I Want Her to See Only Me - Chapter 21

Xia Yu’s footsteps slowed, then quickened, until finally she all but threw herself into her sister’s arms and clasped her hand. Before Xia Yu could stammer out a single word, Xia Xiuyin cut a piece of watermelon and placed it in her mouth, holding the child’s hand steady.

The sweet juice moistened Xia Yu’s throat, alleviating her thirst.

“Do you know where Uncle Liu is?” Xia Xiuyin pulled the child closer and lowered her head to ask.

Xia Yu lifted her face and answered softly, “I saw Uncle Liu washing his car in the backyard last night…”

She had seen this through the slats of the window.

Choking slightly, Xia Yu swallowed the rest of her sentence, while Xia Xiuyin stifled a laugh behind her.

Xia Yu felt the vibrations of her laughter from within her sister’s chest. She smiled.

“Then, do you remember what your sister taught you over the last week?”

At the mention of learning, Xia Yu relaxed. She rapidly reviewed her lessons. “Multiplication, rectangles, squares, mixed operations… ‘Reservoir at the Foot of Mount Chuzhou,’ ‘Xu Gongdian’s New Inn,’…”

She rattled off the titles of a string of poems, then began to recite English words, “breakfast, dinner, beautiful…”

Just as she was about to start reciting The Three-Character Classics, even though Xia Xiuyin found her earnestness incredibly adorable, she had to interrupt.

“A’Yu, are you curious about where Sister got all this material from?”

Xia Yu tilted her head in confusion, and Xia Xiuyin led her to the study. They passed by the area where they usually read, then stepped around a divider, and Xia Yu entered a space she had never dared to enter: the solemn office space, where her sister spent long hours alone.

“Let’s take a look,” Xia Xiuyin gently nudged Xia Yu.

Xia Yu slowly walked up to the tall and wide black walnut bookshelf that filled an entire wall. It had a hidden room behind it, and a rolling ladder and stepping stool on one side.

Among the many books bound in exquisite or antique covers, she saw a glaringly out-of-place set of primary school textbooks.

The cartoonish characters on the covers and bolded subject headers stood out starkly against their surroundings.

“Sister…” Xia Yu’s voice failed her.

The little girl’s eyes widened slightly, as if she held a secret, uncertain guess, a hint of anticipation and joy slowly gathering in her gaze like fallen stars.

“I’ve always been preparing you for school… I’m glad you learned quickly enough to enter third grade.”

Xia Yu’s eyes filled with tears, her pure and bright pupils glistening. She pursed her lips, even her breaths shallow.

“Uncle Liu has been scouting the area these past few days, visiting the elementary school to check out the campus and faculty…”

“Of course A’Yu’s future learning environment cannot be subpar.” Xia Xiuyin looked satisfied as the little girl’s sniffles grew louder.

Her fingertips brushed against the spines of the books, as if she were touching the regret Xia Yu had never known, as if she were announcing the bright future awaiting her.

Xia Yu’s tears fell, her vision blurring. Against the backdrop of deep shadows, her sister’s skin was soft and fair, glowing warmly. Her eyes gradually brightened.

Xia Xiuyin handed her a few thin booklets.

Xia Yu rubbed her eyes, accepting them.

They were brochures advertising local elementary schools.

The covers bore marks made by a water-based pen, with words like “good,” “average,” and “pending” scrawled on them.

“It’s Uncle Liu’s handwriting,” Xia Xiuyin explained, pulling out the ones marked “good.”

“This is the private school Miaomiao attends. It has an elementary, middle, and high school branch, as well as an international department. The class sizes are small, and they emphasize cultivating your speech, taste, hobbies, etc. They employ the most advanced teaching methods and host various social events regularly.

“Every child in the school is either from a wealthy or influential family; you’ll have the opportunity to make a very impressive social network…”

Xia Xiuyin’s tone was gentle, almost enticing. She flipped open the cover of another book.

“As for this one…” Xia Xiuyin began, “It’s the city’s public elementary school.”

