novelhk Chapter 360 Insect Flying
Chapter 360 Insect Flying
Barbara's room was at the end of the second-floor corridor, the door ajar, the darkness swallowing up all the corridor lights.
"Barbara, may Uncle Mu's gift come in?"
Mu Feng gently knocked on the door, a secret signal he and Barbara had agreed upon, meaning he had gone out and brought back a spicy drink.
Once, Barbara asked him who Uncle Mu really was, and after hearing his explanation, she ate several chili peppers to keep warm.
From then on, the little girl never bothered to investigate the strange words and questions her brother uttered.
This time, however, apart from his own voice echoing in the corridor and then slowly fading away, there was no response for a long time.
Mu Feng waited for a while, but there was still no movement from inside the room.
A draft of air caused the door to creak slightly against the floor, an unpleasant noise that disturbed the tranquility of the night.
It's getting late; perhaps they've already fallen asleep.
The argument just now must have frightened her.
Thinking this, Mu Feng placed the spicy drink on the small table near the door, gently pulled the doorknob, and prepared to close the door.
But just as Mu Feng was about to let go, a faint pull came from inside the room, and the door opened.
"……elder brother?"
Barbara's small face appeared in the darkness behind the door, accompanied by her weak voice, which trembled slightly.
It's clear that the girl is in a very bad situation.
Her pajamas were loosely draped over her shoulders, her light golden hair was a little messy, and her eyes were red, as if she had just been crying.
Mu Feng's heart felt as if it had been pulled downwards, almost skipping a beat, but the girl managed to force a smile.
"Come in quickly, brother, I've prepared a gift for you."
She tried to keep her tone light as usual, pretending nothing had happened, and turned to rummage through the dressing table.
However, the girl's shoulders trembled too noticeably, and her unusual disregard for the spicy drink beside her made her feigned strength seem like a thin sheet of paper that could be easily punctured.
Barbara always presents a vibrant and energetic image to the world, while secretly swallowing her troubles and grievances.
Sunshine is her main theme, and also her camouflage.
Just now, he could clearly see sadness and deep, unyielding worry in the girl's large, light blue eyes.
However, she acted as if it were completely unrelated.
Just like the girl who was happily and carefully putting on the crystal bracelet she had chosen, blessed by the wind god, on her brother's head, she hadn't been hiding under the covers and crying secretly not long ago.
The crystal chain on my wrist felt cool and refreshing, as if I could hear the wind rustling through it; each bead resembled Barbara's eyes.
They reflected the soft light in the room, but what he was gazing upon was filled with an unfathomable sorrow.
He knew the source of the unspeakable sorrow.
Barbara sat beside me as usual, whispering about some seemingly trivial, little things.
This is usually the brother and sister's routine to bring the day to a close.
For example, the tomatoes served at dinner were mistakenly replaced with Sichuan peppercorns, or the pigeons on the city gate bridge were replaced with a different batch.
Today, Mu Feng simply listened quietly without saying a word.
He held Barbara's hand, palms facing each other, fingers interlocked, trying his best to make the girl aware of his presence.
He certainly understood what his sister was afraid of.
At this moment, what she needs is not sweet words of comfort or empty promises, but silent companionship.
Don't be afraid, I'm here.
Gradually, Barbara's voice faded away.
Not only because continuing to talk about it would lead her back to that moment she never wanted to recall.
She didn't dare look into her brother's eyes, afraid that meeting his tender gaze would instantly break down her defenses.
She shouldn't be so selfish, should she?
Today was supposed to be a day to celebrate her brother's selection into the Knights, and she couldn't let him worry about her as soon as he got home.
So, let the troubles stop with her alone, shall we?
However, self-encouragement ultimately cannot stop the growth of fear; it is extremely fragile in the face of speculation about the future.
Her usually harmonious parents were now speaking coldly to each other, their tone tense and hostile. She didn't know what had happened and couldn't understand it.
She gleaned a fact from just a few words.
They were going to be separated; their father and mother were going to be separated; she, her sister, and her brother were all going to be separated.
Fear gripped her heart, making it hard to breathe.
In a hazy future, she stands alone beside her father, and with the others... is she saying goodbye?
Leaving her older sister, who was her role model, also meant losing her older brother who would listen to her chatter before bed, bring her spicy drinks, and always take care of and love her.
My heart aches so much I want to cry. I'm so sad. This shouldn't be happening.
So when the warm embrace pulled her into it, a low sob still escaped her lips.
Mu Feng held Barbara in his arms, one arm around her waist and the other gently patting her back, softly coaxing the little girl, just like he had done to her a year ago when she couldn't sleep because of thunder.
He listened quietly to his sister's intermittent sobs, gently comforting her while piecing together the general outline of what had happened.
He offered no words of comfort, but simply held the girl in his arms tighter whenever she began to sob.
Gradually, Barbara also cried herself out, and her sobs gradually subsided, turning into intermittent sobs.
The girl nestled in Mu Feng's arms, clutching his clothes tightly, and her innermost thoughts almost instinctively spilled out.
"Brother... will you... will you leave me..."
She realized she had asked a very naive question, and she felt embarrassed whenever she thought about it later.
"Never, unless you put hot sauce in my milk."
Mu Feng answered earnestly, brushed aside the stray hairs falling across his forehead, and gently kissed the girl's forehead.
Barbara stopped crying and smiled, waving her little fist through her tears.
"Brother! If you dare to abandon me, I'll get involved, I'll get involved a lot!"
She grinned like a kitten, except her watery blue eyes were filled with dependence.
"Brother... I need you to sleep with me tonight."
"Okay, this is the only time. Also, you're not allowed to sneak into my room at night anymore."
"Waaah...then, sing me a lullaby to soothe me."
Mu Feng carefully pulled the blanket up for the girl, sat on the edge of the bed, and almost instinctively hummed along to the first familiar yet unfamiliar melody that naturally floated into his mind.
The dark sky hung low.
"Followed by bright stars"
"The insects fly, the insects fly."
Who are you thinking of?
"The stars in the sky are weeping."
"The roses on the ground have withered."
"Cold wind blows, cold wind blows."
"As long as you're with me"
……