Chapter 101

Chapter 101

Luo Zhishu and Xiang Yanming returned from the airport before six o’clock, yet Luo Ye had already finished washing up and come downstairs from the second floor.

Both of them were taken aback.

Luo Zhishu exchanged a glance with her husband before turning to ask, "Luo Ye, what’s with the early rise?"

Luo Ye didn’t answer.

"When’s my brother coming back?"

"..." Luo Zhishu was silent for a while, "If all goes well, he might be back by New Year’s."

"...Hmm."

"It’s still early—want to go back to bed for a bit? If you’re not sleepy, Auntie Lin hasn’t arrived yet, should I make you breakfast?"

"I’m good, Mom." After saying this, Luo Ye turned and went upstairs.

*

After Ji Mian left, the couple stayed home more often.

They made an effort to spend more time, though they knew the brothers weren’t close. They were still worried that Luo Ye might feel lonely after Ji Mian left and wanted to accompany him more.

But to Luo Ye, it was pointless.

In the past three years, his parents weren’t the closest to him anymore.

During past winter and summer breaks, Ji Mian would spend a few days with Liang Mingxuan and also spend time with Xiang Chen.

Luo Ye figured Ji Mian’s leaving this time would be like before—leaving him home alone with a free day.

With Ji Mian gone, Luo Ye didn’t have to stay at school until 8:30 PM.

He got out at six, headed straight home for dinner, then took his backpack upstairs and continued studying.

He hunched over his desk, deep in his studies. When night came, the silence was almost eerie.

It had always been quiet before, but today’s silence was like a beast that had been lurking for a long time. The room, now unguarded, seemed to swallow him whole.

Luo Ye, trapped in the silence, felt utterly restless.

Before bed, he grabbed a water cup and peeked next door. No light came from under the closed door.

Everything felt lifeless.

The next morning, Luo Ye woke up like always.

Auntie Lin arrived early and set breakfast on the table.

Luo Ye had the whole table to himself, no one across from him.

He ate slowly, finishing his plate in ten minutes. Then he grabbed his backpack and left.

"Auntie Lin." He called out to Auntie Lin, who was busy in the kitchen.

"Yes!" Auntie Lin turned, shaking her wet hands.

"Can you make my breakfast to-go from now on?" Luo Ye looked at her, "I want to eat it on the way."

"..." Auntie Lin was taken aback for a moment, then nodded in understanding, "Sure."

She smiled and said, "You're in eighth grade now, the workload is starting to pile up, eating on the way can save some time."

Luo Ye simply grunted in reply.

Luo Ye spent much less time at home.

He only tried coming home a little after six for a few days, then gave up, still staying at the affiliated middle school for dinner, staying in the classroom well into the night, and going for a run on the playground after studying.

Before eighth grade, Luo Ye's only sports activity was the school's daily morning run.

After entering puberty in middle school, maybe because of puberty, he sometimes dozed off in class and considered exercising to stay alert.

However, with Ji Mian around before, this idea had always been put on hold. Running was the only sport Luo Ye was interested in; he didn't much like team sports, and running was just right for him.

During long runs, his mind, racing all day, went blank, allowing him to briefly let some meaningless thoughts occupy his mind, after which he would feel much more relaxed.

*

The spring semester of eighth grade started.

Hu Li swung around and plopped down next to Luo Ye, "Brother Luo, did my big brother make it back from overseas for New Year's?"

At this, Kong Yuzhen turned her head too.

Luo Ye replied briefly, "No."

During the New Year, Ji Mian couldn't come back, saying he had participated in some project organized by the school.

There was actually a break, but less than a week, and it wasn't worth the hassle of traveling back and forth.

"Ah..." Hu Li sighed regretfully, "During this morning's run, I chatted with a few seventh graders from the club, and this year's seventh graders haven't even heard of my big brother's name!"

A legend like my big brother was unknown to the new batch. Hu Li shook his head in dismay.

Ji Mian was no longer at the school, although he was famous, no one at school was going around talking him up every day, especially since they were still in the junior high section...

It's normal for the new batch not to know.

"So what?"

"So, I told them about my big brother's deeds!"

Luo Ye's mouth twitched, "Don't ruin my brother's reputation."

Hearing this, Hu Li shot back, annoyed.

He leaned on the table next to Luo Ye, looked him over, and suddenly asked, "By the way, Brother Luo, how tall are you now?"

"I don't know, I haven't measured."

"I feel like you've grown a lot taller?" Hu Li gestured, guessing, "Must be... 165, though still quite short."

"..."

Luo Ye glanced at him indifferently.

"But, you've grown five or six centimeters in just half a year." Hu Li whistled in amazement, "You're growing faster than I did before."

Hu Li wistfully gestured to his own head, "I’ve only grown half a centimeter all year."

A passerby joked, "If you grow any more, you’ll hit the ceiling."

Hu Li chuckled, clearly pleased with himself.

Luo Ye had indeed grown a lot taller.

