The carriage rocked on as the familiar sights of the vendor markets and housing appeared beyond ReZhui’s window. They were approaching ever closer towards the Xu residence as the village was reaching noon. More people were out on the pavements while carts and rickshaws occupied now-cramped streets; slowly down YaoMing’s carriage.

Nonetheless, it was a minor setback. A couple of more turns, and ReZhui saw the neighborhood. At its center, the recognisable roofed front gates stood grand and tall with the banner of golden characters for all to see.

The prestigious Xu Household.

‘We’re home…’

ReZhui thought to himself. He wondered what other drama would ensue once ShiYan found out about this.

As the carriage finally made its stop in front of the opened double doors, some of the servants were already present at the entrance including XinLi. ReZhui proceeded to open the door and was soon greeted by the bright smiles of ShiYan. It was a face of light with her groomed hair tied into pigtails. She was in a robe underneath her nightgown.

“Hi ReZhui, what’s with the early return from the Slum Welfare event? Is Father in there?”

Given ShiYan is looking from beneath the carriage, their unexpected guests are out of sight for her.

“Y-yes, yes he is, ShiYan. But, Mr Xu may well be not in the mood to talk.”

YaoMing has not moved a muscle since they set off and the three of them were frightened for disturbing his space. As ReZhui was about to inform his master, YaoMing got up and grabbed hold of his stepsister, carrying her in his arms. Eddisson moved aside voluntarily.

“...! Father…What happened to that patient?!”

“...”

YaoMing carefully went down the steps as ShiYan approached him.

“Do you need assistance, Father?”

And, this was the first he spoke in a long time.

“Thanks ShiYan, but I can handle this myself. Instead…”

He turned around to see Eddisson exiting the carriage as ReZhui watched on eagerly. Back to his daughter, YaoMing instructed her.

“Today, ReZhui made a new friend, why don’t you introduce yourself to him? He’s…pretty special.”

ShiYan looked to where her father was referring too and saw something that she had never seen before. A boy of her age with ash-yellow hair and icy blue eyes. Although he appeared malnutritioned and sickly, there was a charm of uniqueness about him. Something extremely foreign. Then, she saw ReZhui chattering with him as the new boy ran his eyes around this wondrous estate and its neighborhood.

“...”

“Go on, ShiYan. I will introduce this lady to you soon.”

“I see, Father.”

She turned.

“ReZhui! Who is this new boy you befriended?!”

With that, the brother and sister saw the little girl run her legs towards the bickering boys. Unaware that ReZhui was also keeping some attention to the siblings as well. As for the servants, YaoMing dismissed them to their normal duties and ordered XinLi to prohibit anyone from entering his pharmacy.

“That child…What a wonderful daughter you have, elder brother.”

“...Let’s get you ready. I have been waiting since morning.”

With that stated, the duo made their way towards the gates while the children followed Eddisson as he wandered the area.

Upon entry, her droopy eyes fell wide open. TianXing, having been away from her hometown for the past few decades, felt a sudden surge of nostalgia and belonging overwhelmed her.

“w-w-w…wow…”

She saw the familiar courtyard where the two of them played as children; the bench where they gazed at the stars; the plants and herbs they planted; the steps that lead into where it all began; and the shelves of medicines that they studied passionately about.

“it’s…I-”

Tears started to form and fall. It was an indescribable feeling. Of warmth and closure.

Never bothering, TianXing let them flow undeterred. Once again, her face was a flushing mess. But that never mattered now.

“Welcome home, Xiao Tian.”

Came the soft words of a relieved YaoMing.

“Elder brother…t-thank you…I’m sorry, but-”

“Don’t be.”

“huh…”

YaoMing continued carrying her across.

“Despite your circumstances, even I have no right to punish you.”

“w-why?”

“...wait.”

TianXing realized something. She looked around once more before making her statement.

“My condolences for XiaoFei.”

“...Thank you.”

“It…must be heard for ShiYan.”

“Her mother died giving birth to her so she only knew her through me.”

“...”

“Don’t worry, ShiYan’s a strong girl. I can promise you that.”

“I’m glad.”

Being forced to become an orphan, TianXing knew worse about those emotions.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

“Xiao Tian?”

“Yes, Elder brother?”

“Remember this.”

“...!”

“You are still the girl that loved me. You are still the sister I will always cherish. You are still family!”

“...”

“Thus, no matter all that happened in the past for both you and I…Do you still regret all of it?”

“...Yes”

It was a stern confirmation.

YaoMing smiled at her response.

“Then, shall we share those regrets together, and possibly start anew?”

“...Alright.”

“Thank you, and apologies for making you witness that decades back. I owe you this a whole lot.”

“...I truly thought you would be bedridden.”

“But I managed. Just like you did.”

“We are stepsiblings after all.”

“Ha…that’s true.”

YaoMing stepped over the platform and into the pharmacy building where an intensive checkup would ensue for hours.

---

“Eddisson, stay put!”

ReZhui shouted, alarmed.

But the boy was already in a daze.

He scurried about. The clean streets, wondrous flora odors and bright colors. It was nothing like he remembered back at the slums and the red-light district.

“INCREDIBLE!”

As he carried his scrawny body further down the street, screaming out loud foreign words, passers-by began to move away in awkwardness.

“Beautiful-”

“Enough!”

“ARhG!”

