After getting on the plane, Ashley found her seat, told Liam, and then turned off the plane.
The plane taxied, rumbled, and rose into mid-air.
Ashley pulled the bezel off the window and looked out.
She watched the city of Silver River gradually shrank in her own eyes and was covered by a white fog until she couldn't see it clearly.
She withdrew her eyes and rested for a while with her eyes closed, still not sleepy.
Ashley simply took a comic book from her bag and turned to the page she saw last time.
But she couldn’t focus.
Ashley breathed a sigh and slammed the cartoon shut.
She started thinking about last night again.
She sat on the ground playing with the snow, and then Jacob appeared. She began to cry, saying that she had a person she liked, and then vomited on him.
Then she said a lot of messy words, crying and shouting, extremely embarrassed.
After that, he carried her back to school, and she didn't remember much.
It was a very coherent memory, and she didn’t feel like she was missing any part.
But Jacob’s reaction today was like she had said something she shouldn't have said to him.
‘It doesn't seem right to think so.
If she really said something, he couldn't have reacted like this today.’
Ashley thought again that his reaction after being splashed with water was also inexplicably smiling.
Then she threw up on him yesterday, and he was in a good mood today.
Ashley, "…"
‘Is this old man a little insane?’
To South Star airport.
Ashley got off the plane and followed the sign, waiting to pick up the checked luggage.
She opened her phone and looked at it. When she saw Liam's reply to her message, she immediately replied: [Coming right away.]
After waiting for a long time, she finally saw her suitcase, took it and went out.
Liam was standing outside the exit, wearing a thin black coat.
He kept his eyes down, one hand in his pocket, held his cell phone in the other, as if he were replying to someone.
Ashley came up to him.
Seeing that he did not look up, Ashley suddenly remembered what he had said on the phone, swallowed the word "brother" and affectionately changed it to "Liam."
"..."
Liam stopped and raised his eyes coolly. "How dare you!"
Ashley blinked, "You told me not to call you brother."
"Did you listen to me when I told you not to ask me for money? Also, you told me to live frugally, "Liam scanned her up and down in a faint tone." Have you ever been weighed? "
"…"
Liam took the suitcase in her hand. "Remember to lose some weight next time to ask for more money."
Ashley was very upset, "I am only 40kg."
"Mm-hmm."
Liam said, "You look fat."
Ashley could not help choking back, "You look only 1.5 meters."
"..."
Tim has gone out of town on business, and Grace was the only one at home.
There were several cooked dishes on the table, and she was still busy in the kitchen.
Hearing the sound of the door, Grace came out immediately. Her hands were still wet.
Ashley hopped and hugged her.
Grace hasn't seen her for months, so she missed her very much, frowning at her, constantly talking about how she has lost so much weight, but she can't hide the smile on her lips.
Soon, when she saw Liam behind her, her expression suddenly changed, "You still know to come back? Didn't you go to see Aunt Lee's daughter? The girl has been waiting for you in that store for more than an hour! "
When Ashley heard about this, she immediately quieted down and twirled her eyes around the two people.
"I forgot."
Liam put Ashley's suitcase aside and said lazily, "Didn't I tell you I'm not going?"
Grace cursed a few words of hate and went back into the kitchen.
Liam didn't care much about it. He sat down in front of the sofa and poured a glass of water.
Ashley immediately leaned over to him and said curiously, "Brother, are you on a blind date?"
"…"
Liam glanced at her. "What?"
Ashley was particularly interested in this. "Didn't you go?"
"Do I have to go on a blind date?"
"But you don't have a date."
Ashley thought carefully and found a reason, "Are you embarrassed to go?"
Liam leaned on the sofa and didn't bother to talk to her.
Ashley remembered that Jacob asked her to help introduce a girlfriend to him. She hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Why don't you go with Brother Jacob? He seems to be looking for a girlfriend recently. You can go to Silver River to find him, or let him come here to meet you. "
Ashley said earnestly, "Then you can form a team and have a blind date."
"…"
"But in that case," Ashley suddenly thought it would not work. "You may suffer a lot because he is more handsome. Why don't you guys…"
Liam said coldly, "Will you shut up?"
Ashley swallowed her words back and murmured, "Forget it, you'll end up alone."
As it happened, Liam's cell phone on the table rang.
He checked the phone and seemed to be in a good mood, "Kid, tell you something."
Ashley looked at him and said, "What?"
"Recently, a girl tried to hit on me."
Liam said, "I don't have time to deal with other women, okay?"
"..."
Ashley was a little skeptical about what she had heard. "You mean, someone wants to chase you?"
"So."
Liam locked his phone and said slowly, "Let that Jacob, alone, go on a blind date."
Ashley, "…"
Soon after Liam graduated from university, he moved out of his home.
So after dinner, he didn't stay any longer and left.
Ashley helped Grace clear the table, then went back to the room and took out the things in the suitcase.
The clothes she prepared for Tim and Liam were packed by her in two bags.
Seeing this, Ashley remembered the New year gift that Jacob said he would give her.
On Ashley's 18th birthday, Jacob sent her a set of cosmetics.
She was still preparing for the college entrance examination at that time. She only thanked him and didn't think about it anymore.
After that, the set of cosmetics was put on the dresser and remained untouched.
When she went to Silver River City, she didn't think of taking it with her.
Thinking of this, Ashley got up and took the makeup bag on the dresser.
