15

"Yang Qiu's return isn't a surprise for me…" Mrs. Chen's voice trailed off as she looked down. She knew Chen Xia would be mad at her for hiding such a big secret. 

"Huh?" Chen Xia was confused.

"I… I actually knew he was back before school even started," Mrs. Chen explained, feeling a bit guilty. "So,what happened was…"

"Good afternoon!" Mrs. Chen greeted as she walked into the post office.

"Why, hello there!" The man at the desk replied cheerfully. "If you would just give me a second, I will help you after I help the young gentleman over there," he said as he pointed towards a figure standing at the other side of the room. 

Mrs. Chen watched as the man went to speak with said 'young gentleman'. They seem quite young, perhaps a teen? Probably around Xiaxia's age. I don't think I've seen this kid around before though…

Just then, the man turned around.

"Why kid, your letter seems to be headed towards the restaurant of Mrs. Chen over there!" he said, gesturing towards Mrs. Chen. 

"So that's how I met him." Mrs. Chen explained. "It was purely coincidental, I swear."

"I just wanted to surprise you guys... I may not have been completely truthful in the last letter. I planned on sending it at the post office in case you saw me at your mailbox..." Yang Qiu spoke up, hoping that his words would stop Chen Xia from blaming his mother for their secret.

The room fell to silence.

Yang Qiu slowly looked towards Chen Xia, who was staring at his mom with an unfathomable facial expression.

Suddenly, without a word. Chen Xia got up and walked out of the room, the sound of his footsteps quickening as they got further away. 

"Oh my… Let me go get him," Mrs. Chen said, sighing at this expected outcome. 

​"This… feels familiar," Yang Qiu remarked.

​"It sure does, doesn't it," Mr. Chen agreed. Then he began to laugh.

​Yang Qiu looked at Mr. Chen, confused.

​"That was a pretty good prank, kid. I don't know how you managed to keep it a secret… If it were me I'd probably run right back and announce my return! Though I guess you've always been more low-key than that, haven't you," Mr. Chen said with a smile. "I'm glad you're back, really, Yang Qiu. Xiaxia has not been the same this past year… I bet it's because you weren't here. But anyway, enough about Xiaxia, let's catch up on you. How is your dad doing?" Mr. Chen couldn't help but ramble a little.

​"He's doing well; he can get around fine by himself… at least that's what he tried to show me. I think he could tell I was starting to miss home…" Yang Qiu felt a bit embarrassed.

​"Haha, well I bet since he could send you away, he's probably plenty recovered," Mr. Chen said reassuringly. 

​"Yeah, hopefully," Yang Qiu replied with a smile. 

​Mr. Chen watched as Yang Qiu fell silent.

"Hey, listen, Yang Qiu. You've done plenty for your dad. Heck, you didn't even have to go in the first place! Plus, you've done plenty for Xiaxia and us too, sending us letters so often. I know I speak for all of us when I say we are more than grateful for you. I also hope you are willing to rely on us more, and also live for yourself too."

He paused.

"And as for Xiaxia... you know how he is. He really hasn't changed since he was young... still has that temper. But we all know how fond of you he is, and how much you care for him. I want to thank you for that, and also ask that you continue accepting him. You are probably his only true friend, and I think you have the ability to help him grow. I'm probably pushing this burden on you... but I believe you're the best person that could have come into Xiaxia and our lives..." Mr. Chen stopped speaking as he started to feel a bit emotional. 

"Don't worry, Mr. Chen, I will take good care of Xiaxia; he is very important to me too. You and Mrs. Chen as well. All of you are truly like family to me, and I will never be able to thank you enough. For everything," Yang Qiu replied earnestly.

Yang Qiu looked at Mr. Chen, who looked right back at him. They smiled at each other.

"Well, you should probably go find Xiaxia…" Mr. Chen said, "and help him be a bit more mature." He winked.

"Right…" Yang Qiu replied as he stood up. "Thank you again, Mr. Chen."

