ABOES 38: Change of Address

Chi Yunxing had always thought his childhood bedroom was already quite spacious, but now, looking at the room in front of him, he realized it was even bigger. It was almost three times the size of the one next door.

At that moment, Chi Yunxing began to suspect that the room before him might not be a guest room after all, but he didn’t think too much of it.

It was already late, so Tan Yao simply gave him a brief overview of the house layout and prepared to leave.

She said, “It’s late, Yunxing. Take a shower and get some rest.”

Under the bright lights, Chi Yunxing turned his head and could clearly see the redness still lingering in Tan Yao’s eyes.

A sour ache welled up in his chest. He nodded. “Okay. You rest early too.”

Tan Yao’s heart warmed as she gave him a gentle smile. “Alright.”

“If anything comes up, just come find me,” Chi Xiwen pointed to the room beside his. “That’s my room.”

“Got it,” Chi Yunxing replied.

“Alright then,” Tan Yao smiled, “have a good rest. We’ll be going now.”

“Good night, Yunxing,” said Chi Ling.

“Good night,” Chi Yunxing replied.

Chi Xiwen was the last to leave, closing the door behind him. As Chi Yunxing listened to their footsteps fading down the hallway, the tension he’d held all day slowly began to ease.

He had stayed up all night, and after spending the whole afternoon at the police station, he was truly exhausted.

He rubbed at his tired eyes and walked straight to the walk-in closet, intending to grab a clean set of pajamas to shower.

Yet the moment he opened the closet door, he froze.

What shocked him wasn’t the size of the walk-in—roughly the same as the living room in his old apartment—but what hung before him: rows and rows of children’s clothing in various styles.

Yes, children’s clothing.

Chi Yunxing couldn’t help but pick one up and examine the tag closely.

He took out his phone to look it up. It was a piece from Armani’s children’s collection from fifteen years ago.

And that wasn’t the only one. Every garment in this wardrobe, whether for spring, summer, autumn, or winter, was a brand-new piece from that year’s collections.

He opened the wardrobe next to it. Randomly pulling out another outfit, he checked the release year.

Fourteen years ago. But this one was clearly a size bigger than the ones in the previous wardrobe.

Chi Yunxing’s brows furrowed. Gripping his phone tightly, he opened another wardrobe. Then another.

Thirteen years ago. Twelve years ago. Limited editions.

Each wardrobe contained only the newest clothes from that year, and the sizing increased with each wardrobe.

He had already opened sixteen wardrobes. Now, he stood before the final one.

Taking a deep breath, he slowly pulled it open.

Unlike the previous ones, this wardrobe wasn’t filled to the brim. Only a few dozen pieces of spring and summer wear hung neatly inside.

And at the far end of the closet, there was a long corridor. 

Chi Yunxing walked toward it and saw rows of shoes lined up along the corridor.

From toddler sneakers to teenage sports shoes, all the way to the latest adult casual shoes for this year. Everything was there.

Chi Yunxing’s eyes burned. His nose tingled.

It was as if something clicked in his mind. He quickly left the closet and turned to the study.

The moment he stepped in, he saw a brand-new desktop computer and tablet on the desk, but he didn’t spare them a second glance. He went straight to the bookshelf.

He didn’t need to look very hard. From the bottom shelf all the way to the top, the entire bookcase was filled with school textbooks.

From preschool to kindergarten, elementary to junior high, and all the way to senior high. Every textbook a student could need was here.

His hand resting on the shelf trembled slightly as he reached out and pulled down a math textbook at random.

A glance at the cover: sixth-grade mathematics.

He flipped to the first page. At the lower center, three neatly written characters stared back at him—Chi Yunxing.

A few pages in, three sticky notes were tucked between the pages.

Chi Yunxing opened them. They were written in fountain pen, and the paper had already begun to yellow with age.

The first was from his mother:

[This year, our Yunxing baby is heading into middle school. I don’t know how well he’s prepared. Mom’s a little worried. I wish I could help tutor you myself, but that’s not realistic now, so you’ll have to do your best, okay? But even if you don’t do well, it’s okay, as long as you’re happy. After all, academics aren’t everything. Mom will always be your strongest support.]

The second was from Chi Ling:

[Starting middle school may not seem like a big deal, but it’s still significant. It’s the first major step in your life. A good score means getting into a good school, and a good school gives you a better environment to prepare for high school and college. Just like Mom said, academics aren’t the only path. Even if you don’t get into a top school, it’s okay. Dad will take care of you.]

The last one was in Chi Xiwen’s handwriting:

[Don’t listen to Mom and Dad rambling on. You don’t have to get into a top middle school to go to a top high school! Your brother just wants you to be happy. And if one day Dad can’t support you anymore, don’t worry, you’ve still got me, your brother!]

Chi Yunxing couldn’t hold it in any longer. Emotions surged up uncontrollably, and tears instantly streamed down his cheeks.

A hot teardrop fell directly onto the letter in his hand. He quickly reached up and tried to wipe it away.

But it was already too late, the ink had started to blur.

“How could this happen…” he muttered in a hoarse voice, “Why did I have to smudge the handwriting…”

The more he spoke, the more aggrieved he felt. The next second, his emotions completely collapsed. He hugged the math book to his chest, covering his mouth with one hand to stifle any sobs.

Tears fell freely as his entire body trembled.

His family loved him far more than he had ever imagined.

In the seventeen years since he had gone missing, they had never once stopped searching for him and in that long stretch of time, they had remembered him in their own quiet, steadfast ways.

