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Gao Ming and Wen Sheng walked out of Lan Lan's house and made their way to the main road outside the village. The moon was absent, leaving the night dark and a bit windy. They stopped beneath a tree, where Wen Sheng leaned against the trunk, closed his eyes, and let out a long sigh. Then, with a hint of apology in his voice, he said to Gao Ming, "I want to apologize to you."
"Oh!" Gao Ming replied, somewhat confused. "What’s this about? Is there anything we need to apologize for?"
"I might as well tell you," Wen Sheng continued. "I tore up all the letters you wrote to Wang Lijuan. As for why, I think I don’t need to explain that—you already know. Your relationship with Wang Lijuan is fine now, and I realize I didn’t have to do that. But I still want to say ‘I’m sorry’ because we are truly friends!" After saying this, Wen Sheng fell silent, leaning against the tree with his head bowed.
Gao Ming looked up at the dark sky, seemingly not hearing what Wen Sheng had just said; he was lost in thought about other matters. After a while, he turned his gaze back to Wen Sheng and asked, "What do you plan to do?"
Wen Sheng was a bit puzzled since he hadn’t fully grasped what Gao Ming meant. He asked softly, "What?"
Gao Ming sighed deeply and then spoke earnestly. "I know we shouldn’t be discussing emotional issues related to women right now. I just want to ask if you need help? Seeing you and Wen Xin like this really pains us. We don’t know how to help you. I also know you care for Wang Lijuan; I do too. But we are friends—good friends. I understand if you’re trying to tell me that you’ve given up on Wang Lijuan and can’t find a reason to pursue her anymore." Gao Ming paused before continuing, "But I think you shouldn’t give up on Wang Lijuan just yet. At least give yourself a reason to try— for yourself, for Wen Xin, for your parents, your family, and your friends."
Wen Sheng remained silent.
Gao Ming continued impulsively, "Do you realize how much you’ve been neglecting all your friends? I don’t know what’s in your heart regarding Wang Lijuan, but I’m willing to be her friend forever—purely as friends!"
Wen Sheng lowered his head and thought for a moment before responding calmly, "It’s useless. Don’t worry; I won’t die! Never— for my mother, for Wen Xin, for you, and for Wang Lijuan."
Wen Sheng's voice grew softer until he began coughing suddenly. He felt that even a summer night could be a bit chilly.
"Do you love Wang Lijuan?" Gao Ming asked seriously.
"I don’t know!" Wen Sheng stopped coughing and took a deep breath before lamenting, "I don’t understand love; I’ve never understood it! I don’t know what girls really want."
"But..." Gao Ming started to say something but then hesitated.
Wen Sheng's hoarse voice broke through the silence: "You know? Sometimes I think about ending it all, but then there’s Wen Xin—I can’t bear to leave her. Not just because she’s my sister; she’s still a child! You know that? She’s just a child!" At this point, Wen Sheng became somewhat agitated.
Gao Ming didn’t fully comprehend what Wen Sheng was expressing and lowered his head again.
Wen Sheng sighed, "Love has become unimportant to me. For Wen Xin, I must live, and live diligently. I want her to feel that this world is warm, just like other children."
Gao Ming impulsively asked, "Is your world warm? Do you feel that your world is warm? Look at yourself now; what do you resemble? It's not that no one is willing to help you. We are willing to help, even if others aren't. Wang Lijuan and I are here for you. What do you need? Money? We all know your brother fought with your family just because he wanted a motorcycle. I just want to ask if that's true. Wang Lijuan and I came here for this reason; I can find someone to lend you a motorcycle! With Wang Lijuan and me backing you up, there won't be any problems. I just need you to say the word."
"Oh," Wen Sheng thought for a moment and continued, "That's quite a sum; it would be several thousand yuan. That's a huge favor!"
Gao Ming suddenly looked gloomy. Yes, it would be several thousand yuan! But he still assured him, "Trust me, I will definitely help you."
"I will definitely!" Gao Ming emphasized.
