𝙋𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙒𝙚𝙞

3|A-Ying|

"Gege, let me."

Hua Cheng stepped forward. He waved his right hand and a small wraith butterfly appeared in front of them. The translucent silver butterfly flapped its wing and flew through the crack into the house. Hua Cheng pressed his forehead with Xie Lian so they could see the inside of the house together.

Although nobody answered the door, there was still a possibility that the child is either asleep or too tired or even scared to open the door to strangers. If they had opened the door the child might be frightened of them. They did not want the child to be scared of them, that was why Hua Cheng thought of using a wraith butterfly to see the inside before barging in.

The butterfly flapped it's wings and flew around the house leaving a trail of silver dust behind. Both of them saw the inside clearly, the house was only just a big room. The room was faintly lit up by sunlight, they saw a bed with crinkled up blankets on one side of the room. On other side there was a place for cooking. The room had pots and clothes all arranged neatly.

Xie Lian and Hua Cheng moved away from each other and nodded. Xie Lian thought that when the parents left home for something leaving the child here, they fully intended to come back the same day. Hua Cheng slightly pushed on the door and it swung open, the door was not locked.

Both of them stepped into the house. There was a small table in the middle of the room, Xie Lian walked towards the table and brushed his fingers on it, there was a layer of dust on it. Hua Cheng who was standing next to Xie Lian suddenly crouched down under the table.

"What's there San Lang? "

Hua Cheng came up holding many yellowed papers on both his hands. He placed all of the papers on the table and smoothened it out. The papers had many drawings of a small family, mainly stick figures. There were paintings of bunnies, many other scribble and even small handprints.

"Wei Ying must have done these."

Xie Lian said with a sad smile as he held up a beautiful picture of the family drawn by the child. He thought about the small hands which held the brush, dipped it in ink and drew these pictures while he waited for his dead parents to come back to home, come back to him. Xie Lian smoothened out the crinkled paper while lost in thoughts.

"Gege"

Hua Cheng pressed Xie Lian close to him and kissed his hair. This day was torture for him, he had to watch his beloved being sad without knowing how to help.

"Let's go search the market. We won't stop until we find him."

"Alright"

Xie Lian quickly nodded and started placing all the paintings onto his sleeves. Hua Cheng smiled and helped Xie Lian pick up all the little things that Xie Lian found important from that house.

Both of them stood before a tavern, the sun was shining bright above there head. As they were standing there looking around, the tavern keeper came to them and welcomed them in.

"Welcome... Please take a seat."

Xie Lian and Hua Cheng walked in and sat opposite to eachother on the table near the window. Hua Cheng sat there looking out of the window onto the bustling crowd searching for the little boy. Xie Lian took of his bamboo hat and placed it on his lap. He smiled gently at the tavern keeper and said:

"A pot of tea please. "

"Okay"

Soon the man came back with a pot of tea and a plate full of sweets. Hua Cheng poured tea for both of them. Xie Lian took a sweet from the plate as asked.

"Excuse me mister. Have you seen a boy of about three or four years old roaming the streets? "

"Why do the young master ask about that street urchin? "

"So you do know him."

Hua Cheng said smiling at the tavern keeper in a slightly raised voice clearly not liking the way the man talked about the child. He was reminded of his bitter past, days spent on the streets. The one who saved him then was now sitting across him with a worried expression on his face.

The man scoffed and crossed his hands over his chest. He did not pick up the disapproval in Hua Cheng's voice so he spoke again in the same tone.

"That nuisance will come every other day to beg for food and he scare away my customers. He'll come to search the garbage heaps outside."

Hua Cheng slammed his fist on the table startling the man. The man smiled widely and bowed thinking that he somehow offended his wealthy customers. Hua Cheng placed the money on the table and said.

"Gege let's leave. "

"Mm"

As soon as both of them stepped out of the tavern a small group of children surrounded them. They all looked up hesitantly to face the tall men. Xie Lian kneeled on the ground to match the little one's height and asked with a wide smile

"What is it?"

A little girl probably four or five years old came forward holding a colourful kite in her arms. She placed the kite on Xie Lian's hands and said.

"You are looking for Wei Ying. He is my friend. This ..."

The little girl pointed her fingers to the kite in Xie Lian's hands. Xie Lian nodded and smiled at the girl. The little girl shyly looked at Xie Lian and said.

"This- this is his kite.Will you give it to him when you find him?"

"I will. "

Xie Lian said as he pat the girl's head gently. The girl smiled widely, she hopped up and down and said.

"The old grandpa said, you'll save Wei Ying. Give this it Wei Ying. Hehe"

Xie Lian promised to do just that when another little boy came forward and asked while scratching the back of his head.

"And and will you bring him to play with us. He know how to fly kite!"

Xie Lian was going to talk to the little boy when another child came forward as he said.

"He always played with us."

"And tell stories of biigg~ monsters."

The little girl said throwing her tiny hands up above her head. Soon all the children were talking about Wei Ying. When the stories were finished and promises to visit were made Xie Lian stood up and looked at his husband. Hua Cheng had a gentle smile on his face while he was watching Xie Lian talking with the children.

Xie Lian smiled at the chattering children and said once again.

"I promise. I'll bring him to play with you. "

The little children nodded and ran away laughing. Xie Lian and Hua Cheng started walking and looking around for Wei Ying. Hua Cheng felt a tug on his robes, he looked down to see a very old man sitting down on the roadside. Xie Lian also turned to look at the man. The man said in a low voice.

"He is there."

The old man pointed his shaking hands to the alley opposite to them. Xie Lian said a quick thank you then he grabbed his husband by his wrist and sprinted across the road.

As both of them stood before the dark alley they heard loud barks. They saw many stray dogs closing in on something lying on the corner. Xie Lian tensed up, he released his hold on Hua Cheng's hand and rushed forward while calling :

"A-Ying!!!"