Note: In this parallel universe, Song Minghai died early (pops confetti and flowers). Mama Song got tired of Beijing and moved to Nanwu, Wine Alley. She is now living as Papa Xia and Mama Xia’s next door neighbor.
When Xia Zhiye was five years old, a very beautiful aunt and a very pretty little girl1just a note, “little girl” here is actually 妹妹/meimei aka “little sister”. In XZY’s POV, he’s addressing SY as “she” and “Meimei/Little Sister” moved in next door.
Even though this little girl did not look like other little girls – no pigtails or dresses – Xia Zhiye just knew she was a little girl.
Because his mom had told him that neat, pretty, and quiet kids were usually girls; while children like him, who spent all day climbing and getting dirty, were little boys.
And this little girl was cleaner, prettier, and quieter than any other little girl he had ever seen. Her hair was black and soft, hanging obediently past her eyebrows, just revealing a pair of big, beautiful, dark eyes.
Her face was small, her mouth was small, and her skin was very white, looking so soft, just like the milk pudding his mom gave him at lunch, making him really want to poke her.
Her cream-colored sweater was also spotlessly clean, with a soft, fuzzy collar touching her cheeks, making her look extremely endearing.
So Xia Zhiye, peeking over the wall, decided that when they played house, he would make this little girl his wife.
Because Xia Zhiye was the most handsome boy in the entire Little Osmanthus Kindergarten, every time the girls played house, they liked to have him play the dad while they played the mom. But Xia Zhiye was a very cool little boy who only liked cars, dinosaurs, and Ultraman, not playing house.
However, if this little girl played the mom, then Xia Zhiye felt he could reluctantly play the dad.
But he wasn’t sure how to approach the little girl.
Because the atmosphere in her house was strange, with only the pretty mom and the little kid, no dad.
The pretty aunt, unlike his mom who was always smiling and talking, just sat quietly in the yard looking at the sky, as if she was remembering something happy.
The pretty little girl didn’t talk either, just holding a picture book and sitting quietly on the steps in front of the house, with her lips slightly pursed, being incredibly well-behaved.
Xia Zhiye knew that this little kid was the kind of child that the teachers in kindergarten liked the most.
But he thought this was no good.
Because he felt that the pretty aunt and the little girl looked very sad.
At that time, Xia Zhiye didn’t even know the word “melancholy,” but he seemed to understand the feeling.
So he sat on his dad’s shoulders, peeking over the yard wall, propping his head up with his little hands, frowning as he looked at the pretty little girl next door, unwilling to come down for a long time.
Then his mom gave both him and his dad a smack on the back of their heads. “What are you doing peeking over there, looking for a beating?”
His dad quickly put him down, turned around, stood at attention, and without hesitation, sold him out, “Report, Commander, I had no such intention. Xia Zhiye insisted on peeking at the new kid next door, and I couldn’t stop him, so I had no choice but to comply. If punishment is due, please punish Xia Zhiye alone and spare the innocent.”
Xia Zhiye, who was only five years old, looked up.
“?”
Are all dads in the world like this? So shameless?
His mom rolled her eyes at his dad. “Pathetic.”
Then she squatted down to look at Xia Zhiye eye to eye, and gently asked. “What were you looking at, Xiaxia?”
Xia Zhiye answered honestly, “I was looking at the pretty aunt and the little girl next door. She doesn’t seem happy.”
Xia Zhiye’s mom didn’t expect her young son to have such a keen sense of emotions. She felt both gratified and fond, gently rubbing Xia Zhiye’s head. Her voice was soft and gentle. “The little friend next door’s dad went to a very, very far place and can’t come back to be with them, so she and her mom aren’t happy.”
“But I want her to be happy.”
Xia Zhiye blinked his eyes, expressing the purest thought in his heart.
His mom asked him again, “Then, what should my Xiaxia do?”
Xia Zhiye tilted his head, thought for a moment, and answered seriously. “I should give her my favorite chocolate.”
Worried about Xia Zhiye getting cavities, his mom had always controlled his intake of sweets. Xia Zhiye’s happiest moments were when his mom allowed him to have an extra piece of chocolate.
So he thought if he gave his favorite chocolate to the little girl, she would definitely be happy too.
Children’s thinking is always so simple and direct.
His mom thought this was a good thing. Learning to share, give, and help others is important, and a child who learns this will surely grow up to know how to take care of others. She smiled, straightening his little sweater. “Okay, go get the box of chocolates your dad just bought for you, and mom will take you over to give it to the little friend, alright?”