Starting his second year of middle school, Luo Ye's growth spurt finally hit, and it came on strong.

He’d been the same height for nearly two years, but once Ji Mian left, he started growing like crazy, shooting up.

In that year of middle school, Luo Ye seemed to grow taller every month.

And there was no sign of it stopping.

The couple was pretty shocked by Luo Ye's sudden growth spurt, and from then on, the Xiang family’s meals became more and more nutritious, worried their food couldn’t keep up with Luo Ye’s rapid growth.

By the end of the year, Luo Ye had shot up from just over 1.6 meters to a handsome 1.7 meters.

He still had delicate features, but his tall, straight frame stopped people from mistaking him for a girl.

At the end of the semester, during the summer vacation, Luo Zhishu looked at Luo Ye in the living room and laughed, "You’ve changed so much this year. When your brother gets back, he might not recognize you."

Luo Ye paused.

Would he?

He turned to the living room glass cabinet and saw his reflection.

He’d definitely grown taller, and his shoulders seemed broader.

But he saw himself in the mirror every day and didn’t notice much change.

Xiang Yanming also laughed, "When your brother gets back, he’ll be shocked."

"..."

Luo Ye couldn’t help imagining Ji Mian’s reaction.

In the glass reflection, the young man’s blurred outline seemed to smile.

*

Ji Mian bought a return ticket in early August, and his flight landed that evening. Luo Zhishu and Xiang Yanming could pick him up after work.

Xiang Chen had just turned eleven and was in fifth grade. He hadn’t seen his brother all year and had cried about it a few times.

As soon as he heard that Ji Mian was coming back, he begged his mother early on to see his brother, so Liang Mingxuan had the driver bring Xiang Chen over the day before Ji Mian returned.

At seven in the evening, Luo Ye sat quietly in the living room. Xiang Chen's excitement couldn't be contained, and he kept running to the front door, opening it to look outside.

Not seeing anyone, he closed the door and sat back next to Luo Ye, but before his bottom could warm the seat, he was up again to check.

This repeated several times.

Finally, Xiang Chen's repeated attempts paid off.

On his sixth run to the door, just as he was about to reach for the handle, the door clicked open from the outside, followed by the slight friction of suitcase wheels on the floor.

Hearing this sound, Luo Ye's gaze immediately turned towards the door.

At the doorway stood a figure dressed in black and white, his hair a bit messy from the trip.

"Brother!!" Xiang Chen rushed into Ji Mian's arms.

Ji Mian was caught off guard by the sudden hug, not expecting Xiang Chen to be there as well. Xiang Yanming hadn’t brought it up in the car.

Just then, Xiang Yanming entered with a suitcase, followed by Luo Zhishu.

Ji Mian crouched down to pick up Xiang Chen, smiling and soothing him for a bit.

He wanted to check on the other person in the house.

Ji Mian looked up, locking eyes with Luo Ye as he stood up from the living room.

The moment their eyes met, Ji Mian's smiling eyes reflected in Luo Ye's vision.

The smile was for Xiang Chen but ended up directed at him too.

Ji Mian’s face looked almost the same as when he’d left, yet Luo Ye felt an odd sense of unfamiliarity.

At fourteen, Luo Ye’s sense of beauty was starting to take shape. After a year apart, Ji Mian's face, which he should have been accustomed to, now seemed to hit him like a punch to the heart. Those eyes were still as dark as ink, and his features hadn't changed, but his eyebrows, nose, and lips suddenly stood out sharply. Luo Ye suddenly felt like he didn’t know him.

It was the peak of summer heat. Ji Mian had just stepped out of the air-conditioned cabin, wearing a thin jacket over his white short-sleeve. As he held Xiang Chen, a glimpse of his slender wrist was visible, its lines strikingly elegant.

Many classmates had their favorite celebrities, but Luo Ye never understood what made those so-called "divine faces" so attractive.

Yet, in that moment, his sense of beauty crystallized, and the face before him became the sole standard.

They locked eyes for a few seconds, both feeling a little uneasy.

Ji Mian set Xiang Chen down and walked over to Luo Ye, stopping in front of him.

As always, Luo Ye’s eyes caught every subtle change in Ji Mian’s expression, unwilling to miss even the slightest detail.

He clearly saw the faint surprise in those dark eyes. On such a cold face, the expression was incredibly gripping.

"You've grown... so tall," Ji Mian muttered, averting his gaze, then added, "Up to my nose now."

After muttering, he brushed past Luo Ye with a hint of indifference towards the living room.

Xiang Yanming was exasperated by the obvious difference in how Ji Mian treated his two younger brothers, but since Ji Mian had just returned after a long time, he couldn't bring himself to scold him. He could only glance at Luo Ye awkwardly and apologetically, taking Ji Mian's suitcase upstairs first.

But he didn't need to feel guilty.

Luo Ye stood still, his long, thick eyelashes gently lowering, concealing the deep smile in his pupils, thinking: When you come back next year, I'll be taller than you.