Echoes of My Heart

Chapter 12

Xiao Bao had refused to let go of them, wrapping her hands around them with a desperate kind of strength, like if she let go, everything would crumble. It was as if she was desperately clinging to her world. Xiao Yuan looked down at their little sister and noticed the way her face was hidden in Wei Qian's neck, tears running down her eyes. She looked so small, so soft and so lost. It hurt Xiao Yuan to see her this way. In his worry about finding Wei Qian, he forgot to inform her about him.

And now, seeing her like this, he realised the depth of her fear. Of course, she'd be terrified. She must have thought something horrible had happened to Wei Qian, and he hadn't been there to reassure her.

He should have told her.

Xiao Yuan wanted to say something, to offer comfort, but the words felt stuck in his throat. All he could do was place a hand on Xiao Bao's back, rubbing gently, feeling the way her sobs shook through her.

Xiao Bao finally shifted, her tearful eyes peeking out from where she had hidden her face in Wei Qian's neck. Her gaze met Xiao Yuan, and for a moment, he saw the fear, the hurt that she had been holding back.

"I thought..."

"Nothing happened, Xiao Bao," San Pang called out, his voice calm but firm. "Xiao Yuan brought Wei Qian home."

The statement seemed simple enough, but there was something in the way San Pang said it, something that caught Xiao Yuan's attention — the subtle way San Pan's eyes flickered towards Wei Qian, lingering a little too long. The glance held a hidden meaning, a silent exchange that Xiao Yuan couldn't quite understand.

But for now Xiao Yuan let it pass. He would ask Wei Qian about it later.

"Yes. It may have taken me a long time but Xiao Yuan finally brought me home ." Wei Qian nodded, his gaze turning towards Xiao Yuan. He smiled softly, his grip on Xiao Yuan's hand tightening.

The unexpected warmth of Wei Qian's words made Xiao Yuan's heart skip a beat.

There was a subtle, almost invisible meaning beneath them, a message that only the two of them could understand. It spread through Xiao Yuan's chest, filling him with a warmth that he hadn't realized he needed. His eyes softened, and he smiled back at Wei Qian, his gaze lingering as he looked over Xiao Bao's head.

Xiao Yuan was Wei Qian's home.

The realisation hit him with a quiet force, sinking deep into his chest, bringing with it a sense of belonging that he hadn't felt in a long time. The feeling grew and settled its tendrils so deep in him, he was sure they may never be uprooted. He swallowed hard, forcing down the wave of emotions that threatened to overwhelm him. He will not cry. Not in front of everyone.

But when he looked into Wei Qian's eyes, when he felt the tightness of his grip on his hand, he felt that resolve waver, if only for a moment.

Looking around, and at a beaming San Pang, Xiao Yuan never felt more belonged to their small family.

"Okay. Okay. Okay." Wei Qian called out as he pulled away from the family hug. "I am hungry. Did you cook Xiao Bao?"

Xiao Yuan's heart immediately plummeted.

Oh no.

Panic shot through his mind like a lightning bolt.

Please, no. Not Xiao Bao in the kitchen. Anyone but Xiao Bao.

His brain flashed through every disastrous meal Xiao Lili had ever created. The burnt rice that crumbled like charcoal, the half-cooked meat that he took forever to chew, and... what was that goo she called "soup"?