Serenade

When Shen Pingchuan was six years old, he met Jin Xi for the first time.

More than half a month earlier, his father had told him that soon an auntie would come to their home with a little sister to keep Shen Pingchuan company - he was going to be a big brother!

Shen Pingchuan's mother had unfortunately passed away after giving birth to him, so his father had hired a nanny to raise him. During those long, lonely years of childhood, Shen Pingchuan had been very lonely.

So when he found out there would be a little sister joining their family, he was so excited he couldn't sleep that night. The next day, he eagerly helped his father tidy up and decorate what would become his sister's bedroom, putting up pink wallpaper and shopping for cute light pink bedsheets for a girl.

Passing by a toy store, Shen Pingchuan spotted a teddy bear in the display window and immediately bought it with his own pocket money, excitedly bringing it home and placing it on his sister's pillow.

With everything ready, he waited eagerly and excitedly for his sister's arrival.

He vaguely remembered it was a sunny afternoon when his dad's Mercedes pulled into their housing complex and parked in the yard downstairs.

Shen Pingchuan put on a little black suit he had custom made for photo shoots, with a red bowtie, and stood straight and proper by the door, ready to welcome his sister.

Ten minutes later, Shen Shishan led Auntie Shi Qing and the little sister into the house.

"Pingchuan, come over and meet Auntie Shi Qing, whom you've met before," said Shen Shishan.

"Hello, Auntie," Shen Pingchuan greeted politely.

Shi Qing smiled and ruffled Shen Pingchuan's hair. "You can call me Mom if you don't mind, since I'll be like a mother to you now."

Never having known a mother's love before, Shen Pingchuan immediately and obediently called her "Mom", then blushed, feeling a little embarrassed.

Just then, a timid girl's voice came from the doorway, "She's my mom, not your mom!"

Shi Qing gently scolded, "Come inside and meet your uncle and big brother, dear."

Jin Xi stood stubbornly at the door, unwilling to come in. Shen Pingchuan turned his head and saw half of the shy little girl's face.

Chubby cheeks with baby fat, skin so smooth it seemed wet, cute red lips and white teeth - especially adorable. Her dark eyes seemed moist, framed by long, thick lashes dotted with teardrops.

In her hands she clutched an old Barbie doll tightly.

Shen Shishan patted Shen Pingchuan on the shoulder. "What are you staring for? Invite your sister inside."

Finally coming to his senses, he nervously approached the door. "My name is Shen Pingchuan. What's your name?"

Jin Xi peered suspiciously at this strange boy, like a startled rabbit. In a tiny voice she said, "I won't tell you!"

"Um...welcome to my home. This is your home now too, and I'm your big brother."

"You're not!"

Shen Pingchuan was taken aback as the little girl darted behind Shi Qing, asking, "Mom, when can we go home? I don't want to stay here. I want to go home!"

Shi Qing said gently but firmly, "Dear, this is your home now. Your uncle and big brother are your family."

Jin Xi's eyes welled up with tears again. She shook her head and insisted, "I don't want to...I want to go home, I want Daddy!"

Shen Pingchuan anxiously stood by, thinking she didn't like him and that's why she wanted to leave. He felt awful too, hands in his pockets fiddling with the uneaten White Rabbit milk candy he had brought for her.

Shen Shishan called Shen Pingchuan over and instructed, "You're her big brother now. You have to take care of and protect your little sister, understand?"

Shen Pingchuan nodded solemnly, then turned to Jin Xi, "Let me show you your room, okay?"

Still hiding behind Shi Qing, clutching her Barbie doll nervously, Jin Xi eyed Shen Pingchuan warily.

He held out his hand but she slapped it away. "I don't like you. You're not my brother!"

The young Jin Xi didn't understand why her mother had brought her to this strange home to meet these unfamiliar men. She was scared of them, as if they would bully her.

She wanted to go home, to her own daddy.

But her mother's hesitant, helpless expression clearly said there was no going back.