Wen Sheng did not show any signs of joy. After a moment of silence, he looked at Gao Ming. In the darkness of the night, it was hard to see his expression, but he could sense that Gao Ming was sincere, and that was enough.
Wen Sheng felt a bit moved: "No matter if you can help me get the motorcycle or not, even if we manage to get it, my situation may not change. I will still be very grateful to you because you've made me feel a bit of warmth; we are friends, brothers."
Gao Ming sincerely replied, "We are brothers. Why don't we follow the ancient tradition and swear brotherhood? I want to recognize you as my brother and will do anything for you."
Wen Sheng seemed surprisingly calm now and nodded.
So the two of them really knelt on the ground, imitating the ancient ritual of swearing brotherhood. They just didn’t say things like sharing blessings and facing difficulties together because they knew they couldn’t truly do that.
They stood up, with Gao Ming naturally taking the role of the elder brother. For over a year since they met, Wen Sheng had always regarded Gao Ming as an older brother.
The two began to walk back; it was getting late. As they walked back, they ran into Wang Lijuan, Lan Lan, Reiko, and Wen Xin coming toward them. At first, Wen Xin hadn’t noticed her brother was out; later on, after Lan Lan and the others cheered her up for a while, she stopped crying. After playing with them for a bit, she insisted they take her to find her brother.
Seeing them approach, Wang Lijuan asked, "Where have you two been?"
Gao Ming smiled but didn’t say anything. Wen Sheng also smiled as he walked over and pulled Wen Xin close with a grin: "Missed your brother!" He hugged Wen Xin tightly and gently stroked her hair. Wen Xin nestled in her brother's embrace, looking up at Wen Sheng and nodding.
Wen Sheng glanced at Gao Ming and instructed Wen Xin: "This is your brother Gao Ming; from now on, when you see him, you should call him 'brother,' okay? He is a very good friend of mine."
Wen Xin widened her eyes and carefully examined Gao Ming, the tall, dark-skinned brother. Gao Ming wore a warm smile as he approached her and said, "Wen Xin, from now on, you can treat me as your brother, okay?"
Wen Xin looked at Gao Ming, then turned to glance at Wen Sheng. She nodded happily and smiled, "Okay! Brother Gao Ming!"
Gao Ming was delighted. He took a toy bear off his keychain and cheerfully handed it to Wen Xin. "Here, this is for you to play with!" Wen Xin accepted it eagerly, playing with it and showing it to her brother. The toy was something that could be found anywhere for about one dollar and fifty cents, but Wen Xin seemed to love it. Wen Sheng had also bought her many similar toys before.
At that moment, Wang Lijuan mocked Gao Ming, saying, "You're so cheap; can't you give her something better?"
Hearing this, Gao Ming's face flushed red, though no one noticed. After a moment of thought, he took a watch off his wrist. It had a shiny silver chain and luminous hands, originally bought for over eighty dollars! Although he seemed reluctant to part with it, he placed it on Wen Xin's wrist. It was a bit large for her slender wrist but looked quite amusing. Wen Xin's face lit up with joy as she smiled widely, revealing two dimples. Gao Ming noticed that she was also wearing a green jade bracelet given to her by Wang Lijuan; it wasn't very expensive—just around ten dollars. Around her neck hung a necklace from Lan Lan made of plastic that glowed in the dark; it looked lovely. The girl had received quite a few gifts today, which brightened her mood significantly. Reiko hadn’t given her anything since she wasn’t wearing any accessories herself.
After some conversation, Wang Lijuan and Gao Ming prepared to leave, promising to discuss the motorcycle situation starting tomorrow. The two rode off on their motorcycle, and as they watched their figures fade into the distance, Wen Sheng felt an indescribable emotion stirring within him. Wen Xin watched too.
After bidding farewell to Lan Lan, Wen Sheng escorted Reiko home. Then he took Wen Xin by the hand as they walked back home through the dimly lit night. There was a slight breeze in the air.
They walked slowly, gradually disappearing into the hazy darkness as two indistinct figures fading away.
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