She smiled and simply said, “It’s only a ten-minute drive from my high school.”

“A’Yu…” She looked down, and even her voice seemed to soften, “Sister respects your decision.”

“Miaomiao is your first friend, you’ll be happy together.”

Xia Yu nodded, picked up the noble school’s brochure, and began to carefully look through it; his eyes lit up.

“Miaomiao studies here.”

Xia Xiuyin’s gaze softened, and the corners of her lips lifted slightly into an almost excessively gentle expression.

“That’s nice,” Xia Yu said.

Xia Xiuyin’s fingertips gently tapped.

Once, twice.

The child was completely oblivious, holding the brochure as he slowly walked toward Xia Xiuyin.

“Clack” “Clack”

He wore indoor shoes with rabbit ears; they looked soft and pure, fitting him well.

“Clack”

Xia Yu wrapped his arms around his sister, crossing his arms behind her back.

Xia Xiuyin’s stiff and restrained anger was palpable as she heard the little girl say, “Sister…”

“I want to be closer to you.”

A slight cracking sound echoed within Xia Xiuyin’s heart; something soft had knocked against it.

——–

Upon returning from work, Xia Man saw a group of children huddled around the sandbox and slide area in the community playground, water guns in hand, ready to play.

Some were only three or four years old, while the majority were seven or eight.

The parents stood a short distance away, chatting casually.

“Hey, Xia—” someone greeted him.

Xia Man waved briefly in response, but upon seeing the little faces, he found herself drawn to them. “Are you taking your kids out to play?” He found a dirty boy in the sandbox, seemingly molded from the man standing before him.

There was a cigarette pinched between the man’s ear and his cheek, but he showed no intention of bringing it to his lips.

“Hey, it’s pretty hot out during the day, so his grandma kept him inside. He dragged me out here as soon as I got back home.” The man lifted his pant leg slightly, revealing the slippers on his feet.

“Look, this little rascal can’t even wait for me to change my pants.”

“Boys will always be a bit more naughty,” Xia Man agreed, saying nothing offensive.

“Exactly—” The man’s lips curled, but it wasn’t clear if he was genuinely complaining.

“They’re so tough and troublesome,” he continued, as if reminiscing about past struggles. “He’s about to enter elementary school, and I’ve been doing all I can to enroll him in a good one—god knows how many packs of cigarettes I’ve bought, and I swear my legs have thinned out from all the running… It’s not easy being a parent these days.”

A small silhouette flickered through Xia Man’s mind. He shook his head and asked, alert, “Did you manage to get him enrolled?”

“Still trying…” The man scratched his head. “And the little rascal still complains about not wanting to go to school… unbelievable!”

Going to school… Xia Yu’s schooling issue had been resolved, hadn’t it? But with Xia Xiuyin around, it was likely nothing to worry about.

Xia Man’s thoughts wandered, and as the man continued, he took his leave.

Xia Man had done his research and knew Xia Xiuyin was nothing like her parents.

She was gentle and modest, attending a well-known private school in the province until middle school, and her classmates spoke highly of her. However, after the high school entrance exam, she transferred her records and was admitted to the provincial key high school with the prestigious title of top scorer.

But Xia Yu had met her only once, and he couldn’t avoid recalling that encounter.

The slender and pretty young girl, clad in a soft, loose loungewear, had smiled at Xia Yu after he embraced her, a smile that could not be described as innocent.

His Little Sister viewed Xia Yu as her own possession, treating him more like a toy or a pet… She tolerated him unconditionally, doting on him to the point of suffocation, refusing to accept any dissent.

Xia Man sighed.

He took out his keys, placing his hand on the door to push it open from the inside.

Had he forgotten to close the door?

Frowning, Xia Man turned around.

“Jia Zhen… remember to close the door next time. It’s not safe otherwise.”

He took off his leather shoes at the entrance, placing them inside the shoe cabinet, when he noticed something unusual—the shoe cabinet contained two additional pairs of shoes.

One large, one small.