"Haha, for what? I should be thanking you for being such a great companion for Xiaxia," Mr. Chen said with a smile.

Yang Qiu blushed and left the dining room. 

Yang Qiu knocked on Chen Xia's bedroom door. 

After a moment, the door opened, and Mrs. Chen walked out. She sighed.

"Xiaxia… you know how he is. He really hasn't changed," Mrs. Chen said with a tired smile.

"Pfft. Mr. Chen said the same thing," Yang Qiu replied with a giggle.

"Haha," Mrs. Chen grinned. "But Xiaxia… he still has that bad habit of his; hiding whenever he feels conflicted. I can never get him out of there unless he has thought things over enough himself… But I know he treats you differently, and I'm sure he will come to his senses if you are the one talking to him." Mrs. Chen looked at Yang Qiu. 

​"I'll try my best," Yang Qiu replied, blushing at Mrs. Chen's praises.

​"Don't worry, Yang Qiu, I'm sure Xiaxia will be willing to talk to you as much as I expect you might want to talk to him. You boys take some time to catch up. After all, a year is no short time…" Mrs. Chen patted Yang Qiu's shoulder and left. "

​Yang Qiu quietly walked in and approached the closet.

​He stopped in front of the closed doors, then sat down on the carpet. 

​"Xiaxia…" he began, "I'm sorry for lying to you… and… don't get mad at your mom. I told her to keep it a secret. I just really wanted to give you a surprise. I'm really sorry if I upset you because of that."

​There was no response, so Yang Qiu continued to talk, taking the chance to tell Chen Xia about his inner thoughts.

​"And I'm sorry for leaving you alone this past year… the entire time I was in the city I was struggling between my obligations to my dad and my desire to return home, to return here with you and your parents… I'm sorry for dragging this out for so long…"

​The closet was still silent. 

​"Sorry for-"

​"STOP saying you're sorry!" Chen Xia shouted as he pushed open the closet doors. "I don't want to hear your apologies," he cried, tears streaming down his face. 

​Chen Xia breathed heavily as his eyebrows furrowed. 

​The two boys stared at each other, one with fury, the other with a slight smile. 

​After a moment Yang Qiu began to grin. Then he started giggling. He couldn't help it.

​"What are you laughing at?" Chen Xia asked, not expecting such a response.

​"I knew saying sorry would get you to talk to me. It worked like a charm last time. Pfft." Yang Qiu continued to giggle.

​"You- you did that on purpose?" Chen Xia asked, a new wave of anger rising in his chest.

​"Well… partially. I really do feel sorry for a lot of-"

​"STOP. Stop. I told you, I don't wanna hear it." 

​"Then… what do you want to hear?"

​Yang Qiu looked at Chen Xia, waiting for his response.

​"I… I don't really know," Chen Xia murmured, his anger fading.

​Chen Xia lowered his eyes. His mind was in a mess; he had so much he wanted to say, but at the same time he somehow could not express any of it. 

​They fell into a long silence.

​"Xiaxia… you're getting too big for this little closet…" Yang Qiu said quietly.

​"Chen Xia looked up with a frown, thinking Yang Qiu was mocking him. But when he saw Yang Qiu's serious face, the fire in his chest was immediately snuffed out. 

​"And I'm back now. If… if you're struggling, you can always come to me instead…" Yang Qiu looked down and pulled his legs in, blush rising from his neck and spreading across his face and ears. 

​Shocked, Chen Xia could not find an appropriate response, and could only stare at Yang Qiu, dumbfounded. What is this feeling…?

​"Please say something…" Yang Qiu mumbled with his face buried in his knees.

​Chen Xia couldn't help but notice how vulnerable Yang Qiu looked in this position. He felt a peculiar sensation pulling at his chest, tugging at him and spreading a shiver across his body.

​"I-" Chen Xia gulped. "I think… I think I'm in love with you."