[BE / Companion story to Walk Forward, Don't Look Back]
Lin Sheng and Xu Jiashu grew up together, childhood sweethearts who were inseparable.
Their parents had even jokingly arranged a betrothal for them when they were babies.
When she learned to speak, the first person she called wasn't Mom or Dad, but her big brother.
From then on, wherever Xu Jiashu went, a little "dumpling" followed close behind, always calling him Big Brother in her soft little voice.
Her adorable little face always left Xu Jiashu unable to say no.
-
Later, Lin Sheng started seventh grade.
When she realized her feelings for Xu Jiashu had changed, she stopped following him around without a care in the world.
Even the way she addressed him changed from Big Brother to Xu Jiashu.
Sometimes, she'd force herself to call him, "Brother Jiashu."
At first, he wondered why the little girl had suddenly started calling him by his full name.
But little by little, he got used to it.
Only now and then would he insist that she call him Big Brother in front of other people. But the girl was quite rebellious: the more he told her to do something, the less likely she was to do it.
Faced with her stubbornness, Xu Jiashu could only give up and let her do as she pleased.
-
The day Xu Jiashu married the woman he loved, Lin Sheng said to them, "Brother, Sister-in-law, congratulations on your wedding."
He smiled and raised his chin at her, just as he had back then. "Thanks," he teased. "You're being so good today. It's been over ten years, and getting you to call me Big Brother even once is harder than climbing to heaven!"
Lin Sheng only smiled. She didn't respond.
Looking at his smiling face, she felt dazed.
The man in his suit and tie overlapped with the boy who had waited for her beneath the camphor tree all those years ago.
It seemed that nothing had changed. And yet, it seemed everything had...
Original blurb written on 2023.4.1
Theme: When I met you, all the stars fell upon me
