It Was Right Here

The kid had told his friends about him, and now he'd brought them here to get confirmation?

And then what?

What was he supposed to do?

Smile at these kids and tell them yes, he still remembered the girl who had been with him for so many years?

That memory was the one he cherished most. Even when everyone else denied it, he had clung to it almost stubbornly, insisting that it was real.

He no longer expected anyone to understand, but he couldn't tolerate anyone treating it lightly.

He wasn't some tourist attraction, either, with a story anyone could speculate about at will.

They could click their tongues in wonder and leave their mark to say they'd been there.

The warm air around Uncle Xu had faded. A heavy, restrained solemnity now hung about him.

"Uncle?"

Xu Zizhen murmured, unsure why his uncle suddenly seemed angry.

Was it because he'd asked about that Missy?

Or had something he said made his uncle think he doubted the belief he'd held onto all these years?

"I... didn't..."

He stammered, flustered and frustrated by how poorly he could express himself.

He was usually good with words. He could even recite long passages of legal statutes...

Zhang Bo and the others were at a loss, too.

It was their first time visiting a friend's home, and they seemed to have angered his elder as soon as they met. They'd never experienced anything like this before.

Xiao Xiao froze. Replaying what had happened, especially the change in Uncle Xu's expression, he realized where the problem lay.

"Uncle Xu."

Xiao Xiao suddenly spoke, breaking the tense, awkward silence. "The reason Xu Zizhen brought us here—"

He looked at the middle-aged man, whose eyes had begun to waver. His tone