned to her childhood, becoming that version of herself who relied on Jin Chao without reservation.
When they reached the door of Jin Qiang’s house, Jin Chao said to her, “Open the door.”
“Let me down first.”
With that, Jin Chao reached one hand behind her, wrapped it around her waist, and effortlessly lifted her to the front. Jiang Mu wasn’t sure how he managed it, but his strength was impressive. In the darkness, she felt her body sway slightly, and suddenly she was standing in front of him, though her feet never touched the ground.
Barefoot, Jiang Mu stood on his shoes as she fumbled for the house key. Jin Chao’s hand rested lightly on her waist, steadying her. His breath fell on the top of her head, and they were so close that their bodies were almost touching.
Jiang Mu lifted her gaze, and the burning light in his eyes reached deep into her heart. Standing before him, within the grasp of his hands, she felt as though she were melting into his gaze, her thoughts so hazy that she even forgot about the key.
Noticing her stillness, Jin Chao lowered his gaze to her soft, delicate face. The round, childish cheeks of her youth had now grown into a charming profile. Her eyes seemed misty, and though he had imagined many times what she would look like as an adult, each vision had always retained the cuteness and innocence of her childhood. He had never imagined that the little girl from his memories would one day look like this, her features now carrying a hint of youthful charm. Though she still had some of the immaturity of a girl, this shy, bashful demeanor was utterly captivating to a man.
The hand around Jiang Mu’s waist tightened. Jin Chao lowered his head, his lips slightly pursed, and his Adam’s apple moved slowly in the dim light. In that moment, Jiang Mu’s mind went blank. Her eyes flickered nervously, and her heart seemed to stop beating from the tension.
However, Jin Chao simply bent down, took the key from her pocket, straightened up, and opened the door. He then gently placed Jiang Mu on the soft doormat before getting her slippers.
Once Jiang Mu’s feet touched the ground, her breath still hadn’t returned. It felt as though the air in her chest had been stolen, leaving her unable to breathe on her own. Her mind was swirling in a daze.
Her pants were still wet, so she quickly went back to her room to grab some clean clothes. The entire time, neither of them spoke. Jiang Mu was suddenly at a loss, unsure of what to say. But she couldn’t understand why, after entering, Jin Chao didn’t speak either. He just walked over to the glass tank and lightly tapped on it to check on the two turtles that Jin Xin had been raising.
When Jiang Mu turned around, holding her clothes, and about to walk into the bathroom, she saw that Jin Chao had picked up the car keys from the table. She hurriedly asked, “Brother, are you leaving?”
Jin Chao turned to look at her. “What else would I do here?”
Jiang Mu blinked, the air between them flowing silently. Her voice wasn’t loud, but it carried an irresistible softness. “When we were kids, we always stayed up together for New Year’s Eve. You used to tell me all sorts of fun stories to keep me from falling asleep. You haven’t told me a story in so long.”
Jin Chao chuckled softly. “You never could last through a single story.”
“This time, I won’t fall asleep.”
Jin Chao lowered his gaze, paused for a few seconds, and then reminded her, “You’re not a kid anymore.”
Though he himself wasn’t sure if those words were meant to remind her or to remind himself.
Jiang Mu understood what Jin Chao meant. She wasn’t a child anymore, and they couldn’t lie together carefree, dreaming freely like they once did. But she truly missed those days. For many years now, she had spent her New Year’s Eve alone, staying up by herself. This year, she didn’t want to be alone anymore. Jiang Mu sniffed her nose and said, “As long as you’re older than me, I’ll always be the younger one.”
She looked at him with bright, glistening eyes. “Is that okay?”
Jin Chao glanced at his phone. “I’ll stay for at most an hour.”
Jiang Mu quickly walked into the bathroom, washed up briefly, and changed into her soft, fluffy pajamas. Since Jin Qiang lived in an old house, the heating wasn’t very effective. After coming out, she ran to her room and called out to Jin Chao, who was in the living room, “Brother, can you bring me the hairdryer?”
After speaking, she sat on the bed and couldn’t help but smile. She thought, that if they hadn’t separated and had continued living together, things would probably be like this, constantly asking each other for help with little things.
A short while later, Jin Chao came in with the hairdryer. He walked over to the bedside, plugged it in, and was about to hand it to her when Jiang Mu had already moved to the edge of the bed and stretched her head forward. Jin Chao had no choice but to turn on the hot air and stand by the bed, drying her hair.
He remembered that when she was little, she had long hair. Every morning before kindergarten, she had to wake up early to braid it. She would always sit on the little stool, half-closed eyes, dozing off. At that time, he never understood how anyone could sleep sitting up. Later, he realized she could not only sleep while sitting but also while standing.
One summer, when Jiang Yinghan went out in the morning for something, Jiang Mu woke up and couldn’t find her mom. She hugged her little bunny and ran to Jin Chao’s room, pulling back the corner of his blanket and curling up into his bed, burying her head in his chest to continue sleeping. He still remembered that morning, her hair a mess after waking up. He reheated the breakfast Jiang Yinghan had left for her, but when she lowered her head, her hair fell into the bowl. She insisted that he help her tie her hair, or she wouldn’t eat.