They were a brand he’d never seen before: clean, new, and comfortable, completely different from the ones in his shoe cabinet that had been worn for many years.

Xia Man’s hands trembled slightly. He slipped on the slippers, then looked up to see two children sitting in the small living room.

Xia Xiuyin’s hair was tied up in a ponytail, and she wore a pair of denim overalls. The vibrant colors softened her naturally reserved air, adding a touch of childish cuteness.

“Welcome home, Cousin,” she said, her fingers gently held by Xia Yu, who wore a pair of matching goose-yellow overalls with a shirt underneath.

Xia Xiuyin swayed slightly, and Xia Yu blinked her dewy eyes, then said in a babyish voice, “Welcome home, Uncle.”

Xia Man’s eyes grew warm, the immense surprise feeling like a sudden punch to the stomach. How long had he waited for this moment? To return home to find his children waiting obediently for him in the living room.

But after the excitement subsided, slight traces of melancholy and regret reappeared, along with the unease of the unknown. Xia Man and Jia Zhen had tried calling Xia Yu multiple times, but they never managed to reach her. Eventually, the child learned about it.

But today—

“Hey…” Xia Man responded a few times, glancing at his wife, who had just regained consciousness. “Welcome, Little Sister… and Xiao Yu.”

Unlike him, his wife’s face bore no sign of worry, only joy. Xia Man could see the tears welling up in Jia Zhen’s eyes.

She was overjoyed.

He was as well.

“Do you want some candy?” Xia Man rushed inside to grab some sweets. He and Jia Zhen didn’t have a sweet tooth, so they kept the treats hidden away. “The company gave us a box of imported chocolates last time—”

“Cousin, we’ve already eaten,” Xia Xiuyin said.

Xia Man noticed the three plates of fruit on the table, one laden with chocolates.

He laughed awkwardly. “That’s good, that’s good.”

“Are… are you guys eating here?” Xia Man glanced at the fish in his hands. “I’ll go buy some more food right now…”

He almost wanted to hit himself for being lazy and buying groceries on his way home from work.

It was already late, and the groceries weren’t fresh. He and Jia Zhen could make do, but how could he feed the children?

Perhaps it was because she rarely saw adults act so embarrassed in front of children, but Xia Xiuyin’s pity made her almost feel bad for what she was about to say.

“Already ate,” Xia Xiuyin replied softly.

Xia Man heard the unspoken pity in her words. He nodded several times. “It’s getting late.”

He glanced at Xia Yu, the child who shared a bloodline with him and Jia Zhen. She was quiet and pretty, her eyes wide as she stared at him.

The awkwardness burned painfully.

“Then, if you’re here…” he asked, his face defeated.

Every step of the school registration process required the presence of a parent or guardian.

“I’d like to invite you both to come with me to register A’Yu. Would…you two be available?” Xia Xiuyin asked.

Both Xia Man and Jia Zhen were taken aback, their minds going blank in sheer joy.

Xia Man was the first to react. “Of course! How could we not be?” he responded hastily.

Xia Xiuyin gave them a list of documents they needed to prepare, including copies of each.

Afterward, she allowed Xia Yu to stay in Xia Man’s home for an extra hour, showing her generosity.

As they were leaving, Xia Man and his wife walked the girls to the entrance of their community. Xia Man knelt before Xia Yu, not daring to touch her as he gazed at her, reluctant to let go. “Xiao Yu, promise me you’ll come back someday?”

Xia Yu looked at her sister and nodded.

Xia Man smiled, comforted.

One day, she would slowly grow used to them.

“Uncle—”

“Hm?”

“I don’t like my dad,” Xia Yu said earnestly.

“I don’t like my mom.”

Before Xia Man, she held out her small hands, two pieces of candy resting in her palms. She offered them to him. “I like you and Auntie.”

Xia Yu smiled beneath the clear, windless summer night, beneath the glittering stars, like a budding flower slowly unfolding its tender, pure petals.

She was explaining herself. She wasn’t rejecting them outright.

Xia Man closed his eyes, not allowing the emotions welling up inside him to escape.