“Alright!”
Xia Zhiye agreed without hesitation because this way, he could rightfully invite the little girl to play house with him.
And this little girl was different from all the other little girls he knew.
When he walked up to the little girl with a box of delicious-looking chocolates, handed it to her, and cheerfully said, “Hello, my name is Xia Zhiye. I’m giving you chocolate. Can we be friends?”
The little girl just glanced at him, then, in a childish voice, said, “No,” and went back to reading her picture book.
Not very friendly.
But Xia Zhiye, who was naturally drawn to good looks, didn’t mind. He just held the box of chocolates, stood there, and watched the little girl, thinking:
‘Meimei’s voice is so soft, like milk candy.’
‘Meimei’s face is so white and chubby, like milk pudding.’
‘Meimei is so cute.’
The beautiful aunt beside them softly scolded the little girl. “Song Yan, you can’t be so impolite. What did mom always teach you? Have you forgotten?”
Then she looked up and smiled apologetically at Xia Zhiye and his mom. “I’m sorry, I haven’t been very well before, and Song Yan’s dad has a bit of a temper, so we haven’t taken good care of him. He’s a bit shy, please don’t mind.”2just a reminder, “he” and “she” in Chinese are pronounced the same.
Xia Zhiye’s mom smiled warmly, “Don’t worry, it’s normal for kids to be shy, and my kid is thick-skinned. Your little one will get used to him in no time.”
Just as she finished speaking, Xia Zhiye squatted down, placed the chocolate box on the ground, opened the lid, picked out the prettiest wrapped piece, unwrapped it, and held it out to Song Yan. “It’s really delicious, try it.”
The white milk chocolate lay in the silver foil, emitting a sweet aroma, which should be very tempting for any child.
But Song Yan, trying to be cool, just refused with a stern face. “No.”
“Eat it.”
“No.”
“Eat it.”
“No.”
“Eat it.”
“No.”
“Eat it.”
“……”
Each time Xia Zhiye said “eat it,” he moved the chocolate a bit closer. After several times, the chocolate was already at Song Yan’s lips. Song Yan finally got annoyed. “Why do you want me to eat it so badly!”
Xia Zhiye tilted his head: “Because I want you to be happy.”
“……”
Wanted to be happy.
All the adults thought he was very well-behaved because he never cried or made a fuss, so no one ever asked him if she was happy.
But he did want to be happy.
Song Yan fell silent.
He pursed his lips, thought for a while, then asked, “If I eat this, will I be happy?”
“Of course.”
Xia Zhiye tilted his head, looking at Song Yan. His eyes, which would enchant countless boys and girls in the future, curved into a pure and innocent smile.
He looked genuinely happy and content.
Song Yan was momentarily dazed by this sight.
Then he slightly pursed his lips, reached out, took the chocolate, and brought it to his mouth, taking a small bite.
The smooth, sweet texture slowly spread across his taste buds, soon filling his entire tongue.
Noticing the change in his expression, Xia Zhiye’s smile grew even more radiant. “Is it very sweet?”
Song Yan looked down at the slightly taller, very handsome boy with his smiling eyes, pursed his lips, and nodded.
Xia Zhiye’s smile became even more brilliant. “Then I’ll bring you some every day, alright?”
Song Yan glanced at her mom, saw his mom’s approving smile, and slowly nodded, “Okay.”
“Then can we go to kindergarten together every day, alright?”
“Okay.”
“Then I’ll bring my toys so we can play together, alright?”
“Okay.”
“Then I’ll protect you, alright?”
“?”
“Then you can call me ‘Gege’ alright?”
“?”
“What should I call you? Songsong, or Yanyan? Songsong sounds nice. You can call me Xiaxia.”
“……”
“Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, it’s my birthday. Will you come to my birthday party, alright?”
“……”
Seeing that little Song Yan was already dazed by his barrage of friendly questions, Xia Zhiye’s mom quickly pulled him back and apologized to Song Yan’s mom with a smile. “My son is just like that, takes after his dad, very sociable and thick-skinned.”
Song Yan’s mom looked at her always quiet and mature-seeming son, who pretended to be a little adult, and gently patted his head, smiling warmly. “That’s perfect. My Xiao Yan is a bit shy and slow to warm up, so they’ll complement each other well. It would be good for them to spend more time together.”
