Ah Heng had never imagined she’d see a miniature version of Yan Xi. It was terrifying, like a nightmare where young Master Yan had turned into Pinocchio and never grown past seventeen.

She asked: “Did you come here in a time machine?”

The little Yan Xi sitting on the edge of the bed smiled sweetly and said hello in English.

She continued asking: “I know I’m dreaming, but why did you come? Why isn’t it a miniature little Ah Heng? I want to buy her braised pork, you’ll just waste spare ribs.”

Little Yan Xi hugged her medical book and very politely asked in English: “Who are you?”

She pulled his hand and pinched his cheeks: “Were you made in America? Such high tech – someone who never passed English is speaking American English now.”

Little Yan Xi rolled his eyes, swatted away her hand, and rattled off in English: “Who are you, auntie?”

She was indignant: “Think you’re so great just because you’re small? Wait till I dream up a little Ah Heng, hook up with an even younger handsome guy, dump you, let you experience heartbreak!”

Little Yan Xi puffed up his rosy cheeks: “Do you know my sister-in-law?”

Ah Heng was depressed: “You have a sister-in-law? Who?”

Little Yan Xi looked up at her with big eyes and a tiny mouth: “You just mentioned Ah Heng. My sister-in-law is Ah Heng, Grandfather said so.”

Ah Heng went crazy, pinching little Yan Xi’s ear: “What nonsense are you talking about?”

A beautiful man limped in, pointing at little Yan Xi: “You little pest, who told you to come to my house? Get out!”

Ah Heng was in tears – big Yan Xi had arrived too. What kind of messy dream was this? Then, she slapped her face hard.

Little Yan Xi looked at big Yan Xi, pitifully speaking in broken Chinese: “Brother, I’m here on Grandfather’s behalf to see you. Don’t drive me away.”

But big Yan Xi raised his eyebrow, grabbed little Yan Xi’s arm, and started dragging him out.

Little Yan Xi hugged the bedpost, eyes brimming with tears: “Where’s sister-in-law, my gentle and kind sister-in-law, why aren’t you saving me?”

Big Yan Xi grabbed the little fellow, pulling hard.

Ah Heng: “Can someone tell me what’s happening?”

Big Yan Xi shouted: “Ah Heng, have you gone stupid? Help me throw this person out!”

Little Yan Xi suddenly realized something, bursting into tears: “Don’t drive me away. Sister-in-law, Grandfather said you’re the gentlest, most lovable person.”

Ah Heng coughed, asking little Yan Xi: “Who are you?”

Little Yan Xi smiled, his big eyes curving: “Nice to meet you, sister-in-law. I’m Yan Ge, my brother’s younger brother. You can call me Ge Ge.”

The little fellow was only sixteen or seventeen, looking very polite as he bowed to Ah Heng.

Yan Xi took advantage of him letting go of the post, directly picked up the little fellow, and threw him out, bang, closed, and locked the door, all in one smooth motion.

Ah Heng finally realized, vaguely remembering that Yan Xi had a blood brother in America, a brother with the same father, mother, and grandfather.

Ah Heng: “Ah, what an adorable child, why did you throw him out?”

Outside the door came heart-wrenching knocking: “Brother, Sister-in-law!”

Yan Xi coldly smiled: “What’s adorable about him? Just a second-rate knockoff.”

Ah Heng’s maternal instincts overflowed: “Hey, Ge Ge, um, stop knocking, be good, I’ll open the door for you.”

Yan Xi bared his teeth: “You dare open that door for him, we’re getting divorced!”

Ah Heng: “When did we get married? This is jealousy, absolute jealousy!”

Yan Xi said: “What the hell am I jealous of?”

Ah Heng: “Jealous that he’s younger and prettier than you, jealous that he has one more father, one more mother, one more grandfather than you.”

Yan Xi was furious: “Who the hell wants that kind of father, mother, and grandfather? You’re my wife yet you’re taking someone else’s side, divorce divorce divorce!”

Ah Heng wiped her face with her sleeve: “So much spit.”

The little thing outside the door continued wailing: “Brother! Sister-in-law!”

She said to the door: “Ge Ge, go back first. Wait until I marry him and then divorce him, then I’ll come get you.”

Yan Xi was in tears, biting the quilt: “For his sake, you want to divorce me.”

Ah Heng sighed helplessly: “How old are you, making such a fuss over a child?”

Yan Xi said: “I hate him, I hate his whole family.”

Ah Heng caressed his cheek: “Do you hate me too?”

Yan Xi looked up: “What does this have to do with you?”

Ah Heng smiled gently, her eyes soft: “I’m his brother’s future wife.”

Yan Xi looked up at the sky, acting spoiled: “Anyway, seeing him takes ten years off my life.”

Ah Heng smiled indulgently: “You’ll live to a hundred and eighty anyway, losing ten years isn’t much.”

Yan Xi sighed: “Ah Heng, I’m sorry for putting you in a difficult position, but I can’t forgive them, at least not now.”

