Yesterday, Lu Hao’s parents had returned home. Lu Hao and Hong Sheng waited until the next day to visit.

The Lu family home was in an old neighborhood, the kind that made you feel like you’d breathe in dust just by walking through it. It was far from the wealthier, bustling city sectors. Most of the people who lived here belonged to ordinary, aging families. Some of them were better off, and some of them, like Hong Sheng’s old family, were worse.

The Lu family stood out in the sense that they shouldn’t have belonged in a community like this. They were the kind of rich that could afford to let their son spend hundreds of thousands over a fantasy, and fly overseas to another country on a whim. But their home was surprisingly low-key from the outside, feeling just as warm and inviting as the people themselves. This had been the home his parents had bought when they were young and just married, and even when their business took off and they could afford something better, they stayed.

Hong Sheng’s former house wasn’t far, and the old park where he and Lu Hao used to play was only a few streets away. Lu Hao almost wished he could see the shadow of that tiny Hong Sheng again, crouching in a corner somewhere.

But for right now, Lu Hao and Hong Sheng stood outside the gate of the Lu family home. Both of them stared at the closed metal frame.

Though one would think Lu Hao was calm and relaxed as he raised his hand to unlock the gate, inside was another story.

He was bringing Hong Sheng home.

Lu Hao input the code. The gate unlocked with a beep, and Lu Hao pushed open the metal, which swung smoothly on its hinges. “Let’s go.”

Hong Sheng was holding the gifts they’d bought yesterday, so when they arrived at the front door, Lu Hao opened the door for him. He had thought Hong Sheng would be nervous as he stepped in, maybe even need reassurance.

But Hong Sheng didn’t even hesitate. He stepped inside and started toeing off his shoes with practiced ease, the same way as he’d done ten years ago, giving the illusion that not a moment had passed since then.

Instead, it was Lu Hao who hesitated at the door. He felt, yet again, that things had truly changed; but they were only slotting back into place, returning to the way they should have been.

Lu Hao stepped inside. Closing the door behind him, he called out, “Mom, dad? I’m here to visit. And I’ve brought someone with me.” Hong Sheng was already walking ahead to the living room. He was going toward the table where the snacks were kept, ready to put down the gifts in his arms like he’d only just come back home from a shopping trip. Helplessly, Lu Hao reached out and tugged the back of Hong Sheng’s shirt collar, stopping him in place.

"Little Hao! Perfect timing, I was just about to cook lunch.” The sound of footsteps came from the other side of the house, and Lu Hao’s mother appeared in the kitchen doorway. “Who have you brought with you? You—“

She stopped in her tracks.

Hong Sheng was back.

 

It took a long time for Ma to move again.

Ma had a happy smile on her face. Keeping this expression for Hong Sheng had become a long-ingrained habit.

Back when little Hong Sheng had first come to their house, when he saw her smile, he’d have this look in his eyes—this awed, tentatively happy look. Like he couldn’t believe her happiness was for him.

So she had decided from then on to smile at him as much as she could. She treated him gently and lovingly, as if wrapping him in soft cotton to rest in the cradle of her heart. She wanted to make him feel like her motherly smile wasn’t precious. It wasn’t a treasure. He didn’t have to look so vulnerable every time he saw it. It should be as normal as a cloud in the sky. Her love for him was always there, a commonplace fact.

Even at her lowest points—when she wanted to beat some sense into Hong Sheng’s parents for abandoning their child; when she felt knives stabbing her heart as Hong Sheng cowered away from her, terrified that she’d hurt him after he accidentally broke a cup—she didn’t show any of those negative emotions to Hong Sheng. She wanted to always be that gentle mother that he could always, always rely on.

She’d never cried in front of him, and never showed him anything but that soft smile.

But now, she took a step to Hong Sheng, hesitant. And as he looked back at her, Ma’s expression crumbled.

Ma rushed to Hong Sheng, wrapping him in a hug. With her face buried against his shoulder, she cried.

 

Lu Hao had never seen his mother like this. He couldn’t help extending his hand, wanting to support her, and rested it on her back. She was trembling. “Little Sheng,” Ma said in a wobbling voice, too many emotions to name caught in her words.

Hong Sheng stood like a statue. He’d shifted the gift boxes to one of his arms so that they wouldn’t get caught between him and Ma. This left one of his arms laden with boxes, and the other hanging tense by his side. He looked down at the top of Ma’s head, his eyes hidden by his bangs.

For a moment, he seemed so withdrawn, so empty of anything alive compared to the woman weeping on him. And then Hong Sheng was leaning in with a soft sigh. He hugged her with his free arm, resting his head on hers; and as he did this, his bangs angled away from his eyes, showing a rare and watery softness.

By the time Pa had come down the stairs to see what was going on, Ma had calmed down a little, enough to regain her composure. Pa went through the same process she had: he stopped in his tracks, disbelief keeping him from moving. Then Pa was right there with the rest of them, eyes tearing up as he hurried in close to grasp Hong Sheng’s shoulder. “Little Sheng,” he said, faltering to continue.