His condition now seemed to be much better than when he was in college.
He had a car and lived in a nice community.
She guessed that he lived a much easier life now.
‘Then why does she always think he's pathetic.’
Ashley sat back on the ground, put her chin on the edge of the bed, and thought silently.
Her mind was a little empty.
After a while, she remembered inexplicably that when she was in his car, she heard those two words that she did not know if she had misheard.
-- "It’s OK."
"…"
‘Forget it.
She must have misheard.
And maybe he just said a few words to tease her, as usual.
But it doesn't seem right either.
He doesn't seem to have said anything like that before.’
"…"
Ashley became more and more annoyed as she thought about it.
She climbed into bed and rolled over.
Ashley took out her cell phone, stopped thinking about it, and sent a message to Jacob: [home now.]
After thinking about it, Ashley added: [Brother Jacob, my brother seems to have a girlfriend.]
Brother No. 2: [mm-hmm.]
Ashley scratched her head and said tentatively: [she seems to be quite young.]
Brother No. 2: [your brother will never hook up with a minor.]
Ashley wondered: [is it all right to be an adult?].
After a long time.
Jacob sent a voice message.
Ashley's heart beat faster inexplicably, and she clicked it nervously.
The man's low voice came along the receiver, loafing around again, "If she graduates from high school and goes to a college. Isn't she a little adult? "
Another one came in.
There were a few laughs in his voice, "Why is it not alright?"
Ashley felt so incredible that Jacob would say those words and she didn't sleep well all night.
But judging by reason, she felt that he was looking at it from the point of view of a bystander.
‘This is true, at least in the eyes of anyone.
It's not a big age gap, it's just a difference of six or seven years.’
But Ashley was 13 years old when she met Jacob.
‘So, perhaps, there will be such a possibility.
In his eyes, she will always be the 13-year-old little girl, without any change.
She met him when she was a child.
So in his eyes, she will always be a child.
Even though he thinks he can fall in love with someone of her age.
But doesn't include her.’
Ashley couldn't sleep. She got up in the middle of the night and pulled out a cardboard box from under the bed.
She separated the tape with a knife and took out the contents.
It was that ugly puppet Jacob gave her.
Ashley put it on the bed and stared at it for a long time.
A long time later, the corners of her mouth loosened and she murmured, "If, I mean, if you don't treat me like a child…"
"It's impossible for me to chase you."
Ashley poked the puppet with her finger and stressed, " I'm so beautiful, and how old are you? In a few years, the wrinkles will grow out. "
Ashley muttered, "Keep dreaming."
Mike's wedding was scheduled for the eighth day of the Lunar New year.
Because he lived in South Star, Ashley was familiar with him.
Except in junior high school, he came to pick her up several times.
When Ashley was in high school, he would occasionally be brought back by Liam to eat at home.
So when he got married, he also invited Ashley.
On the eighth day of the year.
Ashley specially changed her clothes and went with Liam.
She was assigned to the table where Mike’s classmates were sitting, and most of them were men.
Then Ashley also saw Jacob.
Ashley knew he was coming, so she wasn't too surprised.
She just couldn't help looking at him a few more times.
Today, Jacob wore a simple white shirt and a black suit on the outside. He looked a lot more serious and had a bit of a flamboyant temperament.
He was sitting opposite her, and there was a woman sitting next to him, chatting with him at this time.
Ashley withdrew her eyes and suddenly felt that something was wrong and looked at him again.
She immediately noticed that the tie he was wearing today was the one she gave him.
Seeming to notice her eyes, Jacob raised her eyes, looking at her with a smile
The next second, he spoke to the woman next to him, then stood up and went to Liam.
After discussing with the man next to Liam, the two changed seats.
Ashley was sitting next to Liam.
Liam said, "Jacob, I've just sat down, and you're in a hurry to greet father?"
Jacob changed the cutlery and didn't pay much attention to what he said.
"Call Dad."
Liam leaned against the back of his chair and reached for the red envelope that Ashley had placed on the table, tilting the corner of her mouth to one side. "After the New year is over, Dad will give you red envelopes, too."
The red envelope was given by a relative who suddenly came to visit just before Ashley went out.
Ashley looked at it, but it was not good to grab it back in public, so she could only swallow her anger and ignore it and drink the water in front of her.
Jacob's eyelids moved and his eyes crossed Ashley very quickly.
He propped up his side face, looked at Liam, and lengthened the tail voice, and said, "Can I call you brother?"
Liam raised his eyebrow and said, "Brother is fine."
Jacob once again looked at Ashley.
He chuckled and said in an instant.
"Well, honey brother."
The sound was astonishing.
"…"
Ashley almost choked, pulled the tissue, and coughed several times.
After several seconds of silence, Liam stared at him silently as if he no longer knew him.
He jerked his forehead and said in a great silence, "That’s gross."
"Honey brother," Jacob took the red packet, tapped his fingertips twice on it, and said, "Thank you."
Liam said with a straight face, "You're welcome. Give it back."
"I'll take the red packet as you said."
As if he didn't hear what he said, Jacob put the red envelope in his pocket and smiled softly, "Then it's settled. You'll be my brother from now on."
Liam's eyes were subtle, "What's wrong with you today?"
"Nothing wrong."
Jacob smiled, dragging his tail and saying, "Thank you for brother’s concern."
"...."