I didn’t know who was knocking on the door that early.
She put on a coat and walked out of the bedroom with bleary eyes, raising her voice to ask, "Who is it?"
No one answered her, and when she looked outside through the peephole, she couldn’t see anyone.
Who could be knocking at the door?
The complex was very secure, and anyone coming in had to register their identity, so she wasn’t worried about bad people brazenly walking in.
When she opened the door, the outside was empty. It was strange—who was knocking?
Suddenly, a bunch of white lilies appeared before her eyes. She was startled at first but then calmed down.
She didn’t look to the side but instead smiled and said, "Mo Hua, right, I knew it was you. Why don’t you stay at home and rest? What brings you here so early in the morning?"
"I’m not Mo Hua." The man’s pleasant voice came through, and a tall, handsome young man stepped into view.
An Ruo was taken aback as she looked at him. The moment she saw his features clearly, she recognized who he was.
Her eyes widened in shock, and she was stunned still!
It was as if she had seen something incredibly unbelievable—motionless, not even blinking.
The man curled his lips into a very attractive smile.
Looking deep into her with beautiful eyes so similar to her own, he gently said, "Sis, I’m back."
"Xiao... Xiao Ji... is it really you?" An Ruo’s eyes reddened suddenly as she asked in disbelief.
An Ji nodded, his eyes also slightly moist.
"Sis, I missed you so much," he said.
An Ruo hugged him tightly and burst into tears.
"You really came back. I’m not dreaming, right? You’re really back!"
An Ji hugged her close, inhaling the familiar scent on her; he knew he was finally home.
"Sis, you’re not dreaming. I am truly back. I’m sorry for worrying you all these years."
It had been seven years since they had last been together.
And in those seven years, An Ji had grown from a twelve-year-old boy to a nearly twenty-year-old young man.
He had long lost the greenness and naivety of his youth; now his features were mature, he had grown much taller, a full head above her. Even his build was sturdy, no longer the frail figure he used to be.
Seeing his changes, An Ruo felt a surge of emotion, as complex as watching one’s own child grow up overnight.
She was glad to see him grown up, yet regretted that he was no longer the child who depended solely on her, and she marveled at the passing of time.
But, had he grown up too quickly?
Sitting on the sofa, An Ruo stared at him for several minutes, reluctant to look away.
"Xiao Ji, how have you managed these years?" She touched his face, her eyes filled with tenderness, "You’re not even twenty, why do you look like someone over twenty-five?"
If one hadn’t been through a lot, their face wouldn’t bear such a sense of vicissitudes.
An Ji held her hand, smiling, "Sis, I seem mature because I’m wearing a suit right now. Wait till I change my clothes, and you’ll realize I’m actually quite young."
An Ruo smiled and didn’t press further. She would wait until he was willing to talk.
However, there were some basic things she still had to ask him.
No matter what she asked, An Ji brushed off the questions lightly, always sharing good news instead of the bad.