Ye Yun, Ye Muo and Theodore were sitting on the carpet, huddling close and chatting about something while Ye He sat on the sofa nearby listening, chiming in every now and then.
Ye Zhiyuan was cooking while Lady Ye sat in the living room, sipping tea and watching Ye Mingyuan learn how to knit a scarf from Ye Huaiyuan. Swallowing a mouthful of hot tea, she watched Ye Muo and the others for a moment before standing up with a smile and heading into the kitchen as well.
Laying on the carpet, Ye Muo rambled on endlessly, even though he had already said so much.
Ye Yun watched him and listened attentively. Ye Muo was always like this. Despite not normally being that talkative, after a period of separation, he would stick to you and become far more clingy and affectionate.
For some reason, Ye Yun was reminded of the past. Even during the period in Ye Muo’s childhood when he was at his most taciturn, he would still become exceptionally clingy after separation. Back when their kindergarten held an overnight camping activity, whether out of separation anxiety or or simple homesickness, Ye Muo clung to everyone’s heels the moment he returned.
He was even acting like this with Ye He and Ye Yun, whom he still feared a little. Once Lady Ye and Ye Zhiyuan left the living room, he summoned the courage to quietly shuffle over to them.
Back then, Ye Yun had actually wanted to turn around and take a proper look at him. Then, maybe he would say a few words and let Ye Muo play with his new mecha model. However, he still remembered saying he never wanted to see Ye Muo again out of spite before. If he paid attention to Ye Muo now, wouldn’t that make it seem like he had been in the wrong?
So Ye Yun pretended not to see while Ye He lowered his eyes. No one spoke to him, yet the child let out what he thought was a quiet sight of relief. It was as if simply being allowed to be in their proximity was enough for him.
An indescribable feeling welled up inside Ye Yun. Afterward, he stuffed that mecha model deep into a cabinet and never played with it again.
Ye Yun seemed to have a vague understanding now.
He said many hurtful things as a child, each word stabbing out like a sword, serving as a gratifying outlet for his emotions. Only now did he belatedly, painfully realize that he hadn’t been holding the hilt but the blade itself.
In wounding others, he had left scars upon himself as well. It was only now, as time finally allowed everything to settle, that he felt the delayed, dull ache of that pain.
Ye Yun couldn’t help but stick a little closer to Ye Muo. Wrapping an arm around him, he pressed down gently on Ye Muo’s head and ruffled his hair. “You’re surprisingly full of energy. I thought you’d need to sleep for days right after coming back.”
Ye Muo greatly enjoyed this kind of intimacy. Ye Yun wouldn’t express affection so readily under normal circumstances. Relaxing further, he gently nuzzled against Ye Yun and muttered a quiet retort, “My stamina isn’t that bad, right?”
Theodore instantly took Ye Muo’s side, “Not at all. Xavier can even lift Pangzhua.”
Both Ye Yun and Ye He looked over at that. In truth, he had lifted it together with Ano, and Pangzhua’s weight was within the limits of many. Ye Muo began to feel a bit guilty. Though he could actually lift Pangzhua on his own, he still insisted, “I’ve grown up now. I’m not like when I was little anymore.”
Ye Yun let out another laugh at that.
When they were younger and took part in a school-organized hike, Ye Muo had fallen behind only a third of the way through. Even though Ye Yun already took over carrying Ye Muo’s backpack and even ended up giving him a piggyback ride partway though, Ye Muo remained completely listless for days after they returned.
He didn’t even bother going through the motions with Ye Yun during combat class, flopping to the floor the moment he was touched. In the few minutes while the instructor was speaking, he curled up in a corner and drifted off to sleep. The panic-stricken instructor rushed over to check on him, only to shake his head in relief after figuring out what was going on and then carrying Ye Muo to the lounge to sleep it off.
Ye Yun’s hand continued to press down on Ye Muo’s head.
Ye Muo allowed his head to be pushed down. “Even though it feels like I went on a long journey, I don’t feel tired at all. It’s like I went from one home to another.”
Alert, Ye Yun promptly shoved his head all the way down and clamped a hand over Ye Muo’s mouth. He quickly glanced up at Ye He, who was already looking over. “He spilled the beans on his own! You can’t pin this on me, I didn’t ask a single thing!”
Ye Muo wriggled his head free and looked up at Ye Yun, then at Ye He. After a moment of hesitation, he covered his own mouth. It was clear he was just going along with things rather than actually understanding what was going on.
Seeing this, Ye He simply gave his head a gentle rap and let the matter slide.
……
Ye Muo already had a scarf wrapped around his neck by the time dinner ended and it was time to leave. It was knitted by Ye Huaiyuan, whose knitting skills were among the best in the entire Ye family. Even this rushed scarf featured different patterns on either side. Holding his project that had barely made any progress, Ye Mingyuan said with a hint of reluctance, “Once I finish knitting mine, I’ll give it to you as well.”
Ye Muo nodded repeatedly. “Don’t forget, okay? Dad knows how to knit names as well, so you can ask him to knit a name right here. Just like this one, Dad.”
Ye Muo picked up one end of his scarf and pointed at the embroidered name to show Ye Zhiyuan and Ye Mingyuan where the name should go and what style it should be in.
It wasn’t particularly cold out yet, but wearing a scarf at night didn’t feel out of place either.
Ye Muo hugged everyone one by one to say goodbye. Theodore lined up behind him like he was queuing for an amusement park ride, following along to give hugs as well.
Once he hugged Ye Yun and it was Ye He’s turn, Ye Muo paused. Instead of letting go after the hug, he whispered, “Big Brother, we’ve been together since we were little…we’re family, right?”
“I could tell you all my secrets when I was little, and I still can now.”
