"Brother Fu, wait for me." A childish voice rang out from behind, and Fu Hengyi’s steps halted. He turned around and saw a chubby little figure charging at him like a cannonball. Fu Hengyi instinctively crouched down, opening his arms wide, and the little figure crashed right into his embrace. Fu Hengyi wrapped his arms around her and laughed, "Why are you running so fast?"

Little Qinglan pouted, "It’s your fault for walking so fast."

"I need to go home to do homework, and you need to go home to sleep."

"Then can I go home with you?" Five-year-old Little Qinglan blinked her big eyes, which were like two black grapes, spinning round and round, her face full of hope.

Fu Hengyi felt helpless, "Lanlan, be good and go home. Brother will come play with you tomorrow."

Little Qinglan clung to Fu Hengyi’s neck and wouldn’t let go, "I don’t want to, you’ll run away. Mommy says you are going to a very faraway place. What if I wake up tomorrow morning and you’re already gone?"

At this time, the fifteen-year-old Fu Hengyi was already studying abroad. He had come back for the Spring Festival, and in a few days, he would have to leave again. Upon hearing Xiao Qinglan’s words, he tightened his grip on the little girl’s hand reassuringly, "Brother won’t leave. I promise you, when you wake up tomorrow morning, you’ll still see me."

Little Qinglan’s eyes gleamed slightly, "Really?"

"Really. I promise you, if you wake up tomorrow morning and you can’t see me, then I’m a pig, okay?" Fu Hengyi didn’t know how else to console the little girl, racking his brain to come up with just this one promise.

Shen Junyu chased after his sister and had only just arrived, catching the tail end of her reluctance to part with Fu Hengyi. He felt a pang of jealousy, "Lanlan, be obedient and go back with Brother. Tomorrow your Brother Fu will be waiting for you at home, or if you wake up, I will take you to see Brother Fu, okay?"

When Shen Junyu said this, he couldn’t help but feel a little aggrieved. She was his sister, yet she was always thinking about Fu Hengyi. Every time Fu Hengyi returned, she was even more affectionate with him than with her own brother. It really was true that girls tend to be more outgoing.

Little Qinglan leaned in Fu Hengyi’s arms, her small face scrunched up like a bun, looking at Shen Junyu and then at Fu Hengyi. After hesitating for a long time, she reluctantly said, "Okay then, Brother. You have to take me to see Brother Fu early tomorrow morning."

"Got it. Can you go back with Brother now?"

Little Qinglan nodded, stepped out of Fu Hengyi’s embrace, and took Shen Junyu’s hand, not forgetting to say goodbye to Fu Hengyi.

The next morning, before Fu Hengyi had even gotten out of bed, an extra weight appeared on him. Opening his eyes, he saw a little girl who had already climbed onto his bed. The little girl was wearing a puffer jacket, a scarf, and a hat, bundled up like a little bear, clumsy and looking endearingly silly.

Fu Hengyi laughed and pulled the little girl closer to sit beside him, "Why did you come over so early?"

"I didn’t sleep in today." The little girl’s voice was soft and delicate, her cheeks puffed out like a blowfish.

"Did you have breakfast?"

"I ate. Mommy gave me eggs and milk, but I don’t like milk."

The little girl reached out to fiddle with her scarf. The room was heated, and she was getting a bit hot. Fu Hengyi took hold of her hand and adjusted the scarf for her, "If you don’t like drinking milk, you won’t grow tall, and you’ll become ugly."

The little girl frowned, "Really?"

"Really." He said with conviction.

The little girl’s shoulders drooped instantly, "Okay, then I’ll drink milk every day."

Fu Hengyi reached out to pat the little girl’s head, put on his clothes, and took her downstairs.

Fu Hengyi was having breakfast, and Little Qinglan sat beside him, chatting away non-stop with her tiny mouth—there always seemed to be an endless stream of words. Seeing Fu Hengyi eating bread, she looked on with a face full of longing, "Brother Fu, is it delicious?"

Fu Hengyi tore off a small piece and handed it to her mouth, "Try it and you’ll know."

"Then I’ll give it a taste."

After chewing twice, she frowned, "Brother Fu, it’s not sweet."

Fu Hengyi laughed, he was eating savory bread, of course, it wouldn’t be sweet. He picked up the milk from the table and placed it in front of the little girl, "Then take a sip of milk."

The little girl shook her head, she didn’t want to drink it. Fu Hengyi picked up the milk and coaxed, "Be good, just one little sip. After you finish, I’ll buy you some milk candy."

The little girl immediately smiled, hugged the cup, and gulped down half of it, "Brother Fu, where’s my milk candy?"

"Wait until I finish eating, and I’ll take you to buy some."

She sat there with eager eyes, waiting for Fu Hengyi to finish his breakfast.

**

The day Fu Hengyi left, he didn’t tell Shen Qinglan. He was afraid the little girl would make a fuss, so he left secretly.

When Little Qinglan got up and went to the Fu Family to find her Brother Fu but couldn’t after a long search, she was nearly in tears. Shen Junyu had no choice but to tell her that he had already left. The little girl immediately burst into loud wails, crying so hard that she could hardly catch her breath, and no amount of comforting from the family helped.

That day, Shen Qinglan cried until her voice went hoarse, and her eyes became as red as a little white rabbit’s, yet her Brother Fu didn’t come back.

And at that time, Fu Hengyi wouldn’t have thought that this goodbye would last for over a decade.

Shen Qinglan got lost while he was at the airport. The little girl’s birthday was coming up, and he had prepared a gift for her, planning to give it to her in person as a surprise. But just as he arrived at Beijing Airport, he heard the news that the little girl was missing. He searched the streets frantically, day and night, but the little girl never returned.

A day, two days, a month, two months... Fu Hengyi didn’t know how long the Shen Family searched, and how long he searched himself, only that the little girl who used to smile at him and affectionately call him "Brother Fu" never came back. Gradually, even his memory of her face began to fade, only occasionally when recalled, he would wonder what she would look like now and whether he would still recognize her if they met again.

Latter, Fu Hengyi joined the army. The busy military life left him little time to ponder the past and rarely brought to mind the little neighbor girl.

He knew she had returned. He had looked for opportunities to come back to see her, but he never found her. He hadn’t even imagined that their reunion would happen under such circumstances.

"Fu Hengyi, Tangtang seems hungry; go check on her," a clear female voice came from the kitchen.

Sitting in the living room, Fu Hengyi was pulled from his memories and glanced in the direction of the kitchen. The little girl who once didn’t reach his waist had grown up, become a graceful young lady, and then became his wife, the mother of his child.

Time had once shortchanged her, but fortunately, fate hadn’t been too cruel to her, allowing them to meet again and giving him the rightful opportunity to stand by her side.

Fu Hengyi stood up and walked towards the kitchen. He embraced Shen Qinglan’s waist from behind, tilted his head slightly, and placed a gentle kiss on her face, "Wife, I love you."

Thankful for the heavens giving me another chance, I can spend the rest of my life with you.