ABOES 36: Childhood Memories

When Chi Xiwen returned with Officer Wang, the sound of crying in the office still hadn’t stopped.

Seeing this, Chi Xiwen’s eyes reddened again. He turned to Officer Wang with some embarrassment. “Sorry, Officer Wang…”

Officer Wang had seen scenes like this plenty of times before. He waved a hand. “It’s fine.”

He’d followed this case for over ten years, and now, not only had they found the missing child, but the family was finally reunited. He genuinely felt happy for them.

However, regarding their request to change the name—for now, that wasn’t possible.

The investigation was still ongoing. Although the police already had enough evidence to prove that Ye’s adoptive parents were involved in child trafficking, neither of them had confessed yet.

Without a confession, the interrogation would have to continue. Only when they admitted to their crimes, along with the evidence the police had gathered, could the court case proceed.

Only then could Chi Yunxing be re-registered and legally change his name.

It was just a matter of time, there was no need to worry too much.

After hearing this explanation, the family’s expressions turned heavy once again.

Seeing this, Officer Wang offered, “It’s getting late. Why don’t you all head home and get some rest? Don’t worry, if there’s any updates on the case, I’ll contact you right away.”

Chi Ling and Tan Yao exchanged a glance, and Chi Ling said, “Thank you for everything, Officer Wang.”

“Don’t mention it,” Officer Wang smiled as he stood and walked the family to the door.

Chi Xiwen drove. Chi Ling sat in the front passenger seat, while Tan Yao and Chi Yunxing sat in the back.

As the engine started, Chi Xiwen couldn’t help glancing in the rearview mirror and happened to meet Chi Yunxing’s gaze.

His eyes stung, and he quickly lowered his head to hide the emotion.

“What’s wrong?” Tan Yao asked. “If you’re not feeling up to it, I can call the driver.”

Chi Xiwen blinked back the tears and shook his head firmly. “No, I’ll drive,” He paused, then added, “I just remembered the wish I made the day I got my driver’s license. Mom, do you still remember?”

Tan Yao’s nose tingled. How could she not?

Chi Ling also let out a small laugh.

Chi Yunxing sensed it, whatever Chi Xiwen had wished for probably had to do with him.

Sure enough, the next moment, Chi Xiwen said in a nostalgic tone.

“I wished that we’d find Yunxing soon. That way, I could drive our whole family around every day—to work, to school…”

Tan Yao’s eyes glistened. She smiled and said, “Well, today your wish finally came true.”

“Yeah,” Chi Xiwen grinned. “The only thing is, I can’t take Yunxing to school anymore.”

He smiled as he shifted the car into gear.

Chi Yunxing felt a swelling warmth in his chest, like something was pressing in his throat.

He opened his mouth, and after a long moment finally said, “Well… it’s not like you can’t take me.”

Everyone in the car paused.

Chi Xiwen glanced again in the rearview mirror.

Chi Yunxing pressed his lips together and cleared his throat. “School starts again in September. I’ll be a junior.”

Chi Xiwen’s grip on the steering wheel suddenly tightened.

Before he could speak, Chi Ling laughed from the front seat. “Yunxing’s right. The real question is whether our big CEO will have time to drive his little brother to school in September.”

Chi Xiwen’s eyes stung again. He didn’t even hesitate. “How could I not? You think I’m busier than you?”

Chi Ling chuckled and, for once, didn’t argue.

Tan Yao couldn’t help smiling too.

Watching the three of them light up, Chi Yunxing felt a sour warmth in his chest but the curve of his lips didn’t fall.

The car moved steadily forward, the slanted light from the streetlamps filtering in through the windows.

Chi Yunxing couldn’t help glancing out. The residential buildings not far away glowed warmly.

He thought that among all these thousands of homes, there was finally one waiting for him.

On the way back, Tan Yao was afraid of awkwardness so she kept talking about his childhood.

She said when Yunxing was little, he was a picky eater—he wouldn’t touch carrots, celery, and cilantro. He only ate the tomatoes from scrambled eggs with tomatoes. He only liked lean meat and refused even a bite of fat.