Though he was the one being treated with consideration, Ye Muo seemed somewhat uneasy instead.
Ye He froze for a second. Ye Yun looked over as well, muttering, “I told you Eldest Brother is too rigid sometimes.”
With a hint of gentle protest, Ye Muo whispered back, “You can’t talk like that, Big Brother. You shouldn’t say those things to Big Brother Ye Yun, and you shouldn’t act like that yourself either.”
And so, Ye He realized it wasn’t that Ye Muo didn’t understand, he just didn’t want to think like that.
There was a lengthy pause before Ye He finally let out a smile. “It’s my fault. Forgive me, alright?”
His words were filled with good humour.
Reassured, Ye Muo instantly turned around and started tattling, “Why did Big Brother Ye Yun put his toys in my room, on the bookshelf in my reading area, and my desk? There’s no space left for me. What am I supposed to do if I have no place to do my homework when I come back?”
Lady Ye burst out laughing. She had already sensed earlier that Ye Muo was staring at Ye Yun with a touch of annoyance. Ye Muo could never hide his emotions, even Ye Yun could read him most of the time. She had originally thought about pulling them over to ask what was going on, but she hadn’t expected Ye Muo to speak up so directly. It was rare indeed for Muomuo.
Joining in the fun, she teased, “Why is Ye Yun picking on our Muomuo? Now our Muomuo has no space left.”
Flustered and exasperated, Ye Yun blurted out, “So that’s why you kept staring at me earlier?! Why didn’t you just say so??”
Ye Muo ducked behind Ye He, “I said it just now, didn’t I? In any case, you can’t monopolize my space.”
“Who’s monopolizing your space? Those toys were meant for you! It’s fine if you don’t want them. I’ll go move them right now.”
Ye Muo immediately stopped him with glittering eyes. “Are they all mine?”
Ye Yun snorted, “They were yours to begin with. Now, I want half the usage rights.”
“They’re still mine though. You’re not allowed to touch them, Big Brother!”
Without waiting for Ye Yun’s response, he ran off with Theodore, leaving Ye Yun to let out another forceful huff.
Ye Muo pretended not to hear and picked up the pace.
Only after putting some distance between them did he stop and look back. The Ye family was still standing by the door. Seeing him turn around, Lady Ye waved again before she started shooing the others back inside. She then waved at him one last time.
And so, Ye Muo continued pulling Theodore along. There was still a distance to the road, but they could already see a hovercar parked by the gate. Norton was waiting for them.
……
Ye Muo might’ve played too much during the day. He was way too excited even when bedtime came and kept dragging Theodore into conversation.
Theodore listened quietly until Ye Muo’s throat grew parched and he began gulping down water.
Only then did Theodore hesitantly speak up, “Xavier.”
Ye Muo looked over.
Feeling a bit disheartened, Theodore asked, “We weren’t together all the time when we were little. Does that mean you won’t tell me all your secrets then?”
In the past, he was gradually learning to comprehend emotion as Xavier gradually grew up. You could say they grew up together in a way. Now, all those memories were locked away in his safe. They were precious data stored behind layers of encryption, waiting to be unlocked and revisited some day.
Back then, they met in secret at night in the laboratory when no one else was around.
Now, the person who had grown up alongside Xavier, the one with whom Xavier shared his secrets, was no longer him.
Ye Muo looked at Theodore and suddenly whispered, “Come over for a sec, Theodore.”
Ye Muo turned off the main lights in the room, leaving only an apple-shaped nightlight he hugged close.
When Theodore scooted closer, he pulled the blanket over both of them to form a cozy little fort of their own. “I remember, Theodore. I feel like I used to do this before, talking with you at night, that is.”
“We speak often,” Theodore answered cautiously, “just last night as well.”
“Not that. I mean a long, long time ago, before I was even born. We used to hold hushed conversations at night.”
The memories were hazy, yet Ye Muo vaguely felt that they were real. “When I was in so much pain that I wanted to disappear from this world, you kept calling my name.”
“And as I lay there, unable to move even a finger, all I could see were the stars in the sky. Though they were beautiful, I kept thinking to myself that I had seen better.”
Though the memory was shrouded in fog, the sentiment was vividly clear. His Theodore was far brighter, far more beautiful than any of those stars.
“That really happened, right?”
“As I slowly grow up, will those memories gradually become clearer too?”
For once, Theodore was at a complete loss. What was the better option? Countless calculations were completed, only to be overturned, until even they ground to a halt. For the very first time, he understood that there were things in this world that could not be captured with numbers, much like the human heart that had bloomed inside him.
In the end, Theodore said, “I don’t know…I don’t know, Xavier.”
Ye Muo: “It’s fine, I don’t know either. However, I know for certain my feelings are real.”
The apple nightlight cast a warm glow around them.
Ye Muo looked at him. They were close enough to exchange breaths. Slowly, step by step, Theodore settled down, the disappointment and panic in his heart gradually dissolving.
He heard his Xavier say:
“Theodore, you aren’t just a little robot I brought back from that planet. You are my star, the star that gives me hope when I’m in pain.”
“That’s why we have to stay together, forever and ever.”
Author’s Corner
Muomuo Tidibit: Muomuo’s study desk was right next to Ye Yun’s when they were kids.
Little Muo’s desk: a complete mess
Ye Yun’s desk: tidy; he constantly wants to clean up Ye Muo’s but couldn’t bear to lose face and admit it
Until one day, Ye Yun tossed over a new pen he found quite usable
Muomuo: didn’t notice because his desk was too messy but used it; then he excitedly shared with Ye Yun– Big Brother, Muomuo’s pen is so nice!
Ye Yun, whose present went unnoticed: ……
He started setting face aside and built up a habit of tidying Ye Muo’s desk up for him ever since.