Xia Zhiye’s mom agreed with a laugh. “You’re right. After all, our two families are the only ones with kids in this alley, living next door to each other and attending the same kindergarten. It’s good for them to interact more and keep each other company.”
So, on the day before Xia Zhiye’s fifth birthday, with the support of both parents, Xia Zhiye began his enthusiastic “pursuit” of the little girl next door.
This involved showing up at the neighbor’s breakfast table bright and early every morning before kindergarten.
Because Xia Zhiye’s mom’s cooking was notoriously unique in a dangerous way, and Song Yan’s mom’s cooking was simply and reliably good, Xia Zhiye, considering his need to grow tall and strong, chose to go next door for breakfast every day, and in the process, wake up his little sister.
At first, it was just a verbal wake-up call.
Then he started using candy to coax Song Yan.
Eventually, Xia Zhiye had learned how to help a child who refused to open his eyes get washed and ready for the day.
Even though he himself was still just a little kid.
Years later, when Song Yan had become a fearsome company CEO, Xia Zhiye still needed to coax him to get up every morning.
Back in their school days, Xia Zhiye always held Song Yan’s small hand tightly on the way to and from school, nervously looking around. The adults had said that kidnappers especially liked cute and pretty children, and his sister was not only cute and pretty but also his future wife, so she was sure to be snatched away.
As a result, even many years later, Song Yan never developed the habit of watching for traffic lights when crossing the street. He just followed wherever Xia Zhiye went.
Every time they played house at kindergarten, Xia Zhiye always wanted Song Yan to play the mom.
He never succeeded.
Whenever Xia Zhiye made this request, Song Yan would always coolly say, “No,” with a stern little face.
His dad had said never to force a girl to do something she didn’t want to do.
So every time, Xia Zhiye would dejectedly say, “Okay,” and drop the matter.
Until the next time he made the request, got refused, made the request, got refused. After many such times, one day, Xia Zhiye suddenly didn’t come to wake Song Yan up. He didn’t seek her out at kindergarten to whisper secrets, nor did he hold her hand on the way home. Finally, Song Yan couldn’t hold back anymore and asked, “Do you not like me anymore?”
Xia Zhiye turned his head and stiffly said, “No.”
“Then why don’t you hold my hand anymore?”
“Because I watched TV with my mom last night. The TV said if someone likes another person, the other person should not cling to them. My dad said that’s called being a gentleman. I’m a man, I have to be a gentleman.”
The two children, not even as tall as an adult’s legs, stood at the alley entrance, one pouting and the other angry, both looking extremely serious.
Song Yan, gripping the straps of his small backpack, said angrily, “I do like you.”
“But you never agreed to play the mom.”
Xia Zhiye felt wronged.
Song Yan was furious. “I can’t play the mom!”
“Why can’t you play the mom?”
“The mom is the dad’s wife!”
“But you liked me!”
Almost-five-year-old Song Yan couldn’t understand the logic of the already five-and-a-half-year-old Xia Zhiye, and angrily said, “You’re not making any sense!”
“I’m making sense. My dad said if the person I like likes me back, then she will be my wife. You want to be my wife, so you like me.” Xia Zhiye felt even more wronged.
Song Yan realized he couldn’t reason with him. “It’s not that I don’t like you. I just can’t be your wife!”
“Then you do like me!”
“You’re not making any sense! I don’t want to talk to you!”
Song Yan thought Xia Zhiye was deliberately trying to make him angry. Why did he insist on him, a boy, playing the mom? So she really got mad and decided to ignore Xia Zhiye, walking home alone with his backpack.
He originally thought this fight would end like all their previous fights, with Xia Zhiye bringing chocolate to coax him, but this time it didn’t go that way.
Xia Zhiye just walked home alone with a drooped head, and the next day he went to his grandparents’ house with his parents.
Before he left, he put a box of chocolates in front of Song Yan’s door, with red-rimmed eyes.
The five-and-a-half year old eyes were red and his heart was broken, his face filled with the sorrow of parting. Papa Xia was utterly confused. “What’s up with this kid? We’re still alive and well, aren’t we?”
Mama Xia smacked the back of his head. “What nonsense are you talking about? It’s all because you made him watch those melodramatic TV shows all day. First it was ‘Romance in the Rain’, then ‘A Dream of Red Mansion’, and after that ‘Plum Blossom Branding’. Now, after fighting with Xiao Yan, he’s acting like he’s heartbroken. I haven’t even started with you yet.”