He had no idea how to handle a little girl’s hair, so he fumbled around, spending over half an hour trying to figure it out. In the end, he managed to tie her hair into a bunch of tiny braids, making her look like an alien. When they went outside, a kid surnamed Wang from downstairs teased her, chasing her and calling her “Upsy Daisy” from In the Night Garden. For a long time after that, the kids in the neighborhood called her “Upsy Daisy.”
It made Little Mu Mu so mad that she ran back crying to find Jin Chao, demanding that he learn how to braid hair properly. So, despite being a big boy, he actually took the time to learn how to braid.
Now, Jiang Mu didn’t need braids anymore. Her hair was short, and when the wind blew, it stuck up in all directions, but it still had that soft, fine texture.
Out of the corner of her eye, she could still see the dartboard. The letter had been tied back up when she left, but now she knew that behind it was all the years of care and longing they had for each other. Her heart felt as though it had been filled with honey.
The warm breeze brushed through her hair. Jin Chao’s long fingers delicately wove through her strands, gentle and soothing.
She closed her eyes and said to him, “Earlier, you said you’d spend New Year’s at Dad’s place, didn’t you?”
Amid the sound of the hairdryer, Jin Chao’s deep, magnetic voice replied casually, “Isn’t this the same as coming back?”
Jiang Mu felt a pang of sadness in her heart. Although her family had always been small during past New Year celebrations, Jiang Yinghan had never remarried, so she at least had her mom by her side. However, Jin Chao’s situation was different. He could get along with Jin Qiang and Zhao Meijuan, but going to Zhao Meijuan’s parents’ home must have felt awkward and out of place for him.
So, had he been spending New Year’s alone all these years?
Jiang Mu couldn’t bring herself to ask, but just the thought of it made her chest ache. Unconsciously, she rested her head against his chest. Jin Chao’s hand holding the hairdryer paused for a moment. He frowned slightly, and after a few seconds, he turned the dryer down a notch and called out, “Mu Mu.”
Jiang Mu’s voice was muffled against his chest as she responded with a soft “Hmm.”
“You…”
He only got as far as the word “you,” the rest of his sentence stuck in his throat. After a while, he finally asked, “Did your mom say anything to you when she came this time?”
“What do you mean?”
“Since she mentioned the debt I owe, she probably also told you to keep your distance from me, right?”
Jiang Mu lowered her head and remained silent. Jin Chao’s expression remained serious as he quietly finished drying her hair, then turned off the hairdryer and prepared to leave. But Jiang Mu suddenly tugged at the corner of his shirt. Jin Chao turned back, and she lifted her face from her hair, looking at him as she said, “What if Dad said the same thing to you?”
“If something happened to me today, and Jin Qiang told you to keep your distance from me, would you agree with him too?”
Jiang Mu then answered for him, “You wouldn’t. So why should I listen to Mom?”
Jin Chao simply replied nonchalantly, “Hmm, I see. You’re going through your rebellious phase now.”
Jiang Mu stared at his back and giggled.
After putting the hairdryer away, Jiang Mu called out to him, “Brother, I want some water.”
A short while later, Jin Chao brought in two cups, handing one to her and saying, “You’re so demanding. No wonder you say you won’t get married. You’ve got quite the self-awareness.”
Jiang Mu took the cup and laughed, “How do you know I won’t be a good wife in the future?”
Jin Chao dragged a cushion over to the floor by the bed, then leaned against the bedside table, the corners of his eyes curving as he commented, “Unlikely.”
Jiang Mu protested, “I can be gentle, virtuous, and understanding. You just don’t get it.”
Jin Chao raised an eyebrow and glanced at her sideways, “Do I even know the person you’re describing?”
Jiang Mu grabbed a pillow and was about to throw it at him. Jin Chao blocked it with his hand, laughing as he took the pillow from her and said, “And now you’ve got a tendency for domestic violence. Don’t go ruining someone’s life.”
Jiang Mu retorted, “I won’t ruin anyone else’s life. I’ll just ruin yours.”
Jin Chao still wore a faint smile on his face, but he lowered his gaze, placing the pillow on his lap and not looking at her anymore.
Jiang Mu suddenly realized what she had just said, biting her lip for speaking without thinking and then becoming quiet.
Two of them, one leaned against the headboard, the other sat on the floor. Jin Chao’s sudden silence made Jiang Mu nervous again. She sneaked a glance at him. The steam rising from the cup in his hand wafted into the air, creating an ambiguous atmosphere. The night was quiet, and they were close. The forbidden thrill of the moment made Jiang Mu freeze in place.
Jin Chao slowly took a sip of hot water and handed the pillow back to her. “You really planning not to sleep?”
Jiang Mu shook her head. “I still need to sleep. I have to go see Lightning tomorrow. Are you coming with me?”
“After you wake up.”
“I won’t be able to wake up on my own. You have to call me.”
Jin Chao checked the time. Worried he might leave, Jiang Mu placed the pillow on the edge of the bed and rested her chin on it. “Brother, can you tell me about when we were kids? I’ve forgotten a lot of things.”
Jin Chao turned his head to look at her. “What do you want to know?”
“I want to know what made Mom and Dad decide to get divorced. I know they used to fight a lot, but there must have been something that made them finally make up their minds, right?”
Jin Chao’s gaze lifted slightly. The curtains cast swaying shadows on the wall as if pulling his thoughts back to their childhood.