"Three, Third Brother-in-law... Big Sister is here to look for you..." came the timid voice of Little Brother Sannian.
"Shujun, we’re here!" —— Liang Zhichen.
"Huff, huff, huff——" This was Second Brother Shu Yu, who was already frail, his face flushed and out of breath from being pulled, dragged, carried, and held up the mountain by his brothers.
"Third Brother!" —— Liang Haoming.
"Third Brother, where are you? Come out, we’re here!——" Liang Yuening.
"Third Brother... come out, we, Baobao, we all miss you so much!——" Liang Yixuan.
The mountain was vast, everyone split up searching for him, their voices carrying farther and farther.
At this moment, beneath a gingko tree in the mountains, surrounded by a carpet of golden leaves, Shujun sat like a little beggar, his dull peach blossom eyes getting ready to eat a sour fruit recently found in the mountain when he suddenly heard the rising and falling voices.
"Where are you, Shujun?" The girl’s voice was fiery, she had shouted until her throat was hoarse. But this voice was unmistakably hers. Shujun abruptly got to his feet, dropping the sour fruit onto the ground without a care.
He swallowed hard, the whole person dazed.
"Third Brother, we’re here!"
"Third Brother, don’t hide anymore, it really is us."
"Third Brother, Baobao misses you, where are you?"
Shujun’s eyes warmed up, he blinked, and suddenly "plop" a tear shattered upon the fallen leaves.
He hurriedly rubbed his face with his sleeve, smearing his already dirty face even dirtier.
"I..." Before he could speak, his nose soured, his throat soured, his heart soured, and his eyes soured as well.
"I’m here... Baobao! Big Brother, Second Brother, Fourth Brother, Little Wu, Little Liu, I am here!!" He waved his hands frantically in front of him, stumbling and tumbling over, not caring to check if he was hurt, then got up again and staggered forward, following the direction of the voices.
"I’m here, I’m here, I’m here!!"
His voice grew louder and his eyes redder.
Suddenly a gust of wind came through.
At the same time he heard the voice, two little arms wrapped around his waist. He recognized the voice and instinctively wrapped his arms tightly around the girl in his embrace, then his body was pushed backwards by her impetus.
The breeze fell, scattering gingko leaves, as he lay in the golden fallen leaves, holding her tight, a little tighter, a little tighter still, clutching the person in his arms with all his strength.
He gently rubbed the top of her head with his forehead, his voice choked for a moment, then he took a deep breath, "Baobao, how... how did you get here? I... I thought I’d never see you again..."
He indeed could no longer see. Alone in the darkness, struggling to survive, always wary of being captured and taken back. Many times, he’d felt disheartened, and even thought... what if he could never leave this mountain? And then, never see Baobao again?
Whenever this thought emerged, he quickly distracted himself with other things. Because he couldn’t bear to think, didn’t want that. Just the existence of such a thought could shatter every defense he struggled to maintain.
"I’m sorry, I’m late."
Lying in his embrace, her eyes filled with mist.
He tried to lift his head, but found he couldn’t. One hand pressed against his head, the other secured her waist, hugging her tightly, pressing her into his embrace as if he wasn’t willing to let her see him in his present state.