The summer camp lasted for three days and was held in the Ecological Forest in the suburb of A City, a place known for its beautiful scenery and fun activities.
The night before departure, Lu Xiu spent a long time in An Yeran's room, showing no inclination to go back to sleep.
"Brother, it's almost eleven o'clock, you have school tomorrow." Out of pressure, An Yeran had to put down her phone and tried to persuade him amiably.
But for some reason, the little boy was reluctant to leave that night.
"Sis…Sister, I don't want you to go..." The boy sat on the edge of her bed, his small, coffee-coloured eyes filled with moisture as he looked at her, as if he were a little animal about to be abandoned.
The bedside lamp cast a somewhat dim yellow light, illuminating the boy's soft, milky-scented hair, making it appear golden.
An Yeran was speechless. She was only going to be away for three days, but the boy was acting as if it was a life or death situation.
She sat up, stretched out her hand to touch the boy's head. His hair was soft, which was quite comforting, "Don't worry, I'll be back soon!"
"But… but!" Lu Xiu grabbed her hand, clasping it tightly in his palm, "I have this feeling, that once you leave this time, it's like… like I will never see you again..."
An Yeran: "..."
Her patience was running thin.
She really disliked pandering to children.
"Xiaoxiu," An Yeran said, "I'm tired."
She put it bluntly, so Lu Xiu should understand.
As expected, the child's body stiffened. It took a few minutes before he reluctantly released her hand.
His eyes looked pitiful, which made An Yeran feel a bit guilty.
The child sat in front of the bed, remaining motionless.
An Yeran raised an eyebrow, "Not leaving?"
The boy shook his head slightly, stubbornly saying, "Don't want to."
"Really not leaving?"
"Mhm!"
An Yeran thought for a moment, the kid had been really obedient these past few days, obedient and thoughtful. He hardly ever asked for anything, and even if he wanted something, he was always careful to make a request, afraid he would be refused. But this time, Lu Xiu seemed somewhat persistent.
She didn't think this was bad. To her, this made Lu Xiu seem more childlike.
"Okay, do you want to sleep with me tonight?"
As soon as she said this, the child by the bed suddenly froze, he seemed surprised.
An Yeran asked, "You don't want to?"
Lu Xiu snapped back to reality, his coffee-colored eyes filled with joy and happiness, "I do. I do."
"Sister, are you serious?"
An Yeran, while cleaning her ears, responded carelessly, "Hmm."
The child instantly perked up, his previous gloom all but disappeared.
"Sister, I'm going to take a bath!" With that, the child quickly returned to his room.
About twenty minutes later, An Yeran's door was pushed open by a small figure.
She then saw Lu Xiu in his pajamas tiptoeing into the room.
The boy's face was a little red, presumably from the hot water. There was still some mist hovering about him and a milky scent of shower gel in the air.
The skin exposed on his neck was as white as milk, very pleasing to the eye.
Lu Xiu was slightly cautious, and it took him a little while to slowly climb onto the bed.
"You sleep on the inside." An Yeran said, as she shifted towards the outer side of the bed.
It's better for a child to sleep inside so as to prevent falling out.
"Sister..." After settling down, Lu Xiu quietly asked, "Can I sleep with you in the future?"
An Yeran: "..."
Getting more than he bargained for?
Looking into the boy's beautiful sparkling eyes, she found it hard to decline.
"Hmm..." She responded vaguely, then closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep.
The night was quiet and the room tranquil.
As time ticked away, a pair of coffee-coloured eyes suddenly opened in the dark. The light outside the window flickered in the night.
The boy's pupils were deep, and noticeably cold.
A pale little hand slowly reached out towards the girl beside him. At the moment his icy fingertips touched the girl's delicate neck, the boy suddenly woke up with a start!
What was he doing just now?!
He... he actually wanted to strangle his sister.
A wave of fear overcame Lu Xiu. Why would he have such a thought?!
The boy tried to suppress the fear in his heart and forced himself to calm down.
Actually, he wasn't lying just now. He truly felt that, he might not be able to see his sister again after this time.
Something was gradually invading his mind, and he would no longer be himself...
Tears welled up in the boy's eyes, but he held them back. He held his sister tightly in his arms, seeking a sliver of comfort.
*
The next day, An Yeran entered the bus for the summer camp.
Lu Xiu stood outside the bus for a long time. Not until he could no longer see the shadow of the bus did he reluctantly withdraw his gaze.
The summer camp was quite boring.
An Yeran had thought that there might be some strange animals or plants, but they were just ordinary trees and flowers.
The only comforting aspect was that there were barbecues to eat.
The cell phone signal was not good in the suburbs, she could not receive calls or play games. She could only walk around together with her classmates, writing some small notes.
Three days passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, it was time to go back.
However.
When the bus stopped in front of her house and she saw a crowd gathered there, she suddenly received some news.
Mr. Lu was dead.
Car accident.
On the day she went to the summer camp.