Ah Heng smiled: “No need, no need to forgive. I’ll curse them with you, we’ll curse them to the earth.” Her eyes were gentle but carried a kind of toughness as she said, “They’ll face retribution, right? Parents who turned our Yan Xi into an abandoned child will face retribution, right?”

Yan Xi buried his head in the quilt, muffled: “Ah Heng, a mature man, a man who’s going to be a husband shouldn’t cry, right?”

She hugged him and said: “Right. But Ah Heng’s Yan Xi can cry.”

This man was like a child, clutching the hem of her coat, his eyes red.

His emotions sank to their lowest point as he complained in pain: “Ah Heng, did you see his eyes? Yan Ge’s eyes, his eyes, hold nothing but warmth and being loved. And me? When I was little, I cried so many times on the phone with them, but why did they find even a child’s crying and longing annoying…”

Ah Heng smiled, looking at him steadily, saying: “Let me see what’s in your eyes. The kind Yan Xi, who has many friends who love him; the filial Yan Xi, who risks danger to pick fruit for grandfather; the excellent Yan Xi, whom even the picky and beautiful Chu Yun loved very much; the proud Yan Xi, whom even the powerful and calm Lu Liu couldn’t force; the gentle Yan Xi, who promised to open an art gallery for his wife and children. And, and the Yan Xi who has Ah Heng in his eyes…”

She couldn’t continue, pressing her forehead against his, almost choking up.

She said: “Yan Xi, oh Yan Xi, when I first liked you I didn’t even know your name was Yan Xi, so why be insecure, why be afraid?”

Edward proposed a new resolution to the higher-ups, analyzing ear disorders from multiple comprehensive angles.

Ah Heng asked if Edward and Dr. Wei’s relationship had improved, but Edward said: “Dr. Wei is not my grandfather.”

Ah Heng: “Huh?”

Edward smiled, pointing at his face: “Do I look mixed-race to you? I’m the child of my father and his second wife.”

Ah Heng was confused: “Then what about Dr. Wei’s real grandson?”

Edward spread his hands: “Because he was premature when my mother gave birth to him, he had congenital problems and didn’t make it past seven years old.”

Ah Heng said: “Why pretend to be Dr. Wei’s grandson… wait, you call Dr. Wei’s daughter mother…”

Edward sneered: “Yes, my father told me and my other siblings to call this deceased woman mother. As for Dr. Wei, my father was afraid knowing this news would hurt him, and since I was close in age to my older brother, he had me pretend to be him in front of Dr. Wei. So I’ve been playing this old man’s grandson for twenty years, and if nothing goes wrong, as long as my old man keeps using the inheritance to threaten me, I’ll have to keep playing this role for life.”

Ah Heng hesitated: “Your father and Dr. Wei’s daughter…”

Edward laughed coldly, his blue eyes turning mysterious: “Is it that love that you foolish people always talk about? My old man married her against my grandmother’s wishes for this woman. Unfortunately, she didn’t have good fortune, and later, he married my mother just to give this woman’s child a complete family.”

Ah Heng hadn’t expected the truth to be like this. Her head ached as she said: “Dr. Wei always cursed your father as an ungrateful beast, saying he shouldn’t have saved him back then.”

Edward’s face was expressionless: “Is that so? My old man often says he’s grateful for having that serious illness, for meeting such a woman who loved beyond life itself.”

Ah Heng coughed: “Please don’t tell Dr. Wei the truth in the future either. It would break the old man’s heart.”

But Edward smiled, showing his white teeth with mockery: “Woman, no need to pretend to be kind. You’re just afraid Dr. Wei will get angry and give up on your fiancé’s treatment too.”

Ah Heng: “Think what you want.”

Edward suddenly smiled, pressing his hand against the wall to trap Ah Heng in a small space. He said: “Such a disabled fiancé, can he satisfy you? How about trying it once with me?”

But Ah Heng reached out and slapped him, saying: “This is the first time in my life I’ve willingly hit someone. Edward, take back your words.”

Edward wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, raising his eyebrows: “Which part, about trying it once?”

Ah Heng coldly: “No, the way you described my fiancé. The word ‘disabled’ – regarding him, my husband, in this world, only I can say it.”

On Christmas Eve, Ah Heng bought four apples, keeping one for herself, giving one to Yan Xi, one to Yi Su, and one to Yan Ge, which she secretly gave him without Yan Xi knowing.

The young boy tugged at Ah Heng’s sleeve, his big eyes watery: “Sister-in-law, we have our performance tonight, will you and brother come? Will you? Will you?”

Ah Heng: “I’ll try my best to trick your brother into coming, ahem, try my best.”

So Ah Heng said to Yan Xi: “Let’s go to mass. Everyone from the community is going, let’s join in the fun.”

Yan Xi munched on his apple: “Ah Heng, what kind of earplugs are these? When I wear them everything sounds buzzy and unclear.”

