A week went by fast with nothing much happening. Su Qingtang worked hard at her role and the filming also went smoothly. It was a rough but okay week as any normal work filled week could be.
Bright and early on Saturday morning Su Qingtang decided to visit her parents at the family house. She called for the family driver to pick her up. She didn't see the point in staying by herself and just staying in the apartment with the mountains of books she needed to read was a really hard request for her to swallow.
"Good Morning Young Miss," An Uncle greeted cheerfully, Su Qingtang smiled and nodded as she entered the car. She leaned back and looked out the window at the beautiful morning. It wasn't particularly early and the sun was already high in the sky but somehow Su Qingtang found all the busily bustling people a form of art. It would be better appreciated if it was in stop motion, she thought.
"Good Morning, Uncle." She replied.
The middle aged man smiles. His expression warm. Su Qingtang had plenty of memories with this man. He was family, sadly, to the original Su Qingtang even more so than the Jiang Shu who fought tirelessly and in vain to enter her daughter's heart.
He had worked with the Su family for years. The original Su Qingtang had known him as far as she could remember. He had driven her to her first day at school, when her parents had to travel abroad for an emergency. A couple months before her dad had married Jiang Shu. Su Qingtang couldn't remember what the emergency was but she definitely remembered the smiling old uncle that held her tiny hand and coaxed her into school when she got too scared to go by herself. Through snot and loud wailing she could clearly hear a man's voice gently telling her it'd be alright.
"How are you today, Young Miss?" He asked, while glancing at her through the rearview mirror his tone light. It was the typical 'how's the weather' question' but Su Qingtang didn't really mind it was the atmosphere.
"Hmm." Su Qingtang pretended to think. She tapped her chin, looking to be in deep contemplation. This made the old man's eyes twinkle even further. "After the first week of school, I feel refreshed to have a break from it all. I want my summer back, ahhh~."
Uncle laughed. His dark brown eyes twinkling light the stars in the sky a kind of purity in his eyes that cannot be faked. This was a genuine man through and through. Wouldve made a perfect family man if his wife had made it though a major surgery she had underwent. Even though it had been quite a number of years, he never thought of remarrying. He was patiently waiting for his end so he could meet his love again. This was a pure love from a pure person that received Su Qingtang's respect. In this cruel world, keeping innocent is a challenge in its own, but he had managed to keep his humanity and care even when life gave him hell for nothing at all. Truly a respectable human being, yet she could never quite strive to be like him.
Su Qingtang also gave a small smile. She was thankful. Thankful to the original. If she wasn't so… so… No That's not a good word. If she wasn't so special in her aspirations the Su Qingtang could never see such joy. She probably have been stuck inside her tiny box and would have never seen the world in such warm eyes.
Soon the car pulled up into a driveway and Su Qingtang got off, thanked Uncle and ran into the house.
"Ma, I'm hom-" Su Qingtang paused. She halts her steps as she looked at the boy opposite her. Damn! I forgot he existed!
Engrossed in his game Su Rui doesn't even bother to look up. His long-ish hair flopping into his eyes. Not that he cared much as he was tapping away at his game. He was dressed in casual clothes and it could be seen it was not his first day back. Seeing this Su Qingtang reflected for a bit. It seems I have been too distant with this family, she thought.
"Rui." She lightly called. The boy looked up irritatedly until he sees who called him.
K.O
His phone sounded. It seemed he lost his game in his moment of inactivity.
"Big Sis-"
"Qing-er." Jiang Shu comes out of no where embracing Su Qingtang. "Ah, look at you. Are you not eating enough? Why don't you come back and stay here?"
Su Qingtang pouted, sighing dejectedly as she dropped the matter.
Su Rui stood to the side and looked at his older sister in mild confusion. What had happened since he left? His older sister had always been distant from his mother and him almost alienating them, but now he could see that they had gotten a lot closer… Does that mean he could get closer to her too?
His stare must have been too obvious and Su Qingtang and Jiang Shu look over. Jiang Shu suddenly remembered what she wanted to say.
"Ah, little Rui came back from boarding school last night, ah. He said he wanted to go to school here in China." 'God knows why he changed his mind' The bubbly Jiang Shu said before gasping. "Ah! I had to meet with someone today. Little Rui watch over your older sister will you?"
Su Rui seriously nods and watches as Jiang Shu skipping away. He then turns his eyes back to Su Qingtang a strange hesitant expectation hiding in the depths of his eyes.
Somewhere in the depths of Su Qingtang's heart something hits. Something she didn't know she had, but Somehow had hidden there under layers of scars.
Su Rui looks up at her with a childish curiosity. It was almost adorable.
Su Qingtang reached out to pat his head. Making his imaginary tail start wagging furiously.
"Welcome back, kid."