Jin Xi's throat tightened again as tears rolled down her cheeks.

Seeing her cry made Shen Pingchuan's heart ache badly too. Though rejected repeatedly, he was more embarrassed than anything.

But his protective affection for the girl overcame his ego. He mustered his courage and took out the White Rabbit milk candy from his bag, offering it to Jin Xi.

"Don't cry. Your big brother will treat you well..."

Jin Xi looked at the candy, then Shen Pingchuan's hideous forced smile showing all his teeth. She thought hard for a long time before finally accepting the candy. It was her favorite after all.

Shen Pingchuan happily led Jin Xi upstairs to show her the room he had worked hard to prepare.

But when Jin Xi saw the girly pink princess-themed bedroom, she burst into tears at once. "This room is so ugly! I don't want to live here, I want to go home!"

Shen Pingchuan helplessly watched his sister bawl over his styling and decor. He felt like crying too.

It was disappointing.

Finally, Shi Qing scolded Jin Xi sternly, "Little one, it's rude! Your big brother kindly prepared this room for you. Apologize now or Mommy will be upset too!"

Not daring to anger her mother, Jin Xi could only sob out, "I'm sorry."

Shen Pingchuan quickly grabbed the teddy bear by the bed and offered it to Jin Xi, watching her anxiously and hoping she would like it.

Jin Xi held the brand new teddy bear in one hand, still clutching her Barbie doll in the other. She looked back and forth at them before eventually putting down the bear and hugging her dad's Barbie tight.

After dinner, Shen Pingchuan overheard Shi Qing tell his dad in the kitchen, "She's too young and couldn't handle me divorcing her dad. She's become much more introverted in the past six months. Truthfully, it's because I was too busy with work and neglected her. Don't take it to heart. Little Xi is actually a very sweet and obedient child."

"Of course I don't mind. Little girls are prone to crying and fussing, that's normal," said Shen Shishan. "There are still many days ahead. Everything will get better in time. I'll do my best to be a good father and make her accept me."

Shen Pingchuan knew his dad must love Auntie Shi Qing very much, because after his mother passed away, his dad never remarried again, remaining depressed for many years until Shi Qing helped pull him out of it.

Shen Pingchuan also secretly resolved that he would try his best to make his sister like him, so their restructured family could be as happy as a normal one.

After all...he finally had a mom now!

Late at night, Shen Pingchuan went to the kitchen for water and passed by his sister's room. He seemed to hear sobbing from inside.

She hadn't closed the door, and light shone through the gap.

It was very late now. Why wasn't she asleep yet?

Shen Pingchuan quietly approached and peeked in. He saw the little girl hugging her knees on the bed in a fuzzy sleeper, shivering...

Shen Pingchuan frowned slightly and turned off her light. "Sister, time to sleep."

But as soon as the room darkened, Jin Xi said fearfully, "Don't...don't turn off the light."

"You can't sleep with the light on. Go to bed like a good girl," said Shen Pingchuan, closing her door.

He had barely taken a few steps when he heard her scramble out of bed, turn the light back on, and open the door again. Then she ran back to bed and hid under the covers.

Only then did Shen Pingchuan realize his little sister was afraid.

He thought for a moment, then went to his room and took down his favorite extra large Transformers model. He brought it to Jin Xi's room.

Jin Xi forgot her tears, looking curiously at the Transformers toy.

"If you don't like the teddy bear, I'll give you my Transformers. It will stand guard in your room so you won't be scared. Transformers are super powerful and can fight off any monsters!" said Shen Pingchuan.

"Really?" Jin Xi asked doubtfully.

"Of course! I'm your big brother. I won't trick you."

Shen Ping Chuan saw that Jin Xi was not crying anymore, so he turned off the light for her: "My room is just across from you, and the door is also open. If you get scared, just call for big brother and I'll be able to hear you."

Jin Xi nodded and agreed to let him turn off the light.