“He’s home.”

Lu Hao gently leaned against Hong Sheng’s side. The entire Lu family loved Hong Sheng so dearly; it wasn’t just him. His mother and father, too, had a hole in their hearts when Hong Sheng was gone. Now they were all together again, and Lu Hao couldn’t stop that bittersweet feeling in his heart, and the soft smile on his face.

More than ever he felt that he had to protect this moment, and this feeling.

So that in the future, when the world was torn apart, this family of four could reunite.

 

After the family had cried out over their reunion, they all wiped their tears. Ma laughed and beckoned her two sons to sit down, saying, “Little Sheng, how have you been getting on these past years? Have you been eating enough? You’re so thin—I need to go cook you some good, homemade food. Sit over here, let’s get you some tea and snacks, okay?” She sent a signal to her husband with her eyes.

Pa sheepishly touched his nose and sat down on the sofa opposite Hong Sheng. While Pa focused on gently chatting with Hong Sheng, trying, in a roundabout way, to see if he’d encountered any problems that the Lu family could help him with, Lu Hao went to go fetch the tea and snacks from the kitchen.

The moment he stepped in, Ma interrogated him. “Lu Hao! You couldn’t even tell your parents that you found Little Sheng?” She glared at him. “Look at this, I’m not prepared, I can’t even cook all of the dishes he likes.”

“Ma, it’s fine. Hong Sheng will love anything you make. I wanted to give you a surprise.”

“Then how is he?” Even while fretting inside, Ma expertly prepared her dishes. “Oh, I can’t believe it’s been three years. He’s grown so much. But he’s so skinny now. It must have been so hard for him…” Ma started tearing up, even as her hands quickly diced the vegetables.

“I’m taking care of him now. Everything will be alright. Take it easy, Ma.” After pouring the freshly-heated water into the teapot to steep, Lu Hao carried the tea tray out into the living room.

Lu Hao’s father had moved on to telling Hong Sheng about what the Lu family had been doing over the past years, and Hong Sheng listened quietly, looking like a sweet and obedient little child. The corner of Lu Hao’s mouth ticked up.

He set the tray on the table and passed some snacks over to Hong Sheng. As their fingers touched, Hong Sheng glanced up at him. Hong Sheng’s eyes were bright and relaxed; it was as if for the first time in years, the gloom of the apocalypse, the hopelessness that sank deep into the bones of the survivors, were gone.

Hong Sheng had come home.

 

 

On the other side of the city.

Ji Ling felt like she was the luckiest girl in the world.

Well, that wasn’t quite right. If she were lucky, she wouldn’t have to live like this. Abandoned by her parents. Treated like a diseased person by her classmates. She had suffocated for so long under the world’s vile nature, the hatred and resentment stewing in her bones. They all laughed at her, ignored her, treated her like she was less than dirt. She wanted to tear everything apart.

For a long time, the only person who had been kind to her was her grandmother. When her granny got older, she gave Ji Ling a jade necklace—an exquisite and old stone, carved in the shape of a goddess. It was an heirloom passed on from her ancestors. One day, it would protect Ji Ling and bring her luck. That is why, Ji Ling’s grandmother had said, you must never let anyone take it from you. Never show it to anyone.

But now there was another person in Ji Ling’s life.

Someone who treated her even better than her grandmother had.

Zhang Lie, her boyfriend, was the most wonderful person in the world. He was so kind, so gentle, so sweet; he treated her like she was his treasure. Ji Ling wasn’t stupid. She didn’t stand out from other girls. She wasn’t prettier than anyone. It didn’t make sense for a man as handsome and thoughtful as Zhang Lie to want to date her.

But the way he looked at her, the way his eyes had changed from a quiet thoughtfulness to being full of passion and love when he saw her, made her numb heart grow warm. Yes, this was what she wanted—she wanted everyone to look at her like this. Like she was the only beautiful thing in the world. Like she was the most important person in everyone’s hearts. And anything that didn’t worship her like this could just go and die.

She grew addicted to Zhang Lie’s love, and when Zhang Lie kissed her on the forehead and coaxed her to nap with him on the sofa—after all, Ji Ling had been studying so hard, shouldn’t she get some rest?—she did so peacefully, nestling against him as she fell asleep.

After some time passed, Zhang Lie opened his eyes. A subtle contempt pooled inside. He brought a hand to the collar of Ji Ling’s shirt, and hooked a finger on the red necklace cord. The jade pendant slid out from beneath Ji Ling’s shirt to rest in Zhang Lie’s palm.

It didn’t look like anything special. Zhang Lie had some ability to see how much money things were worth. The jade, while well-carved and made of good materials, had some imperfections from being handled too much over time. Even the money he was being paid to stay with this little girl was more than whatever this pendant was worth.

But his employer wanted to see it anyway. So with a mental shrug, Zhang Lie took out his phone, took a picture, and sent it over to his employer.

[This is the jade pendant she always wears.]

Later that night, the employer responded back.

[Good.]

[Take it from her and send it to me.]