“Aiyoh, honey, don’t be mad. I was just trying to give the kid a little exposure to art and complex emotions. It’s no big deal. You know how our son is. He’ll be sad for a couple of days, then he’ll be back to pestering Songsong again. So don’t worry. What would we do if my beautiful wife got sick from being upset?”
With that, Papa Xia kissed Mama Xia, forcing a smile out of her despite herself. She gave him a playful slap. “Alright, drive us to your mother’s. Xiaxia, let’s go to grandma’s.”
Their old Santana car disappeared at the end of the alley with the family of three inside.
Song Yan experienced his first morning without Xia Zhiye since moving to the alley.
Then came the second, the third, and the fourth.
On the fifth morning without Xia Zhiye, Song Yan sat alone at the gate, hugging his knees, resting his chin on them, and looking utterly downcast. His mood was a mix of joylessness and sadness from deep within.
Every time he heard a vehicle approaching the lane, he would lift his eyes expectantly, only to drop them again when he saw it wasn’t who he hoped for. From hope to disappointment, from disappointment to hope, he waited from morning till dusk, from wakefulness to drowsiness. Finally, he heard the sound of a small car braking outside the lane, and when he looked up, there was the familiar figure running toward him with a backpack on.
“Songsong!” Xia Zhiye shouted as he ran.
For some reason, Song Yan felt a sudden surge of grievance, his eyes reddened, and he said nothing.
When Xia Zhiye finally hugged him and said, “Songsong, I missed you so much.”
Song Yan felt even more wronged and said, “I thought you didn’t like me anymore.”
Xia Zhiye hugged him tighter. “I could never not like Songsong. In the whole world, I like Songsong the most, even more than my mom and dad!”
His parents, who were just catching up with the luggage, were taken aback: “?”
Xia Zhiye, oblivious to his parents’ feelings, just wanted to make Song Yan happy. He hugged Song Yan tightly with his small arms and said, “I missed you so much, Songsong. Did you miss me?”
Song Yan pursed his lips and said nothing.
Xia Zhiye, undeterred, continued to coax him with the sweet words he had learned from TV. “We should never be apart again, okay?”
Song Yan still said nothing, pursing his lips.
Xia Zhiye, undiscouraged, asked, “So, will you be my wife?”
Song Yan, still confused, asked: “?”
Why was he bringing up this topic again?
Xia Zhiye earnestly explained, “My cousin told me that if two people become husband and wife, they’ll be together forever and never have to be apart. So, will you be my wife?”
Song Yan, a boy not even five years old, felt that something was off. Could a boy really be Xia Zhiye’s wife?
He couldn’t quite understand it with his small head, not yet filled with the knowledge he would acquire as he grew older. All he knew was that without Xia Zhiye, there was no one to play with him, no one to make him laugh, no one to hug him. It made him so sad and lonely, and he didn’t want to be apart from Xia Zhiye.
“Will we really never have to be apart if we become husband and wife?” Song Yan asked seriously.
Xia Zhiye, confident in his five-years-old wisdom, thumped his chest. “Of course! Look at my mom and dad, they are always together and never apart!”
‘That seemed to make sense…’
Song Yan thought Xia Zhiye was so smart and knew so much. He nodded solemnly. “Okay, I’ll be your wife.”
“Great!” Xia Zhiye hugged Song Yan around the neck, jumping up and down with joy. Then he turned to his parents and shouted, “Mom! Dad! I have a wife now!”
His voice echoed through the alley, loud and clear, shaking the entire neighborhood.
Xia Zhiye’s parents, still recovering from hearing their son say he liked Song Yan more than them, were shocked to see their son cup Song Yan’s pretty, fair face and plant a kiss on it, just like Papa Xia did with his wife.
And Song Yan’s mom, standing a meter away from the scene of the crime, was equally shocked, watching her son’s white, soft cheek get kissed.
Papa Xia: “…”
Mama Xia: “…”
Song Yan’s mom: “…”
After a brief, deathly silence, the alley echoed with Mama Xia’s roar: “Xia Dachuan! Look at your son! How is he any different from a little rascal?! Xia Zhiye! Come here! Kneel beside your dad! Take his washboard and your pillow! Know what you did wrong, then you can get up!”
The scene was violent and chaotic.
Song Yan’s mom quietly covered Song Yan’s ears and eyes.
She blamed herself for giving birth to such a beautiful son.
But why did her son seem a bit foolish?
Why did he believe everything the kid next door said?
Song Yan’s mom pursed her lips and fell into serious contemplation.