Shen Ping Chuan got back under the covers and lay down again. He heard the tentative, delicate voice of the girl in the darkness: "Big brother?"

"I'm here! I'm here!"

"Are you asleep?"

"No, I'll wait for you to fall asleep first."

So Jin Xi hugged her Barbie doll and closed her eyes with peace of mind.

...

Half a month later, it was Jin Xi's birthday. That afternoon, Shen Ping Chuan took her to the shop to pick up the cake. When he turned around, he suddenly realized the little girl was gone. Shen Ping Chuan was so anxious that he immediately started crying on the spot. While crying, he went from shop to shop looking for her.

In front of a luxury goods store, he saw Jin Xi.

"Little sister!" Shen Ping Chuan rushed over and hugged her at once, crying out loudly: "I thought I lost you, wuwuwu, you scared me to death."

Jin Xi stared blankly into the luxury store, where her father and another unfamiliar woman were walking hand in hand shopping. Behind them was another little girl.

When Father saw Jin Xi, he looked a little uncomfortable. Considering his family, he still decided to pretend he didn't see his daughter and walked past her without glancing her way.

Shen Ping Chuan was still immersed in the panic and joy of finding her again. He cried like a dog.

But Jin Xi didn't cry anymore. She used her sleeve to wipe Shen Ping Chuan's tears clean, and gently said, "Brother, don't cry. I won't run around anymore in the future."

Shen Ping Chuan sobbed and nodded. With one hand holding the cake and the other hand holding her hand, he took her back home.

After returning home, Jin Xi threw away her Barbie doll and hugged the little bear Shen Ping Chuan had given her.

**

Xiao Beike discovered that after his mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, she took out a shabby little teddy bear from somewhere and held it in her hands all the time.

Xiao Beike felt that the little bear was quite dirty and old, and it would affect his mother's health if she kept holding it in her hands all the time. So he gently advised her not to play with the little bear anymore. If she really wanted it, he could buy her a new doll.

Since becoming ill, his mother was like a little child who needed to be coaxed.

But Jin Xi cherished this little bear and refused to let it go no matter what.

Later, Bo Yan carefully washed the shabby little bear thoroughly and dried it in the sun for a few days to sterilize it before giving it back to Jin Xi.

Jin Xi often took the little bear out for walks. Bo Yan patiently followed her as she wandered around the neighborhood.

Once, Jin Xi actually took the little bear and ran into an internet cafe, attracting many young people to watch.

Did the old granny with white hair want to go online and play games in the internet cafe too?

Bo Yan accompanied her as she walked around the internet cafe. He gently said to her, "Let's go to another store and take a look, okay?"

Jin Xi nodded and followed Bo Yan to another internet cafe.

Later, Jin Xi went to a middle school. While the students were in class, she actually ran into someone's classroom.

Bo Yan brought her out and repeatedly apologized to the teacher.

Xiao Beike really couldn't understand his mother's strange behavior. He asked Jin Xi more than once: "Mom, what are you looking for? Tell me, Dad and I will help you find it together. Don't run around alone anymore, it's so dangerous."

Jin Xi said, "I'm looking for my brother."

Xiao Beike was stunned for a moment, then didn't say anything more.

Two years ago, Uncle Shen Ping Chuan passed away peacefully.

Bo Yan gently said to her, "Xixi, how could you forget? Brother has gone to a beautiful place. We'll get to see him again very soon."

"Where did brother go?"

Bo Yan pointed to a golden autumn forest oil painting on the wall, "A place like fairyland."

Jin Xi looked at the white-tailed deer in the cabin by the lake in the painting, and nodded slowly, "Then...when can we see brother again? I miss him so much."

"When brother left, he told us not to hurry, to come slowly, because no matter how long it takes, he will definitely, definitely wait for us."

Jin Xi slowly leaned against Bo Yan's shoulder, "Okay, I'll listen to brother."

—————————— The End ————————

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