Yaozu and Zhaodi

"Ding Yaozu!" Beside herself with rage, Ding Shu pointed at Ding Ding and shouted his birth name.

"Have you no shame! He's like this... and you still make him go to work! You're waiting for him to support you!?"

No one had called him that name in years. Just hearing it irritated Ding Ding, and he limped out brandishing a spatula.

"Who has no shame!? Can you give that mouth of yours a rest, Ding Zhaodi!"

"No!"

Ding Shu glared back. "Is what you're doing even fucking decent!? Did you feed your conscience to the dogs!"

"How is it not decent! He's happy, I'm happy, so why are you sticking your nose in!"

"I'm sticking my nose in!" Ding Shu laughed in anger. "With him in this condition, how do you know whether he's happy about it!"

"Don't I have eyes? Can't I tell? You..."

"Brother Ding!"

Frightened, Bai Congming's first reaction wasn't to run, but to stand in front of Ding Ding and spread his arms, shielding him like a hen protecting her chick.

"Bad person!" Bai Congming shouted at Ding Shu. "Don't bully Brother Ding!"

"..."

Ding Shu froze.

His figure was so slight that he could barely shield all of Ding Ding. His eyes were red, and his raised arms trembled slightly, as though he had summoned enormous courage and was ready to fight for his life at any moment.

She and Ding Ding were only a year apart. They had fought all through childhood and into adulthood, and every time, her younger brother had been the one protected.

That kind of protection looked so warm. Sometimes, Ding Shu felt an ache in her heart, because it was something she had wanted but could never have.

She had thought Ding Ding would surely regret leaving home, because he would never encounter that kind of love again, even if it came at a price.

Now it seemed she had been wrong.

Ding Ding froze too. He had been so busy arguing that he didn't know whether he had frightened Bai Congming.

"It's okay, it's okay." Ding Ding pulled Bai Congming into his arms with one hand. "She and I were just playing around."

Bai Congming pouted, looking as though he wanted to push Ding Ding back inside.

"You go home. I'll chase the bad person away!"

"She's not a bad person." Ding Ding rubbed his head. "She's my fourth older sister."

"Sister..."

"Yes, my sister." Seeing that he had calmed down a little, Ding Ding took his hand. "Say hello to her."

Bai Congming obediently opened his mouth. Feeling that shouting like that had been very bad behavior, he blushed, ducked his head, and hid behind Ding Ding, softly saying he was sorry.

Ding Shu's anger subsided. Watching the scene before her, she couldn't find anything to say for a long while.

How could anyone say he wasn't happy about it? From what she could see, he was more than happy.

But in Bai Congming's eyes, Ding Shu's silence became something very serious.

"Sister... don't be angry..."

"She's not angry." Ding Ding pulled him inside and shouted out the door, "Come in and eat!"

"..."

Ding Shu sighed, muttering that the little brat really was lucky, but she was also happy that he had met someone like this.

They were both traitors to the family who had woken up to things. Once they left that predetermined path, even if they wanted to turn back, they had no home to return to.

Now that he had someone to walk beside him on a road destined to be lonely, it really was a good thing.

Perhaps because he thought he had done something wrong, Bai Congming barely spoke during the meal. When Ding Ding asked what had happened that day, as he always did, Bai Congming answered distractedly too.

Annoyed to death, Ding Ding shot Ding Shu a fierce glare.

"Just what did you come here for!"

"..." For once, Ding Shu didn't argue with him. "Don't talk while you're eating."

After that, Bai Congming fell even quieter. He usually ate three bowls, but today he only ate two.

Ding Ding covered the leftovers with plastic wrap, planning to heat them up for Bai Congming that evening.

Ding Shu frowned as she watched. "How come you don't even have any decent appliances?"

Usually, when she couldn't stand something and said so, it meant she was going to take charge and buy things for him.

Ding Ding didn't turn her down on this. Mainly, even walking long distances was difficult for him right now, let alone going to an appliance store to shop.

Besides, he really was poor.

Ding Ding smiled. "Now that you're here, I will."

"..."

Ding Shu, the sucker footing the bill, pursed her lips but still took out her phone, chose some things the place was missing, and arranged to have them delivered.

"Want to go out? I'll take you to get a replacement SIM card."

"Sure." Ding Ding put the dirty dishes in the sink. "Stay home, Little Bai. I'll be back in a bit."

Bai Congming suddenly stood up, looking very nervous, and grabbed Ding Ding's hand without letting go.

He didn't know what a SIM card was. His Nokia had already had a card inside when it was given to him.

That sister looked very fierce. He was terrified that once Ding Ding left, he wouldn't come back.

Ding Ding felt bad that he had worked all day and didn't want to tire him out again. Without considering anything else, he patted his head and went out without looking back.

"Leave the dishes. I'll wash them when I get back."

"..."

The warm feeling on his head lingered for a long time. Unable to help himself, Bai Congming quietly followed the two of them.

The siblings ahead seemed to be arguing again, and neither noticed him. He was too far away to hear them clearly, but the atmosphere felt good.

Family was very important. Just like when his mother had still been around, Bai Congming had never wanted to be apart from her.

Now Brother Ding's family was here... would Brother Ding be reluctant to part with his sister too...

Ding Ding had been taking good care of himself, and his injured foot had almost recovered by now. The fracture still needed time to heal, and he still limped a little when he walked.

The two got carried away arguing, and his sister kicked Ding Ding.

Bai Congming watched with a tight feeling in his chest, thinking that his sister wasn't good to him.

He wanted to shout, to tell his sister not to bully his Brother Ding, but it was as though something had clamped around his throat, and he couldn't make a sound.

Bai Congming followed them all the way to the end of the street, watching as they got into a black car and drove away.

"Brother Ding!"

The thing gripping his throat loosened, and Bai Congming shouted, but the person he called couldn't hear him.

Panic swept over him. Like a little flower deprived of water, Bai Congming wilted and walked back.

Seeing the dishes in the sink, Bai Congming told himself that Brother Ding had said he would come back to wash them. He would come back.

But then he thought of his sister, and Bai Congming wasn't sure anymore.

The hands on the clock moved forward little by little. The house was quiet for the first time in a long while. Ever since two people had been living in this courtyard, it had always been noisy.

Ding Ding's apron was draped over a chair, a gardenia printed on the black fabric.

Bai Congming gazed at it, absorbed, remembering how Brother Ding had said that gardenias were very much like him.

So Bai Congming had also told him that he had wanted that potted cactus at the supermarket because he thought Brother Ding was like a cactus.

"Is it because my beard is prickly?" Ding Ding had asked in puzzlement.

Bai Congming had shaken his head, but he couldn't explain why. It was simply how he felt.

Ding Ding hadn't pressed him, only frowning and saying he needed to go out and buy a razor sometime.

Ding Ding, who had always liked to keep himself tidy, had forgotten his old habits after getting into a relationship and spent every day unshaven. That wouldn't do.

"..."

When Ding Ding returned, Bai Congming was sitting dazedly beneath the bougainvillea, wiping away tears.

"What's wrong?" Ding Ding was startled. "Why are you crying?"

Once Bai Congming saw clearly who was before him, his tears rolled down even harder. All his hurt and fear turned into a single accusation.

"You haven't washed the dishes yet!"

Dishes couldn't have made him cry this hard. Ding Ding felt as though he understood something and sighed softly, holding him tighter.

"You were afraid I wouldn't come back, weren't you?"

"You have to listen when I tell you things. I only left you here because I thought you were tired from work."

"Next time, I'll tuck you in my pocket and take our Little Bai everywhere I go, okay?"

"...Don't cry anymore."