Da Bao’s inner struggle and conflict, which he thought he had hidden well, he believed that Nuonuo didn’t understand.
Nuonuo might not be able to articulate the exact reason, but she genuinely sensed during this period that her brother was gradually moving away from her.
This distancing was not just a physical distance but also an intangible, ungraspable distance between their hearts, slowly pulling them apart.
This intangible distance filled Nuonuo with fear!
Physical distance might be bridged by transportation, but this intangible distance between hearts, even an adult has no definite way to bridge it, let alone an eleven-year-old child like Nuonuo.
So, vaguely sensing sothing amiss with her brother, Nuonuo subconsciously wanted to tightly hold onto him. For her, if she could not bring their hearts closer, her only recourse was to find ways to keep him by her side to ensure he wouldn’t leave.
"Nuonuo, one day Daddy and Mommy will grow old, and before that happens, Brother needs to beco strong enough to protect you, Little Treasure, Daddy, and Mommy, understand?"
Da Bao’s words were understood by Nuonuo, but only partially.
"Then can you move back ho faster? It’s okay if you don’t have ti to pick up Little Treasure and from school; we can just let Uncle Driver take us. Can you co ho to live, please?"
Nuonuo knew she didn’t have what it took to persuade her brother, so she had to settle for less, hoping he would have a regular work schedule like Daddy and Mommy. That way, at least she could see him at night.
"Nuonuo, I’ll move back after I finish my work." Da Bao was unwilling to relent at all.
Because he had no confidence in his own self-control in front of Nuonuo.
Nuonuo lowered her head in sulky silence, her inner unease gnawing away at her bit by bit.
Because of her anxiety, the little girl began to drift into aimless thoughts.
Her brother has grown up, knows more, and has seen more. Is it because of this that he finds her childish and boring, and no longer wants to spend ti with her as he used to?
Undoubtedly, by all accounts, her brother has always been an outstanding guy who was never short of girls liking him. And now, he increasingly dislikes coming ho. Could it be that he has a girlfriend?
These jumbled thoughts swirled around Nuonuo’s mind, but she didn’t dare to seek verification from Da Bao.
Because she was afraid to hear Brother Da Bao tell her, "Yes, you are childish and boring," or "That’s right, I have a girlfriend now."
Say she was deceiving herself or unwilling to face reality, as long as her brother said nothing, she would pretend she knew nothing and stubbornly cling to him!
"Alright, your hair is dry, it’s late, go to sleep."
Da Bao knew the little girl was angry and suffering inside. He knew better than anyone that a small concession would cheer her up and make her laugh, but this concession, given their current tense relationship, was akin to drinking poison to quench thirst.
He knew very well that the most rational approach now was a cool-down.
Nuonuo got up silently and walked straight to the other bed, lifted the blanket, and covered herself from head to toe in anger.
Before, whenever she did this, Brother Da Bao would definitely co over to pull off her blanket, saying it was unhygienic and that she could suffocate.
Nuonuo thought that this ti her brother would also be as eager as before to rush over and yank off her blanket.
She hid in the low-air blanket, holding her breath and straining her ears, waiting for her brother to arrive.
But outside, there was no sound. Slowly, she could hear her increasingly heavy breathing, the air seed to beco thinner, and her eyes grew hotter...
Nuonuo took a deep breath, and as ti passed bit by bit, she felt like she was about to suffocate, the darkness enveloped her, and though the cold tears rely flowed from the corners of her eyes, the piercing chill made her tremble uncontrollably.
Her eyes widened, yet she saw nothing, her usually sharp ears heard only silence, as if the world was left with only her. Gasping in the blanket, the more she thought, the more she suffered. She opened her mouth to cry out loud, but found she couldn’t cry, only the tears at the corners of her eyes flowed nonstop...
The blanket was suddenly lifted, the blinding light made her instinctively close her eyes and raise her hand to shield her eyes.
"Nuonuo..."
The familiar and gentle call was like a valve unlocking the grievances in her heart; her hands continued to cover her eyes as her mouth finally opened, and she burst into tears.
Nuonuo’s cries were like two invisible giant hands tearing Da Bao’s heart into shredded rags, hanging on a barren branch in an empty field, swaying violently in the fierce wind.
Reason told him he should turn around and leave the room without a word; even if he had to sit in the courtyard corner and freeze into a popsicle, he shouldn’t bother Nuonuo.
But Nuonuo’s tears were always his undoing; once touched by them, he lost all sense of reason.
Heartbroken by her cries, Da Bao couldn’t concern himself with logic anymore. Supporting himself with one hand on the bed while hovering over her, he gently touched her tear-streaked face with the other hand.
"There, there, Nuonuo, don’t cry! Brother was wrong, can you forgive Brother?"
Nuonuo kept crying, her hands still covering her eyes, her head shaking vigorously.
She felt incredibly wronged, and the pent-up agitation and insecurity were not sothing a simple apology could easily resolve.
Awkward and at a loss because of her cries, Da Bao lay down beside her, pulled her into his embrace, and comforted her by rubbing her head.
"I deserve this, it’s okay if Nuonuo doesn’t forgive... Baby, please don’t cry anymore?"
As he comforted her, Da Bao gently rubbed her forehead with his lips.
Nuonuo cried for a while longer, but under Da Bao’s continuous coaxing, she finally began sobbing.
"It’s not okay... Brother doesn’t want Nuonuo anymore..."
Da Bao lightly kissed away the tears at the corners of her eyes, the faint salty taste spreading over his tongue, but he found it bitter.
"Brother doesn’t... Good girl, Nuonuo... Brother loves Nuonuo the most, will never abandon Nuonuo. Stop crying, okay? Brother would feel heartache if your eyes swell from crying..."
Always eloquent, Da Bao was now babbling in his attempt to defend himself.
Nuonuo no longer made a sound, but the tears did not stop. Da Bao’s heart felt like a dam with a hole, the floodwaters gushing out fiercely through the gap.
The flood from the broken dam instantly engulfed all his rational thoughts; his mind went blank, and his lips followed his heart to press firmly against her cold, slightly trembling lips.
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