Ah Heng pulled his ear: “Stop pretending. These are made with the newest materials from our team. The sound clarity is so good you can hear Mr. Pang next door snoring.”

Yan Xi “Oh”: “I’m not going. That little pest is there, I’d rather die than go.”

Ah Heng said: “I already promised him. If you don’t go, won’t that make me lose face?”

Yan Xi said: “If I go, I’ll lose face too.”

“We’ll just be regular audience members in the seats below. We’ll pretend we don’t know him.”

“Get out of here, looking at him is like looking in a mirror. Who wouldn’t know our relationship!”

“You’re jealous that he’s young and handsome.”

“Yes, I’m jealous of him.”

Ah Heng hugged the child, kissing his face and mouth several times, coaxing him sweetly, but Yan Xi wouldn’t budge, refusing to go no matter what.

Ah Heng got angry: “If you won’t go, I’ll go alone. The rice is cooking in the pot, the dishes are all ready, just unplug it later. Stay home by yourself.”

She put on her coat and left.

Yan Xi was depressed too. After finishing dinner he was so bored he could cough blood. Every household was playing Christmas songs, and he could faintly hear the sound of mass from the church, though he wasn’t sure if he was imagining it.

Finally looking at the coat rack, he saw Ah Heng had run out without wearing a scarf. After thinking for a moment, he sighed, grabbed the scarf, and went out.

Almost everyone from the community had turned out, sitting in the church, crowded but orderly.

Yan Xi looked around for a long time but couldn’t find Ah Heng, so he sat in a window seat. Beside him was a piano, probably a backup since there was a sound system on stage.

A group of children in white collars and black robes holding sheet music walked onto the stage.

Yan Ge stood in the middle as the lead singer. This child was too eye-catching – looking straight ahead, you’d spot him immediately.

The backstage music started playing “Silent Night.”

Yan Xi quietly watched Yan Ge. This child, so whole and complete, really made one… hate him.

His voice was pure and clear as he murmured: “Silent night, holy night.”

Following that came the women’s low voices, incredibly gentle: “All is calm, all is bright. Round young virgin mother and child.”

Beautiful music, harmonious atmosphere, everyone clasped their hands together, gently closing their eyes, expressions peaceful and devout.

“Holy infant, so tender and mild. Sleep in heavenly peace. Sleep in heavenly peace.”

Just as they were about to finish, the sound system suddenly cut out. All the stage lights went dark, leaving only candlelight – presumably, there was a problem with the circuits.

Yan Ge panicked and his voice cracked. The audience began to whisper, some even laughing.

This child looked out at the audience, anxious and uneasy. But below the stage was pitch black, nothing could be seen.

He had never faced any setbacks before. He was heaven’s favored child, the Yan Ge that even his brother was incredibly jealous of, the Ge Ge most doted on by his parents.

He looked around, still in darkness, left only with mockery and reproach. He clenched his fists looking at the unfamiliar faces of his companions in the candlelight, trembling helplessly like a small animal.

He looked toward the audience again but saw none of his family.

Almost all sound in the world had disappeared.

Suddenly, accompanied by gentle, melodious piano music, a clear male voice rang out: “Silent night, holy night.”

Yan Ge stared blankly toward the piano, taking a long while to come back to himself and sing the second line of the second verse with the piano: “Shepherds quake at the sight. Glories stream from heaven afar.”

The other children also awakened as if from a dream and began singing along.

That man’s singing voice disappeared, like a fleeting glimpse, leaving only Yan Ge and the choir’s perfect cooperation and the ethereal piano sound.

Finally reaching the climax.

The performance ended.

After a while, the circuits were fixed and the church brightened again.

Yan Ge ran quickly from backstage to the piano, but no one was there. He ran outside where snow had started falling again, fine snowflakes drifting gently.

Ahead were two figures nestled together, one with a slight limp, the other vaguely gentle.

He shouted “Brother” loudly, his voice breaking, tears falling the instant he called out.

Brother.

Such a warm word.

That handsome man turned to look at him, very far away, but shouted: “What are you yelling for, you pest! Hurry back to America, and tell the old man not to worry. When I have time I’ll bring your sister-in-law to see him and Auntie Li!”

After walking two steps he paused, turning back: “Also, tell your parents, I will never forgive them.”

Yan Xi wrapped the scarf around Ah Heng’s neck, saying: “Baby, it’s the New Year in France, make a wish.”

Ah Heng’s eyes brightened: “Can I wish for anything?”

Yan Xi nodded, his fingers stroking her hair as he spoke indulgently: “Yes.”

“Ahem, well then, I want you to say ‘I love you’… ah no, wait, you should propose to me instead Yan Xi, and then from tomorrow start learning how to make the braised pork that Ah Heng likes to eat, haha.”

Everything suddenly became quiet.

He smiled, kneeling on one knee, holding her fingers: “Baby, marry me.”

He said: “I love you.”