There were four households on the fourth floor of the apartment building. The Zhong family lived in unit 904. As Song JinXing was about to press the password at the door of 904, the door opened with a click from inside, and a middle-aged man with a weary appearance walked out.
He looked somewhat older than Zhong Ruanxing had described. Though one could still vaguely discern his former handsome features, years and life had left too many marks on him, causing him to fade into the crowd. With the constant smell of oil fumes from working long in the kitchen, he was Zhong Ruanxing’s father Zhong Anping, who had been a chef for over thirty years and was currently the head chef at a Chinese banquet hall.
The two made eye contact and froze for a moment, both taken aback.
Zhong Ruanxing had said her father was taciturn and not good at communicating. To use modern terms, he was a bit socially awkward and didn’t have much to say even with his own family.
Song JinXing felt this was just as well since he didn’t want too much interaction either. He had intended to greet Zhong Anping first, but the word “Dad” stuck in his throat and he just couldn’t get it out.
It had been twenty years since he last called someone that.
Zhong Anping was the first to regain himself. “You’re back?” He took the bag with high heels from Song JinXing’s hand. “Have you eaten breakfast?”
Song JinXing said, “No.”
Zhong Anping took off the shoes he had just put on and turned to go back inside. “Then I’ll make you a bowl of noodles before I go to work.”
Song JinXing followed him into the house. The three-bedroom, two-living room apartment was just big enough for a family of four. Zhong Ruanxing had already shown him photos last night, so he was familiar with the layout. He went straight to “his” bedroom when the door to the children’s room suddenly flung open and a little girl with messy hair leaped out to hug his leg. “Sis!”
Wearing a skirt with bare legs, the child wore pajamas with bare arms. Their skin touched and Song JinXing, who was unaccustomed to physical contact, reacted as if shocked, breaking out in goosebumps.
He stood stiffly and had just pushed the child away when she clung to him again, wrapping herself around his leg like a monkey. She nuzzled his leg with her head. “Sis, Youyou missed you so much! Missed you, missed you! Kiss, muamua~”
Although Zhong Ruanxing had warned him that her little sister at home was very clingy to her, he still felt a bit overwhelmed by her affection.
After she had nuzzled his leg enough and climbed down, Song JinXing finally breathed a sigh of relief. But before he could fully exhale, Zhong You took his hand and pulled him into her little bedroom, whispering mysteriously, “Sis, I have a new friend I’m only introducing to you.”
The exquisitely decorated princess pink bedroom showed how much Zhong Ruanxing treasured her four-year-old sister. A bowl was overturned on the white desk. Zhong You led him close and carefully lifted the edge. “My new friend is in here...”
A cricket crawled out from under the bowl. Standing near, Song JinXing’s arm brushed the desk. Startled by its newfound freedom, the cricket quickly crawled up his arm.
If it had been the real Zhong Ruanxing standing here, Zhong You would get a beating today.
Song JinXing’s face was expressionless as he grabbed the cricket that had climbed to his collarbone and put it back in the bowl. He placed a book over the top. “Take care of your new friend.”
Zhong You looked at him admiringly. “Okay!”
It had taken her and her little friends downstairs so much time to catch this bug yesterday! Her sister caught it in one try. She really was the most amazing sister in the world!
While Zhong You played with the cricket, Song JinXing went back to the bedroom and changed into loose, casual clothes. Zhong Ruanxing’s room was also very girly, showing the princess complex both sisters shared. The tidy closet, though small, was well organized with clothing neatly categorized and visible at a glance. There were also some luxury bags and jewelry, but clearly too shabby for a celebrity.
Song JinXing took a black hair tie from the dressing table and went into the bathroom.
He struggled unsuccessfully for a long time trying to tie up the long, black curls. His brows and eyes were scrunched tightly. Zhong You stood watching him for a while, head tilted. “Sis,” the little girl called.
She came running over, “You don’t know how to tie your hair?” She tossed her stuffed rabbit aside. “Youyou will help you!”
Song JinXing silently crouched down and handed her the hair tie.
Zhong You was much more skilled than him. She quickly tied a neat ponytail then ran back to her room to get a pink butterfly clip that she fastened to it. She clapped her hands happily. “Done!”
Song JinXing suppressed the urge to rip it off.
When he got to the living room, he saw two steaming bowls of luo bo noodles on the dining table. Zhong Dad must have gone to work already.
Song JinXing carried the clingy Zhong You like a koala baby and sat her in the toddler seat at the table. “Let’s eat.”
Zhong You was well behaved at meals. She clumsily maneuvered her chopsticks to get the noodles into her mouth, all the while sneaking looks at the person beside her. After a while, she suddenly blurted out, “You’re not my sister.”
Song JinXing nearly choked on the noodles.
He calmly swallowed the food in his mouth and looked over. “Then who am I?”
Zhong You frowned, pouted her lips, and scrutinized him for a long time before huffing and going back to eating without answering.
When they were halfway through breakfast, the door to the second bedroom opened and Zhong Mom Lin Mishu, who looked very similar to Zhong Ruanxing, came out. She wore a floral blouse and black pants with soft emerald slippers on her feet. Her medium-length hair was braided into two plaits, making her look much younger than Zhong Dad.
“Ruanxing,” she called. “It’s time to go help Grandma gather rapeseed. Come out with Mom.”
Zhong Ruanxing's grandmother had passed away many years ago.
Three years ago, Zhong Mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, after which her condition continued to deteriorate. The previous night when Zhong Ruanxing talked about it, she didn't seem downcast.
She always seemed able to accept optimistically any hardship fate dealt her.
"Don't stress. We have a caretaker at home who comes mornings and evenings. Dad gets back from work at night to take over."
Song JinXing got up and went to the kitchen where there was indeed noodles left by Zhong Dad for Zhong Mom. He brought it out to the dining table and sat Zhong Mom down. "Eat first, then we'll go."
Zhong Mom looked at him, eyes like a child's. After a while, she suddenly asked, "Ruanxing, does it hurt?" She got up to take the first aid kit from the cabinet then came back over, grasped her daughter's arm and gently blew on the scraped elbow from yesterday like soothing a child. "Let Mom put some medicine on it."
Song JinXing's body was a little stiff as he allowed her to carefully dab iodine on his wound with a cotton swab.
Even having lost her memory and lucidity, a mother still remembered how to care for her child.
After eating, Zhong Mom forgot about going to gather rapeseed for Grandma.
She seemed to recall something else and sat at the desk in the room writing and drawing. Song JinXing made sure the doors and windows were secure without any danger before gently closing the door so as not to disturb her.
When he turned around, he saw Zhong You following behind clutching a toy gun, staring at him solemnly.
Seeing him look over, she immediately aimed the gun at him. "You're not my sister! Bad guy!"
Song JinXing reached for her. Zhong You was on high alert. "What are you doing, big bad guy!"
Song JinXing: "Want ice cream?"
Ten minutes later, the little girl licking strawberry ice cream in his arms clung to him affectionately, "Youyou loves sister the most!"
Song JinXing expressionlessly pushed her little head farther away.