Brother Nextdoor

When Xuezhu was little, she loved to stay with the older brother who lived across from her house. 

He wore a light blue school uniform, sitting under the shade of a tree downstairs in the neighborhood, reading a book. 

The sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting a warm glow on his handsome face, and it also settled in her heart. 

Even though many years later he had grown into a man in a suit, that school uniform still held all the awe of her youth.

—

Years later, they met again, and Xuezhu went to visit her older brother’s house. 

She knew she couldn’t act the same way as when she was a child—running around recklessly, touching things she shouldn’t. She quietly sat on the sofa, drinking water, and didn’t even touch the snacks she loved since childhood.

She bought a table full of her favorite snacks from memory, but she didn’t touch any of them, lowering her eyebrows. Her neck was soft and white, her posture demure and restrained, her hand resting on her knee. The edge of the paper cup she was holding left a cherry-colored lip print.

The man subtly opened his eyes, his Adam’s apple shifting slightly. Facing the neighbor girl who had grown up before his eyes, the memories of their time together gradually became clearer, subtly pulling at his heart, making him feel uncertain for a moment.