Every day, what little Yunxing looked forward to the most was watching cartoons in the afternoon.

Sometimes, to get ten more minutes of cartoons, he would roll on the floor and cling to Chi Xiwen’s leg, begging like a spoiled child.

They stopped at a red light. Chi Xiwen turned back with a laugh. “I was always the one who could say no. Zhi Yan was the one who’d always give in.”

Chi Yunxing already knew that Chi Xiwen and Duan Zhiyan were close, but this was the first time he learned that Duan had known him as a child.

“We met when we were kids?”

Chi Xiwen blinked, then laughed. “Oh right, you wouldn’t remember.”

Tan Yao explained, “Zhi Yan’s parents were always busy with work, so he basically grew up in our house. When I just gave birth to you, Zhi Yan adored you. He insisted on sleeping in the nursery with you. In the end, your brother had to drag him out.”

Everyone in the car chuckled.

It was only now that Chi Yunxing realized. Duan Zhiyan’s kindness hadn’t just been because Chi Xiwen asked. They’d known each other since they were small. He just couldn’t remember it.

Tan Yao, once she got going, couldn’t stop. She shared all kinds of old stories.

Like the time Chi Xiwen and Duan Zhiyan got into a fight over who’d get baby Yunxing’s first kiss. Or how Duan bought the latest Ultraman figure to win Yunxing’s “heart,” and how Xiwen tried to one-up him by cosplaying Ultraman himself then rode his bike around the yard with Yunxing in tow.

These were all blank spots in Chi Yunxing’s memory.

But with Tan Yao’s storytelling, those vivid, playful fragments gradually filled in what was once empty.

Everyone in the car was smiling. The atmosphere was so warm it felt unreal.

But two years of memories had their limits—Eventually, the happy stories ran out.

What followed was the dark chapter of their lives.

Chi Yunxing already knew how he was abducted. Officer Wang had told him all the details.

So there was no need to bring it up again, and he didn’t plan to ask. Painful times were best left behind. Just because he didn’t remember, though, didn’t mean Tan Yao, Chi Ling, or Chi Xiwen had forgotten.

In the end, it was Chi Xiwen who spoke first.

“I’m sorry, Yunxing. If I had listened to Zhi Yan and not gone to the mall that day… maybe you wouldn’t have—”

“It’s in the past,” Chi Yunxing interrupted him.

The car fell silent.

Tan Yao glanced cautiously at his expression.

Chi Ling shot Chi Xiwen with a look of disapproval.

Chi Yunxing saw all of it. He paused, then said, “You’ve apologized to me so many times already. You really don’t need to anymore. The fact that I’m willing to go home with you and willing to take back my name means I’ve already forgiven and accepted you.”

“And none of you ever did anything wrong to me. You never stopped searching. When things went wrong, you were the first to protect me. You made public statements for me. When Ye Lei cursed me out, you defended me…”

“The ones who deserve blame, who should be cursed, who should live their lives in guilt and regret are the traffickers and the ones who hurt me. Not you.”

The car rolled to a stop at the gates of the Chi family villa.

The streetlamp on the roadside shone brightly, casting light into the car.

The three of them looked over at the same time and saw the radiant smile on Chi Yunxing’s face.

They all froze.

Chi Xiwen opened his mouth, but in the end, he didn’t say a word.

Tan Yao’s eyes turned even redder. She shook her head gently. She wanted to say their apologies would never be enough—that if not for their mistakes, Yunxing wouldn’t have suffered so much growing up.

They apologized because they truly owed him. No amount of compensation would be enough.

Yet when she looked into those smiling eyes, every word caught in her throat. She couldn’t speak.

In the end, it was Chi Ling who undid his seatbelt first.

He got out of the car and opened the door on Yunxing’s side.

The man bent slightly at the waist and smiled.

“Yunxing, we’re home. Come on, let me make up for what I missed back then. How about I carry you in?”

Chi Yunxing froze completely.