novelraw Chapter 42
Chapter 42
Chapter 42
Little Xia Ying had cried plenty of times before, but Liu Wenjie had never seen her sob so hard that it felt as though her heart were being torn in two.
Her mouth drooped, chin lifted, and she wailed between broken breaths, pouring out every grievance she carried inside. "I—I know Mom and Dad don't like me. I've always known. I used to hide from them because I was afraid they'd hate me, afraid my face would only make them unhappy. But this time—"
Her crying cut her breath short; she swallowed hard before she could go on.
"This time I really did try. I told myself over and over to accept it. But the moment I saw Dad today, I realized I still can't."
The sobs kept coming. On tiptoe, Xia Ying clung to Wenjie's neck so tightly her small arms trembled.
"Older Brother Wenjie, why? Why do Mom and Dad dislike me so much? What did I ever do wrong to make them hate me?" Her voice cracked. "Help me, please. I can't do this alone."
Wenjie turned his head just enough to see the short sleeves already soaked by salty tears even though the umbrella shielded them from the rain.
Xia Ying's tiny fists twisted the fabric of his shirt; her face burrowed into his shoulder like a frightened bird begging for rescue. "Older Brother Wenjie... help useless Xia Ying. Tell me what I'm supposed to do."
The rain kept falling. Before long, Lin Xiaoli—who had been searching the estate—received a text.
It was from Wenjie.
Mom, I found Xia Ying. She's crying too hard; I won't bring her back right away. Don't worry and don't come looking for us.
Lin Xiaoli stared at the message in surprise and typed back at once.
You found her? Is little Xia Ying all right? Are you okay, Xiaojie?
Both of us are fine. She even remembered to hold a wooden board over her head for the rain. I'll bring her home once she calms down. Don't worry—and please don't come.
Lin Xiaoli exhaled in relief, then looked up at Xia Ying's grandpa, who was already frantic with worry. Realization struck: she would have to explain.
How can we not go? But, Xiaojie, what am I supposed to tell Grandpa and Xia Ying's dad? We can't keep it from them now that she's found.
Wenjie: Mom, you're an adult—figure something out.
What? You're just dumping this problem on me!
Wenjie: You can do it, Mom. I've got to go find shelter with Xia Ying before she catches a chill.
Lin Xiaoli's face paled as she racked her brain for the right words. She hurried over to Xia Ying's grandpa, who was still shouting the girl's name into the rain.
"Grandpa Xia, please stop calling. The two kids should be safe."
The old man froze, hope flaring in his eyes. "What do you mean? You've found her? Where is she? Is she all right in this downpour?"
Lin Xiaoli grimaced and, to her own surprise, blurted, "Well... maybe I can't tell you."
Grandpa blinked. "What?"
Realizing her blunder, she waved her hands frantically. "No, no! I just meant dragging her back right now might not be the best idea. Xiaojie says he's found her—please trust them. Xia Ying's terribly upset, so perhaps..." She tried a tentative smile. "Maybe children comfort each other better? Xia Ying has always trusted Xiaojie. What do you think?"
The old man said nothing, still trying to process the flood of information.
Lin Xiaoli swallowed. "Why don't we talk for a bit about what happened today? Xia Ying's always been a good child. Something must have triggered her to run off. We need to understand the reason—treat the root, not just the symptom."
Meanwhile, Xia Ying was still crying. If she'd been an adult, her voice would have gone hoarse long ago, but children come with brand-new parts—resilient and long-lasting.
Wenjie knew they couldn't stay in the rain. He tugged gently at her hand and led her to a sheltered corner: the eave of an alley, blocked off by several bundles of thin wooden planks. They had both had the same idea—on the ground lay the shattered remains of many small objects, some unmistakably fragments of a strawberry hair clip. This, Wenjie realized, must have been the spark that sent Xia Ying fleeing.
He guided her behind the dry stack of boards, folded the umbrella, and set a plank on the ground for them to sit.
Xia Ying clung to his arm with both hands, still wiping her eyes.
Wenjie studied her. "Cried enough yet? Want tissues?"
She forced one swollen eye open and croaked, "Yes..."
