When they came out of the amusement park, the evening breeze wrapped the cumin scent from the night market barbecue stalls and drilled straight into their noses.
The roadside milk tea shop looped The Wind Rises, the tune drifting far.
The two walked slowly side by side, Mu Siyi suddenly slowing her footsteps.
“Jiejie, do you know how long ago it was the last time my ge accompanied me to the amusement park?”
Mu Yan’s footsteps paused half a beat.
Of course she remembered.
Three years ago, Mu Siyi in second year of junior high, she in second year of high school.
This girl after riding the roller coaster had weak legs, acted spoiled refusing to walk, she carried the person piggyback through most of the park, her back soaked in a large patch of sweat.
How could I not remember.
Yet from her mouth she only calmly spit out two words: “Don’t know.”
“The summer of first year of junior high,” Mu Siyi’s eyes staring at the plane tree shadows swaying under the streetlights ahead, voice lightening a bit, “that time my ge was in second year of high school. He carried me the whole way, I still complained his sweat stank, actually… I was pretty happy.”
She paused, voice even lower.
“Actually I also wasn’t deliberately always going against him. Just don’t know from when, he seemed to always feel I was annoying, like he was hiding from me.”
Mu Yan opened her mouth.
Wanted to say “no,” wanted to say “he never found you annoying,” but the words reached her lips and she swallowed them back.
Before she could speak, Mu Siyi had already turned her head to look at her.
The streetlight fell into her eyes, bright as if holding stars.
“But now is pretty good too. My ge isn’t here, there’s still Jiejie accompanying me.”
As she spoke she stepped half a step closer, very naturally taking Mu Yan’s hand.
“I quite like Jiejie. So, Jiejie from now on just be my jiejie.”
Mu Yan lowered her head glancing at their clasped hands.
“…Got it.”
Mu Siyi’s eyes curved, corners of her mouth lifting. “Jiejie, can I hug you once?”
“…Cannot.”
“Then I’ll change the wording I want to hug you once.”
The words just fell when she let go, opening her arms and directly wrapping Mu Yan’s whole person into her embrace.
Mu Yan’s face was pressed into her shoulder hollow, able to smell a faint sunscreen scent, mixed with a bit of summer heat.
Mu Siyi was half a head taller than her, hugging while slightly bending her waist, chin lightly resting on her head top.
“Jiejie you’re so short,” she muffled a laugh and rubbed, “but hugging is just right. And cool and silky, hugging in summer is too comfortable.”
“…Let go.”
“Hug a bit more.”
“People are passing by.”
“Afraid of what, sisters hugging once what’s the matter.”
Mu Yan expressionlessly pressed in the embrace, silently counting seconds in her heart.
One, two, three… counted to seven, the person in her arms finally let go.
Mu Siyi stepped back half a step, tilting her head glancing at her face, eyes carrying a bit of teasing smile. “Jiejie, were you counting seconds in your heart just now?”
“…No.”
“Liar.”
“Go home.”
Mu Siyi puffed out a laugh, taking her hand again, fingers even naturally interlocking into her finger gaps.
“Let’s go, home! Mom made braised pork ribs, specially made for you.”
Mu Yan didn’t speak, letting her lead walking forward.
Mu Siyi walked a bit ahead, ponytail swinging under the streetlights, looking in a very good mood.
“By the way Jiejie,” she suddenly looked back, smile carrying a bit of familiar teasing force, “on the way home I still want to hug once more. Just now you didn’t even resist, too little sense of achievement. Next time can you pretend to struggle a bit? The more you struggle the happier I am.”
“…Got it.”
“Got what? Got to struggle, or got not to struggle?”
“…Don’t know.”
“Jiejie is your brain broken? Forget it forget it, talk when we get home.”
Mu Siyi pulled her hand walking forward, mouth still humming the song the milk tea shop had played just now, the tune running off the edge.
When they arrived home, Mom had just brought the last dish to the table.
Seeing the two enter the door, she smiled greeting Mu Yan to sit, continuously picking braised pork ribs into her bowl.
Mu Siyi hunched over her bowl eating, occasionally looking up sneakily glancing at Mu Yan, corners of her mouth secretly curling.
After finishing the meal, Mu Siyi as a matter of course pulled Mu Yan toward her own room.
“Mom, Jiejie staying here tonight! Tomorrow her work is close, saves running back and forth.”
“Okay,” Mom poked her head from the kitchen, “Mu Yan don’t be polite, treat it as your own home.”
Mu Yan stood in place, glancing at Mu Siyi’s fingers clenched on her wrist, lightly nodding.
Night slowly deepened.
The room didn’t turn on the light, streetlight outside the window passing through the pink curtains, casting a soft fluffy light patch on the ceiling.
Mu Yan lay on the inner side of the bed, staring at that light patch in a daze.
The mattress beside suddenly sank, Mu Siyi flipped over, arm directly circling her waist.
Before she could speak, this person simply reached out and scooped, flipping her whole person over, pressing into her own embrace.
“Jiejie.”
“…Mm.”
“Your body is still this cold,” Mu Siyi buried her face in her neck hollow, voice muffled, “sleeping hugging in summer is too comfortable. From now on you come stay at my house every day, can also save AC electricity fees.”
“…I’ll pay the electricity.”
“Don’t want. I just want you the person to come.”
Mu Siyi lowered her head rubbing her hair, reaching out pinching her cheek.
Cold, soft, the feel very good.
“Jiejie, will you always accompany me from now on?”
Mu Yan was silent for a few seconds.
Then slowly raised her hand, lightly placing it on her back.
“…Will.”
Mu Siyi clearly paused, then immediately buried her face into her hair, muffled laughing shaking her shoulders.
“Then it’s settled! Going back on it is a puppy.”
“Going back on it is what.”
“…Jiejie you can actually tell cold jokes now? Big progress.”
Mu Siyi smiled hugging the person even tighter, even a leg coming up, living like a koala wrapped on a tree trunk.
Not long after, her breathing slowly evened, fingers lightly curling at Mu Yan’s waist side, asleep.
Mu Yan opened her eyes, staring at the swaying light patch on the ceiling.
On her body the weight of a person pressing, plus the warm body temperature transmitting through the pajamas.
Sorry.
From now on… I’ll accompany you more.
You don’t like Gege, then I’ll be your jiejie.
She lightly raised her hand, pulling the blanket up a bit, covering Mu Siyi’s exposed shoulder.
The night was still long, the wind outside the window lightly blowing the curtains, the room quiet with only the two people’s breathing sounds.
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