JiaJia slowly opened the door to his room. Afraid to wake XinXin up if he was really sleeping.
It looks like XinXin is indeed sleeping. Maybe he's really tired. JiaJia walked over to XinXin's bed and sat on the edge of the bed. Gazing at XinXin's sleeping face before his lips melted into a smile.
"What did you dream about that made your brows furrow like this?"
JiaJia gently stroked XinXin's eyebrows, hoping that they would stop frowning. XinXin looked like he was suffering at that moment. JiaJia didn't want to see all that.
XinXin felt like half of his body was submerged in the mud. The more he struggled, the more the mud pulled him in.
"This is where you belong! Don't struggle my little brother.... Just accept your fate. Hahahaha....the more you struggle, the deeper it pulls you in. Hahahaha...."
His brother's voice echoed throughout the dark room.
"No! No! Brother! Help me! Brother! Don't leave me here! Brother!"
XinXin screamed. But all he could hear was his brother's laughter that pierced throughout into his heart cruelly.
"Brother...help me. It's too dark in here. I'm scared...."
XinXin pleaded in fear. His tears started flowing rapidly.
"XinXin.."
A soft, warm voice called his name.
"Who?"
XinXin searched the entire room for the owner of the voice.
"XinXin...time to wake up"
XinXin felt his cheek being gently caressed.
"Wake up? But how? I'm awake now. How am I supposed to wake up if I'm not even asleep?"
XinXin asked in confusion. He wanted to slap his face, but his hand was already stuck in the mud.
"Listen to my voice XinXin. It's time for you to wake up now. Everything will be okay after you open your eyes. Trust me."
"But how!!!"
XinXin screamed in his tears.
Pap!
A slap landed on his cheek. XinXin opened his eyes. In the twilight that broke through the window, XinXin could see JiaJia's worried face.
"Are you okay?"
JiaJia asked softly as he helped XinXin sit up. XinXin nodded. His face, which was pale and lethargic, was now red with embarrassment.
"My grandfather said, Don't sleep at dusk if you don't want to have a nightmares. After this, don't sleep at dusk again. Now, get up and go take a shower. Then help me in the kitchen."
JiaJia said as he handed XinXin a towel. XinXin nodded as he took the towel from JiaJia's hand.
"Am I delirious in my sleep?"
XinXin asked in monotones, he wanted to be sure that his fear hadn't reached JiaJia.
With a bitter smile etched on his thin lips, JiaJia nodded. And it made XinXin feel like a meteor had crashed and destroyed his entire world.
"Please..."
XinXin tried to gather the strength to continue his words that felt stuck in his throat.
"I won't tell anyone about this. Trust me."
JiaJia said before XinXin could tell him. JiaJia gently caressed XinXin's shoulder.
"You also can tell me about your nightmare if you want. I'm ready to listen. Now go take a shower before the kids starve."
JiaJia said softly as he stood up. Ready to go to the kitchen to prepare their dinner.
"JiaJia"
JiaJia stopped his steps and turned to face XinXin. Staring at XinXin's gloomy face with his heavy feelings.
"Thank you."
JiaJia gave XinXin his thumbs up.
In the kitchen, XiangXiang, WenWen and YuanYuan had already started cooking for their dinner. Meanwhile, Yaya and LinLin set up their dining table.
"Why do I smell something burning?"
JiaJia asked as soon as he entered the dining hall. Yaya and LinLin nodded in agreement. JiaJia's eyes immediately searched for XiangXiang who was in the kitchen.
"XiangXiang! Your fried fish is burnt!"
WenWen screamed as he quickly turned off the stove. YuanYuan, who had been busy washing vegetables, also ran to XiangXiang anxiously. But XiangXiang's face didn't show any signs of panic.
"Is it burnt? I thought that was how it was cooked."
WenWen's mouth dropped open when he heard XiangXiang's understated words. YuanYuan, Yaya and LinLin looked at each other while holding back their laughter. JiaJia patted his own forehead. He really couldn't believe how spoiled XiangXiang had been all this time, to the point where he didn't even know how to fry a fish, which was as simple as ABC.
"Is this fish still safe to eat or not?"
YuanYuan asked as he lifted the fried fish that was half charred from the pan which was still smoking like smoke from a volcano about to erupt. Luckily their house's ventilation system works well, otherwise their entire house would be filled with smoke like a haunted house in a horror movie.
JiaJia looked at the poor fried fish. He wanted to laugh out loud, but he tried his best to hold it in. He was afraid of hurting XiangXiang's feelings who had worked so hard to prepare their dinner which ended in disaster.
"It's okay...we'll throw away the burnt parts and cook the braised fish with the parts that are still good."
Suggest JiaJia to save their dinner.
"Err...XiangXiang, help me break the eggs so we can made steamed eggs with mushrooms."
"I need to keep XiangXiang away from the stove." JiaJia gaze at XiangXiang who still looked as calm as water in the pond. There was absolutely no guilt or panic about what he had done. He was really something else.
After taking a shower, XinXin went downstairs to help JiaJia prepare their dinner.
"I smelled something burning."
XinXin said while smelling every food that had been served on the dining table.
"Err...where? I don't smell anything. Maybe it's your heart that's been burned because you were soo angry earlier."
XiangXiang said boldly while giving XinXin his side eyes. XinXin was speechless hearing those words from XiangXiang's mouth. Same with the others. They began to worry if XiangXiang's bold words would trigger XinXin's anger again.
"So...it's wad because of you? What did you burn, huh?"
XinXin hugged XiangXiang's neck while pinching his fluffy cheeks.
"It's not me. It's the fish that wants to burn itself... it's not my fault.."
XiangXiang said with a chuckle. He began to feel ashamed of his own mistake.
"What? since when did a fish know how to fry itself?"
XinXin asked. He also started to chuckle. His junior was already big but still needed to be pampered. Now he knew why JiaJia was so happy to have XiangXiang as his little brother-in-law. Such an adorable but spoiled boy, who could refuse him. It's like the taste of their braised fish dish, there's a sweet, spicy, sour and a little bitter taste from the charred residue. But you'll remember the taste and you'll never be satisfied with just that. You'll want it again and again.
"Starting today, I will call you charred braised fish boy."
XinXin suggested as he released his hand from XiangXiang's neck. JiaJia and the others could no longer hold back their laughter. Their laughter began to echo throughout the dining room and made Xiang Xiang's face blush up to his ears.