Thankfully, ReZhui quickly caught up to him and grabbed hold of his collared shirt, restricting Eddisson’s progress.

“ReZhui…I love this place!”

For a timid boy, Eddisson now had eyes that sparkled.

“Darn it.”

ReZhui knocked him on the hand and scowled.

“Eddisson, I am not your mother. I still don’t understand English.”

He held out his palm for him. With this reminder, Eddisson wrote his compliments, even writing out an exclamation mark.

“I see, well, I’m happy for you.”

Eddisson nodded back affirmatively.

But, as they continued, a cry sounded behind them

“REZHUI!”

“Huh?”

“Who’s?”

The duo saw ShiYan, in breath running towards them, frustrated.

“ReZhui! Listen to me!”

She whined.

“I-i’m sorry, ShiYan.” There was nothing ReZhui could defend against.

“Hmph, I’ll forgive this once.” ShiYan pouted. “Now, introduce me! Who is this unique friend of yours?” She pointed straight for Eddisson.

“Hmm? Oh, sure. How was I too excited?!” ReZhui figured.

“...” came Eddisson’s reaction.

“Ehrm..alright, the two of you. Eddisson, this is Xu ShiYan, a fellow classmate and close friend of mine.”

“Hello, it’s a pleasure to meet you!” ShiYan put up her brightest smile and bowed a greeting salute.

“ShiYan, this is Eddisson He. He has quite the story so it might be better if we just take this slowly, shall we?”

“...Sure.”

But, Eddisson gave no response.

Instead, in the face of this beacon of shimmering light, Eddisson froze before he cowered behind ReZhui’s back.

“Eddisson? What’s the matter with you?”

For all the lustful ladies he had seen back at the brothels and the filthy, wild girls of the slums, ShiYan was something he had never seen before in a girl. In his eyes, ShiYan was, in all aspects, a mannered, kind girl of similar age with a cute, bold side. Moreover, he thinks she was just as beautiful as those prostitutes, but certainly in a much greater positive light. ShiYan questionably saw as Eddisson raced his finger across ReZhui’s right palm. He wanted to tell him all of those thoughts of his, to which ReZhui put up a contemplative expression.

“I see, Eddisson. Well, if that’s the case, I will guide you.”

With his call, ReZhui shoved the powerless Eddisson in front of him and gave his instructions.

“ShiYan, could you give out your hand?”

“Sure…why though?”

“Eddisson’s mother tongue is English. As for Mandarin, he could only read, write and listen. Speaking is his only flaw.”

“Whoa! I don't even know any of those foreign languages.”

“I could say the same. So for now, until the three of us become fully fluent in each other’s languages, Eddisson would only communicate with the both of us by writing out his characters.”

“Oh, I see…”

As ShiYan was considering that idea, ReZhui nodded back at Eddisson. He had given that timid kid an opening for conversation.

With his ears a flush red from the earlier compliment, Eddisson closed his eyes as he gently grabbed hold of ShiYan’s hand and hurriedly wrote out his saying.

‘What soft, smooth skin!’ admired Eddison as he finished.

“I wish for the three of us to maintain a long friendship for the times to come. It’s a pleasure to meet you, ShiYan.” was what he wrote.

A pause while the girl thought of what he wrote.

“I hope so too, Eddisson.”

“Splendid, everyone.” ReZhui patted his back.

“But ReZhui, don’t you think ‘Eddisson’ is pretty long for a name?”

“Hmm…Not that I bother, why?”

“Eddisson…Edd…I got it!”

“What do you mean, ShiYan?” He wrote.

“Eddisson, from now on, I’ll be calling you, Eddi!”

“...!” It was a first for Eddisson.

“I’m surprised. That had a nice tone to it as well…I’m switching as well.”

ReZhui raised his hand. “What about your opinion, Eddisson?”

“...I like it too.”

If he were not to write his response, his voice would have been incredibly muted.

“Now then, the both of you!” ShiYan pointed boastfully. “Get in and wash yourselves! Hygiene is always our first priority.”

“True…”

‘Boys are still boys, huh.’ ShiYan grieved.

“I knew it! Now then, let’s meet up at the communal room after you’re done. I’ll be preparing lunch with Sister Pu so take your time.”

Normally, the three of them would want to barge into YaoMing’s operation room out of curiosity but they had their reasons not to disturb the siblings. ShiYan, under the impression of that woman as a patient, prohibited herself for her father’s concentration. Eddisson knew that any outside interference would lead them nowhere, while ReZhui figured that he was lacking in everything about them to step into their complex affairs of the world. His participation would never be of benefit for either of them, and he resented that fact.

‘I just have to get stronger.’

Came his final thoughts.

.

.

.

Night soon fell upon the Xu residence. Brilliant moonlight seeped into the closed patterned doors as the family prepared themselves for dinner. On the round table that ReZhui once was approved for his friendship with ShiYan, he sat opposite to his master, YaoMing, who was busy talking to Eddisson.

“Listen up, Eddisson, your mother is now in stable condition and was washed thrice from head to toe. Now, she’s resting in a special guest room.”

YaoMing then waved for two servants. On their hands, there was a tray of hot congee and several bowls of herbal soup.

“Why don’t you help your mother with her dinner? I’m sure she would truly appreciated it”

Eddisson replied with a firm nod, before he joined up with those servants as they exited the room.