Chi Ling had said that he had suffered a lot over the years but hadn’t they suffered too?

He hadn’t been sure before, but now he was. In those seventeen long years, his family had never forgotten him—not even for a single day—and they had lived every one of those days steeped in guilt.

No wonder Tan Yao kept apologizing again and again.

No wonder Chi Ling had carried him home on his back.

They must have regretted it deeply. Not being there to raise him and not witnessing all the milestones of his life firsthand.

In the quiet of that room, a choked sob finally broke the silence.

Yet before anyone could hear, it vanished again into stillness.

***

Coming out from Chi Yunxing’s room, Chi Xiwen glanced at Tan Yao beside him and suggested, “Mom, why don’t you stay here tonight? It’s late. Just sleep here at home.”

Chi Ling, hearing this, felt his heart tighten. He couldn’t help but glance sideways at Tan Yao.

Tan Yao’s eyes were still red. She didn’t look at Chi Ling but seemed to be seriously considering Chi Xiwen’s suggestion.

After a moment, she nodded. “Mm, I won’t go back tonight. What if Yunxing wakes up early tomorrow and doesn’t see me, he might overthink it…”

“Then sleep in the master bedroom,” said Chi Ling. After a brief pause, he added, “You’re more used to that bed. Don’t worry, I’ve been sleeping in the guest room these past two years.”

Tan Yao’s gaze flickered, but she didn’t object.

Chi Xiwen let out a silent sigh of relief. He gave Chi Ling a look, then said, “I’m heading back to my room. Good night.”

“Good night,” Tan Yao responded.

Chi Ling just nodded, staying silent.

Chi Xiwen had one foot inside his room already, when he suddenly seemed to think of something. He turned and looked at Chi Ling. “Oh, right. Dad, if your back’s bothering you, don’t forget to have the family doctor check it out.”

With that, he shut the door behind him without waiting for a response.

Chi Ling’s brows instantly furrowed. Without thinking, he blurted, “When did I say my back was bad?”

Tan Yao looked up at him, and after a pause, asked, “You were sweating a lot when you carried Yunxing back today. Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m not—” The words were halfway out of Chi Ling’s mouth before he quickly swallowed them back. After a moment of thought, he replied, “It’s probably nothing serious.”

Which, of course, implied there was at least something wrong.

Tan Yao pretended not to hear the subtext. She simply said, “Good. I’m going to rest then.”

She turned and walked toward the bedroom without looking back.

Chi Ling watched her go. After a long pause, he let out a quiet laugh. As he smiled, his eyes began to redden again.

He turned and looked once more at Chi Yunxing’s room in the distance.

Now that Yunxing was finally home, everything would slowly get better. It had to.

***

Chi Yunxing didn’t even remember what time he fell asleep last night. By the time he woke up, it was already noon the next day.

Looking at the unfamiliar surroundings, Chi Yunxing froze for two seconds before remembering—he was home now.

At that thought, he couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.

He sat on the bed in a daze for a couple more minutes before finally getting up.

After taking a shower, he pulled a brand-new set of clothes from the last wardrobe and slowly made his way downstairs.

He hadn’t even reached the living room when he heard Chi Xiwen’s voice, “Yunxing’s awake?”

Tan Yao heard the sound too and immediately ran out of the kitchen. The moment she saw the clothes on Chi Yunxing, her heart swelled with joy, and the smile on her face grew even brighter. She beamed as she said, “Yunxing, why didn’t you sleep a bit longer? I’m still cooking. Give me another half hour and we can eat.”

Chi Ling was working at the dining table. Hearing the commotion, he looked up and smiled. “Come sit for a bit. After lunch, let your brother take you out for a walk. I might not be able to go with you. I need to visit your grandma at the hospital.”

Chi Xiwen walked over, threw an arm around Chi Yunxing’s shoulders, and guided him to the sofa to sit beside him.

Tan Yao added, “Yes, I need to stop by the hospital too, so I’ll only be back tonight to keep you company.”

Chi Yunxing pressed his lips together. When he looked up, he realized all three of them were looking at him, as if waiting for his answer.

Thinking of the letters he had read last night, his eyes stung again.

He took a deep breath before speaking. “Dad, Mom, is it okay if I don’t go out with Brother today? I want to go to the hospital to visit Grandma.”

The moment his words landed, Chi Ling accidentally knocked over the coffee cup beside him. Coffee spilled onto his laptop, but he didn’t even bother wiping it. He immediately looked up at Chi Yunxing.

Tan Yao was even more flustered. She said with a trembling voice, “Yunxing, just now… what did you call us?”

The weight that had been pressing down on Chi Yunxing’s heart finally eased.

He realized that sometimes, once you opened your mouth, the words flowed naturally.

He looked at Tan Yao. “Mom.”

Her eyes instantly turned red.

Then he turned to Chi Ling. “Dad.”

Chi Ling shoved the laptop aside. His hands on the table curled into fists, using every ounce of strength to suppress the surge of emotion.

Finally, Chi Yunxing turned to look at Chi Xiwen sitting beside him.

The two of them were too close. Chi Yunxing, uncharacteristically shy, felt his ears redden, their tips glowing under his dark hair. He cleared his throat and called out softly, “Ge.”

Chi Xiwen broke into a grin. Yet as he smiled, his eyes were filled with tears. He reached out, ruffled Chi Yunxing’s hair, and replied, “Hey, my precious little brother.”