An Unexpected Harmony and Lingering Sorrow

“Uh…” Bai Qiao was momentarily stunned. What exactly was this scene? Though Bai Chen had always pretended to be him, and their relationship with their mother was decent, he wasn’t truly himself deep down. No matter what, genuine intimacy remained out of reach. Consequently, Bai Chen had consistently maintained a respectful distance from their mother. Yet now, he was actually taking the initiative to help her with chores?

What was this harmonious scene? A jolt went through Bai Qiao’s heart. Though his expression remained impassive, his mind was in utter chaos.

“Oh, Qiao has returned…” Bai mother seemed genuinely pleased by Bai Chen’s rare willingness to help with housework. She had even forgotten her earlier intention to give Bai Chen a good scolding upon his return.

“Ah, um… yes,” Bai Qiao stammered.

Bai Chen didn’t spare Bai Qiao a glance. He didn’t even acknowledge his presence, as if Bai Qiao simply didn’t exist.

“Hey! You child, didn’t you see Qiao? Qiao rushed out to look for you just a moment ago…”

“Looking for me… ha…” In that brief utterance, Bai Qiao could discern a profound undercurrent of sorrow. Yet, in the blink of an eye, those emotions seemed to vanish entirely. The calm face remained, as did the indifferent demeanor. It made Bai Qiao wonder if he had imagined the whole thing.

“Ah, I apologize, I’m not feeling well, so I’ll… head upstairs first.”

“Ah, alright,” Bai mother replied. Watching Bai Qiao’s figure disappear up the stairs, she quickly lowered her voice and spoke to Bai Chen. “What’s going on with you two? Aren’t you going to check on him?”

“………” Bai Chen remained silent, offering no reply. He then quietly set down the bowl he was holding, turned, and vanished up the stairs as well.

Bai mother sighed deeply. She walked over, picked up the bowl Bai Chen had left, and silently shook her head. ‘Such grown children, truly. Still throwing tantrums like little kids.’

****

Early morning…

“Mmm…” Bai Qiao rubbed his eyes. ‘Had he really just fallen asleep like that yesterday? Indeed…’

Slowly, Bai Qiao rose from the chair. ‘Tsk, his legs were so numb.’ He rotated his ankles, easing the stiffness.

“Hey! Bai Chen, it’s time to go!” He still walked to Bai Chen’s room across the hall and knocked. However, there was no response whatsoever. Bai Qiao’s fingers slowly curled into a fist. ‘That guy… he must have already left.’

Bai Qiao reached out to turn the doorknob. The door wasn’t locked. Pushing it open, he revealed the familiar room. He had lived here for over a decade, and Bai Qiao knew every corner of this room intimately. Yet, with the person gone, no matter how familiar the room, no matter how diligently he searched, it would yield no results. A sudden pang of heartache pierced his chest.

“Qiao-chan, you… you don’t look so good.” As soon as he settled into his seat, Miko asked with concern.

“Ah, no, it’s nothing…”

Bai Qiao instinctively glanced towards Bai Chen’s seat. Bai Chen sat there, perfectly upright, showing no intention of acknowledging Bai Qiao.

“What’s… wrong with you two?” Bai Qiao and Bai Chen always went to and from school together. Even if no one dared to speculate, everyone inwardly knew this.

“………”

“Ah, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean anything by it.” Seeing Bai Qiao’s silence, Miko quickly explained.

“Ah, it’s nothing…” Bai Qiao forced a bitter smile.

After class…

Bai Qiao still instinctively looked towards Bai Chen’s side. But… no one was there. The empty seat mirrored the sudden emptiness in Bai Qiao’s heart.

He remained absentminded throughout the entire day. Yet, given Bai Qiao’s nature, he was unwilling to reveal his sadness. In such situations, for personalities like Bai Chen and Bai Qiao, whoever showed their emotions first would lose.

It was only after the second class in the afternoon that Miko suddenly grew excited. Bai Qiao watched Miko’s flushed, agitated face and couldn’t help but ask, “Miko-chan, what’s making you so happy?”

“Ah! Just now, just now Bai…” Miko’s expression froze in that instant, a truly dramatic sight, her smile still plastered on her face. “No, no, it’s nothing… nothing at all…”

“………” Bai Qiao didn’t press further. After all, from a male perspective, digging for answers held little interest.

“Oh, right, Qiao-chan, I have to leave a bit early after school tonight. Please be careful on your way home…”

“Alright.”

Bai Qiao slowly packed his schoolbag. ‘As expected, Bai Chen had already left. When had he started paying such close attention to Bai Chen’s movements?’

The sun was already setting, casting Bai Qiao’s shadow long across the ground. This feeling was just like before, as if everything he had experienced earlier had been a dream. The current situation resembled the past, except… there were far fewer subordinates clustered around him.

‘Never mind, this quiet was better.’ Bai Qiao walked forward silently. Ahead… Bai Qiao’s breath hitched. That figure, there was no mistake… Bai Chen and Miko… Why were they walking together? So, Miko’s earlier “something” was… this. ‘What was this sudden ache in his heart?’