He pulled a travel pack from his pocket—something he'd grabbed on his way downstairs—tore it open, and handed her two sheets.
She took them with a soft "thank you," but the storm inside her wasn't over.
Listening to the mingled sound of rain and hiccupping sobs, Wenjie picked up a shard of the hair clip and sighed. "Smashed to bits this time. No glue in the world will put this back together."
Xia Ying's crying intensified.
He cut her off. "Tell me—how do you want me to help?"
"I—I don't know. I can't think of anything. I'm stupid."
"All right, how about this: I'll turn back time so Mom and Dad fall in love again and start liking you. Sound good?"
She stared at him in astonishment. "C-can you really do that, Older Brother Wenjie?"
He grinned, full of mock confidence. "Just kidding. Of course I can't."
Xia Ying's head drooped in dejection—she had known all along that cartoons weren't real life.
Wenjie's clever streak kicked in. "But I do have another plan. We keep hiding from them. Out of sight, out of mind, right? Pretend they still love you. Cowardly little Xia Ying is kind of cute, you know."
She sniffled, folding the tissue into smaller squares.
"So which one?" he asked.
"I don't want either..."
"Then what? Even a genius like me can only come up with two—well, one and a half."
"Hiding won't fix it..." She stared miserably at the ground. "I've been hiding for ages already."
Wenjie glanced at the gloomy sky. "Sounds like progress to me. You're reflecting and trying to improve. Used to be you'd only hide; now you actually faced your dad. You even realized running away doesn't solve anything. Fast learner."
"But..." She curled into herself. "Nothing feels different."
"For example? Tell me what hasn't changed."
"For example..." She started to say she still didn't dare see him—yet she already had. She tried to claim she was still too timid to speak—but she'd called him Dad out loud. Words stalled; she couldn't name a single thing that hadn't changed.
Wenjie watched her falter and understood the real problem: Xia Ying still clung to the hope that her parents loved her like before. When that hope shattered, escape seemed the only option.
Seeing she had no answer, Wenjie smiled proudly. "Feel the power of my special training again?"
Xia Ying glanced at him.
He reached out and rested a hand on her head. Her cheeks flushed—whether from crying or something else, she couldn't tell.
"So they don't like you—so what? Focus on the people who do. You're not unloved. Stop obsessing over the ones who hurt you. Study hard and improve every day—got it?"
Her eyes sparkled, thoughts unreadable.
The rain eased as quickly as it had come, dwindling to a light drizzle. Wenjie opened the umbrella again and started walking; Xia Ying followed, fingers hooked timidly into the hem of his shirt.
Out of nowhere she asked, "If I put all my heart into the person who likes me, will he stay with me forever, Older Brother Wenjie?"
Wenjie's ears caught the faint chime of the system.
[Option 1 Answer: Yes. Reward: catch a cold tonight.]
[Option 2 Answer: No. Reward: Intelligence +1.]
[Option 3 Answer: Maybe. Reward: maybe catch a cold.]
Stupid system—classic no-win choices.
But he had already cracked the code.
"I said focus on the people who like you," he corrected, "not on me. Teacher always tells us to read the question carefully."
In a small voice she pressed, "Then... do you like Xia Ying, Older Brother Wenjie?"
"No. I hate little girls the most." He answered instantly, pocketing his reward.
[Congratulations, Host: Intelligence +1.]
Xia Ying spoke in a soft, jealous mumble. "Older Brother Wenjie is lying. You play with Xu Feifei at school every day."
Wenjie wiped imaginary sweat from his brow. "That was an accident. And don't worry about whether I'm lying. Rule number one of special training: trust your own judgment first—especially when boys are talking nonsense, little sister Xia Ying."
"I understand. Then... another question: if I give all my heart to the person who likes me, will he stay with me forever, Older Brother Wenjie?"
"Of course. If he likes you, he'll stay. My theory is flawless."
Xia Ying bit her lip, smiling shyly. Even at her age, she understood matters of the heart better than most.
Wenjie glanced back from the corner of his eye. Perhaps one day the little fool really would turn into a clever girl.